3.5 stars Spoiler warning! Some spoilers for the early parts of the book in this review (although some of it is already spoiled in the book’s blurb). We’re back to me reviewing books I read a month ago, so Goodreads will have to help me out here: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those that do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved […]
Indonesian best-seller about poverty, education and hope
The Rainbow Troops: A Novel is not so much a novel as a memoir or collection of vignettes from the author’s childhood in Indonesia. It is an eye-opener about life in the world’s fourth most populated country, the largest Muslim-majority country. Hirata is Indonesia’s best selling writer of all time (according to the book blurb) and The Rainbow Troops was a huge best-seller in Indonesia and abroad. Hirata provides a vivid depiction of the poverty that many Indonesians experience and of the hope that education […]
A tale of plotters for pantsers.
In writing there’s two types: the plotters and the pantsers. The plotters decide and document the entire plot before writing. The pantsers start writing and hope that a plot sorta happens along the way. Spoiler alert: Plots don’t usually happen that way. Also spoiler: I’m a totalt pantser. So in an effort to learn how to be a plotter I’ve been picking up some books. This is the first one I’ve finished. The writer’s journey is based on the idea that all stories are basically […]
A dream wrapped in razor wire or razor wire wrapped in a dream
4.5 stars To everyone who knows her, Waverly Camdenmar appears to be pretty much perfect. She is intelligent, successful, one of the most popular girls in school (thanks to her Machiavellian scheming on behalf of her best friend, whom she’s pretty sure she doesn’t even like anymore). Said best friend keeps referring to her as a robot or android, but thanks to her, Waverly fits in. No one knows that nearly every night, Waverly battles insomnia and runs until her feet bleed. She also fears […]