The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780349004587
Publisher: Virago Press
Publication Date: 28 August 2014
Format: Trade Paperback, 576 pgs
Source: Personal Library


I've only read one book by Sarah Waters - Tipping the Velvet, and loved it. There's something about her writing that feels magical to me, and I couldn't help but feel entranced by her story. I've a few of her other books on my shelves but haven't got around to reading them. Then her latest release, The Paying Guests, hit the shelves and I thought this time round I'd get to it. 

Without revealing too much, all I can say is this story is character-driven as well as plot-driven. The setting is 1920s Britain; WWI had ended and the British are trying to pick up their life after the war. Though still somewhat affected by the aftermath of the war, they too, welcomed the emerging of the new world where it'd bring them great promise and modernity. 

Frances, our protagonist in her mid 20s, lives with her mother. Her two brothers died from the war and her father had passed on thereafter, leaving them with debts. To make ends meet, they decided to take in lodgers, or "paying guests." Her boring and mundane life took on a turn after the young Barbers couple's arrival and things are never the same, again. And that's about all I can tell you, for any more information I'd risk spoiling it.

Once again, I was captivated by Sarah Waters' superb storytelling and her characterisations. She has a knack of writing unforgettable female protagonists, no matter you like them or not. Frances gave me the impression of an open minded and independent female. The Barbers couple seem like any other married couple who have their ups and downs. As for Frances' mother, she is kind and conservative and I liked her well enough.

Although this story is set in post WWI London, there's not too much of the history being covered but is more of a backdrop to the story. Readers would read about the differences of classes during that period but they are not overly elaborated. For these two subjects I felt a bit disappointed because I'd like to read more about them but alas, I suppose the plot is the main focus and another thing is, Ms. Waters is good in describing events with exceptional vividness so that took my mind off of that little disappointment. 

As much as I enjoyed the story, I felt something is lacking but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Ms. Waters' prose is lovely, but I think there are times I felt it drags a little, especially the first part of the story. However, once we are familiarise with the characters' and know where the story is leading, the pace quickens and I couldn't wait to finish it. 

So, did I like the book? Yes, but not well enough like Tipping the Velvet. I can't say I loved the characters, but they do left an impression on me. And finally, I think this is a book fits for a good discussion. 
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The Secret Place by Tana French
Melody


ISBN-13: 978-1444755572
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date: 28 August 2014
Format: Trade Paperback, 528 pgs
Source: Personal Library


I wished I've got the other edition of The Secret Place. I mean, if I didn't specifically browse through the thrillers section, I'd have missed this shiny new book by Tana French. Without any option (this is the only edition on shelf), I grabbed it. And because this is Tana French, I decided to overlook the plain cover; after all I've waited for this book for a long time (I'm sure TF fans out there will agree with me.) Pardon my rant. 

In The Secret Place, we have Detective Stephen Moran as the lead character. Readers who read Tana French's earlier books would remember him. For readers who haven't read them, it's not a problem as Stephen is more of a supporting character then. This book gives us more than a glimpse of him, since he's working alongside with Detective Antoinette Conway. Detective Conway is a new character, but not one to be dismissed easily due to her strong personality. She's outright blunt and doesn't hold her punches. I suppose she has to portray that image as I can imagine how tough it'd be to be the female in a men's field, and it's the elite Dublin Murder Squad, so to speak.

Stephen Moran isn't from the Murder Squad; he's working with the Cold Cases but one day, Holly Mackey passed him a card she found posted on their school notice board (the school named it The Secret Place where students could post their thoughts there anonymously). The words glued on the card read "I knew who killed him". It also shows a picture of Chris Harper - a popular boy from a boys' boarding school not far from St. Kilda's, who was killed on the campus of St. Kilda's a year ago. This case was filed under Cold Cases since the squad couldn't find any clues no matter how much they digged. Moran, on the other end, thinks this might be his big break to making into the Murder Squad.

Moran knew Holly as she was a witness to a case years ago. Her dad is a detective too. St. Kilda's is a prestigious school where the girls of the upperclass families go to. While Conway wasn't impressed with the status, Moran was intrigued by the overall image since he didn't belong and knew he would never belong in the long run anyway.

Who killed Chris? Was it a nun who thought he had compromised one of the girls? Or was it the school groundskeeper who had a drug possession record? Detective Conway thought they would not ruled out the girls, since she knew there are cliques, in particularly two cliques who always seem to be at loggerheads with each other ("razor blades in their hair", in Conway's own term), and who wouldn't want attention from the boys from St. Colm's? However, their headmistress assured them that the girls would do no such thing, given their upperclass status and the school name.

Tana French is a master when it comes to the characterisations and building atmosphere and intensity. Right from the beginning, you could just sense the forebrooding atmosphere. That sense is subtle, yet you know something is there and it makes your mind wonder. The suspense is thick to the point that you have the overwhelming feel to finish the book, yet at the same time you want to savour the suspense which is keeping you entranced. A dilemma, I know.

What I also liked about this book is the exchanges (chemistry?) between Moran and Conway. They may not share the same wavelength and class, yet the more I read about them the more comfortable that feeling I got from them. Yes, I think Ms. French is good in building connection between characters too. She also did a great job in describing the feelings and thoughts of the teenage girls, from the mean girls right to the loyalty and sentimental ones (made me think of my good old school days, yeah).

I hope Tana French's next book will feature Detective Antoinette Conway. She may be tough and appears to be cold but I quite admire the way she works. Although The Secret Place is a good read, it's not my favourite TF book. In the Woods still remains on that favourite spot and hopefully that place would be replaced by her future releases. I'm waiting. 
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Movie Review: The Maze Runner
Melody



Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aml Ameen, Ki Hong Lee 



I notice post-apocalyptic and dystopia themes seem to be all the rage lately. Honestly speaking, I don't minding reading them. With a good plot and great characterisations, they could linger in your mind for a long time.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I have this book for a while but just never got around to reading it. It is one of those reading mood thing, which I'm sure many readers are able to relate. I'm also one of those readers who would prefer to reading the book first than watching the film adaptation, but sometimes it's the timing that overtakes the mood and The Maze Runner is one of those moments.

Thomas wakes up and find himself in an elevator. He has no memory who he is and why he's lying in the elevator. When he steps out of it when it landed, all he could see is a vast land and some boys about his age. They "welcomed" him to the glade; an enclosed environment where they grow their own food and supplies given from below. Every 30 days a new boy will arrive to the glade and Thomas, no doubt is a newbie. They teach him all the knacks of living there, but told him not to enter into the maze under any circumstances.

Thomas gets curious and that feeling intensifies after he saw a few boys entering into the maze when its door opens during the day. The answer he got is they are the runners and they are trying to find a way to escape through it that surrounds their living space. However, it has taken them years as the maze changes; plus there are dangerous creatures looming around it too. Thomas wants to be one of the runners, but the others felt he isn't ready but of course there's always the surprise. 

Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and they are more determined to find ways of escaping when they knew the elevator will no longer comes up to the glade. That also means their supplies would be cut off too. They are on their own, and whatever are in store for them. 

I have to say The Maze Runner has a great concept. I have always been fascinated by books or movies that have a maze or lybrinth setting. The possibilities there are endless. Intrigue or horror? Or better still, both. I remember Stephen King's The Shining and there's a scene of a maze too. That film is a classic and to this day that particular scene of a boy running from his father at the hotel's hedge maze still lingers in my mind. The concept, no doubt, is different but what I'm trying to say is mazes have a mysterious factor that is captivating.

That said, as much as I find The Maze Runner intriguing, it doesn't hook me as I'd wanted to. I think the story and the characterisations are great, but there are times it left me wondering the purposes behind the overall scenarios. I felt the boys' determination and there are a few who are courageous enough, but somehow I felt it is as if they are waiting for something bigger to happen when they have the gists of what's happening around them. Perhaps this is done so intentionally to build up the intensity, but I felt it made the characters weak, and I'm sure some of them have great potential. My favourite character among all? Minho, the leader of the runner. 

Maybe my feelings might be different if I'd read the book first, I don't know, but I was a bit disappointed with the film. However, if you are going for the visual effects, you won't be disappointed.

At this point I'm not really in a hurry to read the book after knowing the gist of this first installment. That said, I understand there are readers who love this trilogy so this is probably just me. I may want to watch the second installment, being the curiosity type and I hope it'd be better.

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Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780062348876
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 23 September 2014
Format: Paperback, 368 pgs
Source: ARC from the publisher



Jessica Blackwood was five when she first started learning magic from her grandfather. She came from a family of magicians but decided to leave the glamour and her past behind after a performance almost got her killed when she was twenty. It was also the same time she decided to leave her family and be on her own.

At present, she volunteered to teach magic tricks as a form of therapy at a children's hospital since college and continued all the way through her career in the FBI. She was in forensic accounting, not really an adventurous job but she took pride in her work and had managed to crack a few cases through her persistence and observations.

However her careful constructed world was turned upside down when the FBI wanted her expertise when someone called himself 'Warlock' had hacked into their network and left them a code, which led them to a body. Jessica wasn't into homicide, but the FBI thought maybe she could help unravel the mystery, given her name as a magician years ago.

Now the mysterious part is the victim, Chloe McDonald's body is only hours old in the spot where they found it, but the fact is she was already dead for two years. What made it so horrific is Chloe face was filled with horror and her body was still half buried in the ground; it appeared she was trying to crawl her way free of the earth where she was buried. The creepiest part? Her coffin was empty. 

While Jessica managed to make an explanation about what happened is a clever and elaborate combination of illusions, the team is wondering if it's the same killer who murdered the real Chloe, since the other Chloe appeared to have the same wounds at the exact location. 

While they were speculating, another bigger and unexplainable case dropped onto their lap, this time round is an airplane which was claimed to be an original Avenger bomber which was believed to be lost in the Bermuda Triangle in 1945. Would it be the Warlock's work, again? After all, the pilot who was perished in the missing plane was found too. 

As the FBI struggled to piece things together, Jessica feared that more victims would die under the Warlock's hands if they didn't find and stop him in time. But the Warlock seems to be a step ahead of them, and this made Jessica more determined to catch this man who thought himself a god through the "miracles" he conjured.

I really enjoyed reading Angel Killer. Aside it's an action thriller, I liked it that it's also packed with a magic theme and this made my reading experience a different one from the rest as I felt myself like an eager audience, watching those magic unfold in front of my eyes, except that it's on paper instead of in a theatre. It is no wonder the author could write it that way, since Andrew Mayne is a famous magician himself and is the star of A&E's magic reality show Don't Trust Andrew Mayne.

Written from Jessica's perspective, I found the writing style to be appropriate and convincing as Mr. Mayne takes his readers into her magical world and see how her mind works as she tried to "see through" his tricks and lead them to the clues he left behind. I liked Jessica as a character, but what really intrigued me is another character whom I felt is another great mystery to this story. Damian is Jessica's ex-boyfriend and he is charming and appears to be very devoted to her. But she broke up with him after knowing that he had deceived her with his multiple identities. Is he delusional? Or does he has something to hide? Jessica never knew, but she knew he's always there for her whenever she's in danger. Damian even left a few clues to her regarding the Warlock's works, and this made him a suspect.

Like Jessica, I don't know if I trust Damian but yet an instinct told me that he might not be a bad guy, even though he could be dangerous. I hope my instinct is correct. Although the identity of the Warlock is revealed, the ending gave the readers the hope of a sequel. I definitely want to read more of Jessica, and Damian as well. 
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Like This, For Ever: Lacey Flint Series (Book 3) by Sharon Bolton
Melody



ISBN-13: 978-0552166379
Publisher: Corgi
Publication Date: 7 November 2013
Format: Paperback, 512 pgs
Source: Personal Library




Like This, For Ever is the third installment of the Lacey Flint series, featuring DC Lacey Flint and DI Mark Josebury. In the previous two installments, readers follow their harrowing journey of tracking down notorious murderers. We see a vulnerable (dark?) side of Lacey in the first installment,  Now You See Me, and till now I'd not got over her past history. But then, that's fine since I like reading a character who's flawed and show us his/her imperfect side as it reminds us we are all human beings, even superheroes. 

In this installment it revolves around a killer who's set to murder young boys in South London. Four boys dead in two months, and another one still missing. The latest victims are ten-year-old twins, Jason and Joshua Barlow. None appeared to be sexually abused or tortured. The cause of death was mostly extensive blood loss following the severing of the carotid artery.
Alongside the story is an eleven-year-old boy Barney, who seems to have an incredible power of observation and memory. He plays a huge part in this story (in fact I think he's the star of this story); apparently he has huge interest of the missing boys cases and he even set up a page on Facebook, hoping it'd would draw people's attention and share whatever information they can get. But that's only a small part of it, his main issue is finding his mother who had left him when he was four. My heart goes out to him after reading that he uses his allowances to place ads on newspapers around London, hoping that his mother would read it and find him one day.

Not forgetting our heroine, Lacey's goal is to join The Sapphire Units which handle crimes involving sexual violence, but the previous assignment affected her so much. Plus, she wasn't really over with the first Ripper case and then, there is Mark Josebury, who seems to have the capability of confusing her state of mind, that is. Lacey isn't involved in the investigation,  but somehow or rather she is pulled into it when someone texted her about the missing boy.

However, that's not really the climatic part as Barney and his mates took the investigation into their own hands. Foolish or not, Barney is still one of the bravest boy I've read in a while, not to mention that he's also the second youngest amongst his mates. Although Lacey and Mark seem to be the external parties of this investigation, I still read with interest about the progress of the investigations and the suspense had me speculating who the killer is (there are several scenarios that got you into thinking), and on top of it we read about Lacey's vulnerability and her doubts about her feelings towards Mark as well as her career as a cop.

That said, I still enjoyed this installment although Lacey nor Mark is directly involved in the case. Speaking of Mark, I liked it that this installment shows a gentler and more delicate part of him. I think the relationship between him and Lacey will take a leap if she gives him (and herself) a chance.

The ending has somewhat threw me off the edge, as I still couldn't believe the identity of the killer. He is simply... oh well, I better not say it as this will be a spoiler. And once again, author Sharon Bolton has crafted another nail biting thriller and I look forward to reading her next installment soon.
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Desire Lines by Christina Baker Kline
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780060566944
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 12 August 2014 (Reprint)
Format: Paperback, 384 pgs
Source: Publisher




Kathryn Campbell lost her best friend, Jennifer Pelletier, on the night of their high school graduation. Jennifer simply told her friends that she's taking a walk in the woods, but she never back. Her disappearance comes as a blow to Kathryn, after all they are close and Jennifer asked her a question about future plans before she took off that walk. Kathryn didn't really understand her question at that time and Jennifer didn't wish to elaborate.

Fast forward to the present, Kathryn moved to Boston after her marriage to Paul, whom she met during their college days. However, their marriage only lasts two years and now Kathryn us moving back to her hometown, Bangor, Maine.

She has mixed feelings returning to Bangor, since it brought her sad memories of Jennifer, and on top of that she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life there, and she's afraid of finding out. She seems like she's living in denial. Other than these, she isn't sure how she'd go along with her mother and her younger brother, Josh. Their parents divorced when she was twelve, and she and Josh felt it was too much to face their mother with that sadness written on her. Gradually, Josh drifts apart from Kathryn and pursue his own dreams.

Her mother encourages her to write for the local Bangor papers, since she has the experience but Kathryn isn't keen until an old friend, Jack probed her to write something on the disappearance of Jennifer. It'd be one stone killing two birds as who knows, she may find something new surrounding her disappearance.

I've to confess I wasn't warmed up to Kathryn in the beginning. She has too much of her emotions bottled up, due to the disappearance of Jennifer, her parents' divorce when she was twelve, and finally her divorce with Paul. Although I totally understand the unfortunate events she has gone through, but at times her denial state got to me and I felt like shaking her up and telling her to move on. But then, she's been waiting for Jennifer to come back for the past ten years; waiting for the past to catch up with her so she can begins her future. She simply needs an answer; something she can lives with.

The story is categorised into four parts - Homecoming,  Memory, Reunion and Release. The part on the Memory is where readers will know more about Jennifer; and how she's getting along with her high school friends and how they think of her. I think this part is the most interesting and intriguing, as we speculate and wonder about her disappearance. Did Jennifer feel suicidal after the death of her father, or did she feel hatred and betrayed of her mother's affair? Then, there are questions about Jennifer going out with a few guys and then dumping them.

As much as this is a mystery, I find the pace is a tad slow in my opinion; thus this is more of a literary fiction by itself. The story is mostly surrounding on Kathryn searching for the truth behind Jennifer's disappearance and learning something which she didn't know about her along the way. I wasn't sure of the closure though,  it left me feeling unsatisfied because of the "murderer's" motive, but I suppose that's up to each reader to ponder about it.
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Now You See Me: Lacey Flint Series (Book 1) by Sharon Bolton
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780552159814
Publisher: Corgi Books
Publication Date: 26 April 2012
Format: Paperback, 512 pgs
Source: Personal Library



I enjoyed reading Sharon Bolton's (aka S. J. Bolton) Dead Scared (not realising that it is part of a series then) so much that I decided to read the rest of the series. This series feature DC Lacey Flint and DI Mark Joesbury and Now You See Me is the first installment. She has a few stand-alone as well - Sacrifice, Awakening and Blood Harvest and I've added them to my to-read list. 

In this story, we are introduced to DC Lacey Flint and are told she has never worked a murder case before. It was only by chance that Lacey stumbled upon the victim when she saw the woman leaning against her car, bleeding profusely from a savage wound across her throat as well as her abdomen. Lacey didn't think it was a robbery, since her diamond earrings and wristwatch are still in tact. Anyway, Lacey became the witness as she had contact with the woman, as she tried to reach out to Lacey during her last struggle. 

DI Mark Joesbury, who is working with the Specialist Crime Directorate dealing with major crimes (including undercover works) is not officially tasked to the case since he was convalescing from his previous case but he has his plans. The investigation team managed to track down the identity of the dead woman - Geraldine Jones, but other than this information there isn't any leads, until a freelance journalist contacted Lacey and claimed she received a letter from the so-called killer, and that Lacey's name was mentioned in it. 

Lacey then pieced the letter quite similar to the notorious killer of the nineteenth century - Jack the Ripper, given the writing style and the signature. Lacey also pieced Geraldine's murder as the same day (31 August) where Jack murdered one of his victims - Polly Nichols, in 1888. Both Polly and Geraldine's injuries were identical. 

As the story progresses, we all know that the victim won't stop at Geraldine Jones, since there were four more victims under Jack's murderous hands, thus this Jack copycat wouldn't stop at one too. Like the original Ripper, the copycat killer seems to have a rough anatomical knowledge, is clever and quick. 

Speaking of the victims, I couldn't help but flinched at some of the descriptions of the human anatomy over the post-mortem scenes as part of the police procedural. And yes, there are some descriptions of how the victims are being murdered so this is not for the fainthearted readers. Having read many crime thrillers and how the murderers acted, I was still in a shock over the violence of this killer is capable of. 

Aside from having a compelling storyline, I think it is equally important to have engaging characters, and Lacey and Mark are fine examples. Lacey may have a sad past and is flawed (there's a little history of her being so), but she gave me the impression of an observant and a very brave woman. Why I said so is because in Dead Scared, she was an undercover and disguised as a student to solve a case in an University, and this time around she used herself as a bait to lure out the killer. As for Mark, he may seem like an obnoxious man but beneath his rank and his attitude, he is actually a man who cares a lot for his fellow colleagues. I've liked him from the beginning, despite the cool vibes he's been giving Lacey but of course, that might be his pride talking and I'm looking forward to see how their relationship will grow from here. 

Now You See Me is an intense, well crafted thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up to the end (I was totally blown away by the ending. How would I even describe it? I felt I was taking an emotional roller coaster ride. Intense, shocked and yes, even sadness for the killer.) Flipping that last page had had me at a loss for words; and my mind couldn't stop thinking over the horrific events and the shocking truth behind everything. 

What can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and I cannot wait to get to the rest of this series. Highly recommended. 

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OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
Melody



ISBN-13: 9781442457331
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: 22 July 2014 (Reprint)
Format: Paperback, 352 pgs
Source: Personal Library




As the title suggests, OCD Love Story is all about this cute teenage couple who have, well, OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder, an anxiety disorder) in their own ways and how they have fallen in love, despite the weird things they do in other people's eyes. 

Sixteen-year-old Bea first met Beck at a school dance, in the dark, to be precise. Well, there was a blackout during the dance, and the reason Bea approached Beck is because she recognized Beck's fast-breathing sound of a panic attack. An anxiety disorder victim herself, she understood how bad things could turn out to be so to calm him down, she held his hand and talked with him. 

Her method must have worked because his panic subsided and they talked a bit. Bea then surprised themselves by kissing him later. Beck, either a shy person or embarrassed by the kiss, left in a hurry before the lights are on. And Bea couldn't stop thinking about him thereafter. 

Just when we wonder how on earth Bea will recognize Beck without seeing his face, their situations allow them for another encounter. This time around, it is at a therapy group session. It appears that they share the same therapist and fate either favours them or play a joke on them. Either way, Bea is thrilled to see him again. She knew it is Beck after the therapist introduced the group and given that the town they live isn't big, she is confident that's the same Beck she met at the school dance. Beck seems to think the same too, but they didn't let the therapist know about their first encounter. 

While Beck has this cleanliness issue, working-out routines and has a tendency of doing certain things eight times (or eight seconds, depending on what tasks), Bea is always worried about sharp objects and that she might hit anyone when she is driving. And most of all, she has this fascination of a married couple who go to the same therapist and she is so into their troubled life that she began to stalk them. 

I know OCD is not an issue which can be dealt with overnight, nevertheless I was kind of worried for Bea when at some point her tendency of stalking the couple, Austin and Sylvia (who happens to be hippie indie musicians) became serious and more frequent to an extent that she thinks it's a necessity. 

I know what you must be thinking; that it is not at all romantic to read a couple with OCD, let alone their love story (No, I'm not discriminating anyone with OCD. I know this is not what they want or chose to be) but somehow, as I read further I began to see why and how it works for them. As strange as it may sound, I even thought what they have been through and trying so hard to curb their compulsions is, well, touching in a way. It is like, they complement each other through their faults, and they are brave enough to acknowledge them in front of each other, despite how embarrassing or awful their compulsions are. 

Although this is very much of a story of Bea and Beck fitting into each other's life despite their individual OCDs, I think it is the efforts (especially Beck) they have tried so hard to pleasing each other by acting normal that really makes this story even more of a love story. 

Though Bea and Beck's OCDs get on my nerves sometimes, I have to say they grew on me the more I read about them. Secondary characters like Lisha (Bea's best friend), and the musician couple, Austin and Sylvia, also make this story more entertaining as we see how their roles have somewhat made an impact on Bea. 

Overall this is a cute YA love story with interesting characters and an understanding of some OCD behaviors. 

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Don't Try to Find Me by Holly Brown
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780062305848
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers 
Publication Date: 8 July 2014
Format: Hardcover, 368 pgs
Source: Publisher



 
Don't try to find me.
I'll be okay. I'll be better.
I love you. 

This is the note fourteen-year-old Marley left on the whiteboard affixed to the fridge to her parents before she run away from home one day. 

Needless to say, Rachel is devastated. She is sure Marley is playing a joke on them; after all she couldn't think of any good reasons Marley would run away from home. There's no sign of any distress in Marley either - she's doing fine in school; and she's never been bullied. Well Marley used to see Dr. Michael, a psychiatrist, for panic attacks' issue but had stopped seeing him when she was eleven, since he said he had every confidence that Marley would be fine. 
 
Rachel, on the other end, is sure someone has either threaten Marley at a gunpoint, or being abducted because her iPhone and iPad are around; and she always carry them around, especially her iPhone. Paul, however, is sure Marley would return home after the fun is over. Unlike Rachel, he is always the rational one; one who has a brain for acronyms and statistics. 

When there're no leads from the police, they decided to turn to social media to expand their network so that they'd have a whole community looking for Marley. However, this would also compromise their privacy, and not to mention there would be media scrutiny and people calling them lousy parents. 

Onto to Marley, it seems she'd been planning the runaway for months, since after she'd knew B., a guy from Facebook and he too, has problems at home. They figured they'd leave home and live somewhere else together. But Marley is skeptical about him as well as his motives after she lives with him. B. doesn't want her to interact with the outside world, saying that it's best that they stay that way and no one can disrupt them. They'd have new identities and a new life. 

To complicate matters, Dr. Michael and Rachel's close friendship is out in the open and people began to wonder if they're in together on Marley's disappearing act. 

This is simply not a runaway story but there's more depth to it and it's multi-layered too. There're speculations everywhere and at some point it seems like each character has his/her little secrets. Through Marley's and Rachel's narratives, we're able to read into their minds and see the things through their eyes; and I was totally taken by surprise over where they lead. 

As I read further, I also realised that this is more of a family dynamics story, as it tells us how miscommunications and assumptions may lead to drastic measures which may in turn destroy a family. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think this is the core of the story, and Marley's disappearance is the secondary issue. Then again, there is also focus on today's socia media and how things could spiral out of control, no matter what our intentions are. Good or bad, there're bound to be people talking. I suppose it's a natural behaviour when people are concerned, with or without the technology. 

Well I'd expected a mystery before reading this book, but it turned out to be something more and something which I thought is important too, given the family communication issue and that is not to take a person for granted. This is one of those books that you can't put down and would make you treasure your family members more after reading it. 
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The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780062227331
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 5 August 2014
Format: Paperback, 384 pgs
Source: Publisher





I've heard countless stories of the ghost brides, being on TV shows or stories told by the older generation. They are often either portrayed as a couple who are dead and in love and their families want them to be together in the other world, or human women (sometimes girls) to marry a dead man through arrangement by both families, under certain circumstances. Even now, I don't know if they are myths or not (and would imagine being told off by my grandmother should I asked her such topic, if she were still alive), I choose to believe half in them. 

This story took place in 1893 in Malaya. Pan Li Lan is the daughter of a genteel Chinese family on the verge of bankruptcy. Her mother died when she was young, leaving her with an opium addict father and Amah, an elderly personal maid whom she looks upon as her grandmother. 

Due to their financial state, the Pan family received a proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family, in which Li Lan's father is in debt with. However, the proposal is no ordinary proposal as they want Li Lan to marry Lim Tian Ching, their only son, who had died under mysterious circumstances. 

To avoid the marriage and Lim Tian Ching's hauntings, Li Lan has consulted a medium but has accidentally took an overdose of some powder which is believed to ward off Lim's hauntings, thus resulting her soul to leave her body. 

Not quite dead, Li Lan is able to see the ghosts and other demons which belong to the other world. Like the living world, the other world too has their system and order to ensure all things are in control. But of course like everywhere else, they also have briberies and corruptions even among the border officials. 

Now in the Plains of the Dead, the towns and villages roughly correspond to the places above. Time seems to move erratically there, and there is nothing permanent at the Plains of the Dead, as the ghosts come and go as they move on to the Courts of Judgement, waiting for their sentence to be either punished or reborn, depending on the sins and/or deeds they had done when they were alive. The ghosts depend on their live family members to burn offerings to them, so that they can eat or spend like the human world. However, unlike the human world, the things at the Plains of the Dead bear no smell or taste except a resemblance of it, which is an explanation of them being made of paper as offerings.

Li Lan suspected that Lim Tian Ching has to do with the bribery, since he seems to have some power with the underworld officials. There are also speculations that there are rebellions in the Courts of Hell, which Li Lan has heard from Er Lang, a deity-like being she met. Er Lang wants to find out if there are more other than Lim Tian Ching for the rebellions, and he needs Li Lan as a spy to help him out. Likewise, Li Lan needs Er Lang's magical powers to get over the obstacles which are thrown into her path. 

What happens next is a series of incidents that Li Lan encounters which put her in danger; and through Er Lang's countless help they have somewhat forged a bond one could never forget. 

Whether if all is a mystical myth or if there are some truth to some incidents, I've to say I quite enjoyed this story. The journeys Li Lan traveled often left me both curious and worried, because I'd no idea what is in store for her and most of all, who is telling the truth and if one could even trust the ghosts, or things alike? 

I also have to add that one could learn a great stuff of Chinese folklores and Chinese traditions through this story. I think the details are quite informative to readers who are not familiar with them. 

As for the ending, I've to say it's quite subjective and that it's a twisted one. Honestly I was fine with it (don't ask me more or I'd babble).
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Movie Review: Obsessed (人间中毒)
Melody


Cast: Song Seung-Heon, Lim Ji-Yeon
Director: Kim Dae-Woo
Genre: Erotic Romance
Language: Korean (English/Chinese subtitles)
(R21) 



I've to admit it is Song Seung-Heon who attracted me to this movie. After all I'd watched several Korean dramas starring him and most of his roles are unforgettable. Well it didn't hurt that he has a fit body and a good-looking face too. 

Onto the topic, Obsessed is a story of a decorated war hero, Colonel Kim Jin-pyong, who falls in love with a young woman and would risk everything for love, in which ended up in tragedy eventually.

Colonel Kim seems to have everything; from his prestigious rank right to having a beautiful wife, but apparently he isn't that at bliss considering he suffers from post-traumatic disorder after the Vietnam War and his affection towards his ambitious wife has faded.

On an occasion he happens to meet Ga-heun, a wife of his subordinate. Ga-heun is unlike any other officers wives, and Colonel Kim is quickly attracted to her. However, it is through one life-threatening incident that allows Colonel Kim to save Ga-heun, thus creating a chance for them to get to know more about each other. Since both of them are married, their exchanges are usually discreet. And in no time they are so smitten (obsessed?) with each other that they have a forbidden affair. 

Before meeting Colonel Kim, Ga-heun's marriage is no bliss either as her relationship with her husband feels more like a brother and sister rather than lovers. After all, she was adopted by his family when she was younger after she had lost her family. Colonel Kim is the first man whom she has fallen in love with, but despite the fact that she loves him she felt she couldn't abandon everything and left with him. Colonel Kim, on the other hand, confessed that he couldn't live without her. 

What happened next wasn't something I had expected, and all I can say is regret, and more regret. With the attraction and love they had for each other, I felt it a regret that they didn't meet earlier; and then I also felt regret that what happened to the secondary characters weren't explained clearly (i.e. Colonel Kim's wife and Ga-heun's husband). Overall the film was shot quite beautifully (the lovemaking scenes are tastefully done too). And finally, the only thing that left me unsatisfied is the ending; it left me feeling hollow because of Ga-heun's choice. For a quiet and demure woman, she seems firm in some aspect and not caring what other women thought of her. 

Colonel Kim, on the other hand, seems weak as compared to Ga-heun when it comes to love, but then that is the attractive side of him. A devoted man is what most women want in a relationship isn't it? But then again from another angle, love and devotion can also consume and destroy a person. . . And I think, in my opinion, is the core of this story. 

All in all, I enjoyed the movie. If only it has a happier ending. . . 
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I'll Be Right There by Kyung-Sook Shin
Melody


ISBN: 9781590516737
Publisher: Other Press LLC
Publication Date: 3 June 2014
Format: Paperback, 336 pgs
Source: Personal Library
Translated from the Korean by Sora Kim-Russell
I'll Be Right There is a powerful and moving story about friendship, loss and young love set in 1980s South Korea. Alongside the setting there are also tremors of political revolution and the demonstrations of quests for democracy and freedom. 

Filled with lyrical prose throughout the story, author Kyung-Soon Shin tells us a beautiful yet a sad story of Jung Yoon, a highly literate twenty-something young woman's journey of growing up and her relationship with her three closest friends - Dahn (her childhood friend), Myungsuh and Muri; a boy and a girl she knew from college respectively.  

Captured the innocence of youth, the characters' mixed feelings of growing up and seeing life as it is. There are some touching moments when Jung Yoon mentioned about her mother, who  knew that her days were numbered, sent her to live with her cousin in the city as she didn't want Jung Yoon to see her suffering. Jung Yoon, on the other end, thinks otherwise. 

While there are tough times, there are also tender moments when I read about Dahn's letters to Jung Yoon during his army service as he poured out his feelings to her, as well as reading Myungsuh's journal about his thoughts in general. I felt I could read into their minds reading through those words.  

Then there are joy, sorrow, despair . . . when Myungsuh told Jung Yoon his love for her is as much as those emotions he experienced through different stages of his life when he was younger. And then, there is Muri as she recalls to Jung Yoon how she had lost her elder sister when she ended her life after learning that her boyfriend would never return, due to the demonstration and he may be part of it. 

I'll Be Right There is Jung Yoon's memories of her past; a highlight of her fragile and emotional experiences in an era filled with uncertainty and anxiety. What makes this story a poignant read is not only the characterisations but the way how they would make you feel as you read about their lives, which was written so beautifully that I felt a sense of melancholy reading them. It is a thought-provoking read about life and relationships, and finally never hesitate to hold out to the person you think who might need it, hence the title "I'll Be Right There". I want to say Ms. Shin is a great storyteller; aside from the characterisations, she also has a talent for noticing the detail that characterises the particular situation she describes. 

Finally, I want to applaud the translator, Sora Kim-Russell, for the translation of this work. Although I couldn't compare the translation to the original work, I want to say it read smoothly and that at times I even forgot I was reading a translation version. 

Please Look After Mom, which is the author's previous book, would be onto my to-read list. 


Note: The Chinese translation of "I'll Be Right There" is ＂我们不要忘记今天＂〜 申京淑. 
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