Undone

Undone
Author: Cat Clarke

It is not that I fancy of beautiful, fantasy, Disney kind of stories. But this "Undone" is truly a ugly stories. Not that the story is not interesting, just it reflects how ugly reality could be.

Gay, suicide, revenge and etc.

Jem Halliday is in love with her best friend, Kai. However, Kai likes guys, he is gay! When a video, of Kai giving a blowjob to a guy, goes viral in the school. He can't take it and subsequently commit suicide.

Due to the 12 pieces of monthly letters, Jem Halliday postpones the course of commit suicide to a year after. Meanwhile, she wants to revenge! To whom has caused the death of her best friend. She wants them to deserve the pain Kai has suffered.

Stories continues with Jem joins the Team Popular as she believes
STUART HICKS
LUCAS MAHONEY
DEREK BUNNEY (Bug)
filmed the video and spread it around.

She couples with Lucas. Plan to dump him when he is in deep love with her.
Places the gay magazines in Bug's car, makes everyone to think he is gay.
Makes a graffiti in every girls lavatories in school of "STUART HICKS RAPED ME"

Things even get uglier when Sasha gets into accident as she got burns on her beautiful face and hair when Jem is doing the final step of her revenge.

The shocking is truth behind the video, it was filmed by Kai's sister, Louise! And the another guy in the video making out with Kai was Louise's boyfriend.

The stories is relatively good, it is very different type of stories I normally read. Tragic, sad, completely knock me off of unexpected plot.

The date I finished reading this book : 28 November 2013
Rating : 6.0/10

Monsieur Linh and His Child

Monsieur Linh and His child
Author: Philippe Claudel

Tao-laï

This is a beautiful and extraordinary novel. I had found this novel in purely coincidence when searching for another novel "Undone" from the local public library.

A thin book, only 130 pages and hard cover. Actually, the reason i picked this book and selected it at sight is just merely the cover picture. Yes! books' covers are important! At least to me, not easy to not judge a book by its cover.

It is a story about Monsieur Linh is traumatized by memories of his war-ravaged country and his grandchild, Sang diû has became his sole reason to stay strong and protect her. Monsieur Linh travels with the child with ship and disembark on a foreign land along with other refugees.

He was placed temporarily in a dormitory with two other families. The story goes on with Monsieur Linh takes Sang diû out for a walk in unfamiliar and big town. They meet Monsieur Bark as address to a fat man in the novel.

Monsieur Linh and Monsieur Bark have became friends! Despite that they do not speak each other's language, they seem able to understand each other. One keeps saying and one is willing to hear. It was astonish that both of them are able to communicate with just gesticulation. Monsieur Bark becomes the only friend of Monsieur Linh in this big unfamiliar town. They meet up every day, the bench on good days or the restaurant on rainy days. It is just so amazing that they only know to say 'good day' in fat man's language where both understands. Yet, they seem to understand each other...even without words.

As the dormitory is only temporarily, soon Monsieur Linh and the child are transfer to a mansion but it is like an old folks home. He cannot leave the mansion and unable to meet his only friend. Days by days, he misses his friend and unwilling to be trapped within the fences. He makes attempts to escape from the mansion and search for his friend.

This novel is so beautiful especially the ending. Though it was short but the story is really interesting. Friendship of two who not speak each other's language.

There is a song mentioned in the novel (in Monsieur Linh's language). A song sung by Monsieur Linh to Sang diû.

Always there is the morning

Always the light returns

Always there is another day

One day it is you who will be a mother

A very touching story. Plain and classic.

The date I finished reading this book : October 2013
Rating : 7.5/10