Showing posts with label young-adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young-adult. Show all posts

Friday, August 9, 2013

Stasiun


Sinopsis:

Adinda putus dengan pacarnya. Kini tak ada lagi Rangga yang biasa mengantarjemput. Tiap pagi Adinda harus naik kereta dari Bogor ke kantornya di Jakarta. Harinya berawal dengan teriakan pedagang asongan, sampah yang bertebaran di peron, para penumpang yang berkeringat dan tergesa, bahkan aksi copet. Masa lalu pun kerap memberatkan langkah.

Ryan "anak kereta" sejati, bersahabat dengan para pedagang kios di sepanjang peron. Bertahun-tahun dia pulang-pergi Bogor-Jakarta naik kereta. Di balik beban kerja yang menyibukkan, ada kesepian yang sulit terobati, apalagi ketika seorang sahabat meninggal.

Tiap pagi mereka menunggu kereta di peron yang kadang berbeda. Tapi jalur yang sama memungkinkan langkah dan hati mereka bertautan. Stasiun jadi saksinya.


Friday, June 28, 2013

Slammed


Sinopsis:

Layken harus kuat demi ibu dan adiknya. Kematian mendadak sang ayah, memaksa mereka untuk pindah ke kota lain. Bayangan harus menyesuaikan diri lagi dengan lingkungan baru sungguh menakutkan Layken. Namun semua berubah, begitu ia bertemu dengan Will Cooper, tetangga barunya.

Will memang menarik. Dengan ketampanan dan senyum memikat, pemuda itu menularkan kecintaannya pada slams––pertunjukan puisi. Perkenalan pertama menjadi serangkaian hubungan intens yang membuat mereka semakin dekat, hingga keduanya bertemu lagi di sekolah...

Sayangnya, hubungan mereka harus berakhir. Perasaan yang mulai tumbuh antara Will dan Layken harus dihentikan. Pertemuan rutin mereka di kelas tak membantu meniadakan perasaan itu. Dan puisi-puisi menjadi sarana untuk menyampaikan suara hati. Tentang sukacita, kecemasan, harapan, dan cinta terlarang mereka.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Suatu Saat Aku Akan Kembali


Rasanya, sudah lama sekali sejak aku dan dia melihat pelangi di langit utara Pogung.

Ini cerita cinta yang terjadi sebelum dan saat peristiwa Mei '98.

Namun, kembali ke kota ini, seperti menyeruakkan semua ingatan tentangnya; tentang janji yang terucap seiring jemari kami bertautan.

Tentang Nalia, mahasiswi Kedokteran Gigi UGM, yang menjadi ketua panitia untuk sebuah acara BEM Fakultasnya, dan akan meminta bantuan publikasi dari sebuah radio mahasiswa Teknik Elektro.

Di sana, dia bertemu Nino, mahasiswa berkacamata yang selalu terlihat tenang.

Di sana juga, dia mengetahui kalau menyiarkan radio yang belum mendapatkan izin termasuk ilegal. Media masih belum sebebas sekarang. Siapa pun yang berkata jelek tentang Presiden (yang saat itu adalah Soeharto), akan dicari orangnya, dan kemudian, kita tidak akan mendengar apapun tentang orang itu. Hilang.

Ketika akan menyebarkan undangan untuk acaranya, Nalia mendapati dirinya mendengarkan semua keluh-kesah Nino. Dari sana, mereka menjadi dekat.

Sampai akhirnya, peristiwa Mei '98 terjadi. Peristiwa yang akan terus dikenang masyarakat Indonesia. Bahkan setelah 15 tahun Reformasi.

Segera setelah semuanya berakhir, aku pasti akan menghubungimu lagi.

Setelah peristiwa itu juga, Nino... menghilang. Padahal waktu kebersamaan mereka begitu sebentar... begitu cepat. Mereka bahkan belum pernah pergi bersama...

Itulah yang dikatakannya sebelum dia pergi. Dan aku mendekap erat kata-kata itu, menanti dalam harap. Namun, yang datang padaku hanyalah surat-surat tanpa alamat darinya.

Surat-surat Nino tidak terbalas. Nalia hanya bisa duduk di depan gedung Fakultas Teknik, menunggu Nino kembali.

Tapi, di suratnya, Nino tidak mengucapkan kata tunggu.

Beberapa tahun berlalu, Nalia pergi dari kota itu dan berhubungan dengan Faris. Bencana alam, ketika Gunung Merapi meletus lah yang membawa Nalia kembali ke Yogyakarta. Mendengarkan kembali radio mahasiswa Teknik Elektro yang dulu bernama Jawara FM. Dan... mengingat Nino dan surat-surat yang tidak terbalas itu.

Kini, di tempat yang sama, aku mengurai kembali kenangan-kenangan itu...

Friday, May 10, 2013

Why We Broke Up



Sinopsis:

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight



Goodreads:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Pushing the Limits




Dari Goodreads:

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Little Wanting Song



Title: A Little Wanting Song
Author: Cath Crowley
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: Ebook

Summary:

A summer of friendship, romance, and songs in major chords. . . .

CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.

ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Sea of Tranquility



Title: The Sea of Tranquility
Author: Katja Millay
Publisher: Antisocialite Press LLC
Pages: 380 p

Review:

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares


Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Author: David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Pages: 260 pages

Summary (from Goodreads):

"I've left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please."

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the "New York Times" bestselling authors of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist." Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Delirium


Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 441 p

Summary (from Goodreads):

THEY SAY that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Review:

Friday, December 21, 2012

Blue Romance


Judul: Blue Romance
Penulis: Sheva Thalia
Penerbit: PlotPoint
Tebal: 224 halaman

Sinopsis (dari Goodreads):


Selamat datang di Blue Romance, sebuah coffee shop yang buka setiap hari, dan mungkin kau lewati hari ini.

Blue Romance menyediakan kopi ternikmat dan sahabat saat kau dituntut untuk terus terjaga. Blue Romance juga punya banyak cerita. Ada kisah jatuh cinta dan patah hati, perpisahan dan pertemuan kembali. Kisah-kisah ini berbalut kafein dan aroma kopi, berderai tawa dan tangis, di sela desis coffee maker.

Seperti Latte, Affogato, Americano, dan Espresso, setiap kisah punya kopinya sendiri.

Kisah mana yang cocok dengan kopimu?


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Lonely Hearts Club

Judul: The Lonely Hearts Club
Penulis: Elizabeth Eulberg
Penerjemah: Rini Nurul Badariah
Penerbit: Bentang Belia
Tebal: 282 halaman

Sinopsis (dari Goodreads):

Mana yang lebih penting? Pacar atau sahabat?

Setelah dikhianati Nate, Penny Lane bersumpah nggak akan mau dekat-dekat apalagi sampai pacaran sama manusia berlabel cowok. Sohibnya, Diane meninggalkan Penny juga demi cowok. Gimana Penny nggak makin kebakaran?

Penny nggak sendiri. Banyak cewek di sekolah punya pengalaman sama: korban cowok nggak penting! Penny akhirnya mendirikan sebuah klub cewek jomblo The Lonely Heart Club.

Peraturan utamanya ekstrim: nggak boleh pacaran! Hufft…apa bisa aturan gila ini ditaati?

Masalah lalu muncul saat Ryan Bauer-cowok populer di sekolah mendekati Penny. Sementara itu ikatan diantara sohib cewek The Lonely Heart Club makin kuat.

Mampu nggak sih Penny Lane menahan godaan untuk nggak nge-datesama Ryan yang super cool? Siapa yang akan dipilih Penny? Cowok yang jadi rebutan cewek satu sekolah atau klub berisi sohib yang super asyik?

The Hobbit


Judul: The Hobbit
Penulis: J.R.R. Tolkien
Penerjemah: A. Adiwiyoto
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tebal: 352 hal.

Sinopsis:
Inilah kisah tentang seorang Baggins yang pergi bertualang, dan mendapati dirinya melakukan dan mengucapkan hal-hal yang tak disangka-sangka…

Bilbo Baggins adalah hobbit yang suka hidup nyaman, tidak ambisius, jarang bepergian jauh selain ke gudang makanan di lubang hobbit-nya di Bag End. Tetapi hidup nyamannya terganggu ketika Gandalf si Penyihir, dan 13 kurcaci mendatanginya suatu hari, untuk mengajaknya menempuh perjalanan “pergi dan kembali”. Mereka berencana mengambil harta Smaug, naga raksasa yang sangat berbahaya…


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops


Judul: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
Penulis: Jen Campbell
Penerbit: Constable and Robinson
Format: e-book

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the hugely popular blog, a miscellany of hilarious and peculiar bookshop moments:

'Can books conduct electricity?'
'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?'

A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor. From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to'Excuse me... is this book edible?'
This full-length collection illustrated by the Brothers McLeod also includes top 'Weird Things' from bookshops around the world.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Wanderlove


Title: Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: e-book

Summary (from Goodreads):
It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.
Review:

Easy


Title: Easy
Author: Tamara Webber
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 316 p

Summary (from Goodreads):

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.
Review:

Friday, November 30, 2012

Dan Hujan Pun Berhenti


Judul: Dan Hujan Pun Berhenti
Penulis: Farida Susanty
Penerbit: Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia
Tebal: 322 halaman

Sinopsis (dari Goodreads):

Kamu mungkin tidak akan bisa mengerti Leo yang tidak percaya pada siapa pun di dunia ini.
Tapi mungkin Spiza, gadis yang mencoba bunuh diri di sekolahnya, bisa.
Review:

Pertama kali lihat buku ini di Pitimoss, tempat rental buku langganan yang deket sama sekolah & rumah (ada cabangnya, yang satu deket sekolah, yang satu lagi deket rumah). Dan ternyata Pitimoss juga tempat langganan teteh Farida Susanty waktu masih SMA hahaha, dan waktu saya pinjam kumcernya, Karena Kita Tidak Kenal, ada tanda tangannya loh! :))

Jadi... novel ini gelap. Kelihatan kan dari sampulnya? Gelap tapi ada humornya juga. Hmm, apa ya istilahnya? Lupa.

Gelap karena penuh dengan angst seorang remaja laki-laki bernama Leostrada yang kehilangan sesosok perempuan yang amat berarti baginya. Nama gadis itu Iris. Bukan, dia bukan pacarnya Leo. Hanya seseorang yang berarti banyak untuk Leo, sampai kematian Iris menjadi sebuah tikaman di dada. Hanya Iris lah yang bisa melupakan masalah dia. Hanya Iris-nya.

"Yang penting buat dia cuman Iris, Tyo... cuman Iris."

Di rumah, dia kerap kali dimarahi oleh orang tuanya, bahkan sampai dipukul. Semua itu karena kedua orang tuanya tidak pernah bahagia oleh pernikahan mereka meskipun sudah dikaruniai tiga orang anak. Bayangkan, tinggal di dalam rumah di mana orang tuamu menyebutmu pecundang? Bukankah ucapan yang keluar dari mulut kedua orang tua adalah doa?

Dia bertemu dengan Spiza, saat pertama kali mereka bertemu pun sudah aneh. Leo yang babak belur setelah dikeroyok oleh musuh-musuhnya melihat Spiza menggantungkan teru-teru bozu (iya, yang ada di cover). Kedua kalinya mereka bertemu, di kamar mandi sekolah. Spiza sedang mencoba menyabut nyawanya sendiri saat itu. Aneh memang, tapi mereka berbincang, Leo bertanya kenapa Spiza bunuh diri... dan jawaban yang keluar dari mulut Spiza membuat Leo terkejut.

"Dia... orang yang gue sayang dan sayang gue... dan, dia pasti nggak akan ninggalin gue."

Kata-kata itu mirip dengan apa yang dulu pernah diucapkan Iris... Leo saat itu tahu, Iris-nya telah kembali.

Salut buat teteh Farida yang bikin novel sebagus ini waktu seumuran sama saya, waktu dia masih SMA. Saya suka sama karakter Leo. Tahu, kan, kalo di novel-novel YA (young-adult) ada tokoh cowok yang kelihatannya kuat tapi dalamnya rapuh? Kalo kata Tulus (penyanyi--lagunya bagus loh!):

Tuan kesepian,Tak punya teman,Hatinya rapuh,Tapi berlagak tangguh.
Nah, kenapa kali ini tidak membaca dari sudut pandang si cowok? Mencari tahu masa lalu dia dan sebagainya?

Dan di sini, karakterisasi Leo berkembang. Dari yang awalnya tidak bisa menerima Iris sudah tiada, masih menyimpan Iris dalam benaknya, perlahan bisa menerima... karena Spiza.

Ngomong-ngomong, jangan salah ya, novel ini rada beda sama novel yang lain. Gak melulu soal cinta-cintaan.#menyindirdirisendiri :))

"Hei! Kenapa menggantungkan itu?""Biar hujan nggak turun.""Memangnya kenapa kalau turun?""Aku keburu mati sebelum aku bunuh diri.""Kamu mau bunuh diri?""Ya, asal nggak hujan.""..."
Rating: 4/5

Untuk baca bareng BBI dengan tema Pemenang & Nominasi Khatulistiwa Literary Award. Dan Hujan Pun Berhenti oleh Farida Susanty memenangi KLA 2007 dalam kategori, "Penulis Muda Berbakat."

Friday, November 23, 2012

Marie Lu's Legend



Title: Legend (Legend #1)
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 305

Summary (from Goodreads): 
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
Review:
Love it. But the thing about dystopia books is, I always compare them to The Hunger Games. I love Divergent, but when I read it I couldn't help comparing Four and Peeta (yes, yes I know I should've compared Four and Gale.)

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Power of Six


Judul: The Power of Six
Penulis: Pittacus Lore
Penerjemah: Nur Aini
Penerbit: Mizan Fantasi
Tebal: 511 halaman

Sinopsis:
Aku melihatnya di berita. Mengikuti kisahnya sejak apa yang terjadi di Ohio. John Smith ada di luar sana, dalam pelarian …. Bagi dunia dia adalah misteri; teroris internasional yang berbahaya. Tapi bagiku, dia salah satu dari kami.

Sembilan orang yang datang, tapi kadang aku berpikir apakah waktu sudah mengubah kami? Masihkah kami percaya pada misi yang dipercayakan kepada kami? Bagaimana aku bisa yakin? Kini, kami tinggal berenam. Sembunyi, tidak saling kontak .…

Namun, Pusaka kami bermunculan, dan tak lama lagi kami siap untuk bertempur. Apakah John Smith, si Nomor Empat dan kemunculannya adalah pertanda yang kutunggu selama ini? Bagaimana dengan Nomor Lima dan Enam? Mungkinkah salah satu diantaranya adalah gadis berambut hitam dengan mata berbadai yang muncul dalam mimpiku? Gadis dengan kekuatan yang tak terbayangkan? Gadis yang mungkin cukup kuat untuk menyatukan kami berenam?

Mereka menangkap Nomor Satu di Malaysia.
Nomor Dua di Inggris.
Dan Nomor Tiga di Kenya.
Mereka mencoba menangkap Nomor Empat di Ohio—dan gagal.

Aku Nomor Tujuh. Satu dari enam yang masih bertahan.

Dan aku siap bertempur.
Review:

Theodore Boone: The Abduction



Judul: Theodore Boone: Penculikan - The Abduction
Penulis: John Grisham
Penerjemah: Monica Dwi Chresnayani
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tebal: 230 halaman

Sinopsis:
Theodore Boone kembali beraksi dan petualangannya kali ini makin seru.

Ketika sahabatnya, April, tahu-tahu menghilang dari rumah, tidak ada yang tahu ke mana gadis itu pergi. Termasuk Theo Boone, yang sangat akrab dengan April.

Ketakutan melanda seluruh warga kota dan penyelidikan polisi pun menemui jalan buntu.

Maka, dengan pengetahuan hukum dan kemampuan menyelidiknya, hanya Theo yang bisa memburu kebenaran dan menyelamatkan April.

Review: