An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Once I found a copy of this book at National Bookstore, SM Southmall... I didn't hesitate to purchase it right away. I knew I had to buy it immediately because the John Green books here in the Philippines sell like hotcakes. Business is good here for Mr. Green.

Just after high school graduation, child prodigy and anagram-loving Colin Singleton lies face-down on the carpet of his bedroom floor faster than you can say depressed, having just recently dumped by Katherine number 19. Now, although weird and hard-to-explain, Colin has only ever dated girls named Katherine. All of whom, dumped him. Always the dumpee, never the dumper. Or is it?

So his Arabian best friend Hassan picks him up from his misery and suggests a soul-searching, self-redeeming roadtrip.

Leaving Chicago and soon stopping in Gutshot, Tennessee for a supposed-to-be quick detour to visit the tomb of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. They get sucked in into the world of Gutshot after that.

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This book has a LOT to offer. I enjoyed the footnotes!

I am born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and so I enjoyed the Arabian streaks in this one.

There are SO many idiosyncrasies and I love how it tends to make you feel part of the story, I loved the quirks! I loved the kafir! The sitzpinkler! The Dingleberries! The Hassan Daddy jokes! The "Hi." and "Hi." between Lindsey Lee Wells and Colin!

I learned a lot from this one really, well, it's a John Green book so anybody would expect nothing but the best. It just made me want to learn a lot of things like, more languages and history and books.

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And that it makes you compare yourself with the characters as well, how badly I want to matter just like Colin. How mattering is a reflection of what matters to you. And how you can find yourself differently in the end if you just step outside your orbit. How stories make people immortal and how the future is an infinite possibility.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I have been seeing this book way before in bookstores. I never had the interest in reading it for some reason. Not until my friend Tine told me that she read it and that I should too, I knew I had to.

The character Lia is the one narrating throughout the entire story. The story revolves around the challenges she faced after her best friend Cassie had died alone in a motel. Cassie called her 33times that night before she died and she(Lia) ignored it, thinking she was drunk-phonecalling her and that they're not in good terms anymore.

Lia started seeing Cassie's ghost.

This is a story about anorexia and how seriously teenagers can get affected with this condition. The story was very truthful and dramatic, complete with parental issues and possible self-perception of the people with anorexia.

My only problem with this is that it's so intense and annoying at times. The problems of Lia are very engaging and you can't help but just continue reading and hope for the best in the end. This is the kind of book that teachers recommend students to read. The whole thing is informing.

I guess the author titled it Wintergirls to connect with hibernation where the animals don't eat(starvation, anorexia) and that they're asleep(half-alive but still alive nonetheless) and they seem to be in a limbo between waking-up or staying asleep.

Just like Lia.

We all have a choice and we are better than we think we are. That's what I learned. That the only one who can help me make things better is myself, my choices.

Paper Towns by John Green

This is the last book my mom bought for me before she went home to Canada to work. It was the last copy in bestsellers at SM Center. I really had to have it! I'm spoiled like that.

The main characters of this story is Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Speigelman. They have been both neighbors and friends since they were 2-years-old. But then the times have changed and Margo became "the Margo" who was too cool and unreachable and became just acquaintances with Quentin. While Quentin remained his geeky humble self , just a couple of  weeks before graduation, she(Margo) suddenly appeared on his window 9years after the last time they were friends.

Margo takes Quentin to this midnight adventure where he helps her fulfill her plotted revenge. They had the time of their lives and they just clicked together like no empty time has passed between them.

The next day, after the adventure, Margo didn't show up for school.

The Quentin who was very in-love with Margo had to look for her, find the clues she left...

before it's too late.

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Though the characters were quite similar to that of Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns compromised in the story-line. The other characters like Ben and Radar were the supporting characters in this one, and gee, they give that dose of humor.

This book is worth the time and money spent. Felt nostalgic but I guess that's his(John Green) goal with all his open-ended novels where nothing's certain at the same time it's so definite that it actually makes sense when you don't want it to because you want a specific favorable ending.

Just amazing.

You almost wish you could live in that moment where they kiss and stare at each other for the last time(or is it?) and see how it goes on.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

This book is why I started this book-review blog. My Tita Mary Ann recommended me this book and told me to start a book-review site. I should have bought this book a long time ago when she advised me to read it, now I'm making up for lost time.

This is the story of Morrie Schwartz. He was a real dying person, he is a real person. Through his old student Mitch(the author), they had a chance to do this one last thing, one last project. Their final thesis.

If you really want a life, a real one where you know you are living it, then you should read this book because this is the ultimate manual there is. It made me realize a lot of things and it brought me closer in doing what I now know is most essential.

Morrie was a person, he is dead now but he will always be remembered.

His words are immortal. He is immortal.

The Amanda Project by Amanda Valentino & Melissa Kantor

For weeks I have been sticking to mainstream bestsellers to tried and tested magnificent authors, one day I decided to just pick a random book from the shelves when me and my Papa went to the mall.

Did "The Amanda Project" deliver?

Let's save the thing I think of is the best here(my opinion, hehehe) for last.

The narrator in this book is Callie. The book revolves around Amanda Valentino(obviously) and her sudden MIA-ing. Callie, Nia and Hal were sent to the Vice Principal's office. Their Vice Principal assumed that they know something or are involved in Amanda's absence.

Callie had her own share of personal problems in the story. And guess what? She is one of the most popular girls in Endeavor High, they call themselves the I-Girls because their names supposedly all end in the letter "I". All but one, Callie.

Though their differences clash, Callie, Nia and Hal work together, breaking rules in the hopes of finding Amanda.

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First off, I'm annoyed that they had the nerve to split this book into several series. That is totally scoring one on the business side in the book market. The price wasn't worth it. I bought it for 339pesos and finished it within 30hours tops. It is somewhat thin, having only 288pages!

I didn't even bother to check the website. We, readers, apparently can help finish the mystery that is Amanda Valentino.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE AMANDA! She is smart, carefree, confident, crazy, spontaneous, kind, friendly, every good thing a teenager should be! I love her mystery. I love her compassion and empathy for others. But as good a character they made out of Amanda, it was as bad and cliche-d they made of Callie. Her personal problems were a hit for me, but the popular girl thing is getting old.

I know the goal is to make the readers understand that whatever stereotype you're labeled into, it's OK to get together with as much kind of people you can. But authors should understand that the "belong-to-the-popular-group" thing is honestly, definitely getting old. It's misleading, they create this misconception that the popular cliques in a HS atmosphere are "initially" the best group you can get in. When in reality, there are A LOT OF UNIQUE and INTERESTING personalities in a High School besides the filthy rich brat packs.

There's SO many characters authors can play with, they shouldn't be scared of the idea that it's not gonna sell because seriously, weird, arcane and esoteric is the new fad.

Did it deliver? No, the book did not.

But Amanda, she definitely did!

P.S. I "just might" read the sequels for the sake of maybe it gets better AND that for my love for Amanda.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

After having to read TFIOS(The Fault in Our Stars) and Looking for Alaska, I've decided to get every John Green book there is in this universe. Plus, I'm also an avid David Levithan fanatic. I have two of his books and watched the movie, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist on HBO. Does that make me a fanatic already or just a shallow fanatic? Either ways, I support David Levithan!

So when I discovered that they made this baby down here happen, I just went nuts and the only cure is to have this book.

The summary of this book I can give is just as far as the covers of this book go.

Two Will Graysons meet! The story revolves around both the Will Graysons and especially the fabulous Tiny Cooper.

I'm sorry but that's all I have in my summarizing powers and honestly, that's all you need to know because if you want to "get" the essence of a book, you should read it. If you want to know the ending, you should read it. Never have I ever encountered a book like Will Grayson, Will Grayson. It may seem like a book you'd get dragged to in reading but in reality, it deserves every attention.

I had myself laughing hard(not even the kind of laugh you do in your mind but the actual verb), not even thinking about the circumstances, that it's just a man-made story, that it's artificial. For me, it was all real. Every moment is worthwhile.

I'm glad I have this book. I loved every word and every letter. Books are suppose to inspire you and make you love your life and the honesty of it. That is what this did to me.