Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

Jerusha 'Judy' Abbott is a 17-year-old John Grier Home orphan who was given an opportunity to attend college by an anonymous sponsor. This sponsor is a Trustee of the orphanage. 

He happened upon Blue Wednesday, Judy's feisty essay mocking the system in which John Grier Home is run, and was deeply amused. The only payment he asks of Judy is a detailed letter of her personal and academic life every month.

The sole encounter with the generous mysterious man Judy recalls is from when he was leaving JGH. Strong headlights of his car driven by the chauffeur silhouetted his tall figure. This influenced her to call him Daddy-Long-Legs.

This epistolary novel first published in the early 20th century introduces a loquaciously spirited voice of a very fortunate young lady.

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My very first 'Judy Abbott' experience is the cartoons version that used to be on the television every morning. Of course, I wasn't able to follow through to the end because school started. Also, did you know that I always had this idea that the anonymous sponsor is Judy's father? I was wrong and disappointed it did not turn out that way.

Judy exudes a reckless, honest, aggressive, flawed and vivacious personality. Her letters resonates of youth that is beyond timeless. The narration seemed very authentic that I did not question once if it was really written by a teenager.

My disappointment is mainly on the fact that Judy wasn't set free by the education she received but bought for instead. I know it's a debatable and rather a detestable thought but if you think about how she ended up with a man several years her senior, a man who spoiled her lavishly, a man who tried to control her every choice... you might see my point.

The author (who happens to be the grand niece of Mark Twain, so I heard) styled the story this way, in my opinion, to portray Daddy-Long-Legs as the proverbial knight-in-shining-armor to a gritty maiden in need of someone to belong to.

Although I was taken aback with the ending, I still like it! Also, this book is considered a YA. What a cherry to our cobbler! 

The Every Boy by Dana Adam Shapiro

A treasure this pirate has discovered from BOOKSALE! I got this book for only 60 pesos. 

There was a silver seal inside that says "LIBRARY OF PAUL DEBONIS". At first I thought it was an award-kind-of stamp like the Printz but I searched the internet and it wasn't. Also, there weren't anything relevant enough that justifies whether this book belonged to the few Paul Debonis' that I found. Very mysterious. Very intriguing.

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Henry Every has had a very complicated childhood. His relationship with his nothing-short-of stubborn and stern of a father can be described as 'difficult'.

One day, he dies.

His mother discovers a ledger and hands it to his father. This ledger contains the life he has lived and what influenced his untimely death.

EVERYone must read this philosophical experience of an insightful boy who died just when he's starting to discover the world.

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One of the monumental quotes of this book contains the idiom 'can't see the forest for the trees' which means 'not being able to see the bigger picture'.

What a melancholic, complicated, confusing, coming-of-age experience! I tell you, this is a heavily jargoned book. I hated and loved it but mostly hated it because the momentum of my reading was continuously disturbed as I fumble for my lifesaver, my dictionary.

I don't understand how cruel authors can be. Mr. Shapiro tried so hard to make The Every Boy a literary piece that it got me wondering whether the book would even be considered a literary piece. He deliberately killed his own protagonist the exact moment it was becoming a happy-ending. He just had to serve us, loyal readers, a bitter aftertaste.

Though from the very beginning, we knew the boy we are reading about is dead. Yet I rooted for him. So much feelings. So much investment. This book is like a bad love affair that scarred you so much you're still in love with it.

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

Althea Crawley is in deep need of financial help as she is relying solely on her ungrateful step-sisters to support their whole family.

Alas! Lord Boring, the handsomest richest most eligible bachelor arrives. He is said to be hosting a ball and his best friend for like evs Mr. Fredericks is said to attend. 

Althea with her mother and step sissies attend the ball. They are all charmed with Lord Boring as he is quite the antonym of his name. Although Althea is quite vexed with Mr. Fredericks' conservative nature. She quickly succumbs to prejudice and decides that she doesn't like him.

Is there truly something more to Mr. Fredericks or did he deserved the prejudgment?

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A lighter version of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, Keeping the Castle makes the former an easier experience for today's readers to understand its essence. Though in my opinion, nothing can contend with Pride and Prejudice.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Colby and Bev has been the best of friends since time immemorial. While on a longed-for post-senior year The Disenchanments' band tour/road trip, their relationship experiences a setback as Colby discovers that Bev's future plans has changed.

Along the road, Colby tries to understand the girl he thought he knew as well as finding a new master plan for himself.

Together with their closest friends Meg and Alexa, a coming-of-age story of getting lost, redeeming oneself and friendship enchants us through The Disenchantments.

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It was a good story, worthwhile of anyone's time especially if YA is your taste in books as I am. I liked that The Disenchantments, the band, was a horrible band. I don't know why but it has that amusing quality to it. It seemed authentic in a way. I love the tragic oh-so-dramatic story behind Bev's self-destructive personality. I love Colby's nerdy wide-eyed helplessly-in-love boy aura. I love Meg's spunky best-supporting-role character and Alexa's quirky cutesy nature.

But let us focus more on Meg here because she has a lot to her than one can surreptitiously notice. I think she is secretly in love with Colby but she'll rather hold back and let him be happy with Bev because she is just this awesome girl-next-door who is mature and has a lot of adventure in her anyway. That notion is bittersweet. Amidst the whole dilemma of Colby and Bev, she stood out to me.