Review: This is What Happy Looks Like

 

 

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?- Goodreads

If what you’re after is a light read that will leave you in a radiant mood, then this book definitely fits the bill. I particularly love the beginning wherein an e-mail mishap becomes the precursor of an unexpected teenage relationship. Why unexpected? How probable is it for a girl to end up being pen pal with someone who’s not just a random guy but actually Tinseltown’s hottest star?

With an array of blockbuster films, Graham is indeed one of his generation’s famed icons. However, going around the world signing autographs and prancing in red carpet affairs just do not satisfy him. He feels like a stranger with no definite purpose not until he fortuitously met Ellie.  

While I’m already 21, I can’t help but let out a little scream upon finding out that Graham is Ellie’s mysterious e-mail buddy. Graham putting that much effort (find out how) just to search for Ellie is likewise heartwarming. I’m drawn to Ellie’s character as well. She’s not your typical fantard who will go around broadcasting her blossoming relationship with a movie star. She’s a simple unperturbed girl who basically wants to know Graham away from the glare of publicity.

The story is not free from bumps such as family secrets, friendship quibbles, and paparazzi issues. Nonetheless, expect that This is What Happy Looks Like is an absolutely adorable read. Oh well, with a title like that, it would be an oxymoron to fill it with melodramatic pages, right? :)

The only letdown is the part wherein Graham and Ellie avoided each other like plague for three weeks. Knowing that Graham is about to leave town soon, they could’ve made the most out of those weeks. In the end, it feels as if they are rushing to create treasure-worthy moments when they’ve actually wasted weeks pining for each other.

Sometimes, you read a book that charms you so much that you don’t mind how unrealistic and how overused the storyline is. The whole famous-boy-falling-for-a-small-town-girl might be a cliché but Jennifer Smith’s style of writing is so refreshing. This book just goes to show that at times, happiness is situated in the simplest of things.

 5/5

 

I Must Be Dreaming by Maine

"And she watches the sun but she's the only one I have my eyes on."

Review: The Fault in Our Stars

What if your days are numbered already yet the opportunity of being in love awaits you? Will you resist it and go on with your life smoothly? Or will you enter love’s battlefield and take the challenge of making the most out of the days that you have?

This is the biggest conundrum of Hazel Grace, a 16-year-old girl diagnosed with stage four thyroid cancer that has similarly affected her lungs. As the novel’s storyteller, she seems to be very complacent with the severity of her condition not until the charismatic Augustus Walters entered the picture. Hazel wants to be a self-sufficient cancer patient whose death will not affect anyone. She tries to be distant even from her parents so that her loss will not be mourned for. However, despite the contradiction of her feelings, she simply cannot resist Augustus’ charm and bravado. The two crossed paths in a cancer support group session. This meeting immediately sheds light to the fact that Augustus is similarly battling a terminal illness – ostracoma in his case.

While The Fault in Our Stars might seem to be a typical dramatic tale of star-crossed lovers, Augustus and Hazel’s journey stands out because it doesn't try hard to be a tearjerker. In a stereotypical world wherein cancer patients are often viewed as victims, two teenagers show that it’s still possible to have witty conversations, play video games, go on spontaneous trips, and most importantly, embrace the unpredictable wonders of an unfolding love.  I love how natural this book is. It's not the type of book that shows people fighting cancer heroically. It gives you the real deal - the emotional jumble that comes with the reality of fighting Death.

A lot of readers have commented that the way Hazel and Augustus speaks opposes their age. For me, that's the whole point. These teenagers have been through a lot making them more insightful. I appreciate how most of their lines prove that cancer should not be deemed as an ending to happiness. They do not deny the existence of cancer yet the illness not define them. 

I'm giving this book a perfect rating not just for the depth of the characters but more importantly for the underlying themes that it has. After all, it isn't everyday that you encounter books that present the harshness of reality without compromising the value of hope and acceptance. 

 

5/5

Brave by Tawgs Salter

"I think I'll be brave and say how I've wanted you."

Preserve Mankind with Kojie.san Men

Remember Mr. Darcy? In the world of literature, no one can attest that he’s a heartthrob. He’s a true-blue gentleman who makes women swoon because of his simple yet heartfelt acts. 

In the prehistoric times, men were viewed as the panacea to most dilemmas of the society. While women played significant roles, such roles varied from what the men were supposed to do. From security against wild animals down to the provision of food, men were anticipated to be as robust as they could be. However, as time evolved, the concept of manliness likewise underwent a few alterations. 

The beauty tools which used to be untouchable and flagrant now became normal. Having the consciousness that being busy is not an excuse to looking sloppy, men now go through hair treatments and facials to name a few. One can now walk brandishing a pink shirt without being called names. 

Despite the convenience of this concept alteration, it’s still best not to totally deviate from some of the things left by men in the past. For me, a man should not gauge his manliness based on what others dictate. Men-should-be-like-this statements should be used as mere guidelines but what matters is if such statements speak for someone’s identity and aspirations. I have no problem with men doing things befitting women because in today’s age, interchanges in roles are regarded as normative. 

Just like in the film Taken 2, it’s Kim’s turn to save her father from the hands of a man yearning for revenge. If you will remember in the preceding film, former CIA operative Bryan went through a perilous schlep to save his daughter Kim who was abducted and trafficked. One of the reasons why Taken 1 became a hit was its depiction of a father’s unremitting love for his daughter. 

The film’s a reminder that regardless of today’s liberal views, men can still preserve the concept of manliness by being chivalrous or compassionate to other people. It does not mean that one has to be a doormat. At times, it’s the simple things that matter like opening the door for an elderly or resisting the need to raise one’s voice in the midst of heated arguments. I believe that being a man does not equate to being Mr. Stone. Instead, manliness is radiated when one shows concern and courtesy. 

 Like Kojie.san Men’s advocacy, to be a man is to be a lover and fighter – both. For more information on how to be an applaud-worthy man, head on to Kojie.san Men’s Facebook page.

How do you define manliness?

Hana by Lauren Oliver (A Prequel to Pandemonium)

The summer before they're supposed to be cured of the ability to love, best friends Lena and Hana begin to drift apart. While Lena shies away from underground music and parties with boys, Hana jumps at her last chance to experience the forbidden. For her, the summer is full of wild music, dancing—and even her first kiss. - Goodreads

As its name suggests, this novella presents the story through Hana's eyes. In Delirium, Hana has this devil-may-care attitude that despite her being pretty and well-heeled, she seems to be so eager in finding ways to resist the dystopian world wherein love is banned. All along she's putting up a vivacious front when in reality, she has a vulnerable side. I felt pity for her especially when she found "love" in the wrong place. 

Spoiler Alert!

Yes, the ending is gripping but after reading Delirium, I already had an inkling that it was Hana who squealed about Alex and Lena's reprehensible relationship. *SIGH* Maybe it's out of envy. Maybe it's concern that fueled Hana to do such thing.

I do understand that this is a novella yet it left me wanting for more. Instead of Hana retelling the events in Delirium, I'm more interested in the things that took place in her life after Lena's escape. Still, I praise Lauren Oliver for interlacing a story that leaves a reader in a poignant state.

Skinny Love by Birdy

"And in the morning I'll be with you but it will be a different kind." 

Bibliophile Tool: Personal Library Kit

Everyone who loves books can attest that it's so difficult to lend one's precious babies. Even if you're done reading them, the feeling of attachment never goes away. You just can't let these books go because they made you feel mirthful, melancholic, and/or maddened at one point in your life. Books can likewise be regarded as assets which you'll later pass on to your kids, grand kids, and so on.  

Sadly, there are some who commits the Two Grave Sins of Book Borrowers: returning books with disheveled pages or not totally returning the book.  I don't know which one is more painful because when it comes to my reads, I am extra careful. Each page has to be turned with precaution and the spine shouldn't be completely spread out to avoid unsightly creases. Imagine how disheartened I was when a book was returned to me with folded cover and falling-apart pages. There were even chocolate stains inside!

As for the second sin, I do practice patience but you can still encounter people who have selective amnesia. Meaning, they only forget things connected with book returns. If you're like me who does not want to badger a person about his/her responsibility, this tool can help you - Knock Knock's Personal Library Kit. 

Through this kit, you can act like a librarian to monitor whose home your beloved book is staying in. It comes with library cards as well as the classic date stamper. One checkout card even says, "Overdue penalties may apply".  Your friend will then have a clear warning that your personal library does not tolerate borrowers who build their collections by "shopping" in other's shelves.  

Who said that reminding should be a ho-hum task?