Toilet Di Hidung dan Tembong di Mata

Judul: Mereka Bilang Ada Toilet Di Hidungku
Pengarang: Ruwi Meita
Penerbit: by Penerbit Bhuana Sastra (2019)
ISBN: 9786232162587
Jumlah Halaman: 303 halaman
Penerbitan Perdana: 2019





Lihat sinopsis

Setiap hari Imalovix menjadi bahan olok-olok karena statusnya sebagai anak rahim asli. Pada zaman itu, anak-anak rahim asli dianggap kelas bawah karena kualitasnya jauh dibanding anak-anak rahim kaca yang merupakan anak unggulan, terbaik, dan kebal terhadap virus. Imalovix tidak bisa mengelak karena dia memiliki tanda lahir di bagian yang tak bisa ia sembunyikan: mata.

Suatu hari, kakeknya memberikan sebuah jurnal yang ditulis seribu tahun lalu oleh seorang gadis bernama Kecubung. Seperti Ima, Kecubung memiliki tanda lahir di hidungnya dan itu membuatnya juga diolok-olok. Dengan kemarahan karena merasa dikasihani, Imalovix mengembalikan jurnal itu kepada kakeknya.

Namun, kemarahan itu justru menimbulkan kedukaan lain, hingga Imalovix pun berharap bisa mendapatkan jurnal itu kembali.

Ada bagian dalam kehidupan ini yang harus tetap berjalan alami, dan ilmu pengetahuan tidak selamanya menjadi sebuah jawaban.

Nama Ruwi Meita adalah salah satu nama pengarang yang karyanya selalu kutunggu. Beberapa buku sebelumnya yang kubaca bertema thriller seperti Patung Garam dan Rumah Lebah, atau bernafaskan suasana seram seperti The Apuila's Child dan Misteri Bilik Korek Api. Satu hal yang pasti, semuanya menyimpan kejutan-kejutan mengagetkan dan menyenangkan. Sebenarnya aku sudah ingin sekali membaca Carmine, tapi mungkin belum jodoh, malah karya barunya ini yang sampai di tanganku terlebih dahulu, Mereka Bilang Ada Toilet Di Hidungku.

Berbeda dengan buku-buku sebelumnya, setting buku kali ini adalah sekian ratus tahun di masa depan. Karena kualitas udara di bumi sudah sedemikan buruknya, proses reproduksi manusia sudah tidak sealami seharusnya. Sebagian bayi dilahirkan buatan melalui rahim kaca, dan hanya sebagian kecil - dan dengan banyak kecacatan - yang dilahirkan secara alami. Ima adalah anak seperti ini, dan sedemikian beruntungnya (atau tidak) ia bukan hanya lahir sempurna, namun juga sangat pandai dan atletis. Kondisi Ima inilah yang membuatnya berbeda di sekolah dan menjadi berbeda kadang juga berarti menjadi outsiders.

Keadaan ini semakin diperuncing saat diadakannya suatu pertandingan antar siswa dengan hadiah yang sangat menggiurkan, dan Ima terpilih sebagai salah satu wakil sekolahnya. Menjadi peserta adalah satu hal, namun berusaha menang dari cowok paling mempesona dan mengalahkan seorang ratu sekolah adalah hal yang berbeda. Belum lagi rahasia dari masa lalunya mulai terkuak dan ada banyak orang di luar sana yang mulai tertarik pada "warisan" istimewa yang dimilikinya.

 

*  *  *

Idenya bagus sih, antara scifi dan dystopian, mix Ugly dan Handmaid's Tale, plus campuran antara Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire  dengan Hunger Games versi gak sadis. Aku suka alur ceritanya, dan world buildingnya lumayan keren meski banyak yang bisa lebih detail. Penyelesaiannya juga masih cukup terbuka untuk sekuel-sekuel berseri-seri selanjutnya. Menarik nih buat ditunggu.

Nah, yang aku kurang sreg, adalah penggunaan bahasa jawa yang diplesetkan jadi versi bahasa jaman itu. Yolekata dari Yogyakarta (oke lah), Nuswanteirra dari Nusantara (hmm..), Tanai Siwwe (eh... taman siswa??), dll. Juga panggilan Iyangka dan Biung atau percakapan macam sigengai zink cahy yu (coba tebak apa artinya). Tapi yang paling bikin kuping keri... (eh, mata ya) adalah penggunan frase qyu dan koe. Waduuuhh, setiap kali dipakai kata "koe" (kowe), kok rasanya bergidik, orak mung ngoko, wes orak elok cara ngomonge ki. Wkwkwk....


Satu lagi yang bikin aku bertanya-tanya adalah surat Qariya di akhir jurnal Kecubung... itu kapan nulisnya ya. Jika ditulis antara test kedua dan ketiga, kan kejadian ular Boa dan hasil nilai 0 Qariya belum terjadi. Kalau ditulis setelah tes ketiga, lah kapan sempatnya, kan abis tes bukunya langsung dititipin ke Brigit dan Qariya langsung dibawa pulang sama kakek Wix, juga pena antik pinjamannya yg dibuat nulis apa ya dibawa ke mana-mana. Terus gimana dunk??!? Hmmmm....

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2909046882

All Our Yesterdays

Judul: All Our Yesterdays - Segala Masa Lalu Kita
Judul Asli: All Our Yesterdays
Pengarang: Cristin Terrill
Penerbit: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama (2015)
ISBN: 978-602-03-1576-8
Jumlah Halaman: 447 halaman
Penerbitan Perdana: 2013
Literary Awards: ITW Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2014), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2016)



Lihat sinopsis

Em dipenjara di pangkalan militer rahasia, ditemani oleh suara seorang pemuda di sel sebelahnya dan lembaran instruksi cara melarikan diri yang ditemukannya di saluran air. Hanya Em yang bisa mencegah terciptanya mesin waktu yang akan menghancurkan dunia. Berkali-kali Em mencoba namun gagal. Kini tinggal satu cara yang belum dicobanya… membunuh sang doktor sadis pencipta mesin waktu.

Marina jatuh cinta pada James, sejak mereka kanak-kanak. James si genius tampan yang pemalu dan berasal dari keluarga terkenal tampaknya juga memiliki perasaan yang sama terhadap Marina. Hingga suatu malam, hidup James yang sempurna berubah jadi malapetaka, juga masa depannya bersama Marina. Dengan berbagai cara Marina bertekad melindungi James. Meskipun itu berarti kehilangan nyawanya sendiri.

Em dan Marina kini berpacu dengan waktu untuk menyelamatkan dunia, dan hanya satu dari mereka yang akan selamat.

Novel ini butuh waktu cukup lama untuk aku menamatkannya. Satu alasannya adalah aku merasa bahwa di tiap dunia pararel yang ada, aku harus memilih kebahagiaan tokoh Marina atau Em, suatu hal yang absurd, karena Em adalah Marina. Tapi perjalanan waktu memang adalah hal yang absurd. Dan ternyata, aku cukup suka dengan paradoks yang terjadi di ending cerita ini. Masuk akal sekali sih... karena jika tidak ada Cassandra, maka Nate tidak perlu diselamatkan *not a spoiler if you don't understand my logic* :)

Pada dasarnya ruang dan waktu sebenarnya adalah sesuatu yang sama, semacam film raksasa yang terentang sepanjang jagad raya yang disebut ruang-waktu. 

Kisah dibuka dengan penggambaran tokoh Em yang dijebloskan ke dalam penjara militer rahasia dan tiba-tiba keyakinan bahwa saluran air yang berada di tengah-tengah lantai selnya punya arti tersembunyi. Setelah beberapa saat, Em yakin ada sesuatu yang disembunyikan oleh versi-versi Em yang lain dalam saluran air tersebut, dan setelah berhasil mendapatkan catatan tersebut, di bagian paling akhirnya tertulis,

Kau harus membunuhnya.

Singkat, padat, jelas. Pesan ini tampaknya adalah kunci tindakan yang harus diambil Em untuk menyelamatkan dunia yang sudah berada di tubir kehancuran gara-gara sebuah mesin waktu yang diciptakan sang doktor dan sang direktur. Perang di mana-mana, aksi terorisme dan pemboman meledak di berbagai tempat, pemerintahan totaliter militerisme diberlakukan di Amerika. Em dan Finn, yang dipenjara di sebelah selnya, kemudian melarikan diri dan menaiki mesin waktu, ke waktu di mana sang doktor belum menemukan formula mesin waktu ciptaannya.  Misinya satu. "Kau harus membunuhnya".

Sementara itu, di alur waktu 4 tahun sebelumnya, seorang gadis bernama Marina sedang tergila-gila pada tetangga sebelah rumahnya, James Shaw, yang jenius tapi pendiam dan tertutup sejak kedua orang tuanya tewas kecelakaan. Selain Marina, James hanya punya satu teman akrab, Finn Abbot dan kakak lelaki kesayangannya, Nate Shaw. Saat Nate ditembak oleh seorang misterius, James bertekad untuk membuat dunia menjadi lebih baik dengan segenap kemampuannya.

Dari sini, alur cerita terbagi dua, satu dari sudut pandang Em, satu lagi dari sudut pandang Marina. Kejadian-kejadian setelah tertembaknya Nate dan berbagai hal yang mengikutinya, ternyata menjadi titik tolak percabangan-percabangan simpul waktu. Sudah ada 14 versi Em yang datang dari berbagai masa di waktu yang akan datang berusaha mencegah dibangunnya mesin waktu itu, namun tidak pernah berhasil. Em kelima belas datang dan berusaha menyelesaikannya... sebelum terlambat.


Di atas aku sudah menuliskan bahwa agak sulit membaca novel ini karena tidak suka premisnya tentang Em dan Marina. Nah, hal lain yang juga membuatku berlambat-lambat membacanya adalah aku tidak terlalu suka dengan karakterisasi Em yg menurutku terlalu softie, kurang gahar, kurang dingin dalam menjalankan misinya. Bagi pembaca lain mungkin ini dibilang manusiawi, tapi untukku, 6 kali (iya ENAM KALI, dan iya, aku memang menghitungnya) gagal melakukan hal yang menurutnya sendiri sangat perlu dilakukan itu apakah tidak keterlaluan? Karakter Finn sendiri, agak nanggung. Terlalu menempatkan diri di belakang Em. Jika dia merasa misinya terlalu kejam untuk ditangani Em, kenapa ia tidak bersikeras mengambilalih tanggung jawab itu?

Selain itu ada beberapa pertanyaan yang sulit kujawab dalam alur cerita novel ini. Yang paling utama adalah tentang catatan Em yang ada di saluran air itu. Jika waktu berjalan pararel dengan kemungkinan tak terbatas, masing-masing Em ada pada alur waktunya sendiri-sendiri. Jika memang demikian, bagaimana mungkin ada catatan 14 versi Em dalam sebuah kertas catatan tunggal? Pertanyaan lain adalah jika Em adalah Marina di masa depan, kenapa ia tidak ingat apa yang dilakukan "dirinya" di masa lalu (meskipun argueable bahwa Marina yang ini sudah mengalami percabangan simpul waktu sejak penembakan James di rumah sakit, atau bahkan sejak penembakan Nate di pesta itu). Satu hal lagi, adalah mengapa hanya Em yang mengalami dampak "ketidaksukaan waktu" yang menyebabkannya jatuh pingsan beberapa kali, sedangkan Finn tidak?


Tapi secara keseluruhan, ini cerita time travel ala YA yg cukup solid. Suspense-nya cukup terjaga di sepanjang alur dan twist di akhir kisah tentang pengetahuan Richter dan penembak Nate surprisingly very-very good. Hanya saja gambaran tentang kerusakan dunia secara global gara-gara Cassandra kurang diekspose sampai penuh hingga meninggalkan kesan menyeramkan.


Endingnya... ruang dan waktu dan kejadian-kejadian yang terjadi di dalamnya memang sangat relatif terhadap observer di luarnya. Aku suka sekali paradoks waktu ini.
Hmmm... tapi ini paradoks terakhir dariku,

Jika saja Nate tidak terluka tembak parah di pesta itu, James tidak akan begitu shock-nya hingga tenggelam dalam pikirannya sendiri dan tidak sadar memikirkan formula terakhir untuk pengembangan mesin waktunya. Jika James tidak menemukan formula tersebut, mesin waktu tidak dibangun. Jika mesin waktu tidak dibangun, tidak ada orang yang dikirim untuk membunuh Nate....
Or won't he??

Notes:
Thank you kak Lila atas rekomendasi dan pinjaman bukunya. Review-nya dapat di baca di sini.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1592200836

Hujan

Judul: Hujan
Pengarang: Tere Liye
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama (2016)
ISBN: 9786020324784
Jumlah Halaman: 320 halaman
Penerbitan Perdana: 2016




Lihat sinopsis

Tentang persahabatan
Tentang cinta
Tentang perpisahan
Tentang melupakan
Tentang hujan

Seperti yang pernah ku-share di sini, beberapa waktu lalu aku sempat ingin sekali membaca novel ini. Pokoknya semenjak lihat melihat penampakannya pertama kali, aku sudah ter-cover lust dan ter-judul lust. Hujan memang satu hal selalu bikin moodku jadi baik, entah kenapa. Novel berjudul Hujan yang dikarang Tere Liye?? Tentu langsung masuk daftar buruan.


Karena blurpnya tidak memberikan apapun tentang ceritanya, aku juga tidak mengharapkan sesuatu, apa pun. Apalagi si pengarang juga sudah pernah menulis berbagai genre, dari YA fantasy sampai romans keluarga, dari kisah cinta sampai cerita tukang jagal nomer satu. Jadi begitu dapat bukunya, langsung skimming-skimming, daaaaaan... ternyata ini kisah cinta dibalut cerita doomsday sci-fi. Baiklah... mari mulai kita membaca....

*gak bisa berhenti baca*

*tetep gak bisa berhenti*

*sesak napas bareng Lail, menunggu kabar dari Esok*

*selesaaaaai* *ah, LEGANYA*



Kisahnya campuran nyaman dari (2012 + Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind + legenda Tanabata + Wall-E + Deep Impact), tapi dengan penceritaan yang bikin mewek dan twist di ending yang lumayan surprising. Dibuka di tahun 2050, dengan tokoh Lail yang ingin menghapus sebagian memori-nya, terutama memori tentang hujan. Saat sang terapist membuat Lail bercerita tentang memori-memorinya ini, pembaca diajak mengikuti kisah Lail, sejak awal bencana yang menimpa bumi dan membuat Lail yatim piatu, pertemuannya dengan Esok, perpisahannya, janji pertemuan yang hanya setahun sekali, hingga suatu rahasia besar yang dibawa Esok yang menentukan nasib mereka berdua (beserta nasib seluruh umat manusia di Planet Bumi ini *no kidding!*)


Bacaan ringan yang amat menyenangkan... asal jangan dipikirkan terlalu susah-susah. Dinikmati sajalah, anggaplah ini film hollywood durasi 95 menit yang semua tokohnya berkapasitas jadi pahlawan, mampu mengatasi semua kesulitan, bernasib baik dan segalanya berakhir manis.

Meskipun sudah kukatakan seperti itu, tapi tetap ada beberapa hal yang tetap mengganjal hatiku. Misalnya, semua kisah ini diceritakan dari sudut pandang Lail. Oke, ceritanya memang mengalir, dan ini memang tentang Lail... tapi akibatnya, semua karakterisasi tokoh lain jadi terasa setipis kertas. Maryam, misalnya. Tokoh kribo yang kocak ini sebenarnya bisa banyak mencuri lime-light dari Lail, jika diberi porsi sedikit lebih intens. Dari mana asalnya, bagaimana kisahnya hingga menjadi yatim piatu, bahkan sebelum bencana besar, latar belakangnya dan interaksinya dengan tokoh-tokoh lain. Seperti kejadian taksi terbang itu lo, bikin ngakak pol walau cuma dalam beberapa kalimat saja. Demikian pula dengan si tokoh utama pria, Esok a.k.a si ilmuan muda jenius Soke Bahtera. Aku ingin tahu apa yang ada di kepala - dan hatinya - di beberapa bagian cerita novel ini. Apakah ia memang sekuat yang digambarkan oleh Lail, atau ia juga membawa kisah-kisah duka dan bebannya sendiri. Suara Esok jelas nyaris tidak terlihat sama sekali sepanjang kisah. *I want more Soke Bahtera, pleaaaase*

Selain itu aku juga merasa bola cerita digelindingkan terlalu cepat. Sehabis didera bencana sedemikian dahsyat - letusan gunung berapi skala 8 VEI (silakan google sendiri), tetapi manusia-manusianya "sembuh" terlalu cepat, kota pulih terlalu cepat, tanaman tumbuh kembali terlalu cepat, bahkan teknologi juga mengalami kemajuan amat sangat pesat dalam hitungan beberapa tahun saja. Memang sih ini semua ceritanya terjadi sekian puluh tahun dari sekarang, jadi mungkin saja teknologi saat juga sudah mampu untuk menopang itu semua.... mungkin.... *tapi sebenernya masih gak yakin sih*


Sepanjang cerita, aku sempat berkali-kali tidak setuju dengan keputusan Lail untuk menghilangkan memori-memorinya yang menyakitkan. Karena memori adalah waktu, *ter-Den-O sekali aku ini* dan bagaimana bisa mengilangkan memori yang menyakitkan tanpa juga menghapus semua memori yang hangat dan menyenangkan. Memori tentang seseorang yang pernah hadir dan membentuk jati diri kita sekarang, yang pernah kita cintai dan mencintai. Ah.... tapi ending kisahnya mampu menjawab keberatan-keberatanku semua. Lega dan puas rasanya saat akhirnya menutup cover belakang buku ini.

Yah, intinya novel Hujan sedikit lebih berat ke kisah romansa antara Lail dan Esok, hanya saja dalam balutan kisah scifi. Tentang persahabatan mereka, tentang perpisahan mereka, tentang cinta mereka... dan tentang melupakan. Juga tentang hujan yang mungkin tak kan jatuh lagi.

Moral of the story:

you REAAAALLY don't wanna mess with mother nature!!

Reading Challenge:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1503595107

Airman

Title: Airman
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Puffin Books (2008)
ISBN:  9780141383354
Pages: 424 pages
First Published: 2007
Literary Awards: Carnegie Medal Nominee (2009)





Synopsis

In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king’s daughter, Princess Isabella. But the boy’s idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a deadly conspiracy against the king. When Conor tries to intervene, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life, as he and the other prosoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions.

There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly. So Conor passes the solitary months by scratching drawings of flying machines on the prison walls. The months turn into years; but eventually the day comes when Conor must find the courage to trust his revolutionary designs and take to the air.

I knew I loooove Eoin Colfer's writting since the first time I laid my eyes on Artemis Fowl years ago, so when I saw this novel on some discount racks in one of the bookstore, I grabed it without thinking much... then it went to my stacks... and burrrrieeed... until being digged up and resurrected by my nephew as randomly picked in this year Lucky No.15 Challenge.

So, actually... I really-really like this novel, but eventhough I do, I can't passed the lame twist and lies which this story was built and how it climax and ended.

The story was about Connor Broekhart, a young smart and brave lad, from Great Saltee, some island nation in Irish land. His father was a captain of the King Nicholas's guard and his mother was scientist. He befriended with Princess Isabella, and both was teached by a French visionary tutor named Victor Vigny. Vigny was personal friend of King Nicholas, and both dreamt of making a flying machine that worked and flew at will.

Then, enter the villain guy... the Marshall Lord Hugo Bonvilain. He wanted to overthroned the King, and what way easier to do it but to kill him and made Vigny a French spy. Young Connor incidently witness this scheme, so he had to be removed as well.

This is when I felt the basic of the story fell apart. How... please someone tell me... HOW could Capt. Broekhart, a most trusted and experienced soldier of the King and also a friend of Victor Vigny, not to mentioned a father that his only son involved in this coup d'etat, could be so foolishly fell into Bonvillain's words. Cannot he think at allllll??? Not even a slightly doubt? Blindly followed the devil without even wanted to conduct his own investigation of such great event? Puhliiisss....

Buuut..., I still hoped that this was some kind of insane twist, maybe Capt. Broekhart had something in his mind, something for the greater good, so I waited and waited and waited... only to be disapointed all over again. The climax scene was lame and boooòóooring. Also too short compared to all of adventures that were going on.

Other than that, Isabella, Catherine and Declan characters do not deep enough to be believeable, to be humanise. I know this story was told from Connor POV, but i think the characters in the palace should be built strong enough to counter Connor's. On the other hand, Linus Wynter character was stealing the scenes. I loved his kind sarcastic lines and his unweavering trust to Connor.

So, all that being said, Connor parts of the stories were all good, I love him from the moment of his birth on the sky, his learning days with Victor Vigny (and his mis-behaved with Isabella) to his 'learning days' in Little Saltee to the broken-hearted airman days. His prison breaks was the best moment of them all, even felt much grandeur than Edmond Dantes' from Château d'If.

By and by, I loveeee the Connor 'Airman' Broekhart story *five full stars there*, I love this steampunk description and engines, but the premises are too annoying to be dismissed. Sorry... 3 stars it is.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/467318165

Lock In

Title: Lock In
Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: TOR Books (2014)
ISBN:  978-146-68-4935-8
Number of Pages: 337 pages - Ebook Edition
First Published: 2014
Literary Awards: ALA Alex Award (2015)




Read synopsis

A novel of our near future, from one of the most popular authors in modern SF

Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.

One per cent doesn't seem like a lot. But in the United States, that's 1.7 million people “locked in”...including the President's wife and daughter.

Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.

This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse....

First of all, lets define what Lock In meaning really was. Locked-in was a condition when a man/woman body couldn't move at all while their brain fully awake and functioning. Imagine how frustating it was. This condition was the final, third phased, result of disease caused by virus nick named Haden Diseases. More of this disease could be found in this novella Unlocked, prequel of this Lock In novel.

So, 25 years after the virus first strikes, humanity has found it's socio-cultural-tech balance once again. For people that was locked in, there are android at their disposal. With neural networks implanted in their brains, they can freely and remotely commanding the androids, the Threeps as they called it. There are some exception though, for people that cought the second phase of the virus but bounced back to live, their brain was messed up enough so they "act" just like the Threeps, in meaning that they could subdued their concious mind and their body accept the "commands" from certain locked-in people. These people called The Integrators.

So for short, ever watched the movie Surrogate? That's what Threeps looks like, only the people who controlled it was totally had useless body. And ever watched any Possesed movie? That's what Integrators looks like, only they do not need priest to sent the demons away, it was just computer wifi thingy.


Now.... in this world building sense, an ex-Integrator-turned-cops and a Threeps rookie cops of a very famous Haden (he was the second person ever got the threeps body), was sent to investigate a murder allegedly done by an Integrator. Was it him or was it the brain he was integrated with, that was the question. But then, things got messed up, when the victim's ID was none to be found in the system, humongous part of money got involved, and a Haden drug facility burned down to the ground, suddenly it wasn't that simple anymore. Add to that formula some Haden freedom movement's activist fanatic followers start to commit suicidal terrors, and you got a very sensitive case and a lot of hidden agendas.

About this case, eventhough it's really good, had it twist and turn and quick pace that page-turners (and eventhough after about 80% read, everyone knows who's the bad guy(s) were, no suprises there), I think the good guys also were really lucky to have Chris Shane with them, coz without his father power donor dinner that night, he wouldn't know who's doing the integrated and who-think-how about Haden's cure trial and so on, and without these info, the police will be 10 steps behind, and when they do they caught up, it would be too late. So, lucky for them. And lucky for them too that Chris was so loaded he can use any Threeps and "destroy" them at will. *and I thought Iron Man was bad*

The other characters' believeable, loveable enough, Beside Vann and Chris, there was Tony that conviniently provided the tech forensics and Tania who gave medical assistance when needed. Chris' father and mother were truly a nice parents, willing to do anything for their son. The police captain was cooperative enough, the Navajo tribes too, hell... besides Trinh, there were no bad guys here, well, accept the bad guys of course.

The world building was the gem of the story. It was really solid, a lot of tiny rich details that describe every aspect of it. As I read the Unlocked first, most of undescribe thing in this novel could be found there. The history aspect of the disease was so perfectly provided I could believe it really happened. The socio-cultural aspect was so mimic to our nowdays no wonder it will still happening in different context, and the tecnology was like to happening in near future. Greaaatt.

When I first reading this book, I was hoping to find a nice science fiction novel that will blow my mind with a glimpse of future technology. Well I got that all right, but I also got a nice crime fiction story that hooked me up till the very last page *it was like wanting a chesseburger and got a double patty double cheese burger that actually delicious* *tacky Integrators' joke* #nevermind :p


Next John Scalzi read: Redshirts. Let see how he mocks Startrek :)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1260944453

The Martian - or Geniuses Guide to Survive on Mars

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Crown (2014)
ISBN: 978-080-41-3902-1
Pages: 384 halaman
Published: 2011
Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice for Best Science Fiction (2014)




Synopsys:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Remember the movie Cast Away when a man stranded on an island for years and he had to go by all means to survive? Well, imagine that situation, but instead of an island it was.... on Mars. Yup, that's where Mark Watney was, alone and no one on earth even know he was alive!

Sarang Kalajengking

Judul: Sarang Kalajengking
Judul Asli: The House of the Scorpion
Seri: Matteo Alacran #1
Pengarang: Nancy Farmer
Penerbit: Penerbit Matahati (2005)
ISBN: 979-98407-3-2
Jumlah Halaman: 440 halaman
Penerbitan Perdana: 2002
Literary Awards: Newbery Honor (2003), National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2002), YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (Top Ten) (2003), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children's Literature (2003), and many more.


Sinopsis:

Matteo Alacran tidak dilahirkan; Ia adalah hasil DNA El Patron, pemimpin sebuah negara yang bernama Opium - ladang opium yang terbentang antara Amerika dan daerah yang sebelumnya disebut Mexico. Sel darah Matt's dipilah lalu dibagi menjadi beberapa. Lalu ditempatkan ke dalam rahim seekor sapi, di mana dia terus berkembang dari embrio menjadi janin dan kemudian menjadi bayi.

Ia kini telah remaja, namun kebanyakan orang menganggapnya sebagai monster - kecuali El Patron. El Patron menyayangi Matt seperti ia menyayangi dirinya sendiri, karena Matt adalah dirinya.

Ketika Matt berjuang untuk memahami keberadaannya, ia diperlakukan dengan keji oleh hampir semua orang, termasuk keluarga El Patron's yang haus kekuasaan, dan dia dikawal oleh seorang yang sangat berbahaya. Melarikan diri adalah satu-satunya cara agar Matt dapat tetap bertahan hidup. Namun melarikan diri dari Rumah Alacran bukanlah jaminan untuk mendapatkan kebebasan, karena Matt memiliki perbedaan yang ia sendiri tidak mengharapkannya.

Mengangkat tema yang sedikit terlalu gelap untuk cerita-cerita yang biasanya masuk Newbery Honor List, tapi mengingat tokoh utamanya memang masih berumur belasan tahun dan kisahnya sendiri yang sangat menarik, tidak heran buku ini masuk nominasi Newbery tahun 2003 selain segudang penghargaan lainnya. termasuk YALSA dan ALA di tahun yang sama.

Dengan latar scifi dan distopia, novel ini berkisah tentang Matt Alacrán, seorang seekor Clone (karena clone adalah hewan tak berjiwa dan bukan manusia, diternakkan dengan tujuan untuk dipanen organ-organnya) dari penguasa ladang Opium terbesar di dunia yang terletak di antara Amerika Serikat dan amerika selatan.

Flowers for Algernon

Judul: Charlie si Genius Dungu
Judul Asli: Flowers for Algernon
Pengarang: Daniel Keyes
Penerbit:  Ufuk Press (2006)
ISBN: 979-33-3002-3
Jumlah Halaman: 457 halaman
Penerbitan Perdana: 1959
Literary Awards: Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (1967), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1966), Locus Award Nominee for All-Time Best Novel (1975)

Charlie, seorang penyapu lantai, terlahir dengan IQ 68 dan selalu jadi bahan olok-olok teman-temannya, hingga suatu saat eksperimen yang dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan kecerdasan manusia mengubahnya menjadi seorang jenius.

Tapi kemudian, Algernon, seekor tikus yang sebelumnya sukses melalui eksperimen yang sama, mengalami kemunduran kecerdasan secara drastis dan akhirnya mati mengenaskan. Lalu bagaimana dengan Charlie?

Sedikit sulit untuk mengkategorikan novel ini. Secara latar belakang cerita, ini adalah genre science-fiction, di mana keajaiban medis membuat manusia menjelajah teritori baru, secara karakterisasi, ini adalah novel psikologis, menyoroti sisi emosional seorang bocah yang tiba-tiba diberi tubuh dan kecerdasan orang dewasa, kemudian nanti di paruh kedua kisah, pembaca dihadapkan pada suatu kepastian pahit bahwa hanya ada akhir yang tragis untuk si tokoh utama ini, kebodohan dan kematian. Ini bukan hanya kisah berkembangnya kecerdasan Charlie, tapi juga naik turunnya sisi emosional seseorang yg tak pernah sungguh 'merasakan', saat ia menyadari kompleksitas dunianya, terlebih saat ia tahu, waktunya tidak lagi tersisa banyak. :'(

TimeRiders

Judul: TimeRiders
Judul Asli: TimeRiders
Seri: TimeRiders #1
Pengarang: Alex Scarrow
Penerbit: Elex Media Komputindo (2013)
ISBN: 978-602-02-2100-7
Jumlah Halaman: 432 halaman
Penerbitan Perdana: 2010

Undisclosed time and location??
Duluuuu, saat diriku masih kecil (eh ya ampun, kapan itu?) salah satu film yang pertama-tama mengajariku tentang konsep perjalanan waktu adalah film Back to the Future dan sequelnya Back to the Future Part II, yang pada waktu itu sempat harus kutonton 2-3 kali sampai akhirnya aku mudheng alur ceritanya secara penuh. Tidak sepenuhnya scientific tentunya, tapi paling tidak aku jadi mengerti akan adanya teori alur-alur sejarah alternatif dan bagaimana pada titik-titik penentuan, keputusan yang diambil seseorang pada suatu waktu dapat membuat pecabangan alur waktu, dan menyebabkan berubahnya kehidupan yang kita kenal dan jalani sebelumnya. Sebuah butterfly effect yang merubah segalanya.

Ender's Game & Ender's Shadow

Title: Ender's Game
Original Title: Ender's Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher:  Tor Books (1986)
ISBN: 9780812533552
Pages:  368 pages
Original Published Date: 1985
Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1986), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1985)



Title: Ender's Shadow
Original Title: Ender's Shadow
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher:  Tor Books (2000)
ISBN: 9780812575712
Pages:  469 pages
Original Published Date: 1999
Awards: ALA Alex Award (2000), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2000)


Welcome to Ender's universe

These two books are not necessary a sequel/prequel. They are first to their own series, The Ender's Saga and The Shadow Saga which follow two amazing children soldier, Andrew Wiggins and Bean (aka Julian Delphiki) in their quest of surviving childhood while saving the earth in the year of 2170-ish. These books are just happened to be in the same universe, and later in the story, in the same Battleschool and the same battlefield when this two boys cross paths. It said that they was a companion books. It was really interesting to see the same events but entirely from two different point of views, and how both boys had their own opinion of each other, sometimes loathing sometimes longing for one another attentions.

Ender

In Ender's Game we first introduce to the earth in not-so-distance future. Human has master the interplanetary spaceflight when they found The Formics, an insectoid alien force, had been scouting the earth to made it its nest. Putting aside all political problem, the three major force of the earth, i.e Hegemon, Polemarch, and Strategos decide to fight together, and so in the second invader war, a spaceflight captain name Mazer Rackham succesfully defeat all enemy ships. To prevent the worse of these wars, all genius children from around the world has been taken asked to join International Flight (IF) organisation where they can be educated to be the best soldier that could be.

Here come Andrew (Ender) Wiggins. He was the third child (there is limitation of 2 children on each family) that was specially permitted because his brother and sister was slightly off marks of being selected to join Battleschool. They both off the charge strategic geniuses, but he was too aggresive (a chaming sociopath, reminds me of Dexter, really) while she was too submisive, so hopefully, the third one would be spot on. And he was, except for one thing, he scared to death of his eldest brother, which made The IF questioning his fighting will. But when Ender decide to face Stinson, the bully of his class, just to made his future peace, IF put off the hesitation and quickly hasten him to the orbit.

“...Kicking him in the groin, kicking him repeatedly in the face and body when he was down—it sounds like you really enjoyed it.”
“I didn’t,” Ender whispered.
“Then why did you do it?”
“He had his gang there.”
“So? This excuses anything?”
“No.”
“Tell me why you kept on kicking him. You had already won.”
“Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they’d leave me alone.”

From the the first moment in the Battleschool, Ender was made to be alienated. One reason was because of his always almost perfect test mark -although he was the youngest cadet- the other was because The Commander of the School thought it was the best way to bring all he's got. Once he stay long enough to made some friends, it was time for him to be promoted to the higher class. Always like that until he was 9 when he was choosen to join the Salamander Army, lead by a punk name Bonzo Madrid. Not knowing -or rather not wanting to know- Ender's best strategic brain, he sent him to be a motionless bait in the school war game. Ender responded by having his own extra practices which attracted much attentions from many of students and teachers.

Bean

Around this time, there is a new launchy name Bean. In Ender's Shadow, we followed his past life as a street kid in Rotterdam, where he survived hunger and bullying with the help of a girl called Poke. When Poke was killed in order to protect him, he was found by Sister Carlotta -- she's like IF scouting agents, recruiting kids from everywhere to be tested and, if sufficient enough, to be sent to join IF-- who was totally amazed by his intelligent mind and perfect memory. When she wanted to sent Bean to the orbit, IF denied it of his age. Bean was 4 year young. So Sister Carlotta took him under his wing for another year and teach him everything she knows (but with Bean's mind, a year of well fed and studying was like 5 years in school, or in Sister Carlotta's case, a seminary, where he studied not just math and english, but also French, Latin, history, biology, physics, etc,  etc, including memorize all the Bible passage she recite). In this time, Bean origin became more and more interesting to her. So when Bean finally enter the Battleschool, Sister Carlotta gone for a mission of finding Bean parents and his birth process.

Bean, more or less, has the same treatment as Ender's. The different was, Bean was always alone, so loneliness doesn't had any impact to him. It became his weapon. From the first day, his habbit from the street life made him wondering around, finding out his surround environtments, measuring the social strata, lurking for each and every strength and weakness of everyone, students and teachers, knowing his way out of every situation given. Not that the teachers did not knowing about his extraculiculer activity, but because he absolutely avoiding any psyco-analisys tools, they thought it was as good as one. Bean also get promoted as quickly -if not quicker- as Ender was. So when it's Ender time to have his own Army, Bean more than ready to choose 40 of the best underrated young student, including himself, to join in.

Dragon Army

When two giants colided, who's gonna cursed inside. Well, in this particular case, no one, except some ego got bruised in the process. I really like this part of the story. I mean I read EG, then ES, but then I read them both simultaneously just in these chapters, to see how Ender's and Bean's mind assess each other while they were -most of the time- totally wrong towards one another. Bean always thought that Ender, just like everybody else, took him just as a cute little boy, making silly remarks of his size. But Ender actually just after 10 minutes with his soldier, had picked up Bean as the  smartest of them all, and try to make everybody else respect him for this and this only. Ender though Bean being the smartest sometimes questioning his decisions. But Bean, more just than that, had suspected the teachers playing the whole another game with Ender, that they put more and more pressure and try to broke him at his limits.

Ender's POV He woke up feeling good, jogged on out to take his shower, and did not notice the piece of paper on his floor until he came back and started dressing in his uniform. He only saw the paper because it moved in the wind as he snapped out the uniform to put it on. He picked up the paper and read it. PHOENIX ARMY, 0700 0700, said the paper, and it was already 0630. Some of his boys might already be heading for breakfast. Ender tossed his uniform aside, grabbed his flash suit, and in a moment stood in the doorway of his army’s barracks. “Gentlemen, I hope you learned something yesterday, because today we’re doing it again.” It took a moment for them to realize that he meant a battle, not a practice. It had to be a mistake, they said. Nobody ever had battles two days in a row. He handed the paper to Fly Molo, the leader of A toon, who immediately shouted “Flash suits” and started changing clothes. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” demanded Hot Soup. Hot had a way of asking Ender questions that nobody else dared ask. “I thought you needed the shower,” Ender said. “Yesterday Rabbit Army claimed we only won because the stink knocked them out.” The soldiers who heard him laughed. “Didn’t find the paper till you got back from the showers, right?” Ender looked for the source of the voice. It was Bean, already in his flash suit, looking insolent. Time to repay old humiliations, is that it, Bean? “Of course,” Ender said, contemptuously. “I’m not as close to the floor as you are.” More laughter. Bean flushed with anger.

Bean's POV Everybody expected to have at least a week to strut around and brag about their perfect won-lost record. Instead, the next morning at 0630, Wiggin appeared in the barracks, again brandishing battle orders. “Gentlemen, I hope you learned something yesterday, because today we’re going to do it again.” All were surprised, and some were angry—it wasn’t fair, they weren’t ready. Wiggin just handed the orders to Fly Molo, who had just been heading out for breakfast. “Flash suits!” cried Fly, who clearly thought it was a cool thing to be the first army ever to fight two in a row like this. But Hot Soup, the leader of D toon, had another attitude. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” “I thought you needed the shower,” said Wiggin. “Yesterday Rabbit Army claimed we only won because the stink knocked them out.” Everybody within earshot laughed. But Bean was not amused. He knew that the paper hadn’t been there first thing, when Wiggin woke up. The teachers planted it late. “Didn’t find the paper till you got back from the showers, right?” Wiggin gave him a blank look. “Of course. I’m not as close to the floor as you.” The contempt in his voice struck Bean like a blow. Only then did he realize that Wiggin had taken his question as a criticism—that Wiggin had been inattentive and hadn’t noticed the orders. So now there was one more mark against Bean in Wiggin’s mental dossier. It’s not as if Wiggin didn’t have him tagged as a coward. Maybe Crazy Tom told Wiggin about how Bean contributed to the victory yesterday, and maybe not. It wouldn’t change what Wiggin had seen with his own eyes

I also loved to see while Ender was busy tried to train his Army to the definite win, Bean was busy watching Ender's back -- from the teachers hidden agenda, the Salamander's Army and its leader's minions, even from the questioning remarks came from within the Army himself. Ender as a Commander did not waste time to explained everything he did to them, so more than once it may seems that he did a foolish moved, but Bean as a unexceptional strategist himself see through these moved and did just that.

But most of all, I loved when they finally admitted that they need each other. Ender asked Bean to be his special weapon toon leader and gain his trust to command the entire Army, and Bean at the end realize that he was the only one as close as a friend could be in the lonely Ender's universe.

He understood what this feeling was, welling up in him, filling his throat, making tears stand out in his eyes, making his face burn, forcing a gasp, a silent sob. He bit on his lip, trying to let pain force the emotion away. It didn’t help. Ender was gone.
Now that he knew what the feeling was, he could control it. He lay down on the bunk and went into the relaxing routine until the need to cry had passed. Ender had taken his hand to say good-bye. Ender had said, “I hope he recognizes what you’re worth.” Bean didn’t really have anything left to prove. He’d do his best with Rabbit Army because maybe at some point in the future, when Ender was at the bridge of the flagship of the human fleet, Bean might have some role to play, some way to help. Some stunt that Ender might need him to pull to dazzle the Buggers. So he’d please the teachers, impress the hell out of them, so that they would keep opening doors for him, until one day a door would open and his friend Ender would be on the other side of it, and he could be in Ender’s army once again.

A year after

Ender trained solely with Mazer Rackham himself. He knew now his future duty, half of the secret IF held so deeply, that only a handful of people knew the truth. Bean trained with a bunch of the Army Commanders from school. With his wit only he managed to find out the other half of the secret IF held so deeply. So now IF put their best effort that the two never meet, not until they gained the success with their more-than-hundred-years-old plan. But that day coming rather sooner than later. The Third Invation was finally came. So ready or not, Ender had to face his destiny, and Bean had to do what he did best, watching Ender's back while he's facing the ultimate enemy. And maybe more.

***

Oh but this storyline does not cover half of it. There are more, like the story of Locke and Demosthenes, the political strategist on earth that turns out to be the Wiggins siblings. I like to read how Peter analize the world's power alliance just by reading pieces of news in the internet (and how their father eagerly praise Locke writting in newspaper not knowing it was Peter's, lol). Peter Wiggins gave the phrase "reading between the line" the whole new meaning.
And Sister Carlotta investigation bringing issues like human life, eugenetics, DNA alterations, humanity and faith to the test. I was really-really-really glad it turn out to be a happy ending for Bean (for now at least). In the Battleschool, it's fun to read how Ender playing _God and Bean playing ^Graff in the system and how the students and teachers reacted to them. Furthermore, in IF organization, the morale dilema of pushing over intelligent kids soldier to their limit, and then tried to protect them all with just a sheet of umbrella of ignorance was interesting. Always sapid to watch Graff, Anderson and Dimak quarreling about Ender and Bean.

Lastly, the story ended with one remaining question. Do we ready to extinguishing an entire race just because our own human race MIGHT be in danger. Where is humanity and compassion and affection and unprejudice and all that fancy words stand against all this. Andrew Wiggins end up looking for the answer for more than a lifetime journeys, but how about us.

This is a trully epic story, or rather an episode of bigger epic story. Ender's Saga will continue for three more books and three side-story books while Ender's shadow have five more. And I planned to read them all.

***

Ps: I could only think that Orson Scott Card is the only person who could write about solitude and loneliness through out a series of books so beautifuly. I first noticed it in Stonefather, a novela in The Wizard anthology, and ever since, I always struck by his writing. A little melancholic maybe, but not full by sadness or tears. It's more about self contentment. People just had to do what they had to, and do it their best.

And I admire him for that.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/631549494
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/641907633