Novels: Tatlong Gabi Tatlong Araw

Story by: Eros Atalia

VISPRINT

(4/5 ★★★★☆)

(Cover by Karen Francisco)

"MULA  TABLOID HANGGANG TV NETWORK, naibibigay ni Raymundo Mojica ang hinihingi sa kaniya ng industriya. Nagsimulang horoscope writer sa isang tabloid na may pinakamalaking sirkulasyon hanggang maging kilala sa paggawa ng documentary.

Bumalik siya sa kapistahan ng Brgy. Magapok, dahil na rin sa kahilingan ng namatay niyang ina, upang ilagay ang picture frame sa altar at isaboy ang kaunting abo sa kapatagang napalapit sa puso nito. Pagdating ni Mong (kanyang palayaw) sa probinsya ng Sta. Barbara na nakakasakop sa Brgy. Magapok, tutumbukin ito ng super typhoon. Nakipag-unahan si Mong sa bagyo para makarating agad nang ligtas sa Magapok.

Napuno ng kababalaghan at karahasan ang isa sanang simpleng kasiyahan ng tatlong araw na pista ng patron na si Sta. Barbara de Bendita. Isa-isang nawala ang mga alagang hayop at tao. Nasaksihan niya kung paanong kinain ng lupa ang isang buong baka. Nakipaghilahan siya kasama ng mga taga-Magapok laban sa isang kamay na humihila-pailalim sa isang bata. Nagawa niyang mai-record sa kaniyang camera ang daan-daang kataong hindi na nagising at pati na rin ang pag-agaw ng kung anong liwanag sa mga natitirang buhay sa Magapok.

Sa dinami-dami ng kaniyang teorya, mula sa pakikipagsabwatan ng mga minero sa bandido, ng rebelde sa sundalo, ng sinkhole, ng bio-chemical warfare hanggang sa alien abduction...naging mailap ang katotohanan sa isang tulad niyang mamamahayag na tagapaghatid o tagalikha ng katotohanan."

The Good:

The story of life in Barangay Magapok was neatly told through the eyes of Mong.

It is presented in the perspective of a journalist, hence, the documentary-like vibe that one could get from reading this novel. Setting up the horrors that Barangay Magapok would have to endure besides the approaching super typhoon, Atalia has made this story appear like an investigative research.

At first glance, it might just be a simple overview of disturbances in some communities that can usually be seen on documentaries such as illegal logging, illegal mining, bandits and rebels. It also takes a look at how some news are carried out. From the simple horoscope readings up to the big announcements made by politicians, there indeed is a bigger news revolving around the news reporter.

The Bad:

If one is really strick about grammar, such reader could find a couple of those in this novel.

The Verdict:

It really deserves the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award that this novel got for such type of story telling that the author has managed to give.

Tatlong Gabi Tatlong Araw can make one wonder as to how this novel might look like if it is adapted to the big screens via found footage type of story telling. If it fails, I'm sure it would work just fine if it was turned as a documentary type of film. Because that is how amazing the narrative was written here.

Although it might be hard to interview a Malakat for this film. This is an excellent work that will bring you to tears as the news report comes to an end.

"...matutulungan po nating mamulat at mag-isip ang masa kahit paano. Na hindi totoong ang kausap lang ng matalino ay kapwa matalino." - Mong

Novels: Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tábon

Story by: Edgar Calabia Samar

Adarna House

(5/5 ★★★★★)

(Cover by Borg Sinaban)

"Sa tournament ng TALA Online

sa bayan ng Balanga,

namatay ang lahat ng manlalaro

maliban kay Janus.

Sunod-sunod pa ang naging kaso ng pagkamatay

ng mga kabataan sa computer shops sa iba't ibang

panig ng bansa. Kinontak si Janus ng nagpakilalang Joey,

isa rin umano sa mga nakaligtas sa paglalaro

ng TALA na gaya niya. Hindi inasahan ni Janus

ang mga matutuklasan niya mula rito na mag-uugnay

sa kaniya sa misteryo ng kinahuhumalingan

niyang RPG - at sa alamat ng Tiyanak mula sa Tábon!"

The Good:

The world building was meticulously done considering a realistic and an online world must be illustrated in order to be able to engage the readers into the world of Janus Silang.

For a young adult series written by a Filipino, the author has managed to give us a different perspective of our world, most especially about our mythological creatures. Creating an RPG (role-playing game) that has an interesting BAT (Bayani-Anito Tandem) concept to overcome different creatures ranging from a lone tiyanak of level 1 up to the diwata of the seven ponds in level 7 of the game. TALA (Terra Anima Legion of Anitos) seems to be really great if this could actually be played in real life as you fight off the legion of the soulless in every level.

This novel never runs out of surprises as some pieces of Philippine history were thrown in to the story. The biggest one was Janus discovering the true story of the Tábon cave in Palawan and the involvement of the tiyanak in all of these deaths.

The Bad:

If there's one thing that I can't understand in this novel, that would be the "dilang-karayom" of the manananggal that is frequently used. It might be an expression originally created by the author for this series but it could be something else altogether. As of the moment, nothing significant can be found in the novel or online regarding this phrase.

If you're using the book 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang, which was also written by Edgar Samar, as a reference to check all the creatures mentioned in the novel, you might want to look for another reference since the Berberoka that appears on level 4 wasn't mentioned on that book.

The Verdict:

This novel will surely drain away the happiness within you as you reach the last pages of the book. A surge of different emotions such as shock, anger, despair and sorrow will be felt as the author left us astonished by the smooth unveiling of the painful truth.

The 1st book of the Janus Silang series will really amaze you from the start up to the very end. A Filipino reader would be really pleased and be proud of having the opportunity to read this excellent work of Edgar Samar. His way of making us vulnerable to be able to also feel the emotions of Janus was astounding. What starts out to be a simple RPG themed story slowly darkens as the author slams right into our face the horrors of the truth that we didn't perceive to be out of place from the very start.

This is a novel that is highly recommended to all, especially to those who are fans of the Harry Potter series. Don't be discouraged if you think the book lack some pages. I'm sure the author is nearly done with the next volumes of this series before the tiyanak discovers what he is doing.

"Babalik ako sa panahong di mo inaasahan para kunin sa iyo ang noon ko pa gustong malaman." - Tiyanak

Novels: I Am Number Four

Story by: Pittacus Lore

Harper
(4/5 ★★★★☆)

 (Movie Tie-in Edition)

"Nine of us came here.

We look like you.

We talk like you

We live among you - but

We are not you.

We have powers you dream of having

We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books -

But we are real.

They caught number one in Malaysia. Number two in England, and number three in Kenya.

They killed them all.

I am number Four. I am Next."

The Good:

This is another novel that will get your attention due to the nicely written synopsis at the back of the book.

The novel introduces us to 2 of the 18 sustaining planets in the universe. Lorien and Mogadore, which are just a few light years away from Earth. The story takes us through the lives of John Smith or Four and Henri or Brandon, a Garde and Cepan respectively. It is up to them, along with the others who are still alive, to restore life back on Lorien. Armed with a chimaera named Bernie Kosar, previously known as Hadley, and Four's legacies, they'll have to do everything they can in order to stay alive.

This novel holds a great world wherein it tells us of the other planets in the universe that can sustain life. 

This movie tie-in edition holds a nice sneak preview of the 2 chapters of The Power of Six and Lorien Horroscope.

The Bad:

The real action wherein any Mogadorians are encountered starts at around two-thirds of the book. The pacing is a bit slow.

The Verdict:

This novel gives us an enjoyable start to a series full of aliens with unimaginable powers. It was a fun ride as Earth and Loric takes down the Mogadorians in Paradise.

"Don't give up hope just yet. It's the last thing to go. When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope." - Henri

Novels: Dwellers

Story by: Eliza Victoria

VISPRINT
(3/5 ★★★☆☆)

(Cover by Aldy Aguirre)

"Rule No. 1: You don't kill the body you inhabit.

Rule No. 2: You should never again mention your previous name

Rule No. 3: You don't ever talk about your previous life. Ever.

Two young men with the power to take over another body inhabit the bodies and lives of brothers Jonah and Louis. The takeover leads to a car crash, injuring Jonah's legs and forcing them to stay in the brothers' house for the time being.

The street is quiet. The neighbors aren't nosy. Everything is okay.

They are safe, for now.

Until they find a dead body in the basement."

The Good:

The synopsis will clearly get anyone's attention. An ounce of sorcery. Add in that mystery and crime plus the author that gave us Project 17. It will really lure us into the lives of Louis and Jonah.

These rules regarding the switching of bodies are a great way to capture a reader's attention. Rule No. 4 is hidden and can only be read in the novel.

You would think sorcery, mystery and crime was the only thing that can be read in this novel. Well you're wrong. Eliza makes that surprise of adding a frightening moment in the story. What better way of doing that by having the soul of the dead body haunt the brothers, even though the current owners of the brothers' bodies have no idea of why they have a dead body in the basement.

The Bad:

The sorcery in the whole 3 parts of the novel had left me in deep hunger in trying to know of the past lives of the current Louis and Jonah. I personally would have loved to know a little more on why their bloodline can have such 'tricks' or power. I just can't think of a being that can cast spells by reciting them or by drawing a symbol on a piece of paper. I would love to know more on that part of the character's life.

The ending was a cliffhanger for me. Initially, I thought that it ended with Jonah going into a deep deadly sleep. But after reading the novel again, it seems to me that he could have just have passed out due to exhaustion. He could have not yet taken the pills like Louis so there could have been more to the story.

The Verdict:

It was a great adventure of learning the identity of the body of the brothers that was recently acquired. Even though, this was a story of body snatching and murder, there are a lot more positive points presented by the author. There is this part where the personality of the antagonist changed. Revealing more of the personality and thoughts (if I think I'm right on this one) of the author. The character talked more on the government, corruption, society and the environment. It was thrilling to read a moment of the author's thoughts from one of her characters in the story.

Even at the very end, the story manages to hide from us the true names of the inhabitants of the bodies of the brothers, Louis and Jonah. Dwellers is a nice story that has the right blend of sorcery, crime and horror. The mystery of another stranger's life is interestingly uncovered through clues within their reach.

"Let's say my name is Jonah and he is Louis.

Even here, in this story, I can't make myself tell you our real names." - Jonah

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

http://www.elizavictoria.com

Twitter: @elizawriteshere

Novels: Project 17

Story by: Eliza Victoria

VISPRINT
(4/5 ★★★★☆)

(Cover by Jap Mikel)

This is one of the three books that was launched by VISPRINT on Aklatan: The First All-Filipino Book Festival last year.

The story is set in the Philippines, mostly in Hagonoy, Bulacan. The country is seen to be in the period wherein technology has taken over our security. The SentryServ becomes the future Police Intelligence with the Sentry serving as the ground police enforcer who maintains peace and order round the clock.

The plot begins with Lilian temporarily working in the Dolores brothers' household as a summer job while school is off. She lands as a babysitter for Paul's brother, Caleb, who is suffering from a schizoaffective disorder. However, curiosity regarding her employers' background makes a shocking revelation. According to the records, her employers' name does not exist. It gets weirder as she discovers a different identity that her employers seem to previously have. Strangely those names are claimed to be already dead for more than 10 years. As several bodies related to Northpoint-Pascual ends up dead, more information about the brothers' identity surfaces. The story unravels itself in an amazingly fast pace that makes you want to run after Lilian as the truth unfolds.

This is the first time I've read a novel whose plot involves robots and drugs targeting schizoaffective disorder. As a medical student, the drugs mentioned in this novel suddenly made me think if any of these are really prescribed. Aside from those things, the writer included a nice way to tell some parts of the story. It was entertainingly done by using the twitter ID of known local news agencies. The events felt more realistic as twitter, currently one of the ways we use to check for news that occurs around us, was utilized. Twitter played a big part in the dissemination of information, like what happened during the Zamboanga siege, Visayan Earthquake, and Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan.

This is another great book from VISPRINT. Aside from the nice story telling made by Eliza Victoria, one cannot ignore the illustrations made in each chapter and on the cover of the book. All these illustrations were made by Jap Mikel. Their combined work makes Project 17 a fun and an exhausting read that will surely set our imaginative adrenaline to rise up. Just be on the look out for any Girl X. She might be your final days companion.

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

Twitter: @elizawriteshere

www.elizavictoria.com

Novels: His First, Her Last: The Incredible True Story of an American Lost in the Philippines

Story by: Jonathan Sturak

Pendan Publishing
(3/5 ★★★☆☆)

A story based on the actual experiences by the writer on the Filipino culture, traditions and even some of the problems that the country have. It gives another perspective to a life in the Philippines through the eyes of a tourist.

Jason Stefanik, the main character of the story, deals with the strange culture the Philippines has to offer. Such example to that is the Filipino's habit of saying "nosebleed" if they converse with too much English. Then there's also the beauty that the Filipino's have in their genes that most of its citizens appears to be younger looking. This was observed among a group of nurses or nursing students that were mistaken for a group of high school students. The novel also takes into account the negative side of the country. Such as the health care system, especially since I'm assuming that he might have been admitted in a government hospital that is poorly funded. There's also the justice system, in which for a crime of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries, and damage to property the maximum penalty that can be carried out is six months in jail. Although I'm not much versed in the accuracy of the penalty that can be imposed on such crimes, in my opinion it is a bit light especially since the incident resulted in the death of an individual. The main character, as the story progresses, becomes a bit more likable especially since his image started out to be a mother's boy who complained practically about anything and rushes on the time he can finally get back to America. It is from that image that he transforms into a very determined and loving boyfriend that will do everything to look for his love one, no matter what happens. He does this despite the current condition his body is after the accident.

The novel provides some good tips on how to be a "smart" tourist in the Philippines and at the same it also illustrates some of the tourist attractions that can be on your to see list, such as Intramuros. It also gives a few "must know" for a tourist new to the culture that the country has. The story of Jason's adventure is an interesting insight and narration of the experiences that the author had. Amidst the bad experience that he had due to the accident, Sturak still manages to come up with a story that talks about love and hope despite the tragedy that takes place in a country rich with heritage.

The writer can be seen at:

www.sturak.com