Jurnal Jo

I got stuck on Carl Hiaasen's Hoot so I decided to give this book a try first.

And i finish it in a few hours.

Wew!

it's been a long time i didnt read book that fast.

even though this is not really thick.

I'm still happy with me :)

So, yes, you might think jumping from the bestselling, award winning Hoot to this quite plain Indonesian Teenlit book is not a good idea.

But, well, it's not bad. I must say Ken Terate is talented and serious in writing. not like most of the other teenlits which are seriously only writing and copying the same stories over and over again.

You know, boring-but-popular topics like there's a plain girl, who doesnt really care about stuff, who's not the mean girl type, who's... plain. and then there's this popular guy (note: he must join the basketball team. or at least make him the head of student council.) who somehow later can know this plain girl and really like the girl and fall in love with the girl and the mean girl would get jealous with this plain girl. stuff like that.

kind of the same like sinetrons too.

Thank goodness Ken Terate isn't like that. she's original. like she said in her blog, YES, she got influenced by some authors after reading a book.

you know that feeling, after you read a book, you just started to wanna write the way the author writes.

But still, her books have the same aura. LOL if there is any aura. it got the feel.

it's always slow paced.

and never breathtaking (read:cliffhangers,shockers)

and that's why i (kind of)like the way she writes.

it's like bringing out the subtle happiness in everything.

it's... quite good.

Yes. i said that after reading loads of newberry honor books.

So the story is...

well it reminds me a lot of being on seventh grade.

being on the early years of adolescence when new excitements just showed up and everything on primary school seems so lame and boring.

i believe she must reread her old diaries to find out how early teenagers really feel.

well there are stages of teenagers too you know.

i could feel the difference of me being on seventh grade

and the now me, being on ninth grade.

and not much teenlit authors remember there are stages. they just write about general teenagers.

Jurnal Jo is just so true.

it's exactly how i think every seventh grader

or people on early puberty age would feel.

so,

two thumbs up, Ken Terate!

You've done a good job on this :)

One thing i dont really like is the book cover.

NOO, i love the picture of the girl swinging but i dont like how the write the 'Jurnal Jo'.

The picture is kind of blury and have a feel of subtle happiness and joy.

The kind of feeling you get when you sit on your porch and feel the wind.

But the JURNAL JO writing ALSO have that feel. the gay-ish feel. (not gay as in gay, gay as in happy)

that's just wrong. you can't combine two subtle elements like that.

I'd like it better if they write the JURNAL JO on bold black. and not sideways like that. the picture is assymetrical enough. (is that how to spell assymetrical?) so the writing should be bold and strong looking.

well that's just an opinion :)

umm and just one more thing. this is what i'd say to Ken Terate:

you're great. you have a different way of writing teenlits. but really, nobody's gonna enjoy your book so much if there are no climax. it's too plain. i like your book but everyone else i know said it's boring. i like the way you write but probably you have to do something with the story. xP

okay then, that's all :)

bye