The Truth About Forever

by Sarah Dessen

Paperback edition, 374 pages

Published by Speak on June 2012

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Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.

But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or...Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all--so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So...happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

Macy was really reserved at the beginning. Her father just died, and she was the one that found the body. It was a natural death, but it was still a traumatic experience. Her mother works 24/7 to avoid confronting her grief, and her boyfriend Jason is super smart and has a perfect life. That's why her whole life already carefully planned, to meet her mother's expectations and to fit in with Jason's life. One night, in one of her mother's event, the catering they used had a trouble and Macy decided to help. But in the midst of chaos and dissaray, she found something that she didn't realise she doesn't have.

There's this guy at the catering names Wes. He's perfect to me. He's the kind of guy bestfriend I want to have (guy bestfriend, not boyfriend). He's handsome but doesn't notice it so he doesn't go over the top with his looks, kind, he learned his lesson, he loves his family, and he has amazing personality. They're friends at first, but then while on catering duties, they started to play "Truth". It's like the game of Truth or Dare, but in this case there is no "Dare" options. I think it's a really great game to get to know each other or learn someone's dark secret and it's exactly what happened with them.

The more Mary works at the Wish catering, the more Macy feels like something is wrong with her controlled life. Her mother also started paying attention and worries, not to mention her sister Caroline who deals with the grief face-on and bugs her mom and Macy to do the same.

I think this is a really worth reading book. The romance isn't cheesy. It focused more on family and finding yourself, but the romance doesn't quite take the backseat. It's just the perfect mix for everything. And what I love the most about the romance is how we can actually see the process of Macy and Wes romance, and if you look closely, you could see the exact moment they fell for each other.

Masque of the Red Death

by Bethany Griffin

Paperback Edition, 400 Pages

Published by Bentang Pustaka

Translated by Yudith Listiandri

Published on Januari 2013

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Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

I've seen this book a lot on goodreads and other book blogs, and the reviews are good enough. So when I walked to the book store and saw this book was on sale (IDR 20.000) I picked it without any second thought. I hate the cover honestly, but it's better than nothing, right?

I expect this book to be amazing because I've seen this everywhere. I really want to like it. I do. But honestly, this book is so freaking confusing. It's fast-paced, but too fast and left many things unexplained. We saw in the beginning Araby felt sad because she saw a deceased baby, but we didn't know the reason. We didn't know anything about Araby except that she's a scientist daughter. Not just a scientist actually, her father is the scientist who invented the mask to stop the plague. Suddenly she fainted at the club and there's this club employer, Will, who took her home. Then she felt comfortable and BOOM! Insta-love. Okay she already liked him before but I think she should've freaked out since she didn't know Will yet which made him a stranger, and he took her to his home But no, that made her fell deeper for him. Then there's Elliot, and I think he's a freaking bipolar. And we didn't get any explanation about Finn's death until the end of the book. There're just too many holes in this book.

The idea is good, but I didn't like her writing style. Maybe it left too many holes for the story to improves in the next book, but it just make it so confusing. I'll do a re-read on this book though, but not anytime soon.

  by Simone Elkeless
  Paperback edition, 
Published by Laluna and Friends on July 2013

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A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

First, let me tell you that I purely want to read this book because the name of the main character. Alex Fuentes. Like damn. I don't know why, I really imagine someone hot, like Enrique Iglesias hot. Plus that name sounds like trouble. So yeah. Honestly I don't even read romance?? But that name really makes me want to read it.

So I bought it. And while it's really cliche, I freaking like it. It's really fast paced, with alternating point of views from Brittany and Alex. We got glimpse of their life, and their problem. From the first chapter, we all told that her "perfect" life is just an act. And from the first Alex's chapter, we also know why he joined the gang and why he act like a jerk.

The whole starcrossed thing is also very predictable. Obviously, both Brittany and Alex background would be a problem. A rich, popular, captain of cheerleader white girl and troubled, mexican gang kid? C'mon. But seriously guys, it's freaking addictive. 

Alex Fuentes is our typical bad boy with good heart character. I think Brittany is a pretty weak character, she fell for Alex far too easily. Colin is a total loser. Seriously. Sierra and Paco are the type of bestfriend that I want to have for my own. Sierra doesn't trust Alex, but she tried to tell Brittany in a good way, and eventually try to accept Alex too. Same with Paco *sobs*. Darlene is like the typical fake bestfriend but actually want to take everything you have. Well, so much drama in this book.