“Akan kumainkan peran Romeo meski seisi dunia membenciku. Meskipun itu kamu,” — Wilo.

Lakon menjadi salah satu novel rekomendasi untuk 12 Book Read Challenge-ku tahun ini. Awalnya, aku sudah mulai membaca novel ini dari awal tahun, hanya saja ketertarikanku membaca AU membuatku terdistraksi. Alhasil, baru kali ini aku berhasil menyelesaikannya.

Setiap tahun, Departemen Seni Peran Universitas Amazhona selalu mengadakan pertunjukan teater di Hyde & Jeckyl Hall. Tahun ini, kisah yang diambil adalah kisah Romeo & Juliet. Sayangnya, di tengah-tengah persiapan, pemeran Romeo, Obil, ditemukan tewas di gedung teater. Parahnya, jenazah Obil dibalsam ekstrem hingga menyerupai boneka manekin. 

Tak ada yang bisa menebak siapa dalang dari kematian Obil. Ketegangan juga muncul di antara anggota teater karena orang yang menggantikan Obil bukanlah Remi yang berkedudukan sebagai pemeran pengganti, melainkan Wilo yang bahkan tidak mendaftar  casting. Belum pulih kekagetan para anggota teater atas tewasnya Obil, tiba-tiba satu per satu para pemain lain turut menjadi korban—mereka sama-sama tewas di gedung Hyde & Jeckyl Hall dan sama-sama dibalsam esktrem.

Inikah upaya Hyde & Jeckyl Hall menggusur para pemeran yang tak pantas tampil di panggung legendaris itu? Who Knows?

***

Aku suka ketika novel teenlit tidak sepenuhnya tentang kisah romance. Apalagi, genre utama Lakon memanglah misteri. Pembaca terus diajak menebak-nebak siapakah pelaku kejahatan di sini. Apakah memang Wilo yang berakhir menjadi pengganti Obil?—omong-omong, imbalan sebagai pemeran utama di pementasan ini sungguh luar biasa, Wajar bila posisi ini direbutkan—atau malah Nirah, sutradara film dokumenter yang pernah mendokumentasikan metode pembalsaman esktrem? 

Menurutku, sampai tengah bagian, penulis belum banyak memberikan petunjuk tentang siapa pelakunya. Ia lebih berfokus pada bagaimana kematian dari para korban lainnya masih terlihat cukup masuk akal dan tidak mengganggu jalan cerita. Jujur, aku juga kesulitan menebak siapa pelakunya. Tapi, waktu akhirnya direveal, aku langsung bisa memahami breadcrumbs yang coba ditunjukkan.

Hanya saja, kok ya bisa aku tidak menyadari kemungkinan dari si pelaku dari awal? I mean, harusnya aku langsung bisa menebak dari kedudukan orang yang akan mendapat keuntungan paling banyak apabila Obil meninggal, bukan? 

Hal lain yang kusukai dari novel ini adalah bagaimana hubungan Wilo dan Sanju bisa cukup berkembang dengan baik. Lama-lama, aku suka juga dengan bantering mereka. Oh, ya, satu hal yang kusyukuri, meskipun memang ada bibit-bibit romance antara Wilo dan Nirah, penulis enggak mencoba untuk sengaja menunjukkannya. Jadinya memang lebih natural.

Yang cukup disayangkan memang sisi misteri slash mistis dari Hyde & Jeckyl Hall yang memang enggak digali lebih jauh. Padahal, menurutku bisa saja lho, twist yang digunakan mencampurkan unsur mistis dari gedung ini. Jadi ada semacam keraguan, apakah pelaku adalah murni manusia atau ada dari kekuatan tak kasat mata—I think this concept is used a lot by Akiyoshi Rikako.

So far, aku cukup enjoy bacanya. Tidak menyesal mencoba untuk menyelesaikannya hanya dalam waktu dua hari. 

Jadi, buku ini merupakan salah satu rekomendasi untuk 12 Book Reading Challenge. Mudah-mudahan saja tahun ini aku betul-betul bisa menyelesaikan seluruh list bacaan yang sudah aku targetkan.

Isandra, atau Isa, mengalami perundungan saat SMP. Gara-garanya karena ia dianggap tak selevel oleh pentolah geng populer di sekolahnya, Lexy. Yaa, Isa berkesempatan untuk mendapatkan beasiswa di SMP Bhakti Bangsa, satu sekolah elite yang kebanyakan diisi oleh anak pejabat, artis, ataupun para keluarga old money. 

Awalnya sih, Isa biasa-biasa saja dengan kenjomplangan kehidupannya dengan anak lainnya. Akan tetapi, kala ia menjadi target dari Lexy, Isa serasa langsung berada di neraka. Dengan berbagai cara, Isa akan diejek dan dirisak sesukanya oleh Lexy dan kawan-kawannya. Sungguh bukan pengalaman yang menyenangkan selama ia bersekolah di Bhakti Bangsa. Maka dari itu, saat ia akhirnya lulus SMP dan melanjutkan sekolah di SMA negeri, Isa bertekad untuk tidak menjadi pecundang dan bisa meraih posisi sebagai anak populer di sekolahnya. Isa bisa, kan?

Rencana Isa cukup mulus. Ia mengubah penampilannya habis-habisan. Ia manfaatkan uang dari hasil ia membuka komisi untuk menggambar. Lalu, ia juga bertekad untuk masuk salah satu ekskul favorit di sekolahnya, ekskul dance. Semua terlihat lancar sampai kemudian, ternyata Lexy bersekolah di sekolah yang sama dengan Isa. Sialnya lagi, ternyata si Queen Bee itu juga masuk ke ekskul dance. Bagaimana nasib Isa? Apakah dengan kehadiran Lexy, Isa berhasil menjadi anak populer di SMA?

***

Well, honestly, novel ini mengingatkanku dengan zaman SMA. Bukan soal menjadi anak populernya, ya, tapi soal beberapa hal klasik terkait orientasi ekskul. Sumpah jadinya nostalgia banget. Aku masih ingat dulu aku juga harus mendapatkan tanda tangan dari para senior ketika akan masuk ke dalam salah satu ekskul, persis sama dengan apa yang dilakukan oleh Isa dan kawan-kawan. Aku juga masih ingat salah satu seniorku menyuruhku dan temanku untuk menyanyi di depan kelas si senior—yang anyway, setelah ku ingat lagi, it didn’t make any sense. What’s the use of it?

Selama membaca kisah Isa, di awal aku cukup gemas dengan kenaifannya. Ia jelas-jelas dipinggirkan oleh Lexy dan kawan-kawan. Tapi ia terus denial. Sebenernya enggak ada masalah ya kalau memang ingin jadi anak populer, cuma kalau anak-anak populer ini enggak menghargai kamu dan sebetulnya malah melakukan perisakan dalam bentuk lain, ya buat apa? Cukup lama buat Isa tersadar soal hal ini. Untungnya, ada kawan-kawannya di kelas yang akhirnya bisa menyadarkan Isa. Mereka adalah Olen, Tari, dan Nanda. Awalnya sih, Isa mengabaikan nasehat mereka. Tapi akhirnya, setelah suatu kejadian—yang membuat Isa learn the truth in a very hard way, Isa akhirnya sadar dan memutuskan untuk fight back.

Mungkin ada yang enggak setuju dengan penyelesaian konflik buat geng populer. Tapi mengingat di negeri yang udah kayak negeir komedi ini people in power tuh bisa di mana aja, bahkan di lingkup sekolah, kemunculan Mamanya Lexy harusnya bukan hal yang mengagetkan. Apalagi ternyata si guru pembina ekskul dance juga masih sepupu Mamanya Lexy. Enggak mengherankan at all menurutku. Yang menarik adalah, Reytia juga tetap berupaya memberikan sanksi secara sosial buat geng populer. Kayaknya ini cukup make sense with the power of social media now.

So, aku sangat mengapresiasi buku ini. Ceritanya bisa dibilang cukup ringan karena konfliknya enggak yang seberat itu. Tentu pembahasan soal perisakan ini penting karena pasti hal ini masih banyak terjadi in real life Really appreciate how Reytia bring this issue tanpa perlu menghadirkan cerita yang menyeramkan.

Finally, I’m back to reading J-lit in the healing fiction genre—though I’m not sure if that’s the right term. When I first picked up this book, I immediately noticed that it had a similar premise to We’ll Prescribe You a Cat. The difference is that The Blanket Cats refers to something like a cat rental shop, while We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is literally about a place where a doctor prescribes you a cat after examining you.

In short, this book contains seven short stories, each featuring a different cat rented out from The Blanket Cats. Throughout the stories, you’ll meet a calico, a Maine Coon, a Manx, an American Shorthair, a Mongrel, and even a Russian Blue. I was honestly delighted to learn new things while reading—like the fact that most calicos are female, and male calicos are extremely rare due to genetics. That little detail made me appreciate the uniqueness of calico cats even more.

The rules for renting a cat from The Blanket Cats are actually quite simple. Customers can only keep the cat for three days, and they’re only allowed to feed it food bought from the store. The blanket is also very important—if it gets lost, the cat might throw a tantrum and won’t be as friendly toward the customer. Most of the cats at The Blanket Cats are very clever and manage to meet the expectations of those who rent them. That’s really the charm of each cat in this collection

In my opinion, the cats in this book aren’t the typical magical creatures that suddenly bring miracles. Maybe only the Maine Coon has a hint of magical ability—though I started to doubt that, since the character could simply have been hallucinating. Who knows? As for the other cats, they don’t play that kind of role. In fact, some of them felt like they were just present without having a very significant impact on the story. That said, each customer still has a strong and unique reason for renting a cat, which makes their stories engaging in their own way. 

Out of all the stories, there are two that felt quite twisted to me: The Cat with No Tail and The Cat No One Liked. I really couldn’t guess the truth behind the characters in these ones. For The Cat with No Tail, the story is told from the perspective of what feels like an anti-hero, so my first impression of the plot completely collapsed once the truth was revealed. Meanwhile, The Cat No One Liked had a similar kind of twist, and in fact, I think it was the most surprising story for me. Sometimes people develop certain attitudes because of traumatic experiences in their past—just like the landlord and the mongrel cat he kept renting.

Another memorable story was The Cat Who Went on a Journey. In this book, the author plays with different points of view—sometimes first person, sometimes third person. The most interesting part of this chapter, though, is that it’s told from the cat’s perspective. Even though the storyline is a bit cliché, I actually think this one could be expanded further. If there were ever a continuation or spin-off in the future, I definitely wouldn’t complain—I’d happily read it.

Also, one of the reasons I picked up this book in the first place is because it’s translated by Jesse Kirkwood—one of my favorite J-lit translators. Whenever I read her translations, I feel an instant click and almost always enjoy the experience.

Overall, this book is your typical healing fiction. So yes, it might follow a formula similar to other books in the genre. But since this one revolves around cats, I completely loved it and enjoyed reading every page. I’m even starting to suspect that in Japan, many families really do keep cats—because books about them seem to be everywhere!

When a murder investigation blends with witchcraft rituals and magic, you know things are about to get unsettling.

Mazzy and Nora, two friends who regularly dabble in witchcraft, decide one night to perform a ritual. You know the kind—candles, chants, a few mystical objects, all under a full moon by the waves. For them, it was supposed to be just another experiment. Nothing seemed to happen afterward, so they packed up and went home. But everything changed when they stumbled across a dead body near the shoreline. What made it even more horrifying was that the body of the girl was missing both her teeth and her arms. In shock, they called the police.

The trauma from that night follows Mazzy and Nora long after. Strange, eerie things keep happening: Nora talking and singing in her sleep with a voice that doesn’t sound like hers, Mazzy humming mysterious melodies she doesn’t remember learning, Henry (Mazzy’s brother) drawing chilling images of the dead girl, and then—another body turning up, discovered once again by them. It becomes clear to Mazzy that this isn’t just about a failed spell or harmless ritual. Something much darker is tied to the corpse they found.

I have to admit, I actually enjoyed reading this book more than I expected. At first, I hesitated and wasn’t sure I would like it. The pacing was a bit sluggish at times, but I still enjoyed the mix of mystery, creepy moments, the banter between Mazzy and Nora, and even a little spark of romance between Mazzy and Elliot.

What didn’t work for me was the way the witchcraft and magical elements were presented. Sometimes it felt caught between being believable and completely unbelievable. The skepticism from the other characters made it hard to trust in the magical parts of the story, so I wasn’t fully convinced about what Mazzy and Nora were capable of.

The plot itself also left me a bit confused. For example, when I tried to look up the “Hand of Neptyse,” all I found was something from a Yu-Gi-Oh! card (lol). I wasn’t sure if the cult mentioned in the book was meant to be based on something real or purely fictional.

Still, I’m proud of myself for finishing this 348-page book without feeling bored. It was actually a smooth and entertaining read overall, even if the plot had some bumps. If you’re looking for something spooky to read in October—creepy enough for Halloween vibes but not overly heavy or terrifying—I think this book is worth a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 out of 5 stars,

Book review of Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park

I picked up this ARC on a whim, after spending too much time on AUs and suddenly craving a proper book again. At first, I thought the ARC had already expired, but since it hadn’t, I decided to dive in. The hook was intriguing, a North Korean spy in Oxford? Definitely not something I see every day.

I initially expected the story to follow a single straightforward narrative. Instead, each chapter is divided into three perspectives: The Northerner (Yohan, a North Korean spy), The Southerner (Jihoon, who runs a Korean restaurant in Oxford), and The Westerner (Yunah, a Korean-American agent).

From the author’s foreword, it’s clear that Jinwoo Park wanted to explore different facets of the Korean experience abroad. Each character embodies that in their own way. Yohan, the spy, is perhaps the most fascinating, but also the most confusing. He is sent abroad by the regime, but the book never really explains his mission. I expected espionage, intelligence-gathering, or at least a clear directive—but instead, Yohan drifts around with his mentor and Doha, without any real sense of purpose. It left me wondering: why was he sent at all?

Still, through Yohan, we glimpse the life of someone who has no real ties or identity. As an orphan, he survives only by following orders, passive and detached. Jihoon, though very different, shares that sense of disconnection. After losing his mother, the only family he had, he has little reason to return to South Korea. Yunah, meanwhile, embodies the “in-between”: culturally American but raised by very traditionally Korean parents, which creates its own kind of tension.

I appreciated the attempt at weaving these three perspectives together, but I wished the connections were stronger. While there are overlaps between the characters, the storylines often feel too separate, with Yohan’s arc lacking the strength to anchor the others. By the middle of the book, when the focus began to shift, I found myself confused rather than more invested.

This isn’t an easy read, and the plot can feel uneven. Still, if you’re interested in stories about North Korean spies or want a window into the complexities of Korean lives abroad, this book offers some fascinating glimpses—even if it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise.