“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.

Title: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publication date: 14 March 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery, Contemporary

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady-ah, lady of a certain age-who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her college-aged son is up to. 

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing-a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. 

Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?

Knives Out meets Kim's Convenience in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

***

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers has been on my wishlist forever! I’ve always been curious about Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books—not just because she’s technically an Indonesian author, but also because I’ve heard so many fun things about her Aunties series. While waiting for my turn on Libby to read Dial A for Aunties, I decided to dive into Vera Wong’s first, and let me tell you—I was not disappointed!

The Story

Vera Wong is an energetic and opinionated Asian grandma who proudly runs “Vera Wang’s World-Famous Tea House.” (Yes, she’s aware it sounds like the designer’s name, but that doesn’t stop her from claiming her teahouse is world-famous!) After her husband passed away and her son, Tilbert—or Tilly, as Vera calls him—moved out, Vera settled into a predictable routine: morning walks, breakfast, and waiting for customers in her nearly empty teahouse.

Unfortunately, Vera’s tea house isn’t quite living up to its “famous” reputation anymore. Her only regular is Alex, a kindhearted man who stops by for tea and a chat while caring for his bedridden wife. Despite Tilly’s attempts to convince her to let the business go, Vera stubbornly holds on. The teahouse is more than just a shop to her—it’s a cherished link to her late husband, Jin Long.

One ordinary morning, Vera’s life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a dead man in her teahouse. Is this really happening? Drawing from her extensive “training” (a.k.a. watching countless episodes of NCIS), Vera calls the police and does her best to preserve the crime scene—though her enthusiasm ends up being more of a headache for the authorities.

The victim, Marshall, is a mystery to Vera and her neighbors. Even stranger, the police dismiss the death as non-suspicious. But Vera’s gut tells her otherwise. Fueled by her unshakable confidence and knack for meddling, she decides to investigate on her own.

Soon, she narrows her list down to four suspects: Riki, an ambitious Indonesian IT tech bro; Sana, a struggling artist; Marshall’s twin brother, Oliver; and Julia, Marshall’s wife. As Vera interviews them (and even stays at Julia’s house!), she uncovers secrets, motives, and surprising connections. But with everyone seeming guilty, can Vera untangle the truth and solve the case?

Maybe you do something slightly bad, so what? Now you learn from it. You have a better judgment now. Better morals, because you learn from your personal mistake. This what life is about, Riki. No one is perfect, making right decisions all the time. Only those who are so privileged can make right decision all the time. The rest of us, we have to struggle, keep afloat. Sometimes we do things we are not proud of. But now you know where your lines are. You are good boy, Riki. You have good heart. That is all that matters.

The Opinion

I couldn’t quite pinpoint another book with the same vibe as Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, but Vera’s enthusiasm and charm make her unforgettable. She’s the epitome of an Asian grandma—lovable but nosy enough to give you a headache! In some ways, she reminded me of Ah Ma from How to Make a Million Before Grandma Dies, though Vera is definitely nosier.

While the story focuses on Vera solving Marshall’s mysterious death, it’s also about personal growth. Each suspect she interrogates ends up rediscovering their passion, self-worth, and connections with others. Vera’s meddling, as frustrating as it is, helps them rebuild their lives—and in the process, they become like family to her.

One of my favorite moments was when everyone rushed to the hospital when Vera fell ill. It was heartwarming to see how much they’d grown to care for her, showing that family isn’t always about blood ties. Vera’s interference, while chaotic, left a positive impact on everyone’s lives.

I also loved the little tidbits about tea! Learning about the different blends Vera prepared added a unique touch to the story.

As for the mystery, while it wasn’t the main focus, the plot twist caught me off guard. I only started suspecting the real culprit when they avoided Oliver, Julia, and Emma, but I couldn’t figure out how they did it until the reveal. Jesse Q. Sutanto definitely kept me guessing!

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Vera is such a vibrant, high-spirited grandma—always nagging, cooking up a storm, and meddling in everyone’s business in the most lovable way. I also appreciated how every character’s story wrapped up in a satisfying way.

Now I can’t help but wonder about the next installment. What kind of case will Vera dive into next? And will any of the characters from this book make a return? Fingers crossed, because I absolutely can’t wait to find out!

Judul: Rumah Lebah
Penulis: Ruwi Meita
Tebal buku: 284 halaman
Penerbit: Bhuana Sastra
Tanggal terbit: 30 September 2019
ISBN: 9786232164840
Baca di Ruang Buku Keminfo

Mala, gadis kecil berusia enam tahun yang terobsesi dengan ensiklopedia. Dia hanya membaca buku ensiklopedia dan selalu mengurutkan buku satu sampai buku terakhir dari sisi kiri ke sisi kanan. Dia juga tertarik dengan beruang.

Di rumah, Mala hanya tinggal bersama orangtuanya, tetapi dia selalu membicarakan enam orang asing yang hidup bersama di dalam rumahnya. Dia selalu takut pada Satira, bersahabat dekat dengan Wilis, berbicara dengan Tante Ana yang suka berdandan, belajar bahasa Spanyol dengan Abuela, dan si Kembar yang hanya bisa mendengar, melihat dan mencatat.

***

Siapakah sebenarnya enam orang asing yang selalu dibicarakan Mala? Rahasia apakah yang dimiliki oleh enam orang asing tersebut?

Rumah Lebah menjadi buku pertama yang kuselesaikan di tahun 2025. Sepertinya, aku sudah mengetahui soal keunikan buku ini dari lama. Hanya saja, baru kemarin aku mendapat kesempatan untuk membacanya di Ruang Buku Kominfo (RBK).

Mala adalah anak tunggal dari pasangan suami-istri, Winaya dan Nawai. Dulunya, Winaya adalah seorang wartawan investigasi di salah satu majalah yang terkenal seantero negeri. Sedangkan Nawai adalah ibu rumah tangga yang memiliki latar belakang di bidang pendidikan. Suatu kejadian membuat Winaya dan Nawai menyadari bahwa Mala bukanlah anak yang biasa-biasa saja. Banyak orang yang menyebutnya sebagai anak istimewa karena ia memiliki kemampuan yang tak dimiliki oleh anak seusianya.

Khawatir akan keistimewaan Mala, Winaya dan Nawai memutuskan untuk pindah ke desa yang berada di kaki gunung Wilis. Nawai memilih untuk mengajari Mala sendiri sesuai dengan pengetahuan dan kemampuan yang ia dapatkan semasa kuliah. Winaya pun telah berhenti dari pekerjaannya sebagai wartawan dan beralih profesi menjadi penulis novel misteri. Meski telah jauh dari hiruk-pikuk ibu kota, Mala masih tetap bisa berinteraksi dengan sejumlah orang yang dianggap hanya khayalan oleh Winaya dan Nawai. Mereka adalah Wilis, Abuela, Tante Ana, Satira, dan juga si kembar. Lalu, bagaimanakah kehidupan Mala dan orang tuanya selanjutnya? Siapakah Wilis, Abuela, dan lainnya itu?

"Aku suka gelap karena kehidupan ini dimulai dari kegelapan. Aku suka air karena air bisa menenggelamkan ke tempat yang terdalam di mana kegelapan akan cepat menjadi kawan baikmu."

— Satira.

***

Dari awal, aku sudah mengharapkan adanya plot twist dalam cerita di buku ini. Akupun sudah menyiapkan diri untuk mendapati unsur horor dalam kisah Mala. Awalnya aku menduga kalau Wilis, Abuela, Tante Ana, ataupun Satira adalah teman bayangan Mala--atau malah memang hantu. Tapi ternyata dugaanku salah total. Aku tidak menyangka kalau seluruh kondisi Nawai menjadi breadcrumbs untuk klimaks dalam cerita ini.

Harus kuakui kalau Ruwi Meita telah berhasil membungkus cerita ini dengan apik. Kita dibuat penasaran dengan identitas orang-orang yang bisa dilihat Mala itu. Lalu, kita juga dibuat bertanya-tanya, apakah orang-orang itu bersifat baik atau malah bisa mencelakakan Mala pada akhirnya.

Untuk Nawai sendiri, aku sebetulnya sudah menyadari bahwa kisah dalam buku ini tidak hanya tentang Mala. Nawai juga memiliki porsi penting karena berkali-kali penulis menggunakan perspektif Nawai dalam ceritanya. Jadi, ketika kondisi Nawai terbongkar di akhir, aku tidak terlalu suprised.

Meski demikian, aku merasa kalau masih banyak bagian yang rumpang dalam cerita ini. Aku masih penasaran bagaimana awal mula Rayhan bisa bertemu dengan Tante Ana--dan apakah pertemuan sekali saja itu betul-betul bisa membuat Reyhan terlena? Lalu, aku juga jadi kasihan dengan Winaya. Apakah dia betul-betul tak menyadari perubahan dalam diri Nawai--sekecil apapun perubahannya? (view spoiler)

Sebetulnya, aku suka sekali dengan cerita yang diangkat. Misterinya cukup kuat dan membuat kita penasaran dengan kelindan keluarga Mala dengan pasangan Reyhan-Alegra. Tapi, aku tetap merasa banyak sekali pertanyaan yang muncul setelah aku selesai membacanya. Rumah Lebah ini tidak ada lanjutannya, kan? Rasanya ada banyak hal yang masih belum tuntas dalam cerita ini.

Meski demikian, aku tetap akan merekomendasikan novel ini kalau kamu ingin menemukan novel misteri lokal yang punya plot twist enggak biasa. Sepanjang cerita, kamu akan dibuat bertanya-tanya karena saking banyaknya hal yang terjadi di sekitar Mala.

3.5 dari 5 bintang untuk kecerdasan Mala yang sungguh tidak terduga.