Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

it'll be like The Hunger Games but with lots of food and no bows or arrows. -- Luigi L. Lemoncello

Sumber: goodreads.com

Judul: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Series: Mr. Lemoncello's Library #1
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Number of pages: 293 pages
Date of published: June 25th, 2013
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.

***

When I was looking for book with the word "library" on its title in Goodreads, I found this interesting book. To be honest, I choose this book because this is another middle grade book. Well, I just don't want to read a heavy topic book. So, here is the story of me while exploring Mr. Lemoncello's library.

The New Library and 12 Fortunate Children 

One day, the new library will be open. No one know what's inside the new library. Only the head librarian and Mr. Luigi Lemoncello who know the whole part of the new library. Yeah, Luigi Lemoncello is a genius. He has invented numerous kind of games, start from board games, word, games, and also video games. Of course, everyone in the city are very excited with the new library, including Kyle.

Kyle Keeley is a gamer. Yeah, he is the biggest fan of game. Actually, the whole Keeley family are very addicted to game. No wonder if Kyle has completed a different kind of games since at the very young age. When he knew that there will be 12 special entrance ticket to spend the night in the new library, Kyle with his full effort try to win the ticket. Long story short, with a little bit drama here and there, finally Kyle succeed to be one of 12 fortunate children who will spend one full night at the new library--before everyone else in town.

So, what will happen inside the library? What Luigi Lemoncello hide from everyone inside the library? Read it to find a new form of experience that will be a mixture of Charlie and Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum.

The Paradise for a Bibliophile

Sumber: pinterest.com, edited by me

I have to agree with several reviews about this book, this book is a paradise for a bibliophile. There is no perfect place for a bibliophile than a library. With full of books and another source of reading. I wonder, if this library does exist, it should be very amazing.

To be honest, I am very excited when I read this book. Grabenstein in my opinion is very genius because he can combine about the book and the games. He invite the reader to feel the thrill when Kyle and friends try to figure the way out of the library. I like the story because this is a great children book, or should I say a middle grade one?

Then, the character from this book, even though there are more than 5 characters, I think all of them have their own uniqueness. So, they won't be forgetful. First, there is Kyle the gamer; Akimi, Kyle's bestfriend that ask Kyle to cooperate from the very start; Sierra, the book nerd that never put her book down; Miguel, Kyle's friend who made the neatest essay for the entrance ticket to the library; Haley, the school princess; Andrew, the member of the school library; and Charles, the ambitious boy with a rude attitudes.

All of them have their own portion and it made the story much more interesting. The main story of this book is about how to escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library. There will be a lot of games that will be book related. So, you can say this book have an interesting plot story.

After I read this book and I realized this is the beginning of the series, It made me want to read the other books in the series. Well, let me see when I will read the other books.

4 of 5 stars for the awesome library.

Sincerely,
Ra

Love & Gelato

Maybe that's the beauty of death, nothing is messy anymore. Everything is sealed up and final. -- Hadley

Love & Gelato. Sumber: Goodreads.com

Title: Love & Gelato
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Series: Love & Gelato #1
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Number of pages: 389 pages
Date of published: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse

“I made the wrong choice.” 

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home. 

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself. 

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

*** 

To complete Balabala Reading Challenge 2020, I decided to search a book with ice cream on the cover. After searching on google, my choice landed to Welch's work. I choose this book because this is young adult book and one of my acquaintance in Goodreads made a good review about it. So, why not to give it a try, right?

The Life of Lina

After her mother, Hadley, passed away, Lina went to Italy to live with his father, Howard. But, to be honest, Lina didn't have any idea about his father after all. Her mother never told Lina who her father was until she was dying. Hadley tried to convince Lina that she should goes to Italy and try to stay there for a while with Howard. At the first, Lina refused to do it. But, Hadley being Hadley. She has made Lina promise her to live with Howard for summer.

My mother had kept us apart for sixteen years. Why were we together now?

Living in Italy wasn't something that ever crossed Lina's mind ever. Moreover, live in the middle of cemetery. Well, the fact maybe was hard for Lina. Because, now she is literally live in the middle of cemetery and didn't have any idea what she should do to get socialize. Fortunately, Lina met Lorenzo Ferrara or Ren who actually tried to help Lina adapted in Italy.

Ren was also someone who help Lina to uncover the truth about her mother's life in Italy. This so-called journey was started when Lina got her mother's journal from Sonia--Howard's friend and neighbor. Since Lina was very curious about the fact that her mother has separated her with her own father for more than fifteen years, Lina want to know the exact reason behind of it. Therefore, Lina's journey to find the truth about it is begin.

Image: videoblocks.com, edited by me

Typical Cute Young Adult Book

Considering this is a young adult book, no wonder id the author made this book in the very cute way. After all, this book has aim to entertain the teenager. To be honest, this book is cute and good for light reading. The story is neat and there are a plot twist there even thought I have figured out the twist from the very start.

“I don’t owe you anything. Maybe next time you should have a little more faith in me.” -- Lina.

The love part of this book is typical young adult couple. It's cute, full of lovey dovey, and of course, quite hard to happen in the real life. Nevertheless, I still like Ren as the character. He is gentle and always caring. Even though he is a little bit annoying when he is near Mimi--her ex-girlfriend.

I like the story of Lina and Howard. Their relationship is cute and warm. I wonder if Howard could be a good father after all. Well, at least I am happy with Lina's decision in the end of the story.

Anyway, I just know that this book is a series. So, another book still be related to this book. Hmm, it makes me curious all the way.

Conclusion

For a light reading and cute story, you should try to read Love & Gelato. At least, you will get the explanation about some favorite tourism places in Italy.

3 stars for the Lina and Ren journey to find Gelato.

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu

The War I Finally Won

You can know things all you like, and someday you might believe them.

The War I Finally Won. Sumber: goodreads.com

Title: The War I Finally Won
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Number of pages: 387 pages
Series: The War That Saved My Life #2
Date of Published: October 3rd, 2017
Publisher: Dial Books

Ada and her younger brother, Jamie, now have a permanent home with their loving legal guardian, Susan Smith. Although Jamie adapts more easily, Ada still struggles with the aftermath of her old life, and how to fit into her new life. 

 World War II continues, and forces the small community to come together and rely on one another. Ada has never been interested in getting to know her friend’s family—especially Maggie’s mother, the formidable Lady Thorton. However, circumstances bring them in close proximity along with other unexpected characters.

Ada comes face to face with another German! This time she isn’t sure what she should do. How can she help the ones she loves and keep them safe?

***

This second book is still about Ada. Ada and her brother, Jamie. Ada and her legal guardian--now, as of her mam has death, Susan. Ada and her first friend ever, Maggie. Ada and her favorite horse, Butter. Ada and the World War II. Yeah, there's no much change in this second book. This book is slightly thicker than the first one but still have the first book's ambiance.


More complicated story

If the first book mostly talk about how Ada can survive the war inside herself, for now the conflict is more complicated. One of them is about how Ada has to deal with another person around her. Moreover with someone that she barely know like Lady Thorton. After the war in Britain that made Ada's mam dead, Ada and Jamie back to live with Susan. Susan assured both of them that she would take care Ada and Jamie no matter what happen. Therefore, Susan fought for Ada's foot operation. Yeah, this book is opened with the decision of Susan to operate Ada's foot.

"Religious beliefs are complicated. You can’t call someone else’s religion a mistake. There isn’t a right and a wrong. There are just different ways of thinking.” - Susan.

So, Ada now was no longer crippled. After the recovery, Ada could walk easily and did everything that couldn't she did when she still crippled. Ada started to ride Butter and help Fred--the horse keeper in the Thorton house, worked at stable. Ada felt that all of those experience were amazing. Moreover, she could stand by her own foot. She didn't need any help anymore.

But, now Ada has to face another challenge in her life. Start from Lady Thorton's decision to live at Ada's cottage, Maggie that couldn't get home easily from school, until the arrival of Ruth, a Germany girl that should be a suspicious person. So, how Ada could handle this condition? Could she survive again like before?

War was as complicated as religion, when you started to think about it - Ada.

Ada's reflection

Sumber: google.com, edited by me

Well, if I ever said that Ada was annoying, I assured you that in this book she still stubborn. She still couldn't accept the fact there were a lot of people around her that love her. Even, accepted her just like what she were. She couldn't believe if Susan could be her mam and if Lady Thorton was soft.

Words could be dangerous, as destructive as bombs. - Ada

“Love isn’t as rare as you think it is, Ada. You can love all sorts of people, in all sorts of ways. Nor is love in any way dangerous." -- Susan 

Even though Ada was stubborn, somehow I could understand the reason behind of it. After all, Ada had succeed to change her way of thinking, behavior, and all. So, I appreciated Bradley for making Ada still lovable. One thing for sure, Ada was really a definition of a brave girl. You should took an example from her.

From all of the parts, I should admit that some part is bothering me. Yeah, I think, in the last part, Bradley is too much rushing the ending. So, most of the important part, in my opinion, hasn't explained yet. One of them is about the relationship between Susan and Becky. I had assumption back then about their relationship, but seems like Bradley won't go any further to explain it. In another hand, I like the author's not part very much. At least, finally I know what work that Lord Thorton did together with Ruth and Ruth's father. No one would expect it will related to Enigma, right?

Conclusion

"Better to be miserable together than miserable apart. I suppose.”-- Ruth

Even though there are some part that couldn't make me satisfied, I still can feel the sweet part of this book. I like this book as much as the first one. So, you should still to read because you will know how Ada's life continue after the war that saved her life.

4 out of 5 stars for the author's not part. Hoho.

Sincerely, 
Puji P. Rahayu

Giselle

Sungguh, tidak ada orang yang lebih berdosa daripada seorang pemuda manis yang tidak memiliki kesadaran diri.

Giselle. Sumber: goodreads.com

Judul: Giselle

Penulis: Akiyoshi Rikako

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Penerjemah: Clara Canceriana

Tahun terbit: Maret 2019

Penerbit: Penerbit Haru

Tebal buku: 400 halaman

Lima belas tahun yang lalu, prima balerina Himemiya Mayumi tak sengaja menusuk dirinya sendiri hingga mati dalam usahanya menyerang Kurebayashi Reina, saat balet "Giselle" ditampilkan. "Giselle" pun menjadi judul terlarang dalam Tokyo Grand Ballet. 

Lima belas tahun kemudian, sebagai perayaan ulang tahun Tokyo Grand Ballet, "Giselle" diputuskan untuk ditampilkan kembali. 

Akan tetapi, saat mereka mulai mempersiapkan pertunjukkan, arwah Mayumi mulai muncul. Berbagai kecelakaan dan kejadian nahas pun terjadi beruntun.
Sebenarnya mengapa arwah Mayumi kembali? Apa yang sebenarnya terjadi lima belas tahun silam?

***

Bagi saya, karya-karya Akiyoshi Rikako memanglah menarik. Novel-novelnya yang pernah saya baca sebelumnya, seperti The Dead Returns dan juga Girls in The Dark, membuat saya selalu tertarik akan kisah yang dituturkan oleh Akiyoshi. Kebetulan, saat kemarin saya sedang dalam perjalanan pulang ke Malang dari Jakarta, saya memutuskan untuk membaca salah satu novel Akiyoshi yang berjudul Giselle.

Giselle dan Tokyo Grand Ballet

Bagi Tokyo Grand Ballet, menampilkan "Giselle" dalam pertunjukan mereka merupakan suatu hal yang tabu. Hal ini berhubungan dengan kejadian lima belas tahun yang lalu, yakni saat prima balerina Himemiya Mayumi tak sengaja menusuk dirinya sendiri hingga mati. Kejadian tersebut menimbulkan trauma yang cukup besaar, khususnya bagi Kurebayashi Reina yang sebetulnya menjadi orang yang diserang oleh Mayumi. Sejak saat itu, "Giselle" menjadi judul yang terlarang.

Lima belas tahun berlalu. "Giselle" diputuskan akan ditampilkan kembali sebagai bentuk perayaan ulang tahun Tokyo Grand Ballet. Sayangnya, ketika penampilan ini mulai disiapkan, banyak kejadian tak biasa yang menimpa para penari. Mulai dari penampakan Himemiya Mayumi di depan Ranmaru--salah satu penari terbaik di Tokyo Grand Ballet, jatuhnya Chouno Mikiya--penata artistik dari Tokyo Grand Ballet, hingga ketakutan berlebihan yang dialami oleh Kurebayashi Reina, sang prima balerina dari Tokyo Grand Ballet sekarang.

Cerita bukan berpusat pada Kurebayashi Reina

Seperti yang saya duga, kisah yang diangkat oleh Akiyoshi Rikako ini akan menyajikan sisi misteri yang tidak biasa. Bagi saya, membaca novel ini akan membuat para pembaca merasa merinding karena misteri yang disajikan. Meskipun pada sinopsis terlihat seperti cerita ini akan berpusat pada Himemiya Mayumi, nyatanya keseluruhan isi cerita berpusat pada sosok Kisaragi Kanon, salah seorang anggota Tokyo Grand Ballet yang cukup muda.

Sumber: google.com, edited by me.

Ia dan ketiga temannya sering disebut sebagai kuartet karena mereka selalu bersama-sama. Ketiga temannya itu adalah Saito Junko, seorang gadis yang tidak mau kalah dan juga cantik; Tachihake Ramaru, satu-satunya penari balet pria di angkatan Kanon; dan Sonomura Yukiko yang begitu cantik layaknya boneka. Hari itu, Kanon sedang memperbaiki pointe shoes miliknya saat Ranmaru mengabari Kanon bahwa peran untuk penampilan khusus ulang tahun Tokyo Grand Ballet telah diumumkan.

Tentu Kanon sangat bersemangat karenanya. Ia sama sekali tidak menyangka bahwa dirinya akan dipilih sebagai Myrtha, si ratu para arwah yang kejam dan bahwa judul yang dipilih kali ini adalah "Giselle".

Kejadian tak terduga beserta misteri di dalamnya

Sejak pengumuman itu, ternyata memang banyak kejadian aneh yang terjadi. Puncaknya adalah saat Kurebayashi Reina meninggal mendadak layaknya tokoh yang ia tarikan, Giselle. Saat dilakukan penyelidikan, banyak sekali dugaan-dugaan yang mengarah pada teman-teman Kanon. Apalagi, saat Kanon perhatikan baik-baik, ternyata teman-temannya itu, bisa mendapatkan keuntungan apabila Chouno Mikiya, Kurebayashi Reina, atau Kurebayashi Hisashi--pemimpin Tokyo Grand Ballet sekaligus ayah Reina, terluka atau bahkan meninggal dunia.

Misteri itulah yang dicoba digali dalam cerita ini. Tentu, saya sangat menyukai plot twist yang disajikan oleh Akiyoshi. Saya rasa, Akiyoshi mampu membuat saya tertipu dengan asumsi-asumsi yang dilontarkan oleh Kanon. Saya tidak menyangka akhir dari kisah ini sebegitu manusia-nya. Dalam artian, saya selalu tahu bahwa tidak ada yang namanya hantu atau arwah dalam kisah-kisah Akiyoshi. Yang ada hanyalah bentuk keserakahan manusia yang menggunakan cerita arwah sebagai tameng. Nah, jujur saya tidak menyangka akhir kisahnya akan sebegitu luar biasanya.

Satu hal yang cukup menganggu dari novel ini adalah, alurnya yang cukup lambat. Lalu, berhubung novel ini juga menyelipkan kisah dari pertunjukan balet Giselle, saya merasa kadang ada bagian yang diulang-ulang. Saya sampai malas saat harus membacanya ulang. Akan tetapi, novel dari Akiyoshi Rikako ini menjadi salah satu novel horor yang tetap bisa saya baca dengan tenang. Rasanya sulit apabila tidak menyelesaikan novel ini secara langsung karena saya terus penasaran.

Kesimpulan

Saya akan merekomendasikan novel ini bagi para pecinta misteri. Novelnya yang ringan serta plot twist yang menarik menjadi daya tarik dari Giselle.

4 bintang untuk kisah Giselle yang tragis.

Sincerely,

Puji P. Rahayu

The War That Saved My Life

"Saying something stupid doesn't make you stupid. Luckily for all of us." - Susan

Sumber: Goodreads.com

Title: The War That Saved My Life
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Number of page: 316 pages
Series: The War That Saved My Life #1
Date of Published: January 8th, 2015
Publisher: Dial Books

An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War 2, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars.  

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.  

So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?  

This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making. 

***

The initial idea to read The War That Saved My life is when I want to finish one of categories from Balabala Reading Challenge 2020. This reading challenge has made by me and my so-called big sister, Zis from Zelie, the book-admirer. That category is books about special needs children. Without further thinking, I tried to search a book recommendation from Google. Then, this book appeared as one of the books that caught my attention.

The Newbery Book

We’d escaped. Mam, Hitler’s bombs, my one-room prison. Everything. Crazy or not, I was free. -- Ada

The War that Saved My Life is written by Kimberly  Brubaker Bradley. To be honest, I never heard of her name as an author. I only want to read this book because this is a children book. Since my reading mood hasn't being that stable, I though reading a children book can ease my feeling to some extent. When I want to add this book into my Goodreads account, I just realized that this book got a medal from Newbery. So, I expected this book could really offer an interesting story.

Ada was a crippled. She had a clubfoot and her mum was ashamed because of it. She never let Ada went out from home and always beat Ada whenever Ada made a mistake. Ada, herself, was only can see the world through the window. Because her mum rarely at home because she had to work, no wonder if Ada hadn't enough knowledge about word or language.

One day, when the war was gotten worse, all of children in London had to be evacuated.  So did Jamie, Ada's brother. Mum never bother to Ada's condition. She didn't register Ada to be evacuated. But, Ada knew that she had to fight for herself. So, without her mum noticed, everyday Ada tried to walk with her clubfoot. Of course it hurt her so bad but Ada never giver up. She had to walk no matter what.

On the evacuation day, Ada and Jamie sneaked out to the Jamie's school. That was the first time Ada felt free. During the trip, Ada never admitted that she had clubfoot and she didn't know where the train will go. The Iron Lady--the one who managed the distribution of the children, said that there will be a place for Ada and Jamie. Inside her heart, Ada was afraid that no one want take them. Then, in the end of the village, the Iron Lady marched them to the house. Here was a young lady that argued a lot to the Iron Lady, but seems the young lady has defeated. She had to take care Ada and Jamie.

"I never want to have any children," she said. "I won't care both of you."

Will Ada face another threatening life again? Will she and Jamie survived the war?

And then the hall was empty, save the teachers, the iron woman, Jamie, and me. Mam had been right. No one would have us. We were the only ones not chosen. -- Ada

***

Sumber: google.com, edited by me

As a book with the war setting, I should admit that this book was interesting. At least, I knew about the children's fate when Germany invaded England in World War 2. The character, Ada, wasn't a lovable character, to be honest. She was stubborn and quite. She never told anyone about what's she feeling. She afraid that everyone will only judge her by foot. Okay, I would like to blame her mum for that. Ada's depression and fear made her build her wall so high. She never want to be touched, even by Susan, her guardian. 

"I know you aren’t stupid. Stupid people couldn’t take care of their brother the way you do. Stupid people aren’t half as brave as you. They’re not half as strong." -- Miss Smith 

Jamie, in my opinion, most likely had the same attitude as Ada. He was more influenced by his mom, so she thought Ada shouldn't walk by her own foot. He thought that being a crippled was a sin. Yeah, after I read this book, I started to like Susan. How she managed to take care Ada and Jamie very nicely. Susan had a big role for Ada and Jamie's life. She feed them, took care of them, and also taught them how to behave and also about knowledge like reading and math. She acted like a parent.

I like when Ada started to change her behavior. She became more mature as a children, even though sometimes her stubbornness still very annoying. One thing that I realized when I read this book is when Bradley describe the war situation. I don't know if this is proper or not, but as a children book, this book has a quite detail for the war. It was about the Germany's invasion, how hard the situation to get food in the middle of the war, or when one ship full of injured soldier came to Ada's village and Ada tried to help Susan to help them.

Hero wasn’t a word I was used to hearing. The admiration was interesting, but the attention made me feel unsettled. -- Ada

Yeah, even though I still with an opinion that Ada is very annoying, I still can enjoy the story. Even, I started to curious with the second book, The War I Finally Won. Anyway, the title of this book is very relatable with the story. So, you should read it by yourself.

4 of 5 stars for Butter, Ada's pony and Susan's kindness.

Sincerely,

Puji P. Rahayu

Aruna dan Lidahnya

Apakah gerangan yang menjadikan kita begitu pahit dan sarkastis? -- Aruna

Sumber: goodreads.com

Judul: Aruna dan Lidahnya
Penulis: Laksmi Pamuntjak
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tanggal terbit: 6 Agustus 2018, versi cover film
Tebal buku: 428 halaman
Jenis buku: Paperback
Baca via Gramedia Digital

Aruna Rai; 35 tahun, belum menikah. Pekerjaan: Epidemiologist (Ahli Wabah), Spesialisasi: Flu Unggas. Obsesi: Makanan. 

Bono; 30 tahun, terlalu sibuk untuk menikah. Pekerjaan: Chef. Spesialisasi: Nouvelle Cuisine. Obsesi: Makanan. 

Nadezhda Azhari; 33 tahun, emoh menikah. Pekerjaan: Penulis. Spesialisasi: Perjalanan dan Makanan. Obsesi: Makanan. 

Ketika Aruna ditugasi menyelidiki kasus flu unggas yang terjadi secara serentak di delapan kota seputar Indonesia, ia memakai kesempatan itu untuk mencicipi kekayaan kuliner lokal bersama kedua karibnya. Dalam perjalanan mereka, makanan, politik, agama, sejarah lokal, dan realita sosial tak hanya bertautan dengan korupsi, kolusi, konspirasi, dan misinformasi seputar politik, kesehatan masyarakat, namun juga dengan cinta, pertemanan, dan kisahkisah mengharukan yang mempersatukan sekaligus merayakan perbedaan antarmanusia.

***

Pada akhirnya, saya berhasil membaca salah satu karya dari Laksmi Pamuntjak. Jujur, awalnya saya begitu penasaran dengan Amba, karya Laksmi yang fenomenal itu. Sayangnya, meski saya sudah mencoba, saya tetap tidak kuat membacanya. Saya berkali-kali DNF (did not finish) di tengah jalan. Sempat saya membaca hingga seperempat buku, tapi mood membaca saya malah menjadi jauh lebih berantakan. Jadi, berikut merupakan sedikit ulasan saya tentang Aruna dan Lidahnya.

Tentang Aruna dan Lidahnya

Sejujurnya saya tak tahu buku Aruna dan Lidahnya ini buku ke berapa yang ditulis oleh Laksmi. Yang pasti, buku ini memang ditujukan untuk membahas makanan secara khusus dan berhasil masuk nominasi untuk daftar pendek Penghargaan Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa 2015 kategori Prosa.

Yang berkuasa menggelapkan segalanya.

Namanya Aruna. Seorang ahli wabah yang ditugaskan untuk menyelidiki wabah Flu Unggas di beberapa kota di Indonesia. Akan tetapi, diam-diam Aruna menyimpan obsesi pada makanan. Jadi, ia pun menyelipkan beberapa wisata kuliner di kota ia bertugas. Ia juga mengajak dua kawan baiknya, Bono dan Nadezhda, untuk menemani dirinya melakukan wisata kuliner.

Semua itinerary pun telah tersusun. Bagi Bono yang seorang chef, menyusun daftar restoran apa saja yang harus dikunjungi di beberapa kota tujuan Aruna, seperti Surabaya, Bangkalan, Palembang, Medan, Banda Aceh, Pontianak, dan juga Singkawang, bukanlah sesuatu hal yang sulit. Bono memang memiliki agenda sendiri, yakni melakukan riset untuk sajian di restorannya, Siria.

Sedangkan, bagi Nadezhda yang seorang penulis soal makanan, perjalanan kuliner itu akan sangat membantu dirinya menulis artikel ataupun bukunya. Maka dari itu, Nad pun setuju ikut rombongan Aruna dan Bono.

...karena kematian, sebagaimana kelahiran, khitanan, perkawinan, dan semua peristiwa penting lainnya yang terjadi dalam kehidupan seseorang, adalah perkara publik, dan oleh karenanya dipenuhi masalah-masalah orang lain.

"Sebuah virus tak akan pernah takluk, Farish. Ia kecil, ia sabar, ia mengganda dalam diam. Tak ada yang meghitung umurnya, tapi ia Tak pernah lupa. Suatu hari ia datang, menyerang, dan tak berdaya menangkalnya."
-- Aruna 

Aruna memang menyelipkan agenda makan-makan di kunjungan kerjanya tersebut, akan tetapi bukan berarti Aruna akan melalaikan tugas. Ia tetap menjalankan tugas dengan baik karena salah satu rekan kerjanya, Farish, juga ikut diturunkan di tugas yang sama. Di sinilah, akhirnya Aruna mempelajari banyak hal, bukan hanya tentang makanan nusantara yang begitu nikmat dan beraneka rupa, tapi juga tentang karir dan cintanya.

Buku yang bikin lapar tapi malah kentang

Sumber: pexels.com, edited by me

Saya harus mengakui bahwa Laksmi Pamuntjak merupakan penulis yang piawai mendeskripsikan makanan. Saya berkali-kali merasa lapar saat membaca deskripsi Laksmi. Yang paling saya ingat adalah ketika saya membaca deskripsi Pempek Palembang yang dimakan oleh Aruna dan kawan-kawan. Saya betul-betul merasa lapar saat itu juga.

Sebutkan tujuh hal paling dulu muncul di benak Anda ketika Anda mendengar kata "Racun".
Cemburu, fitnah, rasa percaya diri yang rendah, obesitas, pengkhianatan, paranoia, laki-laki pengecut.
Selamat! Angka sempurna!

...karena aku tahu hanya orang-orang yang mencintai yang tak meninggalkan. 

Pada dasarnya, saya merasa bahwa premis yang diajukan oleh Aruna dan Lidahnya cukup menarik. Mengambil tema besar makanan, cinta, dan juga konspirasi membuat saya penasaran lebih lanjut tentang konspirasi apa yang akan digali oleh Aruna. Sayangnya, hal itu tidak tergambarkan di novel ini.

Ketika saya akan membaca novel ini, saya tahu bahwa saya harus tahan terhadap gaya bercerita Laksmi yang cukup lambat. Hal ini sudah tergambar jelas dari bagaimana Laksmi mendeskripsikan sosok Aruna dalam satu paragraf penuh yang tak berkesudahan. Saya sampai capai membawa halaman-halaman awal novel ini.

"Di sinilah letaknya, database terbaik manusia. otak kita, memori kita."

Lalu, agaknya saya kurang mengerti ketika Aruna mendapatkan mimpi-mimpi yang tak begitu relevan dengan kehidupan nyatanya. Ada kalanya saya malah merasa terganggu dengan cuplikan-cuplikan mimpi atau pikiran Aruna di setiap awal bab.

Selain itu, yang membuat saya kurang puas dari novel ini adalah, banyak sekali aspek yang tanggung. Baik dari kisah cintanya maupun konspirasi yang disebutkan. Bagi saya, kisah cinta yang disajikan antara Aruna dan Farish betul-betul tidak mendalam. Saya tidak merasa jatuh hati pada kedua sosok ini. Bahkan, saya sampai tak mengerti mengapa mereka akhirnya memutuskan untuk bersama. Menurut saya, chemistry keduanya tak terbangun begitu apik. Untuk kisah Bono dan Nad dalam novel ini memang tidak dibahas begitu mendalam. Cukup sayang ketika kedua tokoh sentral ini malah tak mendapatkan porsi yang cukup.

Kemudian, untuk konspirasinya sendiri, saya malah ingin gigit jari. Where is the big secret that should be revealed by Aruna? Lagi-lagi, saya merasa digantung oleh Laksmi. Konspirasi yang ia ingin jabarkan malah cenderung tak begitu 'wow'. Alhasil, malah membuat saya merasa bahwa kasus Flu Unggas yang ditangani Aruna malah cuma sekadar tempelan.

"Mencintai itu nggak gampang, Nak. Karena, mencintai berarti harus siap kehilangan. Tapi lebih baik pernah mencintai daripada nggak pernah mencintai."

"Aruna, aku nggak sebajingan yang kamu kira."
-- Farish  

Kesimpulan

Kalau saya ditanya mengapa akhirnya tertarik membaca buku ini, alasannya cuma satu. Saya ingin tahu versi buku dari film Aruna dan Lidahnya yang berhasil memikat saya. Iya, film garapan Edwin dan dibintangi oleh Dian Sastrowardoyo, Oka Antara, Hannah Al Rashid, dan Nicholas Saputra itu begitu komikal dan menyenangkan. Jadi, saya berharap akan mendapatkan experience yang sama saat membaca novelnya. Sayangnya saya salah. Mungkin, ini adalah pertama kalinya saya lebih menyukai versi film dari suatu karya adaptasi.

3 bintang untuk seluruh deskripsi makanan tanpa henti dan berhasil membuat saya lapar.

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu