Champion

It's been a beautiful journey. It's been 8 months and 30 days since I finished Prodigy. 38 weeks and 6 days. 6528 hours. However, I can recall Prodigy in extreme detail, which frankly, surprises me. I remember that the first series that I ever finished was Hush, Hush. Unfortunately, the last book Finale didn't pique my interest. The romance between Patch and Nora didn't give me butterflies in my stomach. Champion is a different case.
I love Champion more than anything else. It's the BEST book that I've ever read. (I'm sorry CITY OF GLASS and CLOCKWORK PRINCESS). It's amazing how a simple, innocent touch from Day stirs my emotions. Day is the boy who walks in the light. He is the light. He's passionate, intense, and beautiful, though his love is entwined with sadness. His love is full and whole. He wears his heart on his sleeve. His gaze is intense. He is vulnerable.
I love how Champion is connected with Legend and Prodigy. Ms. Lu does a great job connecting the stories.
Champion is the epitome of perfection.

"Sometimes, the sun sets earlier. Days don’t last forever, you know. But I’ll fight as hard as I can. I can promise you that."

"There’s a voice telling me to get up. When I look to my side, I see a boy holding out his hand to me. He has bright blue eyes, dirt on his face, and a beat-up old cap on, and at this moment, I think he might be the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen.
My wandering has led me to the beginning of our journey together. I suppose it’s only fitting for me to be here at that journey’s end."
Ultimately, everything returns to the beginning. Beautiful and memorable.

There's always an ending to everything. No matter how much you love the series, it comes to an end. However, the last book usually faces criticism because it simply doesn't meet the readers' expectations. Words can't describe how much I love the series. It has a phenomenal yet bittersweet ending. The first-person narration allows the readers to understand both characters fully. 

I merely remembered that I kept crying. I see the vulnerability, sincerity, and strength in Day. I see the persistence, logic, and intelligence in June. My heart aches for the characters after the ending in Prodigy. They've gone through so much, yet they still have to face the inevitable-- war. They love each other, yet they have lots of heart-wrenching misunderstandings. I often wonder why is their road full of thorns. It is so twisted that pain excavates holes in my heart. Sometimes, I just want to slap the characters.

Grow Up

In some stages of life, people ultimately grew up. Whether it was the notion that people were no longer children, or whether it was the notion that we must bear our responsibility. I was naive before. I used to believe that I didn't have to worry about my grades since I was smart enough to finish last-minute works. I wasn't going to hide it. The truth was-- I knew that I was smart. Ever since kindergarten, I was born in the teachers' and my peers' applauds. I was known as the smart kid. The smart kid who would eventually succeed. The smart kid who would overcome any difficulties. School was my stage where I shined. I outshone. And I knew it.
However, intelligence would never balance diligence. I indulged myself. I thought that I could make it without working hard. I was wrong. I survived my sophomore year with terrific grades without working my ass off. I could read a book every single week, yet my grades were impressive. I thought I could maintain my habits. I was wrong.
I never truly understand how wrong I am-- until now. I can't read a book every single week and expect to get straight A+s. I can't watch my favorite TV shows every single night and expect that I can finish my work on time.
It's time for me to grow up.

The Fault in Our Stars Book Review

"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book." This was exactly the way I felt for The Fault in Our Stars, which was ironic since the quote was excerpted from the book itself. 

Contemporary novels usually didn't touch me as The Fault in Our Stars did since the formula for plot never changed-- a girl met a hot guy and it turned out that the guy loved the girl. They fell in love and unfortunately, they must undergo difficulties, such as breakups or family issues. Eventually, the conflict resolved and they lived happily-ever-after, such as ending with a marriage proposal. It was indeed bold for authors to have the courage to sabotage and kill their characters. I didn't usually believe that the authors would be brave enough to leave their characters dead. There was always magic to resuscitate the characters. Well, Augustus Waters was undoubtedly unique.

I love the quote 'Some infinities are bigger than other infinities." Indeed, we had limited life span. All the cancer patients weren't fighters. We usually embellished their successes and exaggerated their courage of fighting against the cancer. They might suffer so much that they were eager to die in order to reach eternal peace.

As a terminal cancer patient, Hazel Grace was a heroine who didn't want to leave her footprints in the sand of time, which surprised me. People left footprints such as bequeathing a legacy or outlasting the death. Most of the people were eager to live for something, if not, at least die for something. However, Hazel merely wanted to leave less scar in the world. She was a selfless hero. She didn't want to become a grenade, blowing up everyone's lives, so she insisted her parents to have their own lives since she fully understood that she would die, sooner or later. On the other hand, Augustus Water was amazingly humorous, intelligent, and sarcastic. (Not to mention he was gorgeous [wink, wink]) He was willing to let Hazel hijack his wish. He made Hazel's dream come true. He would never leave Caroline, his ex-girlfriend, behind, though she had a brain tumor and called his prosthesis STUMPY (she died eventually). He stoop up for his friend Isaac and allowed Isaac to vent his anger by breaking his basketball trophies. He always saved the innocent and the civilians in video games and he rather sacrificed himself than to reach the goals. He loved his choice of falling in love with Hazel. Frankly, he was the perfect boyfriend.

Besides the well-developed character, the sub-plots didn't merely reveal around the romance. It portrayed the family bond among Hazel and Augustus's families. Hazel's parents contributed everything in Hazel's cancer, though they were aware that Hazel would die. I realized that living to our fullest wasn't determined by the length of our lives. It was determined by the love we had, either from families, friends, or lovers. The book further depicted the sincere friendship between Augustus and Isaac. Augustus would drop out of school immediately to look after Isaac after he had the eye surgery. Augustus would stand up for Isaac by supporting him to egg-smash Isaac's aloof, promise-breaking ex-girlfriend. It was touching and I would love to have a friend like Augustus. He was fairly considerable and he took great care of Hazel in the beginning of the story. He confronted the despicable Peter Van Houten when this asshat tried to use the most hurtful way to exp[lain Hazel's terminal cancer. Augustus was more alive than anyone I met before (I'm sorry, it's cheesy) since he shone and burnt like a candle. He didn't become a grenade eventually since people he loved moved on, though a huge hole would always remain in their hearts.

I love Augustus and Hazel. Even though the conclusion was tragic, I learnt that people might not always regret their decisions because there are people who made our decisions worthwhile.

AP Biology

I don't understand why I'm posting this two days before my AP exam. I was once lost in AP Biology and my confidence was shattered. I think I've overcome the obstacle, though I'm not quite sure. My stomach felt hollow whenever I thought about the exam. It's an AP exam and I feel pressured. By the exam, by myself, and by the principal. I learned that “sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you”. I can't exactly respond when people ask me "If you hate AP Biology, why did you take the course?". Truth was that I didn't know my answer either. I thought I could make it since I was capable, yet the fact proved otherwise. I was ashamed that my peers believe that I can score a 5 easily. Truth was that I lacked confidence. The AP Biology exam was revised and yes--- unfortunately-- I felt like a guinea pig. A guinea pig in the lab. Sometimes you just don't have choices but to keep going on. You can't turn your head back because it's your decision. You may not enjoy the process, but you'll enjoy the outcome if you work hard. You have to focus and have confidence in yourself. 

“I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” 

I will be strong. I will smile. I will live my life to the fullest. I will create my own story. I will embrace my bright future. Yes, I can. I will succeed and ace the exam.

Let it Go

I think I'll hate him. My mind drifts, yet my memories roll like a wave toward me. Do you know that I keep remembering you? Even though I didn't want to remember him, his face emerges and diverts my attention. I wonder what will happen if he's a student in our school. I wonder what will happen if he instantly appears on the hallway and I might become stunned and stare at him agape. My daily life might change. I'm almost absolutely sure that he'll become my friend and we will chat for hours. He'll understand me and support me whenever I face difficulties. However, I should let it go right now as my imagination is impractical and hopeless. I shouldn't look forward to an impossible dream. I should be focusing on my work. I can't help but imagine the what-ifs. The letter, hiding deep in my drawer...... I didn't throw it away. I still preserve and keep it since it's a secret. He wrote it, and I never forget it. It's hard to let go, but I just have to try. For now, I'm sincerely happy that he's successful as usual. He indeed has a bright future. We become parallel lines, and don't converge anymore. Who knows? Someday, he might appear on the hallway and wave his hand enthusiastically at me.

A Real-Life Love Story

I just read the most adorable romance I've EVER known in real life. Like seriously. She's a Taiwanese girl. He's a German boy. They met through msn. Though they come from different countries, they fall in love with each other. No matter how far away, the boy flied to Taiwan. (OMG! Seriously? The Internet is usually full of scandal and trickery) He met the girl and stayed with her. He got jealous of another boy (YOU'RE ADORABLE) and he became reckless. He was so obstinate and stubborn that he decided to leave immediately. The girl cried and screamed and told him that she didn't cheat on him. Although she explained for 2 hours, the boy didn't believe her. Eventually, the girl relented and gave up. She thanked him for coming to Taiwan from Germany and blessed him to become successful after he left her. She hugged him and said "I love you very, very much" and thanked him for loving her back. And he cried. He asked again whether she tricked him or not. She said that she didn't cheat on him. She willed him to believe her. He cried like a baby and asked her not to leave him. Their love became more steadfast :DD

The boy's name is Daniel Schweikert and the girl's name is Meng Ping. Go search their wonderful love story :)

Moments

There are moments in your life when you just want to feel and touch and go back to your previous life. To meet your childhood friends. And there are moments when you realize that you're not exactly happy and you don't want to pretend anymore. There's no point of faking personalities in order to be friends. There's no point of being friends if we don't have the same ideals and common goals. I should have believed in my intuition and judged the situation accurately. I should have been observant and won lifelong friends. I feel like talking and laughing with my friend. He always makes me laugh and understands me. Not after we graduate though. I realize that I miss him so much that I start to play the game. Of course I miss the blissful innocence of the game too. In the game, I visit his house and surprisingly realize that the house of my address is still on his placard. It has been almost 4 years. 4 years ago, we chatted in the game and he sent me gifts to decorate my house. And I could never forget the caption. 3 years ago, we met in a friend's house. 2 years ago, none of us dares to acknowledge each other's presence on social network. I sincerely hope that he can reappear in my life and chat with me again.

Dream

I love to read. I'm dreamy yet practical. I wonder whether I read books because I want to live in a fairyland. Become Cinderella. I should have known that life isn't a fairy tale. The romance is always oh-so-lovely and the guys are swoon-worthy. In the real world, there's no perfect romance. The lovers must undergo the difficulties and overcome the obstacles. I covet the romance in the fictional world. I wonder how and why do guys fall in love with particular girls. Is it coincidence? Or is it destiny? Or is it merely a mirage created by the author? I have no idea and I don't want to discover the truth. I'm too sensitive to understand the truth. I still want to be the dreamy girl who is optimistic and happy-go-lucky. I don't want to grow up. I want to live in my own beautiful and safe bubble. If love is destined to destroyed, then why do I have to experience the pain? My mind is calm as the still water and I hope that it can always trickle, instead of surging like a wave.

Prodigy

He is beauty, inside and out.
He is the silver lining in a world of darkness.
He is my light.
       -June Iparis

Sobbing uncontrollably, shouting nonsense, and screaming at the characters. Yes, that was my instant reaction after I finished Prodigy. As a good student LOL, I barely swear. However, I swore f*** right after I finished the book. How can Marie Lu torture her readers with a bloody cliffhanger? My heart was broken, torn apart, bleeding like hell.


I don't think that I'm capable of expressing my emotions better than the following review. And I don't feel that I can write a coherent book review without venting my depression and sorrow. Thus, I'll provide a review which absolutely portrays my angst. D:

"Prodigy, though, in a word, is lost. So many sacrifices, so many fears, so many character developments, so many plot twists, so much genius that even a hundred Hershey's bars wouldn't stack up in comparison. This book was not a rollercoaster: it was a freaking cannonball. You don't even get the time to prepare with the proper goggles before Marie pushes you into the waters from a height beyond Shangri-la. Then the words wrap around you like air currents and slam you down into the water with a splash that hurt more than a hundred million bombs setting on fire."

Truth

Since when, I've lost all my interest in biology........ I've forgotten. The desire to major in bio-engineering had vanished when time elapsed.

“You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred thousand arms, but I will find a way to resist. And there are many of us out there, more than you think. People who refuse to stop believing. People who refuse to come to earth. People who love in a world without walls, people who love into hate, into refusal, against hope, and without fear."

I do believe in the quote. Or I did. However, when I tried to grab biology as tightly as I could, it was unraveling, an insubstantial thread sliding between my fingers, too fine to hold. My interests were lost in a wave of nausea. In the meanwhile, the world just goes on the same as always, night cycling into day and back into night, an endless circle; seasons shifting and reforming like a monster shaking off its skin and growing it again. I was no longer the ignorant girl who believes in herself. I grew. I changed. I didn't believe that I could soar into the sky or fly above the icy walls. There was an invisible gap between me and biology. And I didn't dare to cross the gap. Or I didn't want to cross the gap. There laid biology, in the wind, the tempest, the storm, and the rain. There was nothing that I could do, but let go. 

Jace Lightwood

Arrogant yet gorgeous. Beautiful yet broken. Strong yet vulnerable. Sarcastic yet honest. Agile yet thoughtful. Indifferent yet protective. This is Jace Lightwood. It's indeed amazing that Ms. Clare enriched her characters with layers of personalities. He was the best Shadowhunter, adroit, thoughtful, and calculated. He was strong enough to fight against Greater Demons, vicious villains, and lying psychopaths. His pretended arrogance and plastered smile wrapped him like a warm blanket. However, the blanket was unfolded by Clary. She saw his vulnerability. His beauty. His scars. Everything. He was so beautiful that he was easily broken by the world. I felt their love. His eyes lit up whenever he saw Clary. His heart thudded and fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. He stared at her intensely. He was so beautiful that she worried that he was unreal. Too perfect to be true. The characters simply imprinted in my mind. They were wonderful and unique. They stood out as individuals and as a whole as a book. Jace was gorgeous and he knew it. He understood that he was attractive enough for girls to stare at him. He had always wanted a girl, got to know her, and then lost his interest in her. However, it was different for Clary. The more he knew her, the more he wanted to stay with her. I almost couldn't accept that they were siblings, star-crossed lovers. I would burn the book, like seriously, if they were siblings. Jace was a complex character. He was beautiful yet vulnerable, which made the readers empathize him, especially his miserable childhood with the psychopath villain, Valentine. I loved Jace so much that I didn't think I could fall in love with anyone else in the real world. I was enchanted in the creative, wonderful fictional world perpetually.

Alice in Zombieland

    Alice in Zombieland embodied an original concept which blew people's minds. The plot was fast-paced, though it didn't have amazing twists as Divergent and Hush, Hush. The protagonist, Alice Bell, was funny, witty, stubborn, and vengeful (haha You'll understand the book if you read it) Ali had white-blond hair and huge baby blue eyes. Ali firmly protected people she loved and demonstrated fortitude and tenacity during zombie fights. Though she lost her family due to zombies, instead of fearing the zombies, she developed animosity against the zombies and vowed to destroy the evil spirits. The male protagonist, Cole Holland, had jet-black hair and gorgeous violet eyes. (Hair so black that looks like electric blue) He embodied alpha male character  (unlike Jack Deveaux from Poison Princess), yet he was protective of Ali. He deeply believed in Ali's strength and trained her to become a tough zombie fighter. He cared about his friends more than himself and he was the leader among the zombie slayers. The friendship between Cole and his friends was steadfast, which reminded me of that in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Such bonding is precious and unique compared to the mainstream YA novels which simply focus on romance. The brotherhood touched my heartstring deeply. Furthermore, the character development is amazing since most of the characters were likable. I missed Emma and believed that the author should publish books from her POV. Of course, I will be extremely excited to read Cole's POV. However, I was quite disappointed with the battles since I predicted that they should be more magnificent, meaning perilous. I truly hope that Ms. Showalter can explain the details of Anima Industry in Through the Zombie Glass. Overall, Showalter gave a whole-new idea about zombies and her writing flew fluently.

Obsidian

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.” ><
No more explanation. That's enough to explain my excitement.