[Book Review] : The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Start - Finish Read : August 4th - August 10th, 2018

Bought From : Buku Kita (Online)

Date : July 18th, 2018

Price : IDR 71.400

My Summary :

Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo's stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo's desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

*Source : From Goodreads

My Letter :

Dear Fellow Readers,

So I was in the mood for some suspense thriller and I decided to pick this up. A psychological thriller by Ruth Ware with an unreliable narrator. I read The Woman In Cabin 10 in Indonesia translation. Well, it's not the best and annoyed me a little bit but I survived.

It is irrefutably such a cozy and light suspense thriller if you want some easy and yet surprising read. At the beginning, we have this troubled protagonist who just so messed up. With things that has happened to her, her alcoholism and her paranoia. Luckily, my interest get picked as she delved some clues on her investigation when nobody trust her. And as people around her gave some unnerving thoughts, nevertheless its developing her character. The atmosphere of the story gave me claustrophobic and also I find her paranoia is annoying. It is just too much for me.

Dear Ruth Ware,
I like how you slowly unravel about Lo's personal story and I can understand why she is like that, but unfortunately I still can't engage with her. At some point, I was hoping that you will let Lo to doubt herself a little bit longer, but hey, no further complaints. I understand that it's meant to be a fast-paced story. Though I was expecting more for the ending. Towards the end, I feel like you were in a rush to wrap the story up.

On the other hand, I'd like to give you a pat on the back for succeeded in misleading me. Just right when I suspect something, instead the other thing happened. Your storytelling style is simple yet effective to pick my interest. And as the plot thicken, I started to enjoy the book more.

At the end, I am sorry to say but it's not a kind of read that really got me on the edge of my seat but I gotta admit it that you caught me off guard.

♥

Mima

[Book Review] : Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Start - Finish Read : July 31st - August 2nd, 2018

Bought From : Buku Kita (Online)

Date : July 18th, 2018

Price : IDR 63.580

My Summary :

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstances to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people--adults and children alike--aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

*Source : From Goodreads

My Letter:

Dear Fellow Readers,

Again, one of reasons why I wanted to pick this book is because of Bookstagram. It was almost everywhere for a while but I don't know why I didn't pick it up. But then I found out that Elex Media translated to Bahasa Indonesia and I thought 'why not?' so, here I am.

Historical fiction is one of genre that I enjoy occasionally and I didn't expect that I would feel what I feel right now after finish the book. I started this book with no expectation, to be fair, I just know from many of those who have read Salt to the Sea that it's gonna be an emotional read. I consider myself as a stone-heart reader, though I didn't cry but I was broken hearted. It didn't take me a long time to get into it and I might won't be able to put it down. But life  (aka my kids) gotten in the way and I had to.

The vibes in Salt to the Sea is shrouded in misery, it was just so tense and full of terror that anything could happen and when it did, it happened so fast. I feel exhausted because it was just one tragedy after another tragedy.

The story has been told in 4 different POVs of the 4 main characters. I think the most interesting part from Salt to the Sea is the characters's background story. Ruta Sepetys manages to bring the side characters become so loveable and makes it hard to say goodbye to. Jump from one POV to another POV also makes it such a fast pace reads.

Anyway, I can't really say much about the writing because I didn't read it in its original language. But the plot is beautifully constructed. Unfortunately when the story reach its climax, it came so fast and so short but however it was still wrecked me.

Dear Ruta Sepetys,

I'm so glad that you expand upon the characters's story (either main and side characters). And as you unravels the layers of the characters, I got engage with them and I flew through it. I was hoping there will be more of romance of certain characters and I found it hard to get into Alfred's character. You also have created number of scenes that I will think about long after finishing the book. Sadly, I feel the ending so abrupt and didn't execute gracefully. But thank you for wrote this book. You explored the details of the war in really thought-provoking ways. There was just so much of the WW II that I never heard of until I read this. And I googled them to find out more and I was like, "why did I never hear about this?" So yeah, your book really inspired me and make me feel so grateful to be where I am now.

♥

Mima