Review Singkat 12 ARC yang Aku Dapat (Januari – Maret 2023)

Hai! Aku kembali lagi dengan review singkat beberapa ARC (advance reader copy) yang aku dapat selama bulan Januari hingga Maret 2023. Tiga bulan pertama tahun 2023 ini aku mendapat sekitar 12 ARC dari berbagai genre yang semuanya adalah buku-buku berbahasa Inggris dalam format e-book. Beberapa dari ARC yang aku dapat dirilis di akhir 2022, di tahun 2023, maupun dicetak ulang akhir tahun ini. Rating yang aku berikan juga cukup beragam, karena meskipun aku mendapatkan kedua belas e-book tersebut secara gratis, tapi aku harus menulis review jujur aku untuk setiap bukunya. Beberapa reviewnya sudah aku post di Goodreads, Storygraph, blog, twitter maupun di instagram.

1. Alice the Cat by Tim Cummings

Release date : May 23, 2023

Aku mendapat ARC ini di akhir Desember 2022 dan baru aku selesaikan di awal Januari 2023. Buku ini berlabel middle grade bergenre magical realism yang aku kira adalah buku tentang kucing bernama Alice. Ternyata tokoh utamanya adalah manusia yang sedang mengalami masa sulit dan dia memendam kemarahan dan dendam terhadap orang-orang di sekitarnya atas segala kesedihan yang dia rasakan.

My review on Goodreads :

Alice the Cat is a challenging read for me even though it's labelled as middle grade. The main character experienced grief and anger which were showed through her words and actions. The magical realism element is okay, but I found it insufficient to provide me the convincing backstory and motives especially for the ghost. Some characters need more exploration like Eddie, I'm curious about what really happened to him, and Alice the Cat herself, even though she is the title of this book, I didn't get her part enough so it feels like she's so faraway from me as a reader.

I love how it ended, the closure for Tess and her dad, the therapy, the support she needed, and also the new friends she made there (and of course the issue she mentioned earlier in this book).

Rating : 2.75 / 5

2. The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego, Joe Whit

Release date : April 4, 2023

Buku selanjutnya adalah graphic novel yang singkat bergenre fantasi mengenai manusia dan sprites yang berkaitan dengan kebun. Aku suka banget graphic novel ini mulai dari pemilihan warna, pesan yang disampaikan hingga art stylenya.

My review on Goodreads :

I love this graphic novel. A simple story about asking a help and working together. I love the art style, the color palette, and how short the story yet it deliver the authors' message beautifully. The sprites appeared in different appearances and I love how diverse their skin color and body size are. I cried as a reader when I saw the characters' happy face and the beauty of flowers blooming and plants growing. A strong graphic novel debut and I want to read more from them. I recommend this graphic novel for everyone who wants to read a lighthearted, quick, beautiful and happy story about plants, human and sprites.

Rating : 5 / 5

3. Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao

Release date : February 2, 2023

Buku selanjutnya adalah YA fantasy yang terinspirasi dari chinese mythology yang menggunakan multiple POVs di sepanjang bukunya. Aku sudah membuat satu blog post untuk mereview buku ini, silakan membaca review lengkapnya di sana.

My review on Goodreads :

It's a perfect book for Daughter of the Moon Goddess fans and those who love reading books inspired by Chinese mythology. Song of Silver, Flame like Night is YA fantasy (and a little bit romance) book which absorbs every reader to its world and holds their attention until the very last words. Told in multiple POVs, mainly our main characters Lan and Zen, the author gives them balanced portion of pages to tell their stories with distinctive voices. You can easily know which one is Lan's and Zen's since the two spoke differently. It's a book which is a little bit difficult to follow at first since it used new terms and it gets easier as we get deeper into the book. Some explanations were longer than the others especially about the magic system and world building related ones, yet since it's given to the right character to 'explain', it's an okay for me. For the romance part, as a reader who prefer less romance part in a fantasy book, this book has the right amount of romance I need in a book even though it needs a little bit pages to show the chemistry between Lan and Zen. I love how Book 1 ended especially the last chapter and epilogue which showed the readers what to expect within the next book.

Rating : 4 / 5

4. The Painter’s Butterfly by Rebecca Weber

Release date : February 7, 2023

Buku selanjutnya adalah middle grade magical realism juga yang merupakan buku dengan ilustrasi berbeda di awal tiap babnya. Buku ini cukup asik untuk dibaca namun bagian yang misterius di blurb tidak bisa aku temukan di bukunya, sehingga aku agak kecewa juga karena tidak se-misterius itu. Bagian surat juga menurut aku kepanjangan dan sepertinya kalau dihilangkan beberapa juga tidak akan berpengaruh. Tapi bagaimana masalah diselesaikan dan reaksi karakter yang tidak mendramatisir situasi menurutku adalah poin plus dari buku ini.

My review on Goodreads :

It's a light and medium paced read which is perfect for someone who wants to chill and enjoy a book slowly. I love how this book described the nature and setting in this book as well as the characters' feelings. The idea of creating a magical painting is cool, however it wasn't as intriguing as the blurb when it came to the mystery part of this book. I love how the main character associated things in her life to art especially drawing and painting. The friendship she made with humans and animals is something I want to read in every book.

Rating : 3 / 5

5. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Release date : May 16, 2023

Buku selanjutnya adalah buku terbaru dari R. F. Kuang yang merupakan adult literary fiction yang bercerita seputar dunia penerbitan dan penulisan di mana seperti buku-buku R. F. Kuang sebelumnya, banyak sekali informasi dan pesan yang disampaikan oleh penulis melalui buku yang satu ini mulai dari hal-hal yang sudah sering kita lihat di dunia maya terutama opini pengguna twitter hingga isu-isu sensitif seputar ras, keragaman, apropriasi budaya dan komunitas yang terpinggirkan. Hal yang paling aku suka dari Yellowface adalah bagaimana penulis membangun situasi menegangkan dan membuat karakter utama yang sama sekali tidak sempurna (bahkan mungkin menyebalkan) bisa dengan cerdas menjelaskan kisah hidup dan perjalanannya yang (surprisingly) memiliki relatabilitas dengan pembaca, meski bukan sama-sama penulis.

My review on Goodreads :

I always adore R.F. Kuang's writing since it grabs my attention from the start until the end and it keeps me awake. This book doesn't have loveable characters yet I wanted to know what happened to them and just enjoy the words she crafted to be presented here.

Yellowface spoke the reality especially what happens online when there's a hot controversial news nobody knows the truth yet. This book is here to remind you that nobody is 100% saint nor 100% devil, there's always complicated stories and behaviors everyone bears. There's always the "side effect" of every decision we make as an individual or collective. When we have decided this A is the best for the majority of us, there'll be some people feeling left out. The story in this book about writing and publishing world told from a perspective of June/Juniper touches many sensitive topics. The way it's told is putting the readers above the story to witness what will unfold next. However one part of this book sent a chill up my spine as if I was there with the main character.

Rating : 4.25 / 5

6. This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang

Release date : February 7, 2023

Buku terbaru dari Ann Liang yang dirilis awal tahun ini masih berkisah seputar romance anak sekolah yang tentu saja selalu menarik, manis, dan hal-hal mengenai Asian people yang dibahas selalu bisa relate dengan aku. Jika sebelumnya aku suka banget If You Could See the Sun, maka This Time It’s Real ini adalah bacaan yang lebih ringan dan lebih berfokus pada fake dating trope. Karena aku bacanya setelah Yellowface, ada bagian dari buku ini yang merupakan versi super mild dari Yellowface terutama yang berkaitan dengan penulis dan media sosial.

My review on Goodreads :

This Time It's Real is a quick, light and fun read to begin your reading year or month. I love Ann Liang's to the point and charming writing style that grabs the readers' attention from the very beginning until the end. Her book always focuses on the characters' flaws and problems and brings them to the surface for them to deal with. No unnecessary conflict nor drama. Also it deeply relates when social theme is also used here such as honesty and appreciation. It's not only rom-com book, but also a book about friendship and helping each other as humans.

Rating : 3.75 / 5

7. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Release date : January 19, 2023

Buku ini adalah adult cozy fantasy yang tokoh utamanya adalah seorang profesor Cambridge. Settingnya tahun 1600-1700-an di sebuah tempat fiksi di Norwegia. Menurut aku buku ini cukup sulit diikuti terutama bahasa Inggrisnya yang sangat formal dan menyesuaikan settingnya di jaman dahulu. Isinya adalah jurnal Emily Wilde selama dia melakukan penelitian (dan sedikit entry dari rekan kerjanya). Bukunya tidak bisa dibaca kalau kamu adalah pembaca yang ingin buru-buru mencapai konflik dan menyelesaikan masalah di buku, karena buku ini super slow dan memang cocoknya dibaca dengan santai.

My review on Goodreads :

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a journal collection of Emily Wilde, a Cambridge professor when she visited Ljosland, Norway for her upcoming book research (there will be a couple of Wendell's (her colleague) entries in this journal.

I'm astonished how detailed this book describes the nature, the Folk they encountered, and how various the folklore's Emily's attached in her journal. I appreciate how author came up with the Ljosland foods which resulted nothing on Google (so, I assume they're fictional foods) and a bunch of references Emily mentioned in her journal related to the Folk study.

I love Emily's interactions with Wendell and Ljoslanders which are wholesome and sweet.

I recommend this book for everyone who wants to read a slow, cozy, wintery but has academic voice along its pages.

Rating : 3.5 / 5

8. It Happened On Saturday by Sidney Dunlap

Release date : February 21, 2023

Buku selanjutnya adalah buku middle grade lagi yang lebih ke realistic fiction yang bertema human trafficking. Aku sudah membuat review singkat di instagram untuk ARC yang satu ini, dan yang aku suka adalah bagaimana penulis juga menunjukkan kejadian setelah tokoh utama mengalami hal traumatis dan bagaimana peran orang-orang di sekitarnya dalam proses penyembuhannya.

My review on Goodreads :

This is the first middle grade book I read which talks about human trafficking. It's an important topic to discuss and to deliver especially for middle grade readers. I love how Sidney Dunlap showed how Julia's situation in the first part of this book with her upcoming 8th grade classes, friendship changes, family situation and her love for horses, which made her feeling a little bit missing out and lonely.

This book is not only for middle grade readers but also for everyone including parents. What children can't find in their house, could drive them to pursue it outside, even from strangers they meet online. Not many books tell the story after the "event" and show how the main character experiences their life after that. This book shows the trauma Julia experienced and how she learned to deal with it, slowly. I love the support group, the barn, and her dad's roles in Julia's healing process, and how everything slowly gets better with Julia finally decided something.

My other favorite part is the interview with the author, where Sidney Dunlap provides the readers some advices and facts about human trafficking. Definitely a must-read book for everyone!

Rating : 3.5 / 5

9. Shanghai Immortal by A. Y. Chao

Release date : June 1, 2023

Buku selanjutnya berlabel adult fantasy yang juga terinspirasi oleh chinese mythology. Menurut aku buku ini lebih ke arah cozy fantasy karena petualangannya tidak se-adventurous buku-buku lainnya, karena buku banyak acara jalan-jalan keliling Shanghai dan makan-makan. Meskipun bagian endingnya bukan bagian favoritku karena kayak ending sinetron, tapi aspek persahabatan dan kekeluargaan yang dibangun di sepanjang ceritanya menurut aku menarik.

My review on Goodreads :

Shanghai Immortal is the first book I read which features a half-fox spirit half-vampire as a main character who was under the protection of King of the Hell. This book takes place in 1920-1930 Shanghai, so the words and conversations used in this book are a little bit difficult for me to digest. However the way A.Y. Chao delivers the story gives off the cozy vibes (yes, you'll have some sightseeing in Shanghai, staying at a hotel, xiao long bao, macarons and sunset in this book).

I love the world building! It's cool, two different types of Shanghai in 1920-1930s, even though the blurb can make you expect a more adventurous and complex story from this book (so yeah, read the blurb, but don't expect the high fantasy adventures and plots)

As for characters, I love Big Wang, Lord Ma and Lord Nioh, from the very beginning of this book and I need another book about them only. However the romance aspect needs a few more parts to show the relationship and chemistry between the two characters. The ending has more characters summoned into one chapter which can be assuring and crowded at the same time.

This book is perfect for you who want to read a book inspired by Chinese mythology, infused by family, friendship, a little bit romance and identity themes, but in a lighter way.

Rating : 3.5 / 5

10. Festival of Shadows : A Japanese Ghost Story by Atelier Sento

Release date : April 4, 2023

Aku suka banget sama color palette yang dipakai oleh graphic novel ini. Selain itu aku juga suka denah rumah dan detail isi rumah yang ditampilkan hingga ada rekomendasi buku juga. jangan lupa membaca label graphic novel ini yang termasuk YA, karena art stylenya berasa buku untuk middle grade (ada sexual content dan suicide attempts juga, jadi jangan lupa mengecek trigger warning)

My review on Goodreads :

Festival of Shadows : A Japanese Ghost Story is a graphic novel about Naoko, like any other villagers around her, was assigned to help a Shadow to deal with their death. This graphic novel set in Japan village area and Tokyo which showed the contrasts beautifully. I love the art style and the colors used in this book. The story itself is told in a lighter and heartwarming way even though it has heavier topic around death and trauma. I love the Japanese cultural aspect, how they held the festivals and how the main character came into understanding.

Rating : 3.75 / 5

11. The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

Release date : May 9, 2023

Buku ini termasuk adult science fiction dengan dual POV yang menurut aku super panjang dan karena 80% bukunya isinya adalah hal-hal yang tidak berkaitan sama sekali antara kedua tokoh utamanya, jadi aku merasa bosan juga hingga kena reading slump. Banyak adegan berdarah-darah dan banyak deskripsi yang menurut aku sulit dipahami terutama dari POV satu karakter.  Kalau bisa bertahan hingga akhir, kamu bakal tahu kenapa buku ini judulnya The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.  World building menarik, makhluk ‘aneh’ yang dimunculkan juga unik, dan library di dalam buku ini adalah bangunan misterius yang memegang kunci atas semua hal yang sudah terjadi ratusan tahun di wilayah ini.

My review on Goodreads :

The Book That Wouldn't Burn is a long journey about 2 main characters who were entangled with each other through time. It's a little bit difficult book for me to follow at first, especially Evar's point of view. Livira's point of view can be easily understood and followed, it felt like we're learning together. As the story went, the revelations and understanding will be provided. The 2/3 part of the book might feel slower and nothing happens, but the last 180-ish pages everything really happens there which includes everyone mentioned in the very first chapters of this book. By the end of the book, readers will know why this book is titled The Book That Wouldn't Burn.

Rating : 3.5 / 5

12. Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

Release date : September 2023

Buku terakhir yang aku dapat ini sudah aku buatkan satu blog post khusus sebelumnya di mana tahun lalu aku sudah baca terjemahan bahasa Indonesianya. Aku belum sempat membuat review di Goodreads, jadi selengkapnya kalian bisa membaca Lonely Castle in the Mirror vs Kastel Terpencil di Dalam Cermin dan juga review Kastel Terpencil di Dalam Cermin yang sudah tayang di blog ini.

Nah itu tadi kedua belas ARC yang aku dapat selama tiga bulan pertama tahun 2023 ini. Adakah yang sudah membaca salah satunya? Kasih tahu di kolom komentar!