[Book Review] Penunggu Puncak Ancala

Penunggu Puncak Ancala by Acen Trisusanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Opening: This book is not really recommended for you who just want to start adventure as hiker, unless you are brave enough. Seriously, the horror stories in this anthology are scaryyy, especially the illustrations!! ><

From all stories, the most I like is the 'Pendaki Gelap' one and the story about 'Ary Hartanto from Surabaya'. Imagine how can you hike a mountain with someone that actually isn't from 'our world'. Especially Ary Hartanto, where the author talked to him, discuss things with him, then when reached the peak author finally knows that the one that he hiked the mount with apparently isn't a 'live' person. What the...?!

Overall I really like all stories in this book. If I had to choose the least I like, maybe I would say the story with third-person-view. Because in the book talkshow before all author said that these are their own experience, so telling it in third-person-view is really makes the 'own-experience' feeling fades.

But overall I really like this anthology. :D

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[Book Review] The Minds of Billy Milligan (24 Wajah Billy - Indonesian edition)

24 Wajah Billy : Dua Puluh Empat Orang Hidup dalam Diri Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For the first time after been so long not reading a thick book, I can finish this one in only less than a week. The first night I got this novel, I didn't sleep at all. My eyes were so sleepy, yet Billy's personalities journey for seven years kept me up.

So, what's the good in this book? I don't know myself, though. Based on true story. The first part of the novel tells of Billy Milligan who being caught due to allegations of rape by three female students from Ohio State University. When visited by police at his apartment and questioned, Billy confessed that his name is not Billy. The police certainly do not believe and finally brought Milligan to jail. It was determined that Billy's personality, style of speech, accent, and his behavior always changing from time to time. Sometimes he spoke fluent English with an accent and haughty attitude, then seconds later turned into Serbo-Croatian accent with a defensive stance like a fighter, and then changed again into an anti-social person who hate others. When finally he was treated by a psychiatrist, only then William Stanley Milligan was diagnosed with multiple personalities. And it turns out, there are twenty-four different personalities, who live in Milligan's body.

Twenty-four!! Can you imagine?! o.O

These twenty four personalities were in turn controlled Billy's body, taking his consciousness, while the core personality kept asleep for seven years. This book presents the life experience of Billy Milligan during controlled by the twenty-four personalities that full of horrible stories.

To be honest I rarely read a psychological novel based on true stories like this. My sister, who was a psychologist university student, recommend it to me because she knew I was working on a project of novel writing with the theme of split personality. I initially thought I would not finish it, look at the thickness of this novel. But it was only in less than a week I have finished. Daniel Keyes has presented the facts in a very flowing style of storytelling and firm, with no eliminating the reports, hospital diagnosis, letters, and interviews from around the Billy relatives who can help this novel. Everything was presented very neatly. Very interesting, very thrilling, and deserves five-star rating from me. ^ ^

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[Review Buku] Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai 1

俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない 1 [Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai] by Tsukasa Fushimi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got the English translated e-book from Baka-Tsuki.org

Opening: If some of you think that this is a novel about sibling's love aka incest, means you don't really read it. This novel, instead, will remind you to your sibling(s) if you guys might have cold relationship at home. This novel will remind you that no matter what, even until die, he/she is and will always be your sibling.

Cerita dimulai oleh tokoh Aku yang diperankan oleh seorang kakak laki-laki yang kehidupan, wajah, prestasinya sangat normal yang bernama Kyousuke Kosaka. He always said 'Viva normal life'.

Kyou punya adik perempuan who has good looks, excels on schoolwork, being a model, sport prodigy, bernama Kirino Kosaka.

Keduanya, walaupun tinggal dalam satu rumah, tapi ga pernah tegur sapa alias having a cold relationship.

Konflik di volume 1 ini adalah bagaimana ketika Kyou mengetahui kalau Kirino mempunyai hobi yang aneh, yaitu mengoleksi 'Stardust Witch Meruru', sebuah karakter anime yang menekankan pada loving your little sister. Game ini adalah visual novel, dan ada beberapa yang versi 18+ alias erotic game. Setelah membeberkan hobi rahasianya itu pada kakaknya, Kirino pun meminta life counseling pada Kyousuke setelahnya. Cerita berakhir di chapter ketika hobi rahasia Kirino ketahuan oleh keluarganya dan ditentang habis-habisan oleh ayahnya. Di sini, Kyou pun membela Kirino dan hobi adiknya yang aneh itu.

*****