Book Review: Para sa Hopeless Romantic by Marcelo Santos III

Title: Para sa Hopeless Romantic 
Author: Marcelo Santos III
Publisher: Lifebooks
Source: Borrowed from KD
Format: Paperback, 148 pages

Lahat ng tao ay may kanya-kanyang love story. Mga kwentong tayo mismo ang nagmimistulang manunulat.

Mga sariling lovelife na nais nating magkaroon ng happy ending.

Ang unang nobelang ito ni Marcelo Santos III ay tungkol sa limang taong nakikipagsapalaran sa mundo ng pag-ibig -- isang umaasang babalikan, isang naghahangad na mahalin, isang natatakot umibig muli, isang nagsusumikap na makalimot at isang nag-aasam ng maligayang pag-iibigan.

Ang nobelang para sa mga taong iniwan at ipinagpalit, para sa mga taong naging panakip butas, para sa mga nangangarap na mahalin, para sa umaasang babalikan, para sa naghahangad ng happy ending at para sa mga Hopeless Romantic.

Don't judge. I'm a Marcelo Santos virgin.

I think the storyline is quite okay. I just kind of hate it sometimes, because you can feel that the author is kind of trying to be funny, whilst attempting to state something profound. Channeling Bob Ong, eh? Hmmm. Meh. At some point, I think the author is actually aiming for a Ricky Lee. I just don't know. Maybe, it's just me.

I won't say I didn't like it, over all, I think, Marcelo captures the heart of his audience and his stories are really targeted to his readers and this novel is his answer to the 'strike while the iron is hot' cliche. My very close friend Boado would like this, love this book even. I just know it. Unfortunately and sadly, I don't belong to the teenage circle clamoring for this kind of storytelling anymore, let's just say, I already grew up and matured. (Caveat, this doesn't mean, I'm calling Marcelo's fans young and immature.) For an instance, I don't use very cute and colloquial student terms like: nakacivilian andmagvandal anymore.

P.S.

Here are some lines that sort of ticked me off:

"Hindi ako nanonood ng telenovela, yung nanay ko at mga kapatid ko yun. No choice lang ako."

-- Really now, Marcelo, really now, why'd you have to quip such thing? I have nothing against people not watching telenovelas, albeit, I think it's kind of strange and poseurish not to watch even one, I actually am acquainted with someone who doesn't really pay much attention to these things, it's just that... hmm, how can I put this? Okay, let's be honest, this line is kind of pretentious, there, I said it.

"Hindi mo deserve ang tulad ko."

-- Okay lang ang Taglish, I actually like Taglish. But, the truth is... ang FAIL lang nito.


"Nakamoved on"

"Napublished"

"Mas better"


-- I'm not a grammar nazi (I'm no expert, hey), but I think this is grammatically incorrect. Grammarians, where art thou?


At ang daming typos. Grr. Joke lang, di ako galit. :D

Rating: ★★★☆☆