Book Review: Girl Meets World by Claire Betita de Guzman

Girl Meets World by Claire Betita de Guzman
Publisher: Summit Books
Number of Pages: 143
My Copy: Paperback

From the author of No Boyfriend Since Birth comes another modern-day romance that’s sure to tickle your funny bone—and touch your heart. Mia Tupas is your typical shy girl daunted by the idea of talking to strangers and content with a humdrum routine of shuttling between work and home. But right after a fortuneteller spies a man in her future, Mia meets Leo, and the two hit it off immediately. There’s just one problem: Leo lives in Bangkok, and Mia balks at the mere thought of getting on a plane—she’s never even been around the country!

Still, the possibility of romance is tantalizing, and Mia manages to keep in touch with Leo through e-mail. But when she finally works up the courage to fly to Bangkok and find out where she stands, she discovers that Leo has left for Bali on the very same day.

Will Mia get her much-awaited chance at love? Join her on this entertaining, cross-country quest through Bangkok, Bali, and Vietnam for the man who just might be The One.

I highly recommend this book to all guys out there, yes, this will definitely boost your ego. Here's this conservative homebody so eager to travel across Asia Pacific just to get to a guy, a guy whom she just met once. 

Yes people, we Filipinas are THIS desperate in finding our True Love... NOT!

What happened to women empowerment, Ms. Author?

I thought this book is all about girl power. After reading some chapters, I told myself... Ahh, finally, a girl protagonist who doesn't declare that she graduated from Ateneo, that she drives her own car and have the luxury to spend, spend, spend. Finally, a very typical Filipina. But why did she have to be... so jologs and kiri-kiri? 

And... to make it worse, none of the 'coincidence' seemed real to me. She kept on seeing acquaintances in this trip, how lucky can one get (free ticket, free hotel, free villa etc.)? No one told me that this is a fantasy book.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Book Review: The Breakup Diaries by Maya O. Calica

The Breakup Diaries by Maya O. Calica
Publisher: Summit
Copy: Paperback (First Edition)

The Anatomy of a Breakup...

Twenty-three-year-old self-proclaimed nice Girl Monica Tanseco is finding out the hard way that in order to survive a breakup, you have to grow up - fast. Sure, breaking up is hard to do, but who knew it involved:

- Denial, followed by desperate bid to get back together involving promises to do everything to make him happy

- Sever loss of sleep, appetite and self-esteem

- Acute paralysis - or maybe death - of good judgment

- Compulsive tendencies to document every event, feeling and fantasy in a manner of reporter trying to make sense of things

- More compulsive tendencies to over-examine relationship carcass and over-analyze cause of death as couple

- Getting a life

When her perfect boyfriend - college hoop star certified hottie and young hotshot eagle Itos Ongpauco - decided to call it quits, Monica, barista by day and dreamer by night, found herseld stepping out from behind the coffee counter and out of her comfort zone - into the mad world of magazine publishing.

While starting out at the bottom of the food chain as the overworked, unpaid intern at "M" magazine can obliterate any trace of self-esteem, anything - including bitchy bosses, temperamental photographers, rather dull but oh-so-hot male models - is a welcome balm to her pains. Never mind that her freebie-obsessed boss treats her like an on-call, 24-hour proxy service. Never mind, that, sometimes, when she's had too much alcohol, male models become irresistible. Never mind that, despite having just had her heart broken, the possibility of love presents itself again.

Bought this one 10 years ago and absent-mindedly forgot that I haven't finished it. Thanks to 7-Eleven's rack, I saw this book's 10th year edition and that instantly reminded me that I actually have this at home. A friend of mine even told me, I hoard books too much and treat them like wine, but srsly, I wanted to retort that I now plan to read all my 'owned and unread' books right away, if only time will permit me to. Oh well, I just wish it won't take 10 years before I read all those books I hoarded.

Okay, now unto my real review. I have mixed feelings about this book. That is all. Perhaps, now at 23, same age as the protagonist, I find her a little bit immature for our age, child-like and very guarded. But that didn't stop me from reading it, it was actually well-written, you'll just find Tagalog words in it and that might annoy you (Phoebe, don't tell me I didn't warn you haha) but by large, this book is something I'd recommend to girls who devour Chick Lits as all the aspects of everything Chick Lit is in it, but yes, it's also too good to be true. I just find it annoying that it ended that way, I almost felt the writer and publishers took away almost three chapters and jumped to the conclusion right away. 

This is a break-up diary, but if you'll ask me if I'll recommend this to girls nursing a broken heart, I think, I won't, I'm kind of sure about that. Nothing in this book will help you kiss your ex goodbye permanently except the last chapters of the book, it will just make you feel more miserable, with the realization that some people are lucky enough to find a new job, make out with hot guys and make their dreams come true because they are heart broken. Life is not as blissful as that. Never. 

Oh well. I'm glad I didn't read this when I was 13, else I'd be programmed to believe that breakups will bring out the best in you, because coming from personal experiences, it won't... but you know, maybe, just maybe it will, but most of the time, it isn't as pleasant like that.

Rating: ★★★☆☆