Book Review: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

The Song of David by Amy Harmon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Get a copy here! 

AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

I’ve been waiting for this book to release since forever.

In The Law of Moses, we were introduced to the character Tag as Moses’s newfound best-friend. Despite his suicidal personality in the past, Tag managed to rearrange his life after he met Moses. Both of them then went on in a journey together to find a reason to find a meaning of living to the fullest. When I first met him there, I was instantly attracted to Tag. His joyful demeanor was like a fresh highlight when things between Georgia and Moses kind of heated up. I really really wished for Tag to get his own happiness. Thus, I had a high expectation upon this book. And as always, Ms. Harmon didn’t disappoint. Has she ever come close to disappoint me anyway? Even when I didn’t quite get what I initially wanted, this book successfully earned the best spot in my heart.

‘Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?’

(Tag; Chapter XI, The Song of David)

David Taggert had been through a lot in the past. Losing a sister haunted his life for years causing him to earn a self-destructive personality that in the end brought him to a mental health institution. Meeting Moses being the highlight when he finally started to pick up the remaining pieces and rearrange his life. It felt like a miracle, really, to be able to get out of the darkest part of his life. But it seemed like fortune keep growing on his side, because fate once again poured another miracle on his plate in a form of lovely girl named Millie.

‘She was a brand new species, an intoxicating mix of girl and enigma, familiar yet completely foreign.’ 

(Tag; Chapter XI, The Song of David)

Amelie Anderson had been through a lot in the past. Losing her sight made her family turned upside down. Her father left them, years later her mother passed away leaving Millie with only her little brother who suffered mild autistic. It surely wasn’t an easy task to get on with their life after the fall down. But Millie was a cheerful girl before, and she managed to stay the same now. Never once she regretted the way life dumped a lot of barriers into her path. Never once she let her condition broke her down. 

Millie made Tag rethinking whether he already figured out the true reason for him to keep alive. Millie made him doing things he’d never thought of doing before in his life. Their first meeting was nothing like usual. There was no accidental collided, flirting words, or heated staring exchange between them. Yet Tag felt it was the best first-meet he’d ever experienced all this time. Millie didn’t need to dress up or wear any make up to impress him. Because she didn’t do any of that on their first encounter, yet Tag got his heart covered in strange hot and cold sensation when she linked her hands around his arms innocently, like it was the most normal thing to do in the world between two grown-ups.

‘I felt like a man of a bygone era, a time when men would escort women, not because women couldn’t walk alone, but because men respected them more, because a woman is something to be cared for, to be careful with.’ 

(Tag; Chapter II, The Song of David)

Walking beside her, making sure Millie got home safely almost every night, Tag realized that it might be the things he wanted to do more in the future with her. It’s crazy that a lot of pretty women who attracted to his handsome face were everywhere but the only one who really attracted him was the one who couldn’t see him. Before he realized, something already crept into his sleeves and made way straight to his heart whispering Millie’s name like a wind in peaceful evening sky.

‘I may have been standing next to her, but I was already falling.’ 

(Tag; Chapter IV, The Song of David)

Tag felt stupid of being all giddy on his own while Millie was so laid-back and innocent of assessing how things going on between them. The thing was, it wasn’t the ‘blind’ part that made it difficult for Tag to confess his feeling for Millie. It was the ‘falling-in-love-with-an-independent-girl’ that made it not an easy task to go around blowing the magic word into her ear. So it might be best to lead everything from a friendship.

“A girl called Millie can be friends with a guy named Tag.” 

(Tag; Chapter V, The Song of David)

Millie might can not see but man, could she hear. Millie might not be able to see the longing expression on Tag’s face every time they talked. Or how Tag was constantly staring at her from afar like a kid to an ice cream parlor. But Millie could hear everything. For her, each thing had a sound that differ one another. Some of them became her favorite; some just became a label to identify things. Being with Tag, Millie realized that a person could actually produce various sounds in which all easily flooded her list of favorite sounds.

“I have a new favorite sound.”

“What’s that?”

“The way you say Millie. It shot straight to the top of my list.” 

(Chapter V, The Song of David)

Millie and Tag, slowly but steadily spent their time together even though the true colors of their feeling hadn’t shown up anywhere in sight because none of them wanted to complicate things. Tag began to question Millie’s appearance in his life as his insecurities came back bit by bit as he looked at the perfection personified standing in front of him. And Millie, being a girl who used to have a strong façade for the sake of her brother, was scared to question his appearance in her life. Because as curious as she was of his motives, she didn’t want to lose something precious like the old days when she started to question it.

“Thank you, David. I don’t know why you are so good to us. But you are. And I’m not going to question it. I’m just going to be grateful.” 

(Millie; Chapter X, The Song of David)

Who knows that apparently their retreat moves ended up to be a misunderstanding when the line began to blur between them…

“You are not responsible for me, David. I want to walk. I like to walk. I walked home before I met you, and I’ll be walking after you’re gone.” 

(Millie; Chapter XI, The Song of David)

As a fighter who built up by a miserable past, Tag learned a lot that in a fight we always go alone on the stage even though we had the whole team backing us up behind. And when it seemed hard to win, the best decision was to back off completely. What he didn’t know that no matter hard the fight, we could always win them every single time. That sometimes there was a time when we shouldn’t always fight alone. There was a time where a companion was needed to reach a true victory. There was a time where Tag needed someone to complete the meaning of living to the fullest.

Perhaps, someone as strong as Millie…

‘I’d only known Millie for two months, yet I was surer of her than I’d ever been of anything in my life. I was halfway down the aisle and just waiting for her to catch up with me.’ 

(Tag; Chapter XIV, The Song of David)

Someone as determined as Millie…

“I’m mad because I really like you. And I want to kiss you because I really like you.” 

(Millie; Chapter XV, The Song of David)

Someone who’s a great listener as Millie…

“When you’re with me, I feel like I glimpse a David nobody else knows it there. 

It’s the Song of David, and nobody else can hear it but me.” 

(Millie; Chapter XV, The Song of David)

That way, Tag would understand that to be with someone wasn’t always to receive the other’s lacking but also letting people see ours. That’s the equality in a relationship. And that most certainly would become the truest reason for him to keep fighting together in life.

“The most intimate thing we can do is to allow the people we love most to see us at our worst. At our lowest. At our weakest. True intimacy happens when nothing is perfect.” 

(Millie; Chapter XXII, The Song of David)

Because after all, whatever circumstance we were in, the option was not to easily back off or let it break you down. The only left option was to keep fighting even when you think you don’t want to.

‘You don’t ever disappear. You just change. You leave. You move on. But you never disappear. Even when you think you want to.’ 

(Tag; Chapter XXIII, The Song of David)

Again, I’d like to say that the cover of this book is SUPER DUPER gorgeous!

Along with The Law of Moses’s cover, they both easily became my favorite book covers of the year. I loved the figure sketch of fighter who shaped up by thousand blue dots. I liked to think that the dots were the myriad of notes Millie played together creating a chord of David Taggert. It’s the chord she played as her way to ‘see’ him. The chord that became the Song of David. See? This is the reason I love this cover. Not just because it looked beautiful physically but because the implication of the cover I have in the back of my mind.

Now, onto the story.

Having read almost all of Ms. Harmon’s books, I noticed that she had a pattern of story whereas the main characters were mostly the most evitable person coupled with a good-determined person. Meanwhile, this book featured new type of couple who presented a romance story as beautiful as the previous couples.

Character Millie was awesome! She’s such a brave, strong, independent, no-nonsense, cheerful, and grateful girl. I was constantly in awe of her charms. I could really understand why Tag had fallen in love with her in the first place. And Tag… oh, Tag, I felt so much ache for Tag. He was this bright chatterbox in The Law of Moses and he still was here… until bad circumstance flawed his personality. Good thing, he got someone like Millie who even though lacked in physical abilities, she made it up in her emotional ability to take an action maturely.

I adored their love story so damn much. It basically wasn’t the cheesy kind. Their relationship wasn’t necessarily filled up with rainbows and colorful silhouette in their evening sky. Theirs was realistic kind and the one where both parties could learn the true meaning of loving someone in life.

Most of all, I loved how the story was presented here. Ms. Harmon went on with a unique way of story-telling. It’s mostly from Tag’s perspective (in a unique way) but Moses played a role as big as the main characters in this story. It’s so poignant for Ms. Harmon to entwine Moses into Tag’s story like this. We could clearly see their strong friendship here. It’s really sweet and touching.

But to top it all above, God, I really really loved the ending!

The ending was kind of blurred. Ms. Harmon decided to play a little with the ending here. One of the reasons I keep coming back for her books is because she seems to always end her books with happiness. Let me spoil thing a bit here: The Song of David’s ending was hardly an HEA, but it’s not a sad ending either. She blurred the lines between sadness and happiness here in which I didn’t know whether I had to cry or smile happily. But one thing for sure, it was a really beautiful ending. Real beautiful. It’s realistically beautiful. And I could say it for 97 times more but I guess you guys already get the point.

So, now that I’m done with my long long review, all you have to do now is to click the store buttons above and get a copy of this book (together with The Law of Moses because it’s REALLY RECOMMENDED to read it first before jumping into The Song of David). And while you read it, let me have a moment to savor, again, the beautiful ending which basically covered both couples, Tag-Millie and Moses-Georgia :)

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

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Book Review: The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Get a copy here!

AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

I always said on my previous reviews of Amy Harmon’s books that the word ‘beautiful’ wouldn’t cover what I truly thought about her books. Today, let me amend that opinion of mine:

Beautiful might not be enough to describe what I feel about this book. But we all know that beautiful is a strong word and sometimes calling someone/something beautiful is enough to make them standout than the others. Because somehow the simplest word means the truest, especially those that is said sincerely. And when we put the word ‘beautiful’ on someone/something, know that we already set a whole new definition of ‘beautiful’. Just like how everyone has different opinion upon something, some things have their own definition of certain things.

So now, I’ll put this to begin my review of The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon:

A beautiful book by a beautiful author. 

Simple but sincere.

Oh, looks like it’s going to be my new mantra from now on…

The Law of Moses is a beautiful book. And you can go on with another word like ravishing (which means stunningly beautiful) or stunning (which means strikingly beautiful) but after all they all go back to the basic word: beautiful. The Law of Moses is beautiful in its own way. And for me, it’s beautiful because it has a complex plot along with outstanding writing style and well-built characterizations and along with that, it delivers a very deep message that goes right through every heart of those who read it. And this book is written by a beautiful author that of course, beautiful in her own way. Ms. Harmon is beautiful for me because she writes amazingly and deeply meaningful books that if I’m being honest, quite hard to find nowadays.

Now that we get my issue of finding-the-right-opening-sentence-to-begin-my-review out of the way, let’s continue to my personalize synopsis of The Law of Moses and you can find my actual review afterward!

“It kind of bugs me that we’re supposed to ignore our differences like we don’t see them, when seeing them doesn’t have to be a negative.” 

(Moses; Chapter V, The Law of Moses)

Moses knew all right that he was different. Hell, he was different from the start. Not just from the color of his skin or the fact that he was born parentless. Moses Wright was known widely ever since he was still an infant wrapped up with a blanket in a laundry basket. Having a poignant history, he grew up with a shadow of her mother’s bad image haunting his every step. Add that with the test saying he was born as crack baby. But Moses was fine with all that. He was even already long over people’s whispering this and that about him. After all, people were just like that. Instead of finding out the real history behind someone’s life, they tended to ‘create’ their own version of history of that someone’s life. Ironically, that version was usually sold out much faster than the original one.

When he was almost eighteen, his great grandmother brought him to leave with her in Levan. Moses felt much safer living with the 80 years old granny than being juggled here and there without certain affections being poured into his plate. GG, as he called her, knew better how to take care of Moses. People said Moses was crazy. But GG witnessed that Moses was just a little different. Even he showed amazing talent no one ever shown at his age. Moses could paint. God, how he could paint like a maestro at his best. And he did it every single day. But this was where the difference comes out. When many artists painted living things or just anything with beautiful meaning behind them, Moses painted the dead. Not just any dead person but the dead who actually came around and asked to be painted. This was not a mystical tale about someone with supernatural ability. This was Moses and how he tried to figure out the right thing to do with the gift given to him. 

Georgia was a girl growing up among foster kids and horses. Not that she was one of the kids or not that she lived in a barn. Georgia’s parents were foster parents and they had a lot of horses that they used for equine therapy with the kids. Being the only child, she became less dependent and worked hard helping her parents taking care of the horses and the barn. Georgia was a barrel racer and she’d been dreaming to work her way out to be on circuit but some circumstances happening in their small town held back her plan. The summer before graduation now felt like a long stretch in front of her. Until Moses came around.

“I’m a very ordinary girl, Moses. I know that I am. And I always will be. I can’t paint. I don’t know who Vermeer is, or Manet for that matter. But if you think ordinary can be beautiful, that gives me hope. And maybe sometimes you’ll think about me when you need an escape from the hurt in your head.” 

(Georgia; Chapter V, The Law of Moses)

Georgia couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was about Moses but it seemed like she always chased after him in every moment. Maybe the fact that he was crack, or maybe the eccentricities of his paintings, or maybe just the beauty seemingly hidden behind his striking eyes color; they all seemed to be the reason Georgia wouldn’t stop coming after him. No matter how much warning she’d been received all along.

“And Lucky is just like you!” I said.

“Because he’s black?”

“No, stupid. Because he’s in love with me, and he tries to pretend every day like he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me,” I shot back. 

(Chapter V, The Law of Moses)

Moses had no more idea how to shake the questionable sanity in Georgia’s mind. The girl obviously didn’t pay good attention about warnings. She was so persistent which half-relieving and half-terrifying for him.

‘Georgia’s problems were not my problems. Georgia was my problem.’ 

(Moses; Chapter VI, The Law of Moses)

And as much as he enjoyed her company, he should know better that maybe after all it wasn’t her who’s in trouble. With girl like Georgia, it most likely he was the one who’s in trouble.

“Georgia, you better run.”

“Why would I do that, Moses? When I want you to catch me?” 

(Chapter VI, The Law of Moses)

Another warning being thrown, another rebelling step Georgia took on. Didn’t matter just how many times Moses recited his law, Georgia would rattle her own just to counter-attacked each point leaving Moses no options other than letting her leading him deeper.

“Georgia’s eyes. Georgia’s hair. Georgia’s smile. Georgia’s personality. Georgia’s kisses.” She batted her eyes. “See? Definitely five greats for Moses.” 

(Chapter VI, The Law of Moses)

And had he let her go deeper…

“And these are mine.”

She kissed my smallest finger. “Moses’s eyes.”

She moved to my ring finger. “Moses’s smile.”

Another kiss on the tallest tip. “Moses’s laugh.”

Her lips were so soft. “Moses’s art.”

She rounded to my thumb and placed her mouth gently against the pad. “Moses’s kisses.”

“Those are my five greats for Georgia today. Those were my five greats yesterday and they will be tomorrow and the next day, until your kisses get old. Then I’ll have to think of something else.” 

(Chapter VI, The Law of Moses)

Being with Georgia was the best feeling yet also the riskiest one he ever got. Georgia might always got everything wrapped around her little fingers, but Moses doubted she could deal with all his baggage permanently like G’s been done all her life.

“If you had to paint me, what colors would you use?”

“If I were to paint you, I would use every color.” 

(Chapter V, The Law of Moses)

Moses painted the dead to part the waters and let them cross in peace. It tortured him to see things people were not supposed to see. And he’d done it anyway because he had no other choices except that. But Georgia was the whole different case. She always wanted him to paint her in his life, to sketch her face in colorful brushstrokes against the wall of his heart. Moses had a choice this time: to do it or not. And whichever choice he took, he figured he’d just bring Georgia drowning in dark water instead of the other way around. 

When little did he know, sometimes you don’t actually figure things out unless you face them and deal with them on your own.

First, I’d like to say that the cover of this book is SUPER gorgeous!

AND this book had the most devastating prologue a book could ever have. Imagine that I already felt depressed and teary-eyed even before I read chapter one… That moment I knew that this book would obviously blow my mind till the end. And it did, people, it still does even now...

The Law of Moses featuring a unique and lovable hero named Moses. He’s got a way miserable past but as he grew up he proved to be able to outface the rumors mentioning his possible cracked future. He might be born as a crack baby from a crack-addict mother but they were all just labels people put on his surface. I fell in love with him from the first time Georgia narrated his childhood. 

I guess as she slowly grew a feeling for Moses time to time, I did too. 

What Moses went through in his life, it’s sad that we could easily find it happened around us. Different people, no matter physically, emotionally, mentally or just different because of some gift unknown to us, common people, seemed to always be judged of being on the wrong side of the road. This time, Ms. Harmon decided to bring up a story of different person who’s being one-sided by the community but turned out having something that ironically eventually helped the community itself. This time, Ms. Harmon took us to see this issue from inner perspective of the person itself, Moses, and of the closest person, Georgia. We learned that when they sometimes don’t show any attempt to counter the rumors, it isn’t because it was true, it’s because they choose to let it go until those people figure it out themselves.

Georgia was a fearless and loyal girl. I loved how she always tried hard to stay true to her feeling for Moses for such a long time. I loved how she relentlessly pushed the door to his heart even though he always tried to double-lock it whenever it came loose. Sadly when her moment to back away came around, it was the moment when she suffered the most. Yet, deep inside she still felt the same for the boy who kept pushing her away every time.

Ms. Harmon successfully created a complex plot of the story. I loved that she opted for realistic way all the time, just like how real life was. I might be able to predict a twist but we all know that Ms. Harmon never surprised us with just a single thing. Furthermore, she led us to an endless plot full of surprises where it seemed like there’s no way out but eventually she always had a way to solve it neatly and gradually. It’s not too miraculous or overly depressing. I especially loved the touching details she put in every scene, making the whole story more alive and richer. Also the religious touch that often came up just added another point for the poignant side.

Even though there were a lot of tear-jerking scenes along the way, I barely cried until I got to somewhere near the end.

…

Okay, I cried a bit, as in some tears hanging in the edge of my lashes but it worsened in some point on last chapter. There was a scene where a character described what love was in a really innocent way. That scene made me a blubbering mess and I felt like gasping for air for I didn’t remember how long…

“Do you think she knows how much I love her?”

“You gave her flowers and said you were sorry.”

“I did.”

“You kissed her.”

I could only nod.

“You painted her pictures and hugged her when she cried.”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“You laughed with her too.”

I nodded again.

“Those are all the ways to say I love you.” 

(Chapter XXXI, The Law of Moses)

I think I need to stop now before I ended up quoting every line from the book.

What I’m going to say now that no matter how long and detailed I went on with my review, it still didn’t justify the awesome real feeling and sensation I got from reading this book. Like people said, you have to experience it first before you say something about it.

So, people, go and experience this book. You’ll want it.

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

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Book Review: Infinity + One by Amy Harmon

Infinity + One by Amy Harmon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

“I believe in Bonnie and Clyde”

I’m on Amy Harmon books readathon this June and Infinity + One is my third book of Ms. Harmon after A Different Blue and Making Faces. I’m proud to say that all the three books are now my best all time favorite.

I’m pretty sure I’ll be saying this every time I’m about to review Amy Harmon’s books. But really, this is all I’ve got when it comes to her books:

The word ‘great’ obviously doesn’t cover what I feel about this book. So does ‘well-written’, ‘amazing’, ‘awesome’, or ‘beautiful’. Even ‘perfection’ doesn’t entirely represent what this book looks to me. Infinity + One is masterpiece with infinite number of perfections in every inch of it.

Bonnie Rae Shelby was a national sweetheart. She’s the famous country singer who built her career from zero with tears, pain, loss, and invisible hole shadowing her path. She might appear cheerful and bright but really, the saddest person was the one who smiled the widest. No one knew exactly what kind of miserable life someone like Bonnie shouldered ever since the day she became superstar. Well, no one cared after all, except the one who was already long gone along with Bonnie’s heart. She used to always think she’d come undone one of these days. So when she thought she found the perfect timing, she grabbed the chance to jump off the bridge and leave it all behind… 

Infinity James Clyde only wanted one more chance on his hanging-on-the-thread life. One chance to start over and wipe clean the dark mist he was in. And God had he try hard to forget what had happened to him on the past six years. Clyde finally got a clean slate now, even though he always seemed to picture the worst end of everything. He knew it would not do him any good but for someone whose past as wrecked as his, he really had no choice other than being wary over people coming to his path. At least he didn’t feel that way toward number. Number was exact and definite. Numbers, formulas, equations, or just anything math-related could always numb his scared feeling and gave away a sweet escape because that’s the only thing he was great at as long as he could remember. When a friend offered him a job in Vegas, he was eager to welcome the new state with hope to start a new life. Perhaps, whatever in Vegas could give something only ‘number’ could give all along.

The second Infinity James Clyde saw the girl on the railing, he knew she was a trouble. And a hundred percent right, he was at that. The girl was like a trouble magnet and he had no idea why he got the urge to responsible of her on that first strange-meet. Was she probably a Clyde-magnet too? Maybe yes. Or maybe it was fate. He didn’t know how it’d happened but he soon found himself letting the girl to tag along and drove across the country with her instead of on his own. Clyde was almost sure that Bonnie was emotionally questioned because just minutes ago she was suicidal but now she looked so innocent and a little too talkative for a 21 years old girl. He should’ve hated her for all the troubles he was in ever since she ‘presented’ on his trip. But no, he did not. And God knows how much he frustrated and hated himself for that.

“You’re gonna have to make up your mind whether or not you hate me, Clyde.”

“I don’t hate you, Bonnie.” 

(Chapter VII, Infinity + One)

Bonnie and Clyde. Two strangers on a trip with inexact destination. None of them ever imagined of meeting a stranger, went on a road trip across the states together, baring their souls in the process, letting fate do his trick, and fell in love on day three. None of them ever thought that they would meet someone whose name was like fated with theirs; resembling the names of a famous couple in history. And now it seemed that they would repeat their story, minus the criminal doings. Bonnie was quick to grow on Clyde. And so did him on her. None of them was willing to confess their truest feelings at first. They just wanted to stay free as bird, to go and go and had not worry about anything complicated between them.

“What’s infinity plus one?” 

“It’s still infinity,” Finn said, sighing.

“Wrong. It’s two.”

“Oh yeah? How do you figure?”

I pointed at Finn and said, “Infinity.” Then I pointed at myself and said, “Plus one. That’s two, genius.” 

(Bonnie; Chapter VIII, Infinity + One)

Bonnie soon couldn’t deny what she felt toward Clyde a.k.a. Finn. Never once she found someone who cared for her sincerely. She knew alright that she was a serious bomb of trouble and Clyde obviously disliked her. Yet he seemed to always come back for her. If that wasn’t a feeling mirrored hers, then what?

“Finn? I’m a twin. You’re a twin. […]. So what does that make us? Are we halves?” 

(Bonnie; Chapter IX, Infinity + One)

Unfortunately, Clyde was so scared of being ruined once again. Little did she know that Clyde was already ruined the moment their eyes met. But his constant pushes were harsh. And she hated him to act like that because honestly she herself was scared as hell about the ending of Bonnie and Clyde remake story.

“Don’t worry, Infinity. Didn’t you tell me infinity plus one is still infinity? Without me, you’ll still be you.” 

(Bonnie; Chapter XIX, Infinity + One)

What funny about love was the more you denied it the more it grew on you. Your heart, your mind, your moves, your words, right to the deepest part of your soul. Clyde was sure he was the one who’s going crazy soon in full force.

“You drive me crazy! You irritate the hell out of me. You make me want to pull my hair out, and every damn thing has gone wrong since the moment we met.

“But I still want you.” 

(Clyde; Chapter XIII, Infinity + One)

Their trip lasted a week. A week of Bonnie bared her souls to Clyde to the extent that he did the same for her. Clyde was so lost at words of just how much the amount of his feeling for her. When what he feared finally happened to them in the end of the road, he was left contemplating his own issue alone. No Bonnie to trick him into caring for her. Just him and his wary and insecure feeling. His mouth could say out loud that Bonnie and Clyde had died long ago but could his heart repeat the same words? He could go on with his paradox but the answer was very simple. It was in his heart, hanging on his lips, ready to be said any moment.

“What’s Infinity plus one?” she whispered and kissed his unsmiling mouth, and he answered her from his heart and not his head.

“It’s not infinity after all. It’s not even two. It’s one, Bonnie Rae. Didn’t you tell me? You and me? We’re two halves of a whole. We’re one.” 

(Chapter XXVIII, Infinity + One)

I so damn enjoyed writing a synopsis of Infinity + One above.

There was not even a single thing about this book that I didn’t like. Just like what I said earlier, this book had infinite number of perfections every inch of it. The plot was perfection. The writing style was perfection. The characters were perfection. And I could go on with the name of each element of this book but it would do no good to my review.

Ms. Harmon just officially topped my list of favorite authors. She actually is tied with Mia Sheridan. Though their genres are slightly different, but their writings give away the same contented feeling in my heart, mind, and soul.

What I loved so much about this book was how Ms. Harmon went on and on about philosophy of math and connected them with life and love smoothly. If I didn’t read the dedication or the acknowledge pages, I’d be sure that Ms. Harmon was actually a math teacher herself. I was so fascinated by how beautiful her word of choices. I fell in love with every damn sentence she wrote. This one below just stole my heart big time…

‘He kissed me soundly, a performance worthy of his thousand dollar suit, and then kissed me again, though we didn’t raise the curtain for the encore.’ 

(Bonnie; Chapter XXII, Infinity + One)

See? This sentence is just so darn beautiful I want to cry a river… ;__;

And this book got a plus point from me for the funny parts. I was so afraid that it’d be as depressed as A Different Blue (which masochist-me loved so much) but it was not. I laughed a lot and smiled a lot that my gum hurt it’s not even funny.

I love Bonnie and Clyde/Finn characters. Bonnie was not the heroine who’s too angelic or too bad-ass. She had right amount of both sides and she’s adorable because of that. She was reckless and made mistakes too much. But it was balanced with her kind heart. And I wanted to kidnap Clyde so bad and kiss him day and night all year for putting his belief and faith on her, on them. I loved it every time Clyde made a jerk move but in the end he would always go all jellyfish and say calming words for her every burst-out.

“We’re Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We’re lost and we’re alone. We’re big, tangled mess. We’re a shot in the dark. We’re two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough for me! I’m sorry if it’s not enough for you.”

“It’s more than enough for me, Bonnie Rae.” 

(Chapter XV, Infinity + One)

And I laughed so much on the scene where he consciously turned into a yes-man repeatedly for Bonnie just by her calling a syllable of his name. God, this couple made me wants to marry my love tomorrow. Lol…

I’m not going to say more about the plot. The whole story is a myriad of surprises so you better go find out yourself. I have been so careful with my synopsis to not give away any spoilers so hopefully you’ll feel exactly what I felt about this book the first time I read it. Read it read it read it, okay? :)

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

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Book Review: Making Faces by Amy Harmon

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Let me begin this review by saying that…

Amy Harmon is exactly the kind of author that I’ve been searching my whole life.

She is, really. I fell in love with Ms. Harmon’s writing for the first time through A Different Blue. That book is perfection and I know everything she writes will be too. That’s why I didn’t even hesitate to pick up another book from her this time.

Making Faces is the kind of book that will make you think about a lot of thing once you finish it. It is a story about seeing behind the cover, realizing one’s worth is not the one valued by the appearance, acceptance of both bitter and good luck, and especially finding beauty among the ugly.

No one said Fern Taylor was ugly but she was sure she wasn’t pretty either. Fern was not the girl who easily got noticed at school by her look; most people easily overlooked her on the street; and no boys really dreamed about her. And she was fine with all that. She got lovely parents who called her ‘miracle child’, a cousin who’s been her bff ever since they were not even born yet, books and a little gift in writing department. But was it enough for her?

‘If dark chocolate could sing it would sound like Ambrose Young’

(Fern; Chapter I, Making Faces)

No, it wasn’t. After all, Fern was a girl and sooner or later she’d notice a boy around her. She did actually. Saw him for the first time ten years ago, later realized that was when she’d fallen for him. For the first time in her life, Fern wished to be noticed for once by a boy.

Ambrose Young was the boy you call ‘beautiful meet gorgeous wrapped up in perfection’. Despite having incomplete family ―thanks to her model-obsessed mother― he grew up smoothly in comfort of his step-father who loved him as much as his own. Ambrose was loved everywhere he goes. At school boys looked up to him and girls wanted to hook up with him. Ambrose was notable wrestle both at school and in their small town. He started at young age and slowly built up his little career which later led him to a chance of full-ride scholarship to Penn State. People would say Ambrose had perfect look and perfect future so logically he would have no worries left, right?

‘Everybody who is somebody becomes nobody the moment they fail’

(Ambrose; Chapter III, Making Faces)

Except he made a decision to leave the town which led him to an unending regret all his life the day he realized there was actually a hidden diamond just near him.

When God bent ones’ plan, people usually left confuse, worry, and scared about how to start over and where to go from. Ambrose shouldered regret as big as Fuji Mountain when he himself had to pick up the pieces of his remaining life back in his hometown. He found himself directionless, worry about what people reaction about his new look, and scared to face the blame he was sure was addressed to him for the town’s losses. And then he met Fern again. When everything had changed, Fern was the one who remained the same. Fern remained simple, lovely, insecure but sneaky, and above all, she remained beautiful inside out. Ambrose had not courage to continue where they left off last time. No, not in the state he was in now. But of course Fern had a mind of her own and she acted her way. Fern made him believe a lot of thing. That regret was just a little piece of evil that would drag one down to the dark corner if we let it be. That everything had a reason to happen. That miracle did exist if you believed so.

“Maybe everyone represents a piece of the puzzle. We all fit together to create this experience we call life. None of us can see the part we play or the way it all turns out. Maybe miracles that we see are just the tip of iceberg. And maybe we just don’t recognize the blessings that come as a result of terrible things.” 

(Fern; Chapter XIX, Making Faces)

And most important, both Fern and Ambrose had learned together that the most beautiful thing could be hidden behind the ugly.

“You are still beautiful.”

“I think that statement is more a reflection of your beauty than mine.” 

(Chapter XXII, Making Faces)

Oh my God, Making Faces made me feel a thousand kind of feeling all at once.

I smiled, I laughed, I grinned every 10 seconds, I cried and wept every 20 others. Well, not necessary in that order but you know what I mean. It was just so many messages the author delivered at once through the words on the book and I loved it! I loved to read something that could entertain and educate me at the same time. I loved to read a book that I could wave in front of people and said, “Here, folks, is the simplest way to learn about life”. Making Faces is that kind of book. Well, every book of Amy Harmon is that kind of book! This is only my second book of her but I can already say that she writes by heart and that means you get meaningful books in your hand.

Each character she creates has strong characteristics. Fern, Ambrose, and Bailey. Three of them play major roles on the book. From Fern, we learn that sometimes the most beautiful thing is the one that hiding a lot. From Ambrose, we get to learn that life sometimes brings the worst to our plate but it’s all up to us whether to eat it up or throw it away. From Bailey, oh my, Bailey might be a side character but he made me cry as much as Ambrose did. Bailey teaches us that what’s in the outside doesn’t always mirror what’s in the inside. He also gives away one wise saying regarding people’s bad habit of being too self-centered whenever things go too wrong in their life.

“Because terrible things happen to everyone, Brosey. We’re all just so caught up in our own crap that we don’t see the shit everyone else is wading through.”

(Bailey; Chapter XXIII, Making Faces)

Last, let me leave this beautiful line from Fern’s father that I love so much…

‘… sometimes a beautiful face is false advertising too, and too many of us don’t take the time to look beneath the lid’

(Fern’s dad; Chapter XII, Making Faces)

Trust me, you will want to read this book :)

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

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Book Review: A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY (CD Audio)

I’ve been eyeing this book for a long while but never made a move to put it on any of my monthly reading lists. I don’t know why, though. Maybe because the first time I saw the cover, it gave away something like heavy and rather dark impression (Which was rather silly now that I think about it…). I’ve been in the mood for some joyful reads lately and I knew somehow that A Different Blue wouldn’t give me that without torturing my soul first. But this time I decided to challenge myself because lots of people said this book was really amazing and I wanted to find out why.

Beautiful didn’t even cover what I thought about this book. It’s definitely not a romance. It’s so much more than that. It mainly told a story about life, about people with their bitter pasts and how each way they dealt with it, changed the life afterward. It’s about overlooking your past no matter how bad they were and stop labeling yourself with anything because doing that only meant limiting yourself from life’s offer of possible constant-changes.

“You all have a story. It’s been written up to this point, to this very second. And I want to know that story. I want to know your history. I want you to know it.”

(Chapter I, A Different Blue)

Blue Echohawk didn’t know anything about her past except of the fact that she was clearly a very unwanted kid. What was it called of two-year-old kid abandoned in someone’s truck with only a blue blanket as the company if not ‘unwanted’? Blue knew very little of anything that should have been one’s basic identity. No information about her real parents’ whereabouts or even just simply their names. She wasn’t sure her own age. She didn’t even know whether Blue Echohawk was her real name. Unlike other kids who could recite very well who they really were, Blue had no idea what to say when being questioned about all those things. It was as if she only had blank pages for all those years she’d had in the past. As if the name of Blue Echohawk never made it to the book of history of people.

“What if what you believe about yourself or about your life is simply a myth that is holding you back?”

(Chapter II, A Different Blue)

Raised by a drifter who was kind enough to put her under his wings but was not good enough to stay as a permanent citizen in certain town, she ended up entering school late. 19 years-old (Or maybe it was 20 years-old?) Blue was just a senior in high school. This fact itself already made people absentmindedly giving her side glances everywhere she goes. A girl with too much number on her shoulder, who preferred boys’ companies than girls’, who loved to wear too much make-up and tight jeans. That was more than enough for Blue to earn the worst title a girl could ever have in high school. Or at least that’s what they believed about her. Blue had no intention to defend herself to all the names they called her. After all, it would be a stupid lie if she said she didn’t believe in what they said. If Blue said she wasn’t all that, it would be like believing a myth.

“Now I want you to take one moment from your life. A moment where the dye was cast, where you crossed your metaphorical Rubicon and you couldn’t go back. […] For better or worse, how did it affect the direction of your story?”

(Chapter III, A Different Blue)

Since the day she was left parentless, Blue had been living with a drifter named Jimmy Echohawk. Even though he was such a quiet man, for the first time in her life Blue felt contained. Jimmy had succeeded in being a replacement for her absentee parents; teaching her how to live; helping her to find a reason to keep alive. If Blue was a compass, Jimmy was definitely the north. But one day everything had changed. Even though ‘alone’ wasn’t a new word to Blue, this time it shredded her life into confetti. Because this time, she knew exactly that who she’d lost was the one who she needed the most.

“What beliefs keep you moving forward? What beliefs define you?”

(Chapter VI, A Different Blue)

Losing the only hope she got, Blue had changed into a different person. A different Blue. Gone now the north where her needle was supposed to go in the end every time. Blue was no more that little blackbird Jimmy had raised and taught to live in the bright side. She was the blue bird with dazzling beauty in the surface ―that always made her the center of attention― yet dull in the inside.

“Things are rarely what they seem. What is the truth beneath the surface, beneath the apparent facts?”

(Chapter VII, A Different Blue)

It was easier to let people define you when they obviously had no intention to listen to your words. Blue was defined as trouble, a mess, a trash, an unimportant thing by her classmates. She acted like one too just to keep them at a distance. Just so they couldn’t find the truth beneath the surface. The lonely, scared, insecure girl she was.

“If you predict your future based on your past, what does your future look like?”

(Chapter XII, A Different Blue)

When people called her trouble, they put a label on her. When she believed that she was something, she put a label on herself. Those labels soon would fill every space available in her face, making it difficult for people to see the truth in her eyes and difficult for her to see what future offered more for her life. Labels were just going to be a bunch of things that people forced her to be and things that she wanted to be. Blue Echohawk’s life might be just a myriad of miserable moments. But just because her life earned that label, should her future mirror it too?

Oh goodness… I have a lot to say about this book I don’t even know where to start!

This story is brilliant! Every word was written very beautifully with deep meaning in each spell. I loved how the plot flowed naturally, how Ms. Harmon told the story of Blue in the reference of school lecture of History. It was very neat and created quite strong chemistry among each event. Blue had a strong character. She was marred by unfortunate childhood in which she was abandoned at a very young age. Growing up she lost herself to public judgments that cruelly labeled her with negative names. She learned to ignore them and numb herself from feeling the real pain inside. And then she met Darcy Wilson (Mr. Darcy!!), her History teacher who later being the first person who was willing to learn about the truth beneath the bunch of labels. Through his lessons, Wilson led Blue to take gradual steps to rewrite the history of her life.

“[…] we all feel like nobody. We all feel like we are on the outside, looking in. we all feel scattered. But I think it’s that self-awareness that actually makes us somebody. And you are definitely somebody, Blue. You may not be a work of art, but you are definitely a piece of work.”

(Chapter V, A Different Blue)

When things got harder, that’s when she decided to put a halt to all her bad behaviors. Blue experienced her redemption one evening the moment she heard the melody of Wilson’s violin in the dark hallway of school. This was such an emotional scene that got me crying my first tears for A Different Blue. And then when she thought everything’s going to be alright after the redemption, her hope was once again tested. I loved seeing Wilson’s consistency in keeping Blue stay in the redemption path. He constantly reminded her to take a careful step in her life in order not to gain any regret in the end.

“Some moments you don’t get back, Blue. You don’t want to spend a lifetime wondering about those moments you didn’t seize, about the things you should have done but were too scared to do.”

(Chapter XIII, A Different Blue)

He showed Blue that nothing was impossible to do especially when you’re about to write your first word on a new sheet of your life. He introduced Blue to options and possibilities available around her. He let her grow her belief and hope again. I cried a lot reading this book. Somehow my wariness of gaining a heavy feeling while reading this book ceased away. I found myself totally focusing on Blue’s life struggles. She’s a really really strong girl. I was constantly mesmerized by the way she took every decision. It wasn’t all sweet and rainbows. There was hard decision, hurtful, sacrificial, where she found herself constantly feeling wary whether it was good or a bad one. She was amazing. Despite the unfortunate past she had, Blue managed to stop the repeating dark cycle on her phase. There was something in her heart that remained good, still. There was one scene (besides the redemption scene) that has left a really deep mark in my heart. It began from the end of chapter 20 until the end of chapter 21. Though I was sure I couldn’t stop crying all the way until the next 2 chapters…

The way Ms. Harmon built the story, putting each detail in line, created a very well-plotted tale. How she opted for a slow pace for one thing and a steady one for the other thing, how she created every character with such a realistic personalities and always managed to lead the readers to see their bright sides… it’s all perfect in a way it changed my way of seeing life. It’s been a while since I found a book that made me feel this way. Blue Echohawk had something that I’m sure everyone could relate to with things in their life. Not necessary the bitter past or the certain problem she struggled to deal with. It was something in the way life had touched her, given her a taste of losing, failing, and standing on the edge of a cliff again and again. And we got to learn how she dealt with all of that in an unwavering way because nothing’s impossible in life as long as we believe it is. Oh and I just loved what Ms. Harmon did with the side characters. There was this side character named Manny that even though he appeared only in a few scenes, that very scenes actually meant so deep.

Wilson was really a true gentleman until the end. It’s just so damn beautiful how their relationship built-up slowly innocently in a very mature way (okay this is confusing…). I meant because it was not commanded by lust, it’s purely built up from sincere feelings of both parties and they both understood each other deeply.

“Blue. Whatever we learn will only make me love you more. You’re right. I know too much. And because I do, there isn’t anything anyone can say that will make me doubt you or the way I feel about you.”

(Chapter XXVII, A Different Blue)

Wilson was a funny guy and very mature too. And oh mother father, just how many men still have a personality like him nowadays? Who’s so damn patient, who doesn’t put physical attraction as top priority in their relationship? I swear I’ve fallen in love with Wilson the moment he said this…

“Someday… you will want me because you love me, not because you’re lost, not because you’re desperate, not because you’re afraid. And that’s the goal.”

(Chapter XXVIII, A Different Blue)

The ending was an HEA in a realistic way (you know, the not-everything-ended-up-happily-ever-after-but-some-did-and-it-was-fine-anyway kind of HEA). I loved this, though!

This was my first time reading Ms. Harmon’s book and I definitely would rush to get every book of hers after this. Dude, just how glad I am that I decided to pick this book to wrap my March reading list up :)

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

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