Jeremy Mifsud's Blog, page 9

Book Review: The Rosie Effect

Description [image error]

A few months into their marriage, Rosie announces her pregnancy. Don Tillman does not feel prepared for this unplanned event, and has serious doubts about his ability to be father. He embarks on a project on learning how to be a father, while simultaneously managing a social world bigger than he’s ever had. Can their marriage survive with the addition of a third person to the family?

Review

This book was another easy read after The Rosie Project. I had high praise for the first novel, and I can only give better praise to the second. I’ve read several reviews which consider this to be a disappointing sequel. I suspect that they fell in love with the ‘romantic-comedy’ feel of the first book, which is less present here. I’m a reader who fell in love with the characterisation and genuine portrayals, as you will soon read.

Don Tillman

The best thing about the first novel was Don’s character. For those who haven’t read my previous review or The Rosie Project, Don is a geneticist professor with undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome. His friends have become accustomed to his lack of social skills, but this often leads him into trouble with strangers, including the police and airport officials. His unique way-of-thinking is marvellous and charming (to me), and I find a home in his portrayal. Consequently, I feel the pain of his social failures and the lack of understanding the world has.

Storyline

As I’ve also said in the previous review, this series is based upon character arcs and great writing. The events that happen in this book are more interesting than the first, and once again, quite unique and pertaining to Don Tillman. The author makes us believe that some of these unusual events that wouldn’t happen to most of us, do indeed take place, because Don’s life is a predicament of unpredictability emerging from his heavily-structured life.

Relationships

This time around, the novel has juggled my emotions as if they were a clown’s toy. The Rosie and Don relationship is constantly a central relationship to the series, and it progresses to a new level with the expectation of their baby. Their family would now have to include two more relationships: Rosie-baby and Don-baby relationship, which would alter theirs. Furthermore, Gene and Claudia, friends of Don, had split and Don tries to fix their problem. Dave and Sonia, who are Don’s friends and also pregnant, struggle with their relationship and business as well. The interplay of all these relationships is done beautifully, with each person contributing different advice and experiences to the story.

Summary

An easy 5/5 stars rating. I loved this book even more than the first in the series. The portrayal of Don is believable and exquisitely exciting. There is no predictability with what will happen in the lives of Don and those around him. And to those who negatively reviewed the book and said that the novel is problematic for not clearly stating that Don is autistic, I have one thing to say. Many adults (and children) are undiagnosed, and Don is a great depiction of this, as he is not controlled by any therapy or institution to behave like neurotypical individuals.

Sources and Links:

Book: The Rosie Effect

Book Cover: Goodreads

Book Review: Jeremy Mifsud

Header Photograph: Cristina Gottardi

 

Longing for Change: A Fifty-Word Story

Longing for Change

Tommy scrapes the wall. Dust sticks to his sweat.[image error]

“My back’s killing me.” He sighs.

He dreams of smoking cigars in his study, penning letters to friends all over the globe.

“The wall’s got to be done by Sunday. I’ll be back to work on Monday – we need the money”

Links and sources:

Fifty-word story prompt: If

Header image: Atharva Kshirsagar

About me: Jeremy Mifsud

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Book Review: Beyond Freedom, by Jennie Taylor

[image error]Beyond Freedom by Jennie Taylor

The following review contains some spoilers, especially relevant to the first book of the series, Freedom’s Fate. This review has been previously published on Steemit around two months ago, and have recently realised that I have not published it here.

Description

Beyond Freedom is the second book in a series, a sequel to the sci-fi novel Freedom’s Fate (click to read my review). The remaining crew of the ship Freedom have landed onto a moon, and they have to try and make it habitable for them. This includes finding edible food and drinks, as they have finite supplies that they brought with them. Upon exploring for resources, they meet indigenous creatures, without any knowledge of these species. An interesting adventure lies ahead.

Review

I gave this book a rating of 4/5 stars. I loved reading it, and was a great follow-up to Freedom’s Fate, but it had a very few shortcomings.

Story

The sci-fi setting is interesting, although there is a huge change between the first and second book. Whereas I was used to a structured interstellar ship, now, we find ourselves into an unknown, habitable moon, with almost no knowledge of it and its inhabitants. From a writing perspective, the writer is not limited to anything; flora, fauna, completely new ecosystem. At first I thought it was going to be a predictable story line, but it soon picked up and went into something unexpected. I really enjoyed the story, and although I felt the author was risking going into cliché plots, she did not. Yes, there are certain events that occur that seem to be “too perfect”, but sometimes these are just illusions.

Characters

We are already accustomed to most characters by the end of the first book, although some characters become more prominent in this one. I think there was a good variety of characters. I had loved the depth of personalities in the first book, and one of my favourite relationships was that between Bao and Callie. Their relationship was authentic and it was lovely to have that depth of character relationship that was not tied within the plot itself. On the other hand, I did find Callie’s constant worries about herself and Anna to be a little frustrating. This was quite a relevant theme in the first book, although it seems to be a little out of place at times.

Back to the array of personalities, Shauna’s hot-headed and impulsiveness counterbalanced Callie’s personality well. These are small things which I enjoy; diversity done well and feels authentic. Especially as the context had changed drastically, each person depends on one another more. A community always depends on teamwork, but when it becomes to a smaller community, teamwork is that much more essential to the function of the community. Thus, the mix of personalities makes the tasks of teamwork interesting, especially for a leader who needs everyone to be on board.

Society

This was a point I had done in my review for the first book as well. I find that the book can be interpreted in a critical way to modern society. This, more than anything, might be attributed to me and the way I read things, so it might not be the same for other readers, and might have not been the author’s scope.

So, apart from the main group, in the story (without giving too much), we encounter societies of other species. In a way, they can be paralleled to types of communities or societies, and I find fictional settings to relate in such way. For instance, religion has been predominant throughout human history. Having said that, it appears in many shapes and forms, and although the word ‘religion’ may signify a meaning, you will have no idea on how these species act or behave. In a way, the rituals were somewhat parallel to human forms of ritual. It worked well to give an identity and volume to the particular species, but at the same time failed my expectations of unlimited imagination and possibilities. We often say that history repeats itself; and this made me wonder whether there is a pattern that is repeatable across species, planets, universes, or whatever.

Summary

I hope to have reviewed the book well, although my tired mental activity might have impaired me in writing coherently while capturing the essence of the book. I am in love with this series, and this book was a great sequel. Two weeks ago, I let the author know some of my opinions about the book, and I am positive that some of the minor stuff might have been edited and improved by now or soon. That kind of author only makes me love their work more; because they are open to feedback and care about us readers. I would suggest that you go read the first book, and if you love that, it’s a no-brainer to read Beyond Freedom as well.

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Defenceless Orangutans: A Fifty-Word Story

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Defenceless Orangutans

Screams filled the forest. “It’s getting away!”

“Not on my watch.” Ora swung between tree branches until the perpetrator stood alone in barren land. She leapt forward, slamming her body weight onto its metallic back.

“W-what? It’s invincible.”

The creature jerked its mechanical limbs and flung Ora to the ground.

Links and sources:

Fifty-word story prompt: Chase

Header image: James & Carol Lee

About me: Jeremy Mifsud

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Independence Day

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Independence Day

Patriotic Malta commemorates 54 years

of political independence from foreign bodies.

It was only yesterday that

banknotes slithered their way

into the tongues of ten board members

who sentenced Pembroke to its death.

Mother Nature weeps.

The heaviest rains fall on the concrete island,

where thunderous rumbles shake the earth.

The citizens pound on wooden lids

of the caskets in which they’re buried.

Rainwater seeps in and drowns them

whilst the rich drink champagne

on the thirty-eighth floor.  

This poem is in response to the recent controversial approval of the db Project, right before Independence Day. As citizens, our independence is undermined as our voices are silenced time and time again.

Several NGOs and activists such as Moviment Graffiti and Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent have been on the forefront of protesting similar decisions and fighting for our country. I encourage those living in Malta to support these organisations and never stop voicing our concerns.

A special thank to the INKubator Community for their prompt feedback on this poem.

Links and sources:

More about me: Jeremy Mifsud

Header image source: Verstappen Photography on Unsplash

Related news article: [WATCH] PA board approves 38-storey db Group development

 

Book Review: The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Malachi the Queer, by Damian Jay Clay

Trigger Warning: This review contains elements of sexual assault, depression, suicide attempt and PTSD.

[image error]Book Cover: The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Malachi the Queer by Damian Jay Clay
Description

Malachi is the son of a celebrity Baptist pastor. He’s a genius and a well-behaved Christian boy; all that his parents could ever hope for. However, he no longer believes in god and starts to realise he’s gay. When his father starts suspecting the latter, he sends Malachi to a conversion camp. Although the boy knows his sexuality cannot be changed by reason, he fears that indoctrination might change the person he is. He’d have to find out after the camp was complete.

The Realness

As the story is something a reader must experience on his own, I avoid using spoilers and will focus on other aspects. Malachi is brought to life immediately, with a well-forged character identity. The first few chapters set a clear picture of who Malachi is at home and at school. It also builds the world in which Malachi lives: school, family, religion. Apart from the characters being extremely real, the whole story almost feels like if it were non-fiction; that’s how much the author Damian Jay Clay has succeeded in making me believe this story.

Graphic and Heavy Language

The realness aspect of the story is aided heavily by graphic and emotionally-heavy language. This is especially present in episode of PTSD or sexual assault, which one may feel uncomfortable or distressed while reading. Having said that, I managed to read through the novel (an average of a chapter or two a day) without feeling distressed. I assume that this is partly due to Malachi’s perspective and his strength and resilience. Hence, the author equips the reader with the same resilient and strong mindset of the protagonist.

LGBTQ+ Youth

The book appropriately addresses the dangers that LGBTQ+ youth experience. Many kids experience physical and/or sexual abuse from relatives or religious figures because of their sexual orientation or gender expression. Moreover, this often leads to issues in mental health, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and higher rates of self-harm and suicidal attempts. As harrowing as this sounds, the book grounds these issues in an extremely real story and humane characters.

There are two things this novel could be useful for:

Teens and young adults who are going through similar issues may find a way to cope and fight back during their struggles.
LGBTQ+ or ally individuals will be able to understand a reality beyond their experience. Hence, when we think of what needs to be done in the community, we can empathise and acknowledge suffering that we could currently be blind to.

Summary

This novel deserves the full five-star rating. The author has clearly researched and dove into this novel with his heart and mind and delivered an exceptional novel. The development of the story was consistently intriguing, and the characters were believable. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this story or topic, but caution to put first your mental health and don’t rush through if it may seem distressing.

Sources

Book: The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Malachi the Queer

Book Cover: Goodreads

Book Review: Jeremy Mifsud

Header Photograph: Cristina Gottardi

Header Editing: Jeremy Mifsud

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Wasteful: A Fifty-Word Story

Wasteful

“Mum, can I have that chocolate?”

“No sweetie. That’s your sister’s.” Brad frowned, then scoured the cupboard and settled for gummy worms.

 

After school, the chocolate lay on the table. It was melted once unwrapped. He flung the wrapper at the wall, stormed to his room and slammed the door.

Prompt: Chocolate

Writer: Jeremy Mifsud

Photo: Charisse Kenion on Unsplash

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Book Review: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Spoiler Alert: This review contains some spoilers.

Description

Simon Spier is a sixteen-year old high school student, residing in Shady Creek. Martin, a fellow classmate, tells him that he has screenshots of Simon’s email to Blue which reveal their gay identity. He blackmails Simon in the hopes of getting a date with Abby. At the threat of being outed, Simon worries about his possible relationship with Blue, while he helps out his blackmailer to avoid being outed.

The Story

The story immediately starts off with the blackmailing incident. I found this to be a little disappointing, as there was no setting depicted beforehand. I have no clue on who Simon was or what Shady Creek is about. All I know is that Simon has this secret that he is gay, and that Martin is blackmailing him. For Simon, coming out isn’t as dangerous or that big of a deal, which makes this story different than the more dramatic and cliche story-lines out there.

The rest of the story is somewhat lacklustre, remaining at a surface level. The author’s dedication to diversity, a world where of acceptance and zero-tolerance to bullying portrays a risk of a plateau. Reflecting after reading, the high-school drama (and the blackmail) seemed to be a bigger part of the story than coming out or being a relationship were.

The Trope of Avoiding Tropes

What I admired is that the author has drifted away from the usual stereotypes and clichés. Upon the first chapter, one would expect the story to be very predictable with the blackmail and rampant homophobia, but this is not the case. It’s a great way to show queer people that there are accepting families and friends, and thus it is quite representative of modern societies. It acknowledges that things are harder for some individuals. Yet, that makes the story somewhat unexciting. At the expense of avoiding certain tropes of rejection and character stereotypes, the author ends up on the other spectrum of predictability. The happy-ever-after comes way too easily with seemingly minor obstacles, and thus the ‘climax’ is barely as triumphant as it could have been.

Character Depth

As I mentioned, the story starts immediately with a changed scenario, so we are unable to know the characters beforehand. The question rises to whether it is who they are or whether this is what they are doing due to the situation. Simon, who declares himself as a nosy person, does not give us a lot of perspective of the people around him. As understanding that everyone has their secrets and their lives, it becomes a fault in that we do not really know those around him, almost as if Simon does not know them (or he is too self-centred).

Alternating Chapters

The format of the book is split into two. We get (almost) alternating chapters. The first format is the typical first-person story of Simon. The other is smaller chapters of emails from Simon to the secret identity of Blue and vice-versa. As the emails were exchanged at a slow rate (sometimes days in between), this decision felt a little off. The emails are primarily a source of romanticism and do not give us valuable information. Undeniably, the emails are cute and made me “Awhhh” a couple of times. However, I’m not too in favour of this decision, as it creates a chronological gap between the other chapters.

The secretive Blue as well, seemed to be a weak character, as once revealed, appears to be a different character to how he portrayed his personality in the emails. For Simon, it was the same Blue, but as a reader, I felt that there was a lack of consistency. Blue’s identity was mysterious for the author to be able to mislead us on who the person is; however, that cost us with the lack of excitement upon revealing who he is.

Conclusion

Being indecisive, I am giving a rate of 3.5 stars. The characters were unique and pleasant but lacked a level of depth I’m used to. The story was representative and somewhat unique, up until the cliche climax/ending. Even though the emails were cute and romantic, I would have chosen to integrate them within the other writing, to enhance the temporal effect of the emails on Simon’s life. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant read, with thousands of readers falling in love with it much more than I did. Leah on the Offbeat is a Creekwood sequel, which I am vaguely interested in, but hold myself from

reading due to not loving the author’s writing style.

Note. Whenever teenagers spoke about Tumblr as “The Tumblr”, it made me cringe. It just sounds off.

[image error] Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda’s cover, as taken from Goodreads under the rights of fair use.
Sources

Header Photograph: Cristina Gottardi

Header Editing: Jeremy Mifsud

Book Review: Jeremy Mifsud

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Book Review: The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas
Description

Starr is a 16-year-old African-American from Garden Heights. Her story is unfortunate, yet not uncommon. After a fight breaks out at a party, Khalil, a friend of hers, offers to ride her home. They are stopped by a cop as his tail light isn’t turned on. The situation escalates and ends up in the unwarranted murder of the unarmed Khalil. This is the second time that Starr has witnessed a best friend get murdered. Starr tries to move on with her life amidst the psychological trauma, the fear of injustice and the rioting within their neighbourhood.

Review

The review will contain minor spoilers ahead.

Last year, I have frequently seen this book on lists and giveaways of best books from 2017. I remember that the title and cover spoke out to me and sparked an interest. Upon seeing that the book was being made into a movie, I had to take the opportunity and read it before the story would be spoiled, and I am glad to have embarked on this journey.

Character Authenticity

One of the best aspects of this book was the character development and their authenticity. Each character is unique and has a history that explains their behaviour, motives or emotions, including side characters. The point-of-view that the author writes in is impeccable, as initially, Starr has ideas and constructs about everyone, but through information or experience, she learns to adapt. And as a reader, I got to learn about the other characters through her eyes and was able to feel similar emotions as she did. The characters and setting continued to develop throughout, and not only through their actions, but at times, through her perception, which might have been previously been inaccurate. This adds to the empathy experienced in two ways: empathy towards Starr and empathy towards myself who lived her experiences through her.

Racial Tension

Within Garden Heights, Starr is a well-behaved teen is an outcast, as she attends at Williamson, a private school outside her neighbourhood. She has no interest in attending parties or activities with her peers from Garden Heights, including Kenya, who used to be a much closer friend. On the other hand, at Williamson, she is one of the few black kids and is an outcast once again. However, at Williamson, she never swears, acts politely, and thus, aims to represent the black community in a way that is accepted by other communities. The way she and her siblings have learnt to act around people from outside Garden Heights is now ingrained in her mind, and she automatically behaves in this way at school or around her school friends.

The tension that arises from racial discrimination has affected Starr heavily, as she almost has two distinct personalities. Even with her white boyfriend, Chris, she lets some guard down but is unable to completely act like she does at home. Especially since the cop that had killed Khalil was white, Starr felt unsafe and misunderstood around white people. This even more so when her classmates decided to protest Khalil’s death, only to miss classes, while they still misjudge him. The tension can also be felt as she hides Chris from her family, as especially her dad, Maverick, has always expressed that his children should date other black people. Apart from her personality and her traumas, this racial tension is essential to understanding who Starr is, and not many authors could have succeeded in making readers understand such a struggle. Starr is an authentic character, and practically any reader can identify with her emotions, even though our realities may be different; we can empathise.

Police Brutality

Within the US, amongst other countries, police brutality has been rampant in recent years. The novel gives us a detailed scene of an unjust murder. We get to go back through it as many times as Starr traumatically remembers it. We know what happened. However, everyone around her has their own opinion, and quickly the media starts misconstruing the event. Of course, relatives of the cop are portraying that he was in danger and claiming self-defence, and those within Garden Heights are infuriated and riot for the sake of justice. As eyewitnesses, we know more than most characters and form an opinion on what should happen. Will justice prevail? What will the cop be sentenced to?

We apply this knowledge to the real world and realise that most times, we do not have enough information to judge. Sometimes we do, but with how differently reconstructed the truth is, we can never be too sure if what we are told is factual. Especially when the victim is severely hurt or killed; their side of the story is now gone. People in power, including police and politicians, often have an upper hand in courts, and as a society, we need to tackle this issue in the justice system. The victims and their communities will continue to be alienated unless the discrepancy in justice is removed. The book also brings to light that many communities are oppressed to a point where kids get involved in gangs and crime to help their families survive. Survive! Something that we should consider a basic human right. Yet, their involvement in crime for such a necessary activity gets them into trouble, where a dominant culture reinforces beliefs and continues to profit over the hurt of minorities.

Summary

I rate this book at a 5/5 and I would recommend this book to anyone – especially those who may be alienated from this narrative. This novel’s main strengths can be summarised in three points:

The characters are human. They are real to the extent that we can live through Starr’s eyes, even if we come from a different background.
In addition to the characters, the dialogue is authentic. It contains slang and is not filtered for any specific demographic or publishing opportunity.
It gives us all a chance to reflect upon the reality of our societies and what we could do, as individuals and as a collective, to improve the situation for everyone.



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Rebirth: A Fifty-Word Story

My eyes burn underwater. Diving deeper, I hold my breath. In front of me, a baby floats in his cotton blanket.

I grab him through the sapphire bubbles swirling around him. As we resurface, the child gleams, dissolving into water.

Air fills my lungs; I no longer wish to die.

Prompt: Water

Writer: Jeremy Mifsud

Photo: Ryan Loughlin on Unsplash


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