BOOK REVIEW: Hanggang Wakas

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TITLE: Hanggang Wakas

AUTHOR: Angela Pangilinan

FROM: My Special Valentine

PAGES: 96

RELEASED: 2013

Sa paniniwala ni Louise, malapit nang magunaw ang mundo. Kaya bago pa iyon mangyari, she decided to spend her so-called last grandest vacation of her life sa bayan ng Pagudpud, ang pinakadulong lugar sa itaas na bahagi ng Pilipinas.


Ngunit sa kanyang pag-e-enjoy sa white sand beaches sa nabanggit na bayan ay lagi niyang nakikita ang isang guwapong lalaki. Saanman siya pumunta ay di-sinasadyang nagkikita sila ng estranghero. Like it was destiny.


Dahil doon, hindi na naiwasang maging magkaibigan sila. And then, their relationship grew and went beyond friendship. Ngunit hindi niya ito maaaring mahalin. Hindi na magtatagal ang mundo. Lahat ay mapaparam sa takdang panahon—gaya ng pag-ibig.

ANG MGA NAGUSTUHAN KO:

• The story was set in the year 2012, kung saan naniniwala ang marami na magwawakas na ang mundo. Napaka-creative lang ng writer to create a romantic novel out of that theme.
• At first, wala akong inasahang kakaiba sa nobelang ito. As in totally wala! Akala ko, light reading lang ang magiging takbo ng kuwento. But then, BOOM! May twist pala. Totally shocking!
• Noong  una, medyo na-wirduhan lang ako sa  paniniwala ng heroine na si Louise Rae Menezes magwawakas na ang  mundo. Sabi ko pa nga, “Adik lang, girl? Naka-drugs ka ba, 'teh?” Yun pala, may malalim na rason ang paniniwala niyang iyon. Hence, the twist I mentioned earlier.
• Gamit na gamit ang lahat ng characters dito para mag-progress ang story. Even a mere farmer or the receptionist of the resort have their own purpose in advancing the plot. As in, purposeful ang lahat ng mga characters dito and that they weren’t in the novel for nothing. Ito  ang isa sa strong points ng nobela.
• Gusto ko rin yung the way na ipinakilala nila ang pangalan ng isa’t-isa. Ang cool lang ng pangalan ng  hero at ng heroine dahil magkatunog na  magkatunog. Hero’s name is Lewis Rey Meneses while heroine’s name is Louise Rae Menezes. Louise is a calendar painter while Rey is a doctor.
• This book was set in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, and nearby towns.  Nagmukhang travelogue ang book na  ito dahil detailed ang  pagkaka-describe ng writer sa mga lugar na pinasyalan nina Louise and Rey. Para bang kasama ako sa  pamamasyal ng dalawa dahil sa pagkaka-describe ng writer. At may sipa ng kilig scenes sa bawat lugar na  puntahan nila.
• Love scenes in this novel are  everywhere na siyang ikinasiya ko. There are at least three (3) love scenes here I guess, and they were written and executed in a hot, sexy, and yet in a classy  manner.

With her caresses, she instigated  into him a stronger urge to show his pure love with a heated passion. She was amazed when he touched her precious jewel teasingly. He arched a little higher and she was surprised  when he entered her. She could feel his hardness battling its way into her center. (pg. 76)

• Ang iba rin sa nobelang  ito,  hindi gaanong masama ang ka-love triangle na si Troy, unlike sa karamihan kong nababasa. Pero hindi man siya one of the bad guys, naging threat pa rin siya sa pag-iibigan nina Louise at Rey. Troy loved Louise just as much as the hero, Rey, loved her. Kung  ako si Louise, mahihirapan ako nang bongga kung sino ang pipiliin...  haha.
• Last two chapters are cliffhangers. Talagang mapapaisip ka kung sino ang papakasalan ni Louise... I do not  reveal much about the plot of this book as this was full of twist na  maienjoy  mo kung ikaw ang tutuklas noon sa sarili mo. So better grab a copy of this book! J

MAS MAGANDA SANA ITO KUNG...

• Plot-wise, this novel  is really good and worth reading. Ang kulang lang siguro, characterization ng bawat tauhan ng nobela  to make them more human.
• Ang dating kasi, umaakto lang ang characters ayon sa hinihingi sa kanila ng kuwento, pero outside the story, hindi mo alam kung ano sila. Do you get my point? I hope so.
• Ayon, sana bigyan ng quirks, mannerisms ang characters para magmukha talaga silang totoong tao. So, this novel was more of a plot-driven than  character-driven. But over-all reading this book is a  whole lot of fun. Marami ring surprises along the chapters.

RATING:  4 STARS  ★ ★★ ★☆