Gantung by Nadia Khan | Book Review

September 20, 2017


Wow, I am impressed with myself! A book review in a day or two? 
YESSS, I am 'enjoying' my jobless phase! :D
Padahal sebenarnya secara tiba-tiba jumlah buku meningkat hampir ke paras lutut dan saya sepatutnya dah start study balik ni ha T_T

Front cover

Title: Gantung
Author: Nadia Khan
Pages: 293
Publisher: Buku Fixi
Publication Date: 2013
Synopsis:
The story is set in a school - elite high school, among 16-17-year-old teenagers who are enjoying the last two years of school phase. It is about 4 boys - Gibbs, Ray, Troll, KJ and few others like Fara, Deepa, Jeremy, Lina plus Cikgu, Khalil etc. 

Back cover.

Those famous 4 boys are ruling the school, with their own 'specialties' they do whatever they want. Gibbs is offered to be Ketua Pelajar, due to his academics, family background, good look (full package maybe) and he even won the highest vote. But he is being Gibbs with his naughty gang, of course he rejected the offer which finally received by Fara, a girl who looks strict and 'budak skema'. 

They are living a very open lifestyle (I even wonder do schools with such loose rules exist?) and they are exposed and doing all those 18+ stuffs even at school. Things happen when Fara & Deepa come into their life. Like a triangle love, Gibbs likes Fara while Deepa is head over heels to Gibbs. Something happens to Deepa and she ends up hanging herself. And all the mystery scenes get worse. 

There are like two different stories and two different dimensions in this novel, read it to know how all of them related. Jeng jeng jeng. 

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1. Musketeer Code - no "all for one", just "one for all"
I know things like this happen in real life - especially after listening to stories from friends on how sad and angry they feel to meet so many out-of-marriage pregnancies and teen pregnancies in the hospital. 

The destroying code.

Can't deny that teenagers nowadays are too much exposed to adulthood, when everyone was so innocent back then. With the presence of technologies, which people misuse - that makes the situation even worse. 

One night stand? Phew

Parents are getting busy with their work (which I am honestly afraid of this), it is not that they want to ignore their kids, but the situation I mean the economy nowadays needs them to work even harder. It does not rule out the fact that there are also some people who really jeopardize their family with their bad habits, bad preferences, bad attitudes, immature lifestyle. Just look at the current divorce rate. T_T

2. Happy, satisfying dream. 
At the end of the day, most people who enjoyed their adolescence phase in a different way... want a happy ending - a good career, a nice, understanding partner, behaved kids - a happy family.

"Nak ada bahan cerita untuk anak-anak."

Yes, I agree to some point that they want to create memories for themselves. Even, I am also collecting memories to be shared with my family, even my future family.  Another yes, I used to have a 'skema' high school life when my days and nights were spent on books, studying and stuffs like that. My lifestyle changed after that. I started trying new things but a point to ponder - always weigh the pros and cons before we do something. ALWAYS. Don't ever do things that Allah and our parents would not like or disappoint them (in this particular point - bless). 

We know our own parents, these things vary. 

That's the function of a belief and when the religion comes into place.  

People makes mistakes anyway, but have we try to avoid doing them?

3. The triumph of evil.
Yes, just like how we used to hear, "syaitan memang suka hasut benda-benda yang haram ni". As long as we are doing the right things, we are always exposed to satan's voices. 




This part is very true.

+ "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- "Good men. Were we ever good men, Ray?"
+ "We can still be..."

People (even me included) tend to ignore the problems around us just because we claim that 'we are not good enough to advice others'. I still have this thought somehow. But.... if we delay, the problem may worsen. And we can never be perfect. Never. 


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This book has a very good plot and lots of moral values if the readers read it not just for fun. The friendship, family, love. There are some plot twists everywhere until I am confused what happen actually. The author mixed well the dimensions and readers really need to focus and not skipping any parts so that we can understand who is who and when is when. 

Just, I think I am still conservative in this relationship thingy - too tired and annoyed with how easy teenagers in this novel get involved with those intimate stuffs. Life and relationships are not always for fun, guys. There are always responsibilities tagging along. 

I am glad when I know there is Gantung: 2. Phew, I need to know what happen to other characters as well. 

My rating: ★★★★☆

SS, Perak, Malaysia
170920

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