efram's reviews
167 reviews

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

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4.0

Norwegian Wood's rate of four stars determines my strong, wary, and attentive recommendation of the novel. The writing's superb as expected of Murakami but the story line and plot progression might caught you off guard if you're into magical realism and the like. I will highly-recommend it to those readers who are currently experiencing existential crisis as this book is such a good company for it will make you felt understood and valued.

The novel's strengths are its dreamlike writing technique – the author was known for his dreamlike story line but in this book, it was the writing style and not the plot - exquisite depiction of Japanese culture - suicide and its underlying causes. While the book is nostalgia, it still has various weaknesses: first are its lesser characterizations of women, second’s irrelevant reference of music, and lastly, unsettling plot progression.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

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5.0

Start With Why's rate of perfect five stars determines my high-recommendation of the book to every person - reader or not. The lessons and concepts explained here are truly beneficial for an individual's success and I think that every person aims to become successful.

The strengths of the book are its exquisite usage of individual success to solidify the overall concept, pleasant and straightforward writing technique - making the reading experience an enjoyable act, and brilliant demonstration of an outcome caused when a Why goes fuzzy. Its weakness is its inadequate frequency of experiences and examples. Though to instill an idea it must be recurring, I felt that there should be more added examples. All in all, this one's a brilliant read!
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

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3.0

Bridge to Terabithia's rate of three stars represents my wary and thoughtful recommendation for the book. I will recommend it to children having difficulty valuing friendships and to the imaginative ones who delights with magical kingdom and the likes. But be wary because the story is unlike most children's books with fairy tales and happy ever after endings. This might cause mental disturbance for a young and innocent child.

The strengths of the book are the magnificent parallelism of the two main characters, charming life perceptions, lovely imagination, and the impressive twist of events that will catch you off guard, as exactly as how reality occurs. While the weaknesses lie in its negligent usage of words and the weak dramatic emphasis of a monumental scene. The climax part appeared abrupt and insignificant due to its weak exposition.
The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness by Jonas Salzgeber

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5.0

The Little Book of Stoicism's rate of perfect five stars boasts how highly my recommendation of the book is. In a generation of distracted, disturbed, and depressed, a book like this will surely come handy. Also, if you're someone who seeks to delve and comprehend the complex philosophy of Stoicism in the simplest manner, this book will be of your liking. Timeless wisdom explained through the most timely and relevant ways.

The strength of the book is its accomplished association of the principles, historical figures, concepts, and fundamentals that concerns stoic philosophy. In which conveyed in the simplest manner by using accessible words and relevant situations making the reader ponder before turning a page. Its weakness lies with the author's credibility. Because he self-published the book at such a young age, his lack of experience questions his wisdom.
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Francesc Miralles, Héctor García Puigcerver

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5.0

Ikigai's rate of perfect five stars displays how I will highly recommend it to each and every person I know whether the person is a reader or not. Determining our value in life is a question that most people will never grasp. With the help of this book, we might gain the slightest idea of how to fulfill an undefined purpose. A great number of today's generation are discontented with their life, this book might come beneficial for them.

The book's strength is its monumental shifting of perspective. Making a person determine what he loves, what he's good at, what he can be paid for, and what the world needs is valuable for the distracted and misplaced people of this generation. Interconnecting them all to find your Ikigai will lead to the realization of what's important for you and what's your value in life. Disinterest in Japanese culture is its weakness.
Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan by Bob Ong

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2.0

Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan's rate of two stars might appear disheartening to most. The elevation of horror was brilliantly induced that I felt a sense of greatness with how the book was written. It started superb but ended plainly. I will recommend this to readers exploring the depths of horror. I am quite sure that this will become a great read for them. I won't recommend this to readers with depth background to thrillers and horrors.

The strengths of the novel are its page-turning writing style - entries, if brilliantly used, will always generate curiosity, unexpected arrival of a deeper conflict, and vivid imagery. Due to its equalized writing and visual effects, a reader will most likely become absorbed by the story line. in spite of exquisite harmony, there is one thing that hacked its totality - plot. It portrayed a usual horror plot making the experience seem dull.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

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5.0

Man’s Search for Meaning's rate of perfect five stars displays my enthusiastic desire to recommend this book to every person - reader or not. This generation, my generation is currently in a state of confusion, everybody's trying to blend in, wanting to become more likable, following the path of the majority without even trying to analyze one's own existence. This book will make one realize that every meaning is unique; follow your own why.

The strengths of the book are its pleasant and engaging writing technique, vivid and authentic representation of the events in the camp, reliable and trustworthy lessons as he associated the experiences of his colleagues and everyone around the camp with his own professional method – logotherapy, Frankl's analysis of meaning truly transformational. Probably, the only weakness the book has is its repetitive usage of data and life experiences.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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3.0

Never Let Me Go's rate of three stars portrays my cautious and restrained recommendation of the novel. The story will start as engaging as an anime, will transition into an author's special touch, and will end with a brilliant question. My high recommendation is for young adult readers who desire a more scientific twist - something new. I will totally not recommend this to children and also to those readers who are impatient.

The strengths of the book are its decent and comfortable writing technique, diversified characterization, an underlying truth reflecting the modern society, and the exquisite usage of a thought-generating conclusion. While its weakness are its lengthy and quite irrelevant passages employing sensual scenes to further fulfill existence value and the abrupt and truly inadequate emphasis on the argument that formed its brilliance.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

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5.0

The Kite Runner's rate of radiant five stars displays my high regards for its totality. I will strongly recommend this to everyone - reader or not. This will absolutely make you value your existence more. Also, I believe that the morals of the story will be truly effective to those who are under the thought that they can never bounce back from a mistake, consumed with the idea that redemption is hopeless and useless.

The strengths of the book are its nostalgic and engaging writing technique, authenticity of the plot - the conflict of Afghanistan with the Taliban is still an ongoing issue that requires a peaceful resolution, transformative moral lesson, accomplished usage of symbolism, and exquisitely-woven twists of events that will catch you off guard. Regarding weakness, there are books that I find flawless, this belongs to the list.
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

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5.0

The 48 Laws of Power's rate of absolute five stars displays my strong but attentive recommendation for the book. It is unwise to let the naive and feeble-minded ones read and absorb some of the lessons tackled within this book. I will recommend it to graduating college students for they are the ones currently in transition to face the reality and cruelty of the real world. Also, some of the lessons can be very valuable in work.

The strengths of the book are its timelessness for each law can still be observed and being put into practice, magnificent story-telling - each laws containing entertaining fables, engaging short stories, and historical passages, and the intelligence of writing their reversals. In regards with its weaknesses: unethical and unrighteous. This book is a great arsenal for the real world but too much of these - abominable.