Remedy: A Somewhat Rave Review

It’s so rare to see me writing a review on my blog, what with my constant(?) update on Goodreads. Wkwk. But there’re several reasons as to why I turn the tide a bit: 1) I have a lot of things to say—which can still be managed on Goodreads, but yeah, it seems that blogspot has an easier way to contain such longer posts; 2) I would also like to talk about some input I’ve got so far—be it from others’ influence or my own opinion, and this might end up in a kind of heart-to-heart talking, so I think blog entry would be more comfortable and on point; 3) Navin!! Tania!! The famous chapter 18 that made my heart went uwuwuwu!! I just can’t! This world has done me justice, y’all. (ง ° ͜ ʖ °)ง 

i'm sorry the quality isn't that good; i'm too lazy to take pictures outside (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

First thing first, I would like to highlight some things before we go to the rave review. As a reader who enjoys so many good stories, I still believe that “language and literature are something arbitrary”. Thus, literally no one knows how to write a novel in an exact formula, like how natural science works (lmao); because in the end, it will also depend on the readers. (But I still do care about grammar, and this isn’t because I learn it by myself, just that… I took the class for four semesters straight, and all of them are compulsory, so. ╭( ･ㅂ･)و (*＾∀ﾟ)ъ)

Second, I might give an impression as if I like heavy-themed novels or at least speculative novels, but believe me, during 2018 alone I’ve spent a lot of time reading fluffy, light stories which never cease to make me going UwU to the point where I don’t even know how to move on anymore. (Even a scene where the MC gives a finger-heart already makes me blushing so hard; and it’s not even for me; lmao. xD) So, just for this once, to anyone who got that false impression, please note that I can also enjoy contemporary stories with sweet, fluffy, and adorable scenes. :3

So, let’s get started! (ﾉ≧ڡ≦)

The thing that I love the most from Biondy Alfian’s Remedy is that how Navin is portrayed as a soft boy. I was expecting him to go biohazard towards Tania since she knew his little secret, but he’s actually not. Some people might see this trait as if he’s not manly enough as a male species, yet to me he’s proven to be a well-mannered human being who solves things not just through violence, but also through kindness and sweetness. (Well, he went biohazard at first, though the next day he corrected his behavior and went for a more tolerable alternative.)

He’s a friend to Tania, and he never forces his will if the other party doesn’t want him to. Of course there’re some prices to pay; for instance Navin doesn’t want to spill his secret that fast, which is understandable and Tania seems to accept it well.

This kind of character is rare, I guess? I compare this book with Colleen Hoover’s novel and it still features a bad boy that many have considered creepy, yet the MC is just going lovey dovey without being suspicious at all. On the other hand, here, Navin is portrayed as someone so amiable and good-natured. So, it can be concluded that he is one of the good representations that needs to be done more often.

The second character I love the most is absolutely Viki. If there’s one word to describe her, it’s “radiant”. She’s different from most characters that share the same trait/trope with her. She literally has a feeling for Navin, and she likes to dress up. Tania even despised Viki’s hobby to wear make up at first; but later on this hobby is so beneficial for their friendship development.

She doesn’t try to be the usual little minx who gets in the MC’s way so that they won’t be with their love interests. Instead, she just acts like herself and doesn’t disrupt anyone. She’s also proven herself to be capable of doing so many things; e.g. becoming a responsible committee, a dedicated make up artist, and a good friend.

She’s definitely a very good example compared to those mean female characters out there whose role is just to be bitches and wouldn’t get the boy from the very first start and have to wait until the MC appears; lmao smfh.

Somehow, she reminds me a bit of Quinn Kelly and Michelle Nguyen from Endless Summer. They’re beautiful, they look like they only know how to dress up; but they’re quite capable of handling survival skills, and Michelle even has a dream to attend a medical school to become a surgeon. This kind of character, Viki included, adds more depth to the characteristic rather than just what appears on the surface (their respectively physical attraction that’s usually associated with bad, tend-to-be-ridiculous intention).

The next thing that I’d like to point out is Navin’s reason of getting depressed. (This is a mild spoiler since in the beginning there’s already a scene in which Navin seems to consult his problem with a counselor or psychiatrist.) The reason is soooo simple to the point where it might baffle me, for a second?? But once I managed to collect myself and see the reason from a realistic fiction perspective, I understand that this thing is possible. It happens a lot of time. People getting depressed for simple reasons. They might never be able to get the things they want the most. And to top it off, others often consider their reason as something “small” and unimportant. Like it’s easy to dismiss the reason, while it’s actually not. It’s hard for the survivor, let alone dealing with the constant judgment.

So. Is there anything I should elaborate more? :3

Lastly, the so-called short chapters.

I’ve been wanting to talk about this matter for a lot longer but I hold myself back because, mood? ╰(*´︶`*)╯

Anyway, this novel makes me realize that not all short chapters work for all readers. Again, it depends on them. I could read a 12k words fan fiction for just two hours, and it mostly talks about the time-traveling experience of the MC rather than their love story. It doesn’t bore me to death. I’m actually sure I would be okay if the author chose to talk shit about other scifi stuffs for another 12k words, even when it doesn’t have plot, lmao.

Why? Because I get invested in the world-building, I guess. Or the way the author delivers the story. Or maybe because the language is sophisticated. Or maybe, even when it’s hella long, the pace is quite manageable to follow, so there’s that. (ง ° ͜ ʖ °)ง

With Remedy, however, it’s just hard to feel engaged with the pace and the characters’ progress. It felt so fast in the beginning, but it was getting slower and even slower from the middle to the end. I could see the plot is woven proportionally, and the ending didn’t rush, nor that there was something missing from the characters. (Meaning that the foreshadowing is hidden pretty well, too; despite me knowing it on page 112-115.) But, the fact that I simply couldn’t enjoy the reading journey because I took too long to finish a chapter bothers me. This set of short chapters didn’t work with my brain, and I feel a deep regret towards it(?).

Or, more like a deep regret towards whoever believes that only short chapters can engage gazillion readers because certainly this isn’t astrophysics where you could measure things with absolute certainty; lmao smfh. I hope I won’t lose any more brain cells after realizing this. ლ（╹ε╹ლ）

I’ve seen longer fics in which each chapter can contain 5k-8k words, and the words flow so effortlessly as if the authors didn’t even try. So, really, the exact measurement of captivating-chapters is as bizarre as this universe (this; you can measure like astrophysics). A chapter can be short and engage the readers or not; a chapter might be as long as a railway and it’s still addictive to whoever finds enjoyment and beauty through the exceptional words. How would you know? How would you set the exact rules? No one literally has an idea towards this and that’s okay. The only thing to do is to keep writing and learning; and just fuck the writing rules and hoping the books write themselves; lmao.

Once again, literature is arbitrary, and I’d like to think that not all stories would fall into certain categories. Sure, there’re novels with questionable logic and bazillion grammatical errors that make some lose their brain cells again and again (poor readers, they need those for college lmao). But the experience will be different from one person to another; and it’s normal to see people enjoy or not enjoy something. That’s just how the arbitrary part works, I suppose. :3

All in all, this rave review has gone from general discussion to various personal beliefs; but I hope you found this enjoyable and beneficial. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

See you in the next blog post! ^3^

P.S.: I forgot to include that famous chapter 18, but I think I’ve said all the things  that I want. So  (っ´▽`)っ

P.S.S.: I want to include some heart-finger otps sooooo bad, but I decided not to because, mood. ┐(´∀｀)┌ლ（╹ε╹ლ）Oh, but if you have read my review, you might have  known.  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)