Book: Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

★★★¹⁄₂/★★★★★

“When I look at him I feel dismayed as I always do at how normal he looks, because surely there should be something--pointed ears or a pair of horns--to warn people of his evilness.”

 It's been a while since I last read a good thriller so after reading good reviews of Behind Closed Door I decided to pick it up. While this one is a page turner, I didn't find it as thrilling as I was promised. There's a bit of suspense, yes, but I wasn't surprised to see how things turned out because I pretty much expected everything from the start.

 Behind Closed Doors is told from Grace's POV, alternating between the past and the present which I think helps building what little suspense the book has because you just can't wait to know what happens next. Regarding the main characters, Jack and Grace both succeeded in making me feel anxious but Jack, oh my god I'd kill him for Grace if only I could! Right from the beginning I already felt that there's something off about him, about how perfect he is. Yes, he's a gentleman and he's nice and he treats Grace and Millie well (this is before they got married) but there's just something about him that makes me wary. Sure enough when the story starts to unfold we see Jack's true self. And honestly, I was hoping for him to turn out to be this sadistic awful guy just to prove me right and well, I was right. Grace, on the other hand, made me want to scream out of frustration. She was so helpless I wanted to just hug her and help her kill Jack! Sometimes I tried putting myself in her position and well, I'm not sure if I can be as resilient as her. And thinking how Jack can easily punish her for trying to escape or doing something wrong, I can't blame her for submitting to him that easily after all. But her love for Millie, her sister with Down Syndrome, kept her going and that's what saved her.

This book also reminds me so much of the book Safe Haven with Grace as Katie. Katie ran away from his sadistic husband in Safe Haven but in this book Grace wasn't able to run away but dealt with her husband in a different (but deserved) way.

Another issue I had with this book was that it took me a while to finally enjoy it. I wasn't initially attached to it, just waiting for something to happen, for the twist to happen but even then I wasn't hooked. I mean, maybe because I already figured out Jack from the beginning because come on, he's too good to be true! So I waited some more and soon, about halfway through the book, things began to get more interesting. And have I told you that I loved Esther? Because she's nosy and it helped!

Overall, I think you just have to be patient with this book and even though you want to strangle Jack yourself, again, be patient. Because I think that's the best part of this book, seeing Jack's end! Seeing it unfold is so satisfying you would want to congratulate Grace no matter how wrong it was! 

There's a new B.A. Paris book The Breakdown but I'm not eager to read that one. Maybe some time soon.

Book: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

★★★★/★★★★★

“She wasn't exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right here and now, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way.”

 My third Nicholas Sparks book and like the first two, I loved it. I've actually watched the movie before but that didn't make me less excited on reading the book. In fact, finishing the book made me love it even more. And I don't think Sparks can write a book I wouldn't like.

When I hear of Nicholas Sparks, the first thing that comes to mind is a romantic story. And then heartbreaking moments and life lessons and cheesy love quotes. But Safe Haven also has a touch of mystery and suspense which made it more engrossing.

The story tells the story of Katie who is running away from her abusive husband, Kevin. Katie and Kevin started off with a good marriage but as time went on, Kevin began to hit her. It went on for years until Katie started planning her escape. She wanted to leave him, she wanted it to stop, so when an opportunity presented itself, she grabbed it. Now she's in Southport, North Carolina trying to live a new life as a waitress. She works to earn money in case she needs to run away again. Enter Alex, a local store owner, and his two kids, Kristen and Josh. Katie regularly visits the store for her needs and after a while finds herself warming up with Kristen and Josh, and eventually to Alex. From there they form a beautiful friendship that soon blossoms into something more. On the other hand, Kevin hasn't given up on finding Katie, or more exactly, Erin, after she left him. He's a mess without Erin so when a new information that is helpful on finding Erin appears before him, he decided he'll take Erin back no matter what.

 I loved that Katie is a strong character. She endured Kevin for so long, hiding all the pain inside. I can't imagine how hard it must be for her but good thing she found a way out. She's brave and kind and I liked that she found Alex. At first she doesn't let her guard down, keeping her distance from others but with Alex and his kids, she finds comfort, she finds a safe haven in them. Then at one point she realizes that she's staring to live and be happy again and though she's still scared that Kevin could find her anytime, she decided to take a risk, to stay and start a new life with Alex, Kristen and Josh.

“‎When she looked up at him, it was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever.”

Alex, for me, is the perfect husband/father. I mean, he's kind and responsible and sweet and everything! He's actually too good to be true but I want to believe that somewhere, somehow, there are really men like him. He makes Katie feel safe, he makes Josh and Kristen feel safe. He takes care of everyone he loves and I think I want to marry him. Lol. And Josh Duhamel portraying his character in the movie just made him a hundred times more perfect! Josh and Kristen are also sweethearts. And Jo, she's an angel. I mean, she guides and makes sure Katie ends up with Alex. Katie found a friend in her and I'm sure I would've cried a lot reading about Jo if I ever didn't see the movie. Because the twist in her part is unpredictable.

“I truly believe that while love can hurt, love can also heal…”

Kevin is the only thing I hated in this book. He is abusive and crazy and a monster. I was also actually reading This Savage Song and A Monster Calls the time I was reading this and given that TSS and AMC had actual monsters in them, I believe that in this book Kevin is the monster.

The plot, the writing and the characters are all perfect. There are also a lot of twists in this book and though I already knew what happened next, I still can't help but get thrilled. Overall it was a good romantic suspense. A fast-paced story that will surely get you emotionally attached.

KDrama: W - Two Worlds 2016

Main Characters: 

Lee Jong suk as Kang Chul

Han Hyo joo as Oh Yeon joo

Jung Yoo jin as Yoon So hee  

Lee Tae hwan as Seo Do yoon

Kim Eiu sung as Oh Sung moo

 I know I've told you this a million times before but Lee Jong suk is the love of my life. I've loved him since I first watched School 2013 and now I just can't stop liking him more and more. And imagine my surprise when I found out that he was shooting a drama with Han Hyo joo who I also love. They make a perfect couple and how I wish we see more of them! 

W - Two Worlds revolves around Oh Yeon joo, a second year resident doctor at Myung Sei Hospital and daughter of Oh Sung moo, the famous artist who created the webtoon series W, and Kang Chul a gold medalist in Shooting and the lead character of the webtoon series W. Chul's family was murdered 10 years ago and now he's working to capture the killer. Yeon joo and Chul's lives get tangled together when Yeon joo is pulled inside the webtoon while looking for her father who mysteriously disappeared after drawing the last episode of W.

* * * * *
Inside her father's office, while Yeon joo is looking for a clue on where her father might disappear to, she sees how Sung moo is planning on ending W and feels sad about it because she and everyone else wants the lead character, Kang Chul to have a happy ending but instead, Sung moo is killing Kang Chul in the last episode. Then, while she's busy looking around, a bloody hand just suddenly reached out and dragged her inside her father's monitor. Next thing she knew, she's saving a dying man on some hotel's rooftop.

 At first, Yeon joo didn't know the man she just saved but when a man told another that the dying man is actually their president, Kang Chul, Yeon joo starts to get confused. Then she locked eyes with Kang Chul and before she can think of anything else, a "To be continued..." sign appears and she is back inside her father's office. To her surprise, everything that happened in the rooftop is now drawn in the new episode of W and what's crazier is that a new character named Yeon joo is also added in the series. And only she knows that what happened in the webtoon actually happened and the new character is actually her.

Inside the webtoon, Chul is still recovering in the hospital and he starts to ask questions about Yeon joo but since she doesn't live in the webtoon, they can't find anything about her. His secretary and friend, So hee, tells her that the police thinks Yeon joo is the main suspect since she just suddenly disappeared in the rooftop before they can get her statement. His personal bodyguard, Do yoon, also becomes curious as to why he's so eager on finding Yeon joo but all he tells them is that she's the key to his life.

 In the real world, Sung moo is back and Yeon joo tries to ask him what happened to him and why he suddenly changed his plan of ending W. Sung moo tells her that his plan hasn't changed that this time he's actually ending it because he's so sick of it. Yeon joo also senses something different in her father but doesn't say anything about it. After she leaves, Sung moo goes back to his work, asking Su bong, his assistant, to research about a poison that's easily found in a hospital. Back in Chul's world, he's fast asleep in the hospital when a nurse enters his room. The nurse is about to inject something in his IV when Yeon joo suddenly shows up. It turns out that Sung moo plans on killing Chul again by poisoning him. When Yeon joo explains that the nurse is trying to poison him , the nurse runs away making Chul's men chase after her. Naturally, Chul wonders how Yeon joo knew about it but she smoothly lies by telling him she was passing by when she saw the suspicious nurse. Then she tries to sneak away but Chul grabs onto her, saying "Oh Yeon joo-sshi, we finally meet." when he sees her name on her lab gown. Chul also has a lot of questions to her but Yeon joo tells him she'll answer them next time. So Chul lets her go but made her promise to answer his questions the next time they meet. He then gets her number and sends her on her way. 

Fast forward to when Chul finally gets out of the hospital, that's two months later but to Yeon joo, who is still inside the webtoon, it was only half an hour or so. And as agreed, Chul contacts her and demands they meet. Chul finds her outside the hospital where she sat just a while ago and wearing the same exact clothes two months ago. (That's really confusing, right? Haha. It's because the time inside the webtoon is much slower than the time in the read world.) Noticing that she's wearing the same clothes, Chul buys her new clothes and while they're at it, Yeon joo thinks of a way how to get back to the real world. She realizes that in webtoons, the hero should experience something significant or shocking for an episode to end. So she marches straight into Chul and slaps him, hard, thinking it should surprise Chul enough. But no, it didn't. Instead, it makes Chul voice out his thought that it's what he gets after buying her expensive clothes. Seeing that it didn't work out, Yeon joo tries the next thing than comes to mind. She kisses him and of course, it works.

Back to the real world, Yeon joo is gone for only half an hour and she's not so thrilled to see that what happened between her and Chul is drawn in the new episode of W again. And this time, she's sure that Chul is real and that his world is real too. She then calls her father to tell him about it, saying he must not kill Kang Chul because it's not right. But Sung moo is enraged to see what just happened inside the webtoon and firmly tells her that he's really ending W this time. Sung moo already disbanded his team and goes to a motel to work on the last episode on his own. 

Chul, now more curious where Yeon joo has disappeared to, is driving away from the clothing store when a truck drives directly towards him. He notices that the windows and license plate are all blacked out and seconds before the impact, everything around him freezes expect him. Sung moo, who is drawing everything in the real world seems satisfied with it but to his surprise, his drawing just suddenly begin to erase itself. He tries to draw again but nothing happens. Back to Kang Chul, everything is still frozen and realizing what's happening now, he swerves hard, avoiding the truck and phew he's saved. He then gets out of his car, looks up the sky and asks, "Who the hell are you?" surprising his creator, Sung moo.

The story continues as Yeon joo keeps on getting dragged back inside the webtoon, much longer this time, and soon things start to change. Kang Chul also desperately wants to find out where Yeon joo came from so he keeps her close to him. And eventually they start to get closer than intended, falling for each other. 

 *I really liked this scene because this is when Chul is away and he calls Yeon joo to check on her and Yeon joo realizes that by then even Chul's voice could make her heart flutter. Before hanging up Chul tells Yeon joo that she can go home whenever she feels like telling him the truth and attempting one more time, she tries surprising him again, thinking it would cause a change in emotion, and tells him, "I love you!" but of course, it doesn't work. Lol. What's more charming is that when they hang up, Yeon joo feels mortified but Chul is smiling, saying "If I hear it one more time, I might be shaken,"*

At some point, Yeon joo has no choice but to tell Kang Chul about where she really came from. Chul tells her it's okay, that he'll understand whatever she's trying to say so she tells him the truth and as expected, it shocked him to find out that he's just a character from some webtoon. Then next thing we see, Chul is coming out of the webtoon to the real world via screen monitor. 

 *The truth shocks Chul quite a lot so it makes the To be continued... sign appear, making Yeon joo disappear.

Once he's out in the real world, he finally understands what Yeon joo was telling him when he sees his face being advertise everywhere. He sees the posters of the famous W and wanting to confirm it, he buys a copy and read it himself.

 

 Everything changes again when Chul finally found out the truth about his world, that everyone is just made up and nothing is real. But of course for him it's very real and everything and everyone is important to him. It angers him so then he decided to confront his creator, Sung moo, and find out why Sung moo created him in the first place if he's just going to make his life miserable.They have quite a talk and Chul ends up shooting Sung moo.

After recovering from Chul's shot, Sung moo finally decided to end the webtoon the way it's supposed to, by letting Chul capture the man who killed his family. Chul also thinks of a way how to continue his life inside the webtoon without compromising his relationship with Yeon joo. He then comes up with a plan with the help of Sung moo and Yeon joo but at some point other variables keep on changing and just when they think it'll be okay then, they get themselves new villains.

People from the two worlds soon become aware of how real both worlds are and the villains from the webtoon eventually find out about Sung moo's tablet, which is the portal between the two worlds. Chul and Yeon joo also struggle with their relationship and it doesn't help that some turn of events leave them no choice but to do things they don't really want to do. It's heartbreaking at some point and this is why I love this drama!

* * * * *

I REALLY love this series because it's refreshing and very unpredictable! The casts are amazing and the story just keeps on getting better the more you watch. You can say I'm a little biased here but you can't deny the fact that Lee Jong suk and Han Hyo joo are great actors!

I want to tell you everything about this drama but it's better if you just watch it yourself! I promise you'll love it because there's really no reason not to! It's a great drama with a touch of suspense, fantasy and romance, oh my god the romance! It 's funny and heartbreaking and trilling and just beautiful!

♥

Movie: Train to Busan 2016

★★★★/★★★★★

Main Characters:

Gong Yoo as Seok woo

Kim Su an as Su an

Jung Yu mi as Sung Kyeong

Ma Dong seok as Sang hwa

Ahn So hee as Jin hee

Choi Woo shik as Young guk

Kim Eui sung as Yong suk

Director: Yeon Sang ho

 Synopsis from Asianwiki:

Seok woo (Gong Yoo) is a fund manager in Seoul. He is separated from his wife and lives with his daughter Su an (Kim Su an). Seok woo doesn't spend much time with his daughter or show affection to her. On the night before Su An's birthday, Su an insists on seeing her mother for her birthday. Seok woo has no other choice, but to take her to Busan. Early the next morning, they board the KTX train for Busan at Seoul Station.

Before the KTX train leaves Seoul Station, a zombie like girl jumps onto the train. The girl is infected with a horrific virus that is spreading like wildfire. Seok woo, Su an and the other passengers on the KTX train must now fight for their lives. 

***

Like everyone else, I was excited when I found out that Train to Busan will be shown in theaters here in Philippines. I'm a big fan of zombie movies and watching one in a big screen always always excites me! So, in this movie we have zombies, an exciting-thrilling setting which is a train full of passengers and of course, our handsome lead actor Gong Yoo and the other characters. 

The movie starts off a little dramatic with Seok woo and Su an trying to work out their estranged father-daughter relationship. But as they travel to Busan aboard a train full of zombies with other passengers who are also tyring to survive, Seok woo and Su an become closer and they get to learn a thing or two from each other. While Seok woo's only priority is Su an, Su an cares for the well being of others. She tries to do good by simply offering a seat to an elderly or wanting to inform others that her father knows a safe way out when it is only arranged for the two of them. Seok woo, being so different from his daughter tells her, “At a time like this, only watch out for yourself.” But later on, Seok woo also learns to help and care for others while trying to keep their loved ones safe. 

We also have other characters like Sang hwa and his pregnant wife, Sung kyeong, a student with his baseball team Young guk, Jin hee, a girl who has a crush on Young guk and a couple of elderly sisters. It's supposed to be a normal train trip for them but when a strange girl boards the train unnoticed, the next thing they know is that people just start attacking and biting each other. In a matter of seconds, they have a train full of zombies.

This movie is thrilling enough to make you jump out of your seat and (unintentionally) punch the guy next to you. I watched this last night with my family and I remember grabbing my sister's arm not once, not twice but almost the entire movie! (Maybe we screamed once or twice, too.) Anyway, we really enjoyed it and aside from delivering us an entertaining zombie movie, this movie also teaches us things about a parent's love to his/her child, a person's true nature when faced in danger and most importantly, a man's courage of sacrificing himself for the good of others. I occasionally cried too especially at the ending!

If you want a good zombie movie, you must watch this one! :D

Book: Game (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga

 ★★★★/★★★★★

“This is Billy. I think once the game ends, that's when the real trouble begins.”

First of all I want to say that I loved I Hunt Killers! That book gave me all the chills for how gruesome and disturbing it was. I loved Jasper Dent then and more in the sequel. Game was darker and more gruesome and disturbing t but it was brilliantly written.

The book picks up months after The Impressionist was caught and Billy Dent has escaped prison. Now Jazz, together with Howie and Connie, tries to figure out what's the connection between Billy, The Impressionist and the new serial killer that's terrifying the people of New York.

What I loved most in the series is the suspense and thrill that will keep you on edge. Lyga managed to put twists and turns impressively that it was unpredictable. There were times I was sure I got things all figured out but then BAM! And there were also times I got frustrated for not knowing the answers to the questions! It's also interesting and fascinating how he was able to write a series like this because we're talking about the psychology of serial killers here and there he was brilliantly writing about it. Just, wow!

The sequel also gives us more about the other characters and not just Jazz. Here we see Connie's, Howie's and Billy's close involvement and we get to see more of their side. Connie was still that smart, headstrong girlfriend and Howie was still that sometimes-stupid-soometimes-just-witty bestfriend. And I honestly found it unbelievable that Howie was still involved after what happened in the first book (almost dying) and considering that he's hemophiliac and everything his parents should've been more protective over him. Connie's parents, on the other hand, them I understand. If I were them I would do everything to get Connie as far away as possible from a killer's son. Of course I will put my daughter's safety first! But then they don't know Jazz and they don't love and trust him the way Connie loves and trusts him. And I think Connie is just the typical teenager who's smart but do foolish things for love. And I also think that she believes she can conquer everything in the name of love. Even serial killers.

Now, now, let's get to the father and son. Billy actually scared the hell out of me! He was a psychopath, a monster, a coldblooded killer! I don't know how his mind works and sure in heavens I wouldn't want to know. But I do want to know the reason why he started a career in killing. There must be a definite one because damn, he was so good at killing people. And Jazz! He still struggled to find himself as he chased everything or anything that could lead him to his father. Or was he really his father? It compromised his relationship with Connie because until now he was still worried that any second he could snap and he could hurt her. And of course it has something to do with sex because he was afraid that if they do it then it would trigger something inside him that would lead to his worst nightmare.

Jazz must've felt like he was the unluckiest person in the world! He was the son of Billy Dent -the notorious serial killer- and there was a possibility that he could be like him. But what I liked most about Jazz was he was fighting to prove everyone wrong. He wanted to show that he could be different from his father and that he could be someone better if not worse.

 “What was lurking back there in the cold, dark recesses of his memory? What secrets were hidden in his past? Jazz felt as though his own life was a minefield, one he'd lost the map for. One wrong step and he'd lose a foot or a leg. Or his mind.”

 There was so much going on inside Jazz's mind but his goal was clear. He needed to find Billy and he wanted him dead. So when a chance presented itself, though he had seconds thoughts, he grabbed it. Next thing he knew, he was working with the big guys (FBI) to bring down his Dead Old Dad. But, but, but! I was a little skeptical with regards to Jazz's skill in pointing out things that the FBI failed to see. I mean, yeah, he was the son of the infamous serial killer and he'd seen it all but still. Anyway, it didn't make me like him less. If anything, it made me love him even more because, really? Jazz was smart and witty and a sweet little manipulator! He can get away with anything but it didn't mean it didn't bother him. 

The book ended with a cliffhanger, err, so we're yet to see what happens next. How will Jazz survive in that storage building with a wounded leg? Was Jazz's mother really alive? Will Connie survive Billy? and things like those. 

So, yeah, the book was gory, disturbing, creepy and you name it! But nonetheless, a work of art. It was actually a long read for me but it was entertaining and gripping. And I. Loved. Jazz.

“You think you're gonna find your soul. Ever since I've known you, you've been thinkin' that someday you're gonna crack and end up like your daddy. And you've been looking for a proof that you won't. What you don't realize is this: The looking is the proof. Trust me when I tell you that Billy Dent never had a moment's doubt in his life about what he was and what he was doing. Your doubt is your soul, kid.”