RT 2012 book 5: before ever after

I found out about this book over the internet, because a lot of people were raving about how good it is. Well, that and the reason that she's published internationally. I am not sure if she's the first Filipino author who is based here in the Philippines who's published internationally, but still I am very proud of her and her book that's deemed fit for global consumption. Though I'm sure marami ring local publications that are equally good but just didn't have the opportunity.

But what really got me interested in the book is that it was inspired by The Time Traveler's Wife, which I loved tremendously. Unfortunately for Before Ever After, it has the aforementioned book I will compare it with and that means I have super high expectations for it. You know naman me and my high expectations~

Six Things about Before Ever After :

1. Before Ever After subtitled, Ikaw Na, Max! Really. As I was going along the book and as I kept on finding out about his past lives, I can't help but just bitch about how this man's so great. I mean, he's good-looking, rich and apparently, also kind-hearted. Hell, he could speak French, English, Spanish, German and Slovene fluently. And during almost all his lifetimes, he was some sort of hero in this part of the world. Well, maybe because he was telling his story, from his point of view kaya he's always the bida. Parang he's not capable of doing something wrong, everything's always because it had to be done like that one time when he slit someone's throat. I mean, can't you be bad even for just one lifetime? Total you'll rise from the ashes din naman, hehe. It was annoying how we kept going back in time. Akala ko we'd go back as far as the story of creation tapos siya pala si Adan. Max... ikaw na!
2. And I was annoyed by how Max's use of the word, 'luv.' Of course, it doesn't affect the story but I'm just annoyed at its use. It's so jeje. Haha. As if. Charkey!
3. What's with the obsession over chickens? I don't know if it's cryptic, if the chickens were meant to symbolize something which I didn't get. Or maybe chickens and eggs were the only constant things in his life. I started reading this book where the author wrote that 'we all need some material things that provide continuity to our lives and by always being there and always being the same.' For Max, it was the chickens. Unless, they were meant to stand for something else. 
4. Kaya ba siya Max kasi mahilig siya sa chickens? Max's fried chicken? Wala lang. 
5. Although it wasn't meant to be tragic, I was somehow looking for that feel from the story. It was a cute story but it wasn't beautiful. The Time Traveler's Wife may have been tragic but it was beautifully tragic. As in I could feel the distress, the despair of the characters. But with Before Ever After, the main feel of the book was... lust. Promise! You'll always come across parts wherein Shelley wants to rape Max. Joke! Basta, marami siyang makamundong pagnanasa kay Max. 
6. Literally, they got to live happily ever after. I just find it corny.

I guess it's a bad thing that I found out that what inspired her to write this book was her disappointment with The Time Traveler's Wife's ending. It was a sad ending but I was pretty contented with it because it such a beautiful story. I mean, that's the essence of its appeal~ that Clare spent all her life waiting for Henry. I'm not dissing Before Ever After because I still think it was okay. It still was a page-turner with me wanting to find out what happens next, how would present-day Max would react when Shelley finally finds him. Dapat next time talaga no expectations na. 

"Look at it, luv. It is the closest we can come to grasping what time really means. 

It moves on whether you  wind it or not. It doesn't have a snooze button 

you can hit to bargain for an extra five minutes. 

The earth turns, the sun rises and sets,

 and there is absolutely nothing you or I can do about it."