Antara Kau Dan Dia - Najwa Aiman

As promised, I have finished reading the novel and my comments echo the ones I gave in my earlier posting (perhaps harsher!! Sorry). Let me give them in point form:
1. This novel is so full of confused people who do not know what they want in life (I guess they hang around together and are attracted to each other?).
2. Poems – too many to swallow. I was going to suggest giving them footnotes or cross references for appendices at the back. Ooppsss….
3. Tempo – okay in the beginning, very slow in the middle but towards the end it is rushing, as if the writer cannot wait to finish the book and get it done and over with.
4. Again, main characters’ background(s) not informed. I don’t know them except their relationships with one another.
5. Najwa Aiman should try to explore usage of other adjectives then those very excessively used… he/she has made boring repetitions and as if the feelings are all the same and described similarly, among the characters.
6. Coincidences – too many, especially the “Joyce” story – created to open an avenue to enable Rizmal being bashed up by the alongs? Hmmmm… nice try….
7. Does Ilyana have to be pregnant? Hello? If the couple actually does sleep together, quite a lot, have they not thought of possibility of a baby? Hello!!! It’s the 21st century, heard of condoms? Or, is Ilyana purposely trapping Rizmal and then punish him? Something does not click here!
8. The “use” of Aliza to help in tracing Rizmal for Ilyana and Idayu is not very effective. It is so……………… “drama Melayu”. Again, this is a sign of “rushing”. Aliza’s function in the novel is unclear until that part where she interrupted the sisters’ conversation…. I was thinking, “So, this is what she’s here for”. And the part that Aliza was searching for jobs is quite unlikely as all TESL, I repeat ALL!!, graduates are immediately offered a teaching job by Kementerian Pelajaran (even during recession time)and it didn't say that Aliza declined the offer. Research, Najwa Aiman, research!!
9. Does Rizmal really have no close friends to share his problems/ thoughts? This is a very unlikely male characteristic, but then again, I do not know too many males.
10. Addressing a Malay female boss as “Miss” is highly unlikely. They are called “Puan”, “Cik” or “Kak” or simply by their first names.
In general I give this novel 2.5 stars out of 5. I was not drawn to empathy with anybody and at no single point did I actually feel any pain/happiness/anger. To me this is just a melancholic novel. Sad but true, I guess. Najwa Aiman has done better.
However, I am looking forrward to reading Najwa Aiman's next novel.

- POOTZ IN BOOTS -