subterrania.

a story story by Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak

[subterraniamania]

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

by: Allen Tan

“Shot through the heart and you’re to blame, you give love a bad name”. A fifteen-year-old girl died, because of a broken heart, big woop right? It could’ve been just an accident? A heart attack? A stroke? But no, somehow in some way a girl dies because of heartbreak, a legit heartbreak. You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi is like one of the main theme songs for this book. This song is the most relevant song for this book because it is one of the songs that served as a kick-starter for this book because of what happened to our main character, Brie, literally and figuratively. And oh boy, what can I say, that is how you start a story.

Before we dive into the review of this book, let us give a background on the author. Jess Rothenberg is a writer and a freelance editor. She grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. She was one of the former editors of books, such as the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series. The Catastrophic History of You and Me is actually her debut novel, a teen flick drama has been translated into multiple languages.

The book mainly focuses on how to move on by going through the five stages of grief which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. What does a person, I mean a dead person, do to fully be free from all the unfinished business she had on earth, which we will see in the book that she will struggle, hard. But now as she is D&G (dead and gone) as the book said, she was transported to a little pizza place named Slice. There she met a lot of dead kids and adults, but just one boy caught her eye, and that boy’s name is Patrick. With Patrick as a new “friend” of hers, he will help her learn the concept of time and space of being dead, the way she can interact with the things in the living world while her still being on the realm of the dead. As she is going through each stage of grief, Patrick is also there to help her know all the rules and regulations of being undead and supports Brie how she comes to terms with her newly found problems. And as you can read from the title, we can tell that this will be a very emotional book.

Rothenberg did not miss any detail, from the imagery of her words to describe the place that the characters were in, to the feelings and emotions of each character that you can almost experience those moments as if you are there with them. And I gotta say, with this being her first book, it is very impressive. She did not waste any of the characters that were mentioned in the story, she completely utilized each and every character to make them relevant for the story. She doesn’t leave out any lose details, from memories and objects that were mentioned now, can be a foreshadowing that is a page-turner for the story.

 The way she addressed all the stages of grief with accuracy and carefulness that this can possibly what a person is going through during this stage. With denial, being the stage that is very overwhelming and meaningless and sometimes can be the longest stage that a person can go through in all the five stages, in which Rothenberg took advantage of being the stage with the longest number of pages. Anger seems to be endless suffering for Brie, with her being frustrated on what had happened to her friends and family after she died and the fact that she can’t do anything is causing her pain but with it, the more she’s angry the more she gets to heal. Bargaining, this stage of the book may be the most painful and relatable thing to read because of the way Rothenberg had written this part, the desperation on how Brie wants and begs to go back to the normal life she had with her friends and family. In which, we can relate it to ourselves as we would bargain anything just for our friends and family or just anything you wanted so badly, but never getting it at all. Now depression and acceptance are one of the shortest chapters of all the five stages because in this part of the book, she got nothing else to do and she felt hopeless which leads to her depression but with her depression and all that she had been through after all this, she finally accepts the fact that she can no longer go back to having a normal life, and in which, sometimes, is the best way to move on.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg is the first book that I read, besides the textbooks from school, that I truly enjoyed and finished. From page 0 to the last page, and to the last print of the book. Well, considering that our subject in school forced me to read one, but I, nevertheless, am thankful for forcing me to read and taking my time to relax and let my imaginations run wild with this book. This book talks about being dead with unfinished business on Earth, and Jess Rotherberg’s spin of the afterlife is pretty unique considering the usual picks on the afterlife are chaotic and scary while in this book it's just really sad and lonely, which is very very relatable.

 I liked the idea of falling back into the world from her new, after-death world, and the fact that, no matter how hard Brie tried, she could not find her way “home” in the after-life. Both details helped separate the world of the living from the world of the dead, serving as another reminder of how the place she is in now may look the same, but actually isn’t. Largely, I think the reason why I enjoyed The Catastrophic History of You and Me so much is its format. Brie’s story is told in a perfect medley of flashbacks and “real-time”, seamlessly moving back and forth between the past and the present and Brie’s current reflections. I was a little wary when I realized that Brie was visiting the past out of order, remembering things as they came but not necessarily in the order in which they happened. And yet, surprisingly, Jess Rothenberg makes this organization work, and work well. Reading about Brie’s memories in the order in which she remembered them, in the order in which they meant something to her after she had died, felt authentic. It made Brie seem realistic (well, even more, realistic than she already seemed).

 In conclusion, I loved this book. I would definitely recommend this book to be read immediately because it is so relatable in all aspects of our relationships, like friends, family, and love. It highlights the complexities of certain situations, how there are multiple sides to every story, many ways of seeing things from different perspectives. Jess Rothenberg implements these elements in this novel amazingly, highlighting how aspects of various relationships — the friendship between characters, the connection between a parent and a child, a romantic entanglement of any sort — can be more complicated than they seem on the surface. The things Brie learns about the people in her life through her journey in this book are invaluable, both for her as a character and for us, the readers. I would rate this book an 8 out of 10.

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Twist and Shout

by: Winona Garduque

Twist and Shout is a Destiel fanfiction written by Standbyme and Gabriel originally on LiveJournal in the year 2012. Later it was moved to a site called Archive of Our Own (AO3) and because of its well-written plot, this fan-fiction had become famous enough to be published into a hard-copy book. The authors were inspired by a scene in a movie called “The Ward”. The story revolves around two men and their relationship. Faced with a prejudiced society, war and time, they try their best to never say goodbye to one another.

In April 1965, the story slowly unfolds as Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak meet. A classic situation of love-at-first-sight happens and their relationship begins. They do their best to keep it in wraps because of how homosexuality was something society sought as bad and even considered illegal in this era. Not only that, but the war also became a threat as one of them was bound to be drafted. As the story goes on, their relationship grows deeper away from the eyes of society. A few years pass and when it is time for Dean to leave for the draft, they don’t say goodbye. When he returns, nothing is the same. No matter how hard they try, they couldn't go back to the way it was before and slowly their relationship fell apart. One day Dean receives a call saying that Castiel had wanted to see him, and from there they find their way back to each other in tragic circumstances.

Facing reality is one of the themes seen in this book. The beginning the story tells the struggles and prejudice homosexuals encounter each day depicted by Castiel’s life. Starting from his family who had turned their back on him and treated him like an animal, to his “friend” who treated him like he was broken and could be fixed, up to his relationship; Castiel had been living in fear. This is because he had experienced first hand the consequences of what he is and people around him had made him feel like being queer was something the chose to be when in reality it was not. Dean had also been faced with this problem as he had a hard time facing his warped reality when he came back from the war. Each character was written into life with such amazingness. Along with the emotions behind their actions, both in the relationship and their own lives, the drama is written realistically in a way that instead of describing the emotion at hand, the characters actions would describe it for the readers

Another major theme found would be Love and Forgiveness. Their relationship was written in a way that captures the reader’s heart, and at the same time teaches the readers how imperfectly perfect it is to love someone in such an unforgiving world. Especially during the late chapters of the book, when their relationship had burned out, it was told in a way that something so beautiful and young, filled with love was turned into poison and toxicity. Dean viewed himself as something that could destroy Castiel, and in the end, their love had not been enough to save him or their relationship from himself. Forgiveness comes in once Castiel had decided he wanted to have closure. Instead of normally telling the reader how he had come to forgive Dean, it was told in a manner of a new perspective, a third person, who saw the struggles of Castiel to finally come to this. Written wherein the character’s experiences are first hidden, you tend to put yourself in the character’s shoes, and once you get to where everything is revealed you understand how everything was a milestone for their growth and development.

Seen in almost every time they part ways and until the very end of the book, they have difficulty grasping the harsh truth of having to say goodbye. When they are forced to part ways, the book speaks to the intense emotions that the characters feel in such a flawless way. “People like Cas say ‘see you then’,” Letting go or acceptance is my final major theme. When Castiel accepted the state he was in, he was able to forgive Dean for everything. Even if loving Dean was painful and had caused him to be angry for such a long time, he had come to terms that it was one of the things that made him happy. He had accepted that everything he’s been through was a part of him. In taking his last breath, not only was Castiel the one who had accepted everything that had become but so did Dean. Both Dean and Castiel had to face reality, of letting go and accept the harsh reality of saying goodbyes.

From start till the end, this book does not fail to surprise you and make you feel all sorts of emotion. Even though this book is a fan-written story, it has a certain type of writing that pulls you in for more. This book was able to turn two characters from a show into a hyper-realistic story of two people in love. Each emotion felt by the characters is also deeply felt, It’s like you're literally watching the whole thing unfold before you. Many symbolism and parallelism was used, which only made sense in the end, and was spectacularly written. Their love which was first truly acknowledged through the lenses of a camera was also done till the very end, and when you slowly realize how clues were subtly left at the very beginning of the story, you’re left there stunned. I highly recommend those who love tragic romance novels to read this fan-fiction because of how well developed the story is, along with an ending that will be sure to bring you to tears. In the same way Dean had fallen in love with Castiel in just a glimpse, this book has made me fall head-over-heels with it’s poetically tragic story-line.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

by: Dickenson Sy

If you’re looking for a creative and interesting plot that includes a sense of mystery, suspense and a little bit of humor, you’ll find this in the second book of the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The series begins with the first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which was published in 1998 and it concluded with the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in 2007. 

J. K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter series and she has received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout her career. In her second book of the Harry Potter series, she managed to offer a wonderful sequel that is as suspenseful, interesting, and satisfying as the first book. This book received various awards including #1 New York Times Bestseller, Winner of the 1999 National Book Award (UK), and an ALA Notable Book.

The story was settled in Harry Potter’s second year in Hogwarts and it is rife with fresh torments and horrors, including the outrageous new professor, a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom, and the younger sister of Harry’s friend, Ginny. However, all these things seem minor when the real problem shows up, and someone or something starts turning the students into stones. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a rival of Harry Potter? Or could it be Lord Voldermort, who murders the parents of Harry? Or could it be the one everyone suspects in Hogwarts, Harry himself? As the rumors continued to grow, so did the truth about the mystery of the chamber of secrets. 

Although the series of Harry Potter is fictitious, there are themes that are presented in the story that would allow the readers to learn valuable morals. One theme that I would like to point out is discrimination among different groups of people. In the story, Hermione is referred to as the “mudbloods” or wizards with no mage ancestors and others who had pure wizard bloodline would bully and discriminate against her. Most of the people in a wizard family often look down to people like Hermione and tend to bully them and treat them unfairly. Relating this to the current society, rich people tend to discriminate and look down onto the poor people because they are dirty and vulgar. As an educated citizen, we need to prevent this kind of act because this could worsen the relationship between people. We should tolerate the presence of different kinds of groups and respect them, for we are all living in the same place.

Despite missing out on the first book of the series, reading the second book was not as confusing as it seemed while I was reading it. I would recommend that you read the first book first though before reading the second one. This will make your understanding clearer while exploring the whole series of Harry Potter.  I really enjoyed reading this book because it gives me a sense of mystery while it contains a little terror and humor in the conversation of the characters

Overall, I could say that this book is a successful one for the author. It gives an interesting and suspenseful vibe while the readers read the novel and it gives several possibilities for readers to explore and imagine the things that happen in the story. I would say that this novel is good for teenagers and kids for it displays an enchanted world that has a refreshing break from the familiar settings of the novels nowadays. My rating for this would be 10 out of 10 and I would definitely recommend other readers to read this book.

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Legend by Marie Lu

by: Ivann Co

Are you fond of reading dystopian types of books? Well, if you are, I have the perfect book for you, Legend by Marie Lu.

Legend is written by Marie Lu and is a dystopian young adult novel. It is the first book in the blockbuster bestselling Legend series which is followed by Prodigy, Champion, and Rebel. She is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series of the Young Elites, and Warcross. Graduated from the University of Southern California, Lu, at first, jumped to the video game industry as an artist. Now, a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, and playing video games. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one husband and three pets.

In the story, she placed the setting in what once was the Western United States is now under the institution of the Republic, a nation under constant war with its neighbors. The protagonists from the story are born from the opposite sides of the economic spectrum. June, a fifteen-year-old, was born and raised under an elite family in one of the wealthiest sectors. She was a prodigy and was trained to her fullest potential and gained her ranks in the Republic’s military. She is somewhat a Princess Leia. On the other hand, we have Day, a fifteen-year-old boy, who was born in the slums. Unlike June, Day has shaped himself quite a bad reputation as his actions labeled him as the country’s most wanted criminal. However, similar to Robin Hood, his motives are not as ill-intent as they seem despite his title.

From very different societies, Day and June only had a little to no reason to stumble upon one another. That is, until June’s older brother, Metias, was killed in action and Day became the prime suspect. The story of both characters continues to unfold as Day strives to provide for his family while June pursues the criminal responsible for her brother’s death. However in a surprising turn of events, the two discover the reality behind their encounterment, and the extent of the Republic’s methods to cover its secrets.

Although this book is a work of fiction, it still brilliantly manifests themes that are recognizable even in the society we live in today such as rich vs poor, rebellion against authority, and family. 

The Republic clearly exhibits its extreme ways of drawing the fine line between the rich and poor.  High-ranking officers like June and Thomas are able to enjoy luxurious lifestyles, fancy events and expendable materials while the poor living in the slums like Day’s family are not given proper medical care. Moreover, the Republic also follows a system, the trials, that defines the value of an individual and also helps a rich person get richer and the poor stay poorer. Similar to real life, reading this book may help us realize that life does not give us all equal opportunities. People in the slums couldn’t even afford a standard meal, proper education, or ordinary shelter while the rich are able to afford a higher quality in every aspect of daily needs and necessities with even more to spare for entertainment and pleasure. 

Another theme that readers can discern is rebellion against authority. In the story, it shows the dramatic acts of rebellion of Day and June against the Republic. This is because of their exceptional intelligence. Nevertheless, the author did not limit these acts only for the outstanding, but also for commoners too. Examples of this are the man who sheltered Day and Tess after the hospital raid. Personally, I believe that feats like these are not wrong as long as the intention is pure and good. Everyone has a reason for doing something, especially in a corrupt society. For example, when an institution mistreats you and has a wrong sense of justice, standing up for yourself and those you love is logical and productive.

The last theme that I identified when reading was family.  All protagonists in Legend are driven by their love for their families. Day, for example, violates the law to provide for his family and for Tess, whom he also considers as family though they are not related by blood. On the other hand, June acts to avenge her brother. Likewise, in real life, people’s actions are usually driven by their love towards someone, usually for their families and loved ones. Whether this takes the form of positivity or negativity, this is what drives us to do things. 

Overall, I could say that this book, without a doubt, was an absolute success for Lu. The way she told the story was extraordinary and utilized the different types of imagery to their fullest potential. I totally loved the novel. Filled with nonstop action, suspense, and romance, it is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. I would definitely recommend it to others. 10/10.

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I Flew for the Fuhrer by Heinz Knoke Book Review

Throughout history, men have fought for a number of reasons, be it for country, God, money, glory, world domination etc. For Heinz Knoke, it was the former and a bit of the etc. The book I shall be reviewing is I Flew for The Führer, an autobiography by Heinz Knoke. A German fighter pilot during world war 2. The book contains the details from his childhood in the countryside, to his training as a pilot, and lastly to the eventual fall of the Nazi regime.

During his younger years, Heinz Knoke was the son of a policeman in the peaceful town of Hamelin, Germany. From a young age, he became fascinated by planes and flight, which was quite recently invented, and wanted to become a pilot himself. It was on July 6, 1938, where he was able to fly a plane for the first time. The plane was an old transport plane, which only cost him a few marks, for a fifteen-minute joyride. It was also on the same day , and the year which was the height of the mobilization of the German forces, where he was given the opportunity to take the preliminary examination for entry into the Luftwaffe, the German air force. During his training, there was an incident where he, with his flight instructor in tow, nearly crashed into a nearby church. Fortunately, his flight instructor, Senior Lieutenant Woll, was able to bring the plane back in control and narrowly avoided plummeting to their doom. 

After his training, he was first stationed in the Eastern front where he took part in initial operations during the invasion of the Soviet Union, and was later reassigned to the Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG1) in July 1941. A few months later, on August 28, 1941, he got married to Elisabeth “Lilo” Markowski. In February, 1942, he participated in Operation Donnerkeil. In 1943, as the United States stationed more bombers in England, Allied bombing intensified, and as a result, so did the Luftwaffe’s operations to intercept and defend against them. Since the American B-24 bombers were heavily armed and were well defended, the Luftwaffe had difficulty in effectively shooting them down. Heinz Knoke and his friend Dieter Gerhardt, later developed a strategy to disrupt the strong defense of the combat box formation of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). It was during that period of time, 1943-1944 where he obtained most of his confirmed kills and was recognised as an ace pilot. In April 1944, he was assigned to an experimental station in Bavaria to test flight a new wonder weapon of the Third Reich, the Messerschmitt Me 262, one of the first fighter planes powered by a jet combustion engine. On April 29 of the same year, he was shot down, but survived. During the Allies’ naval invasion of Normandy, he was still recovering from his wounds. He fought in the Western front and was shot down once more, but was able to barely escape Allied capture. On April 27, 1945, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, one of the highest awards in the German military.

As with nearly every German citizen during the early years of world war 2, Heinz Knoke was supportive of the war and was proud to be of service to the Fatherland. However, nearing the end of the war, he began to become disheartened over the immense loss of life and destruction which Germany was headed to. 

This book is easily one of my favorite world war 2 books, as it holds the memories of a normal human being. At first, I was kind of surprised upon seeing him become an ace pilot, as well as receiving the Knight’s Cross. It shows just how well this book had made me realize that he was nobody special, and was just living his life the way he wanted to under the circumstances. If you are a war history enthusiast like me, I would definitely recommend that you read this book.

[subterraniamania]

What is National Arts Month?

Threadless Artist Mathiole once said,

“Art speaks where words are unable to explain.”

Art is indeed used to convey one’s emotions and feelings and can be found everywhere. The National Arts Month (NAM) is one of the sites for art and will be held in February 2020 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival. This celebration first started in 1991 after the former president Corazon Aquino signed the Presidential Proclamation 683. Since then, the NCCA and other agencies have been organizing this event. 

This year, through the Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), the NCCA heads the celebration of the NAM by the theme Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival. It shows a variation of events from different areas in the country. Specifically, it highlights the seven local boards and arts which include: architecture and allied arts, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, music, and visual arts.

Across the country, communities and organizations are urged to coordinate creative activities to celebrate NAM 2020. Events are ideally conducted in public spaces to include external as well as internal stakeholders as participants.

Aside from the different activities it offers, this event could also revive the Philippine pride. This year’s National Arts Month will be able to serve as a venue for all forms of art ranging from digital to traditional art and even including literary pieces. It focuses on indigenous arts, and by inflating them, viewers get to see more of the piece rather than the general idea itself. 

Furthermore, unlike presenting only the well-known art pieces such as the artworks of Fernando Amorsolo, or the writings of Jose Rizal, the National Arts Month will also be a locale wherein even the less recognized works could be presented and appreciated for their value and message. By attempting to avoid curating just the famous works of selected Filipinos, the audience will get more of a distinct Filipino flavor regarding the artistic community and encourages fellow individuals to become less insular.

Today, the featured literary piece presented is the “Subterrania” by Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak.

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Mind behind Subterrania

The writer behind the short story subterrania is none other than Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak. He was a music critic, a Philippine writer, a resident writer for PULP magazine, a columnist for the Philippine Star, and an associate editor for Esquire Philippines. 

He was born on July 26, 1974, and died on April 20, 2016, due to an extensive stroke that the doctors can no longer recover to help him during the incident at the age of 41. He graduated from the University of the Philippines and shifted from being a major in mathematics to a major for creative writing. Katigbak was a recipient of four Palanca Awards, the Philippine Graphic Award, and a Young Artists' Grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts also known as NCCA. 

His books Happy Ends, a collection of his short stories; and The King of Nothing to Do, the collection of his essays, were nominated for the Manila Critics National Book Award.

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“ Welcome to Subterrania. “

The story begins with a girl named Kaye and her best friend, the narrator. He had come to visit her. Stepping into her room, she welcomes him inside.

He slowly takes in the room which seemed more like a giant's clasped hand. Sketch pads, books, notebooks, and comics are just some of the things described to be seen scattered messily around the room. What is described to be a noon sun in full blaze outside was not seen visible in the room. It was obvious that she was trapped in her own little world, away from the real world. 

The narrator tackles on the topic of how subterrania was just something they talked of before, something that seemed harmless because it was a place to be separated from reality. The old Kaye use to go out and see the world with him yet now everything has changed. He constantly visits her; however, this time suggesting that she could now go out and that maybe they could even go together but she only rejects his offer. He begins to worry for her because of how she has not been going out lately. She explains to him that everything in her room is better than a life of uncertainty and that these things are her perfectly flawed world. 

This endless cycle goes on for months as Kaye does not leave her room; one time even bursting at him and asking him why he visits her, yet he continues to visit her. He thinks of how this story, their story, could have several endings. He lost track of how long he has been visiting her, only thinking of today. 

“This is another day, another visit,“  he thinks.

Stepping into her room, he sees her curled on the floor. “ Turn off the lamp, please,” she says, “but don't leave me.” He turns off the lamp and settles in the darkness, he feels her breath on his face. 

They lie there together, not touching, not speaking, ending the story of Subterrania.

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Analyzing Subterrania

The main theme of Subterrania is centered on the Japanese subculture of Hikikomori. A hikikomori is a shut-in that chooses to watch series, read comics, or play games all day as a means of escaping reality. 

In the short story, the narrator tries to convince Kaye to stop confining herself in her room but seemingly fails in doing so. Today, many teens and young adults have chosen similar lifestyles by staying indoors and distracting themselves with temporary and fruitless pleasures found in games, comics, movies, and the like. The said items aren't the problem, but rather the fact that they are used to escape reality instead of enhancing it. Just as wine by itself is not bad, but using it to get drunk is. Subterrania accurately depicts the struggle of convincing hikikomori to reintegrate back into society; as a hikikomori's reason for choosing solitude varies from person to person. Reasons may include: social anxiety, exhaustion, depression, trauma, etc. 

However, the main reason why hikikomoris seclude themselves from society is to protect themselves. 

They seek comfort by surrounding themselves with what is familiar and stable. They often have been the unfortunate recipients of society's unfair treatment or humanity's cruelty. As a result, they retreat behind places where they feel safe; away from the hostile world that they live in. Consequently, it is difficult to convince a hikikomori from coming out of their self-imposed seclusion, since they now have trouble putting their trust in someone after being hurt. Another possible reason could be that they have simply lost interest in reality and people. As shown in the story, Kaye used to like going to concerts, despite the uncomfortable number and proximity of people, but now she simply wishes to stay in her room. Another reason could be that the person may just be anti-social, and has pessimistic, nihilistic, or other similar antisocial traits. 

In order to be successful in helping a hikikomori to become more sociable, we should address the fears and issues that may have led them to become a hikikomori, and proactively care for their physical and mental health. According to Young (2019), hikikomoris are aware of their pain and often feel guilty for being a burden to others. A possible step to curing a hikikomori's isolating nature would be to affirm and show them that there are people who appreciate and are sincerely concerned about their well-being. The last thing one should do is to ignore them and simply be passive in helping them. Although hikikomoris prefer to be alone, loneliness does not help at all. Instead, the problem gets worse as they are deprived of social interaction. Eventually, they will have tremendous difficulty in socializing with others; which may eventually lead to their mental health, and possibly even physical health, deteriorating very severely; to the point where they are beyond recovery. 

The protagonist of Subterrania showed a good example of how one could help a hikikomori, by visiting and checking up on Kaye regularly; although he may seem to be unsuccessful in doing so it was still a good effort.