BOOK REPORT
Book Information
1. Title of Book (Novel) : Petak Umpet Minako
2. Author : @MANHALFGOD (He/She using a pen name)
3. Genre : Horror survival
4. Publisher : Rak Buku
5. Copy Right Year : 2015
6. Number of Page : 397
PART I
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Have you ever imagined being in a horror survival situation at a reunion? "Petak Umpet Minako," @MANHALFGOD have various kind of terrors in the form of hide and seek game with an evil spirit that will give you a sensation as if you are entering into their fears in every chapters.
This book was very popular and became a best seller of its time, because it has a very interesting story with a theme of a popular hide and seek game with spirit from Japan. This book has also been filmed in Indonesia with the same title.
1.2 SUMMARY OF BOOK
A group of young people visit their old school to reminisce about their school days. When someone among them suggest a game like a séance, Gaby has a feeling that something bad is going to happen, so she calls her lover (Baron) to come pick her up. Two hours later, Baron arrived alone. His phone calls have never been connected, and Gaby's message has been stopped since that girl said that the ceremony had started. Not knowing what happened at all, Baron entered the school, carrying only a flashlight and a raincoat. The more Baron entered their school building to find Gaby (his lover) the more strange things he had encountered and experienced first in his life.
1.3 CHARACTER
Main Character: Baron, he is a hard worker person even though he doesn't enjoy the job. Baron here as the main protagonist, Baron's character is very idealistic but a little naive. In this story Baron will play an important role in completing the entire death game. He is the main brain of the conflict why Vindha pushed Gaby when the Okiku doll, Minako began to live and chase people. Baron is not only confronted by a living doll that gradually resembles a human form, but Baron will also fight against his traitor friend.
Other character:
—Kaisar, Kaisar will help and accompany Baron to solve the problem and search Vindha's diaries together.
—Gaby, Baron's girlfriend. She became mute after almost being stabbed by Minako
—Vindha, She is the main mastermind of why they all play this deadly game.
—Rendy, the traitor
—Adam, Poltak, Mami, Samson, Brutus, Tiara, Destra, Liliana, Akane, Sayaka.
1.4 SETTINGS
The time period is only said in the book when they already grown up, and a lot of flashback when they're still students in Baron's poin of view. Since no exact date is given, the story is somewhat timeless. The story takes place in their old school building, the building have various school grade, not only senior high school but also junior high school and elementary school. The book have scene too when Vindha visit Japan to meet her pen pal Akane that written in her diary. These include Gaby’s home in the end of story, and a little bit of Baron's office. The story gradually moves from the incident that night into two month after that incident.
1.5 PLOT
There are always old stories that overshadow the relationship between the characters since their first meeting after years, and when they solved the problem together. They have a major conflict when Mami realized that Baron and Kaisar not giving all the diaries because they afraid that Mami would betray them. The author also add a mindblowing plot twist in the epilog.
1.6 THEME
The main theme of this novel was "Horror," and "Survive from the terrors", marked by their friend Vindha who always liked horror and mystical things, she also invited her friends to try a horror-themed hide-and-seek game from Japan, "Hitori Kakurenbo." which means "Hide and seek alone." where the guard is not a human, but a spirit who is summoned by the media of an Okiku doll (a kind of girl doll). The rule was they had to cut their nails or hair but Vindha suggested a stronger thing, which was blood. Each time the guard caught them, their souls would be absorbed and their bodies would simply become "shells" without souls and become the next guard to catch the others. Those who are still alive must survive till the end and win the game by burning Minako's real body, the Okiku doll.
PART II
2.1 EVALUATION/ANALYSIS
This novel is structured in a language that is understandable, the reader can seem to step in and feel the tension scene by scene, and also unlike most Indonesian horror novels which place a lot of emphasis on typing sounds to add a spooky effect (which is I don't like). "Petak Umpet Minako" is written without a lot of annoying sound effects. Each incident are well connected. The author connected the diaries, relationships between the characters in the past and when the incident begin, their school years, the betrayal, the revenge, and the psychology of the characters well. The author describe the character changes of each person in surprising ways, which is amazed me even more.
One of the weaknesses of this novel is that there is no gap between one scene to another. Even in action novels, there should be reprieve scenes or pauses to take a break from the suspense of previous action scenes
What I learned from this book was treat people as well as you can now or in the future, if you often hurt them, they might someday betray you.
2.2 CONCLUSION
"Petak Umpet Minako" is a fun novel to read (for horror fans like me). One thing that should be underlined is the introduction of Hitori Kakurenbo's game at the beginning of this novel. It allows us to understand what Hitori Kakurenbo's game is and what are the rules. The author has also succeeded in binding the reader with a tense and coherent plot. So, I highly recommend this novel.
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