Hello, book lovers...
I had previously read another work by Kai Elian, Halte Alam Baka, some time ago. Much like that earlier book, I managed to finish this novel in a very short time—it only took three sittings to complete. Why? Because the story is genuinely intriguing. It’s no wonder this novel won a publisher’s novel-writing competition.
Vermillion Rain
Vermillion Rain follows an expedition led by Asayana Brahma to the village of Bokudi. She is accompanied by her companions: Elang Langit, a climatologist; Wicky Simangunsong, a member of the SAR (search and rescue) team; Dito Pati, a geological researcher; and Joselyn Eden, a general practitioner from the health department. The group travels to the remote village of Bokudi with a mission: to persuade its 70 residents to evacuate, as 90 days of incessant rain have created a high risk of a landslide on Mount Morui.
However, the village of Bokudi is not what it seems. Asa encounters a series of unsettling phenomena—such as children with physical deformities, allegedly the result of incest—as well as the apparition of a young child that begins to haunt her. As more disturbing secrets come to light with each passing day, the villagers remain primitive and deeply defensive toward outsiders.
This novel blends mystery with science, offering scientific explanations for the myths long believed by the people of Bokudi. This makes the story of the expedition undertaken by Asa and her friends so compelling that I found it impossible to put down. The author weaves in numerous plot twists—not just at the end, but in nearly every single chapter—to the point where I felt genuinely stressed, constantly asking myself: "Why is this happening? Why is that happening?"
The characters in the story are truly unexpected! If I were in Asa’s shoes, I’d likely be just as frustrated, given that there’s hardly a single person in the village of Bokudi who can be trusted. Yet, Asa is far from a perfect protagonist; he remains morally flawed, and the scenes that keep unfolding before him serve as a form of painful retribution.
That's why I rate this book with 4 from 5 start; Stressfull but Genius!
Have you read this book? What do you think?
Thanks in advance, to read my blog and hope you like my post! See you on the next post...
Vivie Hardika
Hi, Halo, Annyeong! Welcome to my galaxy.
I have so much imagination in my head. Something that I can't achieve as a human and as a girl. So writing is very challenging. Since Junior High School, I have written whatever I want to write. Without skill, I just write what I want to read. Now I have 12th published novels and all of those are romance. Yeah, I proudly say that I am a passionate author, traveler wannabe, and blogger.
