[Book Review] Katzenjammer

Judul: Katzenjammer
Penulis: Stefani Hid
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tebal: 218 halaman

"Kesadaran tinggi yang kumiliki membuatku selalu mempelajari dan menguji keberadaanku, dan akhirnya aku memilih teori yang kusimpulkan sendiri tentang hal itu. Teori-teori itu seringkali berganti dalam banyak periode dan umur dalam hidupku, lantaran aku selalu menguji dan memperbaruinya." — Aya

           Okay first of all, I'm going to say that this book is dangerous. Not merely because it contains R-rated contents like alcohol-drug usage, swearing words, and certain sexual preference—this book labeled as adult fiction anyway and this is my first time reading one—but because of perspectives and values inserted to the characters' mind, which are unusual and some of them are contradicted, well, at least with mine. This is the first book I finished in 2018 and honestly, while reading this book, I had to keep reminding my own self to be fully aware so I'm not drowned in the character's negativity. 

           I think Katzenjammer succeded at evoking my deepest fear, meaning in a good way, because what's the point of a book if it's not disturbed one's head little bit? Set up in little town called Ochtrup and Rheine, the writer explored the different side of Germany: the-not-so-idyllic-nor-intellegent-as-imagined. And Stefani Hid did a good job to make the readers easily dragged into the depth of Aya's mind, tangled with excessive worrisome and cynicism over her life—just admit we all indeed experienced these traits once in a while. So I'm gonna say, if you are young adult who still unsure about yourself, who haven't found the true personal meaning of happiness, having severe existential crisis, this book is not that recommended because it has tendency to make you even more lost.

          What made me to keep reading this book is the quote above. I agree that after all, in the self-discovery journey, we will always have a theory of our own that may change better along with time and growth—although not fell into that extreme level, I realize that I've experienced some of Aya's circumstances before and now I'm beyond that stage already. Another reason to finish Katzenjammer is the unexpected thing happened in the middle. I just had no expectation that the story would turned in one finger snap from gloomy and absurd into bloody suspense. Here I impressed by Henning's appearance as reliable person for Aya. But after the up-and-downs of the characters, I'm not that pleased by the ending, which lead them to even more worse state.

Rate : ✪ ✪ ✪  3,2