SasuSaku: A Fractured Fairytale
SasuSaku: A Fractured Fairytale
(A “Review + other useless pieces of info” by Iulia)
Warning: Excessive use of the phrase “I love”. But I love this book, so really, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Book Box (For Members)
The bookbox is amazing… and it makes me so damn glad to be a member! Ahaha~ XD I love the SasuSaku art….. wait… as of writing this, I just peeked inside and saw Jam’s stamp on the inside. (*snickers* even the box, Jam? Lol. XD) I also love how it was made, very sturdy~ It certainly protected the book well. J
Book Jackets
I was only supposed to get the Romance book Jacket, but Miko and Jam are amazing beyond words.. XD Not to mention sneaky beyond words!! I actually asked them if I could buy the extra Angst cover jacket because when I saw it in the pictures, I was simply awed. Its black sleekness looks sooo good that I simply *had* to have it. And you know what they told me?! “Ay wala na ate..”, which in English means that there were no Angst covers left. D: I was heartbroken!!! But hey, I told myself that it was the consequence of my tendency to be an extreme miser. K If I didn’t get the angst cover jacket, then it was my own fault. I had resigned myself, really, to just staring wistfully at the pretty pictures of the angst book for all the days of my life. (getting overly dramatic here, but meh. XD) When I got the book, though, there was this suspicious-looking brown package… It was thin and paper-y and let me just say how glad I am that I was careful in opening it, because inside were the Romance, Angst, AND Fluff covers~ XD I was like “eeeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!” Sneaky, sneaky Miko and Jam but oh so wonderful Miko and Jam~ Wonderful wonderful girls~ I’d hug you if I could, thank you thank you thank you-- *cough* now on to the review- I was surprised and amazed by the quality of the book jackets. Romance is still my favorite, but Angst is a close second. XD I loved the Fluff jacket too~ XD The layout artist for the book jackets should be commended. I mean, the fanart in themselves were great, but I never expected that they could look this good in a book jacket. It was the color and the printing, methinks, that made them stand out so much. I love how the flaps were made in the Angst cover, and I love how fairy-taley the Romance cover was, and how light and breezy the Fluff cover seemed. XD Which one am I using, you ask? Not a single one!! Lol! I want them safe and intact and pretty at all times. XD So yeah, my FT book is nekkid!!
CD
I’ll be perfectly blunt here… I can’t stand most SasuSaku FSTs. I usually just like two or three songs and hate the rest, so I ended up deleting them. But I’ve been listening to the FT CD and I found out that I really really really love it. Of course, one shouldn’t expect them to be distinctly SasuSaku (Jizz in my Pants, wtf, come on. XD - Damn amusing though) but only SasuSaku in relation to the SasuSaku stories in the book. But you can hear it in the songs - when Fluff turns to Angst and then finally, to Romance. The songs are simply so appropriate. XD Also, the CD cover’s fanart is so beautiful. XD I’m not going to comment about the layout though, because I made that and my opinion would be irrelevant. My favorite song, so far, though, is Cannonball. J I keep replaying that amazing song. XD All in all, it’s a CD that I can truly find myself listening to for a long time-which reminds me, I have to copy the songs into my harddrive so that I won’t wear the CDs out. Lol.
Bookmarks
I’m not quite sure which bookmarks everyone else got but I’m gonna comment about those I have in my possession. The special bookmark, which I dub ‘special’ because it was bigger than the rest and has a hand-written letter from Miko and Jam, was simply so cute. It’s what I use for my FT book, btw, because the S-A-S-U-S-A-K-U tag is simply so adorable and goes so well with the purpleness that is FT. Needless to say, the art is amazing. The three bookmarks, all of them with art by Polly-chan, were simply so cute~ XD I use bookmarks now, thanks to FT. XD Although I do make the occasional slip and make dog ears still. Lol.
The Book
Well, what can I say about the FT Book? XD Miko’s right… IT GLEAMS! Lol, seriously speaking though, the quality is great, especially for the artworks. The Printing was surprisingly high-quality. Miko said that the ink for the fanarts would not fade. XD That’s simply wonderful. XD Now, erm, printing for the text was a bit iffy and a bit light at some parts, but it’s perfectly readable so that’s okay. The art totally makes up for it. And it’s soo thick.. :D What the others said was right, you really can use it for a pillow. XD However, answer one question please: Why is it purple? Lol. XD Not that I have anything against purple- but as my sister said, Black would have been great for it. XD XD But on one hand, FT’s purple makes it such a distinctive book. Lol. XD
Preface
From an objective point of view, I can confidently say that the preface was very well-written - and and damn it Jam, if you can write this well, why the hell won’t you write stories for us to read?! XD XD XD I know you guys wrote this at the very last minute - but I can see the ‘heart’ that you put into making it. As a member of the community, I was truly touched, so much so that I got teary-eyed while reading it (no kidding!). We’ve been doing this FT thing for two years, but you guys have put in the most effort for it. Without you, we wouldn’t even have this shiny purple book. XD And your answer to your Dad, “pangarap po”, that really got to me. I’m amazed, really. I didn’t know that FT meant that much to you guys, and knowing that now is simply humbling. And it’s a damn good thing that you guys have cool parents. XD
That poem after the preface fit perfectly too. XD And the intros before each category - those were so beautiful~ <3
Stories
Note: I’m going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible so that It’ll be okay for people to read. ^^
(Forgive me if the reviews sound really redundant. o.o But I just realized how hard it is to write a review without giving spoilers. mikochan_noda told me to screen the spoilers, but dammit, I didn't think of that when I was writing this.. sakdfjlskdj.. so imagine my regret. :| Too late, though.)
*FLUFF/COMEDY*
I. And so the Slug met the Snake - Ah, Miko, despite the number of brain cells that this story undoubtedly destroyed, I can say that it was beautifully written. XD It was amusing and cute and- well, you make me want to read about their history before they turned into a slug and a snake, okay? XD So write about the Knight and the Princess someday, okay? XD lol. I love the twists and-well, let me just say that this was a pretty unique SasuSaku story. Haha. XD It was a great ‘opening story’ for the book, so to speak, as it practically defined AU.
II. Before he Cheats - Hilarious, seriously hilarious. I mean, I know I said ‘no spoilers’ but let me just quote this line: “The idiot barely showed interest for one girl, how could he do it for two?” I mean, this is fluff and comedy, but that line-that line was so distinctly SasuSaku, lol, and to see it hidden so artfully in a seemingly lighthearted story, it was skjfdlksj.. XD
III. Cannonball - Ah, what can I say about Cannonball, really? It’s such an amazing, heart-warming story where Sasuke and Sakura are normal and happy and yet still themselves. There’s none of that warped interaction they sometimes have because of their past and the very nature of their work. It’s SasuSaku in a modern-day setting, SasuSaku as it would have been had they only been lucky enough to be born into our world. It has a ‘slice of life’ aura to it that simply makes it so easy and yet moving to read. Hands down, this is one of the best stories in the whole book. Seriously.
IV. Corona and Lime - Very, very amusing. The story cracked me up, even more so when I heard the song for it. Sakura’s antics were really cute and how Sasuke reacted to them was simply priceless. The fond sort of tolerance he gave her was really heartwarming. I really loved this story, and the ending was-lskjf. XD Just read it to find out.
V. Flights of Fancy - Oh, come on, I’m not reviewing my own work. ~_~ That would just defeat the purpose. Still, though, when I reread it, I found too much angst in it that it was pretty hard to call it fluff. Haha. But meh. XD meh.
VI. Home - I really liked this fic, it was truly an accurate depiction of people missing each other, of the despair and the desperation that comes with it and also the hurt, however unintentional, that always seems to come packaged with any relationship. What I loved about it, though, was the ending. I was expecting something else, to be honest, XD but then I conveniently forgot that I was in the fluff section. Lol. That’s why the ending came as such a pleasant surprise to me. I loved the forgiveness and the relief that came with their reunion.
VII. I’m Yours - First and foremost, great concept! Lol! Fluff and comedy at its best. Again, I’d like to quote a line to highlight the story’s sheer awesomeness. “Sakura… give me a chance.” That line made me melt. XD I also loved the concept of ‘one true love’ and ‘second true love’, ahaha, and the subtle implications of how it sometimes seemed as if settling for the ‘second true love’ would seem easier, but how it would ultimately be inadequate. This is a story that speaks of the difference between happiness and contentment, and it gets its message across in such a lighthearted manner. And the ending, oh the ending, it’s epic and makes me want a sequel. Hahaha. XD Write about it, please. XD lol. Also, the lime was a pretty nice bonus. ;)
VIII. Jizz in my Pants - Okay, Brain Breakage Ahoy!! XD I don’t want to spoil the plot for you but I gotta say, this was one funny story. XD
IX. Not a Date - what I loved about this fic, sans the fact that it was superbly written, was the hopeful, lovelorn portrayal of Sakura and Sasuke’s vehement denial and reluctant capitulation. It’s a very lovely, serene story which everyone will no doubt enjoy. J
X. Red Carpet - this story was simply so amazingly well-written and so rich in details that I was really drawn in when I was reading it. Now, remember the song for this one? ‘Say it again’. :D Yes, that one. Look for that line in the fic, and I guarantee, you will meeelt!! Melt!!! It’s so unbelievably romantic and asldkfjskl, definitely one of the best confession scenes I’ve read. Haha. XD
XI. Rock Star - This is one fic that depicts Sasuke’s inherent need to act and look cool perfectly. Lol. The events that happened in this story really cracked me up, especially since nothing seemed to work out the way Sasuke expected them too. XD It was really refreshing to read a story that was more focused on Sasuke’s pov, with a really cute take on how his mind works. xD
XII. Under the Sea - Ah, what can I say about this fic, really? It’s my favorite among all the fluff/comedy stories. Pure genius. Pure and utter genius. I loved the ‘manly’ sea shells, Sasuke’s little quirks, Sakura’s wit, Naruto and Neji and Shikamaru, and everything, everything, everything. This is SasuSaku crack at its best people. XD Seriously.
*ANGST/TRAGEDY*
I. ECTO - Again, I’m not about to review my own fic. Hehe. Funny, though, I nearly forgot what this fic was all about. Rereading it, I find a few loopholes in the plot… some that made me want to bang my head on the keyboard - repeatedly. The DNR part was pure and utter FAIL!!! So wrong on so many levels!! I mean, I admit that I didn’t know it at the time I wrote the fic., having had no actual experience of seeing the whole thing done (I haven’t even seen a comatose patient then, lol). Now that I’ve seen tracheostomies and defibrillators and all that shit, the mistake just became blaringly obvious and it stood out like a friggin’ sore thumb. Silly, stupid me. But I’m not excusing myself. I should’ve done research, or at least read about comatose patients and defibs and shit before writing, instead of relying on soap operas for inspiration for the dialogue. This is what I get for being lazy *snicker* But hey, lesson learned, research is VERY important. Lol. Failfailfail. So, in short, fail fic. XD (oh, and forgive me, but I liked the SaiSaku in this fic a whooole lot more than the SasuSaku)
La Carestia - First of all, post apocalyptic SasuSaku = Love; But since I'm a co-author, uh, I won't review this one. But I do think it should be a multi-chaptered fic though.
II. Lamentations - The author is a KINKY girl. Lololol. XD Just kidding. Dun kill me. Kidding aside, though, that was one of my favorite fics in the whole book. I loved loved loved loved the imagery, and I could totally imagine it and - is it just me or was Sasuke totally dreamy in that fic (perversion and sadism included)? *gets bricked* I was actually pretty excited about this fic, mostly because I’ve been fangirling over the concept since.. what, highschool? XD And miko, miko, miko, you totally delivered. <3 I love the whole fic~ XD particularly the tasteful lime scene… that was creative miko. XD XD XD Ahaha.
III. Landing in London - I refuse REFUSE refuse to have *this* as my ending (even if it’s unbelievably beautiful and angsty and oh so appropriate for the category)! Rawr!! Times like these, I’m pretty glad that I’m a member and that I got to see the alternate ending. XD lol. That aside, though, I really really liked this fic, especially how it cast Sasuke in a good light for a change, made him the hero instead of the antagonist. It’s really nice. ^^
IV. Make up Smeared Eyes - Sasuke, you fucking JERK!! *lol* seriously though, this fic went against the usual brand of angst. This was infused with so much of the ‘real world’ that it made me feel something else entirely. I mean, here, I can’t explain it much but let’s just say this was the fic that really succeeded in drawing the emotions out of me.
V. Mauer - *sigh* Miko, how can I describe how much I love this fic? XD We fangirled about it so much and I’m just so happy to see the wonderful product of all that giddy fangirling. ^^ The ending was just so heartbreaking, so perfect, and the events that lead up to it were so intense and-I seriously love this fic. XD Seriously.
VI. Sorry - Eh, not gonna review this. XD
VII. Stillborn Sighs - I absolutely loved this pic. The ending was pure and utter win. The sort of heart-breaking angst thatI absolutely adore. <3
VIII. The Endymion Effect - I gotta say, THIS IS AMAZINGLY WRITTEN. So sci-fiey an pushes all my happy buttons. <3 This was wonderful beyond words and - and really, the author should go pro!! She can totally do it.
IX. The Human Stain - At first, I was a little hesitant about the vampire theme, mainly because Twilight ruined it for me, and also because I was never much of a fan of ‘Underworld’, and ‘underworld-esque’ was just the feel I got for this fic. However, when I began reading it, I got totally hooked. It was beautifully written and I was totally impressed with how subtly the cannon storyline was interweaved with the AU one. This is one of the best fics in the collection.
X. White Walls - Oooh, I’m trying to find a way to express how much I liked this fic without giving anything away, but since It’s impossible, I just gotta say, once you get to the very end, you’ll be blown away - by the angst, yeah~ XD
*Romance*
I. Ad Astra - I remember when Miko was making out the details for this fic and I remember being totally impressed with her attention to detail. It’s the details that spice up the story, and in this one, it really shows. I love the little bits of information interjected into the fic. I loved that part with Regulus, that story about-am I getting a bit spoiler-ish? I am, aren’t I? Anyway, this is such a lovely piece of work. The ending was beautiful, the scenes before that even more so. I loved how Naruto and Sasuke cleverly were placed into the WWII era and that scene where- lol, okay, okay, I’ll stop.
II. Amore - this fic absolutely embodied modern-AU Sasuke, and it was a nice touch to change his history around a bit too, to stray from the usual cannon route. This fic, it makes you root for him, hope that he gets his happy ending, and by the end of the fic, I truly truly wishing that things wouldn’t go wrong and that things would go smoothly and-XD Well, I’ll leave you some suspense, kay?
III. Autompne - I loved this fic, mostly because I could see both Sakura and Sasuke’s sides - that she thinks she has ‘unrequited love’ but it’s really her own fault because she has all these preconceived notions about Sasuke, and he, he’s just as bad because he budges but never goes all the way. It’s like they’re dancing… a horribly, terribly frustrating dance. The ending was really cute too.
IV. Colors and Cliches - SasuSaku through childhood, adolescence, adulthood- lksjlfskjd I loved this fic, really. It showed all the ups and downs of being in a relationship, the pains and the joys, the sacrifices, the hurts, the victories - everything. This could be a movie, seriously, or a nice slice of life/shoujo manga <3. XD
V. Cry - First off, I loved the concept for this fic. Sasuke as a pirate is always yummy, and very easy to picture, courtesy of his first shippuden costume. XD I loved the SasuSaku here too, very serene and soft. J
VI. Falling into History - What I loved about this fic was how true to life it was. People break up, people fall out of love… even couples like Sasuke and Sakura may go through something as devastating as this… but when it all comes down to it, it’s not really the end of the world. It will hurt, but eventually you’ll recover, you’ll survive. But more than that, this fic emphasized the beauty of second chances - and that, I think, is what SasuSaku is all about.
VII. Je Ne Sais Quoi - I lovelovelovelovelove how this was written. I loved how the author emphasized the little but important moments in their lives, the nuances of their relationship - and the ending, alskdjfklsj, God, the ending made me melt. XD This was an excellent fic. It really conveyed the emotions of Sakura really well too.
VIII. Love is - In most fics, the emphasis is put on how Sakura can be of help to lostlost Sasuke. But here, in Love is, it shows how Sasuke can be of help to Sakura… not in the way of saving her or what not, but by enlightening her, listening to her, and pretty much being a good person to her. This fic shows how, by simply being himself, Sasuke ultimately becomes what Sakura needs. The whole fic is written so beautifully too, and there are so many lines that I could quote from this fic that - well - suffice it to say that this would be one of my favorites in the whole book. XD
IX. Nadir - MY FAVORITE. MY FAVORITE. MY FAVORITE. MY FAVORITE. Need I say more? :D Seriously, if you have the book, read it, and you’ll see what I mean. XD sklfsjd. I lovelovelovelovelove this story. XD
X. Punk Rock Princess - When I first listened to the FT CD, this was the story I was most intrigued about, mainly because I loved the song. It brought me back to my high school days when I was young and still listened to punk rock. XD Struck a chord with me, this one did. And when I read the fic, I was certainly not disappointed. I was honestly expecting a garage band here and maybe punk!Sasuke and punk!Sakura, so I was surprised when I read the story. It was a whole different take and I was just so pleased with it. The Sasuke here is a Sasuke I’ve honestly never seen anywhere before, but somehow, it fit. XD Sakura in this fic, however, was spot on. I can totally see her being all confused and so, well, young and misguided. The ending was very nice too, and it was very touching. There were some scenes that simply made me go ‘awww’, my imagination running on overdrive because of the sheer cuteness of everything. XD
XI. Reckless - Action-filled!! This was very excellent and the Sasuke characterization was absolutely perfect. I love how the story was constructed and the plot was simply amazing. I want to read more, more, more, and if there was more of it and this was a multi-chaptered fic, I would totally, totally read it. XD
XII. Scratch - This was angst and romance combined. It had that bittersweet feel to it, I read it and at the end I just felt, well, satisfied. The plot was really unique, and I love how it was handled and how bits and pieces of info throughout the story are dropped and the whole thing becomes clearer somewhat and-well, I read this fic, and it was about second chances, and well, you know how much I love that theme. <3
XIII. The Artist - Okay, not gonna review this because it’s mine.. XD But.. but.. *huggles Sai*
Conclusion: I LOVE FT! lol. XD I'm super sad that I've finished reading the book. <3