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Janus Silang At Ang Tiyanak Ng Tabon (2000)

by Edgar Calabia Samar(Favorite Author)

4.35 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

review 1: Haay Filipino Literature, Salamat sa Diyos, I am rediscovering it. It started with romance and now I have Filipino YA books to read. Ako naman ay tunay na masaya :DI discovered Janus Silang through a recommendation from a friend (Chrissie Peria). I was asking around if there were any Filipino Young Adult books and Lo and Behold! There is Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon.Online games, which play a big part in the story, usually starts with a tutorial. But Janus Silang begins in the middle of the action. Death, actually. Where after qualifying for an online tournament of TALA, he discovers that the other players are dead.I’ve been a gamer since I can remember and Ragnarok Online was something I played rather additively (in fact, that’s where I met my husband) and I ... morecan absolutely understand how addicted Janus was. Initially knowing that the book was about online gaming, I expected Janus to be the troublesome, game addicted kid. Pasaway ba. He may have some money making scheme to have enough cash to play but Janus has a strong love for his family, which is a trait imbedded in Filipinos, I loved how he would put into consideration his dad’s words. And how he would think about his mother and sister, Juno. But like a typical teen for his age, Janus hides all these feelings and just does what he can. He also has a crush on his friend Mica. It was very cute to read his perfect plan to get a kiss from her. A real kiss, mind you, not some simple smack on the cheeks. (Oo nga naman!!)As the story progresses and the investigation on the deaths continue, Janus learns many things about himself and the life he thought he knew. He meets fellow survivors and learns of the history of TALA. Many creatures he thought were the stuff of myth, he suddenly finds out really exists.One of the strongest elements of the book for me is the use of local colour and Philippine Myth. With the setting in a provincial town of Balanga, it was a great atmosphere for alot supernatural and mysticism. Kudos to Samar for building the perfect setting and using Philippine Myth so effectively that I couldn’t read it at night. I’ve faced vampires, battled Greek gods and ran away from a 100 demon march but that tiyanak following Renzo sent the hairs on my skin standing up. Things really are scarier when they’re closer to home. And Edgar has taken full advantage of that.All in all, Janus Silang is a wonderful (scary) read. It has a great plot, what I think a Young Adult book should be. I loved Samar’s writing style and how he revealed all those plot twists that left my mouth open in surprise. Special mention would be those last sentences in the chapters that had me taking a deep breath (gotta watch out for those!). Personally, I wouldn’t would tag this series as Percy Jackson-ish or Harry Potter-ish. To me, it’s a whole different level, a mix of Filipino Myth, online gaming and horror.Abangan ang susunod na kabanata sa buhay ni Janus Silang! (Watch out for the next chapter in Janus Silang’s life!)
review 2: A big indicator of a successful young adult novel is that it transcends across all ages. Edgar Samar's Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon (JS1) does that and manages to stand out above others in an overcrowded sea of the YA genre. And yes, the book is written in Filipino. This is recommended for everybody.JS1 has a solid story which fuses the modern social media culture with our timeless folklore. That one is so neat! You can feel some elements coming from other stories but let me tell you that Janus Silang is not a ripoff. It is smart, original, and Filipino. It has captured the hearts of Filipino nerds and gamers because we have long fantasized to become the protagonists of the game we love. Oh yeah, I want to have powers, but never wanted to be in Janus Silang's situation. In a YA category, this is so dark and graphic! You will be reading mysterious deaths, violent deaths and gruesome deaths. So be ready.You also have to prepare yourself with the book's climax and cliffhanger ending. Hands down to Samar because it made me want to read the second book.Don't get me wrong with the 3 stars though. Janus Silang has all the potential to become a great success in modern Filipino literature, and by that I don't just mean sales success, but a material worthy of academic discourse and a gold standard for a long line of YA books. Thus if there are hiccups, then remedies should be given as early as the second book. First is that JS1 has way so many sentence fragments, too many that it should be pointed out first. Nope, this is not a grammar nazi bash. Fans and critics alike will expect more from the series. If this is not addressed then more of them will notice this. I suppose editing would solve it, which I believe Adarna House can do. The conversations also has a tendency to become monologic. Take for example the part were someone is telling that certain prehistoric story - imagine it being an actual conversation. There are also small inconsistent details, say, I believe that Balanga is in Bataan then why is it located south of Manila (unless I am ignorant to know that there is indeed a Balanga in the south)? Three stars may just as well mean that the reservation I give to Janus Silang is simply because the saga has even more to give in its next installments.To Edgar Samar, great job sir! I know you can read this because you are a Bagani. less

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