Review of In the End

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 30 Mar 2023, 01:48

[Following is a volunteer review of "In the End" by Ken Saik.]

5 out of 5 stars

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In the End is a young adult novel written by Ken Saik. Sampson throws a party in his garage, which is attended by his eleven teenage friends: Larry, Len, Graham, Terry, Conrad, Arny, Perry, Victor, Calvin, Brayden, and Jen. In a blink of an eye, they faced the reality that they were sunk and stuck in a hole measuring sixteen feet deep and thirty wide. All the teens were panicking. The whole garage where they stand was collapsed, and there was no way to go back to the top. There was no sign of a rescue, so they explored the area, and they discovered that it was an old mine shaft. The group explored the numerous tunnels and tried to find a way out. But something Arny found—a miner's diary written in Haiku. The miner wrote about the heavenly place, Vanna, so they continued their journey believing it was true. Was Vanna fictional or real? Will the group succeed in finding it? To discover the answers, read this incredible book, In the End, by Ken Saik.

When Yazpar pushed Victor off the cliff, I was devastated. My reaction was a profane word. It makes me eager to continue reading, and then I discover that the title of the book makes sense to me. Ken Saik made me deeply moved by how he amazingly ended the book. I was happy about how the group ended their journey. Yazpar was an interesting character in the book. He was mysterious. Furthermore, the heavenly place, Vanna, made me think about how desirable it is to be there, similar to how the characters desired it. Moreover, I applaud the editors for the flawless editing of the book; it was error-free.

However, I have one criticism about this 196-page book with 18 chapters. Unfortunately, it has poor character development. For a book with more than twelve characters, it must leave the reader with a vivid description of them all, but I had a hard time imagining what the teenage boys looked like. The author stated their jobs, but he failed to mention their appearances, which is crucial for the reader's imagination. It would be easy to follow through if it was included. The book would be so much better if the characters were developed. Other than this, there's nothing I considered a fault with this book.

Therefore, I joyfully rate the book 5 out of 5 stars because the negative aspect I previously mentioned doesn't yield a major bad impression about the book, rather the positive outweighs the negative. Furthermore, I love the ending of the book, which is another good reason to give it a full rating.

This reader-friendly and life-changing book will be a wonderful read for those interested in discovering themselves, learning how to sacrifice, and valuing friendship. I would love it if the author launched another book because he has a great way of teaching moral lessons to readers.

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In the End
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Post by **Seetha E** » 05 Apr 2023, 11:30

Nice review Hazel! One now knows what exactly to expect after your review... Pros , cons & all else. Looks like a good book to invest time in. Good enough to keep the young teens engaged.

Fawmi FJumana · Post by **Fawmi FJumana** » 05 Apr 2023, 17:25

This sounds like an interesting book. And now I'm curious as to how Vanna looks like, since you said it's a desirable place to live in. But I'm not sure about reading this because of the character development. Thank you for a lovely review.

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 06 Apr 2023, 03:23

Fawmi Jumana wrote: ↑05 Apr 2023, 17:25 This sounds like an interesting book. And now I'm curious as to how Vanna looks like, since you said it's a desirable place to live in. But I'm not sure about reading this because of the character development. Thank you for a lovely review.

I think you'll desire as well the Vanna when you know about it. The character development is manageable. Thank you for your kind comment, Fawmi!

Catalina Isabel · Post by **Catalina Isabel** » 06 Apr 2023, 03:45

This sounds like a great story with interesting life lessons to learn. I love that the plot seems quite unique, and Vanna seems awesome. Thanks for a great review!

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 06 Apr 2023, 04:15

Catalina Aspinall wrote: ↑06 Apr 2023, 03:45 This sounds like a great story with interesting life lessons to learn. I love that the plot seems unique, and Vanna seems awesome. Thanks for a great review!

I think you'll like the book when you get to read it. Yes, Vanna is beyond awesome! Thank you for your beautiful comment, Catalina, same as you.

Kavita Shah · Post by **Kavita Shah** » 06 Apr 2023, 11:33

In the End, the story sounds okay from the review but I don't think it's for me. Thank you for the review Hazel, good job!

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 06 Apr 2023, 15:48

Kavita Shah wrote: ↑06 Apr 2023, 11:33 In the End, the story sounds okay from the review but I don't think it's for me. Thank you for the review Hazel, good job!

Thank you for reading my review, Kavita!

Post by **Julie Gebrosky** » 06 Apr 2023, 22:43

What a unique book idea. I’m curious if the teenagers managed to free themselves and what happened with Vanna. Perhaps the author will add more character development in a future edition of the book. Great review!

Post by **Omneya Shakeep** » 07 Apr 2023, 00:03

This seems to be an interesting adventure story. I'm curious about Vanna's existence, and I hope they find it real. But am I not understanding correctly, or is this book a bit shallow?
Your analysis of the book is impeccable as always, Hazel. It is encouraging me to read it. I hope I get the chance to select it soon. Excellent review!

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 07 Apr 2023, 04:12

Julie Gebrosky wrote: ↑06 Apr 2023, 22:43 What a unique book idea. I’m curious if the teenagers managed to free themselves and what happened with Vanna. Perhaps the author will add more character development in a future edition of the book. Great review!

Yes, it was thrilling. And I think you'll be happy at how teenage boys end up. I hope too. Thank you so much, Julie for your beautiful comment, same as you.

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 07 Apr 2023, 04:15

Omneya Shakeep wrote: ↑07 Apr 2023, 00:03 This seems to be an interesting adventure story. I'm curious about Vanna's existence, and I hope they find it real. But am I not understanding correctly, or is this book a bit shallow?
Your analysis of the book is impeccable as always, Hazel. It is encouraging me to read it. I hope I get the chance to select it soon. Excellent review!

Hi Omneya, it's always a good feeling to read your comment!

You'll find out about it when you get the chance to read the book.

Eckhart Aurelius Hughes · Post by **Nisha DSouza** » 10 Apr 2023, 02:34

Wow! This is a unique plot with the promise of mystery and adventure. Just the kind of book I enjoy. Your review was incredible, Hazel! I would love to find out what happens next.

Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 10 Apr 2023, 05:16

Nisha DSouza wrote: ↑10 Apr 2023, 02:34 Wow! This is a unique plot with the promise of mystery and adventure. Just the kind of book I enjoy. Your review was incredible, Hazel! I would love to find out what happens next.

Thank you so much for your kind words, Nisha, as always! I think you gonna love the book as much as I did.