Streetlight Manifesto by Ed Lacson, Jr.

     It was my first time to watch one act plays such as this, and I'm glad that I got the chance to. I love the creative use of the streetlight in the story. It was used to set the mood of the scenes, and to induce some humor. The actors played their roles very well, and the scenes were fast paced. The props were made of everyday objects such as illustration boards but that didn't bother me from appreciating the scenes. The atmosphere of the theater during this play was eerie and filled with suspense. As for the story itself, I liked it except it got me questioning in the near end about who's right and who's wrong. Does killing only corrupt people justify the act itself? Can true peace ever be attained? Who can we trust?

Some Families, Very Large by Jose Dalisay

     This story shows the harsh realities in our lives today. Some people are really distraught by poverty and are willing to do anything for money, even going as far as calling other people 'family.' I pity Sammy because he's all too young and innocent to be experiencing all these things. He only believes what his father says, which we all know isn't true. I'm not sure whether or not I should pity the father, as I don't know what caused him to lose his job in the first place. I can see that he loves Sammy very much though. I believe that the story is set in Christmastime because everyone seems to be good during that season. Beyond that is the fact that this may symbolize change or a new beginning for the characters in the story. The optimistic feel at the end was a nice touch though, where Sammy, Felipe, and Mrs. Navarette were only imagining things, probably of a better tomorrow.

Smaller and Smaller Circles by FH Batacan

     This is awesome and easy to read. I like the author's creativity in the way he makes priests into detectives. He gives priests a fresh look compared to the boring, church-bound stereotypes. The author effectively describes important details, creating images in the mind of the reader. I must admit, having read this book during the night gave me some chills. The grotesque murder scenes were stuck in my head, just like a movie. Anyways, I also liked how the author dedicated a few pages to the murderer's thoughts since it created the feeling of suspense and mystery. I found the whole book entertaining, and the various characters lived up to their roles perfectly. I only wish that this book were longer because the finding of the killer seemed too abrupt. The way he was presented also seemed too fast. I wish he was an integral part in the story in a way that he was present around the priests in the earlier parts of the story, so as to avoid suspicion. Either way though, I still enjoyed it. The feeling I got when reading this was as if I were in a theater, where everything seems up close and realistic. Kudos to the author for making a great novel. I'd definitely recommend this one to my friends who are fans of the genre.

Getting Better by Tara FT Sering

     It was my first time reading a chick-lit too(as I said before, I don't read much). The story's really long but it is nicely divided into several chapters. Basically, it's about this woman who was cheated on by her boyfriend and her officemate, and has eccentric friends. I like how the story developed, although I found some parts really weird and awkward to read. I mean, who in the world proposes during sex? I also got pissed at the part where Karen almost had a backslide with Miko. After reading that part, I lost the sympathy I had for her. Some people just don't know the value of dignity. The twist in the end was nice, though it seemed a little movie-like. The broken woman ends up with a guy whom she presumed to be gay until she asked him. Really though, people shouldn't quickly jump into conclusions.

Gryphon by Charles Baxter

     This was really refreshing to read. This was my first time reading a story involving grade school kids and their teacher(and a substitute at that). Miss Ferenczi showed that teaching kids can be done in a whole new way. She presented things which seemed unrealistic and out of the ordinary and her students, being kids, didn't believe her at first. As they spent more time with her, more and more kids started believing her and they were amazed by her ways of thinking. I was sad to see her go because of this immature brat, although it does seem frightening when someone tells you that you're going to die. Overall, I liked Miss Ferenczi's character since she deviates from the stereotype of elementary school teachers. I'm still not entirely sure why the story has 'Gryphon' as its title though, as I couldn't get its significance when she stated it in one of her lessons.

Weight by Lakambini Sitoy

     I found this story really odd. There's this healthy, "horizontally challenged" woman(Ami) who works for an NGO that advocates women's rights and this chill guy(Jayme) who's apparently her co-worker. The story can be divided into two. For the first part, it is shown that Ami has feelings for Jayme, although she doesn't tell him. They just talk in the office like normal co-workers. For the second part though, things suddenly change for no apparent reason. I couldn't see the reason why Jayme drove straight to Baguio and touched Ami's cheek. He didn't show any signs of liking her in the first place. The story seemed incomplete with specifics and by the end, you'll definitely ask, "Why?"

The Cries of Children on an April Afternoon in the Year 1957 by Gregorio Brillantes

     This was another long story, but I didn't mind reading through it compared to 'Midsummer.' I found the use of flashforwards entertaining. I pictured it like a movie which starts in the present then shows random visions of the future. The flashforwards were really effective since it gave the reader clues on what will happen to Ricky in the years to come.  The slow, lazy pace of the story(mostly in the present time) was in contrast with quick glimpses of the future, and that's why I feel that this story had the right balance. I also believe that the title is fit for the story since it gives a perfect impression of being frozen in time.