Capsule - Book Review

 True Kindness is Unconditional



Capsule is a book by Mel Torrefranca. Its plot revolves around three teenagers with different personalities. Although they all attend Brookwood High School, these students are not friends with each other. 

Jackie Mendoza is an aloof girl. She prefers spending most of her time playing computer games with her virtual friend, Eugene. Even inside the classroom, Jackie hardly leaves her attention from her cell phone.

Peter Moon is a quiet and studious guy. But, he has a penchant for bashing every other person in his blog. Most of the students despise him for being nosey. He sits beside Jackie in Math class, but they don’t communicate with each other.

Kat Pipe is the girl with an attitude. She loves to stand out among the rest with her unique lifestyle. She enjoys receiving positive reactions from her followers everytime she posts her pictures on Instagram.

The Unlikely Friendship Develops

The story begins with a news report about the sudden disappearance of two students from Brookwood High School. Almost at the same time, Jackie discovers a web app that suddenly uploads itself onto her cell phone. The app is named Capsule. What makes it mysterious is that the app is not visible to other persons, except for the three students. Even as she tries to figure out its sudden appearance, Jackie also feels the urge to open the app and play it. One of Capsule’s messages is about the looming disappearance of Peter and Kat.

Jackie grows worried about what might happen to the two students. With an innate kindness, she feels the need to rescue Peter and Kat. And so, Jackie decides to play Capsule and follows its instructions.

Will Jackie succeed in her quest? How does she make friends with Peter and Kat? Join Jackie in her adventure and discover with her the important lesson that Capsule brings. 

The Book and the Author of Capsule

Capsule is a well-written book and moderately fast-paced. The author skillfully interweaves adventure, mystery, poetry, a bit of comedy, and drama into the story. She takes the reader on a fun ride through cyberspace where everything is magical. And, although the journey is surreal, Mel Torrefranca makes sure that the story is rooted in reality. 

What I like the most in Capsule is the statement of one of the characters. He says, 
“The world doesn’t revolve around the internet. We have the sun for a reason.”
This statement brings an enormous message to all teenagers, indeed! While it’s true that computer games are a huge entertainment, they are not the be-all and end-all. I’m impressed at the maturity level of the teenager that utters those words. I just wish readers and gamers take the time to reflect on that statement.

The Technical Side of Capsule

Capsule is one great read for people who love YA stories. It’s not the run-of-the-mill type of work. Mel Torrefranca knows exactly how to drive her story and where she wants to lead her readers. And, although she introduces a lot of characters in the book, the author ties all loose ends well.

However, I must point out that the ARC I got contains several typographical and grammatical errors. The author needs to submit a copy of this book for another round of proofreading and editing before she finally sends it for publication. And, it is for this reason alone that I withhold a star from the perfect score. For now, I give Capsule a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. And, I highly recommend the book to readers 16 years old and above. I don’t suggest it to the younger readers though. Capsule contains a bit of language not suitable for young minds.

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