She's Dating The Gangster: A Review

I'm so sorry, I won't be making a header photo this time because I really have no idea what to put. But this week, I'm reviewing She's Dating The Gangster by Bianca Bernardino.

If you aren't Filipino and you have exactly little to no idea about what this is, She's Dating The Gangster, like any other lots of stories nowadays, is a Wattpad novel, originally. It was originally written in Tagalog-English (aka taglish-- that's a Filipino slang) and it went really famous within the country so it was held up for publishing rights and here we are. It's now on hardcopy, translated in English and shortened.

As always, beware of spoilers just in case you're planning on reading the novel (which is unlikely because I feel like I'm the only person in this country who hasn't read this yet until now) but if you haven't and can't, go on then.

What do you think is under the title?
  • The word is out: she's dating the gangster.
Summarize the story in your own words:
  • It's like your typical cliche love story, really.
  • Kenji delos Santos, the famous Gangster-ish lead male character gets the wrong number and sends a text message to Athena Dizon, the good girl lead, by mistake and Athena decides to play along with it-- seeing how wrecked, brokenhearted and desperate Kenji was. He had been broken up with by his ex girlfriend with the same name as our female lead, Athena [Abigail] Tizon and cannot seem to get over it.
  • Then there comes the idea when Kenji wants to make Athena pay (for tricking him) and make Abigail jealous by making Athena pretend that they're in a relationship. So there we go, yada yada and somehow, their play pretend gets real and takes up to a higher level.
In general: (didn't like it, okay, liked it, loved it)
  •  Naaaaaah. Maybe a bit.
Why?
  • It wasn't actually as bad as I thought it would be. To be completely honest, I have really low standards when it came to Wattpad stories (especially those taglish ones with smileys, emoticons and all amateur thing-a-bajings because I have a huge knack for correcting and judging novels, stories, essays and well, stuff like those turn and piss me off). But this one, I had to read because my classmate forced me to. And it wasn't that bad. Or maybe just because it's in English.
  • I think the story paces slow and fast at the same time. There are these dull moments when I just can't grasp what's happening and there are some where in this very second, they hate each other to the bones; next thing we know, they're all lovey-dovey and stuff.
  • Although I appreciate the lightness of it. 
  • I've seen some of my classmates read this novel and cry in the process of it. It had not made me cry. It pissed me off. Real time. I really am not a fan of tragic love stories, and let me tell you, my friend, this is one of those. I really don't like it when one-half of the couple dies; and the other one does too because I find it... rubbish. Although sure, you love them so much to the point wherein you just can't bear not being with them but, you know, life doesn't stop in the moment you lose them. I'm so, so sorry if you felt for the novel, but I really think the thing to do is to live for the person you lost rather than finding a way to be with them in the other side. Don't get me wrong, I know it can be really miserable waking up the next day and the thought strikes you that you won't be seeing the person you love anymore, but there's always happiness in this world. And you can find it anywhere, you just have to know where to look. Or maybe take it as this: Continue living everyday of your life for them. Think of it as a tribute. Something like an offer to them. A dedication. Appreciate your surroundings; relive your memories together and use that as an inspiration to wake everyday up.
  • Okay, I took the previous bullet too seriously.
  • I also don't quite like the Hangugo/Han gu go/Hangul/Korean in it. Although I found it a little entertaining because I learned reading Han gu go when I was in sixth grade and it got my neurons working, but it confused me some times. I have no idea why.
Favorite scene:
  • That chapter when Kenji dyed his hair black again and had his haircut the first time after swearing to himself that he's boycotting and not cutting his hair until Abigail comes back to him.
Least favorite scene:
  • The "gold digger" argument with Abigail.
One quote you liked:
  • ...there was none that caught my attention or something I couldrelate to, I'm so sorry.
Make a three to five song playlist for the novel:
  • I have not thought this through... so there's none I can give.
Rate it by rubber ducks:
2.5 rubber ducks
Would you recommend it?
  • If you're into tragic-ish; gangster boy and good girl pairing love stories and is a Filipino, go on.
Last words:
  • It's like a mixture of Crash (by Nicole Williams), A Prescriptive Relationship (a Wattpad story I've read a couple years ago) and the famous Romeo & Juliet  
  • No offense to the fans of this story, but I think it's just a bit overrated.
  • Like, really.
'Til next time.

:-)

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