Rhetorical question.

That's what on my mind when one of my favorite Indonesian author, Ika Natassa, asked why the readers were so craving for her next book, Critical Eleven. Of course it's rhetorical, because... why weren't we? As one of her devoted reader, I have my personal list of 'Why Am I Craving For Critical Eleven So Bad' and here they are...

1. I'm in love with the short-story of Critical Eleven. It was sweet and memorable story, a great opening for a great journey of Critical Eleven. I must admit that writing the whole story based on a short story is not an easy work. The reader who has already read the short story must had some kind of expectation about the character and the story itself - that made us so curious!

At first, Critical Eleven is one of short-story on this book

2. Ale seems to be my type of guy. "Avatar oke, tweets hemat banget, yang di-follow cuma akun NFL, Sports Illustrated, CNN... ih idola lo banget ini." Describe much, huh? And yes, the role-model of Aldebaran Risjad posted by Ika Natassa several times on her Instagram is so damn hot!


3. The non-banker leading woman character. To be honest, I will feel a bit bored if the next leading woman character was another banker chic with their sophisticated banker slang. I love Andrea, Alexandra, and Keara... but, I think Ika Natassa can write about any cool job as good as she did for the banker character and I also think that she should take a risk for that. And she did it!

4. Can't get enough of Harris. Because one is never enough. Done said.

5. The Risjad clan. I don't know whether the DNA of the Risjad clan is made of gold or not, because they seemed interesting. I'm not only talking about Risjad Brothers, but also their father and his advice to his oldest son, Ale.

6. Jakarta is my hometown. In Critical Eleven, Ika Natassa will tell about Jakarta and I know exactly how it feels to live in Jakarta. It's truly redefining what matters, and what doesn't.

Find the different side of Jakarta in Critical Eleven

7. Critical Eleven is like a college class called 'Marriage 101'. There's a lot of advice about how to choose your future spouse, how to treat them right, and so on and on... that made me want to marry as soon as possible!

8. The sex scene. Ika Natassa herself said on her Instagram that writing Critical Eleven was like rolling around in bed on a perfect Sunday morning with a hot guy. Well...

9. The traveling quotes. When I read those quotes on Ika Natassa's Instagram, I was mesmerized. I can imagine how this book will make my mind travel somewhere far away.

10. Dee's Coaching Clinic. Have I told you that this list is kinda personal? Well, actually on last April, I was so fortunate to attend Dee's Coaching Clinic. I also knew that Ika Natassa attended the same event in Medan as well. I follow those 2 great authors and I know that Ika Natassa faced some writer's blocks while she was writing Critical Eleven. But, after attended Dee's Coaching Clinic, she was able to continue the story and finish it within 2 months! Meanwhile, I tried to write but it stuck. If I get the chance to have brunch with Ika Natassa, this will be the question that I really want to ask: "How could you do that?"

Dee's Coaching Clinic

11. The teasers. The first teaser that Ika Natassa made for Critical Eleven was the one on April Fool 2014. Yes, I got tricked from the first time. And after she finished the draft, she kept teasing her readers with her posts on her social media, especially Instagram and Twitter. I actually made a hashtag based on Ika Natassa's hashtag: #BecauseIkaNatassaIsAnAssholeShesGonnaKeepTeasingMe. All the teasers successfully made me craving for Critical Eleven more and more... I really can't wait for 1st July!!

So, here's my 11 Reasons for Critical Eleven by Ika Natassa. I really hope I can be chosen to join Ika Natassa on her brunch next Saturday, moreover I can get Critical Eleven as soon as possible!