Book Review: Pilot Cafe (Dan Secangkir Kopi Panas di Pilot Cafe)

Hi,

One of my best-friends Y texted me this morning telling me that she's reading Pilot Cafe (Ahadiat Akashah & Zuraidah Othman). She said, she love the plot so much that its hard to put it down. Mind you, she was reading it at work. Pilot Cafe had been a hot topic in our whatsapp group last weekend where one of our male friends pointed out that we were being over-imaginative on how the leading character - Ameer looks like. It was funny, trust me. My female friend also jokingly told us she imagined her husband as Ameer. Okay, that was the fun part.

So just now, Y texted me again, She said she is so depressed the story did not end like what she was expecting. I LOL-ed at her and said, I know you are expecting Ameer to be with Maya right? Of course YES she said angrily. She even threw the book upon reaching the ending.

You see, that's Ahadiat Akashah for you. It is always hard to know how his writing ends. For someone who doesn't like surprise whom flip to last page of the book, or go to goodreads and look for reviews with spoiler, I feel Y's disappointment because I too, feel the same. At the very beginning I predicted how the ending would be (because I think I've read Pilot Cafe years ago, when I was in high school). Yet, I still hope Ameer would end up with Maya. Why? Because of what they had for four years. Ameer took a good care of Maya and her child. Instead she went back together with Rashid. Rashid left her again when she got pregnant after being raped by her boss but Ameer settled all the conflicts for her.

Maybe us, women look up to Ameer for his kindness toward Maya that we think he deserves to be with Maya. But you don't always get what you want. In addition, Ameer made lots of mistakes in the past. He had a child on his own with his ex-girlfriend, Sharmila. Maybe, it was just God's way to punish him for pushing Sharmila away and Maya as a reward for Rashid for being loyal for many years.

Though the story is far from being realistic, for example, Ameer is very very very good looking. He was a successful pilot. He had thriving business (Pilot Cafe). Everything about Ameer is too good to be true. So do Maya and Sharmila, they are described to be very beautiful physically. Oh well, we cannot blame the writer about this. Ahadiat Akashah has a brilliant imagination I must say. If I am as young as the first time I read his writing, I would be moaning and complaining on how stupid Maya is to not choose him at the end. Yet, for years of 'reading' Ahadiat Akashah, I know what to expect from him.

I rate this book three stars and Ahadiat Akashah is still one of my favourite writers.

Sinopsis:

DI PILOT CAFE SATU LEMBARAN CINTA TELAH BERPUTIK
kehidupan ini bermula di mana-mana...

tak menentu indah ataupun gundah

bila MAYA kehilangan jantung hatinya...

dia bertemu AMEER...

lelaki yang hanya tau menodai cinta.

bermula dengan SECANGKIR KOPI PANAS DI PILOT CAFE...

segala-galanya berubah untuk mereka berdua.

AMEER mula merasai apa itu cinta manakala 

MAYAbelajar untuk menolak cinta yang suci.

bagaimanakah akhirnya kemelut dua insan yang sudah mula memutik bunga-bunga cinta ini.

SHARMILA, DR KHALEED dan RASYID...

 mereka pula insan-insan yang terperangkap di dalam kemelut cinta ini...

Till then.

Aa