If chapter 1 introduced to us a very insecure heroine, then chapter 2 introduced no one. By that, I mean the introduction to new characters or scenery was carelessly and sloppily done, as if the author expected the readers to know right away who the new characters were or there was a change in scenery. One example would be the scene in NBS (pages 46 to 47):
"How much?"
"P-po?"
"I said, how much."
"A-ah! 3,893.50 pesos po."
"Please add this," inabot niya yung isang libro.
"Ah, yes sir," Niregister agad...
Kinuha niya yung wallet niya...
It just goes on and on, and I keep wondering who this "niya" or "siya" is. The author didn't give us a name or a description to hint us that it was either a new character or one of the old characters. The author finally told us who the character was on page 48, paragraph 7, line 3.
Yeah. I think sobrang LATE REACTION ito! You made us read 2 whole pages before you finally told us who just saved her? Great. Awesome.
A number of new, silly characters were introduced. Them being silly doesn't mean they're funny. It's the other definition - foolish. One example is Mr. Sandford, Cross' father. He's a gullible and easily-trusting man. I'm still wondering how he still maintains his business empire (whatever it is) and still be rich.
An example of his foolishness can be read on pages 30 to 32 when he hired Eya to be Cross' personal maid. Before I go on with the example, I would just like to point this out: WHO THE HECK HIRES A PERSONAL MAID FOR HIS 19 YEAR OLD SON, WHO'S GOING TO TURN 20 SOON? IF I WERE IN CROSS' SHOES I WOULD BE MAD AS HELL! I'M A FUCKING GROWN MAN! I DON'T NEED A MAID TO WIPE MY ASS! I CAN WIPE MY OWN ASS!
On pages 30 to 32, again, I doubt if Mr. Sandford is even in the right mind. I'm pretty sure when you hire someone new (be it a maid or an employee to the company) you check their identification cards (if they have any), birth certificate, police clearance, and anything else to verify their identities and if they are trust-worthy.
None of this happens. Eya just told him her name and immediately he hired her. I wish getting a job was this easy too. This scene points another thing: the author didn't do her research.
In business, you have to have a Research and Development (R & D) department. What's R & D and why is it so important?
Well, dear young readers and authors, R & D is an essential and necessary sector in a business firm. It researches on new materials or technologies that can be used to develop, improve, or create better products and services. In other words, without it Apple might not have released the iPhones or other gadgets you love and use. Without R & D, a company will definitely collapse and fail (ex. Nokia).
The author didn't use R & D. For the whole chapter 2, you can really sense the author didn't do any research to make the story more 3D and life-like. The DNP world is a cardboard box. You only get the front, the surface, the skin, but you don't get the bones, the muscles, the veins, the organs; and I'm still right at chapter 2 here. What more can I say when I've finally read chapters 3 to 5?
Cross Sandford acts like a five-year-old who's always in a tantrum. When children act like this, it is advised for parents to just ignore them and wait until they get tired of screaming and kicking. Based on a research on toddlers and children, something I saw on BBC, I believe, children (ages 1 to 7) are naturally selfish. As they grow older, they become less selfish and more selfless, if they were taught properly about selflessness.
Cross is a whining five-year-old in a nineteen-year-old's body. I don't see how this can be appealing or sexy to anyone. But, apparently, the girls of Willford Academy find him charming. Maybe these girls are just blind.
I don't remember or know any girl whose boyfriend is a whining brat. Playboys maybe, but not brats.
The main characters and some supporting characters act very violently. I don't know if I should say Eya has spunk or she's just really rude, insensitive, and a bit of an air-head. She may even become the first lady serial killer in the Philippines if her attitude escalates into something more violent.
Now, about the jokes...
Like what other reviewers pointed out, some jokes were corny. Since I started reading DNP, I haven't laughed, not even once. The punchlines and even joke plots were corny. I don't have any other words to describe them. They were just corny, bad, shallow!
Chapter 2 was bad, really bad.
