The English Book Review Competition Winner’s Entry (Academic Year 2025/2026)

Veronica Vanessa – XI PARIWISATA

Book Review

Book Identity 

Title : Misteri Terung Ajaib 

Author : Tethy Ezokanzo 

Publisher : Talikata Publishing House 

Publication Year : 2011 

Summary 

Misteri Terung Ajaib is a story of Triple-C, a trio of 3 curious children, Cecep, Cucak Rawa, and Camar. They join a science club where the  While shopping they come across a gigantic Eggplant, curiosity takes over them and they go on adventures to explore and solve the mystery. By the help of people they finally found a clue about the gigantic eggplant. There it leads them to a secret lab. When Erick and his uncle, a vegetable mafia, attempt to control the scientific invention for their own.

Analysis 

This book is about curiosity, science, and the moral use of knowledge. The book “Misteri Terung Ajaib,” written by Tethy Ezokanzo, follows a story about Triple-C, who is the three smart and curious kids, Cecep, Cucak Rawa, and Camar. They came across a massive eggplant and went to investigate. But their quest takes them to a secret lab, where they find scientific discoveries. Erick and his uncle, the vegetable mafia, attempt to control the scientific invention for their own benefit. 

The conflict is between the curiosity of the children of Triple-C and the greed of the mafia. The children want to protect and learn about the giant vegetables and put it to good use, where Erick and his uncle want to use them for his own. 

The three main characters available in the book are Cecep (C-one), the curious one; Cucak Rawa (C-two), the creative one; and Camar (C-three), the intelligent one. Erick is mischievous and often tries to interfere with their investigation, while his uncle, a member of the vegetable mafia, is an antagonistic character who exploits the giant vegetables for his own. 

The genre in this story is adventure and the audience is most likely aimed at children or junior to middle schoolers. 

This book imparts the value of using one’s knowledge effectively, working well in teams, and perseverance in problem-solving.

Strengths And Weaknesses 

The strengths of this book is that it’s an exciting and colorful adventure suitable for young readers.Secondly, the jokes found in this book are also fit for young people. But this book also has an educational side where it introduces scientific concepts in a fun way, it helps young readers develop a curious mind to enhance problem-solving and improves memory, and also learn about the importance of teamwork. 

The storyline is not bland but very easygoing with no heavy conflicts. The characters each have a different and unique personality that makes the story more interesting to read. The language is easy to understand and it describes scenes very clearly, allowing readers to easily imagine the adventures of Triple-C. The story paints vivid pictures of the mysterious laboratory, the giant vegetables, and the suspenseful moments with Erick and his uncle, making the adventure exciting and easy to follow. 

The weakness of this book is that some parts of the story may be predictable. Also, characters like Erick, could’ve used some more character development to hype up the tension.

One more issue, which is more of an editing issue, is there are some typos that can distract the reader a bit. However, these do not affect the overall story. There’s a few lack of detailed scientific explanation, because the story focuses on the adventure, some scientific concepts behind the giant eggplant are only briefly mentioned and not fully explained. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Misteri Terung Ajaib is filled with excitement, adventure, and colours full of mystery and science. Triple-C’s curiosity and teamwork make the story enjoyable, and their clever ideas show how smart thinking can solve problems. Even though some parts of the story are a bit fast or the language sometimes too formal, the book still teaches important lessons about responsibility, friendship, and using knowledge for good. Overall, it is a great read for children who love adventure, science, and solving mysteries.