Pursuing our Freedom

Seniors

by alluringli

seniors series #3
A Senior Highschool series.

We are expected to be filial to the ones who brought us into this world. Pero hanggang saan ba ang hangganan ng pagiging mabuting anak? Philomena Gracia Valderama is the epitome of an obedient daughter, lahat ng utos sa kan'ya ng kan'yang mga magulang ay sinusunod n'ya nang hindi ito kinukuwestiyon. There's only one thing that she can't give to them freely, her choice of career. Pero sa huli, she still can't repel from their decisions and she has to sacrifice her passion for practicality. She's currently in HUMSS, because they want her to take law in the future even if she wants to be a teacher instead.

Iscalade Jance Altreano is the social butterfly of the STEM strand, lahat 'yata ay kaibigan n'ya kahit ang mga terror nilang professors ay nagiging matalik n'yang kasundo. Except for her, this particular shy girl who tells him that he is her best friend. At sa unang pagkakataon sa buhay n'ya, he doesn't want her to be on his list of friends... because he certainly wants more.

We all want to be freed from the invisible chains that we don't let others see but sometimes staying chained is easier than pursuing our freedom.

ebook

Reviews

[0718 · Rating 3 out of 5]

miss ko na iscamena kasi mibf season kaya here's a book review !

pof, no matter how light it seems, tackles a deeper social issue than philomena breaking free from her strict parents and choosing the course she's passionate about. philo showed how we are braver than we think we are and we can break free from the chains that hold us back. I liked the story's and characters’ depth, the book references, and immaculate humor. the side characters are also interesting (shout out to my main girl, lavy !) a very light read, and the themes are justified. I could talk about this book for hours.

[charleyyy · Rating 3 out of 5]

my fav book in the series. isca and philo are too damn cute

[Hannah Bien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sayo lahat yan Philo???? pero I really love Iscalade for her. 💖

[enicabooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

sooooo late for this review that i can barely remember what happened yet i do still remember the amount of butterflies it made me feel.

read this book in the series first even if it’s technically the third one all due to its trope.

humss x stem???
💥💳💥💳

i rated it 4/5 because even if the story was well written and the dialogues were heartfelt, i just feel like the ending was too unrealistic or should i say it moved too fast to the point where i could figure out how that could’ve possibly happened.

[Yel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philomena Gracia and Iscalade Jance will always have a special place in my heart. Philo is someone I aspire to be. She has many qualities that I want for myself and may ilan siyang mga hilig na hilig ko rin.

‘Yung sabi ni Lola Sunshine na ‘yung regrets mo daw ay ay dapat maganda, and that is so powerful. Hindi ko madescribe pero nakakapagbigay ng lakas ng loob ‘yung sinabi na ‘yun ni Lola Sunshine.

Tuwang-tuwa ako sa story na ‘to. Lalo na sa mga book references. Mahilig kasi ako sa pagbabasa like Philo pero katulad ni Lade ay nahihirapan ako umintindi ng literature. Kaya naman tuwang-tuwa ako na nabibigyan ng meaning ‘yung mga libro sa story na ‘to.

Grabe ‘yung iniyak ko sa kwentong ito. Kahit nung nalaman ko na ‘yung pov ni Iscalade. Ang sakit lang, saka totoo nga na para ma achieve yung freedom ay binubuo ito ng mga sakripisyo.

I really like the scene na nag-speak up si Tita Juana during one of their gatherings. Kasi maling-mali na talaga. Also, the way na hindi siya affected kahit inalis na siya sa gc nila kasi alam niyang tama ‘yung sinasabi niya.

‘Yung sa limang email ni Philo natuwa rin ako dun. Kasi naramdaman ko kung paano gumaan ‘yung pakiramdam ni Philo. Aliw sa response ni Sath kasi ang friendly niya talaga. Naiyak ako sa email niya sa parents niya. Kung paanong wala siyang memories kasama ang daddy niya dahil sobra nilang distant. Kung paano niya sinabi na ang sakit magmahal ni mommy niya. Tapos yung kay Kile, nakakacurious ano kaya laman nung file? Pero nakakatuwa ‘yung closure nila. ‘Yung sa email niya kay Iscalade, tuwang-tuwa ako sa response ni Iscalade. I love how playful and serious he is.

Natutuwa din ako sa dulo na nakapag-usap si Philo saka si mommy niya. Na narinig na niya yung mga katagang matagal na niya hinihintay.

Masaya ako para kay Philo na natupad niya ang mga pangarap niya. Ang dami kong iniyak at itinawa sa kwentong ito. I’ll forever cherish this story kasi kakaibang experience ‘yung nakuha ko sa pagbabasa nito.

[★彡 · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOSH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH 😭 it’s literally everything i love in a book. the comedy??? the romance???? the build-up???? everything about it is top tier 🔛🔝

i love philo so much omg she’s a literal angel and she deserves all the love in this world. 😭🫶🏻 and i’m glad iscalade provided that unconditional love for her that her parents never did. 😔 and aaaa can’t hell but feel proud of philomena for pursuing her dreams to be a teacher and not a lawyer. 🥹💗 she deserves to do something she actually wants and not because her parents forced her to. ☹️

AND FVCK HER DAD LOL I HATE HIM SO MUCH 😡 (jk)

and iscaaaa omg i want this man so much in real life 😭 he’s literally everybody’s dream guy. funny, smart, hardworking, literally loves you with all his heart??? every good quality he has it all please 🫶🏻

I also loved the emails part hahaha it made me teary eyed especially yung email between philo and isca. 🥹

and omg one of my favorite part in this book would probably be yung bandang ending na hahaha i loved reading in isca’s pov so much. 🥹 and also find you a man who writes a book about you???? like pls i want him so bad 😭 ++ literally builds you a modern cottage as your library???? he’s so real for that pls 🥹🙏🏼

++ isca’s words of affirmation. dream man fr. 😭 oh my gosh i could talk about this man for houuuuurs. 😭 that’s how much i love him. 😩 some people might say na they didn’t like the writing style but girl omg i LOVED it 😁😁 literally how i want my books to written like. 💗

anyway yun lang naman. would definitely be rereading this in the near future when i miss them. 🥹 i love you both so much philomena gracia valderama-altreano and iscalade jance altreano. 😭☹️🥹💗💗💗

[sophandherbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO FREAKING CUTE. Not the best writing style, yes but I appreciate the story. I LIKE THE CHARACTERS A LOT. I can’t stop smiling lol I’m otw to look for my iscalade

Also, I like my name now. Wisdom.
It’s not that i didn’t know its meaning before but idk i used to hate it. Philomena made me embrace it.

I also like the emails. Writing letters is something that i genuinely love.

[Yricka Somcio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite book in the entire series. It's the lightest story! it tells the plot line of Philomena and Iscalade in the most beautifully written, passionately composed, and simply pure piece of work that will leaves you feeling something. This book undoubtedly become my favorite comfort read ♡ the characters are relatable, comforting, and written in a way that will stick with you and make you adore them. It's a book full of laughter, romance, and lessons that made me cry because they were so familiar.

I identify strongly with Philomena, her ideologies and character, Her handling of situations and her ambitions. She's both comforting and refreshing to read and she's now one of my favorite characters because I recognize myself in her!! We have similar interests, and I can clearly see myself in her shoes. Iscalade was also a standard! With his charms and words, he makes it easy to fall in love with his character! And because he is so genuine, you will never doubt his feelings!!

This book provides so much solace and serenity. It certainly lives up to the hype, and the writing progress was evident. It wasn't as heavy as the others, but this book was just right. It's cliche, but cliche can be effective. The characters were a perfect match, and the chemistry was palpable. Kile, the second male lead, was also my favorite. I adore him and believe he deserves to be love rather than just acknowledged. I genuinely love this book!! it is unquestionably my favorite in the series.

Even though it is light, it deals with academic pressure, family obligation, pursuing your freedom even if it is frightening, learning to be brave and do things outside of your comfort zone, and many other issues. This couple will live on in my memory, heart, and conscience.

Philomena, I will always love you(◍•ᴗ•◍)✧*。you bring me comfort, and I am grateful to know you AND I am extremely proud of you! (EMO MOMENTS LOVE NA LOVE KO LANG TALAGA SIYA EME)

[Tala_arawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this story two times now. (so far) It is the ONLY Wattpad story I have reread (so far also) and the FIRST book I am reviewing in Goodreads (which is a website I got interested in after reading POF). This book gives me so much comfort. Although there is conflict, it is mostly a lighthearted and easy flowing story. I love how well it inserted political topics in between discussions. It doesn't seem pretentious or forced. It made me feel a little bit more passionate about the issues in my country I already genuinely cared about since the beginning.

As much as I love this book, I am also jealous of it - but in a good and inspiring kind of way. I am envious of the characters who are in it, especially Philomena, whose heart is so beautiful. I wish I am able to be just like her but sadly I don't think I could. I am also jealous of how well this book is written (Miss Alluringli, if you're reading this, that's how amazing you are as a writer.) I wish I could write as beautifully as the author of this book. I kind of regret not pursuing writing earlier now because I had to focus on my studies.

I hope one day I can write beautiful stories like this too. I am still finding my voice (and the right grammar to use haha) as a writer. For now, thank you Alluringli, Pursuing Our Freedom, and Philomena Gracia for igniting my love for reading and writing stories! 💛

[rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

GRABE NA 'TO. I READ THIS IN ONE SITTING I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.

I love you so frickin' much Philomena & Iscalade! See you when I see you bbs 🥹

Dito ko na realize na I'm delusional hahahaha pota. Enge po ako prequel para naman po kay Kile 🫶🥹.

Iscalade is someone who I want to be with ideally, and honestly I don't think I can ever find a man as straightforward or expressive as him. So far I've read 2 romance books in one sitting ✨ I can't believe I eat this up all the time!

I am so happy that I came across alluringli's stories, can't wait for these to be published.

Napabasa ulit ako sa Wattpad dahil ditooooo.

I love that the misunderstandings were minimal and that they thoroughly communicated with each other. Inggit ako, sobrang selos na kinililig na nagiging delusyonal, I promise! Ang relatable ni Philomena even though I am more vocal than her (in terms of pag nagrerecit or nagpaparticipate sa class). Kung totoong tao talaga si Philo, I would become besties with her and share book recommendations and such for ages and exchange goodreads accounts 😫.


5 STARS KA SA AKIN. I LOVE YOU SO MUCHIE MUCH PHILOMENA GRACIA & ISCALADE JANCE! 💗💗

YES NA YES I LOVE IT. Cliche pero SISINGHUTIN KO PARIN MGA LOVE STORY NA GANITO I FRICKIN' PROMISE.

[Charm (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful story from Alluringli. ♡


This is the best story sa Seniors series for me so far. Sobra akong naka-relate sa character ni Philomena. Strict and unsupportive parents, curfews, etc. Iyong tipong gusto ko siyang sabihan na, "Same, Philo. Same." Hahahahaha

As always, kahit na beginner ang author, ang ganda pa rin ng writing style niya. May mga konting typo lang, pero oks na. Ang ganda ng pagkaka-deliver nung mga lines ng mga character. Hindi rin pilit ang romance dito. May pagka-slowburn ng very light since sobrang inosente nga ni Philo. I also love Iscalade's character. Opposite talaga kay Philo. Kaya naman ang ganda talaga ng chemistry. Gusto ko rin magkaroon ng isang Iscalade na pagagawan ka ng isang mini library. 😂

Sobrang realistic ng story lalo na sa part na buhay ni Philo. And if fan kayo ng friends to lovers trope, I'm sure magugustuhan niyo 'to. Ayoko na mag elaborate kasi mas okay na wala kayo dapat na idea sa story na 'to para mas ma-enjoy ninyo. Hehe

[riri ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this book within 24 hours. I can’t believe this book got me really excited to go home just to read. I really love the book and how well written the story is. (Although, there’s some issue such as: typographical errors and the miscommunication of the characters in there.) Among the 5 series, this is probably my favourite one! I love how realistic and flawed the characters are, they are not forced, or like, they’re just natural. I hate the miscommunication about Philomena’s feelings. I hate how she’s not able to tell her feelings for Iscalade in the beginning and ended up regretting it but then, they ended up together. I love the side characters, especially Niara and Kile, they didn’t become one of those antagonist who will do disappointing things for love. I hate Philomena’s parents. I love Tita Juana for speaking facts during that gathering. All in all, I really love the book. Definitely a must read when having a bad day!

[Daniela Macaambac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabe! Light story lang siya pero 'yung hagulgul ko sa ending ay parang sad ending. Na-enjoy ko 'yung una at pangalawang seniors series pero grabe impact sa 'kin nitong pangatlong series. Like, naattach ako ng sobra sa characters kaya humagulgul ako sa ending. Maganda 'yung storyline though medyo napasabi lang ako ng unnecessary dun sa part na dumating 'yung banda (forgot the name) basta 'yung part na nandun sa Kile kasi bakit naman sa kalahating part lang siya dumating? keme! Pero love the characters especially Philomena na sobrang soft-hearted. Actually, nakakarelate rin ako minsan sa kaniya lalo doon na wala siyang freedom to choose kung ano talaga ang gusto niya. All in all talaga is I love this story, I think this will be my favorite among the rest kahit pa mabasa ko na 'yung ibang installments.

[Anonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

First impression of POF is that it will be a light read.. but no.. somehow it was still painful. But I still really love it!! I really relate to Philomena in every possible way and she's such a comfort character. And my fave senior boy, ISCALADE <3 These two are really sweet and they own my heart. I once again thank @/alluringli for making a wonderful, and a book that can reflected on. The message that this book relay is about choosing for your rights as a child. We have every right to choose for ourselves, especially in our career path since this is our life not others. Choose to pursue your freedom!! Iodine Lutetium Vanadium this book <3

[Ara · Rating 5 out of 5]

puta grabe iyak ko sa chap na nanakit daddy ni Philo tapos ung mommy niya naman forda side naman kay daddy ulol, it somehow resurfaced a past memory of mine lol anyway so...

been reading since ebook days and first time q lang magka-second lead syndrome huhu lobe u Kile 🥺 (or baka my love for older men acting up lang wews)

na-turn off aq sa mga first chaps kay Isca bcs he somehow manipulated Philo even tho there were those times (issie's bday, forgot the other ones) she said 'no' or was is just me? idk.

anw, i fell in love more kay Philomena, the sweetest.

LOVE YOU, PHILO. U DESERVE THE WHOLE WORLD. patay na patay ako sa'yoooo, my loveee 🫶🏻

[shamsa :3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WILL ALWAYS GO HOME TO THIS STORY!!

Philomena Gracia and Iscalade Jance will always have a special place in my heart.

Pursuing our freedom, no matter how light it is, it just makes me cry. Alam niyo yung X factor ng isang story na hindi mo ma-explain pero sobrang lalim ng pagkakabangga sayo? Thats what I feel about this book. It is my favorite wattpad book so far.

BASTA BASAHIN NIYO TONG BOOK NA TO GUYS!! I could yap about this book all day and night and never get tired of it. Planning to re-read this the second time around kapag hindi na ako busy. (mind you, re-reading was never my thing)

I love you, my Philo and Isca! (and also to kile, can't wait to read his book!!

[aiqzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!

The characters are really relatable and realistic. I love the writing style too! This series is still kind of underrated, but, I know that one day these stories will flourish to even more great number of reads.

This book so far is my favorite installment in this series. This book made my heart swell in greatness and also sadness, it also made my tears roll down, as I read. I love how flawed the characters are, which made this book really realistic. Philo and Lade will always have a place in my heart. <3

Alluringli, indeed is a great author!

[dia · Rating 5 out of 5]

so far, ito pinaka-gusto kong book from senior series. roller coaster feeling. kilig and slight angst huhu TT i appreciate the validation, lalo na from esca's parents. the letters, the journals, the sacrifices from philo to esca, and vice versa. super worth the read >< tipong babasahin ko ulit kapag masama timpla ko.

will forever love philo, esca, and kile!

kile, you deserve so much more! so excited sa story mo, lods.

philo and esca, you deserve each other!

iodine, lutetium, vanadium, uranium! less than three

[dame · Rating 5 out of 5]

i cannot stress how i love this book.
the characters helped me with my standards for love. i wanna cri p, the efforts of the characters here. i wanna cri i cri. having someone annotate me a book will already be beyond my dreams. but isca built an entire library and even made her a book?? whattt tt they are the standards. plus the fact the philo's name means love i love everything about this book. and kile of course, my pogi boy

[Eri · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE CUTEST!🩷

As a HUMSS student this is definitely a relatable story.

My brain is thinking into pursuing law, but heart is passionate to become a teacher- so this story made me feel a lot of things. I love all of the characters from this story, especially Philo.

Decisions are made by us, and we have the right to find our way to freedom. We are the writers of our own life. We should always choose our own dream and not what other people expects from you.

-E🩷

[Loevalii · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAA such a goooooooooodd read 🥹🥹🥹🥹 can’t wait ma magkaroon mg physical book huhu definitely worth the read!! philo and isca 🫶🏻 the love they have for each other is everythingg. Iscaaa the man that you are and my baby philo huhu iniyakan ko talaga every pov niya 😣😣 leviticus kile na one call ayaw tapos album cover pa yung pic ni philo tapos with caption na “Philosophy of Grace” 💘💘 VERRYYYYYYYY SUPERR GANDAAAA MUCH WALA AK MASABI

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

ISCALADE <3 aaaa i love him sm. he was giving sevi camero vibes from chasing the wild. tackled a very important topic esp for teenagers. learned a valuable lesson from this book. second lead syndrome <\3 i love kile sm too. philomena ( the lead ) was so cute and precious ang sarap niya ibulsa akdns. this book got me very frustrated but i love it. outgoing x introverted trope

[Miji · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite in the entire series so far. I love Philomena and Iscalade so much. Kile was also such a cute character though his feelings for Philomena was too fast (?) but imo it's the most well executed story in the whole series. Though i guess this series is not for you if you don't like informal writing. 4 stars.

[remi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a special place in my heart, especially Philomena. I love how I always feel related and connected to Philomena.

It tackles Philomena’s views and opinions well. I’ve never read books before that tackled the struggles and every side of being an introvert before ‘til this one. This is really a brilliant work.

[LizzLovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

CUTIEE BOOK

This story is cute and also very funny, matatawa ka talaga sa story na ito. na inlove ako sa humor ni iscalade dito lol napaka witty nya i also fell inlove with the one and only "Philomena" napaka soft and respectful. I also like how ate Li talk abt the pressure of being an academic achiever.

Fav story ko yung kina philo sa senior high series 💗

Highly recommend ✨✨✨

[isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sobrang ganda and comfortinggg! This is definitely my comfort book because ang light lang and Philo is so cute and she’s so so so vvv kind. I really love her!! Parang ’di siya deserve ng mundo huhu. And Iscalade is so very green flag, i love the story line and this book will forever live in my heart.

[Dokushoka Ai · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite installment! I like this the most because as someone who reads a lot, I can definitely relate to Philomena. Philomena who stayed too long at a party just to finish reading a book. I love how respectful Philomena is. I really love this book. Highly recommended! 5 stars for me, that's for sure.

[Umi Tellenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

—🦋Yeyyyy!!!! Thisss iszzz xooo good good goodie! Ackkkkk i can’t say that this is my favorite among the seniors series. Knowing that i have COT as my top. NYAHAHAHHAHA but iiiii can say that these characters are my faveeeee! Aaaaa i luvv them both! They’re xo perfect! This is xo light and very very comforting.
⛈️⛈️⛈️DONE 4:54 AM

[jhcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cutieful !! cutie iscalade hehe <3

i feel like me and philo would get along so well, esp with reading books hehe, she is prob someone i can exchange my goodreads with.

and for iscalade, one thing i can say is ang cutie cutie niyaa ! he’s the epitome of golden retriever bf (minsan aspin pa <3 hahaha love u ladee!)

[reesereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating: 4/5

Read this book 2 years ago as a senior high school student, LOVE. Re-read this again as a college student, STILL LOVE!!!! oh how I missed my iscamena. I had so much fun rereading this. The feeling is still the same. Such a light read. Read in one sitting, ABSOLUTELY DEVOURED!!! Philo please, paranas naman ng isang Iscalade Jance Altreano sa lifetime na ito 🥹🥹