YA Book Pick: THE GIRL I USED TO BE

Once a month, we choose an outstanding YA book to review. We want to spotlight books of interest to aspiring writers, as well as highlight some of our favorite books and authors!
This month's Book Pick is THE GIRL I USED TO BE by April Henry.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Olivia's mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. It's up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

First Line: "The only sound I can hear is my own panicked breathing."

From just this line, you know that this is going to be a suspenseful book and the main character is going to find herself in some kind of horrible danger. 

I don't always love the technique of starting off with a scene from later in the book and then flashing back, but it's done really well here, with just enough details to make the reader curious.

Highlights: Ms. Henry is local to me and was a faculty member at an SCBWI workshop I attended last weekend, so I picked up several of her books before the event. She is a master of page-turning suspense and cliffhanger chapter endings. I thought I'd guessed who the murderer was—but I was wrong, which always makes me happier than when I'm right!

I enjoyed the law enforcement details of this book and several others I read, so it made sense when the author talked at the workshop about her meticulous research into these areas. She goes out of her way to speak with experts, try out weapons and methods of escape, and take classes relating to her writing.

A Good Read For: Ms. Henry has written many stand-alone books and several series, but I think this one is an excellent introduction to her work for someone who wants to see how to do life-in-danger suspense and mystery for YA.

Triona's Top Ten Book Picks of 2014

I'm stealing Stacy's idea this week and sharing my favorite reads of 2014. My favorites are pretty evenly split between YA, adult, and MG. I tend to favor sci-fi and fantasy, but a few contemporary books snuck onto the list too.

Without further ado and in no particular order, here are my ten favorite books I read this year:

1. THE THOUSAND-DOLLAR TAN LINE by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
I'm a big fan of the sadly short-lived TV show Veronica Mars, so I was really excited when I spotted this book in an airport bookstore. This is the first book in a new series featuring Veronica and the other characters from the show. It read just like an episode of the show. I couldn't put it down for the whole flight, finishing just as we touched down on the tarmac. The second one in this series comes out in just a few days. I can't wait!

2. SEARCHING FOR DRAGONS by Patricia C. Wrede
An oldie, but a goodie! I received a box set of all four of Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles for my birthday and read them all in about a week. I'm listing this one, the second in the series, because it narrowly edges out the first as my favorite. I first read these books when I was a preteen and so identified with spunky Princess Cimorene, who melted wizards with soapy water and bossed dragons around. These books were just as good almost two decades later.

3. RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo
The final book in the Grisha trilogy didn't disappoint. This book was just as compulsively readable as the first two. Although some people didn't like the ending, I thought it was perfect. Everyone got what they deserved in a very satisfying way. (Side note: I will forever remember this book as the one I was attempting to read while in labor! I didn't get more than a page or two done, but I figure I should get some props for trying.)

4. THE EIGHTH DAY by Dianne K. Salerni
I went on a big middle-grade sci-fi/fantasy reading spree near the end of the year, since that's the genre of my current WIP. This was my favorite of them all--an action-packed novel with an intriguing premise and fascinating characters. The second book in this series is coming out any day now, and it's definitely on my to-read list.

5. CINDER by Marissa Meyer
Several teenage friends were swooning over this book, so I had to check it out. I thought the Cinderella-as-cyborg premise was very well thought out, and the pacing of the story was great. I also read the second one in the series, which was also very good.

6. BEHIND THE SCENES by Dahlia Adler
When I was eight months pregnant, my husband had to go out of town. I was feeling sorry for myself, so I wanted a fun, light book. This one definitely delivered. I liked the characters and premise a lot, and the feel-good ending cheered me right up.

7. CHAMPION by Marie Lu
Like Ruin and Rising, this was the third book in a trilogy I really enjoyed. It was my YA Book Pick for May, so you can read all about it here.

8. ATTACHMENTS by Rainbow Rowell
I read this author's FANGIRL and ELEANOR & PARK and absolutely loved them, so when I spotted this adult romance, I snapped it up. It was full of Rainbow's great dialogue and achingly relatable characters. I couldn't put it down.

9. SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY by Mary Robinette Kowal
I usually gravitate toward sci-fi and fantasy, but I have to admit to a soft spot for Jane Austen. This book, the first in the Glamourist Histories series, blends Austen-style prose and settings with a fantasy twist. I loved having both elements in one book and thought it was really well done. The next two books in the series were great too, and I can't wait to see where the author goes with it.

10. HOOK'S REVENGE by Heidi Schulz
I heard a lot about this book when Heidi sold it, and it totally lives up to the hype. Captain Hook's daughter is fearless and likable, and the narrator's witticisms alone were worth the read. This was another one I had trouble putting down.

Here's to more great reading in 2015!

YA Book Pick: CINDER by Marissa Meyer

Once a month, we choose an outstanding YA book to review. We want to spotlight books of interest to aspiring writers, as well as highlight some of our favorite books and authors!

This month's Book Pick is CINDER by Marissa Meyer.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

First Line: "The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle."

This first line gives you an immediate impression of the main character. She obviously has something physically different about her, or she wouldn't have a screw through her ankle. The author also plants the idea that Cinder is poor by mentioning that the screw is rusted. It makes me want to read on and find out why!

Highlights: Although "cyborg Cinderella" is a good enough hook for just about anyone, this book is also a good example of the dystopian genre. It's set in the future, after a world war has devastated much of the world and completely changed political boundaries. The author did a good job of avoiding the dreaded infodump, instead doling out bits of information throughout the book that kept me hooked and interested.

The main character is mechanically inclined and very competent, which I liked a lot. No damsel in distress here. The romantic plotline is also well-crafted. The protagonists' attraction to each other is believable, and so are the reasons they are kept apart.

The book ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, which made me want to pick up the next book immediately. From the synopses, it looks like the other books in Meyer's series each follow different fairy-tale characters who end up interacting with Cinder and each other. This seems like an intriguing way to do a series that might be more interesting than just following the same character throughout multiple novels.

A Good Read For: Writers of fairy-tale retellings, this would be a great read for you. The author loosely follows the Cinderella story, but she adds so much of her own spin that I honestly forgot about it after a while. She did an excellent job of blending just enough of the familiar with interesting new concepts to keep the reader hooked.

Goodreads policy changes: for the good of books?

Some of you may have heard that Goodreads changed their policy around author behavior-related reviews and content.  You can read about the changes here.

To sum, Goodreads is taking a firmer stance on reviews and content that focus on an author's behavior.  Any reviews that are not about the book (ie: "The Author is an @$$hole so don't read this" followed by a one star review) will be deleted.  Similarly, bookshelves about authors' personas vs. actual books will also be removed (ie: bookshelves entitled authors-who-behave-badly.)

They've also made a few additional tweaks, like revising their author guidelines to make them clearer, and improving members' ability to flag content they don't feel is appropriate.  

Personally, I'm a fan of the new changes. I rely heavily on Goodreads reviews to guide my reading choices and update me on new books I might enjoy. Whether or not the author was a d*ck to someone doesn't impact my enjoyment of a book, and I don't want to miss out on a great story because the reviews are weighed down by personal vendettas.  In my opinion, a book review should focus on the content of the book, and that alone.

To clarify, I don't condone authors behaving badly. It's unprofessional, and in a world of social media can have a negative backlash on your brand. (See my previous post, Why Being a Jerk is Bad for Business.)  But when it comes to what I read, I prefer information about the quality of the story and the writing vs. an author's bad attitude.

But apparently not everyone sees the situation as black and white as I do.  If you scroll down to the comments section below the Goodreads announcement, you'll see some pretty p*ssed off members.  Some even threaten to delete their membership altogether.

I was surprised by this.  I get that having your review deleted without notice is frustrating, and for the 21 people this happened to I completely get why they are upset. (Prior to the official announcement, some behavior-related reviews were removed without warning.) But for the rest of the Goodreads population, I'm surprised by the level of backlash.

So I'm curious - what's your take on the new policy?  Do you think author-behavior  content should be allowed, or are you in the camp of book-review only content?

YA Book Pick: Charm & Strange

Once a month, we choose an outstanding YA book to review. We want to spotlight books of interest to aspiring writers, as well as highlight some of our favorite books and authors.
This month's pick is CHARM & STRANGE, by Stephanie Kuehn.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying. 

First line:  I don't feel the presence of God here.

I was hooked when I read this first line.  It brings the reader straight into a situation that you know is not going to be your typical wake up the bedroom or hanging out at school scenario.  There is a darkness and sense of foreboding that surounds this first sentence.  So many questions are raised but it also reveals a lot about the protagonist and his voice.  

We know that Win is in a situation where he is clearly uncomfortable.  While there is a sense of loneliness that is very prevalent, there is also a tinge of hope.  He is a boy that believes in something more than what's concrete and static around him, he wants something more.

Highlights:  

As much as the first line hooked me, Kuehn's ability to create provoking and poignant ends to each chapter is what kept me reading.  Each chapter's last sentence always evoked a sense of danger, poised a question or provided a thoughtful insight into a character's personality that made me want to know more.  

For example, the last two sentences of chapter two are:

For most kids, this milestone means a lot. 

For my brother, it meant everything. 

My interest is perked.  Win is reminiscing of a conversation he had with his brother about losing the believe in Santa Claus.  Something so innocent and yet it meant everything to his brother, why?  Why was it so important to hold onto this small belief?  I'm intrigued.

Kuehn also writes in an organized, non-linear fashion.  Each chapter switches from Win's present day living at the boarding school and flashbacks of his life before tragedy struck.  The family tragedy involved the death of siblings but Kuehn holds back.  She reveals information a little at a time, like peeling away the layers of an onion.  Each chapter reveals more about Win and the people around him but leaves the reader wanted more and reading faster in the hopes of getting more answers. 

Notes for Writers:  

Charm & Strange is a great example of a novel full of great twists and turns.  As many have mentioned, it's difficult to write about Kuehn's debut novel without revealing spoilers or major plot points.  I look at this as a plus because it shows that reviewers care about the experience that other readers will have when they read the book and they want them to have the same "oohs", "ahs" and "gasps!" that they did. 

A good read for: fans of contemporary YA as well as supernatural thrillers.  This novel is a great example of a dark teen male protagonist.

Get ready for a roller coaster ride of thrills and chills!

Special thanks to Martina Boone and Adventures in YA Publishing for sending me such a great novel as part of their Million Visitor giveaway! 

Are You A "New" Adult?

While I don't consider myself an old adult, I'm definitely not a new one (mind you, I'll always be young at heart!). With that being said, I'm not one to shy away from a good New Adult book. This somewhat new segment of fiction has sprung up to define that age category of characters who are in their late teens or early twenties. That time in life after high school (I promise you, life isn't all downhill after graduation). When love is more than crushes and stolen kisses and protagonists are dealing with bigger issues than the need to break free of family and childhood rules.  

ABC News has likened New Adult to Smut Fiction but there is definitely more to this new genre than just a bridge between Young Adult and Erotic Fiction. 

Two authors who have provided succinct commentary on this new genre are Ellen Hopkins and Abbi Glines. You can find an interview with both authors on the subject here at the Sony Reader Store Blog.

But if you think this is a new fad, think again. The term was first used by St. Martin's Press in 2009. This recent Modern Manuscript post provides a brief history on the beginnings of this new term and it's rise in popularity with the help of popular blogs such as NA Alley and authors Colleen Hoover (Slammed) and Cora Carmack (Losing It).  

If you're interested in reading New Adult novels, check out Goodreads' New Adult Book Club.  It boasts 1749 members....and counting.