YA Book Pick: WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon

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 When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

First Line: "Dimple couldn't stop smiling." 

This is a good intro to the story, which is, at its core, a romantic comedy. You immediately want to know what's making her smile, right?

Highlights: I'm a rom-com junkie from way back, so I have high expectations for the genre. This book definitely delivered! It managed to be light and funny while tackling some heavier topics (parental expectations vs. following your passion, feminism, first love, etc.). I loved the trope-busting detail that the guy was the one looking for a long-term commitment, not the girl. It's easy to see why this book was a NYT bestseller.

Notes for Writers: This is a great example of a "diverse" book that isn't about diversity—the protagonists happen to be Indian-American, but the themes are universal. One thing I loved, though, was that the author didn't shy away from peppering the story with plenty of interesting details about Indian culture. I was glad I read this book on my Kindle app and could easily click a word or phrase to read more about things that interested me.

A Good Read For: Romantic comedy fans and anyone looking for a light, fun read.

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.

YA Book Pick: WANDERLOST by Jen Malone

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 WANDERLOST by Jen Malone.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.

Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.

But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.

First Line: "I'm wedged into the pantry, between forty-seven rolls of toilet paper and an industrial-sized box of Raisin Bran." 

This line does a good job of setting the tone for the rest of the book—funny and intriguing! Why is the narrator stuck in the pantry? What kind of person buys toilet paper in  >47 roll quantities?

Highlights: There were so many highlights in this book! First of all, the main character is endearing and likable. I winced in sympathy throughout the first few chapters as Aubree's life went horribly wrong. I desperately wanted her to redeem herself—and I cheered when she did.

The romance was great. There was enough character development for the love interest so you understood why she'd fall for him, but it never felt like insta-love. Finally, the book was so funny! The elderly tour guests especially were hilarious.

Notes for Writers: One of the best things about this book is its amazing scene descriptions. You can see Amsterdam, or Salzburg, or Monte Carlo in your mind's eye as the action unfolds. If you want to improve your setting descriptions, this is an excellent book to study.

Top Reads of 2016

Another year down, another mountain of books devoured.

I'm a nerd and get an unnecessary amount of satisfaction from tallying my book count for the year and comparing it to previous years. With three weeks left in in 2016, I'm pleased to say that I've read fifty six books--eleven more than the forty-five I read last year. And I think I'll finish at least another one to two before year end. Huzzah!

In addition to bragging rights, reading lots of books means I get to recommend lots of books. And it's that time of year. 

Without further ado, here are my top reads of 2016 by category, in no particular order. All of them were good if they made my list, but the ones noted with a ** are not to be missed (IMHO.)

Historical Fiction

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah** 

The story follows two sisters as they struggle to survive in Nazi-occupied France. This was easily my favorite read of the year.

Salt to Sea by Ruta Sepetys**

I loved Between Shades of Gray so my expectations were high, but Sepetys second historical fiction didn't disappoint. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, Sepetys introduces us to well imagined characters struggling to hold onto hope (and their lives), while weaving in the events of a shockingly little-known event in World War II.

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Described as Code Name Verity meets Gone Girl. The description slightly over promises, but I enjoyed the fast pace, the Nazi-occupied Amsterdam setting, and the relateability of the MC.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

Set in a small East Texas town in 1937 where race is just one of the many dividing lines. This book received loads of early critical acclaim, and for good reason. It is as beautifully written as it is heartbreaking. 

Memoirs

Scrappy Little Nobody, by Anna Kendrick  

Full of snark, laughs and showbiz growing pains. If you are an Anna Kendrick fan, you will be an even bigger one after reading this.

Girl Walks Into a Bar, by Rachel Dratch

I loved reading about Dratch's improv days and her time at Saturday Night Live. I'm a former improv geek and actually studied at the same Chicago theaters as Dratch (Second City and IO) so it was fun to hear her talk about her time there. But what really makes the book is Dratch's personal journey.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer*

If you are an Amy Schumer fan, be prepared to love her even more. Her memoir is funny at times and surprisingly honest and heartfelt at others. I especially loved hearing about her comedic perseverance. There's a lesson for everyone trying to break into a creative industry--you need thick skin and a never-give-up attitude if you want to be successful. 

Thrillers

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

Scott Burroughs, a down-on-his-luck painter, hitches a ride on a private jet flying from Martha's Vineyard to New York. Sixteen minutes after takeoff, the plane and all but two of it's passengers - Scott and the son of two wealthy passengers - disappear into the ocean. Filled with twists and turns, this story will keep you guessing right up until the end.

I'm currently listening to Dear Amy, by Helen Callaghan, and if it continues at its current pace it will likely get a place in my 2016 Thriller section as well.

Middle Grade

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

The story interweaves several tales together - from WWII Germany to Depression-Era Philadelphia - all connected by a harmonica. The unique format and heart warming story rightfully won the 2016 Newberry Honor Award.

The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)

Every few years, two children are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon and forced to attend the fabled School for Good and Evil, where kids are trained to become the things of fairytales. A fun read for any age.

11 Birthdays (Willow Falls, #1) by Wendy Mass

Described as Groundhog Day meets Flipped--Amanda must relive her eleventh birthday until she can get it right and break the curse.

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

This book is a perfect example of how to successfully develop a fun, charismatic MG voice. Twelve-year-old Felicity tries to bring the magic back to Midnight Gulch and mend her mother's broken heart so that they can finally call one place home.

Fantasy & SciFi

Replica by Lauren Oliver

Oliver is one of my favorite authors, and her latest release did not disappoint. After an attack on the Haven Institute - a military-run covert facility that clones hundreds of children - Lyra, a clone, escapes and bumps into Gemma - a girl with surprising ties to Haven's secret past.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Because it's a play, it lacks some of the colorful world building you expect from a J.K. Rowling novel. But once I got used to the format I really enjoyed it--it was great to see familiar characters and meet some new ones along the way. And I love that Harry Potter grows up to be a father struggling to raise and understand his children--just like any other father, magical or muggle.

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1) by Sabaa Tahir**

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2) by Sabaa Tahir**

This series will likely end up ranking up there with Daughter of Smoke and Bone for me, which is high praise. An Ember in the Ashes was my February YA book pick. You can read the full review here. Book two is just as good as book one, and book three can't come out fast enough.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

After spying on her father, Faith discovers his secret--a tree growing in a dark cave. Tell the tree a lie, and a fruit will grow. Eat the fruit, and it will reveal something true. The greater the falsity and the further it spreads, the greater the secret the tree will reveal. But Faith soon discovers that learning the truth is not always worth the cost.

Alive (The Generations Trilogy, #1)by Scott Sigler

Alight (The Generations Trilogy, #2) by Scott Sigler

This Sci-Fi series gets better with each book. It starts with M, a teenage girl who wakes up in a coffin with no memory of how she got there. She soon discovers more kids like her, and the fight to learn how they came to arrive in the coffins becomes a fight for survival. I can't share details of Alight without giving away the plot to Alive, but I will say that the ending to Alight (book 2) is one of the best cliffhangers EVER.

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, #4) by Maggie Stiefvater* 

If you've been following this blog for a while you know about my obsession with Maggie Stiefvater and her The Raven Boys Series. The final book in Steiefvater's epic series is all the things I wanted and needed. I had a book hangover for at least a month afterward.

Contemporary

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero* 

Gabi chronicles her last year in high school: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's coming out, boys, her father's meth habit.  If I were giving out an award for best voice, this would be the winner of the 2016 prize. Funny, poignant and heartbreaking all at once--I found it hard not to cheer (and sometimes cry) for Gabi.

Life by Committee, by Corey Ann Haydu

Tab discovers a note in the margin of a book that leads her to LBC (Life By Committee.) The rules are simple: share a secret, complete the challenge, find comradely with the other members of the site. Fail to complete the assignment, and your secrets get revealed. At first, Tab believes the assignments are helping her to become a braver, happier version of herself. Until they threaten to tear her family apart.
Me Before You (Me Before You, #1) by Jojo Moyes*

If you're thinking of skipping the book in favor of the movie, don't. The movie does not hold a candle to the book. But regardless, have the tissues ready. This book will break your heart in all the right places.

YA Book Pick: THE ADVENTURER'S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES

Note from Triona: Since my current WIP is upper MG rather than my usual YA, I've been immersing myself in the world of MG lately. So I'm cheating a little with this month's YA Book Pick and making it an almost-YA book pick instead!


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 ADVENTURER'S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES by Wade Albert White.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): A thrilling debut novel where fantasy and science fiction meet, dragons aren't as innocent as they look, and nothing is quite what it seems.

Anne has spent most of her thirteen years dreaming of the day she and her best friend Penelope will finally leave Saint Lupin's Institute for Perpetually Wicked and Hideously Unattractive Children. When the big day arrives, a series of very curious happenings lead to Anne being charged with an epic quest. Anne, Penelope, and new questing partner Hiro have only days to travel to strange new locales, solve myriad riddles, and triumph over monstrous foes—or face the horrible consequences.

Packed with action, humor, and endless heart, this debut novel marks the first volume in an irresistible and original fantasy series.

First Line: "At Saint Lupin's Institute for Perpetually Wicked and Hideously Unattractive Children, every orphan is treated with the same amount of disdain and neglect."

This is a great first line because it clearly telegraphs what type of book you're about to read—funny and irreverent.

Highlights: The book featured several things I absolutely love: interesting fantasy elements, humor, action/adventure that kept me turning the pages quickly to find out what was going to happen, and a really cool twist at the end that turned it all on its head.

One of my other favorite things about the book was that it features a diverse protagonist—but the story isn't about her diversity. That doesn't seem like it should be such an unusual thing, but I haven't encountered it much in my reading.

Notes for Writers: The reader is rooting for the main character of this book, Anne (short for Anvil), from page one. If you're looking for an example of how to create a likable protagonist, this is a great one.

YA Book Pick - The Cursed Child

The second Monday of every month (or this month Tuesday) we feature a review of a published YA book.  The purpose of this feature is to spotlight books of interest to aspiring writers as well as promote some of our favorite books and authors.

This month, I've chosen something from the Harry Potter world since J.K. Rowling as influenced some many writers.

Highlights:

The book (or written script) was filled with nostalgic scenes, interesting premises, and promising new characters.  For me, the biggest enjoyment was the emotional pull towards the end of the play.  I cried and cried and really enjoyed the message which is full of hope.  So even though the script in book form may have had some holes that left me less than satisfied, the emotional impact and new twist was enough to make me enjoy the story.

Notes for writers:  Be aware of your target audience when writing a series or spin off series.  Fans will already have expectations on how the story should go.  Also avoid too much nostalgia - fans can always read the original story.  Finally, keep note of your pacing.  The pacing in this story was too fast.

Good read for: Harry Potter fans, those into fantasy, and tweens.

YA Book Pick: ALL IN by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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 ALL IN (THE NATURALS, #3), by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Three casinos. Three bodies. Three days.

After a string of brutal murders in Las Vegas, Cassie Hobbes and the Naturals are called in to investigate. But even with the team's unique profiling talents, these murders seem baffling: unlike many serial killers, this one uses different methods every time. All of the victims were killed in public, yet the killer does not show up on any tape. And each victim has a string of numbers tattooed on their wrist. Hidden in the numbers is a code—and the closer the Naturals come to unraveling the mystery, the more perilous the case becomes.

Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing with an equally dangerous and much more painful mystery. For the first time in years, there's been a break in her mother's case. As personal issues and tensions between the team mount, Cassie and the Naturals will be faced with impossible odds—and impossible choices.

First Line: "New Year's Eve fell on a Sunday." While this isn't a terribly hook-y line by itself, it becomes much more interesting when you add the next few sentences:

"This would have been less problematic if my grandmother hadn't considered 'Thou shalt gather your family for Sunday dinner an inviolable commandment, or if Uncle Rio had not appointed himself the pourer of the wine.

"There was a lot of wine."

Highlights: This book is the third in an excellent series of YA thrillers. There's a cast of very interesting characters (who you find out more about with each new installment), genuinely baffling mysteries with satisfying endings, and plenty of exciting action/danger scenes.

Another highlight is the romance that's woven throughout the three books. Unlike many YA series, it's very subtle and takes a backseat to individual character development and the main plotlines of each book.

Notes for writers: The author does a very good job of doling out fascinating background information over the three books. Because of this, she accomplishes the feat of making each book even better and more interesting than the last one.

A good read for: I'd highly recommend these books to anyone writing thrillers or mysteries. In addition, they're a good example of a well-planned series that keeps readers hooked.

YA Book Pick: ORDINARY MAGIC

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 ORDINARY MAGIC by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway. I'm cheating a little, since it's technically upper-middle grade rather than YA (a 12-year-old protagonist), but I liked the book so much I wanted to spotlight it anyway!

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In Abby’s world, magic isn’t anything special: it’s a part of everyday life. So when Abby learns that she has zero magical abilities, she’s branded an “Ord”—ordinary, bad luck, and quite possibly a danger to society.

The outlook for kids like Abby isn’t bright. Many are cast out by their families, while others are sold to treasure hunters (ordinary kids are impervious to spells and enchantments). Luckily for Abby, her family enrolls her in a school that teaches ordinary kids how to get around in a magical world. But with treasure-hunting kidnappers and carnivorous goblins lurking around every corner, Abby’s biggest problem may not be learning how to be ordinary—it’s whether or not she’s going to survive the school year!

First Line: "The day of my Judging dawned bright and clear and hot."

Like so many of the books we feature for Book Picks, this one has a great first line. We immediately want to know what a Judging is (and why it's important enough to be capitalized).

Highlights:

I heard this book talked about as "a reverse Harry Potter," and I think that's an apt description! The author turns the fantasy trope of the chosen one on its head by making the main character the only one around who wasn't chosen. This makes for a refreshingly different story.

A huge highlight for me was Abby's large, extremely close family. This is another way this book is the opposite of Harry Potter--when her family finds out she doesn't have any magic, they rally around her and protect her fiercely rather than casting her out or being ashamed. Since it's common for middle grade and young adult books to feature dysfunctional families, reading about a supportive and loving one was a nice change of pace.

Notes for Writers:

Although this is billed as a MG novel, I think it almost works as young YA. Some of the scenes are very scary (especially one with a goblin attack!), which I would have loved when I was twelve or thirteen. The author does an excellent job of balancing issues that would matter to the younger set (family, making new friends) with older ones (living apart from your parents for the first time, a budding romance).

A Good Read For:

Anyone writing books that fit into the space between funny middle grade and dark YA. This book expertly blends elements of both.

YA Book Pick: Between Shades of Gray

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 Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. While not a new book this season, it's so good I just had to write about it.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Highlights:  When historical fiction is done well, I love it, but it's not my first choice when out hunting YA fiction. That said, I read this book over a year ago and loved it so much that I gave it out to all my colleagues at work last year  for Christmas. They may have initially been disappointed/surprised/confused when they heard the title (so close to another Shades of Gray, of course), but soon they were sold as well.

The most obvious highlight for me was that the historical story Sepetys tells here is one that is significant, but largely unwritten. We have many touching accounts of the horrors of the holocaust, but the Lithuanian purging of intellectuals hasn't had as much publicity, but is absolutely fascinating and heartbreakingly sad as well. 

I also love Sepetys depth of thematic inquiry. When I heard her speak at SCBWI after the book came out, she talked about her research, and about spending time in a gulag recreation to prepare. She said that it had scared her how close to the surface we all are to becoming savage.  Those questions about our humanity swirl around the characters, and keep bubbling up in even the setting descriptions they are so thoroughly engrained in the book as it keeps sweetly probing into what makes us human.

Notes for writers:  Sepetys does a great job of understating the atrocities she presents. While many writers might have succumbed to the temptation to be dramatic and maudlin about the horrific conditions and experiences, Sepetys fleshes out the ordinary bits of life that occur in the midst of tragedy so well that the reader is forced to see the people as more human and the situation more complex. She also includes very ordinary thoughts on love and being a teenager in the midst of darker and harder questions, a balance that's difficult to get right, and that she nails.

A good read for: Fans of historical fiction (of course), but also anyone who enjoys deep thematic issues and subtle poetic writing.

Happy reading!

YA BOOK PICK: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

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 Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater, though this is really an ode to the entire Raven Cycle series.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in what (I think) will be a four book series called the Raven Cycle, which started with The Raven Boys followed by The Dream Thieves.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

Highlights:  It's hard for me not to get all fan-girly when I talk about Maggie Stiefvater's writing. She is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorites, and the Raven Cycle series highlights the many reasons why.

In The Raven Boys, Stiefvater does a flawless job of setting the stage and the world for the books to come.  The story is set in Henrietta, Virginia, where Blue Sargent lives with her psychic mother and their associates. The Raven Boys is the nickname for the boys attending the wealthy and prestigious Aglionby Academy, and Blue has spent all of her youth avoiding them. That is, until she meets Gansey, Adam and Ronan.

Stiefvater is the perfect example of a confident writer. She expertly places readers into the southern town of Henrietta, never explicitly telling readers about the undercurrent of magic, the ley lines or Gansey's quest to find and wake the king that may be buried somewhere in the Henreitta hills. She shows us these things little by little, letting the world unravel for readers one page at a time, until you're completely immersed and accepting of the magical elements in the story. While concepts like psychics and magic are commonly used in YA, this story feels completely unique, and the elements of magic are used in ways I haven't experienced in other paranormal/magical realism books before.

Stiefvater is also an expert at character development. Every character in the book is layered and distinct, with clear motivations and unique voices.  Which is no easy feat given the number of characters she introduces us to.

With series, so often I find that the second and third books never quite live up to the expectations set by the first. Not so with The Raven Cycle series. Blue Lily, Lily Blue was as good, if not better, than The Dream Thieves which was better than The Raven Boys, which on its own was a phenomenal read. And each story, while building on the central plotline developed in the first book, has it's own distinct sub-plot, which I found to be a refreshing approach and made each book independently enjoyable.

My only criticism is that I still have to wait a year to find out how the series will end.

Notes for writers:  Pay attention to the way Stiefvater introduces us to the magical elements of the story. There's a lot to be learned from her effortless way of world building via showing.

A good read for: Fans of paranormal and magical realism looking for something new and different.  Writers looking to get a better grasp of world building, showing vs. telling, and confident writing.

Have I mentioned how much I love this series?  And while I'm gushing about Maggie Stiefvater, let me also recommend The Scorpio Races, The Wolves of Mercy Falls, Sinner, and pretty much anything else she has ever written.

Happy reading!

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.

YA Book Pick: CHAMPION

On the second Monday of every 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 CHAMPION (#3 in the Legend series) by Marie Lu.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.

With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

First Line: "Out of all the disguises I've worn, this one might be my favorite."

For fans of the series, this line puts you right back into the world of dystopian intrigue. I knew immediately that this was the voice of Day, the male POV character.

Highlights: I reviewed the first book in this trilogy, LEGEND, two years ago (back when this was a brand-new blog!). As you can see from that review, I was absolutely blown away by the tight writing and pacing.

It's hard to sustain reader interest all the way through three books, but Marie Lu accomplishes it by raising the stakes substantially with each book. In this one, the nations are at war, which changes everything the characters have ever known. 

She also expands the world we've come to know in a fantastic scene where some of the characters visit another nation, one that couldn't be more different from the Republic or Colonies. I'm not going to spoil anything, but suffice it to say that the culture of this other nation was fascinating and well-thought-out.

Notes for Writers: It's tough to wrap up a trilogy with characters readers have come to love in a way that's satisfying, but still believable. I thought the ending of this book hit it right on the money. It's bittersweet, but with the same note of hope for a better future that was a common thread throughout the series.

A Good Read For: Writers working on a series. The whole trilogy is an excellent example of the right way to maintain forward momentum and reader interest over the course of a series. And judging by the reviews on Goodreads, I wasn't the only one who thought so!

YA Book Pick: Room

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 ROOM by Emma Donughue.

Synopsis (from good reads): To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

First line:  "Today I am five."

Not the most Earth shattering first line, but it's actually the second one that pulls you in:

"I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra."

The whole opening paragraph gives us the perfect introduction to Jack's unique voice, and we automatically get the sense that something is wrong. Why is a five year old sleeping in a wardrobe?  Why does he talk about objects like their people?  It sucks you right in and makes you want to know what's happening.  

Highlights: Okay, I cheated a bit on this one. Technically ROOM is not YA, but I thought it was such a unique and compelling story that I had to share it.  Plus I think it is the perfect case study for how to develop and commit to a character's voice. 

The whole story is told from five-year-old Jack's perspective, and it's his enthusiasm for the world he lives in and his innocence about what's happening that makes the horrors he experiences bearable. From Jack's perspective, Room is a kind of paradise and Ma and all the objects in it are his friends. But to Ma it's a prison, and Jack has to be braver than he's ever been if he's going to help her escape. 

I have to say that I was worried about reading a story told entirely from the perspective of a five-year-old, but Donughue executes it perfectly and with complete conviction. If Jack's story had been told from Ma's perspective or any other narrator it would have read like one of the other thousands of captive/escape thrillers on the marketplace. But since Jack tells us the story, it feels honest and original.

A good read for: Anyone looking to understand how to write a unique voice, without falling prey to stereotypical behavior. Also great for anyone looking for a book with a unique perspective -- this one is very original.

YA Book Pick: Ender's Game

On the second Monday of every 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 ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card.

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble):

Once again, the Earth is under attack. Alien "buggers" are poised for a final assault. The survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the buggers. But who? Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child. Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battleschool. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battleschool is just a game. Right?

For this month's YA book pick, I decided to go back a bit to a classic book that is now reaching a new generation of readers thanks to the recent release of the feature film based on the novel starring Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield as Ender.  

It's an oldie but a goodie.  Perhaps more middle grade than YA (did they even use those terms in 1985?). Still it's worth taking a look at what continues to remain consistent traits of a great novels and what sets them apart from the pack. 

First Line: "I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one."

Wow, can a first line get better than this?  It tells us so much and it's not even through the protagonist's voice.  The answers it gives and more importantly the questions it raises makes us want to know more. We know our protagonist is not just being watched, but watched very intently and carefully, and through his own eyes and ears.  What does that mean? Is there some type of futuristic monitoring equipment at use? Is there a mind meld? But more importantly why is he being watched? We know, above all, our protagonist is special.  

Second Line: "Or at least as close as we're going to get." All of a sudden, doubt is raised.  Our protagonist is not perfect, he has flaws.  We have in these first two sentences the key question that ties the entire novel together: whatever the situation is, will Ender be able to prove that he is, in fact, the one? 

Highlights: There are two things that stick out in ENDER'S GAME for me.  The first is something that I feel is hard to find in many MG and YA novels these days. The Harry Potter series does this well, which is probably why it's one of the best selling series of all time. What I'm referring to is the keen use of strategy.  The entire novel is a game within a game within a game. Ender develops strategies to outsmart opponents during simulated war games, beats bullies in school, manages adults and defeats aliens.  Survival means overcoming the odds constantly.  Whether it's lunch in the battle school cafeteria or facing a thousand enemy ships, Ender always finds answers that make both strategic and tactical sense.  

The second is the way Card speaks about the future.  It's always interesting to see how authors develop their ideas of what the world will look like.  Fast forward almost thirty years and we have some of the technology that Card speaks of.  His reference to the "net" of course is obvious, but I love the students use of their "desks" which might be similar to what we now commonly refer to as tablets.  I wonder though if Card ever dreamt that the desk could be even smaller (perhaps an iPad mini?).   Olivia Aldridge writes a similar assessment of George Orwell's 1984 and M.T. Anderson's FEED in her article in The Red & Black.

But I digress, we're here to talk about ENDER'S GAME.

Notes for Writers: Card is a master when it comes to creating tension on every page.  If you step back from the page, each scene shows escalating tension not just by action but also by how Ender reacts and thinks about his environment.  With each step, we know not only what is happening externally but also how Ender feels internally.  

Each chapter opens with a conversation between two adults (often Colonel Hyrum Graff and Major Anderson).  There are no dialogue tags and sometimes it's difficult to determine at first who is speaking. However, the intros are very effective in that they set the stage and raise questions we hope will be answered in the chapter.  Often times we're asked in workshops to write dialogue without tags, each chapter of ENDER'S GAME shows great examples of master dialogue at work. 

A Good Read For: Those who enjoy Sci-Fi and Dystopian novels but who also enjoy a great game of chess.  

YA Book Pick: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

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 FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

First Line: "There was a boy in her room."

This is a great first line, because it sets up the conflict immediately. Our viewpoint character is someone who isn't comfortable having boys in her room. The next few lines make it clear that Cath has just arrived at her new dorm and is sort of freaking out about the newness of everything.

Highlights: Gosh, where to start? First, let me say that I devoured this book. I literally couldn't put it down. My YA fiction taste tends to skew more speculative, but this contemporary novel completely won me over (much like ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins--also highly recommended).

I gushed about Rainbow Rowell nailing the teenage voice in my review of her last book, ELEANOR & PARK. This book is even better. Cath, her sister Wren, the boys in her life, her roommate Reagan--any one of them could have stepped right out of life and into her book. The central romance is sweet without being cloying or sappy. Cath's fears and doubts about her love life will ring true for anyone, not just eighteen-year-olds.

The author's take on the subject of fandom and fanfiction writing is gentle, but also realistic. As someone who spent her teenage years obsessed with the TV show The X-Files, I saw a lot of myself in Cath. I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to this, no matter what their age.

A Good Read For: YA contemporary/romance writers searching for great examples of teenage voice or a slow-build romantic relationship. Although the book was marketed as YA rather than New Adult, it is set in the first year of college and therefore might be of interest to NA writers as well.

YA Book Pick of the Month: Twigs by Alison Ashley Formento

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 TWIGS, by Alison Ashley Formento.

***Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this by the author. At my first SCBWI conference she and I sat at the same critique table where I was instantly taken with her writing voice, and she has been a writing/critiquing friend ever since. I'm really proud of Alison Ashley Formento, and so happy to review her book this month.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

One pint-sized girl. Ten super sized crises. And it's high noon.

They call her “Twigs,” because she’ll never hit five feet tall. Although she was born early, and a stiff breeze could knock her over, Twigs has a mighty spirit. She needs it, as life throws a whole bucket of rotten luck at her: Dad’s an absentee drunk; Mom’s obsessed with her new deaf boyfriend (and Twigs can’t tell what they’re saying to each other). Little sister Marlee is trying to date her way through the entire high school; Twigs’ true love may be a long-distance loser after a single week away at college, and suddenly, older brother Matt is missing in Iraq. It all comes together when a couple of thugs in a drugstore aisle lash out, and Twigs must fight to save the life of the father who denied her.

First line:  I doodled my real name in big loopy letters all over the brown cardboard.

Intriguing. Why is it her "real name" and not just "name"? The subtle distinction makes me wonder about her identity (a nice foreshadowing for the motif of her questioning who she really is throughout). Why the brown cardboard, too? Where is she? Nice for establishing a sense of place. 

Highlights:  

The book deals with many of the contemporary issues our youth face today, and from what I've seen, my most vulnerable kids often do have drama upon drama upon drama. The conflict that snagged me the most, though, was the one of Twigs worrying about her brother who is a soldier who has gone missing. The sibling bond is clear and provides a strong baseline tension for all of the other issues tumbling down on her.

Notes for Writers:  

Twigs was well-written, but at times a tough read. I've taught students who live lives like this with so many points of drama, and for those of us lucky enough to not have to deal with so much drama it can be hard to go on this journey with her at times. Thankfully there is a balance of humor to keep this work from being too hard. I also like that she is an imperfect protagonist. Her reactions are not always the ideal, but her flaws only make her more relatable. 

A good read for: fans of hard-hitting contemporary YA as well as those who want to be grateful for having only one, two, three, or four crises in her own life.

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!