Celine Kiernan's Blog, page 9

Another lovely review for Into the Grey

To go with last week’s USA School Library Journal review, Walker have sent me a scan of this lovely UK School Librarian magazine review of Into the Grey:

Kiernan, Celine.

Into the Grey

Walker. 2013. £6.99. 978 1 40634 732 6

Set in Ireland during the 1970s, this haunting supernatural thriller is well written and hard to put down. Patrick knows nothing about loss, even though he thinks everything is lost after his Nan burns their house down. It is not until he moves with his twin brother, younger sister and parents to their seaside holiday rental home that he learns what loss really is when he loses his twin to a ghost from the past. The plot is complex, and at times bewildering as Patrick seems to be the only person who understands what is happening to his brother, apart from his sister, and she is too young to offer him any real support.

The settings move between 1970s Ireland and the trenchs of the First World War, the time when Patrick’s Nan was young. All of the characters are well described and have a credible part to play in the story. Dreams are used to move the plot along and to enable Patrick find answers ‘in the grey’. i found this book original, refreshing. challenging and enjoyable and hope that it will be widely read by students and librarians: Judith Palka.

Terrific SLJ Review for Into the Grey

Another lovely review for Into the Grey (aka Taken Away)

This time from the School Library Journal.

Kiernan, Celine.

Into the Grey

Candlewick. Aug. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763670610. LC 2013952836.

Gr 7 Up–Set in Ireland in the early 1970s, this story stars twin brothers Patrick and Dom Finnerty, who have their world turned upside down when their house and all they possess is burned to the ground. Displaced, the family moves into their summer seaside cottage. Now in the middle of winter, the cottage seems dull, bleak, and quite eerie. Suffering from horrible nightmares, the boys’ bond of brotherly love is put to the test when they discover that the “goblin-boy” is not just a dream. When Patrick tries to rid them of the ghostly creature, it takes possession of Dom instead. Patrick realizes that in order to save his brother’s life he must befriend this ghost and figure out what it wants and why before time runs out. The protagonist’s journey of self-discovery uncovers numerous family secrets, forges unlikely allies, and proves that the power of friendship, loyalty, and love are far stronger than he ever imagined. Kiernan’s beautiful and haunting novel is full of mystery and suspense with continuous plot twists and turns. The narrative voice is compelling and honest while capturing the emotional terror the teen has to face. The refreshing, multidimensional characters drive the story line and readers will connect with them because of the poignant and touching moments. A captivating read that combines Irish history with the supernatural –Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

Trigger Warnings

I think most of us might be a little confused over what being ‘triggered’ is. I suspect a lot of us think it’s simply having an emotional response to the events in a story. More than that, I suspect most of us think we all share the same emotional responses, and hey, if I can get past the sorrow/pain/disgust/hurt of events portrayed in this fictional universe. Why can’t everyone? 

But I also suspect that being triggered is a little different to simply having an emotional response (no matter how strong that response is) I suspect it’s more like having an uncontrolled physical and mental reaction to stimuli that brings one back to one’s own specific trauma – a type of PTSD. And while I’m ambivalent about how trigger warnings would affect the average reader’s experience of a book (would it be reductive for example?) I can see how someone who is suffering from PTSD might like to be forewarned that certain threads in a book will be potentially difficult for them. Especially if the study/reading is being done in a group or classroom setting. *

I don’t think trigger warnings equate to saying ‘don’t read this’, as much as they say ‘prepare yourself’ to those prone to occurrences of PTSD.

I’d like to think we’d all take a minute to say that to anyone we cared about, ‘prepare yourself, this might hurt’. That we’d hope others would do the same for them were we not around. What harm does it do to say, ‘hey, this book might bring you back to a place of hurt. This book might challenge your physical and mental well being. But if that happens we’ll be here for you. We’ll discuss it with you. Because you are more important than this class, you are more important than this exam. You’re important. We’re here for you. Lets do this together.’

*for those saying, ‘anyone suffering such strong reactions is in need of professional help. Yes, they are. And support. Isn’t a TW a type of support? Is it so difficult to grant such a basic, decent, kindness?

Starred Kirkus Review for Into the Grey!

Yeay! Check out Into the Grey‘s starred Kirkus review! INTO THE GREY [STARRED REVIEW]  Author: Celine Kiernan Publication Date: August 1, 2014 ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-7636-7061-0 Category: Fiction Irish fantasist Kiernan (The Poison Throne, 2010, etc.) explores the dynamics of love and loss. In 1974, 15-year-old identical twins Pat and Dom move with their family into a drab summer cottage after their senile grandmother inadvertently burns down their house. Nerves still raw from the disruption of their lives and the loss of their home, the twins start to have strange dreams. Then Pat hears Dom talking in the night and sees a goblin-boy peering down from the bunk above him. The harrowing series of events that follows convinces Pat that he’s losing his brother: Dom becomes possessed by a 10-year-old boy stuck in a gray fog that’s neither this world nor the next, endlessly searching for his twin, a soldier who died in the trenches of World War I. Pat’s narration is marked by vivid descriptions and consistently polished, well-paced prose: ”Yesterday morning, I’d had a brother. I’d had a best friend. He’d been fun. He’d been interesting: my slow-burn, articulate counterweight. Now I was lopsided, a boat with one paddle, rowing frantically and spinning in a slow, maddening circle around the space that should have been him.” The otherworldly goings-on are grounded in the family lives of the village their Nan grew up in, adding intriguing nuances to the psychological drama. A gripping, highly original ghost story. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

A Change in Representation

Just a brief post to say that I have parted ways with my agent Svetlana Pironko at Author Rights Agency. I’d like to thank Svetlana for her hard work, and for the support she has shown me over our six year partnership. She will continue to represent me for the Moorehawke, Into the Grey and Resonance properties.

I am delighted to say that from here on out I will be represented by Sallyanne Sweeny of Mulcahy Associates, London. I’m very excited about this move. Sallyanne and I have so many things planned, I’m looking forward to many productive years working with her!

An Elegy for Allen Ginsberg

I found this on the wonderful Kate Beaton’s tumblr. It’s a fantastic exploration of Ginsberg, and of poets and poetry in general. Well worth watching.

Flipping the Bird at Cúirt

Hee hee. Of all the terrific photos taken of myself and the workshop kids at the Cúirt literary festival in Galway I think my favourite is this one, where I seem to be flipping a member of the audience the bird while he joyfully shows me the fingers right back.

I’d been talking about my characters and why I write them. The Moorehawke Trilogy came up and, of course, Christopher Garron and his mutilated hands. I was explaining to the kids about the idea of chopping someone’s fingers off to signify they were a thief. This young fellow and I got into a conversation around the mythology of these particular gestures (flipping the bird and showing the fingers) and how  they are reputed to be ones of defiance from archers who had escaped having their fingers chopped off by vengeful kings.

Hence there will, forever more, be this photo of me flipping the bird at Cúirt literary festival.

I had a blast guys (not just because I got to make rude gestures at my audience) Thanks for much for looking after me and for the opportunity to meet those amazing kids.

 

Calling all Young Writers! Chance to be published!

Do you know a young UK/Irish writer between the ages of 8 and 16 who wants to publish a short story? HarperCollins is bringing out a new anthology, BEYOND THE STARS, in October. There’s a competition now open to find the last story for the collection. Closing date is end ofJune 2014. See this press release for details!

BEYOND THE STARS is edited by the tireless and amazing Sarah Webb. It will feature stories written by myself, Mr Roddy Doyle, Derek Landy, Eoin Colfer, Judi Curtin, JOhn Boyne and many others. All fully illustrated by incredible talents such as Chris Haughton, Chris Judge, P. J. Lynch and Niamh Sharkey. It will be published as a gorgeous hardback gift edition in October 2014, and all proceeds will go to Fighting Words.

Please share with any young writers that you might know :) Ireland’s Children’s Laureate Niamh Sharkey will choose the winner!

Consultancy, MS assesments, & Into the Grey on School reading lists

Sorry for the silence. I’m grinding away at Begone the Raggedy Witches right now and haven’t really lifted the head from the keyboard. Just two brief announcements:

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On May 24th and June 7th I’ll be doing a series of one to one writing clinics for the Irish Writer’s Centre in Dublin. You can book me for one of three separate sessions (10.30AM–11.30AM, 11.45AM–12.45PM or 1.30PM–2.30PM) I’ll discuss your work with you and help you find the tools with which to combat any problems you maybe having with your writing.

For more information on these clinics, see www.irishwriterscentre.ie and to book a time slot, please call 01 8721302.

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Congratulations to Jax Miller for her wonderful success at this year’s London Book Fair. Congratulations too, to all at the Inkwell Consultancy Group who helped place Jax with the best agent for her work, and thus set her on her way to this great achievement.

I’m proud to be one of the consultants at Inkwell. If you have a fantasy novel that you feel you’ve taken as far as possible and you would like to have critiqued prior to submitting to agents or publishers, send it on. If you ask for me by name (and if I’m accepting consultancy work at the time) the Inkwell Group will pass it on to me.

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Finally I’m delighted to discover that Into the Grey has been listed as one of the 20 books prescribed for 2nd and 3rd year students of the Irish junior certificate  (The US equivalent of highschool students)  It’s a terrific list, including some of my own favorite authors, and I’m proud to be part of it!

OK. Back to Mup & Crow with me, they look a bit peeved that I’ve taken time off!

 

Another great cover for Into the Grey

Have I blogged yet about how much I love the Candlewick (US/Canadian edition) of Into the Grey? You all know what a hound I am for good cover art and this just does me in entirely. I love love love it. It totally gets the kind of internal, psychological feel to the book’s creepiness. YES!

Am just bloody stoked at the covers I’m getting for this baby, and how each design (and blurb!) seems to uncover a different facet of the multilayered story.

(yes the image here is from the upcoming audiobook, but the covers are the same – on that note, how thrilled am I to be working with Brilliance Audio again? After their stellar work on Moorehawke I’m dying to see what they do with this one )