Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 92
February 11, 2015
7 More 2015 YA Books with Diversity on the Cover
Last fall, I did a really quick round-up of YA covers for books coming out this year that featured diversity right square on the front cover. It was not only great to look at them all together that way, but it was nice to find more books to add to my own to-read list.
As more covers have been revealed or re-revealed in the last few months, I thought it would be worth revisiting that topic. Here's a look at even more fabulously diverse YA covers for books coming out this year. Some of these are less front-facing than before, but they're worth including because you know the character is a person of color. Like last time, I'll include descriptions for the book, pulled from Goodreads, as well as the publication dates, so you can put them on your own reading and buying lists.
If I've missed some, either on this post or the previous one, let me know in the comments. Let's see more cover work like this.
Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout (June 9): Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (May 26, companion to To All The Boys I've Loved Before): Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols (August 4, final book in the "Superlative" series): As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.
To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…
As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?
The Wrath & The Dawn by Dawn Ahdieh (May 12): Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger (April 28, companion to The DUFF): Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.
Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.
Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.
But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?
Of Dreams and Rust by Sarah Fine (August 4, sequel to Of Metal and Wishes): In the year since the collapse of the slaughterhouse where Wen worked as her father’s medical assistant, she’s held all her secrets close. She works in the clinic at the weapons factory and sneaks away to nurse Bo, once the Ghost, now a boy determined to transform himself into a living machine. Their strange, fragile friendship soothes some of the ache of missing Melik, the strong-willed Noor who walked away from Wen all those months ago—but it can’t quell her fears for him.
The Noor are waging a rebellion in the west. When she overhears plans to crush Melik’s people with the powerful war machines created at the factory, Wen makes the painful decision to leave behind all she has known—including Bo—to warn them. But the farther she journeys into the warzone, the more confusing things become. A year of brutality seems to have changed Melik, and Wen has a decision to make about him and his people: How much is she willing to sacrifice to save them from complete annihilation?
Hold Tight, Don't Let Go by Laura Rose Wagner (available now): Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go follows the vivid story of two teenage cousins, raised as sisters, who survive the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. After losing the woman who raised them in the tragedy, Magdalie and Nadine must fend for themselves in the aftermath of the quake. The girls are inseparable, making the best of their new circumstances in a refugee camp with an affectionate, lively camaraderie, until Nadine, whose father lives in Miami, sends for her but not Magdalie. As she leaves, Nadine makes a promise she cannot keep: to bring Magdalie to Miami, too. Resourceful Magdalie focuses her efforts on a reunion with Nadine until she realizes her life is in Haiti, and that she must embrace its possibilities for love, friendship, and a future.
Related StoriesFabulously Diverse YA Book Covers We Should See More OftenHardcover to Paperback Makeovers: 6+ Changes To Consider2015 YA Book Cover Trends: Part II
As more covers have been revealed or re-revealed in the last few months, I thought it would be worth revisiting that topic. Here's a look at even more fabulously diverse YA covers for books coming out this year. Some of these are less front-facing than before, but they're worth including because you know the character is a person of color. Like last time, I'll include descriptions for the book, pulled from Goodreads, as well as the publication dates, so you can put them on your own reading and buying lists.
If I've missed some, either on this post or the previous one, let me know in the comments. Let's see more cover work like this.
Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout (June 9): Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (May 26, companion to To All The Boys I've Loved Before): Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols (August 4, final book in the "Superlative" series): As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.
To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…
As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?
The Wrath & The Dawn by Dawn Ahdieh (May 12): Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger (April 28, companion to The DUFF): Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.
Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.
Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.
But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?
Of Dreams and Rust by Sarah Fine (August 4, sequel to Of Metal and Wishes): In the year since the collapse of the slaughterhouse where Wen worked as her father’s medical assistant, she’s held all her secrets close. She works in the clinic at the weapons factory and sneaks away to nurse Bo, once the Ghost, now a boy determined to transform himself into a living machine. Their strange, fragile friendship soothes some of the ache of missing Melik, the strong-willed Noor who walked away from Wen all those months ago—but it can’t quell her fears for him.
The Noor are waging a rebellion in the west. When she overhears plans to crush Melik’s people with the powerful war machines created at the factory, Wen makes the painful decision to leave behind all she has known—including Bo—to warn them. But the farther she journeys into the warzone, the more confusing things become. A year of brutality seems to have changed Melik, and Wen has a decision to make about him and his people: How much is she willing to sacrifice to save them from complete annihilation?
Hold Tight, Don't Let Go by Laura Rose Wagner (available now): Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go follows the vivid story of two teenage cousins, raised as sisters, who survive the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. After losing the woman who raised them in the tragedy, Magdalie and Nadine must fend for themselves in the aftermath of the quake. The girls are inseparable, making the best of their new circumstances in a refugee camp with an affectionate, lively camaraderie, until Nadine, whose father lives in Miami, sends for her but not Magdalie. As she leaves, Nadine makes a promise she cannot keep: to bring Magdalie to Miami, too. Resourceful Magdalie focuses her efforts on a reunion with Nadine until she realizes her life is in Haiti, and that she must embrace its possibilities for love, friendship, and a future.
Related StoriesFabulously Diverse YA Book Covers We Should See More OftenHardcover to Paperback Makeovers: 6+ Changes To Consider2015 YA Book Cover Trends: Part II
February 10, 2015
Get Genrefied: YA Urban Fantasy
IntroductionUrban fantasy is one of the easiest (sub)genres to define: it's fantasy in an urban setting. While it has other common features, the setting is what makes the genre what it is. Some might say that the urban setting must be one from our own world, thus distinguishing it from high fantasy, but I hesitate to even put that restriction on it. I think it's entirely possible to write an urban fantasy novel set in a fictional city in a made-up world, and it would have a lot of the same appeal to readers as a book set in our own. That said, most urban fantasy is set in our own world in our own time in a recognizable city - just with the major addition of a little magic.
Urban fantasy has a lot of crossover with paranormal fantasy, since urban fantasy often involves magical creatures like werewolves, fairies, vampires, angels, and so on. Often, there is no distinction between urban fantasy and paranormal fantasy. Author Jeannie Holmes does make a distinction between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, however, which I think is interesting to consider. This is a bit of a hot topic among uberfans of both genres. Megan McArdle at Genrify has a fantastic chart that depicts 100 popular series (mostly adult) on a spectrum, showing the fluidity of the definitions. The two genres are not mutually exclusive, though it's important to consider whether the reader you're talking to will want a book heavy or light on romance (or if they don't care!). Like many of the other genres we cover, a book can be urban fantasy and historical fiction and a mystery and a romance.
While not a requirement, urban fantasy is often grittier than other fantasy novels, much like what you'd find in general urban fiction. It features teens on their own a lot, navigating more adult situations than they would in non-urban fantasy. It can also be more accessible than other fantasy, since the setting is usually something most readers will already recognize; there won't be a lot of world-building to absorb and get lost in.
Resources
On the Web:
Karen Healey recommends five YA urban fantasies and talks a little about the genre at Booknotes Unbound. YALSA's The Hub did a genre guide to urban fantasy in 2013. Kirkus has a list of 17 YA urban fantasy titles with reviews. All Things Urban Fantasy is chock full of information, reviews, and discussion on urban fantasy, including lots of YA.Popular Authors:
Kelley ArmstrongHolly BlackRachel Caine Cassandra ClareMichael Grant Sherrilyn Kenyon Melissa MarrRichelle MeadCynthia Leitich Smith LJ Smith
Books
Below are a few books published within the last five years, a few forthcoming titles, and a few that are a bit older but still circulate well among teens. Descriptions are from WorldCat and links lead to our reviews when applicable. Any we missed? Any diverse titles in particular to add to the list? Let us know in the comments.
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
After fifteen-year-old Chloe starts seeing ghosts and is sent to Lyle House, a mysterious group home for mentally disturbed teenagers, she soon discovers that neither Lyle House nor its inhabitants are exactly what they seem, and that she and her new friends are in danger. | Sequels: The Awakening, The Reckoning
Manifest by Artist Arthur
Krystal Bentley is an outsider at her new high school in a small Connecticut town since she hears the voice in her head of a dead teenage boy who becomes her confidant, so she joins two other teens with unusual powers to solve his killing. | Sequels: Mystify, Mutiny, Mayhem, Mesmerize
Tithe by Holly Black
After returning home from a tour with her mother's rock band, sixteen-year-old Kaye, who has been visited by faeries since childhood, discovers that she herself is a magical faerie creature with a special destiny. | Sequels: Valiant, Ironside
White Cat by Holly Black
When Cassel Sharpe discovers that his older brothers have used him to carry out their criminal schemes and then stolen his memories, he figures out a way to turn their evil machinations against them. | Sequels: Red Glove, Black Heart
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Sixteen-year-old Nick and his family have battled magicians and demons for most of his life, but when his brother, Alan, is marked for death while helping new friends Jamie and Mae, Nick's determination to save Alan leads him to uncover a devastating secret. | Sequels: The Demon's Covenant, The Demon's Surrender
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
When 15-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? | Sequels: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire
Angelfall by Susan Ee
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. | Sequels: World After, End of Days (forthcoming)
Gone by Michael Grant
In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents -- unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers -- that grow stronger by the day. | Sequels: Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear, Light
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
Soon after the mysterious and alluring Finn arrives at her family's home, sixteen-year-old Teagan Wylltson and her disabled brother are drawn into the battle Finn's family has fought since the thirteenth century, when Fionn MacCumhaill angered the goblin king. | Sequels: In the Forests of the Night, When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
Eighteen-year-old New Zealand boarding school student Ellie Spencer must use her rusty tae kwon do skills and new-found magic to try to stop a fairy-like race of creatures from Maori myth and legend that is plotting to kill millions of humans in order to regain their lost immortality.
The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson
Toronto sixteen-year-old Scotch may have to acknowledge her own limitations and come to terms with her mixed Jamaican, white, and black heritage if she is to stop the Chaos that has claimed her brother and made much of the world crazy.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Seventeen-year-old Aislinn, who has the rare ability to see faeries, is drawn against her will into a centuries-old battle between the Summer King and the Winter Queen, and the survival of her life, her love, and summer all hang in the balance. | Sequels:
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older (June 30)
When the murals painted on the walls of her Brooklyn neighborhood start to change and fade in front of her, Sierra Santiago realizes that something strange is going on--then she discovers her Puerto Rican family are shadowshapers and finds herself in a battle with an evil anthropologist for the lives of her family and friends.
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
After a Fenris, or werewolf, killed their grandmother and almost killed them, sisters Scarlett and Rosie March devote themselves to hunting and killing the beasts that prey on teenaged girls, learning how to lure them with red cloaks and occasionally using the help of their old friend, Silas, the woodsman's son.
Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
Portero, Texas, teens Kit and Fancy Cordelle share their infamous father's fascination with killing, and despite their tendency to shun others they bring two boys with similar tendencies to a world of endless possibilities they have discovered behind a mysterious door.
Misfit by Jon Skovron
Seattle sixteen-year-old Jael must negotiate normal life in Catholic school while learning to control the abilities she inherited from her mother, a demon, and protect those she loves from Belial, the Duke of Hell.
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
When multiple murders in Austin, Texas, threaten the grand re-opening of her family's vampire-themed restaurant, seventeen-year-old, orphaned Quincie worries that her best friend-turned-love interest, Kieren, a werewolf-in-training, may be the prime suspect. | Sequels: Eternal, Blessed, Diabolical
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known. | Sequels: Days of Blood and Starlight, Dreams of Gods and Monsters
The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent (June 9)
In a world ruled by the brutally puritanical Church and its army of black-robed exorcists, sixteen-year-old Nina tries to save her pregnant younger sister from the Church's wrath and discovers that not only is the Church run by demons but that Nina herself is one of the very few who can genuinely exorcise them.
Related StoriesGet Genrefied: YA MemoirsGet Genrefied: Christian FictionGet Genrefied: Gothic Fiction
February 9, 2015
Romance Roundup (aka Why You Should Read Courtney Milan)
Right before I dug into my Cybils reading late last year, I inhaled a huge pile of historical romance novels. I had just learned about Courtney Milan and was reading everything of hers I could get my hands on, even the novellas (and I usually consider novellas a waste of my time). I like all of her books and love a good number of them, so she’s become my new go-to recommendation for someone looking for a good historical romance. They're feminist and take the "historical" part of the genre seriously.
Sadly, my library doesn’t own her entire oeuvre, so I cannot pass judgment on everything she’s ever published. (Despite my requests, they don’t own either of the Carhart books or the novella, to my everlasting disappointment.) Still, I thought I’d give a quick run-down of the books I have read, in hopes of encouraging those of you who enjoy historical romances to give her a try (or just ask me how I’m so late to the party since you’ve been reading her for years).
(I promise this blog isn’t turning into an adult romance-only blog. I’ll be back with the regular YA programming soon.)
The Brothers Sinister Series
This is the first series of hers I read, and it’s by far my favorite. I talked a little about The Duchess War and The Heiress Effect in this previous post. The series continues with The Countess Conspiracy , which is my favorite of the bunch. It features a female scientist, Viola Waterfield, who for years has been convincing her friend Sebastian to present her findings as his to the public, since the public at this time would never take a woman seriously. Sebastian has been in love with Viola for a long time, and now that Viola has been widowed, he sees an opportunity to discover if their friendship can develop into something more.
This book combines a few things that I really love in my romance novels: a hero who has been pining for the heroine for quite some time; a super-smart heroine who does something unconventional for her time period; and a romance built upon friendship and respect. I’m not a scientist myself, but I loved reading about Viola and her discoveries – which are not historically accurate, of course, since Viola doesn’t actually exist, but the science is sound and fascinating. The dedication to the book is especially moving. This book continues Milan’s trend of blending history and romance in a natural, believable, and engrossing way.
The fourth book is The Suffragette Scandal , which features Frederica “Free” Marshall, the younger sister of the hero from the second book. She runs a newspaper by women and for women, is an outspoken suffragette, and is probably the most independent of Milan’s heroines. I read that Milan initially wanted to pair Free with a man who didn’t at first believe women should have the right to vote, but thankfully she changed her mind. This is the most politically-minded book of the series and I really loved it, though the last third dragged a little more than I would have liked. There’s a secondary romance here (as there was in The Heiress Effect) between two women, and it is equally lovely. Bonus: Check out the Tumblr account “written” by the man who contributes an advice column to Free’s newspaper (and the only man to be employed by her). It is seriously funny.
The novellas in this series are a treat. There’s a prequel, The Governess Affair , about the second book’s hero’s parents. It’s a tricky story since it involves a rape that causes a pregnancy: the heroine has been raped by the hero’s employer, and the rapist basically tells the hero to get rid of her. I was worried the hero wouldn’t be written sympathetically, but he is; the romance between the two is believable and sweet. It’s a bit heavier than normal romance fare, but certainly recommended.
A Kiss for Midwinter is about the friend of the first book’s heroine. She was seduced as a teenager by a man and became pregnant, then lost the pregnancy due to bad medical advice from a doctor. Her hero in this novella is that doctor’s assistant at the time, who said nothing about the bad advice that he knew was being given. And she remembers. This is my favorite of all her novellas. It deals with tough topics – not just the treatment of unmarried pregnant women, but also poverty and illness during this era – but manages to be sweet and optimistic. The chemistry between the two is so apparent, but there’s also a deeper connection built upon the trust that grows between them as they spend time in each other's company. This is my favorite of all the novellas and I anticipate I’ll be re-reading it a lot.
The last novella is Talk Sweetly to Me, which my library doesn’t own. It’s notable in that it features a Black heroine, which historical romances set in England hardly ever do.
The Turner Series
These books were all published in 2011 and precede the Brothers Sinister. My library doesn’t own the first book, Unveiled , though it does own the second and third. All three books are about brothers who grew up with a mentally ill mother who abused them. They’ve had a hard life, and not just due to that. They’re some of the most tortured heroes I’ve ever read about in romance novels, and that is saying something.
Unclaimed is about Mark Turner, who has taken a vow of chastity and become quite famous for it. His love interest is a courtesan. It’s an interesting twist on the typical romance and I enjoyed it; thankfully, it’s got some humor in it. Unraveled is about Smite Turner, and you guys, I just can’t with this book. It is the most angst-ridden romance I’ve ever read. His name is Smite. He was the one who took the brunt of his mother’s abuse as a child and that’s apparent in his personality and outlook on the world (i.e. not positive). There’s very little humor in this one. I liked it, and it had some nice swoony moments, but overall this was just too much for me. I think Milan’s gotten a lot better at creating complex heroes who don’t veer into ridiculous territory with her later books.
Unlocked is the novella in this series, but I didn’t recognize the characters from the full-length books. The hero bullied the heroine a few years past, when they were both adults, in public, for months on end, and he’s returned all sorry and wanting to make amends. I might have believed it in a full-length novel, with more time for me to see his transformation, but it didn’t really work for me as a novella. (Especially when he claims he made fun of her because he liked her. Please. You are an adult.) This was another I liked but didn’t love.
Standalone Novellas
The Lady Always Wins is about a couple who were friends as children and then fell in love as they grew up. But Simon’s parents said they’d cut him off from the family money if he married her, and Ginny refused to elope with him. She knows what it’s like to be a woman in this era, married to a poor man. They meet again later and rekindle the romance. I liked this story since there wasn’t any secret reason the woman rejected the man – it really was because he would have been destitute. It can seem heartless in our modern era, but it’s a practical and real concern for Ginny, who as a woman cannot make her own money and knows that poverty can lead to hunger, illness, and a short, unhappy life. Poverty is stripped of its romanticism here.
What Happened at Midnight is probably the most traditional of Milan’s novellas. It involves rich people who lose their money and a huge misunderstanding between the leads as the primary conflict. It also has one of the most subtly awful villains ever. I got so angry reading about him, because he couched all of his awfulness in gentle words and false caring. Worth a read, but again, not a favorite.
Have you read any of Milan's work? What's your favorite of hers?
Related StoriesA Pair of Audiobook ReviewsThe Rise of Suicide in YA Fiction and Exploring Personal Biases in Reading2015 Youth Media Awards: Reactions & Thoughts
February 8, 2015
The Rise of Suicide in YA Fiction and Exploring Personal Biases in Reading
Suicide and depression are two passion topics for me. Part of it is that I'm someone who suffers from depression -- something I haven't talked openly about because it's very hard to talk openly about -- and part of it is that when I was in high school, I knew more than one person who committed suicide. Though none of the people who did were close to me, those deaths still had an impact on me. Maybe what's most vivid about them is how much silence had to surround them; the school shut down all avenues of grieving or discussion, with the thought that keeping quiet about what happened would prevent it from happening again. Whether or not that's true or was the right choice is hard to say.
Having worked with teens in the library, I know too well that suicide is something they experience in their lives, and it's something that stays with them forever. Though they're not one in the same, suicide and depression can often go hand-in-hand, so in many ways, it makes sense to talk about them in tandem.
Last fall, I put together a resource and discussion guide to suicide and depression, which included a hefty reading list. I didn't think about forthcoming titles much when I put it together, but over the last few months, I've noticed a steady increase in the number of YA titles that are exploring suicide head-on.
It's interesting to think about publishing trends in YA and what it is that might drive them. Without any research at all, I can call up 4 or 5 YA titles publishing between the start of the year and end of February where suicide is a major -- if not the major -- theme. While we know contemporary realistic YA has been in an upswing lately, what is it that made suicide bubble up as a common theme?
My guess, at least in part, is the perennial popularity of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why has spurred an interest in finding similar titles. Asher's been a marvelous advocate for teens, and his book has been a staple of bestseller lists for years.
I'm generally not someone who needs trigger warnings for reading material. Dark books work really well for me, since so often, they're at an extreme where I don't feel the need to ever look at my own life or experiences and try to compare. It's easy to disconnect myself from the story and look at it as story. Other readers are far more sensitive than I am to tough topics, and for them, knowing ahead of time helps them make an informed decision about whether or not a book is the right read for them. It's not about censorship, but about making an intelligent personal choice.
But something's changed recently, and I find myself almost needing to know a book is tackling the topic of suicide before I go into it. Not a trigger warning, per se, but I've found this is a topic I'm no longer able to read as easily as I used to. Maybe it's having seen first hand with teens today how hard it is to deal with. Maybe it's coming to terms with my reading preferences and habits and understanding this topic isn't one that is enjoyable to me as a reader. Part of it may also be that my own thoughts and beliefs behind suicide don't always mirror the way it's presented in fiction, which comes as a result of being someone who struggles with an illness that has left me with uncomfortable, complicated, and messy feelings on the topic.
In other words, it turns out this isn't a topic I can divorce myself and my own experiences from when I'm reading.
One of the best things about reading and talking about books is being able to put up a lens to your own biases. You discover new pages in your own story and in your own thinking that you didn't realize were there before. Sometimes, you discover that what you thought you knew about yourself and your reading habits aren't that at all; sometimes you discover your habits and preferences simply change and evolve as you grow and evolve. Where mental health books are still a deep and heavy part of my reading life -- a topic I seek out and am always eager to read, think, and talk about -- suicide is my wading zone. I need to know what's out there, I need to give some of them a chance, but I don't need to invest all of my time and energy into them when they don't give back to me. They are, in many ways, like cancer books for me. A good premise can and does change my mind, but ultimately as a theme, it's one I don't seek out even though I'm seeing it with more frequency.
While I'm no longer working in libraries with teens, thinking about how to share these titles with teens never strays from my mind. Last spring when a teen shared that her friend had committed suicide, I knew I needed to pull out books that might help those in the community grapple with their feelings. But rather than develop a "suicide books" display, I pulled together a larger display on hard topics in realistic fiction, which included mental health, sexual assault, eating disorders, suicide, and more. It felt too on-the-nose, too prying, to build around suicide specifically, even though books on suicide were -- and are! -- exactly what teens sometimes need and sometimes just want. It's not that the topic is sexy to them, and in many cases it's not something even relevant to their lives, but rather, it's fascinating. It's fresh to them.
I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this uptick in suicide titles and if so, what do you make of it? What sort of opportunities or challenges do these books, when presented in a trend-like wave, present? More, I'm interested in hearing about your own reading biases and experiences with them -- and I'm curious how it is you're talking with teens about them.
If you're curious about specific titles, here are a handful of suicide-themed YA books out in the first few months of the year. Descriptions are from WorldCat, and if you know of others out early this year, feel free to leave them in the comments, too.
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Told in alternating voices, when Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school--both teetering on the edge--it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship, a journey to discover the "natural wonders" of the state of Indiana, and two teens' desperate desire to heal and save one another
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand: After her younger brother, Tyler, commits suicide, Lex struggles to work through her grief in the face of a family that has fallen apart, the sudden distance between her and her friends, and memories of Tyler that still feel all too real.
When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez: Elizabeth Davis and Emily Delgado seem to have little in common except Ms. Diaz's English class and the solace they find in the words of Emily Dickinson, but both are struggling to cope with monumental secrets and tumultuous emotions that will lead one to attempt suicide.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman: In an attempt to understand why her best friend committed suicide, eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds retraces her dead friend's footsteps and makes some startling discoveries.
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga: Seventeen-year-old Aysel's hobby--planning her own death--take a new path when she meets a boy who has similar plan of his own.
Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff: After his best friend, Hayden, commits, suicide, fifteen-year-old Sam is determined to find out why--using the clues in the playlist Hayden left for him.
These next two books -- which I just finished back to back-- have been really enjoyable but both also included suicide in them. Knowing that won't change your experience with either, since it's not integral to the plot, but seeing it pop up in consecutive reads when this was already on my mind was jarring.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman: A teenage boy struggles with schizophrenia. (I hope they end up saying more than that in later descriptions, as this one doesn't come out until April).
I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios: Skylar Evans, seventeen, yearns to escape Creek View by attending art school, but after her mother's job loss puts her dream at risk, a rekindled friendship with Josh, who joined the Marines to get away then lost a leg in Afghanistan, and her job at the Paradise motel lead her to appreciate her home town.
Related StoriesA Pair of Audiobook Reviews2015 Youth Media Awards: Reactions & ThoughtsOn The Radar: 8 YA Books for February
Having worked with teens in the library, I know too well that suicide is something they experience in their lives, and it's something that stays with them forever. Though they're not one in the same, suicide and depression can often go hand-in-hand, so in many ways, it makes sense to talk about them in tandem.
Last fall, I put together a resource and discussion guide to suicide and depression, which included a hefty reading list. I didn't think about forthcoming titles much when I put it together, but over the last few months, I've noticed a steady increase in the number of YA titles that are exploring suicide head-on.
It's interesting to think about publishing trends in YA and what it is that might drive them. Without any research at all, I can call up 4 or 5 YA titles publishing between the start of the year and end of February where suicide is a major -- if not the major -- theme. While we know contemporary realistic YA has been in an upswing lately, what is it that made suicide bubble up as a common theme?
My guess, at least in part, is the perennial popularity of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why has spurred an interest in finding similar titles. Asher's been a marvelous advocate for teens, and his book has been a staple of bestseller lists for years.
I'm generally not someone who needs trigger warnings for reading material. Dark books work really well for me, since so often, they're at an extreme where I don't feel the need to ever look at my own life or experiences and try to compare. It's easy to disconnect myself from the story and look at it as story. Other readers are far more sensitive than I am to tough topics, and for them, knowing ahead of time helps them make an informed decision about whether or not a book is the right read for them. It's not about censorship, but about making an intelligent personal choice.
But something's changed recently, and I find myself almost needing to know a book is tackling the topic of suicide before I go into it. Not a trigger warning, per se, but I've found this is a topic I'm no longer able to read as easily as I used to. Maybe it's having seen first hand with teens today how hard it is to deal with. Maybe it's coming to terms with my reading preferences and habits and understanding this topic isn't one that is enjoyable to me as a reader. Part of it may also be that my own thoughts and beliefs behind suicide don't always mirror the way it's presented in fiction, which comes as a result of being someone who struggles with an illness that has left me with uncomfortable, complicated, and messy feelings on the topic.
In other words, it turns out this isn't a topic I can divorce myself and my own experiences from when I'm reading.
One of the best things about reading and talking about books is being able to put up a lens to your own biases. You discover new pages in your own story and in your own thinking that you didn't realize were there before. Sometimes, you discover that what you thought you knew about yourself and your reading habits aren't that at all; sometimes you discover your habits and preferences simply change and evolve as you grow and evolve. Where mental health books are still a deep and heavy part of my reading life -- a topic I seek out and am always eager to read, think, and talk about -- suicide is my wading zone. I need to know what's out there, I need to give some of them a chance, but I don't need to invest all of my time and energy into them when they don't give back to me. They are, in many ways, like cancer books for me. A good premise can and does change my mind, but ultimately as a theme, it's one I don't seek out even though I'm seeing it with more frequency.
While I'm no longer working in libraries with teens, thinking about how to share these titles with teens never strays from my mind. Last spring when a teen shared that her friend had committed suicide, I knew I needed to pull out books that might help those in the community grapple with their feelings. But rather than develop a "suicide books" display, I pulled together a larger display on hard topics in realistic fiction, which included mental health, sexual assault, eating disorders, suicide, and more. It felt too on-the-nose, too prying, to build around suicide specifically, even though books on suicide were -- and are! -- exactly what teens sometimes need and sometimes just want. It's not that the topic is sexy to them, and in many cases it's not something even relevant to their lives, but rather, it's fascinating. It's fresh to them.
I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this uptick in suicide titles and if so, what do you make of it? What sort of opportunities or challenges do these books, when presented in a trend-like wave, present? More, I'm interested in hearing about your own reading biases and experiences with them -- and I'm curious how it is you're talking with teens about them.
If you're curious about specific titles, here are a handful of suicide-themed YA books out in the first few months of the year. Descriptions are from WorldCat, and if you know of others out early this year, feel free to leave them in the comments, too.
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Told in alternating voices, when Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school--both teetering on the edge--it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship, a journey to discover the "natural wonders" of the state of Indiana, and two teens' desperate desire to heal and save one another
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand: After her younger brother, Tyler, commits suicide, Lex struggles to work through her grief in the face of a family that has fallen apart, the sudden distance between her and her friends, and memories of Tyler that still feel all too real.
When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez: Elizabeth Davis and Emily Delgado seem to have little in common except Ms. Diaz's English class and the solace they find in the words of Emily Dickinson, but both are struggling to cope with monumental secrets and tumultuous emotions that will lead one to attempt suicide.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman: In an attempt to understand why her best friend committed suicide, eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds retraces her dead friend's footsteps and makes some startling discoveries.
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga: Seventeen-year-old Aysel's hobby--planning her own death--take a new path when she meets a boy who has similar plan of his own.
Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff: After his best friend, Hayden, commits, suicide, fifteen-year-old Sam is determined to find out why--using the clues in the playlist Hayden left for him.
These next two books -- which I just finished back to back-- have been really enjoyable but both also included suicide in them. Knowing that won't change your experience with either, since it's not integral to the plot, but seeing it pop up in consecutive reads when this was already on my mind was jarring.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman: A teenage boy struggles with schizophrenia. (I hope they end up saying more than that in later descriptions, as this one doesn't come out until April).
I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios: Skylar Evans, seventeen, yearns to escape Creek View by attending art school, but after her mother's job loss puts her dream at risk, a rekindled friendship with Josh, who joined the Marines to get away then lost a leg in Afghanistan, and her job at the Paradise motel lead her to appreciate her home town.
Related StoriesA Pair of Audiobook Reviews2015 Youth Media Awards: Reactions & ThoughtsOn The Radar: 8 YA Books for February
February 5, 2015
This Week at Book Riot
So this is actually two weeks of work at Book Riot, since I was out of town last week.
The big, exciting news is that the YA Quarterly Box is now open for subscriptions! $50 gets you a box each quarter, filled with YA Books, as well as awesome bookish goodies. Here are the details, as well as how to sign up. I am so excited to be curating this! Last week's 3 On A YA Theme was all about YA books where tattoos play a role in the story. For this week's 3 On A YA Theme, I talked about 3 YA books hitting the big screen very soon. Did you know Patricia McCormick's Sold was being made into a movie? Me either.
Related StoriesThis Week at Book RiotThis Week Around The Web
February 4, 2015
The Bookish Update from ALA Midwinter 2015
I just got back home from the great blizzard of 2015 that may more commonly be known as ALA Midwinter. I've lived in the midwest most of my life, and I have to say, Sunday's blizzard was something else entirely. That was fun on a whole new level.
That said, rather than write a lengthy update about Midwinter -- most of my time was spent talking with people and not behind meeting room doors -- I thought I'd talk about the books I picked up on the show floor, as well as the publisher events I went to.
I didn't get to the exhibits on opening night, like I have in the past. In fact, I spent very little time wandering the exhibits this year, and in a lot of ways, that was really nice. Though, I think the general consensus was that the floors were much more empty this year than in previous years, and that was something I did notice. I had no problems talking with people, I never felt like I was smashed in crowds, and it was nice to talk with the publisher reps and get their recommendations for favorite titles this season.
Here's everything I picked up, with links to Goodreads for further descriptions:
Persona by Genevieve Valentine (March 10): This is an adult book, but with YA crossover appeal.
Get In Trouble by Kelly Link (February 10): Adult title, but so much buzz around it. I've never read Link before and am excited to try this collection of short stories.
Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik (March 3): This adult title is pitched as Gillian Flynn meets Twin Peaks, so...
Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis (March 10): Horror + cannibalism. This one keeps popping up as a YA title, but I think it's adult with YA appeal to it.
None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio (April 7)
A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith (May 19)
Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu (May 12)
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (April 7)
Anything Could Happen by Will Walton (May 26)
Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott (June 9): These books always squick me out and yet I can't stop with them, either.
Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan (May 12)
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (May 19)
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes (June 9)
The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell (May 5)
The Truth Commission by Susan Juby (April 14): This book was talked up to me in Toronto last November and I'm so excited to have my hands on it!
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith (March 3)
Bright Lights, Dark Nights by Stephen Emond (August 11)
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu (June 2)
Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler (May 26)
Invincible by Amy Reed (April 28)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (September 1)
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (April 21): I started this one on the train home, and I've already marked so many incredible passages. I'm excited to finish it, even though it's not an easy read at all.
While at ALA, I attended two publisher meals, including a breakfast with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, as well as a lunch with Simon and Schuster. I ended up not taking the books either publisher offered at their previews because I'd already had them in my piles or at home (or had access to them on Edelweiss). But what I love about these previews is seeing what sorts of trends are popping up.
This year's big one? Alternate formats.
I suspect if you spend any time clicking through the links above, you'll see exactly what I mean. There are a LOT of books that are not in traditional narrative. They're done in lists, in a hybrid graphic/prose style, in verse, and in myriad other formats. It's interesting to see this emerge as a trend because it happens to be one I like a lot. I love seeing the creativity in how a story is told and how that format raises the stakes in the story itself.
Kimberly did a good job talking about the Youth Media Awards earlier this week, and all I really have to add to her commentary is that I was so glad to see Gabi, A Girl in Pieces win the Morris, and I was thrilled to see Carnival at Bray pick up a Printz honor.
There's not a whole lot more to say except that I'm planning on spending my next few days devouring books because everything sounds so good, so appealing, and so perfect to be reading right this second.
Related StoriesINSPIRE: Toronto International Book Festival, Part 3 - The Sites, The Sounds, & The Wrap-UpINSPIRE: Toronto International Book Festival, Part 2 - The EventToronto Bound: See You At INSPIRE!
That said, rather than write a lengthy update about Midwinter -- most of my time was spent talking with people and not behind meeting room doors -- I thought I'd talk about the books I picked up on the show floor, as well as the publisher events I went to.
I didn't get to the exhibits on opening night, like I have in the past. In fact, I spent very little time wandering the exhibits this year, and in a lot of ways, that was really nice. Though, I think the general consensus was that the floors were much more empty this year than in previous years, and that was something I did notice. I had no problems talking with people, I never felt like I was smashed in crowds, and it was nice to talk with the publisher reps and get their recommendations for favorite titles this season.
Here's everything I picked up, with links to Goodreads for further descriptions:
Persona by Genevieve Valentine (March 10): This is an adult book, but with YA crossover appeal.
Get In Trouble by Kelly Link (February 10): Adult title, but so much buzz around it. I've never read Link before and am excited to try this collection of short stories.
Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik (March 3): This adult title is pitched as Gillian Flynn meets Twin Peaks, so...
Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis (March 10): Horror + cannibalism. This one keeps popping up as a YA title, but I think it's adult with YA appeal to it.
None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio (April 7)
A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith (May 19)
Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu (May 12)
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (April 7)
Anything Could Happen by Will Walton (May 26)
Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott (June 9): These books always squick me out and yet I can't stop with them, either.
Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan (May 12)
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (May 19)
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes (June 9)
The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell (May 5)
The Truth Commission by Susan Juby (April 14): This book was talked up to me in Toronto last November and I'm so excited to have my hands on it!
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith (March 3)
Bright Lights, Dark Nights by Stephen Emond (August 11)
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu (June 2)
Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler (May 26)
Invincible by Amy Reed (April 28)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (September 1)
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (April 21): I started this one on the train home, and I've already marked so many incredible passages. I'm excited to finish it, even though it's not an easy read at all.
While at ALA, I attended two publisher meals, including a breakfast with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, as well as a lunch with Simon and Schuster. I ended up not taking the books either publisher offered at their previews because I'd already had them in my piles or at home (or had access to them on Edelweiss). But what I love about these previews is seeing what sorts of trends are popping up.
This year's big one? Alternate formats.
I suspect if you spend any time clicking through the links above, you'll see exactly what I mean. There are a LOT of books that are not in traditional narrative. They're done in lists, in a hybrid graphic/prose style, in verse, and in myriad other formats. It's interesting to see this emerge as a trend because it happens to be one I like a lot. I love seeing the creativity in how a story is told and how that format raises the stakes in the story itself.
Kimberly did a good job talking about the Youth Media Awards earlier this week, and all I really have to add to her commentary is that I was so glad to see Gabi, A Girl in Pieces win the Morris, and I was thrilled to see Carnival at Bray pick up a Printz honor.
There's not a whole lot more to say except that I'm planning on spending my next few days devouring books because everything sounds so good, so appealing, and so perfect to be reading right this second.
Related StoriesINSPIRE: Toronto International Book Festival, Part 3 - The Sites, The Sounds, & The Wrap-UpINSPIRE: Toronto International Book Festival, Part 2 - The EventToronto Bound: See You At INSPIRE!
February 3, 2015
A Pair of Audiobook Reviews
The FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michelle Cooper
What (almost) everyone is saying is true: this book is better than the first. It features the FitzOsbornes, the ruling family of the tiny fictional island of Montmaray, living in England after the Germans have bombed and then occupied their home. There, they must get used to a different way of life with their aunt (including the excitement and hazards of a London season and pressure to marry), while also figuring out a way to reclaim their home. Of course, it's the late 1930s, and war is on the horizon - the readers know it, even if the characters try to deny it.
The FitzOsbornes' attempt to get their country back seems so hopeless in this volume, it's kind of sad to watch them try. Their main avenue is through the League of Nations, that oh-so-effective union of countries established after the end of World War I (read that in your sarcasm voice). It culminates in a pretty impressive scene where Veronica stands up in front of a bunch of white men and actually convinces them to do something about their situation. It's empowering, even if it won't really help much. Sophie's voice is great, but overall I found Veronica a much more compelling character. There's a tiny hint of romance plus some social complications to add to the political issues. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy (plus some of her siblings) makes a cameo, which I thought was pretty interesting. This is a worthwhile second volume and I only wish the third was available on audio so I could finish up the trilogy.
The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
I was craving a romance novel, but I needed to do laundry. The solution: romance audiobook. I thought that when I got to the steamy bits of the book (and Julia Quinn books always have some steam), I may have to skip over them, or at least put headphones on, but I actually didn't mind hearing them aloud. It was a little weird, but for some reason the female narrator made it less awkward. (My next romance audiobook pick has a male narrator and I quite frankly might just giggle my way through the steamier parts of that one. I am still in middle school, apparently.)
As to the actual book and the writing and all that, this is a decent one. It belongs to the Smythe-Smith quartet, an offshoot of the Bridgerton series. It's not Quinn at her best. The conflict that keeps the two leads apart is so ridiculous, I actually said aloud to myself "This is stupid" many times. There was so much melodrama and hand-wringing and I just wanted to slap all of the characters sometimes. It seems like Quinn was really stretching to find a way to add tension to the romance where none logically existed. You've got to have that tension, or else you have a boring book, but I didn't buy it here. The characters aren't particularly memorable, and the book just didn't have the magic that I remember from Quinn's earlier books, but I can't say it was a waste of my time to read. Isn't that a rousing endorsement?
Both books borrowed from my library.
Related StoriesA Couple of Quick Reviews2015 Youth Media Awards: Reactions & ThoughtsOn The Radar: 8 YA Books for February
February 2, 2015
2015 Youth Media Awards: Reactions & Thoughts
Like so many other librarians across the country, I sat down in my pajamas to watch the live webcast of the Youth Media Awards yesterday morning. It was bright and sunny here in Texas, though a little cold (35 degrees is cold, don't give me that look). Nothing like the snow that walloped Chicago, where the announcements were made. I have to admit I preferred being at home this year...mostly.
I'm so grateful that ALA does its webcast. The quality is pretty good, with clear sound and an up-close view of the podium and the slides, I just wish that we could have gotten some audience shots. It was so exciting to hear the shouts and cheers as crowd favorites were announced as winners; it would have been even nicer to see their reactions too! (Thankfully, there have been some awesome photos.)
This year was a fantastic year for diversity and thinking outside the box of a "traditional" award winner. The Newbery category encapsulates perfectly this idea. The winner (The Crossover by Kwame Alexander) is a novel in verse by a black writer featuring two black leads. Jacqueline Woodson garnered an Honor for her memoir in verse about growing up as a black girl in America (Brown Girl Dreaming), and Cece Bell won an Honor for her graphic novel memoir featuring a hearing-impaired heroine (El Deafo). That's two books in verse, two nonfiction (-ish), one novel, one graphic novel, two books by and about people of color, one book by and about a disabled person - and all of them have an eager audience.
For a great breakdown of the diversity in the young adult awards this year, check out the Diversity in YA tumblr.
Speaking of El Deafo, this was a great year for graphic novels. It's the first time a graphic novel was recognized with a Caldecott (This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki with an Honor), which seems so strange that it's taken this long, now that I think about it. It's long overdue and I'm excited to finally read this book which has gotten so much critical praise. The Tamaki duo also garnered a Printz Honor for their book, the second time a graphic novel has gotten Printz love since American Born Chinese. Hidden, a great graphic novel about the Holocaust for very young children, also won a Batchelder Honor. Raina Telgemeier's Twitter feed was a great one to read during the announcements. I see only more recognition for graphic novels in these "mainstream" awards in the future.
I'm not surprised at all by the Morris pick, and I know Kelly must be extremely happy about it. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces is a book I've heard so much about and it sounds like Isabel Quintero is a really exciting new talent. It will be interesting to see what she does next.
I loved that there were six Caldecott Honors! The more Honors the better, in my opinion. (I think the audience was a bit let down going from six Honors with the Caldecott to only 2 with the Newbery.) This is another moment I really miss no longer being the youth materials selector at my job; I hadn't read any of the books that won Caldecott recognition.
I actually hadn't read many of the winners at all. I had read Hidden, and I read most of Beyond Magenta, which got a Stonewall Honor. Other than that, there's just a lot on my to be read list that I hadn't tackled yet. I've already placed This One Summer and El Deafo on hold and am excited to read them. Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh (Sibert Honor and Belpre Honor) is on the Bluebonnet list this year, and I've read that one; it's fascinating and tells a little-known story in the fight for integration.
I was thrilled with the selection of Sharon Draper for the Edwards, as well as Donald Crews for the Wilder. Both of those authors' works continue to influence young people daily.
The only thing I'm a little disappointed by is the lack of SFF represented. I'm not surprised by it, and it's more of a personal wish than a professional one, but I can't help but remember what it was like for me as a kid knowing that if I had to read an award winner, it would be slim pickings in the genres I actually wanted to read. We're definitely doing better with diverse voices and characters, which I freely admit is more important than SFF being better represented. But I do wish there were more SFF for those kinds of kids, and it's not an either/or situation. This is one reason I'm so glad the Cybils exist! (Last year was much better for SFF, which was pretty awesome.)
What are your thoughts on this year's winners? What do you wish had been honored and wasn't? More importantly, what about next year??
Related StoriesOn The Radar: 8 YA Books for FebruaryPrintz and other Youth Media Award Predictions, 2015 EditionI Don't Get the Hype
February 1, 2015
On The Radar: 8 YA Books for February
One of the most popular posts I do over at Book Riot is the round-up of upcoming YA fiction titles, and one of the most popular questions I seem to get on Twitter and in my inboxes is "what should I be looking out for in YA?" For a lot of readers, especially those who work with teens either in classrooms or in libraries, knowing what's coming out ahead of time is valuable to get those books into readers' hands before they even ask.
Each month, I'll call out between 8 and 12 books coming out that should be on your radar. These include books by high-demand, well-known authors, as well as some up-and-coming and debut authors. They'll be across a variety of genres, including diverse titles and writers. Not all of the books will be ones that Kimberly or I have read, nor will all of them be titles that we're going to read and review. Rather, these are books that readers will be looking for and that have popped up regularly on social media, in advertising, in book mail, and so forth. It's part science and part arbitrary and a way to keep the answer to "what should I know about for this month?" quick, easy, and under $300 (doable for smaller library budgets especially).
Here are 8 titles to have on your January 2015 radar. All descriptions are from WorldCat, and I've included short notes as to why the title was included. This is a particularly solid month for books by authors of color.
I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios: Skylar Evans, seventeen, yearns to escape Creek View by attending art school, but after her mother's job loss puts her dream at risk, a rekindled friendship with Josh, who joined the Marines to get away then lost a leg in Afghanistan, and her job at the Paradise motel lead her to appreciate her home town.
Why: This one has had a good amount of publisher push behind it. It's also quite timely, and it falls into the lesser-tackled issues of post-high school military service.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: In a world divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities--seventeen-year-old Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard --a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction.
Why: This one's been pitched as being for fans of Game of Thrones but more than that, it's one with a lot of publicity behind it from the publisher. It's likely this is a book teen readers will be hearing about peer-to-peer. (Unrelated, but that bloody crown is great).
This Side of Home by Renee Watson: Twins Nikki and Maya Younger always agreed on most things, but as they head into their senior year they react differently to the gentrification of their Portland, Oregon, neighborhood and the new--white--family that moves in after their best friend and her mother are evicted.
Why: I've heard virtually nothing about this title, and it's a diverse one that sounds like it takes on so many fascinating topics that it should be being talked about more. It looks like the author will be doing an event with Jacqueline Woodson in March, which might spark some buzz, as well.
The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson: Rory, Callum and Boo are still reeling from a series of tragic events, while new dangers lurk around the city from Jane and her nefarious organization.
Why: This is the third book in Maureen Johnson's extremely popular "Shades of London" series, so it will be in high demand. There will be four books in the series, so this isn't the conclusion yet.
The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead: After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.
Why: This is the sixth and final book in Richelle Mead's popular "Bloodlines" series.
Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci: In this follow-up to TIN STAR, the desolate planet below the Yertina Feray space station is discovered to have overwhelming amounts of an invaluable resource, which suddenly makes the station a major player in intergalactic politics
Why: This is the second book in Castellucci's duology, which began with Tin Star. It seems like there's been a decline in science fiction in YA, but this series fits the sci fi bill perfectly.
Dove Arising by Karen Bao: On a lunar colony, fifteen-year-old Phaet Theta does the unthinkable and joins the Militia when her mother is imprisoned by the Moon's oppressive government.
Why: I've gotten not just a review copy of this one (and early on!), but I've been pitched it a couple more times on top of it. This is a debut novel by an author of color, and it's science fiction -- again, with what seems like a genre with fewer offerings than others within YA recently, it's worth taking a good look at!
When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez: Elizabeth Davis and Emily Daniels seem to have little in common except Ms. Diaz's English class and the solace they find in the words of Emily Dickinson, but both are struggling with to cope with monumental secrets and tumultuous emotions that will lead one to attempt suicide.
Why: Aside from fitting the Emily Dickinson trend, this is a realistic debut YA by a Latina author.
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January 28, 2015
Printz and other Youth Media Award Predictions, 2015 Edition
It's been a tough year for me in terms of keeping on top of Printz discussions and wanting to think about what the potential contenders for this year could be. You may or may not remember that after successfully petitioning to get on the Printz ballot and earning enough votes from my peers, I was elected to be a part of this upcoming year's committee. But because of changes in YALSA policy, which essentially put a gag order on any sort of online discussion of eligible titles -- meaning not even making book lists or recommending titles -- I decided to step down from the committee.
This wasn't an easy decision, but in time, it got easier. With work at Book Riot picking up and with knowing how much I enjoy talking about books here, on Book Riot, and in other online venues, it would be too hard for me to not talk about any 2015 YA titles at all. As much as it was a dream to do the Printz committee, personally and professionally, it's more important for me to advocate for books and for readers. Keeping quiet for a year on every new book felt like a disservice.
And more, after thinking long and hard about the things I discussed in that post about stepping down, I chose not to renew my membership or continue involvement with YALSA. While I support those who are active and engaged with it, and while I will continue to talk up and champion the work members do, the organization as a governance doesn't need my money or my time anymore. I'm finding far more value and personal/professional development in other venues.
All of that is to say at length what I said in the first sentence of this post: keeping on top of Printz talk has gone to the back burner for me. I've watched starred review sheets, and I've dipped in and out of reading the Someday My Printz Will Come blog. I had quite a bit to say about Grasshopper Jungle , but beyond that, I've been more of a lurker than a commenter. Even though I've not been super engaged, I do have to reiterate what I said last year: I think the 2014 crop of YA was weak. There were few standouts that screamed Printz. Many more debut novels screamed Morris to me, instead.
That said, I'll definitely be in the audience on Monday for the Youth Media Award announcements, and because it's a game I can't stay away from entirely, I thought I'd throw out quickly some of the Printz titles I think have a shot, as well as a few titles I think may see honors in other categories.
Printz
This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki: This one just...I have a feeling about it. I suspect the fact it earned a pile of stars doesn't hurt its cause, either. Admittedly, this is a book I felt more strongly about in terms of its art than I did its story, and I'm curious how this one holds up under multiple reads and with strong scrutiny. This book also graced a number of "best of" lists when 2014 came to a close.
Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn: Did this fall off people's radar? I think it's interesting we saw little talk about it throughout the year. I think this book is even better than Charm and Strange, and I think the writing is tighter, the story more gracefully woven, and it shows a little more experience than her debut. This got three starred reviews, and I suspect because Kuehn was a Morris winner last year, this will be talked about for a while by the committee.
I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson: I was really underwhelmed by this one personally. I felt it was really overwritten, but it's earned a pile of starred reviews and it showed up on numerous "best of" lists this year. It's literary and it's risky, probably especially in how it's written.
Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A. S. King: An interesting phenomenon I noticed this year is that some titles seemed to have been forgotten about or weren't talked up a whole lot in terms of their awards potential. The latest King book is one of them. Glory O'Brien earned 6 starred reviews and popped up on best of lists at the year's end. But why aren't more people talking about this one? I'm not 100% sold on this being a Printz title in a year where there are stronger books (I think King's written better than this one), but this year, I think there's a great shot for this particular title. While I know Printz doesn't compare among titles, this is a standout.
Then there's the Andrew Smith question I keep coming back to.
I'm not entirely sure why Grasshopper Jungle earned more attention this year than 100 Sideways Miles. We know Miles made the National Book Awards long list, but it's Grasshopper Jungle that seems to be getting much more Printz buzz. I've not yet seen a really compelling essay -- and I crave one -- comparing and contrasting these two titles, their reception, and what they say about Smith's risk taking and (sometimes) repetitive storytelling. (I'd also not mind a really great essay about his weakness in writing female characters, but that was sort of hashed out a bit in the comments on the Someday post).
Here's where I say the thing that many might disagree with: I don't think either of these are Printz titles this year.
I think Andrew Smith absolutely, positively has a Printz book in him. I don't think either of these titles are it. Maybe it'll be one of next year's two titles. Maybe it'll be a title after that. But I think both Grasshopper Jungle and 100 Sideways Miles are imperfect enough that they're not going to go the distance. But the reason we keep hearing about them and the reason people keep talking about Smith and why he's putting out two titles a year, one each from different publishers, is he's talented, he's prolific, and he's doing some risky, innovating, and compelling story telling.
If I were to call out a potential dark horse for Printz this year, it'd be The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin. Depending on how Printz looks at age this year and how young they'll go, I wouldn't rule out a mention for Jacqueline Woodson's brown girl dreaming. Same with Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, which I would absolutely love to see get a mention from the Newbery Committee.
I also still stand by my comments from the predictions post in June that I think We Were Liars will fall apart on subsequent reads and won't go the distance.
Morris Award
I've only read two of the Morris titles this year, so I can't talk at length about their merits comparatively. But I can say my heart would love to see this one walk away with the award:
Schneider Family Book Award
The Schneider award, for those who aren't familiar, honors a book that "embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience." I haven't read enough books that could be eligible this year, but I did read one I think absolutely fits the bill and would be surprised not to see honored:
Stonewall Award
The Stonewall honors works relating to the LGBTQ experience for children or teens. This is a category I feel like there are quite a few solid possibilities. I almost think there's more to talk about here than there is for the Printz this year. The two standing out to me though are these two:
I could easily see this committee spending quite a bit of time with Grasshopper Jungle and I'll Give You The Sun. I also think the non-fiction side of this award will be talking about Beyond Magenta.
What do you think? Big titles I'm missing out on? Titles I should be thinking about? Other categories that have standout titles? I'm looking forward to seeing what comes down on Monday -- the YMAs are always a lot of fun to hear and even more fun to talk about afterward.
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