Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick is The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes, coming May 8, 2012 from Candlewick.

Summary: Paige Sheridan has the perfect life. She's pretty, rich, and popular, and her spot on the homecoming court is practically guaranteed. But when a night of partying ends in an it-could-have-been-so-much worse crash , everything changes. Her best friends start ignoring her, her boyfriend grows cold and distant, and her once-adoring younger sister now views her with contempt. The only bright spot is her creative writing class, led by a charismatic new teacher who encourages students to be true to themselves. But who is Paige, if not the homecoming princess everyone expects her to be? In this arresting and witty debut, a girl who was once high-school royalty must face a truth that money and status can't fix, and choose between living the privileged life of a princess, or owning up to her mistakes and giving up everything she once held dear. 


My Thoughts: I admit it, I am a sucker for a "fall from grace" kind of story, and the girl who has it all suddenly not having it... well. There ya go. I want to know why her friends all treat her how they do, and I want to see how she gets past everything. I want to know what she has to own up to... and how it all turns out. This book sounds like the perfect mix of fun and intense, and I so cannot wait! Not to mention, the cover is so simple and appealing, with quite a bit of hope inherently in it. Now to get my hands on this book...

Author Book Picks: Megan Bostic

Stopping by today is Never Eighteen author Megan Bostic to talk about some of her favorite books. Yeah, a hard topic to narrow down for, but it's always interesting to see what authors love!


Favorite books? How much time do you have? I’ll name a few: To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Beet Queen, The Crucible, and Fahrenheit 451. I could go on and on, so I’ll stop there.

As far as recommendations, reading time is scarce these days, so I’m going to just mention a couple books I’ve read the last few years that have impacted me greatly.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This book stayed with me for a long while. I always describe it as tragic beauty. After I read it, I knew I wanted to write contemporary realistic fiction. That’s when I wrote Never Eighteen. I can’t wait for the movie.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher. I read this because it seemed similar in theme to Never Eighteen. Admittedly, it was the first Chris Crutcher book I’d read and I loved it. The characters were all very real to me. I can’t wait to read more of his books.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach. This was a 2011 debut. I was blown away. Geoff’s protagonist, Felton, has a voice so unique and well written; I fell in love with him instantly. The supporting characters were quirky and funny, but thoughtful as well. It’s one of my favorites from this year.

Popular by Alissa Grosso. Another 2011 debut, this one surprised me. Do not judge the book by its name. This is a story with many layers and Alissa wrote it well. So many unique characters, but they’re all people we’ve probably met along our journeys. The ending will knock your socks off.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. Can I just say “Oh my god!?” This is one of those books you don’t want to read, but can’t put down. My daughter and I both read it in a day. It’s a disturbing story that had to be told.

My personal library is eclectic. Aside from all the books I’ve mentioned above, on my shelf you’ll find a lot of Stephen King, probably my favorite writer ever. I love mysteries from Dennis Lehane and Harlan Coben. The Harry Potter series is a given, as well as Twilight.

I’ve got a shelf of classic poetry, Dickinson, Whitman, Blake, Wordworth, Keats, etc. I’ve got some random contemporary novels that include Kite Runner, Lovely Bones, Wicked, Life of Pi, and so many more.

I have three or four shelves dedicated to YA, one of those shelves solely Class of 2k11 books. I also have a shelf of books from people I met through the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest, a couple I’d highly recommend are Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan, Greyhound, by Steffan Piper, and Bloodroot by Bill Loehfelm.

Once again, I could go on and on. I don’t think you can ever have too many books. Maybe someday I’ll have the time to read them all.

In My Mailbox

Most of this week's books were surprises, so let's just get right to it, shall we?

For Review:

Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham

Immortal City by Scott Speer

Cracking the Ice by Dave Hendrickson

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

(Huge thanks to Hilary Weisman Graham, Razorbill, WestSide Books, and KensingtonTeen)

Gifted from Leah Cypess

Nightspell (Signed - thank you, Leah!!)

Bought: 

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

(One of my favorite series, finally coming to an end!)

Won: 

The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Author Interview: Estevan Vega

Stopping in tonight is Estevan Vega, author of Arson and the recently released sequel Ashes. If you love dark and twisted books, then be sure to get these ones!


If you found out your son was going to be born like Arson, burning from the inside, how would you react? 

Um...freaked out. I think most of us...no, all of us would be freaked in a way. I mean, how messed up is that, to have your child, whom you view as this beautiful new creation of life, what is supposed to be, in essence, you, coming out of your wife or girlfriend as a monster on fire. It's pretty crazy. And creepy. And terrifying, and that's the effect I was aiming for when I wrote chapter 1 of ASHES. You see pregnancy scenes so often in movies. You've seen the frantic ones and the somewhat calm ones, and I remember wanting to write the birth scene of Arson long before I even started writing the sequel, but I thought it would have more potency opening the sequel with it. I remember seeing the birth scene in Orphan a few years ago, and I'm like, "I gotta top that."

What was the hardest part about writing ASHES, versus writing ARSON? 

I think a lot of people think writing a sequel is easy, because you know the characters already and how they'd react and whatever, but I was terrified going into this writing process. First off, I'd never written a sequel before. Second, I wasn't sure if I could. And C...how was I supposed to follow up what I, and a lot of readers, considered my best work? I got this pressure that I wasn't used to now swimming in my veins. I wasn't sure where the story would go. I had ideas, sure, but not a definitive ending, and I even wrestled with a lot of the plot lines. But eventually, I was able to just focus on telling the story and upping the ante...which, you know, is kinda one of the rules. If I were to identify the most challenging process of all, after facing my fear of screwing up my favorite character, I'd have to say writing Joel and Aimee. I knew I wanted them in the story, but they were becoming this mammoth complication. I was writing chapter after chapter and for some reason, it just wasn't going anywhere or it just didn't come off "real" enough to me. And if I wasn't buying it, my audience wouldn't buy it either. So I ended up scrapping about 40 or so pages of Joel and Aimee scenes and rewriting them all, going in an entirely new direction. Thankfully, that new direction was found, because it allowed me to discover, with the suggestion of my dad, Kyro, one of the most unique characters in ASHES.

If you could pair Arson and Emery with any character from any book, who would you pick for each? 

My publisher is also an author, and he's written a book called AIREL. It's about a teenager who hasn't found out she's an angel yet, and a sick group of other fallen creatures who are after her. Story line is pretty tight. I think Emery would be a cool side character in that book. She'd be that cool chick in the corner nobody pays attention to except to stare at her creepy mask. Fits with the whole theme of AIREL also, of feeling like you don't belong. For Arson, I'd put him in I am Legend. For those who haven't read it, it's much better than the Will Smith version, and it's actually about vamps. Creepy, gross vamps. Robert Neville is this vampire hunter, and I think he could use a sidekick, one who could create fire. I mean, how much easier would it be to nuke a bunch of vampires instead of having to stake em or constantly be using garlic? It'd be so sick.

It's just you and Arson, and a room full of Death Eaters. What happens? 

A lot of violence. Probably some name-calling. A minor flesh wound would most likely occur as well. The second the outbreak starts and the weird, British baddies arrive, I'm, of course, looking for the nearest machine gun, praying, or rummaging through my pockets searching for Harry Potter's cell phone number. (Why am I always misplacing that frickin' thing?) Arson, on the contrary, is telling me to chill out while raging up for a lot of butt-whooping. Wands or no wands, those pansies, and that weirdo without a nose, are going down.

What kind of dinosaur would you describe yourself as? 

Pachycephalosaurus. Google that ish. 

Book Review: Crossing Lines by Paul Volponi

SUMMARY: Adonis is a jock. He's on the football team and he's dating one of the prettiest girls in school. Alan is the new kid. He wears lipstick and joins the Fashion Club. Soon enough the football team is out to get him. Adonis is glad to go along with his teammates . . . until they come up with a dangerous plan to humiliate Alan. Now Adonis must decide whether he wants to be a guy who follows the herd or a man who does what's right.

From critically acclaimed author Paul Volponi comes this discussable and finely wrought story of bullies, victims, and the bystanders caught in between.


OPINION: 3 STARS

The Short Version:
Overall, Crossing Lines does a pretty good job of blending sexuality, bullying and coming of age. Though admittedly lacking in character depth, and an overall campy feeling to the characters, this one is harder to really get into but still an enjoyable enough read. With some great points made, a stable realism, Crossing Lines is a quick but useful read.

The Extended Version:
Adonis was, admittedly, a character that was hard to really relate to. He seemed too much of a stereotypical jock, going with the team in everything and having no real interests other than football and girls. When the team takes an obvious disgust to Alan, Adonis goes right along with it. His biggest drive, however, for siding with his team even while they make Alan miserable is that he wants the girl he's interested in to think he's great, and because he simply doesn't have the gall to stand on his own. While there is a realistic element to that, the motivations for this specific character didn't mesh quite well enough to pull it off. That being said, his inner struggle about letting Alan suffer, and what finally make him go against his team have a strong impact both on him and the reader.

The rest of the cast is, unfortunately, just as lackluster, overall, as Adonis. Fitting too neatly into stereotypes, with a strong campy feeling, no single character really stood out. With pretty much all the girls seeming to back Alan with no questions asked, and the guys having an outward dislike for him, the lines, so to speak, seemed too obviously drawn. With a father who had an obvious dislike towards Alan as well, and who seemed to back his son in it, it is understandable why Adonis struggled like he did and yet, his mother sided easily with the sister, who did all she could for Alan. While Alan did have a great and clear cut inner strength, his overall role seemed to simply be the catalyst to changing Adonis in a way that overshadowed who he actually is.

The plot itself, however, had an easy pace.  Straightforward in execution, working towards the bullying event that really tests Adonis, but with a too easy and quick fall out afterwards, this one is a fast read that gets its points across. Though hitting too hard into stereotypical football jock, the battle of self versus team and trying to find your own way is the driving element of this story.

The writing is smooth, having a simplicity to it. Though it's hard to say whether that simplicity is simply the writing or truly the mindset of Adonis, it still does a good job of bringing out the confusion in him. With a few rougher and more poignant scenes, and some great banter and dialogue, the writing serves its purpose without pulling the reader out of the story.

Overall, this one didn't have the potency to it that it could have, but still provided a good read with some great points. Lacking in characterization most of all, it was hard to really side with and get behind any specific character. While the ending felt too easy and rushed, the bigger points of the book had an easy flow and connection between them. Despite it's faults, Crossing Lines does a great job of battling inner turmoil and individualism against a group, particularly when faced with something uncomfortable.

Details:

Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Reading level: Ages 12 and up 

Hardcover: 240 pages 

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Publication Date: June 9, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick is Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwing, coming March 12, 2012 from Katherine Tegan.

Summary: Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?


My Thoughts: I love the Robin Hood aspect of this, but also that it's in a contemporary and fun setting. This one sounds like it will be mostly cute and hilarious, but with some heavier stuff mixed in to it. I want to see not only the trouble Willa gets herself into, but what ends up happening... and okay, so I want to see some romance with Aiden. And then there's the cover, which is eye catching and flirty. So. Yeah. Want.