FNL Week - Melissa Walker

As I explained in my intro post - FNL Week is an event I cooked up to draw your attention to the fantastic television series, Friday Night Lights.

I asked some YA authors known for their vocal support of the show to share with you the reasons why
1) FNL is amazing, and
2) Why you should watch it.

Friday Night Lights Week

Friday Night Lights Week will be taking place over the next five days. My aim is the bring awareness to the greater YA community on this fantastic show. Why? If you appreciate and love quality literature and the accurate depiction of teens - then this show is FOR you.

I have a lot in store. Friday Night Lights (FNL) is a favourite of many YA authors and I have asked some to contribute their thoughts on why you should take the time to check it out. Today Melissa Walker will be presenting her reasons via vlog. Over the next few days you will hear from Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Scott, Lisa Schroeder, Chicago Tribune television journalist Maureen Ryan and Gayle Forman and their thoughts on why they adore this show. Jordyn from Ten Cent Notes will also be dropping by to give her two cents worth! Throughout the next few days I will also be posting on the characters, episodes and reasons why you should add this to your Netflix or buying an episode on iTunes. Perhaps you might even consider tuning in for the season 4 premiere on October 28th (unfortunately only on DirecTV). Regardless, prepare yourself to be educated on FNL!

~**~**~

Imagine a show that centres around young people that doesn’t feature the supernatural, super powers or rich people. Are you scratching your head? You might also be asking yourself why you’d bother watching something without one or all of those elements. My answer – you haven’t watching an episode of DirecTV/NBC’s Friday Night Lights.

It turns out that you don’t have to be a vampire or an heiress in high school to be interesting. Who knew? In fact, you could even be attending high school in a small, struggling Texas town and make viewers intensely connected and invested in your failure or success.

Friday Night Lights started in 2007 to low ratings and has continued to pull low ratings. Just like Veronica Mars, My So Called Life and Arrested Development, it is universally adored by critics and the audience that tune in and love it. When I say people that love it, that encompasses anyone who ever thought they’d check it out for an episode and then found themselves hooked. It’s good, supremely good, heartbreakingly good and you need to take the time to watch the forty minute pilot. You won’t regret it and might possibly name your first born child after me (Adele or Persnickety would be fine).

What is Friday Night Lights (FNL)?
It depicts life in a small town in Texas and follows the people in and around the Dillon Panthers, the high school football team.

Having started in 2007, it is about to start it's fourth season on DirecTV.

It’s about football – no thanks!
It’s not about football. The main character is the coach of the football team but his role is more of a cantankerous, awesomely quaffed father-figure. Some of the male teen characters are football players but again (unlike every football player cliché on television) these guys haveproblems OTHER than football. You will see some football action but it always propels the plot and if I, an Aussie with no understanding or like of the game, LOVE this show then don’t anticipate it being an issue.

Texas is football. The fictional town of Dillon, Texas loves it football and it’s the pressure of that expectation that weighs most of the characters whether male or female.

What makes it special?
The writing – it’s faultless, it’s note perfect, honest dialogue that gets to the heart of the matter. There are great monologues and conversations but they aren’t afraid to tell a story in a look either.

The cinematography – it’s different. Actors don’t have marks; they are shot wherever they happen to be in a location. The locations are all practical, meaning there is no studio backlot filled with the various rooms of the Taylor’s house. Everything in shot in real locations (even the houses) in Austin, Texas which makes it more real, gritty and relateable than 95% of all television programming.

The actors – they are pretty, very pretty but they can act your pants off. (But more of them tomorrow).

FNL Challenge -

Watch the Pilot episode of Friday Night Lights - borrow the dvds from a friend, library or Blockbuster, hit up Netflix or download off iTunes. I institute the four episode rule with new shows but in this case, I would like you to watch Season 1, Episode 1. Do it for Meg, Sarah, Melissa, Gayle, Lisa, Elizabeth and myself - trust us, we're brilliant and we aren't wrong!

Upon watching this episode, blog and tweet about it. Leave a comment. Bring more attention to this little show that could. It deserves it.

~**~**~

If you are a big fan of FNL and you'd like to provide a guest post on why this show is so darned good and why our fellow bloggers should check it out, please contact me via my email p.snark(at)gmail(dot)com.

Tender Morsels Oz cover by Shaun Tan

Margo Lanagan and Shaun Tan are award winning Aussies in the field of children's literature. They have been recognised worldwide for their brilliant contributions. As posted on Margo's blog, here is the beautiful cover for Tender Morsels as created by Shaun Tan himself.

Lovely isn't it?

Review - Willow / Julia Hoban

Summary: Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy—one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

Review: I suspect that I am the Hype Monster of the blogosphere, send me a well regarded title and I will shoot holes in it. It's not my intention but it's become my modus operandi...but it's with great pleasure that I can say that I very much enjoyed Julia Hoban's effort. It's a honest, strong and unflinching exploration of a grief stricken girl - who just happens to self-harm. Yet despite it's power and darker subject matter, Hoban has infused her pages with empathy and understanding.

Self-harm. Cutting. It's not something I really think about, it's not something that would ever occur to me. Yet Hoban managed to make the action understandable. For the protagonist, Willow, it is a necessary act of emotional release. Carrying her guilt for the accident that took her parents lives, her grief in finding herself an orphan and the loss of her brother in a connective way, Willow is swimming in self imposed isolation, her brother's emotional desertion, a pushy anthropology nerd and her overwhelming need to not feel anything. It is an emotionally wrenching read but tempered by Willow's delicate friendship with the deliciously dorky, Guy.

Willow speaks to the unifying power of beautifully written and inspired words. Willow and Guy's discussion of The Tempest in particular will encourage the reader to get their hands on that play and find out who Ferdinand is. The pace and the general arc of this novel is particularly well done.

Hoban is talented in writing a sympathetic, understanding but outstandingly fragile protagonist. Despite all her obvious flaws, Willow is strong in ways that she cannot comprehend but those around her cannot help but notice. Characterisation is accomplished with finesse as minor characters are fully formed individuals with their own voices. David is a character that is impossible not to feel for. He is also doggy paddling in a tumultuous storm, one where neither sibling is able to realise that the other is their life preserve. It's a compelling read.

Despite the cutting, I feel the core of this novel is Willow breaking through the pain, processing her feelings instead of allowing them to rob her of any semblance of a life, to allow people in and ultimately heal what is left of her family. It sounds unbelievably sobering, I know. But there is light and it comes in the form of the unrelentingly patient, unapologetically smart and eternally empathetic, Guy. If there was to be a "good guy" to knock Gilbert Blythe off his perch, it would be this fellow. What is most engaging about this guy is that he's genuinely interested in Willow in all matter of ways and doesn't derail the plot from our protagonist, instead his role is to ably assist Willow with her needs. It is an intriguing friendship.

Willow is fantastic YA release, one that makes self-mutilation relatable, understandable and ultimately something we all should be more aware of. My only quibble is the title, I don't believe it really conveys the breadth of the story well. It's much more complex than that single word can impart. Regardless, Willow is a powerful read that you should buy and re-read often.

Published: 2009
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Publisher: Penguin USA
Source of Review Copy: purchased
Origin: USA

For those in Michigan - Julia Hoban has a signing at the Barnes and Noble, Grand Rapids on the 23rd of October (6-8pm). Have fun for me!~

**A few months back there was a celebratory blog created for Willow's release and I volunteered to write a post. If you'd like to hear my thoughts on Shakespeare through the teen movie medium, go here.

Interview - Jennifer Echols (The Ex Games)

If I were able to write like any particular YA author, it would be this awesome lady. She's got her finger on the pulse of natural, quick and pithy dialogue and writes stories that are undeniably fun, steamy and dramatic. She's one heck of a writer with an enormous sense of fun. I fell deeply in love with Meg and John in her other 2009 release, Going Too Far (Simon&Schuster), and was eagerly anticipating her next title....as well as the two coming out in 2010.

The Ex Games is Echols' newest release, her third title in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy range.

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized break-up. Now the two are “just friends,” excluding the occasional flirtation.

When Hayden wins the girls’ division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn’t have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick’s bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden’s and the boys on Nick’s, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated--and if they’re not careful, they might end up igniting some old flames.

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized break-up. Now the two are “just friends,” excluding the occasional flirtation.

When Hayden wins the girls’ division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn’t have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick’s bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden’s and the boys on Nick’s, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated--and if they’re not careful, they might end up igniting some old flames.

Jennifer allowed me to interview her about this story detailing the battle of the sexes...and exes.

You aren't a snowboarder, so how did you learn the basics (including the lingo) for people who live in that world?
I do snow ski, and I tried to draw on that knowledge as much as I could. I already knew some of the lingo because it’s similar to wakeboarding lingo, which I learned for The Boys Next Door. I also watched the Winter X Games in its entirety, plus a lot of snowboarding DVDs.

Comedy is hard yet you've had three romantic comedies published through Simon Pulse...what's your approach to writing funny, relevant but not cliched stories?
I write the book I want to read. I also study a lot. I love how-to-write-a-book books, and I’m always trying to improve my craft.

Your audience (I am assuming) is largely female and your editor is male, do some concepts whizz over his head?
Yes. However, he has left the company, and I now have a new girl-editor. Also, my critique partner has a male editor who loves all her ideas, so I don’t think maleness makes whizzing a given. Wait, that didn’t come out right.

You've had two stellar books published this year with two out in 2010...where do you find new inspiration?
Actually, you’re seeing the published result, but behind the scenes...I wrote Going Too Far (2009) in 2005 and Forget You (2010) in 2007. I still have a big backlog. I write a lot faster than the publishing industry wants me to go. Or...I'm not all that speedy, but I write every day, and it adds up.

You are also a copy editor - how does that affect your own writing?
I copyedit something wildly different from my novels: one medical journal about allergies and asthma and another about physical rehabilitation. I enjoy that job, but I see it as a complete shift from writing--which is good, so I don’t get tired of doing one thing all day.

While The Ex Games is a tale about a boy and a girl, it also tackles the concept of gender inequality especially in sport. The conversation between the genders in the pool could be taken word for word from my own life....how difficult is it to make it both true to their feelings yet funny on such a delicate subject?
When I was writing that conversation, I was tracing my own thinking. You’re right, it’s a delicate subject, and one of the best sources of humor is a delicate subject thrown out in the open for everyone to see.

The sibling relationship between Hayden and Josh cracked me up...was this purely fictional, because it really rang true?
No, I have a hilarious adrenaline junkie older brother whom I have done a lot of snow skiing with. Generally this involves him going off cliffs and me watching in horror.

What can you tell us about your books that are released next year? I am particularly excited to dip back into Lori and Adam's relationship....
Thank you! I’m excited about that book too! Endless Summer is the sequel to The Boys Next Door, and it will be released next June. I just turned it in to the publisher, Simon Pulse, yesterday. And now I’m getting started on the revision of Forget You, which will be published by MTV Books in July. It’s a romantic drama like Going Too Far. After her mother’s breakdown, a teen fears she's going crazy herself as she tries to piece together what happened the night of a car wreck she can't remember, and why her darkly handsome arch-enemy has fallen in love with her.

Word amalgams....I learned about steeze (style & ease) from reading The Ex Games. Was there another that you were unable to incorporate into the book that you wish you had?
No, by the time I finished, I’d pretty much used up all my Snowboarding Vocabulary Word Chapter Headings!

Nick calls Hayden, Hoyden, and she needs to go home and look it up in a dictionary. Has a boy ever called you something and you didn't know what it meant?
Not a boy but a junior high school principal. When I was a teenager, I got in trouble a lot for talking back to teachers. In one of these episodes, the principal told me to stop being flippant. I went home and looked it up and thought ohhhhhhh, now I get it.

Thanks need to go to the delightfully flippant Jennifer Echols for kindly providing me with the opportunity to interview her again. Early this year I interviewed her on Going Too Far which you can check out here.

Review - Hostage / Karen Tayleur

Summary - What if you could have your life over again.
Would it be different?

Tully becomes a hostage when she is abducted from a chemist on Christmas Eve. Her ordeal lasts 24 hours.

Or so she says...

Review - Zip zapping its way through time, Karen Tayleur has written a story that intriguingly follows Tully's past and present as she's recollecting the events of her abduction and life. What you might expect to be a dark, foreboding book instead becomes a tale of retracing one's roots and sorting through the disjointed fragments of her past.

The sum of its character driven parts equal one great ride. The protagonist is incredibly real if only because of her flaws. I particularly loved the interrogation scenes in which Tully must endure both the investigating cop and her crotchety aunt. Her voice is strong, her perspective both jaded and incomplete but the journey is life changing.

While I love the idea of multiple time lines (I am a Lost freak), this could be confusing for some readers. That being said, it really adds to the effectiveness of Tully's character and the elements of her life. Tully has a partner is this adventure and I do wish there had been increased clarity in his motives, not for the kidnapping but everything that happened afterward.

A compelling and well-written tale of dubious teens, home truths and getting the answers you seek.

Published: October 2009
Format: Paperback, 191 pages
Publisher: black dog books

Source of Review Copy: publisher, ms form
Origin: Australia
_ _ _
www.karentayleur.com

Random Odds and Ends

Computer animated trailer for George Ivanoff's Gamers' Quest


YS Lee Contest
Visit YS Lee's website and you can be in the running to win a British edition of A Spy in the House. Check it out here as well as a photo shoot for the US cover of this book. A Spy in the House has already been released here in Oz (you can read my review here) and its US counterpart's available from March 9, 2010.

YALSA's Teen Read Week
This very special week runs for the week of October 18th with the main purpose of encouraging teens to read. While I do my best every day in the classroom to make teens read the written word, there's always more to do! Join the celebration.

In My Mailbox - 18 October

This week has been bordering on crazy as school's back, I caught a cold and discovered my narcisstic tendency with vlogging. More than anything though I was excited to have received titles from authors that I very much enjoy and bought two more from authors that are very highly regarded.

BOUGHT
Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler

While on vacation in California, sixteen-year-old best girlfriends Anna and Frankie conspire to find a boy for Anna's first summer romance, but Anna harbors a painful secret that threatens their lighthearted plan and their friendship.

I was beyond excited to get this one finally. I have heard so many great things, universally good, that I wasn't even worried about hype ruining it for me. It delivered. Sarah delivered. In fact I vlogged on it, my first vlog review....

Willow - Julia Hoban

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy—one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Another debut author that I was beyond excited to read. But I haven't yet. So excited to finally read about this character after all the buzz that was built up. Review coming shortly.

For Review
The Ex Games - Jennifer Echols

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized break-up. Now the two are “just friends,” excluding the occasional flirtation.

When Hayden wins the girls’ division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn’t have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick’s bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden’s and the boys on Nick’s, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated--and if they’re not careful, they might end up igniting some old flames.

I am a huge Jenn Echols fan and this book did not disappoint. It's fantastic to read a book that humorously and accurately depicts the gender divide. The need for girls to prove themselves, the boys need to affirm their abilities. The romance in this is snarky and wicked and just plain awesome. My review is here and Jenn's stopping by for an interview this week.

Tallow - Karen Brooks

On the edge of a mystical border called the Limen, close to a beautiful canal-laced city, a humble candlemaker rescues a child whom he raises as his apprentice.

Years pass and the child’s unusual talents are revealed, the gentle art of candlemaking slowly transforming into something far more sinister.

Lingering in the shadows, enemies watch and wait - a vengeful aristocrat, an exotic queen and the lethal creatures known only as the Morte Whisperers.

They hunger after the child’s ancient magic and will do anything to control it - betray, lie, manipulate. Even murder.

The first in the series, Tallow is a novel I don't know all that much about other than it being authored by an Australian. The blurb definitely creates intrigue so I am curious to see how it unfolds.

Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.

Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Like every other blogger in the 'verse, I put my name down to receive a review copy of this lovely. After awhile it became clear that Australia was just a tad too far. I was disappointed but I am also very used to this by now. And then....Friday night happened, I got home and had a package from overseas. It was SGA and there was squealing, jumping and general celebratory tomfoolery. I then immediately plonked myself down and read it in one hit, emailed Courtney to say how freaking wonderful it is and then allowed the story to further percolate and seep into my being. It's a great book, I think it's better than Cracked Up To Be - you might be asking youself how that is possible? Don't ask, just anticipate a great book with fantastic characterisation, a whirlwind of emotions, blood and some very evil girls. Review coming soon.

IMM is brought to us all by Alea and Kristi - thanks ladies.