In My Mailbox - 30 January

This meme was brought to us all by Alea and Kristi.

Books mentioned:

Melina Marchetta - On the Jellicoe Road (Penguin Aust. 2007)

Melina Marchetta - The Piper's Son (Penguin Aust., March 2010)

Trailer: The Sky is Everywhere

In the near future you will be able to read an interview with the author of The Sky is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson, at this very blog.

Until then, take a gander...

Review - Something, Maybe (Elizabeth Scott)

Summary -

Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showing pretty girls--and his "party" lifestyle--all over the Internet, and her mom, who was once one of her dad's girlfriends, is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for far too long, Hannah has learned how to stay out of sight...and that's how she likes it.

Of course, being unknown isn't helping her get noticed by gorgeous, confident Josh, who Hannah knows is her soul mate. Between trying to figure out a way to get him to notice her, dealing with her parents, and wondering why she can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn, Hannah feels like she's going crazy. She's determined to make things work out the way she wants....only what she wants may not be what she needs.

Review - You could dismiss Elizabeth Scott's Something, Maybe as a frothy romance with some emotional entanglement but if you look deeper you often discover that she's written many ideas and slipped them in like a mother trying to convince you to eat vegetables at dinner.

Scott's writing is so effortless at times that a reader doesn't realise how deep the protagonist's issues run until they are neck deep in them. While the romantic arc of the story is full of snarky interchanges, misdirected lust and bucket loads of miscommunication, it's the family storyline that really captured my attention. Scott has covered some BIG IDEAS in this relatively short novel with her examination of Hannah's family. Her mother makes her living by videotaping herself in lingerie and her father is the Hugh Hefner of this universe. As a response she's shut herself off from her peers with an exception to her best friend Teagen and the two guys she works with (one she adores, one she tolerates).

Hannah knows herself almost too well and doesn't let herself breathe. She's cynical, her past experiences have weighed heavily on her and she withholds her hope from her father and from the boy she's crushing on. Despite her insight, she lacks awareness in her own life. Her romantic entanglement is extremely clear to everyone but her. This adds some credibility to the predictability of the situation. Her friend alludes to her true feelings in an unobtrusive way, her crush is aware of the situation, as is the other unfortunate fellow. What I enjoyed most was that the fellow with the crush on her is hanging tight to the one situation that created an opportunity for him to connect with Hannah. And so, that situation, her truck's reliability is a great running theme, not only as it was a time where he established himself as a support but also as it implied his care for her well being.

Most interesting to me was the triad that made Hannah's family. She has issues with both. Her father is shallow, egotistical and is unworthy of her. Her mother, the loving and supportive one, trounces around in her underwear. But despite her mother's vapidness, she's got great intentions and a steel spine. Scott integrated most teen girl's body image concerns in with that of Hannah's fear that people would brand her as promiscuous due to her mother's career path. It's a small touch but it works amazingly well in crafting this strong, three dimensional girl that leads us through some lust worthy guys and some dubious parents.

A great, fun and fabulous read!

Published: 2009
Format: E-book, 224 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source of Review Copy: purchased
Origin: USA

www.elizabethwrites.com

Perfect Kisses

I was going to post a review today but with my cold strengthening(see vlog for pictorial evidence) and a nice thought, I decided to show you how a perfect kiss should look.

I haven't got any of my books to relay passages detailing great YA kisses. Instead I thought I'd post three youtube clips of my favourite YA TV kisses. These kisses encompass everything I like to see / read / experience in a kiss.

PACEY - his voice is divine.

It's not their hottest kiss but it is quite lovely. You need to prowl youtube to see what Josh Jackson, a cheek and a hand can do...he's a great screen kisser! If you don't know this super ship of Joey and Pacey from Dawson's Creek then shame on you. If you take issue with Katie Holmes (as I do now) then focus on Josh....it's a good thing!

LOGAN - twirly bathroom goodness

Banter and hot kissing....oh my. Veronica Mars could not have had a hotter make out scene...ever. The line between love and hate isn't really that wide.

MICHAEL - just smokin'

All Michael and Maria's kisses on Roswell were super hot. The one I wanted to show wasn't there but know that snarky banter, a love/hate relationship and a hot kitchen make a steamy kissing scene.

Got a fave kiss? Post link here.

Teaser Tuesday: Raised by Wolves

Written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Egmont)

May 11, 2010

Summary -

At the age of four, Bryn watched a rabid werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by Callum, the alpha of his pack. Now fifteen, Bryn's been raised as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule (mostly). Little fazes her.

But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum's orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her mom and dad come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It's Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

Tease:
"It didn’t take a genius to infer that Devon’s inner wolf disliked the idea of anyone trying to hurt me. Plain old Dev didn’t seem too fond of the possibility, either, and I knew from previous experience that neither boy nor beast particularly cared for being reminded that if things had gone differently the night Callum had brought me home, I might not have lived long enough to be a thorn in anyone’s paw." p.35

A review will be posted shortly but know that this is one paranormal themed novel that took me for a ride with it's splendid character development, intriguing use of wolf pack mentality and strong willed, fierce protagonist.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

I am extremely late to the party which isn't a surprise as I am not known for being a "joiner". I haven't ever been someone who's challenge-inclined. I wanted to be last year but it never really happened.

It's with great pleasure that I sign myself up for The Story Siren's 2010 Debut Author Challenge. It's a great way to spread the word about the fabulous new authors making their mark on YA.

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

• The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year.
• Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
• The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010.
• You can join at anytime!

You can read the rest of Kristi's explanation post here.

To be really honest, I am not all that familiar with The Tenners. I have been concentrating on getting to know authors that I have always admired, newly met or tweeted with. Some of these are Tenners but I've been more interested in the person than their work most of the time...I make the worst YA blogger in the world! Even worse I had tweeted with someone for two months before realising they were an author and not a blogger - - yep, I'm quick on the uptake!

I am going to try and review twenty Tenners this year. Within that I will attempt to read and review at least five Australian debut authors. I have no idea who these authors are as they aren't publicised as much as their American counterparts but as Kate Welshman, Kirsty Eager and Charlotte McConaughy were great finds in 2009, I am eager to see what's ahead of the OZYA industry in 2010. I would also like to address the gender inequality in my reading material. So if five of my debut author reads are from male authors, I will be very happy.

These aren't all the titles I am interested in but it does reflect my preference for contemporary YA, though I am not opposed to other genres within YA. Also, some of the summaries aren't all that compelling at the moment, they need tweaking.

Here's my list which can be added to:

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
2. Everlasting by Angie Frazier
3. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk
4. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
5. Sea by Heidi R. Kling
6. The Secret Year - Jennifer Hubbard
7. Faithful - Janet Fox
8. A Match Made in High School - Kristin Walker
9. Party - Tom Leveen
10. The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
11. Guardian of the Dead - Karen Healey
12. Tell Me A Secret - Holly Cupala
13. The Duff by Kody Keplinger
14. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
15. Anna and the Boy Masterpiece by Stephanie Perkins
16. Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount-White
17. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
18. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
19. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
20. The Line - Teri Hall
21. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
22. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
23. The Rise of Renegade X - Chelsea Campbell

Let the challenge begin!

Review - The Sky is Everywhere / Jandy Nelson

Summary -

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey.

But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

Review - Nelson's debut novel is a largely introspective exploration of grief and how that affects your choices, actions and those around you. In the aftermath of her sister's death, Lennie starts living a different life - one without Bailey, one without colour and purpose. Lennie's existing rather than living letting her friends fall away, her music and even her relationship with her grandmother.

Death, grief, secrets and guilt are all strong themes throughout this novel which makes it an emotional read. That being said, the numbness that cloaks Lennie seems to permeate onto the reader at times. Nelson beautifully shows the movement of Lennie's feelings, memories and loss within poems that periodically appear but some are more effective than others.

The edge of the book comes in the relationship that forms between Lennie and Bailey's boyfriend, Toby. This pairing might come from left field for some readers as they had previously had very little relationship to speak of. In their united grief they find a connection, one that shows itself in an overtly physical way. Loss manifests itself in many ways and both characters have chosen to punish themselves while touching on the person they miss most. It's a complex idea, one strongly rooted in their ability to voice their emotions instead choosing to expend them physically. It's dark and hot and tinged with much sadness.

The light and shade of grief and all the emotions that colour it were truthfully conveyed throughout. The addition of Joe and his preoccupation with Lennie and their attraction for one another contrasts well with the primal connection she shares with Toby. The author has presented an emotional tug of war that Lennie can't voice or even choose, it just is. The boys are both layered and interesting without being "bad". They are distinct from one another and each offer her something different, immediate solace or the promise of forever. Both are flawed in that their previous relationships have strongly impacted their dealings with Lennie. It's an interesting conundrum - I do wish there had been further exploration of Toby's dilemma as it is by far the most complex of the three. There is no bad person in this triangle, only strong emotions, grief and compulsion.

Lennie is serious, contemplative and very aware of the beauty that exists around her in sight and sound. She is wallowing her grief and in some respects its the romantic in her that permits hers the missteps that she makes. She makes mistakes, she allows herself to make choices that would not have occurred before her sister's death. She's not a dynamic character but she possesses a soulfulness that you don't often read.

Nelson's language and depiction of grief is beautiful, thoughtful and at times complex. Lennie is a nuanced character who subtly and quietly navigated her loss. The language was slightly problematic at times as it felt forced when the majority of the wording was so effortless. Some of the transitions between Lennie's feelings, particularly the strength of her attraction versus that of her love could also have been smoother. Nelson's attempted something complex and subtle and she's largely been successful.

The Sky is Everywhere is an all encompassing study of grief, the strength of a sisterly bond, the power of attraction and love and ultimately the importance of being true to one's self. Jandy Nelson has debuted onto the YA stage with a sensitivity and sensuousness that conveys a multitude of feelings from grief to desire to love. An absorbing read.

Published: March 9, 2010
Format: ARC, 282 pages
Publisher: Penguin
Source of Review Copy: publisher
Origin: USA

www.jandynelson.com
www.twitter.com/jandynelson

Vlog: What I've Read...

Excuse the sniffles...but I have some great recommendations for you!

I sniffle my way through my impressions on Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere (Penguin), Elizabeth Scott's Something, Maybe (Simon Pulse) and Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Raised by Wolves (Egmont). I also attempt Pocky's for the first time.

You can check out Elizabeth Scott's month long author residency at Readergirlz here.

Side note - My Japan adventures are being posted here should you be interested.