YA Book Shelf

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

Melissa Montovani — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 05:17:32 +0000

Buy The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
Special: $14.49 (Regular price: $17.99)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on March 8, 2012
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Alex Patrick was sexually assaulted by another student last year, but her elite boarding school turned their back on her, as they had many times in the past. In The Rivals, Alex is the head of The Mockingbirds, a secret society of students created to police the types of infractions Alex faced. She desperately wants to uphold the legacy of this group, but when she finds herself investigating a case unlike any the school has ever seen, it becomes difficult to know exactly how to do so. A prescription drug ring has sprung up students are using the drugs to cheat. How can the Mockingbirds try a case with no obvious victims, when the facts don’t add up, and especially when every additional clue drives a wedge between Alex and the people she cares about most? This time around, the struggles with vigilante justice may help Alex understand more about herself than she’s ever known or ever expected.

Last year, I read and enjoyed The Mockingbirds, which is a novel with real characters and demonstrates that the author, Daisy Whitney, is unafraid of exploring the true fallout of date rape for survivors in both her fictional world and the real one in which her readers live. However, I have to admit that The Rivals is an even better novel. Whitney could have easily picked a similar crime with an obvious victim for The Mockingbirds to solve. The truth could have been black and white. Instead, the author explores the many grey areas of “white collar” crimes, draws out Alex’s continued feelings of victimhood, and brings into question the vigilante justice at Themis Academy int he first place.

By exploring a case of white collar crime, readers and the characters are forced to ask tough questions again and again. First, if there are no victims per say, can a case be tried? If evidence presents itself, does each and every lead need to be explored to the fullest extent, even if it drives conflict between those on The Mockingbirds’ board and their best friends? How can the board members trust the word of their informants, and is there reason to question them at all? Can lies ever lead to real information? And if and when it gets too hard, can Alex count on the Dean and her “open door policy” to get her out of an uncomfortable situation? These and many other questions are brought up and answered in a way that is always believable and satisfying to readers, which is one of the most important requirements of any novel.

Beyond these questions, readers will appreciate the way Whitney expands upon Alex’s character. Despite being the leader of The Mockingbirds, the hits to her self esteem don’t always make her feel confident in her role. Similarly, the doubts flying around the student body and faculty regarding her possible culpability in the assault as well as her unresolved trauma further complicates her emotional state. Whitney could’ve healed Alex, but instead, she explores this character in a way that will help readers who’ve been in her shoes recognize that they aren’t alone when they find themselves unable to move on or realize that their assault will always affect them. Anything else would’ve rung false.

Finally, Whitney explores the imperfections of Alex’s boyfriend, Martin, which complicates the plot in an important way. Adding a little tension between lovers is an essential part of a novel – no one wants to see perfect love because, other than in romance novels, it doesn’t exist. However, beyond improving the realism of their relationship, this complication helps Alex grow from someone who sees herself as permanently branded with a scarlet “R” to someone who can be seen as her flawless, superhero of a boyfriend’s equal. Who doesn’t want that?

Pick up The Rivals and get ready to explore the murky depths of vigilante justice and even find yourself ready to pick up some of the classic YA novels that serve as intertexts for this one. You may just find yourself adding Daisy Whitney to your must-read list from now on!

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Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Melissa Montovani — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:58:23 +0000

Buy Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Special: $10.78 (Regular price: $17.99)
Publisher: Harper
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on March 7, 2012
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The old Lena died the night she escaped Portland, only to find Alex on the opposite side of the fence, behind a wall of fire. The new Lena was born in the Wilds, transformed by deprivation, hardship, and most of all, loss. Now, she’s an active member of the resistance, fighting for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Like the turbulent world in which she lives, her inner world is fraught with conflict: can she be consumed with grief over Alex and falling in love with someone else? Find out in Pandemonium, the highly anticipated sequel to Lauren Oliver‘s 2011 release, Delirium.

If Delirium was a tale of starcrossed lovers set in a world where falling in love is merely a symptom, not something to look forward to, then Pandemonium is the bittersweet equivalent, where the stakes have only gotten higher. It’s also the kind of book that readers will find themselves completely submersed in from page one. Oliver knows Lena intimately, and thus, she is able to draw readers into her character’s situation in a way that seems completely effortless. Lena’s hopes, dreams, and even her nightmares become the reader’s hopes, dreams, and nightmares. Her feelings become our feelings in a way that will ensure everyone who picks up this book will hope that Lena’s able to make it past the pain and to the other side as a whole person.

While Oliver’s characterization is important, it’s not the only reason that readers will get sucked into Pandemonium. In fact, if it was only the characters that made this novel interesting, then it might not have been a great follow up to Delirium. Rather, the structure which shifts between “now,” as Lena works on behalf of the resistance, and “then,” when she first crossed the fence, functions much like a trauma narrative in reverse. Readers get insight into Lena’s most vulnerable moments, but at the same time, we realize that while her trauma defines who she’ll become, it doesn’t defeat her. No matter how much of a beating she takes emotionally, the structure constantly reminds us that it’ll get better, that she’ll somehow persevere, even if she never forgets what happened. For me, this well-thought out plot composition makes what is a much heavier novel bearable and simultaneously shows Oliver’s writing ability at it’s best. Well, that is until you reach the ending because it’s a pitch perfect way to end the second book in this trilogy. Fans of the first book will revel in the conclusion, and maybe even reread it once, twice, or thrice in quick succession.

Finally, while the loss of Alex and Lena’s rebirth as a resistor are important elements in this novel, readers will appreciate that the main character’s motivations go beyond getting over the boy (and/or falling in love again). Her mother’s escape from prison and the reveal in book one that she hadn’t really died like Lena thought are also important themes. Lena may have lost Alex, but she still has hope that she’ll be able to find her mother once again in the Wilds. Maybe she’ll have the chance to ask her all the questions she never had the chance to before, making the mother-daughter relationship another theme worth considering.

Whether you read (or devoured) Delirium in 2011 or haven’t picked it up yet, do yourself a favor – buy them both. If you’ve already checked out the first novel, run to bookstore to pick up Pandemonium (or order it online) right now. It depicts strong writing and heroines at their best. At the very least, it’ll give you something to while away the hours between now and March 23, 2012, when The Hunger Games movie is officially released.

Buy Pandemonium today and benefit from free shipping and 40% off the regular price.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Melissa Montovani — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:52:27 +0000

Buy Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Special: $11.99 (Regular price: $17.99)
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on February 23, 2012
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Clara Gardner trained for months to face the fire she’d seen in her visions, but she couldn’t prepare for the choice she was forced to make. And afterward, she realizes that nothing about being an angel is as straightforward as she imagined it would be. Now, in Hallowed, torn between her love for Tucker and her feelings about the role that her and Christian are destined for, Clara struggles with a new revelation: someone she cares about is going to die in a few months. In the compelling follow up to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand depicts what it feels like to fall in love, lose someone, and how confusing it is to grow up.

It’s not that often that I gush over a paranormal novel, but Hand’s first novel, Unearthly, was one I couldn’t put down. I read it in one sitting, so you have to believe that I was highly anticipating Hallowed. With some other series, the second novel falls flat, but this one doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. If anything, this novel is as fast-paced as the first one and pushes Clara, her brother Jeffrey, Tucker, and Christian to grow in ways that weren’t foreseeable, but are always believable. If you were a fan of the first novel, then you won’t be disappointed by the way the series continues.

While the first novel demonstrated Maggie’s – Clara’s mother – need to keep things from her children, and Clara’s growing angst over this situation, Hallowed will move the characters (and reader) in a different direction. Clara, Angela, Jeffrey, and Christian form an angel club, where Angela hopes they can share more information about who and what they are. However, I’d say that this secret club is less necessary than it would’ve been last year. Why? Well, Maggi begins to divulge more information with her children and allows them to meet a group of angels, something that she would’ve never done last year. She doesn’t become an open book, but many of the questions that readers would’ve had about who Maggie is, who Clara and Jeffrey’s father is, and ultimately, who the Gardner teens are will become much clearer before you complete this novel. The more info you learn, the more clear Clara’s purpose will become, and the more likely, you’ll be left anticipating the way in which the rest of the series will play out.

Speaking of Clara’s purpose, one of the great debates that Hand brings up is that of fate and destiny vs. free will. As half human, half angel, Clara is able to make her own decisions, just like a reading teen is able to do so. However, at the same time, the fact that she has a destiny and the question of whether it’s written in stone or mutable is considered by many of the characters, not just Clara. Will the decision she made in book one ruin her chance to please God? Will it put any one else’s purpose in jeopardy? And more importantly, does someone else’s purpose (and Clara’s position within it) define the choices she’ll need to make in life, even if she isn’t give a confirming vision? Questions like these make Hallowed‘s action continue, but they also force readers to keep guessing till the very end.

If you haven’t picked up Hallowed yet, then please do yourself a favor and get on that. You won’t regret it.

Buy Hallowed today and benefit from free shipping and 33% off the regular price!

Eve by Anna Carey

Melissa Montovani — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:26:30 +0000

Buy Eve by Anna Carey
Special: $7.83 (Regular price: $9.32)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Paperback
Reviewer: Melissa on February 16, 2012
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It’s 2032, sixteen years after the majority of the Earth’s population has been wiped out by a deadly virus and the vaccine intended to keep them safe and healthy. In Eve, the 18-year-old titular character discovers what really happens to the girls who graduate from her all girl’s boarding school on the night before she’s about to read her valedictorian speech. Anna Carey begins with an amazing premise and writes an exciting plot that will draw readers in, but ultimately, this dystopian novel fell a little flat for me.

Now, even though I look back on this read and say, “Meh,” there are some things I need to get out before we can go any further. First, I was completely immersed in Eve‘s plot: I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading it — start to finish — in way less than 24 hours. It was a cold day, and Eve was a great excuse to curl up on the couch and spend a few hours. I love classic dystopian novels, but would say it was more of a cross of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Knife of Never Letting Go than The Hunger Games as it’s touted. That said, I enjoyed Eve, but I didn’t love it.

What’s it about Eve that bothered me? I think the problem is that the titular character is too well equipped for the life she thought she’d lead post-graduation, so when she must escape the horrible fate that really awaits her, she doesn’t have any skills to survival skills. Or, no, that’s not entirely true, she has one — the ability to find someone else who can help feed her and keep her safe.

At the same time, there is something that Eve has which many of the male characters she meets don’t. She can read and write. Among the boys, these weren’t the highest valued skills — it was more necessary to learn to fight, hunt, and protect the younger boys in the community — to make sure the government wasn’t able to capture them and bring them back to the life of servitude that awaited them. However, Eve begins teaching a few boys, and then many of them, realizing that the ability for them to read could make their ability to survive much easier. If her lack of usual survival skills makes the plot resemble that of “Cinderella,” then maybe her ability to draw crowds resembles Snow White. And that’s a good thing in my books.

While I could’ve liked a stronger, more independent main character, there’s no denying that the pacing was good and the romance was swoonworthy. If you read Eve, you’ll be looking forward to the second installment in the trilogy, Once, as much as I am.

Buy Eve today and benefit from free shipping and 15% off the regular price!

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Melissa Montovani — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:27:40 +0000

Buy The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Special: $11.49 (Regular price: $16.99)
Publisher: Dutton Books
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on February 14, 2012
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Colby and Bev have long planned to do something different after high school: graduate, go on tour with Bev’s band, The Disenchantments, and then travel throughout Europe for a year. But mere moments after the tour begins, Bev tells him that she’s abandoning him and their plans — for college? Unable to run from the tour himself, Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s distance and the most important question of his life: what do I do next amid the background of dingy venues, grimy hotels, and the small towns of the Pacific Northwest. Much as she did with her debut novel, Hold Still, Nina LaCour beautifully captures the influences of music and art to tell this group of friends’ coming of age story. Every once in awhile, a book comes around and just wows you. LaCour’s The Disenchantments is this type of book for me, and I’m sure it will be one for you, too.

Through the eyes of Colby, LaCour tells an enchanting tale about growing up, finding yourself, falling in love, and all the complications involved. Touring with the world’s worst all-girl band may make the novel seem light, but in actuality, it’s so much more. There are comedic moments — without a doubt you’ll laugh when Colby describes how a group of strangers reacts when listening to The Disenchantments for the first time. Simultaneously, you’ll wonder how much the anger and disappointment he feels for Bev is coloring his perspective.

Again, it’s more than how an unreliable narrator affects the reader. More than anything, LaCour’s novel succeeds in being the type of book you want to reread because Colby, Bev, Meg, and Alexa are all three-dimensional characters. They all have secrets, desires, dreams, and most importantly, they have little quirks that add a richness not often found in YA. Two such examples are the way in which Bev touches things to learn their texture or how Alexa keeps a book filled with occupations that she’d like to have. Moreover, all four of them have a psychological complexity that is greater than it initially appears to Colby and the reader — since he doesn’t fully understand their behavior at first — neither do we until the reveal moments along the way. These elements and others like them aren’t clichéd or stereotypical depictions of teen behaviors. Instead, they’re some of the details that make LaCour’s characters unforgettable.

With great characters like these ones, LaCour has a lot to build on, but The Disenchantments isn’t only a character study. It’s also a road trip novel where both the planned and unplanned stops along the way contribute to the action and events that follow. Moreover, LaCour incorporates some postmodern allustions to art and music in general, and girl bands, tattoos, and graffiti artists in particular that will make readers want to check them out. In addition, her gorgeous writing switches between short, medium, and long sensuous sentences à la the epic road trip novel, On The Road. Finally, whether she’s using one of her longer lines or a short one, LaCour imbues her words with the weight of so much emotion that you may find yourself, like me, crying for the first time in 2012 over a book.

By my calculations, The Disenchantments will be the next modern YA classic. Question is, are you going to get it on February 16, 2012 when it arrives in bookstores or wait until everyone else is talking about it first?

Buy The Disenchantments today and benefit from free shipping and 32% off the regular price!

Dead To You by Lisa McMann

Melissa Montovani — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:24:35 +0000

Buy Dead To You by Lisa McMann
Special: $11.49 (Regular price: $16.99)
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on February 11, 2012
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Some memories are better left forgotten. Ethan was abducted while playing in the front yard when he was seven. Now, he’s sixteen and against all odds, he’s returned to them. At first, it seems like a miracle, but in no time at all, his family begins to fall apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something from those early years, then maybe he could put the pieces of his life – and family – back together again. But readers of Lisa McMann‘s Dead To You will learn that there’s something unspeakable keeping his memory blocked.

Dead To You begins on the train platform, where Ethan sees the Mother, Father, and brother, Blake, who he lived with, and the little sister, Gracie, they had to replace him, for the first time in nine years. He can see their anxiety, and he realizes that it’s too late to run. Just as sure as he is that it’s them, he knows that he’s got to go through with this next step – he’s got to quit running and living on the streets – and find a way to settle in with a family that he doesn’t quite remember.

McMann’s latest book has the feel of an edgy YA novel with hints of a suspence / thriller, which means that it’ll probably appeal to a broader audience than the typical contemporary novel would, including new readers of her writing. It forces you to consider questions such as, what happens to the memory of trauma victims and survivors, and what happens to their families after one of their children gets kidnapped as well as when they return. Not being an expert on these subjects, I can say that McMann’s narrative presents these scenarios in believable ways, including the likelihood that the abducted – Ethan – would feel the need to protect his abductor in anyway possible.

Similarly, the conclusion, while unexpected, is certainly believable. That said, I wasn’t entirely clear on why Ethan reacts the way he does in the very final moments, even if there was a clear precedence for his actions. While the novel solved all the questions brought up along the way, I was let feeling with one new question by the end. I may just be misunderstanding the novel, however, so please if you’ve read this novel, send me a comment through the contact form on my about YA Book Shelf page. We do want to avoid spoilers here.

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Interview With Lisa McMann

Melissa Montovani — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:26:50 +0000

Today at YA Book Shelf.com, I have a special treat for you. Tomorrow is the official release day of multiple New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann‘s Dead To You, and she’s graciously decided to stop on by my blog to talk to me about this book. For those who don’t know, Dead To You is the story of Ethan DeWilde – a 16-year-old teen, who was abducted from his front yard at the age of 7 and only finds his way back to his family nine years later. Everything seems perfect at first, but slowly the fabric of the DeWilde family’s life starts pulling apart at the seams. This is a really compelling contemporary YA novel with a thrilling ending.

And now without further ado, here’s the interview in full:

YA Book Shelf: When Ethan returns to the De Wilde family, he says that his abductor, “Eleanor,” abandoned him at a group home in Nebraska. When did you first hear the law that allows parents to abandon their children, and how did it inspire Dead To You?

Lisa McMann: I heard about the law a couple years ago. I get a lot of my ideas from headlines, and there are some that really stick with me. That was one of them. I got the idea for Dead To You from a different article, but when it came time to tell Ethan’s back story, that Nebraska headline came to mind and it was a perfect fit. (Incidentally, I’m not sure on this but I think that law is no longer in effect.)

YABookShelf: If it’s true that the law is no longer in effect, that is definitely a good thing in my book. What was the most challenging thing about writing Dead To You? The easiest?

LM: The most challenging was probably getting into Ethan’s head, because it was painful to go there day after day. There weren’t a lot of easy parts to writing this book, but one of my favorite parts was writing the interactions between Ethan and his little sister, Gracie.

YABookShelf: I can imagine that getting into Ethan’s head would have been painful, but I have to agree that his relationship with Gracie was one of my favorite parts as well. While there is a love interest for Ethan, the majority of this novel deals with his familial relationships. What is it about sibling, mother-son, and father-son relationships that interest you as a YA writer?

LM: I think intergenerational relationships are absolutely fascinating. In most of my other books, I have relationships between teens and people of their grandparents’ ages because there’s something so soft and good about an older person that makes a teen react differently than they would to a parent. I think mother-son and father-son relationships are much harder to write, but I really wanted to explore that in this book. Mrs. DeWilde essentially has to make a very tough decision, and I think she does what many mothers would do, including me—go to great lengths to protect her children at all costs.

YABookShelf: Mrs. DeWilde certainly does do everything she can to protect her children – it’s great to see representations of mothers like this in YA literature because they aren’t often explored in the ways you represent them here. How did you research the phenomenon of an abducted child coming back to his birth family after many years and the conflicts that it presents?

LM: My agent sent me an article in The New Yorker that he thought I’d be interested in. It was a similar but more sinister story, and it made me think about all the ramifications on a family in this situation. I also spoke with a few different professionals—social workers, people who work with abducted children and their families.

YABookShelf: Ethan’s trauma-induced memory loss brings a sense of hope, sadness, or disbelief to almost everyone he meets. Why do Cami and his mom believe that he’s Ethan without question?

LM: Why would they even consider doubting it – who would do such a thing? And they want it very badly. Desire can be very convincing.

YABookShelf: Yes, desire can be a convincing thing. If you want to believe it, then you’ll do anything you can to keep believing it. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog with insights into the characters and plot points of Dead To You – I rather enjoyed reading your answers, and I can only imagine that my readers will as well.

Have any questions or comments about the novel in question or the questions I posed for Lisa McMann? Feel free to leave your comments in the comment box below!

Don’t Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala

Melissa Montovani — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:12:39 +0000

Buy Don’t Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala
Special: $8.49 (Regular price: $8.99)
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Paperback
Reviewer: Melissa on January 26, 2012
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Joy Delamore can’t breathe. She’s suffering from asthma, from her parent’s over protectiveness, and from her boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering the girl she is from the inside out. Everything’s okay until the night his words go too far. To escape, she runs away to the streets of Seattle to find the homeless boy, Creed, who offered her help. Introduced to a world of loyalty, new rules of survival, and love, it’s not something that she’ll let go of without a struggle. Holly Cupala‘s sophomore novel, Don’t Breathe A Word, is a powerful look at abuse, secrets, redemption, and the extraordinary lengths a young girl will go through to prove just how strong she is.

Edgy, contemporary YA books are the ones that I gravitate toward, but even I’ll admit that they aren’t created equally. Don’t Breathe A Word is one of the great ones, so if you like them, stop reading this review right now and just pick it up. Need a little more convincing or context? Then I ought to tell you that Cupala renders every moment, from the smallest detail to major scenes, beautifully. Early on, she makes allusions to games I used to play as a child, like “Light as a feather, stiff as a board,” but with a bit of a meta fiction twist that I appreciated. She also has such a firm grasp on the use of extended metaphors and their regular counterparts that you’ll find yourself in awe of her writing and completely drawn into the narrative. Don’t be surprised if you start and finish this novel in one sitting like I did. (Just don’t forget to breathe.)

As with her debut novel, Tell Me A Secret, secrets are an important theme here. Joy, of course, has secrets about her life with Asher that she keeps from her family, her street “family,” the readers, and in a way, from herself, in the sense that she doesn’t admit or believe the complete truth. Likewise the people she meets on the street have secrets about their life before they became homeless and what they do to survive. As the novel moves on, however, Cupala reveals many – not all – of these secrets in a way that is gritty, mostly realistic, and hopeful. It’s the kind of execution that makes readers want to listen even when it’s hard, or perhaps, especially then. At all times, the “truth” of her story is paramount, which is so important in this genre, and it means that, for me at least, Cupala’s become an author to watch.

One of the things that I particularly liked about this novel is that even though it ends on a hopeful note, not everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow. Joy starts at a low point, descends further in some ways, but is finally able to have some resolution. Are there additional improvements that are to be had? Definitely, but even a small improvement with a chance for further changes is important. It also means that the author doesn’t ever pretend that change will come easily for Joy or anyone in her situation.

Finally, one of the best things about Don’t Breathe A Word is the light it sheds on verbal and emotional abuse. Like many teens and even some adults, Joy believes that Asher’s controlling behavior isn’t abuse. She feels guilty when people she meets think Asher has “abused” her, and she lets them believe it. Because threatening someone isn’t abuse, right? Intimidating someone and feeling like you owe them something makes sense, doesn’t it? Through Joy’s story, readers will recognize that abuse is more than just sexual and physical violence. It’s just one more way that a novel can prove YA saves lives.

Don’t Breathe A Word is the kind of book that you won’t soon forget.

Buy Don’t Breathe A Word today and benefit from free shipping and 5% off the regular price!

How Does YA Lit Inspire You?: Michaela MacColl Muses On Feminism & Promise The Night

Melissa Montovani — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:01:12 +0000

Every once in awhile, an author, blogger, book marketer, or other person I happen to meet tells me a story about what inspires them to write for the children’s and young adult audience. These stories inspire me. They make me look at the books I read in a whole new way, and occasionally, they inspire me to do something that I never would’ve expected. Today, I’m really pleased to share with you Michaela MacColl‘s How Does YA Lit Inspire You? post, and I think that if you’re anything like me, her words – and those of Beryl Markham – will inspire you.

Thanks Melissa for this chance to muse out loud at YA Book Shelf. I thought I’d talk about feminism in my new middle grade novel, Promise The Night.

Promise The Night is about Beryl Markham, a pioneering aviatrix in the 1930s. She was the first person to cross the Atlantic from East to West solo. Beryl grew up in colonial East Africa, raised by the Nandi tribe who worked for her father. She trained race horses, hunted lions and learned to jump higher than her head. She’s a great female character, tough but ultimately lovable.

A few months ago Promise The Night, was nominated to the Amelia Bloomer booklist, an ALA list for books with significant feminist content. I didn’t make the final list (bummer!) but just the nomination gave me some food for thought, and incidentally for a guest blog post for YA Book Shelf.

Feminist. Really? I’m a feminist, sure, but I take it for granted. It was my mother’s generation that (literally) burned their bras. I was raised by my single mom, who was and still is extraordinarily competent. When I was fifteen, she even applied to be an astronaut. She had to settle for her pilot’s license and the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Civil Air Patrol. By example, she taught me that there are no barriers for me because I’m a woman. Hopefully, I’m teaching my daughters the same lesson.

It never occurred to me that I was teaching the same lesson in my writing. When I chose to write about Beryl, it was because I thought she was fascinating. Whenever there was a choice between safety and danger, she always chose danger. Not surprisingly, she became a pilot, when flying was perhaps the riskiest profession on the planet. Not only did she fly, but she flew in Africa, a continent with no maps of the interior, no runways or radio towers. A pilot in Africa flew with a pistol and a vial of morphine, because if their plane went down, help would not arrive.

So is Beryl a feminist heroine? Possibly. But when Beryl was asked about flying the Atlantic, she wrote:

I am going to fly the Atlantic to New York. Not as a society girl. Not as a woman even. But as a pilot with 2000 flying hours, mostly in uncharted Africa, to my credit. The only thing that really counts… is whether one can fly. I have a license. I can take an engine apart and put it back. I can navigate. I am fit, and given ordinary luck I am sure I can fly to New York.

This is to be no stunt flight. No woman’s superiority over man affair. I don’t want to be superior to men. If I can be a good pilot, I’ll be the happiest creature alive.

Beryl isn’t interested in being the first woman… she wants to be the first one. Period. She’s willing to use the publicity she gets for being a woman flyer, but ultimately the most important thing to her was that she was a good pilot. Now this is the kind of feminism that inspires me to write.

Thanks so much for your contribution to my on-again-off-again series, Michaela. I think more people need to read your message of feminism and that of Beryl of course, because some people actually think the movement has been and is about showing a woman’s superiority over men, which is completely inaccurate. And it’s not the type of feminism that I ascribe to either.

Do you feel inspired to do something because of YA literature? If you do, then I’d love to hear from you! Please pitch me the idea you’d like to discuss via the contact form on the About YABookShelf page, and I’ll get back to you if I think our visions line up.

Flying Just As Fast As We Can: Promise The Night Giveaway!

Melissa Montovani — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:45:57 +0000

Whether you only checked out the review and interview earlier here today, or you’ve been following Michaela MacColl‘s blog tour since it began, there is one thing that many of you might be looking for from me. Your interest has been peeked, and now all you want is a chance to win a copy of Promise The Night and get reading right away. Psst…I don’t blame you! This novel will entertain the middle grade reader in your life, but it’ll also find a place in the hearts of readers of all ages, so don’t forget to enter.

How do you win? Well, you need to leave a comment in the post, and if you like, you can do one or all sorts of other things to get extra entries into this contest.

Sound like a plan? Great – but remember to hurry! This contest closes at 12:01 am EST on February 11, 2012, and if you don’t enter by then – or sooner – then you certainly won’t be flying as fast as you can!

a Rafflecopter giveaway