YA Book Shelf

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, 2011
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!

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Interview With Michaela MacColl on Promise The Night, Prisoners In The Palace, and Everything Else

Melissa Montovani — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:15:13 +0000

One of the things that I really love to get the chance to do, is to interview an author, who I admire. Michaela MacColl recently graciously agreed to stop by my site to answer some of my burning questions about her novels. Hopefully they burn a desire for reading into you.

YA Book Shelf: In 2010, I read, reviewed, and interviewed you about your debut novel, Prisoners In The Palace. How was the writing experience different for Promise The Night, which is meant for a middle grade audience, from that of your teen novel?

Michaela MacColl: I actually wrote Promise the Night before I wrote Prisoners In The Palace. I tried to sell it, but it just wasn’t ready. After Prisoners, I returned to Promise and rewrote it. I had learned so much in the intervening two years and the final product was much better.

Although I deal with difficult issues in each book I find the difference between writing Young Adult and Middle Grade lies in the main character. Beryl has a very clear-eyed, even simplistic view of her world, so she’s rarely shocked the way other colonial girls are. Her best friend is a native boy named Kibii. Kibii tells her all about the male circumcision ritual he will undergo when he is 12. It’s just the way things are for him, so Beryl accepts that. When she tells her father’s housekeeper about the ritual, Beryl is surprised that the housekeeper is deeply upset. When I wrote my young adult novel, my main character is older and understands more the implications of what she sees.

YABookShelf: Ohh…that’s something I didn’t know, Michaela! What a great story of the perseverance and hard work needed to get Promise The Night on bookstore shelves. You characterize Beryl Markham as a feisty 11 and 12 year old, who resists every attempt to become a ‘proper’ lady. Do you think that part of her resistance relates to her mother’s abandonment of her and the pain that being like her might have caused?

MM: What a good question! I think it’s very likely that she associated proper behavior with abandonment. But I wonder too why her mother didn’t take Beryl with her? Maybe her mother recognized that Beryl was a wild child who belonged in Africa? Otherwise it’s hard to envisage a mom leaving her young child behind.

YABookShelf: Thanks! Glad you liked it. I agree – it is hard to imagine why her mother would’ve abandoned her in the first place; I’d love to know more about that part of the story, but I guess it’s not to be.

As ‘proper’ as Emma is, she too is acting in a way that isn’t ‘proper’ by living with Beryl’s father. How does Beryl denounce Emma’s actions, even as she resists the ideal of a proper lady?

MM: Beryl doesn’t understand, nor is she interested by, the impropriety of Emma’s relationship with her father. Instead, she attacks Emma for taking her father and influencing her father to discipline Beryl. If Beryl had been more sophisticated she could have wounded Emma so much more effectively!

YABookShelf: As a child, Beryl is fluent in English and Swahili. How did you learn enough Swahili to color your text? Can you pronounce the words you used correctly?

MM: Beryl uses some Swahili in her memoir, so I used a little myself. I found the words I used in memoirs of Masai warriors. Happily Google Translate will also pronounce the Swahili words for me!

YABookShelf: How did you learn about Beryl Markham’s story in the first place, and why write about her story rather than that of Amelia Earhart? Was the fact that she’s less well-known to a North American audience part of the appeal, so you had some opportunities to write in between the lines of the facts?

MM: The year my mom got her pilot’s license was the same year that West With The Night [by Beryl Markham] was reissued. I gave it to her to celebrate and that was my first introduction to Beryl. Fast forward 20 years, and I am telling my mom how my daughter needed to pick a historical figure to dress up as and to write a paper about. I am the least crafty/costumey person in the world, so I pushed for Amelia Earhart (even I could manage a bomber jacket!). My daughter didn’t get it though because five other girls picked Amelia. My mother laughed and said I should have had her do Beryl Markham instead.

Just the fact that Amelia is so popular is a good reason for me not to write about her. It is so hard to get a book published these days – why intentionally go into a crowded field? Beryl may not be as well known – but my book is the only one about her!

YABookShelf: How true! In the dedication of Promise the Night, you mention that your mom is a pilot and that she inspired this novel. How did her experience as a pilot help with your characterization of Beryl?

MM: There are parts of the book where I’m telling Beryl’s adult story as a pilot facing near-death above the Atlantic. My mom read an early draft and explained to me that I hadn’t made it nearly terrifying enough! I’ve flown with her in small planes and that was also useful. I know about the noise, the claustrophobic cabin and the overwhelming smell of fuel.

YABookShelf: Even though Beryl is accepted into the fold of the Nandi tribe, she finds herself at odds with their way of life at times. Did your understanding and expression of this “otherness” come solely from the factual record? If not, what inspired these aspects of the novel?

MM: When Beryl wrote about her childhood she makes no reference to the “otherness” you mention. But logically I knew it had to exist. And creatively, how could I not exploit the differences between Beryl and the Nandi? Or for that matter the differences between Beryl and the other colonial girls?

For example, one of my favorite scenes is quite a violent one. Beryl is attacked by a boy from the tribe who considers her a rival. My inspiration for this scene was based on one sentence in her memoir where she mentions being attacked. I took that line and made it a subplot with the boy that is woven throughout the novel. When she wins it’s a huge triumph not only for her but for her friend and champion within the tribe. But when her father and his friends come along and see her clothes torn and bloody they jump to a conclusion that leads to violent confrontation. At that moment, Beryl faces the fact that her time to pretend to be part of the Nandi tribe is limited.

YABookShelf: Agreed – that is a very important part of the novel, which really helps direct who Beryl can be for the rest of the novel – thanks for mentioning it. And, of course, thanks for stopping by my blog again. I had such a great time coming up with these questions and finding out how you’d answer them!

Hope you had a great time answering them!

Promise The Night by Michaela MacColl

Melissa Montovani — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:10:56 +0000

Buy Promise The Night by Michaela MacColl
Special: $10.69 (Regular price: $16.99)
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on January 25, 2011
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Beryl Markham may be young, but she has big dreams for herself – bigger than working on a large ranch in British East Africa where her father is raising her. Bigger than the life that’s been circumscribed for early 20th century British women, both back home and on the African continent. In Promise The Night, Michaela MacColl‘s first middle grade novel, readers get an action-packed insight into both Beryl’s rebellious and stubborn childhood and the famous woman she becomes through a mix of letters, first-person narration, editorials, journal entries, and interviews. Is it any wonder that two-time Newbery Honor Winner Patricia Reilly Giff called it, “A thrill of a ride”? I think not, and I have a feeling that if you pick up this novel, you won’t be surprised either.

In 2011, MacColl released her debut YA novel, Prisoners In The Palace, which I read and absolutely loved. Like her first novel, this one for children ages 8-12 (and possibly up) is fast-paced, tightly-wove, and has a strong female main character that will have girls routing for her to succeed in her endeavors. One thing that does differ considerably from her first novel, however, is that this time around, MacColl may have found a way to grab the attention of boy readers for which lions, hunting, tribal culture, and piloting airplanes are of interest. For readers who want to be thrilled, the author gets them in the pilot seat, buckles them in, and plots out a course to reading enjoyment that won’t let up.

What’s to love other than the action? With Beryl, MacColl has found a character who exemplifies the concept that young girls really can be anything they want, even if it’s in a stereotypically male profession. Personally, I think this can only lead to good things for young girls and boys who love to read; it’ll help open them up to a world where men and women can be equal, which is pretty awesome. That said, the novel doesn’t invent unrealistic situations. If anything, it depicts the lives of Emma and Beryl in very realistic ways, including how neither of them fit into the model of the ideal woman, even though Emma strives for it at every turn. Will young readers be able to see this tidbit? Maybe, maybe not. Beryl certainly isn’t mature enough to understand it, but I think this is just another good point of the novel. It offers readers of different ages, maturity levels, and reading abilities something specifically for them. In addition, the novel brings to light some of the negative effects of colonialism, even expanding on the written, historical record to speak to the “otherness” that Beryl would’ve felt with the Nandi tribe. Readers who enjoy this novel may even find it becomes a jumping off point to further exploration of this period. Whether the reader in your life wants a little girl power or a history lesson, both of these needs will be satisfied by Promise The Night.

Just like her first novel, I found that this novel was the kind I could just speed right through. However, personally, I’m less interested in the early 20th century than I was in Prisoners In The Palace‘s 19th century setting, so that slightly dampened my reading experience, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be a hindrance to your experience or that of the young reader in your life. In fact, I’d say that this story of friendship, adventure, and strength will be a book you come back to again and again.

Buy Promise The Night today and benefit from free shipping and 37% off the regular price!

Irises by Francisco X. Stork

Melissa Montovani — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:57:06 +0000

Buy Irises by Francisco X. Stork
Special: $14.02(Regular price: $17.99)
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on January 24, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Readers of contemporary YA will be familiar with the writing of Francisco X. Stork. His novel, Marcelo In The Real World, made a splash in the YA scene back in 2009, and his 2011 novel, Irises, will delight his longtime readers and will garner new fans of philosophically-infused novels about love, God, and questions about the nature of harm and ambition. If you want a book that will make you think, then this is the one for you.

In Irises, Stork paints a thought-provoking portrait of two sisters and the choices and opportunities that cross their paths after the sudden death of their father. Perhaps the word “opportunities” seems a little callous or as the girls aren’t affected by the death of their parent, but neither of these things are true. Rather, it’s that during their father’s life, both girls had to put many of their own desires and needs aside because he was so strict. Eighteen-year-old Kate has always wanted to be a doctor and promised her mother four years ago that she’d do everything in her power to get into Stanford. Sixteen-year-old Mary is a gifted painter, who used to see the life force in all living things until an accident left their mother in a persistent vegetative state two years ago. While their father insisted that they keep their mother “alive” via a feeding tube, his death gives them the chance to reconsider what course of action is best for themselves and their mother, even if it’s hard.

Three guys complicate their situation: Simon, Kate’s boyfriend, offers to marry her to help take care of her, her sister, and her mother. Markus, a guy with a violent past, intrigues Mary in an unlikely way. Reverand Andy Soto offers Kate the chance to see a “truth” that would also benefit both of the girls’ ambitions. Finding out whose advice, love, and offers of help that they should accept is only part of the novel’s intrigue. Even more important are the philosophical questions that each of the guys and their deceased father opens up for their lives, which influences the girls’ lives.

If you loved Marcelo In The Real World, then you may find this novel is somewhat slower at first and may take a little longer to get into. In Stork’s previous novel, Marcelo’s voice was so unique and quirky that I found myself instantly pulled into the Marcelo’s universe, even though the questions of religion – which aren’t something I look for in a novel – formed a significant part of this life. While Kate and Mary have distinctive voices in their alternating narratives, they weren’t as immediately charming as Marcelo is. Without the charm right up front, I found the religious angle was a little too much for my taste, at first. However, once I got into the narrative and the questions the girls most solve for themselves, I couldn’t put it down.

Irises is definitely a book for the contemporary YA reader on your shopping list.

Buy Irises today and benefit from free shipping and save 22% off the regular price!

Tempting Giveaway of Tempest by Julie Cross

Melissa Montovani — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:12:31 +0000

Whether you’ve heard a lot of good things or have been sucked into the author bashing that’s been going on through Goodreads.com, there is much to be said for coming up with your own opinion about a YA novel. And Julie Cross‘ debut novel, Tempest is as good a time as any to form your own opinion about something. Personally, I couldn’t put this teen version of The Time Traveler’s Wife with a hint of movies like Mission Impossible and The Bourne Identity. If that sounds like it would be up your alley, then be sure to enter in my first giveaway of 2012!

This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only as per the publisher’s request, and all you have to do to enter is fill out this FORM and leave a comment on my review of Tempest to be the winner of a finished copy. That said, if you want additional chances to enter, then you can do one or more of the following:

Follow me on Twitter: @YABookShelf
Like YA Book Shelf on Facebook
Subscribe by email to my Young Adult Fiction Examiner column
Share this contest on Facebook or Twitter
And, of course, provide me with URLs and usernames to prove you’ve done these things

Sound easy? You bet it is! But hurry – this contest ends on February 1, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST, and the winner will be determined through Random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize before I have to select a new winner.

Good luck!

Tempest by Julie Cross

Melissa Montovani — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:25:54 +0000

Buy Tempest by Julie Cross
Special: $10.49 (Regular price: $17.99)
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on January 17, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jackson hadn’t planned on going anywhere, so he assumed that he’d have all the time in the world with his girlfriend Holly. That is, until time takes him away from her. In Tempest, 19-year-old Jackson Meyer is just a regular guy with the ability to travel through time and a rich dad. Time traveling is all fun and games until two men show up and shoot Holly. In his terror, Jackson jumps two years into the past and gets stuck there; it’s not long before those responsible for the future Holly’s death go back in time, looking for him. These “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to either recruit (or kill) him. Now Jackson must determine what he’s willing to do to save Holly and possibly, the world.

When I first received and ARC of Julie Cross‘s debut novel for review, I looked at the cover and, without reading the description, thought – oh, this is just another paranormal romance. However, as today’s release date approached, I decided to check it out and found that I couldn’t put it down. With it’s focus on time travel, it’s more accurately a sci-fi fantasy novel, albeit one with romance à la The Time Traveler’s Wife and plenty of action à la Mission Impossible or The Bourne Identity. By incorporating two diverse themes, this novel’s content is sure to appeal to teen girls and boys as well as YA-loving adults. (Whether boys pick it up with this cover, however, is another issue entirely.)

Having been a huge fan of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Cross’ time-traveling mythology and the romance between Jackson and Holly really appealed to me; the action plot, less so. Of course, these sequences are so tightly knit together that I found myself becoming more interested in the “Enemies of Time” aspect, the more I read. I’ve heard criticism that Jackson and Holly’s relationship in 2009 (which is his present) isn’t well enough defined. However, personally, I wasn’t bothered by this. While some may say that they weren’t sure why Holly was so perfect for Jackson, I think that isn’t the point. For Jackson, the relationship becomes more serious to him when he thinks Holly’s shooting means he can’t have her anymore. He thought he could focus on his new found ability because they’d have a lot of time together, but he now realizes that seizing the day is the only way he can continue seeing her.

Some of the other criticism that I saw on Goodreads.com is unfounded and simply mean comments about the author or complete misreadings and misunderstandings of the novel. Yes, the time travel mythology IS complicated in this novel, but I think that’s because Jackson is just discovering the rules that surround it. You might need to read closely to get what’s going on, but then again, you should do that anyway. For example, when Jackson is forced back in time to 2007 from 2009, he still is 19 years old. He just has to pretend to be his younger self because most people in his life don’t know he can time travel, wouldn’t believe it, or both. However, some of the criticism suggests that he’s 17 back in 2007. If he were, then he would have no memory of his time travel experiments in 2009. All that means, if you read some of this criticism, take it with a big grain of salt.

Finally, I loved that Cross forces readers to ask important questions, the same ones that Jackson needs to consider. Does the age difference between 17 and 19 change things? Is it better to use time travel for personal reasons or completely rational ones? Can the decisions he makes in the past really change future events? Should he give up everything he cares about if it would protect the people he cares about? If questions like these intrigue you, then make a point of picking up this book today, on release day, or in the near future.

Buy Tempest today and benefit from free shipping and 41% off the regular price!

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Melissa Montovani — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:15:56 +0000

Buy Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Special: $11.49 (Regular price: $17.99)
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on January 12, 2011
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Imagine what Adam and Eve saw when they opened their eyes in the Garden of Eden. Now imagine the exact opposite, and you might have some notion about what it’s like to enter the world Patrick Carman created for his November 2011 release, Dark Eden. Shrouded in a sinister form of mystery, seven teens who suffer from paralyzing phobias are brought to Fort Eden to receive an experimental treatment after years of therapy has failed them. Because sometimes fear is the cure.

Dark Eden is divided into several sections, which are told from the perspective of Will Besting. While I read an ARC copy of the novel, which only had some of the beautiful pen and ink style illustrations that head each part, you have to see the finished hardcover copy to realize just how well they compliment Carman’s world. They are at times creepy, and at others, unusual just like each of the teens’ diverse fears. Moreover, they usually give readers an insight into what the character’s fear will be or into the type of person they are.

Why do you need images to give you a hint about what the fear will be? Need might be too strong a word because Carman does literally show readers the fears through the old TV screen in the fort’s long-abandoned panic room as Will watches the other teens. What was strange to me, initially, is that Will already knows what each of the girls and guys’ fears because he stole some audio files from his shrink’s computer detailing all of the character’s therapy sessions before leaving for Fort Eden. It’s just that we as readers aren’t privy to what they said or these files until Will watches them face their fears. In this way, Carman strings the reader along for the vast majority of the book before we know what each of the seven teens’ fears – including Will’s – are, which didn’t sit with me right at first. With a little perspective, I realize that this was the only way for Will’s character and voice to work, but it may seem a little hokey to those who prefer character-driven, rather than action-driven, plots.

Beyond this issue, however, I enjoyed Will’s voice and the creepy quality with which the author manages to imbue the book and its experiences. For boy readers who like Gothic and horror stories, this novel will certainly satisfy. Similarly, girls who like male POVs and aren’t afraid of a creepy narrative will not be able to put this one down. And when all is said and done, ask yourself, would you be able to survive Dark Eden? Or more importantly, what would you suffer because of it?

Buy Dark Eden today and benefit from free shipping and 36% off the regular price!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Melissa Montovani — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:17:46 +0000

Buy Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Special: $11.99 (Regular price: $18.99)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardcover
Reviewer: Melissa on January 10, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Back in May 2011, I heard a lot of positive buzz about Libba Bray‘s Beauty Queens, but I was a little skeptical. I should’ve listened because despite having a cover that grabbed the attention of guys and catty comment from girls, it’s a surefire hit for those who love smart comedies and contemporary issue novels. Beauty Queens is just as full of laugh out loud moments as it is three dimensional characters who grow in unpredictable ways. Leave the stereotypes of beauty pageants behind and pick up this book; you won’t be disappointed.

In Bray’s 2011 release, survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning. When the fifty Miss Teen Dream contestants board the airplane, they think they’re on their way to a week of fun in the sun and parading around in state-inspired costumes. Unfortunately, their plane crashes on a deserted island leaving many of them dead and the survivors with mere scraps of food, little water, and scarce amounts of makeup. What’s a beauty queen to do? Practice her routine or find ways to collect water? Get the oh so unnecessary tan or wrestle a giant snake to the ground? And what changes when a ship of sexy pirates show up? With characters as diverse as foul-mouthed and intelligent Miss New Hampshire to a girl with a tray lodged in her head like Miss New Mexico, Bray offers a hilarious and thoughtful look at beauty pageants that you won’t soon forget.

Beyond the moments of ridiculous physical comedy, Bray demonstrates a command of sarcasm, irony, and post modern literary techniques. Rather than merely tell a linear narrative with a large number of characters à la reality TV, Bray interrupts the beauty queen’s perspectives with “commercial breaks” that demonstrate that one of the corporation’s beauty products in dialogue form. Each of these sections call into question our myths about beauty and the advertising machine that propagates negative self images in teen girls, which will help them question some of the messages they receive every day on TV, in movies, and in magazines. Similarly, she invents boy bands, countries (and their leaders), and products, which often are explained in footnotes. While all of these experimental techniques are part of her post modern aesthetic, many of the pop culture and world leaders could be associated with real groups and people, so I think much of this effort is used to fuel her ironic and satirical commentaries. It’s not just for the sake of the aesthetic, which makes it a great book to study in the classroom as well as just for fun.

With the swearing (or as Miss Texas would call it, cussing) and some sexual content, this book is recommended for people ages 14 and up. However, if you or your teens falls into this age group, then expect to hear a lot of laughter coming from their rooms no matter what gender they happen to be. In the words of one of her own beauty queens, Libba Bray “did a smart” with Beauty Queens.

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