The two winners of The Dark City giveaway are Michelle (of Hooked to Books) and Thomas. I’ll be emailing you shortly with instructions on how to claim your book.
Thanks for entering! We’ll have more giveaways soon.
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The two winners of The Dark City giveaway are Michelle (of Hooked to Books) and Thomas. I’ll be emailing you shortly with instructions on how to claim your book.
Thanks for entering! We’ll have more giveaways soon.
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Mau is thirteen-years old, in the midst of the boyhood ritual that will transform him into a man, according to the beliefs of his island nation. All he has to do is cross the ocean in a canoe, return to his own island, and undergo the ritual and tattooing that will mark him as a man. He has already shed his boyhood soul and just needs to make it home to be granted the soul of a man. But just as he sets off, a vicious tsunami hits, wiping out the population of Mau’s home, called the Nation, and devastating the surrounding islands. While Mau is lucky enough to make it home, he soon finds that he is the sole survivor of his people. Well, just Mau and a girl, the daughter of a British governer, whose ship, the Sweet Judy, was shipwrecked on the island. Ermintrude, or Daphne, as she prefers to call herself, as she despises her given name, and Mau soon form an alliance and a friendship, realizing that they have only each other (and a foul-mouthed parrot) for both company and any hopes of survival. And as trickles of other shipwrecked seagoers and island-folk arrive at the island, bit by bit, seeking salavation, somehow the Nation, a new Nation, is born again.
My brother-in-law is perhaps the biggest Terry Pratchett fan (perhaps the biggest fan of any author) that I have ever met. He has been dogging me for years to try Pratchett out, and I am so, so grateful that I finally did. Nation was an absolute marvel, well-deserved of all the honors and awards that it garnered. What seems on the surface a story about re-populating an island and finding a community is enhanced by Pratchett’s exploration of some key life questions: what happens when two (or many) cultures collide? And what is the role of religion in our lives, especially in a world where the gods can warn the birds and beasts about an impending tsunami, but neglect to alert the human who worship them so ardently?
Mau is a fully developed protagonist, one who is absolutely open with the reader about his hopes, fears, doubts, and anxieties about the future. We see his trepidation and casual arrogance as he goes about the ritual to become a man. Then witness his absolute disassociation as he goes about the necessary business of weighing down the dead bodies on the Nation (dead bodies who could easily be his family or friends) with coral, so that they will sink into the ocean for their final rest. We see his gratitude when he finally meets Daphne, gratitude for having someone, something, to give him a reason to stay alive. And then, in perhaps the most powerful scenes of the book, we witness Mau questioning his faith. Why are the grandfathers, the revered spirits of his ancestors, nagging at him to restore the god stones? Why should he, if worshiping in this way before only brought death and destruction?
As Mau and Daphne also begin to navigate this new society they are building, with the “soulless” Mau as its chief, they also have to navigate the nature of gender roles. Daphne, born into a civilized family, with a grandmother with rules and standards for every possible occasion, is soon called upon to help birth a baby, learns to make beer, and eventually, in the heat of the island, sheds the layers of clothing that have been stifling her for her entire life. Mau has to venture into the “women’s place,” previously forbidden to him, as he knows this is necessary to save his new people.
But Nation does not just involve the exploration of these theological and philosophical issues. Pratchett seamlessly weaves in these themes through a fairly fast-moving plot that includes a mutinous crew, a murder, hastily re-patched cannons, scientific discoveries, and a character coming back from the dead.
Narrator Stephen Briggs, who has also narrated a number of Terry Pratchett’s other books, was an ideal choice for this production. His deep commanding voice perfectly agreed with the heavy themes of faith, gods, and survival that Nation covers, and, in fact, it often seemed like he was issuing an edict from on high. The tribal music interspersed between scenes and chapters also helped greatly in establishing atmosphere. In fact, this production of Nation won ALA’s 2009 Odyssey Honor Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production.
I will definitely be seeking out more books by Sir Terry Pratchett in the future.
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There are few taboo topics in YA lit. The idea of the taboo itself has been a topic that’s been misunderstood, too, as this article incorrectly suggests abortion in teen lit as one of those topics (I can think of two books off the top of my head that deal with that issue straight on). You know what’s been taboo though? What’s always been taboo: incest.
Back at ALA Midwinter during the Simon and Schuster preview, Forbidden was one that was pitched as an in house favorite. I was eager to read this one, knowing full well the topic at hand. And everything that the publicists suggested about this book is indeed true.
Lochan and Maya are the oldest two children in a family with many siblings. Mom’s a deadbeat, always out for long nights with one guy or another, despite claiming that this one will be the right one. Dad skipped down long ago, moving from England all the way to Australia. He’s never been back and frankly, Lochan and Maya know he won’t be back.
In short: Lochan and Maya have become the surrogate parents to three siblings. But to one another, they’re more than siblings. They’re best friends. Or maybe they’re something more. Is that a line they can cross? Absolutely not. It’s clear that incest is wrong, illegal, disgusting. For these two teens, though, amid surging hormones, a rocky home life, and genuine attraction, it’s hard not to control themselves. There’s a lot of push and pull — they want to follow their guts but their minds tell them not to.
Until, of course, they make the decision that changes the entire course of their lives forever.
As I’ve mentioned a couple times, my educational background is in psychology, and one of the things that you learn in relationship psychology is how situational stress can heighten any emotion. When you’re in an emotionally heightened state, you can transfer those feelings elsewhere as a way to calm those feelings. So, it’s been said that if you’re on a first date, you should do something involving a lot of adrenaline or fear — going on a roller coaster, climbing somewhere very high — rather than going to a movie. You move your fear or anxiety elsewhere, and it can become instead an emotion of investment and attraction to the person you’re with, and vice versa.
I bring this all up not to discredit whatever genuine emotional connection there is between Lochan and Maya, but instead as a way to further inform your reading of the title. The home life that these siblings have is atrocious. They’ve really become makeshift parents to their younger siblings, and the stress and aggravation therein compels the two of them to find some solace, and their solace happens to be with one another. There’s definite frustration, and it’s palpable. And when these two decide to pursue their relationship, the frustration only multiples and intensifies, until they make a decision that literally changes their lives forever.
Forbidden is a fast-paced read, but it is in no way an easy read. Because of the topic at hand, you read carefully, and if you do it well, you go in with an open mind. The challenge, of course, is that our innate sensibilities tell us over and over that what these characters are experiencing is wrong. This is again why I offer a means of thinking about this differently, a way of navigating this tricky story if you can’t emotionally invest in that aspect of the story. I could; I thought Suzuma did something pretty significant in making me buy into their love for one another. Although I was uncomfortable throughout the course of the story — both the moments leading up to their admissions to one another and in the moments where they let their emotions play out — I was able to read it without judging and without letting my own mind mess with the greater arc of the story.
Lochan and Maya are both fully fleshed characters, as is their mother. Despite being in the story very little, she still plays a major role in the story, and we do get to know her pretty well. She’s neglectful, but only to a certain extent (or arguable, she’s only neglectful — that’s something for you to decide when the story concludes). I found myself really liking and sympathizing for both Lochan and Maya in the story, though I latched on a little bit more to Lochan’s story because he’s also earned a reputation at school for never talking. He’s a very attractive guy, but he’s repelled most peers because he doesn’t talk much. I found this to be a part of the story that’s left a bit open throughout, and it was something that could have been filled out a bit more. But with the ending of the story, it almost makes sense we don’t get to see this aspect of his character come full circle.
This book is not shy. That should be fairly obvious from the topic explored, but I want to be clear that it is explicit when it comes to sexual situations. This is not a book to hand to your sensitive readers, nor your younger readers. If you are at all familiar with the VC Andrews classic Flowers in the Attic, you will know this going in. The two stories tread similar worlds, though Suzuma is more successful in crafting a contemporary, believable situation that tugs more at the reader’s emotions, especially in the end.
Reading Forbidden reminded me a lot of reading Lucy Christopher’s Stolen (reviewed here). I think it’s going to be a title that’s just as divisive as Christopher’s, too: some readers will be enthralled with the story and engrossed with how such a tricky topic can be tackled and some readers will want nothing to do with the story and be repelled by it. I felt a little bit of both sets of emotions reading it, though in the end I think it’s one that is worth reading. Again, there’s a lot of barriers to remove prior to going in, but it’s worth it. Suzuma’s writing itself is smooth and fluid, and she’s convincing enough to keep you reading. For American readers, some of the Britishisms might be a little challenging, but it’s not insurmountable nor something that will turn off readers entirely.
Know your readers before handing this title over! It’s one you should definitely have in your collection, since there is a readership. Fans of V. C. Andrews, especially her now-ya-branded Flowers in the Attic will want to read this one, as will fans of Stolen or other psychologically-gripping realistic fiction. Those who’ve always wondered about the what ifs will find this an absorbing read. I do think that the young adult audience is the right readership for this sort of book: adult readers can be more close minded, more willing to turn away at the instance of anything that disagrees with their moral/ethical/legal compass, and I think that this story will tap into the curiosity toward the taboo that teens are more willing to explore. That said, I’m pretty positive there will be plenty of adults who have their interests piqued by this one.
Review copy received by the publisher. Forbidden will be released June 28.
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While Kelly has been covering YA Contemporary Lit this week, I thought I’d chime in with a list of my favorite middle-grade contemporary reads. Much like with YA lit, contemporary reads, quiet reads, and real-life reads often get pushed to the wayside in middle-grade fiction, with readers and publishers concentrating on and flocking to fantasy books. Even when I was brainstorming this post, I had to eliminate some of my favorite MG reads because they were either magical (or, in the opposite direction, historical). In the end, this is my list, which concentrates mainly on books published recently.
1. The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner
Perhaps one of my favorites ever. Messner, herself a middle-school teacher, perfectly captures the worries, fears, school and family life of Gianna Z., a seventh-grader struggling to complete her mandatory leaf collecting/identification project while juggling cross-country and her ailing grandmother. Plain warm-hearted fun. Messner’s Sugar and Ice is also highly recommended.
12. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Tommy and the other boys in school just think that Dwight is plain strange. But how to explain the origami finger puppet Dwight made, the one that looks just like Yoga and is strangely accurate at the predicting the truth about their classmates? Mixing text, notes, and hand drawings, in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this book is hilarious and very accessible, especially for reluctant readers.
Do you have opinions on these books? I’d love to hear about them in the comments, along with any other suggestions for fantastic middle-grade contemporary reads.
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We’ve covered a ton of ground this week, from talking about favorite contemporary titles to offering up lists of resources for getting started and/or recommending titles for readers. In reading comments, it’s been exciting to see people say some of these titles are completely new to them. Moreover, it’s been exciting to be excited about contemporary ya. But we need to do more than get excited about it in the blogosphere; we need to act upon it.
As I talked about in my first post this week, contemporary ya lit doesn’t get the marketing or publicity bucks behind it that so many other genres do. Pay attention to the advertisements you see around for books — do many of them look familiar? Do they target the same few books over and over? What about the standing displays at book stores, the promotional events, and even the books that are reviewed multiple times throughout the blogosphere? So few, if any, are contemporary books — most of these titles end up as mid-listers, as the books that require the author and readers to do much of the leg work in promotion.
Just this week, Kirsten Hubbard shared an incredibly brave post about her publishing experience post-book deal. Tara Kelly posted something of a similar tone last year. For most readers, the book they read is the entire story. Rarely do they get this sort of insight into the process, though, and I think that through posts like this, more consumers can understand why book promotion is such an important thing.
These sorts of posts should be a wake up call for librarians, educators, and other gatekeepers to teens and teen readers. Knowing the books is important, but advocating for them is the second part of the story. As strange as it may sound, us adults have huge power in helping make these books get out there. As April Henry points out in her passionate post about her love for librarians, librarians have the power to publicize a book in ways that publishers don’t. They get the word out on the ground level, to their kids, and they can purchase the books for their collections. The same, of course, can be said for teachers (who, too, can nominate books for book awards) and they can get the word out about books to their kids, as well.
While you’re probably thinking that purchasing one copy for the library or one copy for a classroom collection is a drop in the bucket, it’s actually much more than that. You’re putting a name out there, a book out there, and you’re helping expose readers to new voices. Those readers — teens — are devoted and devour the things that matter to them. And often, they themselves will go buy the book and they’ll spread the word about those good books. The more books you know as a gatekeeper, the more you can talk about books, the more knowledge you can spread to your readers, and the more you’re supporting both those titles and those authors. You’re playing a part in the system on the ground level, and even if it feels like you’re doing little with your actual purchasing, you’re doing a lot in spreading the word to those who do play a part in the growth and development of those undermarketed midlist books (which, as we’ve established, tends to be where contemporary ya lit ends up). Of course, you can do your part by also purchasing books for your personal collection. Although I’m a huge library user and advocate, I still purchase my favorite books. And most of the books we give away here at STACKED are books I purchase to give away — I consider it my little way to give.
One of the things we do as bloggers and we would love to see more of in our own blog reading is seeing more contemporary ya spotlighted. We’d love to see more mid-list titles reviewed; it seems that there are weeks where every book reviewed in the blogosphere is the same title. Often, it’s the same title that’s already receiving large publicity pushes. The other thing that we’d like to see more of — and something that is okay despite what many people believe is not — is backlist reviews of worthy contemporary titles. There are so many books published each year that many are overlooked, but that’s the point of why we’re here talking about contemporary ya lit this week. We want to see more of these reviews of older titles. They’re often still relevant and important, and they’re just as worthy of attention as the books coming out down the road. In short, bloggers can play just as valuable a role in drawing attention for contemporary ya titles by reviewing them and by perhaps passing on reviewing the shiniest, newest, 6-figure marketing budget titles. Spotlighting the array of titles out there spreads the word and develops a richer, more valuable blog world.
Moreover, we can play a role in getting attention to these titles through reading and nominating worthy titles to the various award lists. Anyone can suggest titles for the Morris Award for debut authors, for the Best Fiction for Young Adults list, for the Quick Picks list, and other award consideration through the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association division. You can also nominate for smaller, more niche awards like the Stonewall Awards for LGBTQ titles, an award for which I’ve nominated a title already this year. When you read something that’s even half worth having a committee read and consider, then nominate it. It’s easy and it’s one simple way to advocate for the books that need that push.
Anyone can also nominate books for consideration for the yearly Cybils award. The nominations open October 1 and run through October 15. The books nominated can be an excellent resource — plenty of titles are nominated that don’t get a lot of attention, so it’s a nice exposure for readers. Not only that, but the short list titles (and winners) are getting attention that might have bypassed them through the year. And since these books are judged both on literary merit and kid appeal, your short list titles are must reads in staying ahead.
Perhaps one of the easiest things you can do is continue staying ahead of the game. Know what books are coming out, know what authors are out there writing about the contemporary issues you know matter to your readers, and read. Read both the books and browse some of the incredible blogs that are out there aimed to inform you as a gatekeeper and aimed to reach teen readers — you have the power to point these fantastic resources out to your readers. As much as everyone says it’s an issue of time, and perhaps it is, I reiterate something I’ve said over and over: you always have time for the things you’re passionate about. If you don’t make time for your passion, your priorities are out of line. As gatekeepers, our passion should be meeting the needs of our teens, and as much as it can be daunting, keeping tabs on, reading, and fiercely advocating for contemporary ya make you an authority and a partner in the growth and development of your teens.
To wrap up Contemporary YA week at STACKED, I’m offering up a few invaluable resources you should book mark, add to your blog reader, and become familiar with. Again, if you know of other resources, plug them in the comments. It’s my hope that these things become go-to sources for both new contemporary readers and for those who advocate for these books already.
Blogs and Websites to know