STACKED

books

A Few Cybils Reads – Part IV

|

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

This might be the first ever media tie-in novel I’ve ever read, and it’s a really good one. It features teenage Diana and her first adventure off of Themyscira and in the human world. It’s set in the present day, so I’m not sure how it actually aligns with the movie (it doesn’t seem like it does at all?) and whether this is actually canonical or if it’s just licensed fan fiction. Regardless, it’s a great story.

When a human girl named Alia washes up on the shores of Themyscira, Diana risks everything – including her right to live with her Amazon sisters on the island – to save her life. Alia is being hunted by powerful people who believe she is the Warbringer, a descendant of Helen of Troy who simply by existing has the ability to bring about a cataclysmic war. Diana and Alia team up with a few other human teenagers to elude Alia’s hunters, hoping to get Alia to a particular place in Greece that will nullify her warbringer ability.

The book is action-packed, funny (Diana learning about odd human customs never gets old), and quite deep. Alia is biracial, Greek on her dad’s side and Black American on her mom’s side, and this provides a real-life example of the metaphor that Diana represents: a fish out of water feeling in your own family and your own culture, of straddling two places and not really belonging in either. Romances are hesitantly formed, friendships are tested, and there’s a shocker of a twist near the end – but one that sharp-eyed readers who trust themselves will have seen coming. Bardugo is a fine writer and she was a perfect choice to tell this story.

 

The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics

This is Lukavics’ third novel, and it’s taught me that she can be relied upon to provide all the chills a good horror novel usually brings. The Cane family looks loving and tight-knit to the outside world, but in reality, their relationships are highly dysfunctional. The father is always away for work (he’s in the military), leaving the mother to take care of the five Cane sisters on her own. She’s depressive and spends days – or even weeks – at a time in bed, leaving the eldest daughter, Juliet, to take care of the other four. Resentment abounds. Things come to a head in an argument where the youngest daughter, Rose – beloved by all her sisters – falls down the stairs in a horrible accident and dies. Only in Lukavics’ world, death is not permanent, and when the girls’ mother finds a way to resurrect Rose, she comes back…different, with a hunger that can only be satisfied by human flesh.

There aren’t a lot of surprises in this novel, since what I wrote about above is all revealed on the jacket flap. This is essentially a zombie novel, but Lukavics makes it her own with the pitch-perfect depiction of the twisted relationship between the sisters (which only grows more twisted as the girls try to find a way to keep Rose alive the second time) and the no-holds-barred descriptions of murder and cannibalism. Lukavics does not shy away from the gruesome, and the penultimate chapter will shock even those readers who saw the events coming. The writing felt a bit weaker to me than in her previous two books; there were times when an awkward sentence drew me out of the story. But overall this is really solid horror for readers who like their scares explicit and messy.

 

Anatomy of a YA Anthology: Natalie C. Parker on THREE SIDES OF A HEART

|

 

“Anatomy of a YA Anthology” is back again today with another interview. Today, Natalie C. Parker talks about the inspirations behind Three Sides of a Heart, which hits shelves tomorrow, December 19. I’ve had a copy of this sitting at the top of my to-read for a while and after reading Natalie’s piece, I am itching even more to dive in.

 

Your Name

Natalie C. Parker

Your Anthology’s Name

Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles

Anthology Description

You may think you know the love triangle, but you’ve never seen love triangles like these.

These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic stories you don’t want to miss.

This collection, edited by Natalie C. Parker, contains stories written by Renée Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Lamar Giles, Tessa Gratton, Bethany Hagen, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, EK Johnston, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Natalie C. Parker, Veronica Roth, Sabaa Tahir, and Brenna Yovanoff.

A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store. Literally the last three people on the planet.

What do all these stories have in common?

The love triangle.

How did you get your idea/what was the initial spark?

Keen irritation.

Once upon a time, I wasn’t the sort of person who had a strong opinion about the love triangle. In my experience some were effective and others weren’t, but that was the same with any trope. But one day I attended a panel during which the panelist were asked which trope in young adult fiction they wanted to see die in a fire. One panelist answer, “the love triangle” and I felt an unexpected rage in response.

As I listened to the discussion that followed, I realized that the ire toward the love triangle, specifically in young adult fiction, was centered around opinions of a single, well known love triangle. In other words, a single manifestation of a trope with a long and exciting history had fixed some readers so firmly against it that they’d written off all future iterations. I decided that the best way to engage with that conversation was by inviting others to explore the trope with me. An anthology seemed the best way to do that.


What steps did you take from idea to proposal?

Immediately after that panel, I shared my frustrations with a few friends. And at the end of my doubtlessly eloquent tirade I proclaimed my intentions to build an anthology filled to the brim with love triangles. When my passions cooled and I looked around the room, I found every single person nodding their heads. They were already on board, so my initial steps were a little shorter than they might have been. Essentially, I polished my thoughts about the love triangle and invited a collection of authors to join me in defending, exploding, and exploring the trope.
So the project proposal ended up as something of a problem statement and a list of authors willing to tackle it.

Did you use an agent?

I did and boy, oh boy, am I glad. Before bringing my list of contributors on board, I reached out to my agent and asked if they’d be willing to represent an anthology. We discussed what that might look like both creatively and administratively and when we were on the same page, she took the proposal out to market.


As an editor, were you responsible for contracts between you and your writers? Did your publisher or agent handle the administrative/legal side of things?

While my contract is with the publisher, all of the contributor contracts are with me. So this was a huge learning curve and plenty of paperwork on my end, but my agent managed all contract negotiations. BLESS AGENTS.


How did the editing process work between you and your writers?

I worked in concert with my editors at HarperTeen and we decided on our approach at the very beginning of the process. We would read the stories as they came in then hop on a conference call and discuss our notes. When we were all on the same page, we drafted notes together and I gave them a final review before sending them to the author.
From there, the authors primarily communicated with me via email.


Money talk: how did you get paid for your work?

The publisher paid me via my agency, and I sent payment to each of my authors. Sounds simple, but if anyone reading this is planning an anthology proposal, you should know that you’ll also be responsible for creating tax documents at year’s end*. There’s a fair bit of administrative cost that goes into managing an anthology, so make sure you pay yourself an editor’s fee!

Where and how did you come to “direct” the anthology? Did you have an idea of how you wanted pieces to progress early on or did you wait until all pieces were available to you to begin constructing the collection?

I was fairly hands off in the initial stages. In my invitation to contributors, I told them that I was interested in love triangles all every sort and stories in all genres, and that’s precisely what I got. As the stories began to roll in, I found that we had a fairly even distribution of genres, representation, and triangle outcomes. But we had a few notable gaps and I asked three authors if they would be willing to tackle those gaps. Having that flexibility a little later in the process allowed us to create a more complete collection.

What was your favorite part of the anthology creation process?

By far, my favorite part was working with each of the authors on their stories. It was such a challenge moving between them, bending my mind toward the author’s vision. I loved every moment of exercising my creative and editorial muscles in new ways.

What was your least favorite part?

The paperwork! Part of being a published author is also learning how to run a small business, but this took everything to a whole new level.

What were some of the biggest lessons you as an editor learned in creating an anthology? One of the more magical aspects of an anthology is how it comes together. An editor can begin to arrange the pieces, but the shape of the puzzle won’t become clear for a long, long while. I found that even though I’d invited a kickass team of authors to contribute, I had no idea what the project would end up looking like — no idea whose story would sit where, which would be in conversation with which. It was like trying to see a Magic Eye picture while the pixels were still sorting themselves out.

I learned that there’s a balance between directing an anthology and letting authors do whatever they like. I ended up with the opportunity to cover a few gaps later in the construction process, but that was mostly luck and definitely not by design. If I were to do this again, I would be slightly more active in the early stages offering a broad set of possibilities and parameters. I would also ask for story pitches up front so I could get a sense of the shape of the finished product early on.

What were some of the biggest successes? We received a starred review from School Library Journal in which they said: “The depiction of various identities and romantic choices make this collection an inclusive, relevant one that is likely to foster acceptance among high school readers.” If I’d had a mission statement for this collection, that would have been it. Receiving this review was an incredible moment in my career. I’m proud of it and of the authors who made it happen.


If you aren’t already working on another anthology, would you do another one? Why/why not?

I would absolutely do another one. The process was invigorating and rewarding and I have a trove of ideas waiting.

 

 

*Note from Kelly: this is true if you pay your contributors over $600 each. Under $600, and you don’t need to create the documents.

A Few Cybils Reads – Part III

|

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski

Seventeen year old Cassie has been chosen to compete for a spot in an elite NASA program, one shrouded in mystery. All she knows is that there is room for a special mission to space – possibly further than humanity has ever gone before – for a young crew member, someone under 25 who will bring something special to the program. She and the other competitors must go through a rigorous set of trials which will test them physically, intellectually, and psychologically. Two people will be selected: the winner and an alternate. Cassie is determined to win, but of course, not all is what it seems.

This book ticks so many of my boxes: non-astronauts being sent into space, imaginative futuristic tech, the possibility of alien contact, and a plot full of twists and secrets. The cast is tremendously diverse, as it should be. If the program is truly gathering the best and brightest young people from all over the world, most of them are not going to be white. Protagonist Cassandra Gupta is an American of Indian descent on her father’s side of the family (her mother is white). She’s asexual, and there’s a really lovely conversation she has with a friend she makes during the competition, who is bisexual, about how both asexuality and bisexuality are totally normal and fine. Cassie is a great main character in general: she’s incredibly driven, and while she does develop deep friendships during the program (something she’s always struggled with), she never loses that drive that defines her; she just learns to balance it better. The competition, which takes up the majority of the book, is exciting and unique, and there’s a mega twist at the end that will make teens want the sequel right this second. Highly recommended.

All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

Speth Jime lives in a future America where everything is copyrighted, even words. This means that whenever a person speaks (or writes), the speaker must pay the copyright holder for each word, automatically deducted using a futuristic type of bracelet each person wears. Names are copyrighted, as are most gestures. The values of each fluctuate according to the market, much like the value of goods and services do today. There are a few things still in the public domain, but not enough to be able to communicate in any meaningful way without spending a fortune. Kids can speak freely until age 15, when they give their first speech and begin paying for their words. When Speth turns 15, something horrifying happens, and she decides to never speak again. This sets in motion a chain of events far beyond Speth could have anticipated.

While Katsoulis never quite succeeded in getting me to fully suspend my disbelief regarding his concept, which is taken to the most extreme of extremes, he does raise thought-provoking questions about intellectual property, freedom of expression, and how to balance the two. In Speth’s world, the Bill of Rights no longer exists, and the concept of freedom of speech is obsolete. The gulf between the poor, like Speth’s family (who have their debt for unpaid copyright infringement handed down from generation to generation), and the rich (who own the words and gestures and collect vast sums of money) is enormous. Teens who are still into dystopias will find a fresh and mostly relevant concept here, though the pace in the last third drags.

On The Radar: December 2017 YA Book To Know

|

 

“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

This month’s selection reflects the slowdown in publishing after the speed of early fall. In addition to keeping this list even shorter than normal, December is a month where there are simply fewer YA books hitting shelves. With any remaining budget for your collections, I recommend filling in some of the gaps with titles from previous “On The Radar” round-ups, particularly those with a lot of titles.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads. Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them. Titles with a * in front of them are books that are starting or a continuation of a series.

 

*Ever The Brave by Erin Summerill (12/5)

Ever the Divided. Ever the Feared. Ever the Brave.
After saving King Aodren with her newfound Channeler powers, Britta only wants to live a peaceful life in her childhood home. Unfortunately, saving the King has created a tether between them she cannot sever, no matter how much she’d like to, and now he’s insisting on making her a noble lady. And there are those who want to use Britta’s power for evil designs. If Britta cannot find a way to harness her new magical ability, her life—as well as her country—may be lost.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Summerill’s debut kicked off this series last December, and with the book’s significant buzz and push that time around, I suspect readers who were hooked will be excited for the second book.

 

 

Instructions for a Secondhand Heart by Tamsyn Murray (12/5)

Jonny knows better than anyone that life is full of cruel ironies. He’s spent every day in a hospital hooked up to machines to keep his heart ticking. Then when a donor match is found for Jonny’s heart, that turns out to be the cruellest irony of all. Because for Jonny’s life to finally start, someone else’s had to end.

That someone turns out to be Neve’s twin brother, Leo. When Leo was alive, all Neve wanted was for him (and all his glorious, overshadowing perfection) to leave. Now that Leo’s actually gone forever, Neve has no idea how to move forward. Then Jonny walks into her life looking for answers, her brother’s heart beating in his chest, and everything starts to change.

Together, Neve and Jonny will have to face the future, no matter how frightening it is, while also learning to heal their hearts, no matter how much it hurts.

Why it should be on your radar: A heart transplant story is a rare story in YA.

 

 

Love, Life, and The List by Kasie West (12/26)

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Kasie West writes popular YA romances. This book is the first in a series of three which will have characters who cross over among them (but won’t be necessary to read in any particular order).

 

Shadow Girl by Liana Liu (12/19)

The house on Arrow Island is full of mystery.

Yet when Mei arrives, she can’t help feeling relieved. She’s happy to spend the summer in an actual mansion tutoring a rich man’s daughter if it means a break from her normal life—her needy mother, her delinquent brother, their tiny apartment in the city. And Ella Morison seems like an easy charge, sweet and well behaved.

What Mei doesn’t know is that something is very wrong in the Morison household.

Though she tries to focus on her duties, Mei becomes increasingly distracted by the family’s problems and her own complicated feelings for Ella’s brother, Henry. But most disturbing of all are the unexplained noises she hears at night—the howling and thumping and cries.

Mei is a sensible girl. She isn’t superstitious; she doesn’t believe in ghosts. Yet she can’t shake her fear that there is danger lurking in the shadows of this beautiful house, a darkness that could destroy the family inside and out… and Mei along with them.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It features a Chinese American main character and an Asian girl on the front cover. The book sounds just as good as it looks.

 

Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles edited by Natalie C. Parker (12/19)

You may think you know the love triangle, but you’ve never seen love triangles like these.

These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic stories you don’t want to miss.

This collection, edited by Natalie C. Parker, contains stories written by Renee Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Lamar Giles, Tessa Gratton, Bethany Hagan, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, EK Johnston, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Natalie C. Parker, Veronica Roth, Sabaa Tahir, and Brenna Yovanoff.

A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store. Literally the last three people on the planet.

What do all these stories have in common?

The love triangle.

Why it should be on your radar: I think this is an anthology readers are going to love or love to hate — it’ll inspire a lot of conversation about the trope of the love triangle.

 

A Few Cybils Reads – Part II

|

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

This was really fun! Sal is a thief who decides to try out for a position as part of the queen’s “left hand,” a group of soldier-assassins who protect the queen and carry out her wishes (mainly orders to kill enemies of the state). Each person is named for a ring the queen wears, and the past Opal has just died, which means there’s an opening. Tryouts are brutal: candidates are given free reign to kill each other, provided they don’t get caught, and they’re put to additional tests as well, like avoiding poisons in their meals. Sal tries out for Opal in order to escape a (likely brief) life as a thief, but also to enable them to take revenge upon the people who destroyed their home and family a few years ago.

Sal is gender-fluid, and to them (Sal’s preferred pronoun according to the author), this means some days they feel more female, and some days they feel more male. Sal directs the other characters to address them as “he” when wearing typically male clothing and “she” when wearing typically female clothing (gender roles are a thing in Sal’s world). Sal’s gender fluidity is an important part of the story, but it doesn’t dominate it, and Sal experiences acceptance as well as pushback (but no outright violence) by various characters when it comes to their gender identity. The story itself is exciting, fast-paced, and bloody. There are a few really fun ancillary characters, like Sal’s assigned maidservant, and a sweet romance between Sal and a noble girl. Sal’s world has an interesting (albeit not the most original) history, which I hope is expanded upon in the sequel (this is the first book in a duology). Recommended for fans of action-heavy fantasy and those seeking a window or a mirror to a person we don’t see represented much in fiction.

The Beast is an Animal by Peternelle Van Arsdale

I’ve been wanting to read a good horror novel lately (YA horror provides just about the right amount of scares for me), and this one – about two soul eaters and the teenage girl who must fight them off, even as she feels pulled to become one of them – seemed like a good prospect. When the soul eaters kill all the adults in Alys’ town, she’s taken to the town of Dafeid, where the Beast (which the townspeople believe is connected to the soul eaters) is an ominous, unseen presence. The people of Dafeid have reacted to the news of the soul eaters in the town over by embracing a strict religion, where people are frequently killed as witches and neighbor spies on neighbor. The setting is fictional, but it resembles a vaguely historical Wales, which is not something we see in YA very often.

The writing is often lovely, but I found the plot dragged a bit. Much of Alys’ struggles are internal, and while that works for some stories, it was just never as compelling as it could have been here. The ending was a foregone conclusion, which means I never felt the urge to continue reading – that need to turn the next page to see what would happen next. Still, the atmospheric writing will appeal to some teens, and the idea of the soul eaters is intriguing. Their introduction in the beginning of the book is especially creepy. (Also that cover is beautiful.)