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Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci

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How would you spend your last night in New York City if you knew you’d be heading back to Russia in a matter of hours? What about if you’d been living in a compound in New York City for two years and never got to chance to see anything in your adopted town? Moreover, what if you were constantly afraid to leave because you might be caught by the CIA or the KGB during the Cold War era when sentiments between Russians and Americans weren’t exactly the best?

That’s precisely the place where Yrena is when we meet her in this story as she sits on her porch stoop. But let’s back up a little bit first. For many years, Daisy was her best friend and they did everything together. Daisy was a bully friend — the kind who forced Rose to adapt her mindsets and beliefs in order to maintain their “friendship.” When Rose would stray, it would be fear that caused her to snap back into following Daisy’s beliefs. But when Daisy finds out that Rose has lied about quitting dance and will not be joining her at the Science Academy for high school, but instead she’ll be going to the Performing Arts high school for dance, that’s when their friendship is done and over. There are no second chances for lying, and Daisy is not going to let Rose forget this. Any chance she gets to snub Rose she will take.

Needless to say, Rose feels low. She feels she has no friends, nor does she have the capability to make them. She’s alone, save for her brother, who is head-over-heels for the weird and beautiful girl next door whom they walk by each day on their way to school. She never goes anywhere besides her front porch. The same porch that is constantly seeing the feet of CIA and KGB agents walk by it.

That is, until one night she raps on Rose’s window and invites herself in. Although put off by this boldness, Rose invites her in and then invites her for ice cream. And when ice cream isn’t enough, Rose chooses to be bold and attend a party many of her classmates were attending (and had actually invited her to) at the Metropolitan Museum with Yrena. But once Yrena attends, she states that she does not want to go home, and when Rose finds out it’s because she’ll have to be going back to Russia, well, the night will go on and on and on.

Rose Sees Red moved quickly for me. I was immediately sucked in, and I quickly found myself sympathizing with Rose. She reminded me of so many teenagers who feel the need to fit in with their friends, sacrificing their own passions in order to fit in. I was rooting for her wholeheartedly, though, when she mentioned she didn’t actually stop dancing but instead, she did it in secret. Her audition for the Performing Arts school struck me, as I feel Castellucci hit on emotions in those scenes that will affect many readers — we’ve all been there when we just can’t muster up our best when we have the ability to, but the moment the spotlight’s off, we can be spot on. Fortunately, it works out for Rose.

Yrena intrigued me from the beginning, and despite really liking this title, I didn’t feel I got enough of her. I wanted to see her kiss Rose’s brother (whom she mentions throws wild parties in Rose’s basement regularly — and Rose informs her is actually him and his friends playing Dungeons & Dragons). I wanted to see her do more and I wanted to know more about her dancing; she, unlike Rose, wants to quit dancing, but she is not allowed to do so. I wanted more of Yrena’s family, since they were interesting off-page characters.

But you know, it made me like Rose. It made me realize I couldn’t know them well. I only had the one night, as well, and all I knew was that the war outside America was just as much a war inside her borders: Americans and Russians had tense relationships, to the point of regular investigations from both the CIA and KGB right in New York City. I didn’t know this happened right in this country, and the fact Castellucci was able to make me intrigued about this period in American history should say something about the story she’s developed (did anyone else go through American history classes in high school and college only ever making it to the World War II? Clearly nothing’s happened since, right?). Adding to that sentiment, I think it’s great she tackles a time period that hasn’t been written about much, and I think that the emotions she gives Rose and Yrena, as well as the rest of the high schoolers in the book, play into similar feelings we have now as war rages on in the Middle East.

This is a short book at about 195 pages, and it is a relatively quick read. It’s one powerful night, and as we all know, those fly by. We want more. We yearn to capture as much experience as we can. But we can’t. And I think anything else in Rose Sees Red would be too much.

Now onto a couple issues: first, it is not mentioned until far too into the book that it takes place in 1982 New York City. Young readers will not pick up on this time period, as it comes off as fairly contemporary. The CIA, KGB, and references to Russians living next door will likely go over their heads in terms of plotting a setting, since the courses they take in school often do not get this far in American history. I wish Castellucci had been a little more upfront about it. This isn’t a familiar setting for most readers.

Likewise, I’ll let Abby’s review do the talking of the other minor issue I had, which was that this felt at times like an after school special. But, selling this book correctly will give it appeal to the right audiences. This is a title I’d talk to high schoolers without a doubt, but rather than selling it in terms of history or in terms of the “one-last-night,” I’d sell it as a story of friendship. Rose feels lonely and has lost her best friend, but she comes to discover through her adventures that she is a completely likable person and that the people she goes to school with are dying to get to know who she is. She is talented and passionate, but it took some self-investigation and the following of her own dream of dancing to realize this. I think *that* is the message that will resonate with readers. The rest is gravy.

Rose Sees Red will be available in August. This is one I plan on hand selling and book talking to readers, as well as putting onto handouts (we have one for books with particular girl appeal that includes a spot on friendship). I think it’s going to find a nice readership, and I believe the completely appealing cover art will help it fall into hands, as well. Castellucci’s name recognition, of course, will help as well.

*Review copy received from the publisher.

Fat Vampire, by Adam Rex

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In Fat Vampire, our protagonist Doug is a nerdy, overweight teenager,who is made into a vampire and has to cope with the changes in his life that the transformation brings.  There’s a lot of vampire lit out there, and I tend to stay away, since I’ve gotten more than a little tired of it.  Then I found myself on a plane flying home from BEA with a backpack full to bursting of books, and Fat Vampire was the one on the top.  So I picked it up.
And surprisingly enough, it was really good – at first.  So many marketing campaigns tout the newest paranormal teen novel as a fresh take on the trend, but for the vast majority, it’s nothing new.  Fat Vampire, though, was actually pretty fresh.  In the world Rex has created, becoming a vampire doesn’t automatically make you a hottie.  Instead, Doug is going to be stuck as an overweight, acne-riddled teen – forever. Cue the normal amount of teen angst times a hundred, but done in a very funny away.
The beginning of Fat Vampire is hilarious.  Doug, being a generally good guy, doesn’t believe in attacking live people for their blood.  So instead, he gets it from somewhere else – a blood drive van at a ComicCon he attended, for instance.  And animals at the zoo.  He’s told his best friend about his condition, and the two of them wreak hilarity throughout the first portions of the book attempting to deal with Doug’s vampirism.  There’s also plenty of moments that make any nerd-inclined reader (such as myself) grin.
And then, a good ways into the story, many, many things happen in rapid succession:  Doug is spotted by a security camera drinking an animal’s blood, and a vampire-hunting show picks it up, seeing it as their first chance to catch a real vampire.  An exchange student named Sejal arrives in town from India with a whole host of her own problems, and she eventually runs into Doug.  Doug is invited into a local vampire mentoring program and is introduced to a shady vampire character who is meant to initiate him into the vampire life.  Doug begins hearing rumors from other vampires (including the one that made him) that killing your maker will turn you human again.
All of these elements (tv show, mentoring program, weird new vampire mythology, the exchange student) are just too much for one book. None of it gels together into a cohesive whole or really goes anywhere. It meanders on to a bizarre ending that left me scratching my head.  I think Rex was trying for something new with the way the story ends, but like the rest of the book, it didn’t work for me.
That was my first objection with the story.  The second is that Doug undergoes an abrupt transformation into mega-jerk (and that is an understatement – he’s pretty abusive) about halfway through the book, and we’re not really given a reason why.  It’s understandable that he may grow power-hungry, but it’s not done subtly, and it’s not really expected given his previous characterization.  This made Doug so unlikable I almost didn’t finish. I’m not a reader who can enjoy a book with such a thoroughly unlikeable protagonist.
I do think Fat Vampire, which will be published on the 27th, has some good things going for it.  For one thing, I like the cover and think it matches the story perfectly.  Beyond that superficiality, Rex has a really engaging style and great dialogue.  I flew through the book in a couple of days.  It’s also clear that he can be very, very funny.  I think the book needed a little more work for it to succeed.  It might be good for more forgiving readers who, like me, have grown tired of the vampire trend but still remember what they enjoyed about it in the first place.  While I can’t really say that I thought the book was good, I found enough things to like about Rex’s writing style that I picked up The True Meaning of Smekday, his previous novel that has received positive reviews.  I have high hopes for it.
ARC provided by the publisher.

Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann

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The cover on the left has total appeal to me as a reader: it suggest a chick lit story set in a city. Maybe there’s a little sight seeing and as the title suggests, maybe there’s a little bit of love involved. It’s reminiscent of Joanne Philbin’s The Daughters and Emma McLaughlin’s The Nanny Diaries.

But I have to be honest: I was deceived. Yes, there’s love and romance, but the book is anything but the light fluffy read I was expecting.

Livia Stowe has been a sick teenager for a long time. But finally, she’s feeling a lot better, and with her brother living abroad in Priceton, New Jersey for the semester, her mother decides she’s healthy and mature enough to travel from England to spend a few weeks with him. While she’s gone, she’ll be blogging, too. Livia’s never had luck in love, and she’s hoping that maybe she’ll snag a cutie while visiting Jeff.

Wouldn’t you know, she meets a sweetheart named Adam almost immediately? He is actually British also, which is super convenient. He is a stand up guy, and he helps Livia fulfill a life wish in visiting New York City — twice. Jeff’s okay with their relationship, since Adam is one of his closest friends.

Sounds good, right? The girl gets love and hangs out in the big city. But then the ending is a changearoo. Sure, I saw it coming from miles away in this 160 page story, but I didn’t want it to happen. It would be too convenient. Unfortunately, it does, and it left me really disappointed as a reader. I never felt enough compassion or interest in the characters, and the ending made me feel like the author didn’t either.

Since I don’t want to spoil the story, I’ll change the tone of this review and say that this is a book that will appeal to Lurelene McDaniel fans, I think. There’s a good sense of drama and a nice flash of romance that develops. Unfortunately, I think a lot of readers will feel the way I did with this: the book changes its story completely about 3/4 of the way through, and most reviews on Goodreads commented that their initial interest in the story was thrown out with the complete change in story near the end.

On the plus side, this is a quick read and may be an appealing choice for reluctant readers. Adam is a sweet character, and Livia’s British quirks are just enough to keep readers engaged in her experiences. Since this book is making its US debut this month, I think readers might like the outsider perspective of American life (it’s a book that originally published in the UK in 2006). I think that this is a book that could have benefited from another 100 pages to fully flesh the characters for the ending OR a book that could have stood out as a true chick lit/fluffy read if the ending were altered.

Riffs on the tale

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Classic mashups have been hot for a little over a year now. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was the first to come out, back in early 2009, but now you can get your classics in about any flavor you want them.

I haven’t read any, so I can’t make a statement for how I feel about them. I’ve been asked a few times, but really, all I can say is that I think that now, they might be over done. Little Vampire Women, put out very recently by HarperTeen, is the first of many that the publisher wants to aim at teens, who have latched on to popular adult titles like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer.

What’s your take on the trend? Does it do a good thing by exposing people to classics in a new way or is it destroying timeless work?

I guess the real question is this: what’s the one you would most like to read? I’d love to read a mashup of Moby Dick. Oh, or maybe Leaves of Grass (what would be possible?). It’s one of my all-time favorite books, and I’d love to see how it could be mashed. But what goes well with a white whale?

A Cover Retrospective: Caroline B. Cooney

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I lived for the Janie series in my teens — you know them — the mystery series about a girl who goes missing but doesn’t really seem to know until she sees herself on a milk carton. I devoured them. Let’s take a walk down memory lane with Ms. Caroline B. Cooney who is still producing quality mystery books for teens and take a look at covers past and present.

The Face on the Milk Carton was published in 1990. I like all of the covers, but I remember the middle one being the one of my childhood. The last one has a cool different (and kind of techno) inspiration, no?

Twenty Pageants Later was published in 1991. I love this cover! Talk about what you expect a prom-esque cover to look like in the early 90s. Take this one against Richard Peck’s forthcoming paranormal one, eh?

Freeze Tag gives us one incomprehensible cover (what is going on on the right?) and a super creepy ice princess on the left. This was published in 1992.

Some of these are just hilarious, especially with the tag lines. “The Sweet Smell . . . of EVIL.” The Perfume was published in 1992.

Driver’s Ed was published in 1994. I sincerely hope the photo of the girl on the left isn’t on her driver’s license. She looks 9! The redesign is much stronger and still holds immense appeal.

Talk about a good creepy title! Night School was published in 1995.

There are a ton of titles dealing with fire and burning from Cooney. Burning Up was published in 1999 and I think I like both covers. The one on the left is eerie from the perspective of it looking innocent. The one on the right is just a blaze which sets a good vibe.

I wish my remote were that simple, don’t you? Tune in Anytime was published in 1999. I think the cover on the left might be more of a throwback to the invention of remotes, since I don’t ever remember having one with that few buttons. The one on the right’s a little more accurate.

Talk about two totally different covers for the same book. Goddess of Yesterday was published in 2002. I think the cover on the left is very boy-appealing (you know, minus the “goddess” part) and the one on the right screams girl appeal. I love the coloring there.

2005 saw the publication of another one that screams “fire” to me — Code Orange. I really dig this cover. It stands out on the shelf.

Perfectly haunting. Diamonds in the Shadow was published in 2007.

Two covers for a newer title, too. Enter Three Witches was published in 2007. The first is drawn and the second is a photo. Interesting to offer one of each.

Three Black Swans was published this year — I just really dig this cover. The black, grey, and red color scheme works well, and the swan positioning is inviting and repelling at the same time.

It cracks me up that almost every one of her covers tauts her as the “Bestselling author of The Face on the Milk Carton.” Did you notice that?

Do you have a favorite? What elements work or don’t work for you on her covers? I have to admit, I’ve only read the Janie series, so I can’t comment on the others.