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Links of Note: March 8, 2014

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Happy International Women’s Day!

I’m in denial that the Public Library Association conference is this week, as it doesn’t feel like March yet around here. If you’re going to be in Indianapolis for the event, you can come hear me speak on either “new adult” fiction or about effective, dynamic teen programming. I’m only sticking around for Thursday, so I hope if you’re going, I get the chance to bump into you.

Here’s a serving of links from the last couple of weeks. If you’ve read anything great lately, let me know in the comments:

  • Speaking of PLA presentations, in preparation, Sophie updated the resources page we have at the reader’s advisory chat blog. So if you want to know anything about “new adult” fiction, you’re covered here. 

  • Are you a fan of the backlist? Simon & Schuster’s begun a new project all about backlist — and it’s not limited to their own titles. Check it out. 
  • I have been really looking forward to reading danah boyd’s It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens and lucky me, it’s available as a free download. If you work with teens or care about their lives and interactions in the digital world, I suspect it’s a title you’ll want to check out, too. 
  • Publishers Weekly last week wrote about the shifting and changing children’s book market, and it’s fascinating (and complex and a little conflated). The piece that fascinated me the most was that 78% of those who purchase YA are 18 and older — aside from the fact that it shows adults are buying YA books, it doesn’t tease out a lot of the factors here. Credit cards aren’t things teens have easy access to, and if they do, it’s a parent’s card. It doesn’t pull out the adults buying for teens. Take the numbers with a grain of salt, rather than as signifiers of something significant. 
  • Dahlia Adler put together a compendium to QUILTBAG young adult and new adult. The first half leans a little more toward those who are seeking representation for their work, but the second half is a really worthwhile reading list of recent and forthcoming LGBTQ titles. 

Here’s where else I’ve been lately:

  • Also at Book Riot, it was my turn for book fetish, and I found not only an amazing $1600 “Archie” clutch, but I also found some really neat (and affordable) book luminaries. 
Coming up: 
Starting Monday and running through the end of next week is a series I’m so excited to put together and share. In honor of women’s history month, as well as in light of ongoing discussions of gender, representation, likability, and more, I thought it would be great to ask a host of female YA authors to weigh in on their favorite female YA authors, their favorite female YA characters, or any other topic relating to girls and YA. 
We have 10 excellent, thoughtful, fun, and interesting guest posts lined up from Jennifer Brown, Elizabeth Scott, Sarah Stevenson, Morgan Matson, Sarah McCarry, Sarah Ockler, Corey Ann Haydu, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Justina Ireland, and Jessica Spotswood. Prepare to walk away with massive reading lists, as well as opportunities to dig in and talk more about girls and girl reading in YA. 

I’m running for the 2016 Printz Committee

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You might remember that last summer I petitioned for a spot on the 2016 Printz Committee ballot. I got enough petition signatures to make it happen, and with the elections opening on March 19 — just a week and a half from now — I thought I’d formally announce that I am indeed on the ballot and give a little further information about my qualifications for those who are eligible to vote.

If you’re a YALSA member, you’ll get your ballot sometime that week, and you’ll have through the end of April to vote. I’d be honored if you’d vote for me for Printz. Here are my qualifications:

– I understand the award. This isn’t a popularity award and it’s not about best appeal. The Printz is about rewarding outstanding literary merit.

– That said, I’ve been working with teens and teen literature since 2009, when I graduated from library school and moved across the country. I worked for a year and a half as a reference and teen librarian, moved on to a youth services position, then back to a reference and teen position for the last couple of years. I’ve always been responsible for selection, as well as reader’s advisory, for teens.

– All of my jobs have been in the midwest, first in a Rockford, Illinois suburb, then in a small Wisconsin town, and now in a semi-urban Wisconsin town. I bring up where I’ve worked because I not only think it brings a different perspective and element of diversity to the committee in terms of experience, but I also bring it up because my experiences are tied to where I am. I don’t have big city nor big state resources at my fingertips, and the opportunities I’ve had with YALSA and via the CYBILS, as well as via blogging and writing for professional journals, have been extremely valuable and important to me.

– I’ve been blogging here since 2009 as well, and I like to think I’m able to critically and thoughtfully talk about YA lit. I’m comfortable reading and assessing a wide range of YA fiction.

– On the topic of blogging, I wrote for YALSA’s The Hub blog for a year and a half.

– In 2009, 2010, and 2011, I served on the CYBILS. All three years, I was part of the YA fiction judging panel, in 2009 on round two and in 2010 and 2011 on the round one panel. This meant I read a lot of books, discussed a lot of books, and did so in a short period of time. I learned how to work with and within a committee structure. I’m able to offer my own thoughts on books, as well as listen to and work with the thoughts others bring to books.

– In 2012, I served as the administrative assistant on the Alex Awards committee. It was my duty to be a point of contact to and for the publishers and coordinate requested titles, track their arrivals, and follow up on any questions regarding the committee and its process. At ALA and ALA Midwinter that year, I sat in on those committee discussions and got a first-hand look at how the process works for an awards committee.

– In 2013, I served on Outstanding Books for the College Bound. I read, discussed, and and worked with the committee to craft the list that is published every 5 years.

– I have published widely on the topic of YA fiction. I’ve written for The Horn Book, for VOYA, School Library Journal, and more. You can read my entire publication history here, if you’re interested.

– I’ve presented on the topic of YA fiction, as well. My presentation history is here.

– I am eager and willing to put in the time and effort to be a part of the committee. I have a very flexible job, and I’m able to attend both ALA events. Even though I am not financially supported by my institution — and never have been for any of my committee roles — it is a priority and an honor to me to to volunteer, and thus, I am able to make it happen.

I chose to petition for the Printz ballot because it’s a committee I have dreamed of being a part of since I began my career in teen librarianship. This was my opportunity to put myself out there for the possibility of making it happen. I’ve been active and involved in the YA lit world, and I believe I’m able to bring my knowledge and experience to the table, as well as sit embrace the knowledge and experience of other people on the committee.

I’ve spent a long time considering, too, what would happen here and at Book Riot were I to be elected, and honestly, I’m not worried. I would be unable to talk about current titles, but knowing how much there is TO talk about books, it’s not a concern of mine. I’m good at prioritizing and planning and being organized — all skills that’ll be beneficial on the committee — so finding a way to keep writing without talking about what I can’t talk about isn’t something I’m worried about.

I’m purposefully not talking about my favorite Printz books in this post because that’s coming soon elsewhere. I’ll link them when they go live, but I’ve been graciously given some space over at YALSA’s blogs to talk about my candidacy, and I’ve also been given space at a couple of other blogs run by librarians I admire to talk.

It’s really weird to talk about myself like this, because while I’m confident in my abilities, it’s uncomfortable to feel like I’m advertising myself here. But here it is, and I’m going to wrap up this post by highlighting two other folks on the Printz ballot in 2016 you should know: Lalitha Nataraj and Paige Battle. Lali I’ve known for a few years via social media, and she’s been involved with the Amelia Bloomer Project. I know Paige from the Alex Awards committee, where she’s served the last two years. Both would be excellent members of the committee, bringing great perspectives and insights into the discussion. (And selfishly, I’d love to work with both of them, too).

Get Genrefied: Fairy Tale Re-tellings

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Fairy tale re-tellings never go out of style. They were huge when I was a teen and they continue to be in demand now, though it seems the trend has shifted some from outright fantasy to a more science fiction-inspired flavor. Authors are also trying their hand at re-telling fairy tales in a completely realistic way, eschewing any sort of magic or futuristic technology. (Jane Nickerson’s historical re-tellings of Bluebeard and Tam Lin are good examples.) So while fairy tale re-tellings are most often a subgenre of fantasy, that’s not always the case. Like many of the other genres we’ve written about, fairy tale re-tellings can and do cross genres.

It’s no surprise that fairy tale re-tellings have tremendous staying power, given how versatile they can be. As readers, I think we like the combination of the familiar and the strange; we are naturally curious to see how an author can transform something so old and well-known into something new and unusual. There’s also something timeless about the original, bare-bones stories themselves. In many ways, fairy tales are the most basic of our stories, and even the most intricately-plotted of our modern tales usually draw from some sort of trope first found in a fairy tale or folk tale.

In my experience, teens are drawn to fairy tale re-tellings for the romance and adventure. The protagonists usually also go from a place of no power to a place of tremendous power, whether through the use of magic or simple resourcefulness. This is incredibly appealing to teens who may feel that they have zero power over their own lives.

While this guide will focus primarily on fairy tale re-tellings, teens who read them may also enjoy re-tellings of other classic stories, such as mythology, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Shakespeare, Bronte, and others. Epic Reads has created a truly Epic Chart of 162 Young Adult Retellings that covers a lot of this territory. It’s well worth a look.

A few authors who are known for writing fairy tale re-tellings include Donna Jo Napoli, Robin McKinley, Cameron Dokey, Alex Flinn, and Jackson Pearce. Some of their books were published when I was a teen (or before!), but fairy tale re-tellings tend to stand the test of time a bit better than other sorts of stories. Their source material is timeless, after all. Provided they’re not modernized re-tellings or saddled with dated covers, even 10 or 20 year old books should suit teen lovers of the genre just fine.

Simon Pulse published about 20 fairy tale re-tellings for teens between 2002 and 2010 written by various authors including Suzanne Weyn, Cameron Dokey, Debbie Viguie, Tracy Lynn, and Nancy Holder. A full list of those titles can be found at Simon and Schuster’s Once Upon a Time website.

Below are a few YA fairy tale re-tellings published within the past five years (roughly), grouped by original story. Descriptions are from Worldcat or Goodreads. Are there any glaring omissions?

Beauty and the Beast

 
Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
When nineteen-year-old Gem of the Desert People, called Monstrous by the
Smooth Skins, becomes the prisoner of the seventeen-year-old Smooth
Skin queen, Isra, age-old prejudices begins to fall aside as the two
begin to understand each other.

Beastly by Alex Flinn
A modern retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” from the point of view of
the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a
monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form.  

 
Belle by Cameron Dokey

In this retelling of the traditional tale, Belle, a skilled
woodcarver, must carve the the legendary Heartwood to repay her father’s
debt to a fearsome beast that gave him shelter during a terrible storm.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom —
all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth,
she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her
duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates
herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth
birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the
all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his
enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on
her people. Kimberly’s review

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Sybella’s duty as Death’s assassin in 15th-century France forces her
return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and
romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this
sequel to Grave Mercy. Kimberly’s review

Bluebeard

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
After the death of her father in 1855, seventeen-year-old Sophia goes to
live with her wealthy and mysterious godfather at his gothic mansion,
Wyndriven Abbey, in Mississippi, where many secrets lie hidden. Kimberly’s review

Cinderella

 
Ash by Malinda Lo

In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in
the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to
suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed
to love her and the King’s Huntress whom she loves.



Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey
In this retelling of the Perrault fairy tale, Cendrillon’s father, grief
stricken over the death of his wife, leaves his baby daughter to be
brought up by servants together with an unidentified infant boy until
the day, sixteen-years-later, when a new stepmother with two daughters
arrives and changes their lives forever.

Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Tells the story of Kendra, a witch, and the first three-hundred years of
her life, including takes on a classic fairy tale, the 1666 plague in
Britain, the Titanic disaster, and the story of a modern-day, plain
stepsister.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar
people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with
handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to
protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story. Kimberly’s review

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume,
who is able to re-create herself in any form, is destined to use her
skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge pot. Kimberly’s review

Wayfarer by Lili St. Crow

In this retelling of Cinderella, Ellen Sinder’s violent stepmother
terrifies her, her plan for surviving and getting through high school
quietly begins to unravel, and Auntie, an odd old woman who takes her
in, may not be as kindly as she appears.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

East by Edith Pattou
A young woman journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear who is the victim of a cruel enchantment.
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
A modern-day retelling of “East o’ the Sun, West o’ the Moon” in which
eighteen-year-old Cassie learns that her grandmother’s fairy tale is
true when a Polar Bear King comes to claim her for his bride and she
must decide whether to go with him and save her long-lost mother, or
continue helping her father with his research.
 
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

The Frog Prince

 
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest of seven sisters named for the days
of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, the frog transforms back into
Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland–a man Sunday’s family despises.  

Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
Stranded in war-torn Belgium, Emma Pennington finds a wounded American
soldier carrying vital information for the Allies and protects him from
the Germans occupying her family estate.

The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
On her way to marry a prince she’s never met, Princess Anidori is
betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose
girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the
crown that is rightfully hers.

Hansel and Gretel

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
When the owner of a candy shop molds magical treats that instill
confidence, bravery, and passion, eighteen-year-old Gretchen’s haunted
childhood memories of her twin sister’s abduction by a witch-like
monster begin to fade until girls start vanishing at the annual
chocolate festival. 

Jack and the Beanstalk

 
The World Above by Cameron Dokey
When her twin brother, Jack, disappears after scaling a magical
beanstalk in an effort to reclaim their destitute family’s riches, Gen
enters the mysterious “Land Above” and confronts a dangerous giant, in a
reimagining of the classic tale, “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

The Little Mermaid

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
Celia, who shares mental powers with her triplet sisters, finds
competition for a handsome boy with Lo, a sea monster who must persuade a
mortal to love her and steal his soul to earn back her humanity.

Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
A retelling of “The Little Mermaid” in which Pearl, a teenaged girl who
was discovered in the sea as a small child by a fisherman and treated
with scorn by the villagers ever since, falls in love with James, a
prince, and faces powerful forces–human and magical–determined to tear
them apart.

Little Red Riding Hood

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet Benoit and Wolf, a street fighter who may have information
about her missing grandmother, join forces with Cinder as they try to
stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana in this story
inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. Kimberly’s review
 
Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie
Ruth’s grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the “evil”
that the townsfolk believed she practiced. Amidst these dark days, a new man enters Ruth’s life. William
is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and he makes her shiver.
But the young man is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family
ages ago, and each male of the family has strange blood running in his
veins. Now Ruth must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma’s
house.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
After a Fenris, or werewolf, killed their grandmother and almost killed
them, sisters Scarlett and Rosie March devote themselves to hunting and
killing the beasts that prey on teenaged girls, learning how to lure
them with red cloaks and occasionally using the help of their old
friend, Silas, the woodsman’s son. Kimberly’s review

Maid Maleen

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress,
the Lady Saren, shares Saren’s years of punishment locked in a tower,
then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must
hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids.

Rapunzel

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and
Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and
prevent her army from invading Earth. Their best hope lies with Cress, a
girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her
netscreens as company.

Golden by Cameron Dokey
Rapunsel has only two nights and one day in which to free a girl from a curse.

Towering by Alex Flinn
A contemporary retelling of Rapunzel told from the alternating
perspectives of three teens whose fates unknowingly bind them together
to destroy a greater evil.

Rumpelstiltskin

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn
It is 1880. Bertie has recently emigrated to New York from Ireland.
Struggling to make ends meet and care for her younger siblings, Bertie
finds work as a seamstress for textile tycoon, J.P. Wellington. When the
Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie’s father boasts that
she can save the business. She can “practically spin straw into gold”
Amazingly, overnight Bertie creates exquisite evening gowns, but only
with the help of a mysterious man who uses an old spinning wheel. With
dazzling crimson thread, he makes the dresses look like they are laced
with real gold. Bertie would do anything to pay this man back for his
help. When he asks for her firstborn child, Bertie agrees, never
dreaming that he is serious.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to
keep the family’s woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming
mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man
capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must
decide if his help is worth the price.

Sleeping Beauty

Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey
Princess Aurore learns that the curse that was placed on her at birth
may hurt others, so she goes on a quest to end the evil magic.
 
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
Sixteen-year-old Princess Talia persuades seventeen-year-old Jack, the
modern-day American who kissed her awake after a 300-year sleep, to take
her to his Miami home, where she hopes to win his love before the witch
who cursed her can spirit her away.
 
 
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
Sixteen-year-old Rosalinda Fitzroy, heir to the multiplanetary
corporation UniCorp, is awakened after sixty years in stasis to find
that everyone she knew has died and as she tries to make a new life for
herself, learns she is the target of a robot assassin. Kelly’s review

The Snow Queen

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce
When her boyfriend disappears with a mysterious girl, seventeen-year-old
Ginny leaves her hometown of Atlanta and fights wolves, escapes
thieves, and braves the cold to rescue him.

Winter’s Child by Cameron Dokey
A retelling of the Andersen tale in which childhood best friends, Kai
and Grace, grow apart as teenagers after Grace spurns Kai’s declaration
of love, and a dejected Kai is lured away by the mysterious Snow Queen,
leaving Grace to realize her loss and determined to find him and bring
him back.

Snow White

Nameless by Lili St. Crow

In this retelling of Snow White, sixteen-year-old Cami, a mortal raised
by one of the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven, begins
to uncover the secrets of her birth and why her past is threatening her
now.

Snow by Tracy Lynn
A retelling tale of a princess who takes refuge from her wicked
stepmother by fleeing to London. Story inspired by brothers Grimm.

Twelve Dancing Princesses

Entwined by Heather Dixon
Confined to their dreary castle while mourning their mother’s death,
Princess Azalea and her eleven sisters join The Keeper, who is trapped
in a magic passageway, in a nightly dance that soon becomes nightmarish. Kimberly’s review

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn 
A knight falls in love with the youngest of twelve sisters, but they can
only marry if he can discover where the sisters secretly go to dance.
Inspired by the fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes
dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the
king’s gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

Short Stories/Anthologies

The original stories were short stories, so it’s natural that anthologies of fairy tale re-tellings abound as well.
 

Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr
A collection of short stories featuring tales of characters from the
Wicked Lovely novels that mix with accounts of new characters.
 
Grim edited by Christine Johnson
Inspired by classic
fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short
stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today.
 

Rags and Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine
their favorite classic stories, the ones that have inspired, awed, and
enraged them, the ones that have become ingrained in modern culture, and
the ones that have been too long overlooked.
 
The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block
Nine classic fairy tales set in modern, magical landscapes and retold with a twist. 
 

A Wolf at the Door edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
What ever happened to the seven dwarfs after Snow White ditched them?
What was life like for the giant above the beanstalk? Readers need
wonder no more. This collection of 13 fantasy short stories takes
favorite folk tales on a wild spin through the imagination. The roster
of authors includes Michael Cadnum, Jane Yolen, Garth Nix, Tanith Lee,
and Gregory Maguire. (Datlow and Windling edited at least two more anthologies of retold fairy tales for younger readers.)
 
Datlow and Windling also edited a number of anthologies of fairy tales retold for adults, beginning with Snow White, Blood Red. I’ve read a few of the collections, and if my memory serves me right, they’re don’t skimp on sex and gore, so hand them only to your most mature readers. 
 

Forthcoming



The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson (March)

Seventeen-year-old Violet Dancey is spending the Civil War with a new
stepmother and stepsister and her young cousin when she comes upon a
wounded Yankee soldier, Thomas, who is being kept alive by mysterious
voodoo practitioners. [Tam Lin]
 
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay (December)
Though she looks like a
mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength,
bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who
kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but
also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her
brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora’s throne ten years ago.
 
Winter by Marissa Meyer (2015) 
This concluding volume re-tells Snow White.  

Music and Musicality: Reviews from the Outstanding Books for the College Bound List

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I’ve been working through talking about the different books on the Outstanding Books for the College Bound list over the last few weeks, and it’s been interesting to not only talk about a year’s worth of work, but it’s been interesting to see the different themes that have popped up beyond the categories the list has set up that mirror the liberal arts. A couple of weeks ago, I highlighted books tackling religion and spirituality, followed by books that looked at football and football culture. This week, I thought I’d talk about four books on the Arts and Humanities list that all dive into some component of music. These are four very different books — two are non-fiction, two are fiction, but all speak to an element of music and/or musicality and the way music impacts us.

Ready for a Brand New Beat: How “Dancing in the Streets” Became the Anthem for a Changing America by Mark Kurlansky

Admittedly, this is a book I had a hard time reading and ultimately ended up choosing not to finish, but it’s also one that I completely saw the merit in and understand why committee members loved it and wanted it on our list.

Kurlansky’s a great writer, and in this book, he looks at how the song “Dancing in the Street” came to be. It’s a story about not just the song and the power behind it, but it’s about the 1960s in Motown, as well as about race during the civil rights era. Woven in is how the song became an anthem for an entire generation — while many people may be familiar with the really dance worthy version of “Dancing in the Street,” Kurlansky talks about how the song has been rendered in far different manners by very different artists. In talking about that, he’s able to explore how once a piece of work is out there, it takes on a life of its own.

Readers who like Motown, classic rock, or are interested in the progression of music and the social climate of this time period will dig this book. There is an extensive list of versions of the song included, so readers who want to dive in deeper can seek out this versions and actually listen through the history and thesis presented.

The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” by Alan Light

Where Kurlansky’s exploration of “Dancing in the Street” didn’t work for me, Light’s book about “Hallelujah” did work for me. Like Kurlansky, this is a look at how a song changes and becomes something new and different as new artists choose to work and adapt it to their own interpretations. Unlike Kurlansky’s book, this one is far less about sociopolitical and cultural aspects surrounding the song and a lot more about how a song becomes the kind of song everyone knows (and how it becomes the kind of song no longer allowed to be reinterpreted on “American Idol”).

I’m familiar with “Hallelujah” because I’m quite familiar with Buckley. I went through a phase in high school where I became fascinated with his story, and it was through that I learned about the song and about the song having had its start with Cohen. However, I didn’t know the history of the song and Light did an excellent job talking about how Cohen wrote and presented the song against how Buckley chose to interpret and sing the song. While reading this one, I pulled up YouTube to look up every rendition discussed and it only aided in my enjoyment of the book.

Teens will be familiar with “Hallelujah” because of Idol or because of it having been a part of Shrek, and each of those things are talked about in here. There’s discussion of how the song has been interpreted as religious, as well as how it’s been interpreted to be the exact opposite of religious and how it is both of those interpretations can be accepted and embraced. Cohen’s original vision of the song, as well as some of the verses left off the Buckley track, are talked about. But I think my favorite thing was watching how the two of them sang the song as I read Light’s take on it — Buckley’s heart is bleeding while Cohen sings with a look that suggests it’s darkly humorous.

This one’s for the pop culture lovers, as well as those who like good — though not necessarily hard-hitting — music journalism.

 

Two YA fiction titles are included on the Arts & Humanities list, too, which feature music in some capacity. Both are books I’ve talked about here and here, so I won’t go into too much depth, other than to talk a bit as to why they’re on the list and how they work in the music and musicality theme.

All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry: I talked about the feminist aspect of this book, but something I didn’t touch on was the musicality of it. This is a novel that’s not only lushly written, but it’s a story set in the grunge heavy, 1990s Pacific Northwest. McCarry’s story is a retelling of Orpheus myth, and the main character (who is unnamed) and her best friend Aurora are drawn to a boy named Jack because of his musical charm. While the focus isn’t the music, music is a huge part of the story and it’s the bond that ties the two girls together. This could have easily fit into the Literature & Languages category, but it was the music, combined with the story of a tighter-than-tight friendship between two girls, that made it fit the Arts & Humanities list.

It’s a challenging, literary title that will resonate really strongly with the right readers.

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr: This is a story about a girl who was forced into the “family business” of piano performance, as she’s a legacy. It’s what the Beck-Moreaus do. But after being pushed to the brink, Lucy chooses to walk away from everything unraveling before her as a career pianist. The story follows as she learns to rediscover herself after performance, as much as it’s about Lucy coming to learn that she can love playing piano completely and entirely for herself, as opposed to doing it to meet the expectations of those around her.

The pursuit of passion and the exploration of how one chooses to devote to art as a career or art as a hobby should hit strong notes for those readers who’ve ever had to think about what it means to make art and what it means to be an artist.

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

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The plot of The Winner’s Curse is fairly simple: Kestrel, the daughter of a Valorian general, purchases a Herrani slave at the slave market. It’s an impulse on her part, but completely calculated on the slave’s, whose name is Arin. He has plans of his own, and unknown to Kestrel and the general, he has a very good reason for causing himself to be placed in that position.

When the Valorians conquered the Herrani, they took the Herrani as slaves. Now the Valorians live in the Herrani homes, and a whole generation of Herrani are growing up barely remembering what it was like to be free. Meanwhile, the Valorian empire continues to wage war on its neighbors, determined to further grow its holdings.

A book like this could very easily be ludicrous, offensive, or both. A situation like this is not pure fantasy; in her author’s note, Rutkoski explains how such things were and are common. Her American readers should know this already. But Rutkoski is a phenomenal writer. She’s careful to allow Kestrel to be sympathetic without condoning her actions. She doesn’t relish in the misery of the conquered or make them out to be uniformly victimized. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk, but Rutkoski does it well.

Despite its lack of magic or strange creatures, this is a fantasy novel, and its world-building is part of what makes it soar. Rutkoski excels at creating new places and showing them to us in a way that feels natural. We learn a little bit about the history of the Valorians and Herrani from their history books, but most of what we learn comes from their lived experiences in this world. This is the very definition of showing instead of telling. We learn about the slave market because Kestrel is there, seeing and smelling and experiencing it. We learn about Valorian parties because Kestrel goes to them, and we see them through her eyes. We learn about the slave quarters because Arin lives and works there. Rutkoski’s world is detailed and complex and fascinating. It recalls a memory of ancient Rome or Greece, but it’s also wholly new. (I appreciated the mix of oppression and liberation that women face in the Valorian empire, as well. They are trained fighters and many of them join the army, but they also are not allowed to venture anywhere alone. This is just one example of how original and well-crafted the world is.)

Another aspect that sets this book head and shoulders above its peers is the romance. Teen novels are no strangers to romance, but I can’t say there are many that are quite this intense. Intensity comes not only from the depth of feeling espoused between the leads, but also from just how well the two click on the page. I have to give major kudos to Rutkoski’s writing. She knows just when to let Kestrel and Arin touch – and when to pull them apart. She allows their feelings to develop organically, from many conversations and observations. Through their observations of each other, we learn how they see themselves, how they see each other, and how they really are. (These can often be three very different things.) It’s a brilliant way to explore character and it makes the romance that much deeper.

At times, it hurts just to read the book. Because Kestrel and Arin are fated to be at odds with each other, it’s a given that no matter what happens, one or both of them will end up in pain (emotional, physical, or both). Rutkoski makes us care deeply about both characters – so deeply that their pain becomes ours, and it’s difficult to see any end where both will be happy.

The book isn’t action-heavy. Most of it focuses on politics and society, but it does have two pretty major plot shifts (I wouldn’t call them twists). The second one provides an ending of sorts, giving us a full story in this first volume, and some measure of satisfaction. It once again changes the dynamic between Kestrel and Arin; I’m eager to see where Rutkoski takes the relationship in further installments, not to mention how she develops the relationship between the Valorian empire and the people it has subjugated.

Review copy provided by the publisher. The Winner’s Curse is available today.