Books: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

I'm so sad now because I know anything I try to read next will pale in comparison to this series. It's been a long time since I've felt so impacted by a book, much less a series of them. And while I still think the first book is the best in the series, it's easy to speculate that might simply be because the shock of being introduced to such wonderful characters becomes something one takes for granted the more one reads about said characters.

Still, this is my second favorite book in the series. [SPOILERS] This is because of Adam and Ronan. I adore them as a couple.

At the same time, the introduction of ever more characters who then seem to do very little was . . . I dunno. Not well planned. Between the previous book and this one, there are so many characters that had to have their stories tied up, so many that were hanging around except for one or two key scenes, that the whole thing felt cluttered. And the plot just breezed by. I still don't fully understand what Cabeswater did to revive Gansey. I mean, I think I do, but we don't see how this effects Gansey's life or changes him (and it must have, right?). We don't even find out what explanation he manages to give his family for missing the big fundraiser.

And I know these are things that the author probably felt would constitute over-explaining, but . . . I dunno. It's possible my lack of satisfaction comes from not having more. It's possible—likely, even—that I'm just being greedy.

My copy of the book included the short story "Opal," and I wasn't sure at first that I wanted to read it. Greediness won out, and I did enjoy the window on Ronan and Adam. Like Opal, I'm a voyeur, I guess. But again, that story gave the sense of there being more (the strange woman going through Ronan's computer and notebook?). Some unresolved plot lines hang in the air here.

Overall, however, I just adore this book and this series, and I'm incredibly sad now that I've read them all. On the other hand, I'm now reading them aloud to my kids, and it has been fun reliving the stories and characters and seeing my kids (and husband, who listens in) fall in love with them too.

Books: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

This one felt a little jumbled, tbh. Like there were a lot of good ideas but the author didn't have time to fully flesh things out. So the book went from plot point to plot point very quickly and didn't delve into characters as much as past books. Or was selective about which characters it examined, almost like playing favorites.

I read this one in three days, so you know it was good. But I still walked away a tad unsatisfied. I wanted more. I'm hoping the last book will give me that something more.

At the same time, this book gave me more in ways I didn't like, namely in a character that is introduced that is irritating and seemingly has no purpose. (I won't spoil things by naming who this is, but those who've read the book are welcome to guess in the comments.)

This all sounds very critical, but I think it's the old problem of having written an amazing first book in a series and then trying to sustain that level of awesomeness. It's difficult, if not nigh impossible, to do. So BLLB is a really good book, better than many others out there. But compared to its own predecessors, it feels a bit rushed and isn't (imho) quite as stellar. Still loved it, just not as much.

Books: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the second in the Raven Cycle series. I liked it, but not as much as I did The Raven Boys. I'm not sure why, though I could make educated guesses. For one, I do really enjoy the character of Ronan, but I think he's the type who is more interesting in smaller doses. After a while, he gets a little monotonous. I mean, he's still cool, but he doesn't have a lot of character development. At least not in this book.

Adam has a somewhat interesting arc here, but I wanted a little more. It still felt like skimming the surface with him while we delved a bit with Ronan.

Kavinsky is an asshole with exactly one joke that he tells over and over. We get it; Ronan is [probably] gay. ::shrug:: Being beat over the head with it is not very entertaining.

And we all saw where the Gansey/Blue thing was headed. So no surprises there.

Then the whole hit man subplot . . . Sigh.

Also, this book had places that I could see needed more editing. The first one did too, but this one more so. Which makes me feel like these books were rushed into production.

All that aside, these books—the ones I've read, anyway—are still some of the best I've read in a while. It took me longer to get into TDT, but once I was about 40% in, I couldn't put it down. (For reference, I was hooked on TRB from the start.) Every series has stronger and weaker books, and so long as you don't lose your readers by being hugely inconsistent, you're good. And these books are pretty consistent. That is to say, even "weak" ones are strong relative to a lot of the market. So I'll certainly continue with the series, and I'd definitely recommend them.

Books: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

I picked this up for a couple reasons. 1. I like Jane Austen. 2. As someone who recently finished a YA contemporary version of Hamlet, I thought this might be an interesting comp.

Of course, an agent recently told me that my manuscript is "too on the nose." Somehow this isn't? Oh, but this author is a screenwriter and has connections, plus she made her characters bi-racial (though apart from a passing reference in the story and the book cover, you wouldn't know the difference), so . . .

I'm promise I'm not bitter. (Except maybe I am, a little. At least I'm self-aware and can admit it.)

Look, this is a cute book. It took me a while to get into it, and I actually set it down for a few months, but I'm glad I came back to finish it.

Still, it is very on the nose. Sure, a few things have been changed to update the story, but it hews pretty darn close to the original. Which, if you like Sense and Sensibility, and you don't mind reading [Hollywood-centric] YA, give this a shot.

The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall it's a decent beach read.

Books: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

This is a cute book. The narrator has a strong and engaging voice and is charming if not always likable.

The story in a nutshell: It is the 1700s. Henry "Monty" Montague—known rake and heir to an earldom—and his best friend Percy Newton are off on their Grand Tour. Monty's younger sister Felicity is along for the ride as they're meant to drop her at finishing school in Marseilles. Of course, everything goes awry when Monty steals a little something from the Duke of Bourbon during a visit to Versailles.

The novel attacks a number of issues, including race relations (Percy is part black), and health (Percy also has epilepsy), and abuse (Monty's father beats him), as well as homosexuality (Monty has a huge crush on Percy). It also glances over gender issues as Felicity protests having to go to finishing school because she'd rather become a surgeon.

Overall, it was a swift read up until the last 20-25% of the book. At that point, I felt the book had begun to suffer from a surfeit of plot. Things just kept happening, and I was beginning to be exhausted, not in a good way. But I plowed through (sometimes tempted to skim) to see how it would end.

Still, the book is largely a fine marriage of character and plot. If you like Lestat, you'll probably like Monty's narration. Many nice descriptions, though they sometimes get rather thick.

The main characters being teenagers, it's listed as YA, but if you're thinking of this for your teen, be sure they're ready for some of the heftier issues.

Down to Three

Here are the three finalists for potential name of the Felidae Clan leader in Changers 2.

Books: Help Me Name A Character!

cross-posted from PepperWords


All right. I recently ran a poll on my Facebook page, but for those who didn't see it, here is the summary. I'm trying to decide on the name of the Felidae Clan leader in Changers 2. This character is gender fluid, and I picture xem as Black + Asian. Not that culture really makes a difference in this world, but that's just my mental image of what the character looks like.

In any case, the name needs to be unisex/gender neutral as well.

After the first round of voting, here are the current standings (in order of votes):

1. Narcisse
2. Kit
3. Duri
4. Fen
5. Kevyn

The names possibly lean masculine because I think this character is biologically masculine, or was at least born a biological male. But Narcisse in French is used for both girls and boys.

One person commented (okay, the person was my mother, but still) that "Kit" is maybe too obvious/on the nose. But it did receive many votes, so I think it must be popular.

So here's your chance to give me some input! Which of these names do you like most? Or if you have other suggestions, I'm open to hearing them. Let me know in the comments!

Video Review of Manifesting Destiny!

Have You Read It Yet?

Books: Quiz for Manifesting Destiny

Which Clan in the Changers universe would you be part of? Click here to take a short quiz and find out!

Books: Manifesting Destiny Now in Print!

If you've been holding off on reading my latest novel, a YA fantasy titled Manifesting Destiny, simply because you're not into ebooks, wait no longer. My publisher has released it in paperback! You can get your copy here. (Amazon availability to come in about a week.)

What's In A . . .

How do you name your characters? Or if you're not a writer, how important are the characters' names to you when you read or watch a film? Here is the story of all the names in Manifesting Destiny.

Manifesting Destiny Release

 

My new book is finally out!

Sixteen-year-old Cee has a hopeless crush on her best friend Marcus. Unfortunately for her, he's gay. In the wake of Marcus's older brother leaving home to join the Aerie, Marcus has become increasingly distant. Then, when Cee discovers she has a troublesome dragon named Livian living inside her things grow even more complicated.

Marcus urges Cee to go to the Magi to have Livian removed, but the more used to Livian Cee becomes, the less certain she is about letting him go. Should she change her natural self for the crush who will never love her anyway?

Manifesting Destiny is the first in the Changers trilogy. You can find it on Evernight Teen's site, where there is also an excerpt posted, and also on Amazon.

And read about how it all started with a flash fiction prompt here.

Books: Changers: Manifesting Destiny Cover Reveal

Here it is!!!

Gorgeous, isn't it? Book comes out on August 5th:

Sixteen-year-old Cee has a hopeless crush on her best friend Marcus. Unfortunately for her, he's gay. In the wake of Marcus's older brother leaving home to join the Aerie, Marcus has become increasingly distant. Then, when Cee discovers she has a troublesome dragon named Livian living inside her things grow even more complicated.

Marcus urges Cee to go to the Magi to have Livian removed, but the more used to Livian Cee becomes, the less certain she is about letting him go. Should she change her natural self for the crush who will never love her anyway?

To Which Changers Clan Do You Belong?

My badge ribbons came today:

. . . For two of the Clans in my forthcoming YA fantasy series Changers. The first book, Manifesting Destiny, will be published soon by Evernight Teen. The ribbons are for the two writing conferences I'm attending. I leave for the first one in exactly one month, and the second is in October. I may make more ribbons for other Clans as well, but these two are, let's say, the Montagues and Capulets of the story.

If you would like a Clan ribbon, stay tuned. I'm coming up with a system for readers to possibly earn and collect them.

Meanwhile, find out your Clan here. (Note that you will be required to login for your result, but you can do so via Facebook.)

Books: Changers: Manifesting Destiny

Not a review. An announcement. My young adult fantasy novel will be published by Evernight Teen.

Okay, so there's no cover yet, but I can't wait to see what the designer comes up with!

Changers: Manifesting Destiny is planned as the first in a trilogy. I'm so excited to share it with you! More info as it becomes available. For now:

Books: YA that changed our lives

CNN posted this article about young adult books that changed our lives. "Our" being respective. Maybe these books changed many lives . . . And I agree with some of them, though just as many of these I haven't read.

Which led me to consider the books of my youth that did impact me. Certainly, the Judy Blume and C.S. Lewis and Douglas Adams of CNN's list. Also, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, particularly her book The Changeling, though also that well-known Egypt Game. And there was a book called Cadbury's Coffin, too, which was something in the Gothic nature of the Bellairs books.

Animal books were big with me: Watership Down, Where the Red Fern Grows, Lassie Come Home, Old Yeller, Tailchaser's Song.

I had a penchant for fantasy. In addition to the usual fairy tales (my favorites being "King o' the Cats" and "Tom Tit Tot"), there was a book called The Seventh Princess that I read many times over when I was really young, and I recall another book called The Door in the Wall as well. I read King Arthur stories in various forms, and lots of mythology, and I read Lewis Carroll. (It would be much later when I discovered The Chronicles of Chrestomanci.)

Mysteries, too, were good. Sherlock Holmes, of course (though I read Nicholas Meyer before I read the original Doyle), but also The Dollhouse Murders and The Secret of Gumbo Grove. Snyder had a few good pseudo-mysterious books like The Velvet Room and The Truth about Stone Hollow. August, Die She Must by Barbara Corcoran gave me chills, not for being spooky, but for turning something as sunny as summer camp into a place of darkness and murder.

There was a book called A Band of Angels . . . No idea who wrote it, but I remember being quite moved by it.

By around fifth grade or so I'd graduated to Dean Koontz's Lightning and fare of that sort. But I still went back to old favorites. Anne of Green Gables and that whole series, for instance. I needed to balance the dark with the light, the fantastical with the more real, the futuristic with historical.

I read Isabelle Holland's Man Without a Face and (of course) Amanda's Choice. And once I'd found Sara Hylton, Victoria Holt, and Judith Tarr, well, like a child given a box of bonbons, I devoured the works of all of them. Those three aren't YA, but they impacted my youthful reading and early writing a great deal.

My mom gave me a copy of Austen's Pride and Prejudice when I was about nine, and though I initially struggled with the writing style, once I "got the hang of it," I enjoyed it very much. But I wouldn't read more Austen later, picking up Emma and Sense and Sensibility when I was a teen, and only now (as you know if you read this blog regularly) getting around to the others.

There was one book, and I wish I could remember the name of it, which told ghost stories from all over the U.S., and another similar book with ghost stories from around the world. And there was a book called Take Warning! which was a compendium of superstitions. I found those things fascinating.

One book that I pulled off the shelf at home very regularly was titled Strange Stories, Amazing Facts. I would freak myself out over things like the Faces of Bélmez and Spring-Heeled Jack. God only knows why my parents even owned such a book, but I loved it.

Having grown up a voracious reader in a house full of books, it's difficult for me to pinpoint only a few that "changed my life." They all influenced me in their own subtle ways. Some remain on my shelf; just as many were library books that I might never find again in this day and age. But they live on in memory.

Books: Grown-Ups Who Read YA

So this Slate article is being much circulated on my Facebook feed. Most of my reader and writer friends are up in arms over it, but . . . at the risk of having things hurled at me . . . I kind of agree.

Not wholly. Provisionally.

I think it's sometimes fun to escape into YA books. But as an adult with real life adult dealings, I also spend time reading literature that features people my age and/or older. This is because I cannot, at my age, live on a steady diet of teenage drama and angst. And I sort of distrust anyone who can.

That sounds . . . stuck-up or something, but I'm only being honest. I've found in dealing with a wide swath of readers that adults who read only YA aren't generally equipped to deal with the pressures of adulthood, or else they actively avoid and deny them. These are the people who want to be young forever—sure, who doesn't?—and will in fact pretend it isn't happening. They foster drama in their own lives and make other adults miserable because, hey, get over it.

I get the draw of YA. While for a teen the stories speak to current experience, for an adult they're kind of a break. YA books are sweet, simple; the problems of the characters seem small compared to the responsibilities of adulthood. In a YA book, chances are there will be a solution, a happy ending, some hope. That's because young adults have their whole lives ahead of them and are looking for stories about others who also have their whole lives ahead of them. They can do anything, go anywhere. They are standing on a brink, all options open until they make a choice.

For adults, though, reality sets in. Choices have been made and our lives reflect those choices. Life single, life married, life married with kids, life divorced, life widowed . . . Jobs, bills, aging parents, grown siblings, illness. Adult literature is piled with all these for a reason: it's meant to speak to adult experience just as YA books speak to young adult experience. Here there are not always pat answers or endings. Here there is not always hope or satisfaction.

Look, I don't read a whole lot of "literature." I prefer genre stuff (mysteries, some romances). Because like a lot of adults, I don't necessarily want to read about people whose problems are just as bad or worse than mine. But I also don't read a lot of YA either. Because while I can enjoy the lightness of it, can even wax nostalgic for my first love or whatever, I can't entirely relate. Like Ruth Graham, author of the Slate article, I end up rolling my eyes at the page.

So. I think there's room for adults to read and enjoy young adult literature. I think there are a lot of good YA authors putting out a lot of great writing. But I think adults should not only read YA. Their brains should stretch past high school romances; their thoughts should be bigger and deeper than that. And maybe you'd argue, "So long as they're reading, who cares what they read?" Well, the writers of adult literature care. Though you'll notice many have gone and started YA series (looking at you, Jasper Fforde). Instead of encouraging adults to read YA, maybe we should encourage young adults to graduate to bigger and [sometimes] better books.

Books: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

This sequel to Grave Mercy—or really, companion book, since it focuses on a different protagonist entirely—took much longer than the first in the series to really get moving. The first 100 pages were kind of a slog. And while I understand why the book is set up and written the way it is, the short answer here is the second book simply isn't as good as the first.

But of course, that's a subjective statement.

Sybella's situation is interesting: She is the nominal daughter of d'Albret, a ruthless man without a conscience. She has watched her "father" kill innocents, including six wives. And Sybella has also suffered at the hands of her brothers—incest is implied, but LaFevers dances around the subject quite a bit, which is part of the problem with the writing here. One can understand that perhaps this is too much for a YA novel, but the story is really impaired for lack of specificity. It's hard to feel for Sybella without knowing exactly what she's personally endured.

Also, Sybella's inner dialogue that argues she has no options is weak. She's a trained assassin, but she waffles about killing pretty much the worst person in the world. The fact that d'Albret isn't marked by Mortain—particularly after Sybella decides maybe she doesn't believe in Mortain anyway—shouldn't really stop her.

In fact, Sybella's whole belief system (or lack thereof) is nebulous and not fully explored. She doesn't believe, then she does. She doesn't trust, but she follows orders anyway. There were so many places in the book where it was clear if she'd just be decisive, she could have saved herself and others a lot of trouble.

But I guess there's not much of a story in that.

The series itself is a fun idea: Set in 1400s Brittany and with real historical context. Each central character is a young woman who has been fathered by Mortain (Death) and so trained at his convent as assassins. But the Abbess of the convent is not entirely trustworthy . . . Her orders appear to be political rather than spiritual. Ismae, protagonist of Grave Mercy, was a fun character to spend time with and I found myself sailing through the book. Sybella not so much. Her weight—psychological, emotional—made her out to be like one of those friends who drains you every time to spend any time with them. She was repetitive in going over and over how hopeless and terrible things were. I could only take her in very small amounts. And again, that's part of the character; she's had a really, really bad life. But I think there are ways to write that without sapping your readers. Here, for me at least, it didn't work.

Don't get me wrong. Dark Triumph isn't a bad book. It's average. I just expected more after the first one was so good. And I'll still read the third when it comes out.