Review: Matched by Ally Condie

When Cassia attends her matching ceremony, she never expects that her match - the person she'll one day enter into a marriage contract with - will be someone already she knows.

So when it's announced that the Society Officials have matched her with her good friend Xander, she has mixed feelings. She won't experience the excitement of getting to know her match for the first time, but on the other hand she knows how wonderful Xander is already. She won't feel the same rush of excitement as other girls do when her microcard arrives and she's able to look upon her match's face on the portscreen for the first time.

But when Cassia's microcard does arrive, things aren't at all as she expected. Because the face that flashes up isn't Xander's. And perhaps Cassia doesn't know quite what to expect after all.

Matched imagines a future society where unfairness has been eradicated. Everyone has the same shot at happiness. Everyone has enough food, but not too much; everyone who wants to be matched is given the partner who best suits them - and who will, eventually, create healthy new life with them. But to achieve this equilibrium, much has been sacrificed. Difference. Choice. Creativity. This is a society manipulated into contentment by the removal of any temptation to be jealous or disatisfied. When the trees in front of some people's houses flourish and some don't, the officials in charge see to it that they're all cut down. Old people die on their eightieth birthday, no one life permitted to flourish longer than the rest. Beneath the facade of idyllic happiness lies a sinister pattern of cold, calculated control.

And yet, the people are content. There's no cancer, and no poverty. It's a world where, in theory, nobody should be starving or sick or underprivileged. Nobody should be lonely. In Matched, we follow the journey of seventeen year old Cassia as she finds herself faced, unexpectedly, with a choice. Between the boy she'll be content with, and the boy who holds the promise of the unknown. Between blissful ignorance, and the burden of knowledge.

Unlike many protagonists of dystopian-themed YA novels, Cassia isn't really what you'd call an action hero. Her battles are chiefly of the heart and mind, where her strengths also happen to lie. In Xander and Ky, her two matches, we find two quite different potential love interests who reflect the positive and negative sides of the apparent utopia she lives in. Her romantic dilemma is therefore bound so closely to her gradual rebellion against her society that it's impossible to separate the two. So while Ally Condie has given us a story that is much more than a YA romance, the romance is inextricably linked to Cassia's journey as a character. This is a book that reminds us how truly essential love is.

What stands out about Matched is that it's both literary and incredibly easy to read. It's fun and it's a complete page-turner, and it also invokes Dylan Thomas so powerfully that even the most poetry-phobic reader will find themselves falling under his spell. Ally Condie's prose is elegant and luscious and lyrical at the same time. Her version of the future may be heavily controlled by those who govern it, but within the confines of that control narrator Cassia's voice is heartfelt and vibrant. The novel's use of imagery is captivating without ever seeming calculated, as objects of beauty and colour seem to almost blossom against their backdrop of uniformity.

Matched is a book that truly deserves the buzz that surrounds it. It's beautiful and gripping and romantic, and explores its themes with honesty and conviction. It's a book that will inspire readers and have them counting the days until they can get their hands on the as yet untitled sequel, due out in 2011. Simply breathtaking.

Out: December 2nd 2010, UK / November 30th 2010, US

Many thanks to Razorbill UK for providing a review copy of this book, and a special thanks to Carla of The Crooked Shelf for loaning me her copy to read the first time round.

Book news: Halloween edition

This week, I got this welcome news related to Charlie Higson's seriously eerie new novel, The Dead.

Charlie Higson launches zombie short for teens for Halloween

London, UK. -- October 26, 2010 -- Puffin Books announces the release of The Scared Kid, a chilling short film for Halloween created by best-selling children’s author, actor and comedian, Charlie Higson.

The film is aimed at 12+ and is available to view at www.the-enemy.co.uk/scaredkid. It is also available on YouTube for older teens and zombie fans of all ages. It offers a cliff-hanging taster from The Dead, the second book in Charlie’s action adventure zombie series, The Enemy.

Puffin MD, Francesca Dow comments: 'Teenagers are natural and hungry multi-media consumers and this film is absolutely designed with them in mind'

Charlie Higson comments: ‘The creation of this short was a joy for me as it brought together my twin passions, film-making and writing’

The video footage was produced by Charlie Higson and the makers of Colin, a zombie film that was shown at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and hit the headlines for its £45 budget.

The Enemy is an action adventure zombie series for teenagers and horror fans. Set in and around London, a mystery disease has broken out attacking everyone over the age of 14. Some survive but those that do face a more terrifying fate – they turn into hideous zombies with an insatiable appetite for human flesh. Children form gangs and attempt to survive in an unrecognisable world where there are dangers around every corner.

The film features a one-and-a-half minute clip of a boy who posts a webcam video to YouTube when the disease first breaks out, and which becomes the most viewed video in YouTube history.

I'm loving this! If you check out the movie, just look out for the shot of the 'mothers and fathers' outside in the street. The 'Scared Kid' is one of the most chilling aspects of The Dead, and watching that video makes me feel a little like I'm right inside the book. Which is a scary place to be.

Review: The Badness of Ballydog by Garrett Carr

Ballydog is a one-factory harbour town on the Irish coast; a bleak, mean-spirited place that's about as far as you can get from the lush landscapes and warm hospitality usually associated with the Emerald Isle. It's grim and it's grimy. Most of all, it's a bad town. The factory is bad, the townspeople are bad, and for newcomer Ewan, it's bad news. Worse news is that a giant sea creature has set its sights on destroying Ballydog and everyone in it...

The Badness of Ballydog couldn't possibly be set anywhere else. The town is almost like a character in itself - vividly drawn, and getting under the reader's skin from the very first page. At the same time, it has a subtly dystopian quality; it's a town where landscape and inhabitants combine to perpetuate ambivalence and, well, badness. When we first discover that the world's biggest monster is heading towards Ballydog to wipe it off the face of the earth, it seems at first that perhaps that wouldn't be such a great loss. 

But amidst the almost stylised badness of the setting, outcast schoolgirl May is a ray of hope. Dismissed by the rest of the town as 'soft in the head', she possesses a unique psychic ability that allows her to communicate with animals. In a town where even the school field has been laid with concrete, May is the one link that the community still has with nature - so naturally, they view her with suspicion. She's quirky and sincere and different. For the reader, she's like a breath of fresh air. As a new arrival in town, northern boy Ewan hasn't yet been contaminated with Ballydog's insidious negativity, and makes a worthy ally. They're joined by tough boy Andrew, who finds himself caught up in Ballydog's impending doom despite his reluctance.

The Badness of Ballydog is an unusual story. It's also one of those titles that resists age categorisation. Readers of different ages will take different things from it, and I think that's something to admire in a book. On one level it's a humourous action-adventure fantasy, and on another it's a book that'll make you think about how we treat the earth and its creatures. And it's all wrapped up in a tale that's surprisingly heartwarming.... eventually. It's also the first in a series: the second book, Lost Dogs, was published in the UK on November 1st 2010. This one's out of the ordinary.

Out: February 4th 2010, UK

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book for review.

Waiting On Wednesday - Huntress by Malinda Lo

This week I'm waiting on...

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Summary from Amazon.com: Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

Of course I'm waiting on this one! I adored Malinda Lo's debut novel, Ash. Just adored it. I'd be crazy excited about any new book from her, but the prospect of revisiting the same kind of magical world we visited in Ash has me literally counting the days.

Also, can we talk about that cover for a second? Totally gorgeous and righteous and carrying the promise of at least one strong female heroine.

This one hits the US on April 5th, 2011. Fingers crossed that the UK don't have to wait too long.
 
Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Review: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Ruby Oliver's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend has dumped her, her best friends hate her, and suddenly she's got a 'reputation'. To top it all off, she's started having panic attacks, and her parents have sent her to a shrink. Her first therapy assignment? The boyfriend list. 

The Boyfriend List is teenage fiction at its finest. In the tradition of such greats as Judy Blume and Paula Danziger, E. Lockhart has created the kind of heroine who somehow encapsulates the teenage experience so accurately that it's impossible not to relate to her. You may never have had a panic attack or seen a therapist, but chances are you will still find yourself struck by how often you've felt exactly as Ruby does in The Boyfriend List. As a character, she's smart and funny and somewhat neurotic, all in a way that's completely understandable, given what she's been through.

We find out exactly what Ruby has been through gradually, as she recounts - as a therapy exercise - the stories of every single crush, relationship and almost-relationship she's ever had. It's a sorry (but supremely witty) tale of miscommunication, misunderstandings and wishful thinking. At the centre of the story, and of Ruby's recent problems, is the ultimate betrayal. While this twist is foreshadowed enough that we know to expect it, by the time it's revealed readers will have forged such a bond with Ruby that their blood will boil on her behalf.

In truth, I sometimes found myself a little disorientated by the timeline of Ruby's narrative. She mixes recent flashbacks with long-ago flashbacks and present day scenes, and when in doubt I found it useful to refer to the boyfriend list itself, helpfully reproduced in full at the front of the book and corresponding to the chapter titles. Further commentary and additional backstory is conveyed by the use of footnotes, which are detailed and pertinent and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. Yet there's an authenticity and sincerity to Ruby's voice that ensures these devices never feel forced or gimmicky. It's a joy to read.  

At its heart, The Boyfriend List is about communication and honesty. By turns snarky and sensitive and sweet, it's the kind of book that shows teenage relationships as they really are - no soulmates, no eternity, and no guarantees. It's fantastic. If you haven't already read it, you really should.

Out: 2005, UK

Review: The Dead - Charlie Higson

As someone who enjoyed Charlie Higson's The Enemy for its convincingly grim take on the zombie apocalypse, I was looking forward to the prequel, The Dead. I wanted to know how the world had gotten to the point that we'd found it in The Enemy, and to learn more about the sickness that turns everyone over the age of fourteen into a zombie-like, flesh-eating monster.

To my surprise, The Dead introduces us to a whole new set of main characters. We join the action at a posh boarding school, as the pupils fend off the bloodthirsty teachers and escape into the countryside. It's a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire as they hitch a lift to London on a bus driven by a man who is seeminly immune to the sickness - but for how long?

While The Dead does tell us far more about the disease that has turned our world into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, readers familiar with the first book may well find that, at times, the 'sicko' (zombie) encounters become a little repetitive. Higson has undoubtedly endeavoured to keep the action fresh with some impressive set-pieces, but as a reader with a limited theshold for violence, I occasionally found myself skipping the fight scenes to get back to the more character-driven parts of the story. Even when the main characters aren't fighting off hungry sickos, there's a decidedly more gory feel to the story as a whole - including the grisly truth about what's keeping one grown-up character healthy for longer than expected.

As in The Enemy, there are some poignant moments here too. The friendship between best friends Ed and Jack provides many of these, as we get glimpses into their lives before the sickness and really feel the weight of what they've lost. One of the characters makes the comparison between what they're living through and the lives of soldiers in the trenches of the first World War, and it's an apt one. The violence may seem gratuitous in places, but in actual fact we're frequently reminded that Higson's characters are children - and every time there's a battle, some of them die.

The Dead may be a prequel, but it pushes the limits of violence and gore even further than The Enemy did. Not one for squeamish readers, it's an antidote to all those paranormal romances on the YA shelf. Oozing with blood and guts on every page, it'll appeal to those who like their post-apocalyptic horror truly horrifying.

Out: 16th September 2010, UK

Thanks to Puffin for providing a review copy.

Review: Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon - Jonathan Stroud

Jerusalem. The court of King Solomon, who wears a ring so powerful that none can rival him.

Bartimaeus is a djinni - a shape-shifting spirit enslaved to carry out the wishes of one of Solomon's ruthless magicians. He spends much of his leftover time and energy trying to find a magical loophole that will somehow allow him to escape his bonds and get back to the Other Place. Until, that is, he chews his master up, spits him out, and gets sentenced to a spirit chain gang for his trouble.

When Bartimaeus rescues mysterious traveller Asmira from bandits, he thinks he's found a way out. But he doesn't realise Asmira is following orders of her own, and she's intent on taking him with her... 

I have to be honest here, it took me a little while to get hooked by The Ring of Solomon, the prequel to Jonathan Stroud's hugely popular Bartimaeus trilogy. At first I wasn't sure why. All the ingredients were there, and I'd been looking forward to picking it up. Then a friend of mine who has read  - and loved - all the previous Bartimaeus books suggested that it was because I didn't have an existing relationship with the main character. As it turned out, that was spot on. By the time djinni Bartimaeus crosses paths with girl assassin Asmira, he'd grown on me - a lot. His unique blend of arrogance, sarcasm and all round swagger kept me utterly entertained for the next few hundred pages, and by the time the ending rolled around I felt like we were old friends.

While readers of the original trilogy will pick up The Ring of Solomon knowing exactly what kind of treat awaits them, it's certainly not essential preparation for the prequel experience. This story is a standalone, and sees Bartimaeus (reluctantly) sharing the spotlight with an all-new character in the surprisingly formidable Asmira - a knife-throwing priestess who brings new meaning to the phrase 'girl power'. Stroud makes sure new readers are kept up to speed about magical practices, summonings and spirits with the help of brief background notes and Bartimaeus's own unique approach to footnotes. And by unique, I mean witty and deadpan and generally made of win.

As a djinni, Bartimaeus isn't one of those fairytale genie types that most people will remember from childhood. While he can be summoned to do the bidding of human 'masters', he's not about to happily grant three wishes to anyone who cares to clean up an old lamp. Especially since the powerful magicians who summon him are effectively binding him into captivity with their incantations - and they know it. Bartimaeus's trademark petulance and barefaced cheek may be amusing, but it also reflects the reality of his plight. He spends eternity locked in a cycle of being summoned, carrying out duties as a sort of supernatural slave, and trying to find a way to destroy his captor and be free again. Probably the most fascinating aspect of The Ring of Solomon is the way that it explores the dynamic between master and slave. It's a book that makes you think about the way those roles are mirrored in the real world, and how - if at all - that cycle can be broken.

Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon is a cracking read. While marketed for children, it's one of those books that genuinely works as a crossover title because it's not about the experience of any one particular age group. It's the kind of book a parent would buy for their child, and then end up squabbling over who gets to read it first. Clever and snarky and epic, it's a story for everybody.

Out: October 14th 2010, UK

A big thanks to Random House / Doubleday for providing a review copy.

Waiting On Wednesday: The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

This week I'm waiting on...

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Summary from Amazon: It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

While I've recently found my enthusiasm for paranormal titles waning a little, this one has piqued my interest - largely due to the fact that it's set in the Victorian era. Promising intrigue and atmosphere and an intoxicating gothic romance, this sounds pretty irresistible. Plus, is there anyone who isn't fascinated by Victorian times? I know I am, and as someone who rarely picks up historical novels the paranormal aspects of this one give me just the incentive I need to get a little out of my comfort zone.

The Vespertine is published in the US on March 7th 2011. Can't wait.

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Book blogging: what's the point?

When I first began blogging, I reviewed books that I'd bought. My weekly bookstore finds were the entire reason that I Was A Teenage Book Geek began. It was where I said, hey look - I bought this book, and I read it, and this is what I thought of it. My target audience? Anyone else who loved reading YA.

What I wasn't trying to do was sell books. In fact, nothing could have been further from my mind. I wanted to share my thoughts on the books I was reading, and hear about the books other people were reading, and that was it.

Gradually, things have changed. Now, the majority of the books I feature are ones that are sent to me for review. While I'm always striving to include older titles and include the odd retro review, I think of blogging in a slightly different way now. Somewhere along the way, I've begun to think of I Was A Teenage Book Geek as a site that promotes books. While it may sound like a subtle shift, the awareness that I receive review copies for a reason has changed the way I blog.

See, here's the theory: book bloggers give new titles publicity. Publicity sells books. Ergo, book bloggers sell books. Makes sense, right?

However, if we're honest, most book blogs are read by a relatively small audience - my own included. While there are some giants in the YA book blogging world, most of us aren't reaching the book buying masses on a daily basis. Which makes me wonder, are most of us just selling books to each other?

Now, I'm not saying that's wrong. It's great to be part of the book blogging community and if that's why you review books, fair enough. I also understand that some people just enjoy the self expression that comes with blogging about something they love. Some may also think of themselves as providing a service for readers by giving an honest review. I blog for all of those reasons too, to a greater or lesser extent.

But if you're someone who wants to make a difference - to get some buzz going for a title you're excited about, or to champion a little-known author whom you adore - well, what can you do? Cross-posting reviews to online bookstores or social networking sites is an obvious place to start, and it's something I'm committed to myself. When I write a rave review of a new release, I suspect it has less impact on people who read my blog than it does on those who read it at an online bookstore and then buy the book.

What I also try to do is spread the word within the blogosphere about particularly awesome books that, for whatever reason, aren't so well known. In the event that only the blogosphere is listening, I'd like to think that one of those book blogging 'giants' I mentioned earlier might spot my latest LGBT / verse novel / Australian-authored-book review and decide to read and review it themselves.

Still, it doesn't always seem like enough. If I'm besotted with a debut novel that hasn't had much buzz, I want to do more to let potential readers know about it. The question is, what? Should I be posting videos on YouTube raving about it? Should I be holding contests? Donating copies to libraries?

What do you think? Do book bloggers really make a difference? Does it matter? And if it does, how do we get the word out?

Review: Shark Girl - Kelly Bingham

Told almost completely in verse, Shark Girl is the story of fifteen-year-old Jane, who loses her arm in a near fatal shark attack. We follow Jane on her journey to recovery, as she struggles with her anger and grief and eventually emerges a survivor.

Jane's first-person narrative is structured as a series of poems, each focusing on a separate incident or revelation that our protagonist experiences on her journey. Read in sequence, they tell the full story of that journey - from the fateful day on the beach when sheer bad luck put Jane in the path of the shark that attacked her, to the point when she is finally able to find some resolution and move on with her life. Unlike other verse novels I've read, Shark Girl isn't an especially lyrical approach to its subject matter; its strength lies more in the conciseness and clarify with which Kelly Bingham tells Jane's story. The beauty of her writing is that no words are wasted.

In many ways Jane's just an ordinary fifteen-year-old schoolgirl; sometimes superficial, sometimes selfish, no braver than the rest. She liked art and cooking, fought with her brother and hung out with a close-knit group of friends. Before, this was enough. She didn't really need to be brave or to put herself in the shoes of others. But now, with the shark attack having made national news, she receives letters from total strangers telling their own stories of survival - how they too lost an arm or a leg and, while devastated at first, eventually pulled through. Some of their letters are interspersed throughout the story, and while the reader is touched by the words of these people reaching out to Jane, she isn't - at least, not at first. She's angry and bitter and doesn't believe that she has the strength of all these other survivors. This isn't the story of a courageous and determined girl overcoming a tragic loss. It's the story of a regular girl finding the courage and determination she needs to get her life back, and that's what makes it such an inspiring read.

Although the story itself is gently paced, the rhythym of Kelly Bingham's verse is always just compelling enough to keep the reader turning the pages. This isn't an edge-of-your-seat read, but it is a book that lets you into its narrator's head; that lets you really feel the subtle nuances of her emotions as though you're living through her recovery with her. While at one point it starts to look as though Jane will be saved by an all-too-convenient romantic development, Shark Girl actually winds up making the point that friends and family can help, but that sometimes you need to save yourself. Ideal for readers looking to sample YA verse for the first time, Shark Girl is hopeful and enigmatic in a way that anyone who has experienced a great loss will relate to.

Out: April 10th 2007, US

Review: Mistress of the Storm - M.L. Welsh

When twelve year old Verity Gallant finds herself in possession of a ancient book bound in red, she doesn't know quite what to make of its contents. Spellbound by the stories inside, she begins to realise there's another side to the tight-knit coastal town where she's always lived - a side where history and dark magic collide to threaten all those who get in its way. Soon, Verity finds herself facing a formidable enemy.

The storm is coming... but can Verity survive it?

There's something deliciously old-fashioned about Mistress of the Storm. While I'm still not quite sure precisely what era the story is set in, it has that slightly 'olden days' feel of many classic children's books. It's the type of story that takes you away to another world where anything can happen - where magic is real and a twelve year old girl might just be able to change the course of history.

Verity Gallant is our heroine, an ordinary girl who has always felt overshadowed by her prettier sister. She's not popular and she's not considered beautiful, but she's the kind of character that readers are sure to relate to. A bookworm, she's resigned to the fact that the local children make fun of her and she's not used to having friends. While her story sees her uncovering the truth about a sinister relative who comes to stay - and saving her family from a terrible fate - it's also about friendship. Verity isn't a character who finds fitting in easy, but in the self-assured Henry Twogood and misunderstood Martha Platt, she finds a loyalty that helps her to face up to the biggest challenge of her life... and change her family's destiny.

Verity's adventure unfolds in the ancient coastal town of Wellow, where a ring of smuggling families known as the 'Gentry' once made their ill-gotten fortunes. Rich in local legend, it's an enchanting setting - vividly imagined and steeped in mystery. While there are elements of the supernatural at work here, the story's magic comes from the power and danger of the sea as much as the witch herself, and you can almost hear the waves crashing as you read - ideally curled up indoors by the fire on a blustery winter afternoon. I loved the way that the town library plays such an important part in Verity's journey - warm and welcoming and full of unexpected discoveries, it's the kind of sanctuary that book lovers will wish they had in their own town.

Mistress of the Storm is a truly beguiling tale. It's warm, original, and intriguing. While I occasionally found it difficult to keep some of the secondary characters straight - there's a lot of them - their different threads all come together beautifully in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed Verity's story, and I'm hoping there'll be further adventures from her, Henry and Martha in the future. I'd recommend this one to readers in the eight to twelve age range, or anyone young at heart.

Out: July 1st 2010, UK

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Waiting On Wednesday: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

This week, I'm waiting on...

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Summary from Goodreads.com: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

 
As if it weren't exciting enough that Lauren Oliver's next book is a dystopia, doesn't that summary sound enticing?
 
I loved Lauren Oliver's debut novel, Before I Fall, for the power of its message and the incredible beauty of the writing. I love that for her second novel she's gone for something which on the face of it sounds completely different. While dystopian titles are definitely on the increase in YA, I'm confident that this one will stand out from the crowd.
 
I'm purposefully avoiding reviews of Delirium until I've read it myself, but a quick glance at Goodreads is showing a lot of five stars awarded already. This makes me SUPER excited.
 
Delirium is published in the US on February 1st 2011 and the UK on February 17th 2011. The cover shown is the US version, so I'll be interested to see if the UK is the same or different. Roll on the New Year, huh?
 
Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Time Travel Tuesday: Feminism and The Famous Five

When I was a child, my mum chose most of my books. I didn't have a problem with that. After all, she paid for them, and she also had wicked good taste. She introduced me to Little Women and Ballet Shoes and What Katy Did, which were all childhood favourites of her own. And I loved them.

Occasionally, however, we disagreed. There were books I wanted to read that my mother did not approve of. And while she'd never outright ban me from reading these books, she would make her opinion known. Mainly through The Art of Eye-Rolling, but in extreme cases there would also be... Scornful Remarks. And that was often enough to put me off.

Enid Blyton books most definitely qualified as an extreme case. According to my mother, no Enid Blyton book was worthy of my time. Famous Five books went one step further. They had (and I quote) 'negative gender stereotypes', and I got the distinct impression that I shouldn't want to read them.

Alas, I did want to. Some of my friends had vast Famous Five collections, and I liked a collection more than anything. I'd pick them up in the library and think, maybe I could just try one. Not wanting my mum to think I had lousy taste in reading material, I'd put one in the middle of my stack of loans and hope she didn't notice. Then I'd read them out of sight, relishing the old-fashioned adventure of it all. Sure, they were formulaic, and the main girl character Anne was a total sap, but I loved the fact that the children in these stories had so much freedom. I mean, they could go sailing by themselves and sleep on an island all night and that was just fine. They had the space and time to get into adventures, whereas kids of my generation were so closely guarded that there was absolutely zero chance of us stumbling across shipwrecked gold.

Having reread the very first Famous Five book, Five On A Treasure Island (no prizes for guessing the premise there), I'm not so sure I agree with my mum's stance on this series. Yes, it's dated. Yes, it was written at a time when gender roles were pretty strictly prescribed - and there's evidence of that throughout the book. Anne is every bit as sappy as I remembered, and that's generally attributed to the fact that she's a girl and therefore not as brave / strong / cunning as the other characters. Boo! When tomboy Georgina doesn't like a decision that her mother has made (to sell the treasure island of the title, which she apparently owns) her father points out that his wife is 'guided' by him. Since there's no explanation of why that would be the case, I can only assume that it's because he's the man, and therefore the only one capable of making business decisions. And yes, I find that obnoxious.

However, there's another way of looking at this issue. This book was written in 1942, and Blyton's characters reflect the attitudes of the day. Of course they do. And I have no doubt that in seventy years time readers will be balking at some of the attitudes displayed in current children's fiction. But would we want those readers to miss out on all the good that is in these books? I don't think so.

As I reread Five On A Treasure Island, I was surprised to find myself relating to George as something of a feminist icon. She's eleven years old. At a time when boys are boys and girls are considered feeble, she doesn't identify as female. She refuses to answer to the name Georgina, wears her hair short, enjoys climbing and swiming and sailing, and fiercely wishes she were a boy. She recognises that her society doesn't credit girls with possessing the traits she has, so she's taken the only alternative path and become a tomboy. She comes from a world where girls don't have the freedom to be what she wants to be, and she stays true to herself the only way she knows how. While my personal belief is that we should all just forget about gender identity and be the person we want to be, George doesn't have that option. However, by behaving like her world's idea of a 'boy', she becomes a subversive character. She redefines what being a girl is, and she gives the female reader something different to identify with.

George actually kinda rocks.

So you see, while my mum has been an amazing role model, I think she was wrong on this one. She raised me to believe that I could be a girl and be whatever else I wanted. That I could be clever and independent and that I could achieve anything I wanted to. But what she didn't realise is that the sense of self-belief she gave me could not be shaken by a book.

Verdict: Five On A Treasure Island is a classic. It's fun and exciting and there's a beguiling innocence to it that I can't help but like. While it's undeniably dated, I think that with guidance, young readers can find a way round that. It's all about context, folks.

Event Report: in which Quercus throw a party for Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Raised By Wolves

L-R: Me, Lynsey, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Jenny, Sarah

Last week, I was lucky enough to be invited to a little party to celebrate the UK publication of Jennifer Lynn Barnes' excellent Raised By Wolves.

As you may know if you read my recent review, I thought Raised By Wolves was awesome. I especially liked the way the novel explores gender issues through kick-ass protagonist Bryn, so I was really looking forward to meeting the author behind this fantastic character.

Once everyone had arrived, done a little mingling and sampled the Raised By Wolves cupcakes, Parul from Quercus introduced Jennifer Lynn Barnes, who proceeded to say a few words about the book, the UK publication, and her family's reaction to her being in London alone. Let's just say it sounds like Jennifer Lynn's family are protective in the nicest way, but while she may be petite and very sweet-looking, she seems like she can take care of herself! Then Lynsey presented her with a copy of the Raised By Wolves ARC that several bloggers had annotated, and she seemed really touched.

Afterwards, she chatted with the assembled bloggers (Jenny, Lynsey, Sarah and me), posed for photos and took the time to sign our books. Lynsey did an admirable job of fishing for spoilers about Trial By Fire, the sequel to Raised By Wolves that we can look forward to reading next year. While Jennifer Lynn wasn't giving too much away, she spoke about the series with genuine passion and I can tell that we've got another treat in store with the second instalment. She also talked about how writing the character of Bryn was slightly dangerous, because it would get her into a frame of mind where she felt a little invincible... when actually, she's no fighting machine. I kind of know what she meant there, because reading Raised By Wolves is a similar experience - you definitely feel empowered when you're hanging out with Bryn.

In fact, I was pretty awestruck. Jennifer Lynn Barnes seems so completely focused on what she does, and she's already achieved so much, yet she's genuine and approachable too. (And, she likes Buffy. Win!) 

I also got to finally meet 'the famous' Jenny from Wondrous Reads, who I kind of felt like I knew already but hadn't like, technically met. She's every bit as cool as you'd expect her to be, and totally friendly. (She's also convinced that Southerners are the ones with accents, but we won't hold that against her.) And I re-met (that's a word, right?) Lynsey from Narratively Speaking and Sarah from Sarah's Book Reviews, who are both total sweeties.

Finally, I'd like to say thanks to Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and to Parul from Quercus for inviting me along. It was a lovely evening and I was glad I got the chance to be there. 

Photograph credits: Sarah of Sarah's Book Reviews.  

Review: Boys Don't Cry - Malorie Blackman

Told in alternating points of view, Boys Don't Cry is the story of brothers Dante and Adam Bridgeman. When seventeen-year-old Dante's ex-girlfriend arrives out of the blue with a baby she announces is his, his world crashes around him. Left literally holding the baby, he suddenly goes from being the responsible, academic Bridgeman brother to the one who made the stupid mistake. While at first it's not clear why we also need his younger brother Adam's perspective on this, the shared narrative slowly reveals that this isn't just Dante's story.

In terms of style, Boys Don't Cry is a more mature read than previous Malorie Blackman novels I've read. The intimate first person narratives of Dante and Adam are both easy to connect with and believable as the voices of teenage boys, and the way they interact with each other rings true. The language is authentic without being overdone, and while neither boy has a particular tendency to dwell on his feelings we get to know them thoroughly through their actions and dialogue. The teenage father and his gay brother are both characters that feel completely genuine to the reader, and Dante and Adam face up to the challenges that those identities bring, while still defying stereotypes. These aren't girl readers' dream boys - they're real and they're not perfect, but they're characters whose journeys will warm your heart.

Boys Don't Cry is my favourite of Malorie Blackman's books so far. Every bit as edgy as her readers have come to expect from her, it's also subtle and hopeful and reflective. If I'm honest, elements of Adam's story are easy to predict, and occasionally the scenes with baby Emma verge slightly on the corny side, but neither of those things are dealbreakers. It's one of those rare titles that readers of both genders will be able to relate equally well to, because it's unbiased and because it touches upon topical issues that concern us all. While it's definitely a book that says it's not okay for boys to assume that birth control - and consequences - can be left to the girls, it acknowledges that not all boys have an easy time of relationships either. It's about growing up from a male perspective; about family, identity and what it really means to be a man. If I had a kid brother, I'd give him this book.

Out: October 28th 2010, UK

A big thanks to Random House UK for providing a review copy of this book.

Review: Noah Barleywater Runs Away - John Boyne

Reading Noah Barleywater Runs Away is an unusual experience. Quite unlike anything else I've read, it's a work of art. Part coming-of-age story, part fable, the second children's book from John Boyne will also be of interest to older readers.

Eight-year-old Noah is our protagonist. He's a boy running away from home for the first time - away from something he doesn't even want to think about. As he runs, Noah enters a world that's straight out of the pages of a child's storybook. On the surface, it's a vivid and enchanting land where anything can happen; where animals talk and trees object to a presumptuous boy swiping their fruits for a snack. But when Noah's journey brings him to a mysterious toyshop, and we meet the old man who lives there, it becomes clear that there is far more to this adventure than pure whimsy. Noah's acquaintance is strangely familiar, and we gradually realise that he's not just any toymaker. His story is in some ways the flipside of Noah's, and the young runaway needs to hear what he has to say.

Sensitively drawn, Noah possesses all the widsom of a real eight-year-old boy. The further we get from our own childhoods, the easier it is to forget how aware we were of the complexities of our lives in those days; this book reminds us. While I would usually hesitate to read a book about a protagonist this young, particularly a boy (having never been one), I found Noah astute and inquisitive and impossible not to relate to. In some ways Noah Barleywater Runs Away is a coming-of-age story, as it deals with a chapter in his life when he has to face essential truths about the human condition a little earlier than most. The magic realism of the world he enters may be spellbinding, but he's also a character bidding farewell to part of his childhood. While I have to confess I did find myself moved to tears on several occcasions while reading, it's not by any means a bleak tale. It's honest and hopeful. It's about real life.

Noah Barleywater Runs Away is a modern children's classic in the making. Beautiful and moving and rare, it will resonate with readers of ages because its subject matter is universal. At some point, we will all have to undertake a journey like Noah's - to learn what he learns for ourselves - and that's what makes it so poignant. I'd urge everyone to step outside their reading comfort zones and give this one a try.

Out: September 30th 2010, UK

A heartfelt thanks to David Fickling Books for providing a review copy.

Review: Finding Sky - Joss Stirling

Abandoned as a child, Sky doesn't remember her birth parents or who she used to be. Someone wanted rid of her, but she doesn't know who... or why.

Lucky for Sky, the Brights came along and adopted her. When the family move from England to Colorado, Sky thinks her biggest problem is going to be fitting in at a US high school. She doesn't count on handsome American Zed, or the strange connection they share. She definitely doesn't count on the fact that finding the guy of her dreams will also put them both in terrible danger...

With so many paranormal romance titles now available for the YA market, Finding Sky is something a little bit different. Where many books in the genre see a mortal girl falling for a boy who's really a supernatural being, the pairing at the centre of Joss Stirling's debut are both as ordinary - and as special - as each other. Protagonist Sky and love interest Zed are regular teenagers who happen to possess remarkable paranormal abilities. The result? A tale that combines elements of the magic PR formula with its own original lore.

Having been adopted by the Brights at the age of ten, Sky accompanies them when they relocate from Richmond, England to Colorado, USA. The only British teenager in town, her experiences with adjusting to American life - especially high school - are bound to pique the interest of UK readers. Described as petite, blonde and adorable, Sky is the kind of character who isn't always taken as seriously as she would like. But while her diminutive stature is something of an in-joke, she's no pushover. She's sassy, shrewd and yet still has the same insecurities than many teenagers do. Refreshingly, her initial reaction to the seemingly arrogant Zed isn't to swoon and fall into his arms, but to assume he's a complete jerk. She's also convincingly sceptical about the whole paranormal deal, too. Soulmates? It's a nice idea, but she's not buying it without proof. Smart girl.

The romance itself probably isn't one that will sweep readers off their feet; a little understated, it's not the kind of intense melodramatic love story that you often find in this genre. It feels genuine, and it's easy to relate to - even with all the paranormalness going on. What far surpasses the romance, however, is the way that the paranormal is portrayed in the story. Joss Stirling has created a fascinating world within our world where those with a variety of psychic powers live among us. Since readers won't have already devoured scores of books about savants and soulfinders, this aspect of the novel has to be the main attraction. Between this and the well-constructed mystery behind Sky's own identity, it's a reminder that there's more to paranormal romance than girl-meets-immortal-boy. And while the ending is a satisfying one, it leaves just enough tantalising questions unanswered to leave this reader hoping that there'll be a sequel.

Finding Sky is an interesting variation on the paranormal romance genre. It has a certain individuality that hardcore fans of the genre will appreciate. It's fresh and it's unpredictable and will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

Out: October 7th 2010, UK

A big thanks to OUP for providing a review copy of this book.

Crescendo Blog Tour: You Know You're Obsessed With Hush, Hush When...

Today, the UK blog tour for Becca Fitzpatrick's Crescendo - the much anticipated sequel to Hush, Hush - is hanging out right here at I Was A Teenage Book Geek. In celebration of the UK publication of Crescendo, I'd like to share with you seven ways you can tell if you're obsessed with Hush, Hush. Y'know, in case you're in any doubt...

1. Last Saturday, you put in 8 hours at the bookshop hand-selling Hush, Hush to browsers, whether they already had a copy or not. And you don't even work there.

2. You were single-handedly responsible for the hashtag #PatchRocks trending on Twitter. Worldwide.

3. Your last three attempts at eating a balanced diet all ended in a cupcake-hot-dog-and-doughnut fest. Your excuse? Vee made you do it.

4. You wear your 'Team Patch' t-shirt to a wedding. Yes, your own wedding. But you don't really see a problem with that.

5. Your most treasured possession is the collection of angel feathers you found at the beach this summer. (Seagulls? What are they?)

6. You go to a Becca Fitzpatrick book signing, and ask her to make the inscription out to 'Mrs Cipriano'. 

7. A super-hot guy asks you out. You agree on three conditions: he hires a jeep for the evening, he calls you 'angel' and if there's a second date, wings are MANDATORY.

Crescendo is published in the UK on October 14th 2010. You can read my review right here.

Want to feed the obsession a little more? Check out yesterday's tour stop at Once Upon A Bookcase for an intriguing extract from Crescendo, and be sure to swing by Book Geeks tomorrow for the opportunity to win a copy of this exciting sequel. You can also follow the entire tour schedule here.

A big thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for inviting me to participate in this book tour.

Review: Blood Ransom - Sophie McKenzie

Warning: this review contains spoilers for Blood Ties.

Several months have passed since Rachel and Theo escaped the clutches of their evil creator Elijah. Living in separate continents under assumed identities, they think they're safe.

But when a mysterious stranger calls upon Rachel for help, she finds herself - and Theo - drawn back into Elijah's twisted world. With Rachel facing the biggest dilemma of her life, it's up to her and Theo to defeat Elijah once and for all.

As in Blood Ties, Blood Ransom sees Theo and Rachel sharing the narrative, our point of view shifting back and forth between them. It's an arrangement that works incredibly well, heightening the tension as one character's chapter alerts us to the fact that the other is about to walk straight into danger... and then we switch perspectives to accompany them as they do just that, blissfully unaware of what we can already see coming. But where Blood Ties was perhaps more Theo's story, Blood Ransom shifts the focus slightly more onto Rachel. The girl we saw transformed in Blood Ties is now strong-willed and determined, and definitely Theo's equal in the action-hero stakes. This time, she's the one Elijah has his wicked sights set on, and when we finally find out what he's up to it's genuinely shocking stuff. Think fight scenes, nail-biting escape attempts, and sinister revelations.

Amidst all the breathtaking action, we also revisit the themes of identity and nature vs. nuture that made the previous book such fascinating reading. New character Miles not only provides us with a different perspective on the life of a cloned human being, but also poses a threat to the relationship between Rachel and Theo. Again, über-baddie Elijah pushes the boundary between genius and insanity, proving that there's no lengths he won't go to to achieve his aims - and giving us food for thought about where science ends and playing god begins. There's a little more romance this time round, but those who don't enjoy that kind of thing can be reassured that Blood Ransom never strays too far into mushiness. It's first and foremost a thriller, and the thrills are most definitely there.

Blood Ransom is a welcome return to the world we first visited in Blood Ties. It's perfectly paced, thought provoking and sprinkled with jaw-dropping moments that'll have readers on the edge of their seats. Fans of the first book will love it.

Out: October 1st 2010, UK

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for providing a review copy of this book.

Review: Raised By Wolves - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Orphaned at the age of four, Bryn has always lived among werewolves. She's used to pack life. Her guardian Callum is alpha: he makes the rules, and the pack follow them - Bryn included. In turn, she has their protection.

Then Bryn stumbles upon Chase. A newly-turned Werewolf, the pack have obviously been trying to keep his existence a secret from her. But once she's met him, she can't put him out of her mind. Just one thing is certain - she needs to see him again. Whatever it takes.

Like many novels, Raised By Wolves tells us early on that its protagonist is headstrong, tough, and something of a misfit. Honestly, I've been told this in the opening pages of YA books so many times - only to spend the next three-hundred and something pages reading about said protagonist getting hit on, rescued and fought over by hunks - that nowadays, I take it with a pinch of salt. As it happens, Raised By Wolves' Bryn really is all those things... and then some. While she's been brought up the only human girl in a pack of shapeshifting werewolves, she's no pet. She negotiates their protocol of dominance and obedience knowing she can push the boundaries so far, but if she oversteps the mark she'll be punished by their laws. As narrator, there's something about Bryn's voice, the beat of her words, that forges a raw and almost primal connection between her and the reader. Much like the pack-sense that allows Bryn to sense what other characters are feeling, Raised By Wolves creates a bond between reader and protagonist that means her emotions resonate with us.

At first glance, Raised By Wolves might appear to be a straight-forward paranormal romance. Girl meet boy who is actually a Were - familiar enough territory, right? But while there's an element of romance here, this is essentially a coming-of-age story. Love interest Chase is undeniably a strong presence in the book, but once the pair find their connection, it's instantly apparent that it runs far deeper than boyfriend and girlfriend. Chase may be intriguing in his own right, but it's Bryn who is our hero - and we don't forget that for a second. And since Bryn has been raised in a world where males have all the power, her coming-of-age story sees her challenging a society that's about as patriarchal as it gets. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' portrayal of werewolf culture is wonderfully detailed, with a depth that will impress even the most seasoned werewolf fan. We learn about every aspect of life in the pack, from the life of a newborn puppy to the practices of the Senate that governs them. Most strikingly, it all feels so real: the pack's hybrid of human and animal behaviour utterly convincing.

I can't conclude this review without a few words on Raised By Wolves' secondary characters. Alpha Callum, nurturing human Ali, loveable metrosexual werewolf Devon and formidable female were Lake are a diverse supporting cast drawn so vividly that readers will get to know them as well as they know Bryn herself. This might be a paranormal story, but you're left with the feeling these characters are real as they come. Each of them has a part to play in the mystery that sees Bryn uncovering secrets from her past and discovering who she really is.

Raised By Wolves is compulsive reading. For me, the weakest passages were probably those with a specifically romantic focus, but these are pretty few and far between. Everything else about it swept me away. The characters, the language, the power of the story: this is what it feels like for a book to truly get under your skin.

Out: 16th September 2010, UK / 8th June 2010, US

You can listen to an audio sample of Raised By Wolves here.

A big thanks to Quercus for providing a review copy of this book.

Freedom to read 'em: are parents right to restrict their own teenager's reading?

Recently, the blogosphere has been full of posts about book banning. In the wake of one man's attack on three YA favourites for allegedly 'unsuitable' content, the blogosphere has spoken out against ignorance and hate in a celebration of these books and our freedom to read them. Go bloggers!

One thing I've encountered repeatedly in posts and comments is a sense of outrage towards people who feel that they not only have the right to tell their own teenage children what they can read, but that they can also decide what other people's kids have access to. People who don't just want to tell their own offspring that a particular book is off-limits, but want the book withdrawn from public libraries, from school libraries or from the school curriculum.

And yes, it is an outrage.

However, what I've also noticed is a tendency to accept that it is up to parents to tell their own teens what they can and can't read. That there's nothing wrong with parents deciding that, on balance, the material in a particular title is 'unsuitable' for their own children, despite the fact that their children are now young adults. They're the parents, so that's okay, right? Not in my book.

As far as I'm concerned, banning your own teenager from reading a YA book is heinous. It might not be as heinous as trying to tell your entire town that no other teenager can read it either, but it still reeks of wrongess.

Now, I can appreciate that sometimes parents make this kind of decision in good faith. They don't feel that their son or daughter is ready for the material in the book, and rather than risk the teen's confusion or upset they decide they can't read it. Or maybe they think their teen is impressionable, and might end up emulating the characters in the book in ways that will have an adverse effect on their future. That, of course, is fine. Right?

Well, only if you accept that this is exactly how bigoted, ignorant and prejudiced people will be justifying their actions too. Do they want their teenagers encountering positive portrayals of GLBT characters, or characters from other faiths? Do they want their teenagers to be able to understand where people who are 'different' are coming from? Hell, no they don't. Do they want their teenagers forming their own opinions, or realising that making mistakes doesn't make you a bad person? Sadly, for some of them, the answer is no.

The fact is this: ignorant parents probably couldn't care less about anyone else's opinion on this. As far as they're concerned, their sense of entitlement tells them they're right and that's that. But surely parents whose compulsion to limit their teenagers' reading comes from a genuine desire to protect would do far better to let them read what they want, and open up a dialogue with them about it.

What I would say to them is this: Believe in your parenting skills. Statistics tell us that it's those who can't read at an appropriate level for their age who are most likely to wind up in jail or living on the poverty line*, not those who feel compelled to read books their parents might consider too old for them. You have a son or daughter who likes to read, and that's an accomplishment in itself. Now trust them. If they read a book you're concerned about, read it too, and discuss it with them. Just be prepared for the fact that they might end up teaching you something.

I'm not a parent. But I've been a teenager who wanted to read books her slightly over-protective mother thought were too old for her. She didn't ban them, but she did express disapproval. Did this stop me? No. I read them in secret. Did this stop me discussing the content and issues with her? Yes, it did. And that's not what anybody wants, is it?

*Wikipedia, here.