Review - Knife / RJ Anderson

Summary - As the Faery Queen's appointed Hunter, Knife alone has the courage and skill to fight the crows and other predators who threaten the Oakenfolk's survival. Yet neither she nor the Queen can do anything to stop a mysterious magical disease from claiming the faeries of the Oak one by one.

But there are humans at the bottom of the garden, and a glimpse inside their House convinces Knife that they have powers and knowledge that could help her people. Still, if the human world has so much to offer, why is the Queen determined to keep the faeries away from it? Is there a connection between the House and the Oakenfolk's loss of magic? And why is Knife so drawn to the young Paul McCormick — that strangest of creatures, a human male?

Knife determines to learn the truth about the Oakenfolk's relationship to humanity, no matter what the Queen might do to prevent her — a quest which threatens the growing friendship between herself and Paul, puts both their lives in jeopardy, and challenges everything Knife has ever believed about humans, faeries, and her own heart's desire. And when at last Knife discovers the secret the Faery Queen has been hiding, she is forced to make an agonizing choice between love and freedom that will change her life, and the lives of her people, forever.

Review - Oh faery, where art thou? Well Knife's whooping it up in the forest and in the McCormick household. She's no ordinary faery, she wants and needs to know more about the outside, humans and the history of her own people. Anderson has created a rich world in Knife (Spell Hunter in the US). Both the faery and human worlds are very separate and very distinct. While there is much fun to be had in the magical aspects of faeries, and their general mythos, it's the relationships that really take hold of the reader. Not just the romatnic relationships either, that of maternal love, leadership and friendship are all explored in both worlds.

Anderson has managed to have two characters question their existence without weighing the concept down with heavy handed parallels. The romance isn't contrived or predictable. It doesn't rely on love at first sight, rather it explores the strength of inter-species friendship and how this can morph into love. I loved the evolution of this pairing and of Knife and Paul's separate arcs as well.

I particularly love the detail provided about faery existence, breeding and storytelling. Information was mixed throughout demonstrating a firm grasp of pacing and intrigue. Much of this tale revolves around self-sacrifice in the name of love and I fell for these characters. I want them to flourish and cannot wait until the second book is released.

Published: 2009
Format: Paperback, 327 pages
Publisher: Hachette
Origin: USA
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http://www.rj-anderson.com/

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The Problem with Sequels...

YA Bloggers are enthusiastic readers. If we love something, we love it with the entirety of our being. You love a book and if you are lucky, sometimes there will be a following title. However, I often think that the sequel isn't a great idea, despite how much I would love to read it.

Serialised books have always been a part of reading, especially in MG and YA titles. In fact, the Babysitter's Club, Sweet Valley High and RL Stine's horror filled books prior to Goosebumps were all a huge part of my reading as a tween. Sequels are written and published for a specific reason, to quench the thirst of the audience but often there are issues:

My big problem is usually the second title. Why? Let me tell you...

• Long, meandering plot that usually fail to lead anywhere or even worse, a lukewarm, supposedly thrilling cliffhanger. Unnecessarily long!


• The introduction or ramping up of the third member of the love triangle. Occasionally there will be a fourth and I would argue very few of us have been involved in love quadrangles as teens. Usually depicted as some snark, some snogging and....then nothing. Just an excuse for two characters to have a fight over a third character that never really had a chance to begin with but might have because of the next point.


• Huge character turns that are inconsistent with what was depicted in book 1 or as I like to call it "the whoa-180". Like none of us have seen a character we know and love do something completely against type for the soul purpose of plumping up the narrative?


• Many allusions to events that will occur in book 3 with little focus on the events occurring in book 2.


• Mary Sues


• In fantasy - the doubling or quadrupling of supernatural interactions/fights because who can be bothered writing some character development.


• Book 2 is sometimes a necessary evil for a great home run (book 3.)

My point is....sometimes standalone is better. John Green hasn't written a sequel and neither has Sarah Dessen. The latter has found a great way of giving the reader a glimpse at characters by sprinkling them in her subsequent novels. There's a brush of information and the rest is up to your imagination. It's brilliant.

Not every book needs to be a series. Not every author should be aiming to write a series. Let's face it, that first title was probably a WIP for a substantial amount of time. If that novel is then a success, there will probably be a sequel. A not-necessarily-planned sequel written in very little time or with any forethought. Hence my higher regard for titles that are spanned out over a longer space of time. Not at the beck and call of the publisher. That being said, there are sequels that comes out quickly that are of a high standard, usually as the books have always meant to be part of the series. I can blather on as much as I want. People are sure to find fault in what I am saying.

The thing is...sequels should be well thought out, well written and not published purely for the dollar. They should be motivated by the need to tell more of the story. If there really isn't much more story to tell, the protagonist's journey has been concluded, then there should not be a following novel. It's after this that many of the above points come into play...specifically the artificial conflict created to extend the life of a character.When you simplify a book it's all about what the character wants. And sometimes what I think the character wants is retirement.

That being said, there are many novels that I am eagerly awaiting the next title as they are well written and there is more for the protagonist to achieve. They have been planned as a such but should the series not be released, then the first can be fantastic as a standalone. The balance is tough and not all authors are successful in achieving this balance. But then again, there are many that are and amazingly so.

I have probably missed many ideas but what are your thoughts on sequels...

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In My Mailbox - 12 July

I have just finished my first forty-eight hour challenge having read 10 books, 3043 pages and I'm looking like crap. Reviews that are coming this week: Pink (Lili Wilkinson), Once (Morris Gleitzman), Saltwater Moons (Julie Gittus), Knife (RJ Anderson), So Lyrical (Trish Cook), Beastly (Alex Flinn), Malcolm & Juliet (Bernard Beckett) and An Abundance of Katherines (John Green). I realise this doesn't add up to 10 but I re-read two books that I have previously read.

Sappy Note:
I am in an incredibly lucky position where some very sweet authors are mailing me their novels of late, from both within Australia and abroad. I would like to thank these generous people for doing so personally or through their publishers (the fab F&F and MTV). I am not someone who asks people for their books, ARCs or not, so I feel incredibly blessed and very lucky that people think of me (despite the postage costs).

Also a big shout out to the marvellous people within the Australian publishing houses who I have established (dare I say) strong friendships with. These awesome people have been so unbelievably generous with their books and their time (the gushy emails) that I am constantly pinching myself.

Gush over. Now onto the books.

Gifted:
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder - Julie Halpern
It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school. A self-professed "mathlete," she isn't sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved off his mohawk and started dating...the prom Princess!)... Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way--the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes? If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?

I am a self-confesses geek, so nerds are my brethren (social outcast cousins, so to speak) so I am excited to read this one. I like approachable older brothers in YA too for some reason. I think it speaks to my ongoing wish for one.

Get Well Soon - Julie Halpern
Anna Bloom is depressed -- so depressed that her parents have committed her to a mental hospital with a bunch of other messed-up teens. Here she meets a roommate with a secret (and a plastic baby), a doctor who focuses way too much on her weight, and a cute, shy boy who just might like her.But wait!Being trapped in a loony bin isn't supposed to be about making friends, losing weight, and having a crush, is it?

Julie was super lovely and sent me this one too. It's yellow and had me at the upside down smiley face. It's a hardcover too, something we don't see regularly here so it always gives me a buzz. Though I agree with A2 (Alea), they are bothersome to carry around. Anna Bloom is what I'd like to call the perfect name, it works.

Review:
Grace - Morris Gleitzman
In the beginning there was me and Mum and Dad and the twins.And talk about happy families, we were bountiful.But it came to pass that I started doing sins.And lo, that when all our problems began.

I don't love the cover but I am so excited to read this little gem. Morris is so fantastic as melding humour and issue in a seamless way that kids love. I am going to be interviewing him (soonish) so if you have any questions please tell me.

Billionaire's Curse - Richard Newsome
Someone has stolen the world’s most valuable diamond and a constable lies unconscious in the British Museum, two sedative darts protruding from his backside.
Not something Gerald Wilkins knows or cares anything about.
Not until he finds himself on a private luxury jet heading for London to attend the funeral of a great aunt he has never met. Not until he inherits her estate, worth twenty billion pounds. Not until he opens a bundle of envelopes from his dead great aunt.
Was she murdered? Who stole the diamond? And what is the mysterious casket that everyone seems to be looking for?
With the help of the Valentine twins, the rat-fearing Sam and the gymnastic champ Ruby, Gerald’s got a mystery to solve. A mystery that will take them into secret passageways, a musty bookshop, an ancient crypt, a ruined tower and a colossal cavern where the secret of a priceless treasure lies protected by deadly booby traps.

Sounds a little more MG. I am not overly fond of the action-y novel but let's see.

Beatle Meets Destiny - Gabrielle Williams
Imagine your name is John Lennon, only everyone calls you Beatle.And then you meet your Dream girl and her name is Destiny McCartney.But what if you're already with the perfect girl?A novel about change, chance and everybody doing the wrong thing.

I have heard smashing things about this book, CANNOT wait to crack it open and have a look.

After - Sue Lawson
CJ has been banished to the country to live with his grandparents.
His attempt to fade into the background at his new school is thwarted when Luke Bennett, a boy suffering from a brain injury, befriends him.
Here he learns that no matter how hard you try to run from the past it is always right there in front of you, waiting.

I reviewed this book awhile back but it won't be posted for another month. I was lucky enough to be asked to write a comment for the back cover and since I loved it, I was like 'YES'. As for the comment, I won't post that picture just yet...just know that Persnickety Snark sounds a lot more cluey that I would normally. It's all me but I sound smart, shock horror.

Choices - Dianne Wolfen
Elizabeth has to make the choice of her life. Seventeen and pregnant: does she sacrifice her dreams for a baby, or do something she’s not sure she can live with? Under pressure from her parents, she’s juggling a boyfriend she’s not sure she can trust, a best friend she keeps pushing away and her own indecision. Something’s got to give. It’s the hardest year she’s ever faced — what choice will she make?

Issue books require me to psych myself up to reading them. This one sounds intriguing.

Shutterspeed - AJ Betts
Living alone with his silent father and the shadow cast by his long-dead mother, Dustin waits. All he wants is to slip under the radar and survive what’s left of high school; get through his work at the photo lab, get by. Beyond that lies real life. Then one Sunday, a single photo gets stuck in the processor and it changes everything. The bike in the picture is decent, for once, a Ducati Monster 620, cherry red. The woman beside it is striking too. What begins then as an innocent curiosity in Terri Pavish, her photography, her freedom, her speed, becomes something else, and the past swings full-circle to haunt him.

Hmmm

In Ecstasy - Kate McCaffrey
Mia and Sophie have been best friends forever — but that’s all about to change. Experimenting with alcohol, flirting with boys, and dabbling in drugs, their lives quickly spiral out of control.

This one is supposed to be a doozy. I have yet to read any of Kate's work but I guess an award winner is a great place to start :)

Many of you have asked where you can get Aussie books that haven't been published in the US. I have added a link at the top of the blog (Buying OZYA) full of different online bookstores that will help you out. Cheers and happy reading.

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48 Hour Challenge

I am taking part in the 48 Hour Challenge over at the YA Reads Forum....It's my first proper challenge and I am a little nervous though I have no idea why. My main intent it to make a dent in my continuing to blossom TBR pile of doom.

The challenge started at 3pm today and I didn't start until 6pm - great start eh?

But there are many books I am hoping to churn through:

• Beastly - Alex Flinn (read this evening)
• Knife - RJ Anderson (ditto)
• Once - Morris Gleitzman
• The Agency: A Spy in the House - YS Lee
• So Lyrical - Trish Cook
• ...they are all up for debate, it's what I grab in the moment.

We'll see how I go as I fully intend to sleep regularly.

Two down...many to go :)

Wish me luck.

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Review - Princess Ben / Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Summary - Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available specimen of imbecilic manhood. Starved and miserable, locked in the castles highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire . . . But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat facing the castle and indeed the entire country. Can Princess Ben save her kingdom from annihilation and herself from permanent enslavement?

Review - Princess Ben is a complete departure from the Dairy Queen series in which I feel in love with Catherine Gilbert Murdock's writing. Princess Ben is set in fantastical Montagne where the young princess is orphaned when her parents and uncle, part of the royal party, are attacked. Ben's world is turned upsidedown, she needs to find the strength, courage and ingenuity that she has never needed to use before. Murcock is supreme at crafting complex, stubborn and very relatable female characters. Not only that but this novel, amidst the magical and the amazing, depicted very accurate binge eating as a coping mechanism.

The language used is so very different from Dairy Queen but equally strong. Each character is beautiful drawn with unique voices and motivations. Fairy tales are debunked, the truth of these stories interwoven effortlessly through the narrative. In some ways it reminded me of the Drew Barrymore movie, Ever After but far superior. Ben doesn't need rescuing, she just needs an opportunity.

Murdock plain amazes me and I am very excited to see what her next project will be outside of the Dairy Queen.

Published: March 2008
Format: Paperback, 344 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Origin: USA
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http://www.catherinemurdock.com/

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Waiting on Wednesday - Hollywood Ending

Hollywood Ending - Kathy Charles
Text Publishing (Aust.) - September 2009

Set in a glamorous and seedy Los Angeles, Hollywood Ending is a story that will make your heart skip a beat.
Pink-haired Hilda and endearing punk Benji are two seventeen year olds with an obsessive hobby—they haunt the places where Hollywood celebrities have died.
In rundown Echo Park they find the squalid apartment where a second-rate silent movie star stabbed himself to death. Its current tenant is Hank, an old man with a mysterious past.
While Benji dives deeper into the cult of celebrity death, Hank and Hilda make an unlikely pair. Then Jake the screenwriter turns up. What's his story?

I had heard briefly of this title somewhere a while ago. My memory was triggered last night when the fabulously talented Stephanie Kuehnert tweeted: "...wrote my first "blurb" for a book. Hollywood Ending by Kathy Charles. Dark and disturbing the way good books should be. Unlike any other YA".

This novel has also been blurbed by Australian YA author (and one of my faves), Simmone Howell. She said this about the book "Dark, funny, endlessly fascinating and beautifully human. I stayed up all night reading Hollywood Ending and then had crazy dreams."

Now tell me that you don't want to read this book...

Here's the trailers:

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Where to buy Australian YA online?

You've seen a novel from an Australian author that's not available in your hometown...where do you get your hands on it?

Here's a list of online bookstores that might be able to help you out:
Angus & Robertson
Australian Online Bookshop
Book Caffe
Booktopia
Australia's ...QBD The Bookshop
Boomerang Books
Cokahama Books
Dymocks
Emporium Books
Leading Edge Books
Pages and Pages Booksellers
Readings

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