Lisa Mantchev is a YA debut author, writer of the recently published Eyes Like Stars – an absolutely fabulous, fun book which became one of Ana’s favorite reads this year (reviewed here). We invited Lisa to write a guest post for our YA Appreciation Month and she came up with something….different.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Lisa Mantchev and part of the cast of Eyes Like Stars (and of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), the fairies Moth, Cobweb, Peaseblossom and Mustardseed:

__________

(LISA sits down at the desk in Bertie’s Bedroom Set,, boots up her trusty laptop, and cracks her knuckles.)

MOTH: (Interrupting) Whatcha doin’?

(LISA jumps, nearly upsetting the cappuccino she just procured from the Patisserie Set. The rest of the fairies flit in to land atop the keyboard. MUSTARDSEED jumps repeatedly up and down atop the “Q” key, while PEASEBLOSSOM attempts to delete the extra letters.)

LISA: I’m going to write a guest blog for The Book Smugglers Young Adult Appreciation Month–

COBWEB: I appreciate YA. I appreciate it lots.

MOTH: Oh, really. (Giving him a shove) You don’t even know what YA is.

COBWEB: (Returning the shove and adding a kick to the shins) I do! We have tons of YA stuff in the theater.

MOTH: (Folding his arms) I am not YA, just because I am a fairy.

COBWEB: Not you. (Careening Stage Left and jabbing a finger at The Book.) Look in The Complete Works of the Stage. Lots of young adult material either started as plays or was produced onstage.

PEASEBLOSSOM: Peter Pan.

MUSTARDSEED: Mary Poppins.

COBWEB: Alice in Wonderland.

MOTH: Why does so much of it end up as musicals and pantomimes?

LISA: Because young audience members like singing. And jazz hands. And spirit fingers.

PEASEBLOSSOM: You really should have included more musical numbers in your novel.

LISA: Bertie was of the opinion that one musical number was one musical number too many. Where is she, anyway?

PEASEBLOSSOM: She pilfered some Wicked Green dye from the Wardrobe Department and locked herself in the Ladies’ Chorus loo.

MOTH: (He hops about for a moment, trying to vocalize his next question.) So is children’s theater mostly turn-of-the-century British material? Pip pip, cheerio!

LISA: (With a laugh.) Not just that. The Stinky Cheese Man is newer–

MUSTARDSEED: Oh, I like him!

LISA: –and tons of innovative stuff gets done with puppetry. Plus quite a lot of Neil Gaiman’s work has been produced recently, like Wolves in the Walls.

COBWEB: But why kid’s books? Why not big dreary novels?

LISA: (Leaning one elbow on Bertie’s desk and trying to pretend she doesn’t have a cupcake sequestered in the jewelry box for safekeeping.) Because of the level of imagination involved. It’s great fun to costume and build sets for imaginary lands and fantastic creatures…

MUSTARDSEED: Plus that’s what has lots of Box Office draw. (He pauses and sniffs the air.) Does anyone else smell chocolate?

(Three other fairies’ noses sniff the air.)

LISA: (Trying to distract them) The classics, too, though. Don’t you think that most of Shakespeare’s stuff can be done for kids?

MOTH: Why not? Well, maybe not the blood-and-guts bits, but Taming of the Shrew is actually way more tame than some of the Punch & Judy shows that were around a few years back.

COBWEB: I dunno when children got so precious that would couldn’t show them a good beheading. (Disdainful noise.)

PEASEBLOSSOM: And fairies are not all happy jam sandwiches, either. We are mean and vicious, I tell you!

LISA: It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re covered in that much glitter.

PEASEBLOSSOM: (Looking down) Oh, dear.

LISA: I like that children’s theater isn’t just limited to the stage. When I was teaching English, I used drama a lot in the classrooms… very effective for young students and reluctant readers when you trade books for scripts. That’s called Reader’s Theater, and it can be used for classic novels, multicultural projects, and historical studies.

MOTH: Oh-hoo, look who sounds all knowledgeable and stuff. (Jabs at her with a toothpick) I swear I smell chocolate–

MUSTARDSEED: So what would it take to bring Eyes Like Stars to the stage, you think? Besides four people small enough to play us?

LISA: A big budget and a visionary creative team, I think. Plus figuring out how to flood the auditorium without doing any actual water damage. (She laughs.) The great thing is how much YA material out there today would make spectacular plays. Instead of producing Alice in Wonderland, maybe a theater company should consider The Looking Glass Wars. Some of the realistic young adult novels published in the last few years would do really well as stage plays.

COBWEB: Lots of strong character work going on in those sorts of books, that’s for certain.

MOTH: (Managing to wrest open the jewelry box.) Hey, there’s a cupcake in here!!!

(When the others rush to investigate, LISA slams the lid closed and adds a strip of duct tape as insurance.)

LISA: You surely aren’t your mama’s pixie-dust fae. In the stage version of ELS, you four will be played by evil, sugar-high hummingbirds.

CURTAIN

Lisa Mantchev grew up in the small Northern California town of Ukiah and can pinpoint her first forays into fiction to the short stories she thumped out on an ancient typewriter. She now makes her home on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state with her husband Angel, her daughter Amélie, and four hairy miscreant dogs. When not scribbling, she can be found on the beach, up a tree, making jam or repairing things with her trusty glue gun. Eyes Like Stars (Feiwel & Friends) is her debut novel, and the first in the Théâtre Illuminata trilogy.

A big cheerio to Lisa and Cobweb, Peaseblossom, Mustardseed and Moth (you could have left a cupcake for me, though).

Giveaway details:

We have one copy of Eyes Like Stars to giveaway. The contest is open to anyone, and will run until Saturday August 1st 11:59pm (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment here. Good luck!

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy

Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: August 2009
Hardcover: 400 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel (at least to my knowledge).

Why did I read this book: Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Ms. Stiefvater’s debut novel, Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception (to put it mildly), when I received an advance copy of Shiver I was eager to give the author another shot. A different setting, with different characters, and this time with a new take on werewolves…I was excited. Especially for Young Adult Appreciation Month.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review:

When Grace was a young girl, she was the victim of a freak wolf attack in the woods surrounding her home. She thought she was going to die, when one of the wolves, one with brilliant yellow eyes, fended the others off to protect her. Grace lived, and in the winters ever since her attack, she has always looked into the woods behind her house, always catching a glimpse of those same intense yellow eyes watching her, keeping her safe. Grace has been obsessed with the wolves ever since, always looking for her wolf. When another freak attack occurs in town, and the wolves kill a teenage boy, a hunting party is assembled to shoot the pack in the woods – and Grace is terrified for her wolf. She tries to stop the hunting party, but when she reaches her house she finds a naked, shivering teenage boy on her porch – a naked, shivering teenage boy who has been shot in the shoulder, on her porch. Grace learns that the boy, Sam, is her wolf and that he has been watching her from afar for all these years. Every year during the warm summer, Sam is his human self, but once the temperature drops, Sam turns into a wolf for the winter. And each year, Sam’s summers become shorter and shorter – soon, Sam fears he will turn into a wolf, never to be a human again. Together, Grace and Sam fight to keep him as human, no matter the cost.

So, it’s no secret that I (and Ana!) was not a fan of Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception. Most of my dislike stemmed from a simple but undeniably important keystone for a novel: the characters. I find myself in a similar situation with Shiver. The idea and the premise is fascinating – I love Ms. Stiefvater’s take on the mythos of the werewolf, with the gradual transformation from human to wolf forever in winter. I also cannot deny that Ms. Stiefvater’s descriptions are lovely, and her prose evocative.

But that in itself does not a good story make, and I found myself bored with Shiver. The characters never felt real to me, and the plot – what little of it there actually was – felt shabby and cobbled together.

Grace and Sam are in love. Like, CRAZY in love. Like, they’ll do anything to be together forever and ever and ever in love. Similar to Lament, however, I could not for a second believe that these characters had any reason to be so blindly, worshipfully devoted to each other. Just saying that these two characters are in love and then immediately skipping to all the tortured romance stuff does not make for a believable story. While reading I was constantly asking myself, WHY do these characters love each other so much? This felt much more like obsession to me – and it creeped me out.

*NOTE: I should mention that I loathe tortured love stories of the obsessed nature. Take Romeo and Juliet, for example (which I believe Shiver is supposed to mimic, at least in its tone of desperation). It doesn’t do much for me – which probably makes me anathema in girl romance land.*

Youthful obsession masquerading as love…it bothers me. A LOT. Especially in the context of Shiver (which is essentially Twilight. Replace sparkly stalker vampire with yellow eyed werewolf and it’s pretty much the same story. The subsequent plot differences are mere details). Yes, I get that Grace feels a kinship to her childhood savior wolfboy, and that Sam is obsessed with hottie Grace. They certainly are completely co-dependent and obsessed with each other – but this doesn’t strike me as romantic. Rather, it’s creepy. And completely unhealthy. Beyond their unyielding forever love for each other, Grace and Sam had no other defining characteristics that made them human or remotely believable as characters. Sam is – of course – gorgeous, and sensitive, and he writes romantically corny lyrics in his head all the time, and he writes a song for Grace, and he’s protective and charming and shy and modest, and most importantly he has no other purpose in life but to live for Grace. And Grace is…well, besides totally head over heels in love with Sam…*crickets chirping*…apparently, she knows how to cook. Her parents have fun and don’t really take care of themselves or Grace, so it’s up to quiet, everygirl Grace to make Quiche dinners and check that the fridge is stocked. That is the extent of Grace’s character. The secondary cast of characters is negligible and even less fleshed out than these two protagonists. Furthermore, Shiver is written with alternating chapters from Grace and Sam’s point of views. I found this an intriguing concept, and I appreciated the effort to see the thoughts of both characters – but at times it could be confusing to remember whose head I was in, as Grace and Sam tended to sound exactly the same.

While the characters are sketchy at best, there’s the problem of plotting. Shiver revolves around Grace and Sam’s burningly desperate need to KEEP SAM HUMAN OR ELSE! They spend a lot of time heating up the house and heating up the car, and making sure that Sam only ever spends a split second in the cold running from the house to the car or the car to the house. There’s some half cocked story about a jealous she-wolf that wants Sam all for herself, but that rapidly fizzles out into nothing. There’s a subplot about a new werewolf in town, but honestly, I could care less. Then, there’s the ridiculous ending/resolution of the book. Just…no.

SPOILER: Come on, MENINGITIS is the magic cure!??!?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?! Meningitis. *facepalm* /SPOILER (highlight the white space between spoiler tags to read)

So, unfortunately, Shiver did not work for me. From the weak characters to the poor plot and especially the ridiculous obsessed romance that gave me goosebumps from fear as opposed to delight, I couldn’t bring myself to like this book. I didn’t hate Shiver, but I certainly don’t care for it either.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Here’s chapter 1, from the Scholastic website:

Chapter One Grace
15°F

I remember lying in the snow, a small red spot of warm going cold, surrounded by wolves. They were licking me, biting me, worrying at my body, pressing in. Their huddled bodies blocked what little heat the sun offered. Ice glistened on their ruffs and their breath made opaque shapes that hung in the air around us. The musky smell of their coats made me think of wet dog and burning leaves, pleasant and terrifying. Their tongues melted my skin; their careless teeth ripped at my sleeves and snagged through my hair, pushed against my collarbone, the pulse at my neck.

I could have screamed, but I didn’t. I could have fought, but I didn’t. I just lay there and let it happen, watching the winter-white sky go gray above me.

One wolf prodded his nose into my hand and against my cheek, casting a shadow across my face. His yellow eyes looked into mine while the other wolves jerked me this way and that.

I held on to those eyes for as long as I could. Yellow. And, up close, flecked brilliantly with every shade of gold and hazel. I didn’t want him to look away, and he didn’t. I wanted to reach out and grab a hold of his ruff, but my hands stayed curled on my chest, my arms frozen to my body.

I couldn’t remember what it felt like to be warm.

Then he was gone, and without him, the other wolves closed in, too close, suffocating. Something seemed to flutter in my chest.

There was no sun; there was no light. I was dying. I couldn’t remember what the sky looked like.

But I didn’t die. I was lost to a sea of cold, and then I was reborn into a world of warmth.

I remember this: his yellow eyes.

I thought I’d never see them again.

You can also hear Maggie Stiefvater read the first two chapters aloud HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Although I didn’t care much for Shiver, I absolutely love the book trailer that Maggie Stiefvater created herself (from paper cutouts and composed the music too!). Gorgeous.

And here’s the official book trailer, which isn’t bad either:

Verdict: Shiver simply wasn’t for me. The characters didn’t work and I’m uncomfortable with obsession love stories. Certainly Shiver is written well enough, and will appeal to fans of Ms. Stiefvater’s earlier work & to those of the romantic Twilight persuasion – but it’s not the book for me.

For another take on Shiver, I highly encourage all readers to give Angie’s Review (of Angieville) a try.

Rating: 5 Meh, Take it or leave it

Reading Next: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Title: Cybele’s Secret

Author: Juliet Marillier

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Knopf Books
Publication Date: September 2008
Hardcover: 448 Pages

Stand alone or series: Can be read as a stand alone novel, but is the companion book/sequel to Wildwood Dancing.

Why did I read this book: I love Juliet Marillier’s writing, and I loved Wildwood Dancing. Naturally, I had to have Cybele’s Secret too.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
FOR PAULA, ACCOMPANYING her merchant father on a trading voyage to Istanbul is a dream come true. They have come to this city of trade on a special mission to purchase a most rare artifact—a gift from the ancient goddess, Cybele, to her followers. It’s the only remnant of a lost, pagan cult.

Meanwhile, Paula doesn’t know who she can trust in Istanbul, and finds herself drawn to two very different men. As time begins to run out, Paula realizes they may all be tied up in the destiny of Cybele’s Gift, and she must solve the puzzle before unknown but deadly enemies catch up to her. . . .

Review:

Paula, the studious, scholarly sister of Piscul Draculi, begins her own adventure in Cybele’s Secret. With all her sisters married and happily situated (besides the youngest, Stela), Paula longs for adventure and a chance to challenge her sharp mind – and with her father’s latest merchant charter for an ancient, priceless artifact, Paula finally encounters the adventure she has always longed for. Paula’s strong head for languages and numbers and her father’s affection secure her a spot on the ship headed for Istanbul to procure the mythical Cybele’s Gift, rumored to hold the engraved words from the old Goddess herself and to bestow wisdom and good fortune to any who possess it. Of course, no one has ever seen the artifact but Paula and her father are determined to buy it, for the price they can sell it for will secure the family at Piscul Draculi forever. Although the reemergence of the Gift is supposed to be a secret, many of the best merchants in Istanbul have already heard the news and compete fiercely for the priceless prize, including a ruthless Portuguese pirate. And because of this danger – and the cultural mores that women must adhere to in public – Paula’s father hires a young, serious man named Stoyan as their bodyguard. Paula turns to her scholarly talents to research Cybele’s Gift, looking to understand its origins in hopes of securing the artifact. But as disappearances of would-be buyers in the city continue and mysterious visions come to Paula in her dreams and in her studies, she knows that her time may finally have come. It is Paula’s time to return to the Other Kingdom and complete harrowing tasks set out for her from those of that other ream, if she is brave enough to seize the adventure and love she has always craved.

Though Cybele’s Secret is a companion novel/sequel to Wildwood Dancing, these two books could not be more different – but they are both completely enchanting, lush reads. While Wildwood Dancing explores the mist-shrouded woods of Transylvania, Cybele’s Secret turns to the heat and exotic colors of Turkey – and the setting itself is a vibrant character in this novel. The descriptions of customs, from Irene’s hamam (or Turkish Baths) to haggling over vivid swaths of cloth in the marketplace, are stunning, evocative visuals. I loved it. Also, so many fantasy novels are set in the European Forest, with the same type of supernatural fae and creatures from that pantheon – but Cybele’s Secret turns to different pagan Gods from a very different realm. While I do love Ms. Marillier’s take on Celtic myths and the cool beauty of the forests of Sevenwaters or those surrounding Piscul Draculi, this departure to an entirely new locale, with an entirely new realm of Gods is truly brilliant.

The characters too are expertly drawn – in this novel, the studious, introverted Paula yearns for adventure and she receives it in spades. Paula is forced to confront her own fears and step outside of her comfortable realm of books and parchment, but she is not without her own stumblings and missteps – which only makes her more believable, more real as a character. Comparing Paula and Jena is an impossible task as these two sisters are completely different people, but both are undeniably wonderful heroines. I loved Paula’s intellect and how she sometimes could be too smart for her own good, overlooking the obvious solution for something more complicated – in this sense, Paula is tested far beyond Jena in the prior novel.

In this book we also get a closer look at Teodor Brasov, Paula’s father, who is largely missing from Wildwood Dancing. His relationship with Paula, and in fact his closeness with all his daughters, is apparent here and is a touching sentiment, as is his trust in Paula’s judgment. Of course, the other stars of this story are Stoyan (Paula’s solid, loyal bodyguard) and Duarte (the charming pirate). The relationships that unfold between these three characters may seem to be of the classic love triangle variety – but it’s not, really. I won’t spoil, but suffice to say that there really is only one choice for Paula. I loved the backstories for both Stoyan, as the Bulgar searching for his stolen brother, and Duarte as the surprisingly noble pirate. The other standout character is Paula’s new-made friend in Istanbul, the beautiful Greek scholar Irene. Charismatic, intelligent, and ambitious, the older Irene takes Paula under her wing, along with other women in the city who are barred from men-only libraries and social settings. Irene is complicated, but again another shining character in Ms. Marillier’s writing.

As for Cybele’s Gift itself – well, suffice to say that there is adventure abound in Cybele’s Secret. Paula, Stoyan and Duarte are tested harshly in their quest together with the Gift, undergoing a series of seemingly impossible tasks. I love these sort of quest/Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade type of stories, and Cybele’s Secret does it with the best of them.

I absolutely loved this book.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

The deck tilted to port, and I tilted with it, grabbing at a rope to keep my balance. One day out from Constanta, the wind had turned contrary and the waters of the Black Sea rose and fell under the Stea de Mare’s belly like a testy horse trying to unseat its rider.

“You have excellent sea legs, Paula,” my father commented. He stood perfectly balanced, a veteran of more merchant voyages than he could count. This was my first.

The sail crackled in the wind. The crewmen, grim-jawed and narrow-eyed, were struggling to keep the one-master under control. When they glanced my way, their expressions were hostile.

“It unsettles them to have a woman on board,” my father said. “Ignore it. It’s superstitious nonsense. They know me, and you’re my daughter. If the captain doesn’t like it, he shouldn’t have accepted my silver.”

“It doesn’t bother me, Father,” I said through gritted teeth. Having good sea legs didn’t mean I relished the bobbing motion of the boat or the constant drenching in salt spray. Nor did I much care for the sense that if the Stea de Mare sank, these sailors would put the blame on me. “Is this going to delay us, Father?”

“It may, but Salem bin Afazi will wait for us in Istanbul. He understands what this means for me, Paula–the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“I know, Father.” There was a treasure waiting for us in the great city of the Turks, the kind of piece merchants dream of laying their hands on just once in their lives. Father wouldn’t be the only prospective buyer. Fortunately, he was a skillful negotiator, patient and subtle.

When he had first agreed to take me with him, it had been to allow me to broaden my horizons now that I was in my eighteenth year, to let me see the world beyond the isolated valley where we lived and the merchant towns of Transylvania that we sometimes visited.

But things had changed on the journey. Just before we were due to embark, Father’s secretary, Gabriel, had tripped coming down a flight of steps in the Black Sea port of Constanta. The resultant broken ankle was now being tended to in the physician’s house there while the Stea de Mare bore Father and me on to Istanbul. It was most fortunate that I spoke perfect Greek and several other languages and that I had Father’s full trust. While I could not take Gabriel’s place as his official assistant, I could, at the very least, be his second set of ears. It would be a challenge. I could hardly wait.

The wind had brought rain, the same drenching spring rain that fell on our mountains back home, flooding streams and soaking fields. It scoured the planks of the deck and wrapped the ship in a curtain of white. From where I stood, I could barely see the sail, let alone the bow cutting its way through choppy seas. The crew must be steering our course blind.

Father was shouting something above the rising voice of the wind, perhaps suggesting we should go below until things calmed down. I pretended not to hear. The tiny cabins we had been allocated were stuffy and claustrophobic. Being enclosed there only emphasized the ship’s movement, and one could not lie on the narrow bunk without dwelling on how exactly one would get out should the Stea de Mare decide to sink.

“Get down, Paula!” Father yelled. A moment later a huge, dark form loomed up behind us. A scream died in my throat before I could release it. Another ship–a tall threemaster, so close I screwed my eyes shut, waiting for the sickening crunch of a collision. It towered above us. The moment it hit us, we would begin to go down.

Running steps, shouts, the clank of metal. I opened my eyes to see our crew diving across the deck, snatching implements to fend off the approaching wall of timber. Everyone was yelling. The helmsman and his assistant heaved on the wheel. I clutched on to Father, and the two of us ducked down behind the flimsy protection of a cargo crate, but I couldn’t bear not knowing what was happening. I peered over the crate, my heart racing.

Aboard the three-master, a motley collection of sailors was busy hauling on ropes and scrambling up rigging while an equally mixed group had assembled by the rail, long poles extended across and downward in our direction. There were about two arm’s lengths between us.

“Poxy pirate!” I heard our captain snarl as he strode past. A shudder went through the bigger ship, as if it were drawing a difficult breath, and then the two vessels slid by one another, a pair of dancers performing a graceful aquatic pavane.

The wind gusted, snatching my red headscarf and tossing it high. As the scrap of scarlet crossed the divide between the boats, I saw a man set a booted foot on the rail of the three-master and swing up with graceful ease to stand balanced on the narrow rim. He took hold of a rope with one casual hand, then leaned out over the churning waters to pluck the scarf from midair while the ship moved on under full sail. The sailor was tall, his skin darker than was usual in my homeland, his features striking in their sculpted strength. As I stared, the fellow tilted himself back with the ship’s natural movement and leaped down to the deck, tucking the red scarf into his belt. He did not glance in my direction. The big ship moved away, and I saw its name in gold paint on the side: Esperança.

“Close,” muttered Father. “Altogether too close.”

Despite my pounding heart, I felt more intrigued than frightened. “Did the captain say pirate?” I asked, unrealistic images of weathered seafarers with exotic birds or monkeys on their shoulders flashing through my mind.

“If he did,” Father said, “we must be glad the fellow didn’t seize the opportunity to board us. I want to get my goods to Istanbul in one piece. Perhaps he knew all I had was hides and wheat. We’ll be more of a prize on the way back.”

Additional Thoughts: On covers once more – I love the covers for both Wildwood Dancing and especially this cover for Cybele’s Secret. Unlike other covers we’ve discussed here on The Book Smugglers recently, every nuance, every detailed illustration has something to do with the story. Reading the book, especially the harrowing tasks near the end of the novel, I kept flipping back to the cover to search for the matching picture. One of Paula’s studies in Irene’s library is over a piece of parchment with illustrations with secret meaning – and the cover of Cybele’s Secret is the perfect translation of Paula’s efforts.

And speaking of covers…Juliet Marillier returns to Young Adult fiction this September with Heart’s Blood – and I cannot wait. Check out the US, UK, and Australian covers, and the synopsis below:

A haunted forest. A cursed castle. A girl running from her past and a man who’s more than he seems to be. A tale of love, betrayal and redemption…

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress of a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people; the woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

And yet the derelict fortress is a safe haven for Caitrin, the troubled young scribe who is fleeing her own demons. Despite Anluan’s tempers and the mysterious secrets housed in the dark corridors, this long-feared place provides the refuge she so desperately needs.

As time passes, Caitrin learns there is more to the broken young man and his unusual household than she realised. It may be only through her love and determination that the curse can be lifted and Anluan and his people set free . . .

The Australian cover wins for me, hands down (though the UK version is beautiful too!). The US cover…not so much.

Verdict: A beautiful, thrilling story. From the vibrant backdrop of Istanbul, to the flawed but very human and touching characters, I loved Cybele’s Secret. Another favorite, notable read for 2009, easily. (Though if I were forced to pick between Wildwood Dancing and Cybele’s Secret, I would still probably pick Wildwood Dancing as my favorite of the two!)

Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Wildwood Dancing

Author: Juliet Marillier

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Knopf Books
Publication Date: January 2007
Hardcover: 416 pages

Stand alone or series: Can be read as a stand alone novel, but has a companion book/sequel titled Cybele’s Secret.

Why did I read this book: It’s no surprise that I love Juliet Marillier – her Heir to Sevenwaters was one of my top 10 reads of last year, and her Sevenwaters Series is among my all-time favorites (Heck, with some arm twisting I even got Ana to read Daughter of the Forest and, of course, she loved it). With our Young Adult Appreciation Month, I finally had the perfect excuse to read Juliet Marillier’s YA novels – reads which were long overdue!

Summary: (from amazon.com)
High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It’s an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle’s hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

When Cezar’s grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can’t imagine–tests of trust, strength, and true love.

Review:

The second eldest of five sisters, Jena lives a quiet but magical life in the far reaches of Transylvania, in an old, eccentric castle called Piscul Draculi. Jenna isn’t breathtakingly beautiful like her eldest sister Tatiana, nor is she a scholar like Paula, a flirtatious girl like Iulia, or sweetly innocent like her youngest sister Stela – but Jena is solid and steadfast. She is strong, adventurous, and she has her constant companion, a frog named Gogu, whom only she can understand and talk to. For as long as all five sisters have lived in Piscul Draculi, on every night of the full moon they have been able to open a secret portal to the Other Kingdom, where they dance the night away in their own Dancing Glade with the magical creatures that live there.

Everything is perfect for Jena and her sisters, until two events change the girls’ world forever. First, at their last visits to the Other Kingdom, a strange new group of dangerous creatures known as the Night People are also guests at the Dancing Glade – and one very solemn young man, named Sorrow, of their number has stolen Tatiana’s heart. Though Jena tries to warn Tati against the Night People and their viscious ways, she will not give up Sorrow. Then, the girls’ father leaves on a merchant trip, with responsibility of the castle falling to Jena since Tati is too busy mooning over her new love, making sure the day to day affairs run smoothly, and taking care of her sisters. However, Jena and her sisters soon learn that their father has taken very ill, and won’t be able to return home for some long months – if at all. As their mother died giving birth to Stela, the girls only have their father and cousins in the neighboring castle for family, and this is all cousin Cezar needs to move in on Piscul Draculi, asserting his power over his ‘feeble’ female cousins (for their own good, of course). With only the help of her loyal, closest friend Gogu, Jena must fend off Cezar’s anger and his bitter hatred of the Other Kingdom – for if she loses control of Piscul Draculi, Cezar threatens to burn the woods that contain the Other Kingdom with it.

Wildwood Dancing is another masterpiece from Juliet Marillier – I love and at the same time fear reading her books. Love, because I know instantly I will be swept away with the magic lilt of her prose and enchtanting fantasy worlds; fear, because once I’ve had a fix of Marillier, everything I read afterwards seems bland and pale in comparison. Such is Wildwood Dancing. Instantly, I fell in love with the tenacious Jena and her constant companion Gogu; I loved Piscul Draculi, the world of the Other Kingdom, the tasks and tests each character had to pass, and of course, the heady romantic magic of it all. I could connect with Jenna’s sense of responsibility, and her missteps and misunderstandings that stemmed from this sensibility – as a heroine, Jena is far from flawless, but this endears her as a character.

And then, there’s Gogu.

I should mention that I am a tad bit biased – I love frogs. Gogu is a perfect frog name, and this charming take on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and the Princess and the Frog fables is beautiful. With Gogu and Jena’s relationship, of course you know what’s coming from a mile away – but the charm of this tale isn’t in some surprising twist, but rather in the beautiful execution of the story.

And beautifully executed Wildwood Dancing is. Juliet Marillier’s prose is elegant and lovely as always. Every character in the story (with two exceptions) are vibrant and powerful – even the angry Cezar is completely relatable. Perhaps this is why I love Ms. Marillier’s characters so much – for even the villainous characters have their own reasons and are presented in a light that is if not sympathetic, at least understandable.

My only irritation with this otherwise flawless piece of literature – and yes, Wildwood Dancing is among one of the best books I have read this year, for young adults and adults alike – lies with the eldest sister, Tatiana, and her tortured love affair with Sorrow. Not that their love isn’t understandable or that I am not sympathetic to the cause of young love – but COME ON. I abhor obsessed, doomed romances. Sorry. These sort of characters that literally waste away from lovesickness, as Tati does, irritate me to no end. I have absolutely zero tolerance for this kind of nonsense. Maybe because I’m not that romantic, but Tati’s plight in the castle – while the rest of her sisters have to pick up the slack – is incredibly annoying. Of course, that is simply my opinion.

Despite this minor annoyance, I loved Wildwood Dancing, and it is one of the best books I have read in 2009. Highly, highly recommended!

Notable Quotes/Parts: I love Jena and Gogu’s exchanges so much.

I peered at him. In the candlelight he was just a green blob on the pillow. “You can stay home if you don’t want to do this, Gogu,” I said, realizing that he was as terrified as I was. “I could go by myself.” At Dark of the moon, I’d left him behind. The thought of doing that again, of braving the witch of the wood without my dearest companion by my side, made me feel sick. But it was unfair to drag him along when he was so scared.

You d-don’t want me to c-come? You would l-leave me b-behind again? His whole body drooped.

“Of course I want you, stupid! I’m petrified of going alone. I’m just trying to spare you.”

Then we will g-go together, Jena.

“You realize I’ve got no idea how to find her?”

We’ll find her.

“I hope so,” I said, sitting up to blow out the candle. “And I hope she’s prepared to help us. Good night, Gogu. Sweet dreams. Up at dawn, remember.”

This pillow is my best place, Jena.

“What?” I squinted at him in the darkness, but his eyes were already closed.

Additional Thoughts: The Twelve Dancing Princesses fable is an enchanting tale that is retold here in Wildwood Dancing, and in other YA novels. This book marks the second retelling of the fable that I’ve read this year – the other being Jessica Day George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball.

Are there any other Twelve Princesses retellings I should be reading?

Verdict: An absolutely beautiful debut YA novel that should be read by everyone. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2009.

Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: Cybele’s Secret by Juliet Marillier

Karen Mahoney ( a.k.a. Official Honorary Book Smuggler) is a Young Adult writer whose first story, Falling to Ash has been published in The Eternal Kiss Anthology (reviewed today by Ana) . She is also one of the Deadline Dames and can be found writing about writing, reading and other cool stuff in her livejournal. When we were organising the YA month ,we just knew we would invite her over.

We are more than happy to give the floor to Karen Mahoney and her post on writing YA.

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Eternal Teenagers

I write YA fiction because every time I sit down to write something, my characters turn out to be 17 or 18. Apparently, this means I write YA. I think I’m drawn to these ages because this is when a lot happened in my own life, and those experiences always seem more important and powerful when you’re going through all the inevitable changes that the teenage years bring. All those ‘first times’ that we go through… It makes for wonderful drama and conflict in fiction. The potential for emotional writing is huge, and I love writing big emotional scenes. I remember how brave I could be at 17 – there’s a fearless quality to being a teenager that I wish I could get back.

I used to work with older teens, as a student advisor, and I learned so much during that time. I think it was then that I realised I wanted to focus on the teenage years in my fiction. Now that I’m writing YA urban/contemporary fantasy, I can allow my imagination to soar while still grounding myself in the very real issues of what it’s like to be growing up in today’s society. To think that I’m writing books and stories that might one day be read by young adults who experience things so passionately… that just blows me away!

My story in THE ETERNAL KISS, ‘Falling to Ash’, is about an 18-year-old vampire called Moth. She was Turned into a vamp over a decade ago, so she’s really a 28-year-old woman stuck in the body of a teenager. I love thinking about all the questions and issues that raises: imagine being trapped as a teenager for eternity… How would you change and grow? Would you develop as a regular human being should do, or would you always be just a little immature? (Moth can be quite immature and impetuous, but at the same time the wisdom of her years shows through when she needs it.) How would it feel to see ‘real’ teenagers enjoying life, while you just continue on the way you’ve always been? Never growing physically older, but perhaps feeling the weight of years as each one passes. Imagine how it would affect your family and friends. What would you tell them? Would you tell them? All these things I’ve explored with Moth, and packing it into 32 pages wasn’t easy! Luckily, I’ve now written a novel about her (BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS) which I hope will be picked up by a publisher one day. Watch this space…

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In her varied career Karen Mahoney has been a professional Tarot reader, a college counsellor, a dating agency consultant and a bookseller. Ever since she was six years old what she really wanted to be was Wonder Woman, but has instead settled for being a writer which she thinks is the most fun you can have without bulletproof bracelets.

Her YA contemporary fantasy, THE IRON WITCH (Book 1 of The Ironbridge Chronicles), is currently on submission in the US. Among other work she has recently completed a companion novel, BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS, which is set in the same world but completely stands alone. It continues the adventures of Moth, the teenage vampire who was introduced to readers in her recently published short story, ‘Falling to Ash’.

A huge thank you to Karen for the great post.

Now for the giveaway:

Karen is generously offering a signed copy of The Eternal Kiss to one lucky reader! The contest is open to anyone, and will run until Saturday August 1st 11:59pm (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment here. Good luck!

Title: The Eternal Kiss

Author: Various – see list below.

Genre: YA (all vampire stories)

Publisher: Running Press
Publishing date: July 28, 2009
Paperback: 416 pages

Stand alone or series: both. Some stories are stand alone some are part of series.

Summary: There’s an allure to vampire tales that have seduced readers for generations. From Bram Stoker to Stephanie Meyer and beyond, vampire stories are here to stay. For those fresh-blooded fans of paranormal romance or for those whose hunt and hunger never dies, these stories have what readers want! This collection of original tales comes from some of the hottest, most popular, and best-selling YA writers.

Why did I read the book: FULL DISCLOSURE – I don’t usually read anthologies but I just had to read this one mainly for two reasons: my friend Karen Mahoney has a story in it (hooray!) and I was very happy and proud about it! And because of Sarah Rees Brennan ‘s story –she is now an instant-buy for me.

Review:

The Eternal Kiss is a new anthology for Young Adults with 13, vampire-themed short stories. In all honesty, usually I find that anthologies have one or two stories that are REALLY good and the remaining ones, mediocre at best (unless we are talking about Neil Gaiman and the book Smoke and Mirrors, but I digress). To my surprise, I found The Eternal Kiss to be a really well-balanced collection of stories and I ended up enjoying all of them (although some more than others, of course). It also worked really well for me as a taster for I had never read any book by most of these writers before. I particularly enjoyed Maria Snyder, Rachel Caine and Kelley Armstrong’s writing – Thea has been raving about these writers for some time now and I am yet to pick up their books. Their stories here gave me the final push, definitely.

Another aspect that is relevant to mention is how diverse these stories are: some of them are self-contained, others are clearly connected to other stories by the authors or the beginning of a larger tale. There is also a great variety in the way the vampires are approached (good vampires, bad vampires, romantic vampires, etc) and with regards to the genre of each story: there is Comedy, Romance, a lot of Horror and Urban Fantasy.

Now, for the stories themselves in the order they appear in the anthology :

Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney – a Vampire called Moth reunites with her sire (whom she may or may not love) and he tasks her to get the ashes of a staked vampire kept by the vampire hunter who killed him. He meets with the hunter’s son and they have a stand-off. I really liked Moth and her attitude – how can you not love a young(ish) vampire girl named Moth. Really? – and there are a couple of cool fighting sequences and an interesting spin on vampire lore. This is clearly an open-ended story and the author has been working on Moth’s story.

Shelter Island by Melissa de la Cruz – a 15 year old girl who lives in a mysterious holiday place – Shelter Island – and one night is visited by a vampire boy who is terrified of someone out there. This is a very short story and although I liked the writing well enough and the idea behind the story , this was also the one tale that frustrated me the most. Note to Young Adults out there: if you find that there is a vampire living inside your closet you run for help, you scream for your parents, you pick up a lamp and throw at him, you FREAK OUT. You do not, I repeat, do not, keep it a secret and then offer your neck as a sustenance. Just saying.

Sword Point by Maria V. Snyder – Ava is a very driven teenage girl who loves fencing and wishes to make the Olympics. She starts training at the Academy of the Sword and then meets a guy named Jarrett who is a martial arts instructor and who ends up introducing Ava to the supernatural world. This is one of the stories where vampires =BAD. I was surprised at how in such a short amount of pages, Maria Snyder was able to convey a lot about Ava and I really liked this character and her voice.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black – Ah. Easily one of the best stories in the book – another one where vampires are not really GOOD. A young girl tries to fight becoming a vampire after she is bitten. If she manages not to drink blood for a number of days, the venom is expelled – she does that by being constantly drunk. But it is hard and even harder when she finds out that a friend and the guy she loves have gone to Coldtown, where the vampires live. This is a pretty atmospheric and horrific self-contained tale. I loved it.

Undead is Very Hot Right Now by Sarah Brennan – Hands down my favourite story in the anthology and worth the purchase just for this one. I have read Sarah Rees Brennan’s book The Demon’s Lexicon (recently released) and found that I really like her brand of sarcastic humour, something that is really evident in this short story. Basically, a young vampire joins a boy band and hilarity ensues as he tries to fit in this new world. Do you know how in each boy band, there is always one that is the “hot” one, or the “cool” one? Christian is the “gimmick” and every single cliché about boy bands and vampires are explored here to maximum laugh out loud factor.

Kat by Kelley Armstrong – I thought this to be a very interesting story as Kat and her vampire guardian flee some unknown pursuers. Kat is the result of a genetic experiment and she knows that she is a paranormal being of some sort (she wishes she could be a were-cat) but so far there is no evidence of WHAT she is. I like the dynamics between Kat and her foster mother and the fighting scenes were cool too. It reads like the beginning of a new series.

The Thirteenth Step by Libba Bray – Another one of the more “horrific” variety in which a girl finds a job at a House for recovering addicts. She is driven there because of her own, unhappy family story with drugs and her need to do something. Unfortunately things are not what it seems and there is a thirteenth step that all must go through. There is a bit of romance to counterbalance the horror of a self-contained story.

All Hallows by Rachel Caine – This is the only story that is part of a larger series, The Morganville Vampires series. I have not read any of them but I was not lost when I read All Hollows. It did make me wonder about the overall story arc though – seems pretty interesting. Eve Rosser dates a vampire and then he goes missing and together with some friends (including a hunter) she goes after him.

Wet Teeth by Cecil Castellucci – I loved the opening sentence of this one, with a vampire musing about how pieces of skin always remain on his teeth after he bites someone. It is a very appropriate opening to a creepy story – it sets the mood just fine. Another horror story and a sad one at that. Boy meets girl and there is no happily ever after.

Other Boys by Cassandra Clare- there is a new guy in school and he says he is a vampire – attracting the girl who is the main character. Things are not what they seem though and there is a twist. This one is another horror story and even though it wasn’t bad, it didn’t rock my world either.

Passing by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié – Now, this one has an interesting premise. In a post Vampire -apocalypse world, a group of students go to the Academia, in Spain (love the setting) to learn how to become hunters. There is a lot of background that was left out but the story is interesting enough and I wouldn’t mind reading more about it. Here is hoping for a series.

Ambition by Lili St. Crow – I think this is the darkest of the stories in the anthology, one that has an ending open for interpretation and no matter how much I think of it, I only come up with this terrifying feeling. This is a story of bullies and high school separation of class – and also about a girl who ends up being seduced (and dazed) by the dark side. I sort of liked it, in a totally creepy kind of way. Reminded me of Heathers.

All Wounds by Dina James – another one that seems to be the beginning of a new series with a girl struggling to make do with going to school and taking care of her grandmother who seems to be losing her mind. Then, she discovers that there is more to her family than she thought and that things like vampires and hellhounds are very much real. And …there is a set up for a Love Triangle of Doom and god damn me, I liked both guys.

And check out the Australian cover:

Which one do you prefer?

Additional Thoughts: Karen Mahoney will be here later today guest blogging about writing for Young Adults and you will have a chance to win a signed copy of The Eternal Kiss.

Verdict: overall, a pretty good collection of short stories. Horror seems to be the main genre though, so if you are looking for HEA and Romance you won’t find it in here.

Rating: 7 very good.

Reading Next: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

It is safe to say that I spend most of my free time reading. I read three to four books every week, sometimes more. I am very careful with what I choose to read which means that most of the books I read, I end up enjoying at least to some degree. But it is rare, extremely rare, to read a book that falls in that category of Books for Life. You know the ones: those that take over your heart and your mind, that even when you are reading you know that you are experiencing something unique, a connection with a story and its characters (that only serial readers can understand); those that you know will remain with you, forever.

I experienced such rapture when I read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss earlier in the year, and to my utter surprise and delight, again a few weeks ago when I finally read The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner.

This series came under my radar only recently when Angie from Angieville started to blog about the books with not a little amount of excitement. From then on, I started to see more and more people talking about them with such fervor that I thought I should give them a try. And, HOLY GUACAMOLE.

I am totally, irrevocably, head over heels in love with this series. I knew I would have to review these books eventually, I had hoped to do so during this YA Month but I also realised that I had a decision to make: I could either review each book in the series separately or I could review the series as whole. The former would naturally lead to spoilers being revealed and since these books cannot, should not be spoiled, I opted for the latter by writing an overall review of the series, spoiler free. This is what I am trying to do here – although I am fully aware that so far, I only managed to basically behave like a fan-girl.

But it cannot be helped. I now completely understand the fervor, the excitement that this series inspire. As I was reading the books, as the pages were being turned I had only one thought in mind: this is why I read. THIS is why I read. THIS IS WHY I READ. And it all comes down to one word: Eugenides.

Gen, Eugenides is a thief. He boasts that he can steal anything. That lands him in the King of Sounis’ prison where he spends a couple of months until he is offered, by the King’s Magus, his freedom but in return he has to steal something that people don’t even think really exists.

This is how the whole thing opens, in The Thief and we are told about this expedition in search of the Gift, by Gen himself, a humorous narrator of this dashing adventure across the neighbouring countries of Sounis, Eddis and Attolia. This person, this ragamuffin, lazy, starved boy – can he really steal anything?

But you see, Gen is extremely clever, a fact which the reader and his companions in the first adventure, come to slowly realise. Close to the end of that book, we learn something that is crucial to the entire series – that Gen is actually cleverer than anyone else. And there is something else too, something that makes him important. But that doesn’t matter to us here and now, because what really matters is how amazing Gen is. By the end of book 1, it is impossible not to like the guy or his “voice”.

Then book 2 starts, and shock of the shocks. Gen is no longer the narrator – the narrative has shifted to third person with Gen’s, the Queen of Eddis’ and the Queen of Attolia’s PoV. At first, it is almost painful to lose Gen’s narration but then somewhere in the middle of the reading it hits you with a certainty:

OF COURSE the narrative has to change.

Because this is a different book. It is still the same story but progress has been made. Because now, the destiny of countries is at stake, war is brewing in the horizon between Attolia, Eddis and Sounis. This is a more sophisticated book, it has political discussion , political intrigue, it discusses the role that the Gods play in the fate of men and nations.

In the beginning of the series, Gen is a boy. A cocky, impetuous, adventurous, conniving boy. When book 2 starts, something terrible happens (did I say shock of the shocks before? Well, this is even more shocking) that shapes the man Eugenides becomes. A man who has now to steal more than a simple object: he is tasked to steal a man, a woman and peace.

The way he does it, takes us back to more twists like in the first book. And we, once again, are surprised by how clever Eugenides is. Even if we expect it by now.

Then book 3 starts. Once again, a shock. The book is entirely from the point of view of a character we never saw before. As the book progresses, the certainty hits once more:

OF COURSE the narrative has to change.

Because this time, this time we KNOW how clever Gen is. But no one else does. Including Costis, the narrator, a member of the Queen of Attolia’s Guard who commits the mistake of underestimating Eugenides. And this is the genius of Megan Whalen Turner because in book 3, we, the readers, are Eugenides’s accomplices. We sit back and wait for the coin to drop for everybody else as it has dropped for us in books 1 and 2. This is about pay-off, about Eugenides stealing respect and a kingdom. And what a story this is.

This is a series of books that have deep meanings, hidden clues throughout the story. Where everything matters from the type of clothes someone wears, to the reason behind a pair of earrings being worn at a particular right time, to the declaration of love that the raising of one’s eyebrow is.

And speaking of love: there is also romance in these books. It starts towards the middle of book 2 and it takes centre stage in book 3. But not in it a blatant way: the romance is subtle, almost private (especially in book 3) and I am not exaggerating when I say it is the most amazing romance I have read of late. It is unexpected and it is unusual. For starters, Eugenides is shorter and younger than the person he loves. But she is everything he ever wanted and he is everything she ever needed. Because of that, their dynamic is simply awesome and there is no other word for it. And what Eugenides is to his lady is aw-worthy at the same time that it is powerful. This is good stuff, plain and simple.

To sum up: I was lost in the world of Attolia and Eddis and I did not want to get away from it. I would be remiss if I didn’t say one last thing: that the female characters in the series are extremely capable, intelligent, strong, and I admired both of then, the two Queens, as different as they were in their personalities, immensely.

If you like unreliable narrators, cons, plot twists, political intrigue, character development, mythology, stories within stories, strong female characters and heart-warming romance and above all, a male protagonist that is all kinds of awesome, you should look no further than this series. It is not a perfect series by any means – there is change in pacing from one book to another, and the first book is clearly for a younger audience than the other two books. This is why, in my opinion, they should be read as a collection of books and not individually. I still love them though, flaws and all.

At the end of book three, Eugenides has stolen: a gift; a man; a woman; peace; a kindgom. He has also stolen my heart.

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I know how cryptic this overview has been and that I did not provide any real details about the story. I still think you should find them out by yourself by reading the books, but if you want to know more you can read these reviews:

Angieville’s: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia

One last word: book 4 in the series, A Conspiracy of Kings is coming out in 2010. It is safe to say it my most anticipated book for 2010 along with The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss.

Now you will have to excuse me, because writing this made me want to read these books all over again.

Title: Kiss of Life

Author: Daniel Waters

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Zombies

Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: May 2009
Hardcover: 416 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 2 in the ongoing Generation Dead series.

Why did I read this book: I loved Daniel Waters’s first book in the series, Generation Dead and upon the cliffhanger-type of ending, I knew I needed to read Kiss of Life immediately.

**As this is a review of book 2 in a series, it necessarily contains SPOILERS for book 1, Generation Dead. If you have not read the first book and do not wish to be spoiled, refrain from reading this review (and in fact, refrain from reading ANY synopses for this book as even the summary below has spoilers). YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

Summary: (from amazon.com)
The phenomenon that’s been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they’re calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie — her Homecoming date Tommy Williams — her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can’t seem to live without.

Review:

At the end of Generation Dead, Adam has taken a bullet meant for Phoebe, and he has died….and come back again. Wracked with guilt, Phoebe makes it her top priority to take care of Adam, and to show him how loved he is in order for him to come back more fully, in accordance to Tommy’s theory – he believes that the difference between highly functioning zombies and those who are less recovered is because of the acceptance and even love they are shown by their families and friends. Adam struggles with his inability to speak and move, as well as with his own feelings of guilt for “trapping” Phoebe into being his constant babysitter. Adam has always loved Phoebe, though she has only ever seen him as a friend and was oblivious to his feelings for her, and now as one of the differently biotic, Adam does not want his Pheeble’s pity.

Things have changed in this small town – Pete, Adam’s killer, faces trial but finds support from a mysterious group, and at the same time someone has been framing the local zombies with malicious and dangerous crimes. The Hunter Foundation’s enrollment drops, and the high school participants begin to question its methods and motivations. The lines between the living and the undead are being drawn, and a bitter conflict awaits – and Phoebe, Adam and their friends are caught in the middle.

I was taken completely by surprise with Generation Dead. The kitschy cover put me in the mind of a silly, lighthearted ZomCom, but that impression could not be farther from the truth – Generation Dead dealt with some hefty issues, and ends in tragedy. As such, I was prepared this time for Kiss of Life; stupid cover (sorry, this cover has absolutely NOTHING to do with the story and in fact has the situation backwards – if anyone is in the coffin, it should be football player Adam) aside, I knew that these pages would tackle issues of tolerance and discrimination, the struggle for self-discovery and awareness, and of course, relationships. Even knowing this and having mentally prepared myself ahead of time, I still could not believe how well-written and thought-provoking Kiss of Life was. The issues of discrimination and acceptance that are explored on a small scale in Generation Dead are brought to even larger proportions in this second novel, with zombies as a metaphor for the very human fear of that which is different. As with the very best works in the zombie genre, as the master George Romero’s films have always done, Daniel Waters uses his “differently biotic” teens to explore social issues – hate crimes & the oppressed response; racial/sexual/sexual-orientation prejudice & discrimination; the role of the legal system and legal precedents in these situations; the questionable nature of non-profit organizations; the role of the media – especially online media – in dispersing information.

That’s not to say Kiss of Life is some dry moral parable; on the contrary, Mr. Waters manages to weave these larger social (and even political) issues seamlessly into an immensely readable, entertaining, and thought-provoking story.

While the plotting and underlying themes of Kiss of Life are impressive in their scope, the depth of Mr. Waters’s characters is what truly captivates readers – in particular, Phoebe and Adam. The novel alternates from Phoebe’s thoughts to Adam’s, and the result is incredibly moving, especially for Adam’s segments. For example, the opening chapter is from Adam’s point of view:

Phoebe.

Beautiful Phoebe.

Through the glass watch Phoebe leave bus walk to house Phoebe green skirt green eyes skirt trailing hair flowing black and shiny in the sun. Brown leather boots beige scarf wearing colors no black Phoebe beautiful Phoebe. Halloween Phoebe in costume no costume.

Adam’s stunted inner dialogue powerfully conveys his own frustrations with his inability to move, to feel, and to be with Phoebe. Similarly, Phoebe’s feelings are confused and torn. While she does still care for Tommy, it was Adam who unquestioningly put himself in danger to save her life. But is what she feels for Adam pity or friendship or guilt, or is it love? Both of these characters grow a lot in this book as they sort out their own individual issues, and their feelings for each other. The other characters from Generation Dead play major roles here too, evolving and growing in this second novel with subsequent plot developments. Margi and Collette become inseparable, shocking after Margi’s guilt and denial in book 1. Karen, the beautiful dead girl and her role as an emerging leader of the zombies as Tommy leaves town to raise zombie awareness is also a well written character – though not without her own tragedy,. And, of course, there’s Pete – the spiteful football captain who deals with the consequences of killing Adam. I love that Pete’s motivations are hardly monotonously eeeeeevil; rather, his own backstory, conveyed in Generation Dead, explains his strong feelings very well, and are explored more fully here in Kiss of Life.

With this strong cast of characters, compelling and open ended plotlines, deeper emotional and socially conscientious themes, Kiss of Life is another winner from Daniel Waters. Let the countdown begin for the next novel in the Generation Dead series!

Notable Quotes/Parts: Is this spoilery? I don’t think so.

There was a lot they could say there, she thought, in the quiet kitchen, a lot that had gone unsaid and a lot about what had been said, but for the first time she felt that nothing needed saying. The link, the bond — call it friendship, call it telepathic — that had been broken was there again, radiating in the air between them as palpably as the aromatic steam rising from her cup.

“It is…almost…tme,” Adam said. “Can…I take…your…bag for you?”

Her negative reply was reflexive, but the bond enabled her to catch it before it was out of her mouth. Adam, who in a hundred small ways, through opening doors and driving her work and carrying bags and holding coats and letting her pick songs on the stereo, had not be able to do a single thing for her inthe past two months.

“That would be great,” she said, nudging her heavy ba from its place beside her char with the toe of her boot, “because it is pretty heavy.”

“Good…thing,” he said, “that I am…pretty..damn…powerful.”

“Good thing,” she said, and excused herself to get her coat, hat and gloves.

“Phoebe.” He touched her arm.

She turned, and when she did, he leaned forward and he kissed her.

Additional Thoughts: On the covers. The US covers are cutesy, but really have absolutely nothing to do with the story in these books. I’m assuming this is a marketing ploy (YA covers with pictures of people on the cover sell better?), but I can’t help but feel disappointed by them. In contrast, the UK covers are far more neutral but less eye-catching…

US Covers:

UK Covers:

Thoughts?

Verdict: An immensely engaging and thought-provoking book, I loved Kiss of Life and eagerly await the next book in the series.

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: Wildwood Dancing and Cybele’s Secret by Juliet Marillier

Title: Suite Scarlett

Author: Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA (Contemporary)

HC
Paperback

Publisher: Point
Publishing Date: May 1, 2008 (HC)/May 1, 2009 (PB)
Hardcover/Paperback: 368 pages

Stand Alone/ Series: Can be read as stand alone but there is a sequel in the works for 2010 called Scarlett Fever

Summary: Her new summer job comes with baggage.

Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off.

Why did I read the book: Because of Angie’s review

Review:

With nary a vampire or werewolf or any other assorted supernatural being in sight, Suite Scarlett is not my usual type of reading. I admit to preferring Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical stories to straight contemporaries but after reading Suite Scarlett and a couple of other contemporary YA novels, I might just have to re-evaluate my reading habits. And that is a good thing.

Scarlett Martin has just turned 15. It is the start of the summer holidays and she is not really looking forward to it. Her friends are away doing interesting things and she is stuck in New York having to deal with the fact that her family is in dire financial situation. Plus, it is family tradition that each children, on their 15th birthday, earns a very special gift: a Suite.

You see, the Martin family live at a hotel – owned by the family for generations – The Hopewel, an authentic Art Deco, boutique hotel in New York that unfortunately is struggling to make do, with the few guests that they get. Scarlett is presented with her own suite when the book opens and she is now in charge of it – and of any guests that stay there. At the moment, the suite is empty but soon a has-been actress, the rich, decadent and eccentric Mrs Amberson checks in and invites Scarlett to become her assistant and that opens a new world for Scarlett. Couple Mrs Amberson’s (sometimes over the top) antics with the wonderful dynamics of the Martins siblings and you have a terrific book about relationships and growing up but also about passion for the Theatre and for the city New York.

Scarlett’s older brother Spencer, an aspiring actor is her best friend and the sibling she has the closest relationship with. His struggle to become an actor is central part of the plot and what moves it forward, in a way. Their parents have given him an ultimatum –make it now or break it and go to cooking school – and his desperate attempts to get a role land him a part in a garage production of Hamlet…. with unicycles. Scarlett and Mrs Amberson are enlisted to help and comedy!drama!tragedy! ensue.

Spencer is extremely endearing and frankly, downright hilarious with his slapstick comedy. His relationship with Scarlett is part of makes this book so good. But the other two Martin siblings, Lola and Marlene also offer a necessary, more serious, counterpart to the story – the four of them are extremely different but forming an ensemble that just works.

The theatre is ever present not only in the story itself but in the way the book is divided in Acts and each chapter with a title that reminds the reader of Hamlet. And that is part of what is great about Suite Scarlett: it worked in two very different levels for me: the more emotional one in which I connected with the characters, especially Scarlett and her siblings and the intellectual one, which connected with the writing, the slapstick comedy (my favourite kind) and the way the story spoke of love for the Theatre by making it a character in itself and incorporating theatrical elements in both content and format.

I cannot go on without mentioning the city of New York – it is where the story is set but as with the Theatre it becomes a character as well and a major one at that. The characters talk about old times with the Hopewell itself being such an important fixture in the city, and new times. Of good things and bad things that come with living in a big city and you get the perspective of the people that have lived there forever and of a new-comer. This newcomer, Eric, another wannabe actor, is Scarlett’s love interest and one of the reasons why I connected with Scarlett so very much. The thing with being an adult reading a young adult novel is that many times you can see what is going to happen ahead of time because you have been there, done that. I too, was once a 15 year old with an infatuation for an older guy who was far too honest – is too much honesty good or bad, Scarlett wonders, as I did once upon a time – and reading their budding relationship I wished I could give Scarlett some pointers. Oh, how much I wished that!

But not as much as I wished to be there at the Hopewell having the weekly dinner with the Martins.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

(…) Her phone rang and Spencer’s name appeared on the screen.
“I need you”, he said when she answered.
“Stop it, Orlando. Stop calling me. If we get married, my name will be Scarlett Bloom, and that sounds like a rash.”
“You can’t see me right now,” Spencer said, “but I actually just peed myself laughing. My shorts are soaked”
“You say that like it’s uncommon”
“And the laughs keep coming. If you’re done…”

Verdict: Quirky, hilarious sometimes absurd, sometimes, sad and poignant , Suite Scarlett is an engaging book that has made me smile many times over. Highly recommended.

Rating: 7 – very Good

Reading Next: The Queen’s Thief series.

For our Young Adult Appreciation Month, we invited a few bloggers to write a piece on reading and blogging about Young Adult books. Our first guest blogger is Angie from the amazing blog Angieville. As soon as we started organising the event , we just KNEW we would be inviting Angie as she is responsible for a lot of our YA reading with her wonderful recommendations and reviews. We are honoured to give the floor to Angie and her poignant and all-kinds-of-awesome post:

______________________

“He was the crazy one who had painted himself black and defeated the world.

She was the book thief without the words.

Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain.”

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”

That line has stuck in my head ever since I first read it as a kid. I remember feeling a little thrill that this author I’d never met understood and didn’t underestimate me. And it still pops into my head from time to time, particularly when I’m faced with tiresome, yet prevalent YA snobs. There are those who don’t read young adult literature because it’s not their cup of tea and that’s fine. Although I maintain that the designation “YA” is a bit of a horse of a different color when it comes to genres. YA can (and does) cover the whole gauntlet. You can walk into any bookstore, locate the YA section, and have at your fingertips historicals, paranormals, romances, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, steampunk, poetry, fairy tales, myths, and biographies. You name it, it’s there. So saying you don’t read YA is essentially saying you don’t like to read stories in which the protagonist is a young adult because that is the only trait they all share. And that’s fine. Just so we’re clear on the reasons. Because there are also those who do not read young adult literature because they believe it’s “just for kids.” Because they believe that when you reach a certain age you naturally graduate to the “real” books. And that once you make that defining leap you will never go back. To do so would, in fact, be embarrassing. And, really, why would you? Why would you read or care about characters who haven’t yet made that transition.

Because you would be missing out.

Some of the smartest, wittiest, most sophisticated writers I’ve encountered write young adult novels. I read and blog about young adult literature because it always surprises me. It’s not constrained by conventions but can be anything at all. Anything you need or want it to be. There are no rules.

A Few Classics

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

A dystopian novel told through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Daisy who is transplanted from her native NYC to England. Written in beautiful, arresting prose.

The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce

The story of a girl who switches places with her twin brother and goes to court disguised as a boy to learn to be a knight. Ms. Pierce at her very best.

The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White

Vietnam war historical about a nurse named Rebecca who enlists in the Army only to return home unsure of where she fits in anymore. Finest kind.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

The thief Eugenides can steal anything. But when he becomes caught between three countries on the brink of war, his abilities and loyalties are put to the ultimate test. I have a hunch you’re going to be hearing more about this one…

A Few Recent Favorites

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Knotty and painful, this complicated Australia epic is absolutely gorgeous. Give it 100 pages and I guarantee you’ll hold your breath for the duration.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

A mildly autistic boy reluctantly spends the summer working in the copyroom at his father’s law firm. His slowly developing friendship with his co-worker Jasmine is the highlight of this quiet, lovely book.

Wake by Lisa McMann

Janie can’t sleep. Every time she does she is sucked into other people’s dreams and sometimes they ask her for help. Told in third person present tense, McMann’s short, terse sentences pack a punch.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfectly predictable, perfectly addicting modern West Side Story. Could not put it down. All the way up to the perfectly sappy ending.

A Few to Look Forward To

Fire by Kristin Cashore

The mind blowingly awesome prequel to Graceling. You can read my spoiler-free review here. Trust me, you do NOT want to miss this one. Cashore brings it. Due out October 5th.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Ms. Peterfreund’s YA debut. Virgin descendents of Alexander the Great train for battle against killer unicorns not of the rainbow or sparkly variety. Really, how can you not want to check that book out? Dut out August 25th.

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

A modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast in which the “Beast” is a young boy with hooks for hands. I am always up for a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales and I am just really in love with that cover. Due out September 7th.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Got a hankering for a little steampunk? Scott Westerfeld (of Uglies fame) has the first in a steampunk trilogy coming out October 6th. I have a good feeling about this one.

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Last but SO not least, the fourth book in the Queen’s Thief series and easily my most anticipated book of the coming year. Turner’s books are eminently re-readable and I am literally vibrating with my need to get a hold of this one. Due out March 23rd.

Thanks for having me, Smugs! It’s a treat to be here and celebrate Young Adult Appreciation Month with you guys.