“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a new feature for books that have caught our eye: books we heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. This is how the Smugglers’ Radar was born, and because there are far too many books that we want than we can possibly buy or review (what else is new?) we thought we could make it into a weekly feature – so YOU can tell us which books you have on your radar as well!

On Thea’s Radar:

*rubs hands together* I cannot freaking wait for this upcoming anthology, that includes the likes of Diana Peterfreund, and is edited by the formidable duo of Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. Can we say, AWESOME?

Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, this teen anthology asks the question: which is better and badder, the zombie or the unicorn?

Saw this cover over at Aidan’s blog, A Dribble of Ink, and am intrigued. I have The Adamantine Palace on my TBR (and will be reviewing it in the next two weeks), so I’m excited to see more form Stephen Deas!

When Berren makes the mistake of stealing a purse from a thief-taker, it should have condemned him to a short and brutal life in the slave-mines. So when the thief-taker offers to train him as an apprentice instead, he can’t believe his luck. The thief-taker has secrets of his own, though, and Berren is soon sucked into a faraway war, filled with mercenary soldiers, necromancers who brew potions that can change your destiny, and a psychotic girl-princess with a penchant for cutting pieces out of her lovers’ souls.

It’s no secret that I am an unabashed Rachel Caine fangirl – her Weather Warden series is amongst my top 3 favorite currently running UF series’ PERIOD. New cover art is out, and I. Am. Stoked.

Did you know Dan Simmons has a new novel coming out this year? Hmm? I am a sucker for anything this man writes. He, like Neil Gaiman, is a Writing God in my mind. I cannot wait for Black Hills.

When Paha Sapa, a young Sioux warrior, “counts coup” on General George Armstrong Custer as Custer lies dying on the battlefield at the Little Bighorn, the legendary general’s ghost enters him – and his voice will speak to him for the rest of his event-filled life.

Seamlessly weaving together the stories of Paha Sapa, Custer, and the American West, Dan Simmons depicts a tumultuous time in the history of both Native and white Americans. Haunted by Custer’s ghost, and also by his ability to see into the memories and futures of legendary men like Sioux war-chief Crazy Horse, Paha Sapa’s long life is driven by a dramatic vision he experienced as a boy in his people’s sacred Black Hills. In August of 1936, a dynamite worker on the massive Mount Rushmore project, Paha Sapa plans to silence his ghost forever and reclaim his people’s legacy-on the very day FDR comes to Mount Rushmore to dedicate the Jefferson face.

Also, as the release date draws ever closer, I am really getting excited for the next installment in Claudia Gray’s Evermore books. And I really like this cover for Hourglass.

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can’t escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what’s to come?

I just recently saw the formidable Danielle of Opinionated, Me? review this older YA book, and immediately thought: MUST HAVE.

Since the war and the bombs, Hatfork, Wyoming, is a broken-down, mutant-ridden town. Young Chaos lives in the projection booth of the abandoned multiplex, trying to blot out his present unable to remember his past. Then the local tyrant, Kellogg, reveals to him to over a can of dog food that the bombs never fell. The truth is a little more complicated. With a fur-covered girl and an automobile, Chaos sets out on journey, following the empty highway to the edge of the American nightmare, ins search of a missing identity and a stolen love. The truth he finds,is indeed a little more complicated. or a lot . . .

And finally, saw this over at Angie’s blog, Angieville. Now, I am a huge fan of Moira J. Moore’s Hero books. I *love* Taro and Lee. But seriously, these covers blow chunks. Instead, compare the lovely art from Chris McGrath and imagine if THIS was the art for Ms. Moore’s wonderful books.

On Ana’s Radar:

I am currently madly, unhealthly in love with Angry Robot’s entire catalogue. They have what appears to be, some crazy shiz coming out. Evidence #1:

On the streets of Indianapolis, the ancient Arthurian cycle is replaying in the lives of rival street gangs. Told through the eyes of King, as he gathers like-minded friends and warriors around him to venture into the fastness of Dred, the notorious crime lord, this is a stunning mix of myth and harsh reality. A truly remarkable novel.

Evidence #2:

There is a box. Inside that box is a door. And beyond that door is a whole world.

In some rooms, forests grow. In others, animals and objects come to life. Elsewhere, secrets and treasures wait for the brave and foolhardy.

And at the very top of the house, a prisoner sits behind a locked door waiting for a key to turn. The day that happens, the world will end…

and I know that this is way more like Thea’s cup of tea, but I liking the sound it so..evidence # 3:

Botanica is an island, but almost all of the island is taken up by the Tree.

Little knowing how they came to be here, small communities live around the coast line. The Tree provides them shelter, kindling, medicine – and a place of legends, for there are ghosts within the trees who snatch children and the dying.

Lillah has come of age and is now ready to leave her community and walk the tree for five years, learning all Botanica has to teach her. Before setting off, Lillah is asked by the dying mother of a young boy to take him with her. In a country where a plague killed half the population, Morace will otherwise be killed in case he has the same disease. But can Lillah keep the boy’s secret, or will she have to resort to breaking the oldest taboo on Botanica?

I mean, don’t these sound fa-bu-lous?

Earlier this week, Thea sent me the link to this YA book. I have never read any of Carrie Vaughn’s books, but her new series may be a good place to start:

On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity’s deepest fears: dragons.

Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she’s breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she’d rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, a secret friendship grows between them—even though the fragile truce that has maintained peace between their two species is unraveling around them. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?

In her young adult debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn presents a modern tale of myths and machines and an alliance that crosses a seemingly unbridgeable divide.

And finally, this one, by my new author crush, John Green. Apparently there is no blurb and all we know is: it’s out in April and it is about two guys named…Will Grayson.

What about you? Any books on your radar?

Welcome to Smugglivus – Day 24!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guest: Angie of the Young Adult/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction review blog Angieville. Angie runs one of our very favorite blogs, and has a knack for picking up and reviewing books that both of us Smugglers love. She’s one of our go-to sites for book ideas – if Angie likes it, chances are, we will love it too!

Please give a hand to Angie!

Best Performance by a Heroine in a Recurring Role: Kate Daniels for Magic Strikes Kate just gets cooler and tougher and couldn’t stop taunting the Beast Lord to save her life. My kind of girl, is Kate.

Best Debut Performance by a Heroine in a Leading Role: Lyn for Girl in the Arena

She’s the daughter of seven gladiators. She loves her family and is true to herself, while refusing to perpetuate a suffocatingly rigid social system. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Lyn.

Best Performance by a Hero in a Recurring Role: Curran for Magic Strikes

It’s just that he’s Curran. And he’s so furry and cocky and implacable. And out of his mind over Kate. Love the guy. Love, love, love him.

Best Debut Performance by a Hero in a Leading Role: Brigan for Fire

Because if you’re looking for still waters run deep, look no further. His iron self-control and constant putting of duty and family before any personal desires…well, in Kristin Cashore’s capable hands, he’s utterly spellbinding.

Best Performance by an Antihero in a Leading Role: Nick for The Demon’s Lexicon

Talk about the definition of an antihero. Nicholas Ryves takes the cake, my friends. You love him, you hate him, you love to hate him. And his relationship with his big brother Alan will melt your heart. See if it doesn’t.

Best Performance by a Villain: President Snow for Catching Fire

The dude smells like blood and roses and I can’t read a scene he’s in without gagging. Seriously. What is wrong with him?

Best Performance by a Vampire in a Supporting Role: Stefan for Bone Crossed

Stefan is just, hands down, my favorite vampire around. He smells like popcorn and drives a VW bus painted like the Mystery Machine and he absolutely made Bone Crossed. I hope Mercy gives Marsilia what she deserves one of these days. For Stefan.

Best Series Finale: Diana Peterfreund for Tap & Gown

For never dropping the ball and coming through in every way that matters and more. Tap & Gown is the perfect ending to a ridiculously entertaining series. How many of those have you read?

Best Packaging: Arthur A. Levine Books for Marcelo in the Real World

I just love it. Better yet, its inside is every bit as breathtaking as its outside. And that is saying something.

Best Kiss: Lady Julia Grey and Mr. Nicholas Brisbane for Silent on the Moor

These two are three books in now and the tension…let’s just say it remains high. Part of it can be chalked up to how well-suited they are to one another and part of it is just that Ms. Raybourn can infuse a scene with Victorian heat like nobody’s business.

And last, but not least…

Best Author Pimping: My booktwin and dear friend Martha for her tireless and heartfelt pimping of Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia

Thank you, Martha. What can I say? I should have listened to you earlier. I have seen the error of my ways and will never delay reading a book you rave about ever again. This series instantaneously skyrocketed to the top of my beloved bookshelf and Turner is an absolute storytelling master. Highly recommended for fans of Robin McKinley, Kristin Cashore, and Sherwood Smith.

As for my 2010 Must Be Mine list…I’m gonna leave you with my top 15 most anticipated titles. They hail from 3 new-to-me authors and 12 near-and-dear ones. The list is comprised of 8 YAs (4 fantasy, 2 urban fantasy, 1 dystopian, and 1 contemporary), 3 urban fantasies, 3 straight fantasies, 1 historical mystery, and is top to bottom made of awesome. Shiny, no? Here they are in order of publication date:

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

In a world of fever camps, wandering exiles, and cursed kingdoms, young Finnikin joins forces with the reckless Evanjalin in a bid to save the land of Lumatere from the evil that threatens to swallow it. After the wonder that was Jellicoe Road, I will read anything the woman writes. Due out February 9

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

A young woman leaves Scotland, bound for Roumania to visit a friend and write her book. There she encounters the mysterious Count Dragulescu and, well, really, need I say more? Due out March 1

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

The long-awaited fourth novel in the beloved Queen’s Thief series. This one follows Sophos as he fights his way to take his place as the heir to Sounis. Confession: I’m 100 pages into my ARC and it is, in a word, sublime. Due out March 23

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

A land beset by storms and quakes, a mysterious wizard who brings rain, and a young woman stolen from her home who may hold the key to it all…I am so there. Due out March 23

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Fifth Mercy Thompson novel. ‘Nuff said. Due out March 30

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

The unexpected but delightfully welcome sequel to Perfect Chemistry. This one follows Alex’s little brother Carlos. I enjoyed the hell out of the first book and can’t wait for the follow-up. Plus, that cover? Smokin! Due out April 13

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

A young girl has lost her memory. A desperate prince risks everything on the mere hope she is who he believes her to be. Forced to return to a place she once fled, amid scheming and lies, Isabel struggles to determine who she used to be and what she must become. Due out April 17

Lord of the Changing Winds by Rachel Neumeier

First in the Griffin Mage trilogy. The griffins are coming, bringing fire and desert in their wake. The king prepares for battle to protect his land. Meanwhile a young girl is summoned to heal the Griffin King and her awakening abilities lead her to the truth behind their sudden flight. Due out April 27

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

The fourth Kate Daniels book. Ilona and Gordon knocked it out of the park with Magic Strikes and I’m just not sure I’m gonna make it until May. Thank goodness for re-reading, right? Due out May 25

White Cat by Holly Black

The first in the Curse Workers trilogy, it’s about a boy named Cassel and takes place in a private boarding school, features a family of grifters, and is about curse magic. Oh, and a white cat. And is a fairy tale retelling. And it will be mine. Due out May 4

No covers quite yet on the rest of these, but keep your eye out because they are definitely not to be missed.

Heroes Return by Moira J. Moore

The fifth Heroes book featuring the lovable Source & Shield duo: Taro & Lee. Due out July 27

Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

This series is #3 in my top favorite urban fantasies. I just love how smooth the writing is and finding out what happens to Ciara and Shane and the gang in the next WVMP Radio installment. Due out August 1

The untitled Hunger Games Book 3 by Suzanne Collins

I have no idea how it’s all going to play out but I can tell you one thing. Katniss better knock some heads together in this one because I am THIS CLOSE to losing it. Grrr. Due out August 24

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

The second Killer Unicorns book (I just love saying that) and the sequel to Rampant. Peterfreund is one of my very favorite authors and I, for one, am looking forward to more Astrid, more Giovanni, more Phil, and more Bucephalus! Due out September 21

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

The sequel to the lovely Heir to Sevenwaters. This one is Sibeal’s book and one I’ve been waiting for for a long time. If you’ve never read any Marillier before, you have until December to pick up Daughter of the Forest and discover the splendiferousness for yourself. Janicu–I’m lookin’ at you. Due out December

That’s it for me. Thanks for having me, Smugglers! I’m off to track down some hot cider and wrap the last few presents. Thanks for stopping in this Christmas Eve and I hope your holidays are filled with good cheer and good books!

Thank you, Angie!!!

Next on Smugglivus: Doug Knipe, aka SciFiGuy

Welcome to Smugglivus 2009 – Day 16!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guest #2: Diana Petefreund author of The Secret Society Girl series (the first book, Secret Society Girl was reviewed by Thea here) and a brand new YA series about Killer Unicorns. For an article about Diana’s Inspirations and Influences for the new series, please go here.

Recent Work: Diana made her first foray into YA this year with Rampant (can we say again: Killer!Unicorns!), which we loved and reviewed here . She also published the last book in the Secret Society Girl series, Tap & Gown.

A big warm welcome to Diana and her favourite things about 2009:

2009 was a long and busy year for me. It was the first year I’ve ever had two books out, and I wrapped up one series while launching another in an entirely new genre. What fell by the wayside, unfortunately, was reading. I bought dozens of books this year, but I read only a handful, and most of what I did read falls into the category of YA (a strange situation for me since usually I read widely across all genres). I definitely have to make “read more” a New Year’s resolution.

Two of my favorite books of the year were actually ones I read in 2008: The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan and Liar by Justine Larbalestier. The former is an eerie post-apocalyptic vision; zombies as they might be envisioned by Margaret Atwood. The latter is a mind-bending thriller with an unreliable protagonist and more twists than a unicorn horn.

Another was published in 2008: My Life as a Rhombus, by Varian Johnson. This is not my usual read, but I loved it. The clever, mathematician heroine, the unlikely friendships, the revenge fantasy triumph of an ending – delicious! If you are looking for a fun, moving, relatable story about high school girls, this is the one you need to read. Oh, and the chapter headings that look like mathematical formulas totally get my vote for favorite interior design of the year.

Also in the realm of realism, we’ve got The Blonde of the Joke by Bennett Madison. It’s a hypnotic, dreamlike drama about a teenage girl and her obsessive friendship with a larger than life classmate. Also, shoplifting sprees. Madison’s voice is an unique and welcome presence in the YA field.

I gobbled up Catching Fire, the sequel to one of last year’s favorites, The Hunger Games, in the course of a single fevered night, and I’m totally obsessed with Peeta, the marvelously complex (Forthright! Manipulative! Strong! Gentle!) hero of the piece. What a great character. Another favorite romance of the year: Jennifer Echols latest, Going Too Far. Echols slays me with her depictions of teen romance. She really captures the emotion.

I also loved Sarah Cross’s debut, the effervescent Dull Boy, about a group of teenagers who discover they have superpowers, and try to create a comic book style league to combat evil with sometimes disastrous but always hilarious results. Another contender for “best interior design,” Dull Boy features awesome comic book stylings and hero dossiers and origin stories throughout. If you like superheroes, comic books, action/adventure, humor, or all of the above, this is the book for you.

Though I didn’t do a lot of reading this year, I discovered some of my favorite-ever television shows — though they are all “old.” Slings & Arrows, a Canadian program about a Shakespearean theater festival run by a corrupt nebbish, a neurotic diva, and an insane (literally) artistic director was recommended to me by one of my readers, and my husband and I loved its mix of modern humor and Shakespearean references.

Middle Man (canceled too soon) was a brilliant and quirky send up of both superheroes and conspiracy buffs (imagine the X-Files episode “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space,” but even funnier and with warmer, more functional main characters). I loved that show – how could it have been canceled?

Skins is a compelling and occasionally surreal British drama about hard-partying 17-18 year olds in Bristol. Gorgeous, intricate relationships and great acting (my favorite is the friendship between aspiring dancer and openly gay Maxxie and conflicted Muslim Anwar, who is played by Slumdog Millionaire and The Last Airbender’s Dev Patel). Speaking of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I discovered that show this year, too, and it is now one of my all-time favorite fantasies. Avatar (not to be confused with the Cameron movie) has it all: amazing worldbuilding, epic battles, deep and abiding friendships, cool magic, cuddly animals, family conflict, political conspiracies, heart and soul and the fate of the world at stake – don’t dismiss it because it’s a cartoon or “for kids” – it’s phenomenal. (You might want to skip the whitewashed upcoming live action version, though. Twilight’s Jasper as Inuit warrior Sokka? Please.)

Unfortunately for my stated resolution, 2010 is shaping up to be a busy year as well. Ascendant, the sequel to this year’s Rampant, will be out in September. It picks up where Rampant left off, and follows Astrid, now a fully-trained unicorn hunter, on a new mission where she encounters the fifth type of unicorn, the einhorn.

I’ve also got two short stories; both stand alone and are set in the killer unicorn world. One is out in the spring but we’re still finalizing the title. The other is called “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” and will be published in the Holly Black and Justine Larblestier-edited collection, Zombies vs. Unicorns. Not only am I absolutely ravenous for this anthology as a reader (half a book of unicorn stories, another half of zombie ones! My dream is alive!), but I’m also very proud of my story, which is the first one I ever wrote for professional publication. I also have another project coming out next year, but unfortunately, its identity is still a secret.

But that’s not going to stop me from reading in the new year! Not only do I have to catch up on all the books I am behind on this year, but I’m dying to read some of next year’s releases: I’ve already read Carrie Ryan’s The Dead-Tossed Waves – you’re going to love it. I can’t wait for the conclusion to Robin Wasserman’s Skinned series, or the last Hunger Games book, and I’m finally, finally going to read the Megan Whalen Turner Attolia series.

What book did I miss this year that I absolutely must read?

Thank you, Diana!

It’s Adios! to week 2 of Smugglivus and Hola! to week 3. But before we tell you the line-up for another MUY LOCA week, we need to announce last week’s giveaways winners!

Simon and Schuster UK giveaway (swag with titles for 2010):

The winner is……..Peta

The Julie James Giveaway:

The winner is…Susan Laura (Comment #11)

The Nalini Singh Giveaway

The winner is…….Donna S (Comment # 23)

The Sherrilyn Kenyon Giveaway:

The winner is….SaraC (comment #34)

Flash Giveaway

Winner of batch 1: Ginny
Winner of batch 2: Debbie (comment # 62)

Congratulations! You know the drill – send an email to contact AT the booksmugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks to all that entered, and if you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. There’s plenty more where that came from!

This Week on The Book Smugglers

The week starts later today with a guest post from Linnea Sinclair, one of our favourite Sci-fi Romance writers.

On Monday, we have Historical romance writer Kate Noble with her fave reads (and other cool stuff) of 2009

Later on Monday, Thea will post reviews of Vampire Haiku by Ryan Mecum and I am Scrooge – A Zombie Story for Christmas by Adam Roberts.

On Tuesday, our Smugglivus guest of the day is Ilona Andrews, followed by our joint review of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

On Wednesday, we have two more Smugglivus guests: writers Carrie Ryan and Diana Peterfreund tell us all about their top reads of 2009 and…

…then on Thursday, Fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson tells us all about his upcoming book The Way of Kings and Alice Morley from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers with what we can expect from the publisher in 2010 with a fabulous ARC giveaway!

On Friday it is Sarah Rees Brennan’s turn to tell us about her Favourite Things of 2009 (with a special giveaway), followed by Thea’s review and giveaway of Raiders Ransom by Emily Diamand.

Finally on Saturday, Fantasy writer Sam Sykes talks about what books he loved best in 2009 followed by a post by Historical Fiction writer Susan Holloway Scott with her own list.

Then FINALLY (phew), on Sunday, our last author/publisher guest, Erin Galloway, publicist for Berkley and NAL, tells us all about the upcoming books from the imprint.

And after that…it is guest bloggers’ time to dish about their favourite reads of 2009!

So buckle up, we have only just started!

~Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

For today’s guest, we are very lucky to have young adult authors Diana Peterfreund (of Rampant fame) and Carrie Ryan (genius behind YA zombie novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth) over to guest blog. For their topic, they’ve decided to write about another young adult author: The Awesomeness That Is Christopher Pike.

Please give it up for the lovely Diana and Carrie!

Hi, we’re Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth) and Diana Peterfreund (Rampant). Our first teen novels came out this year. They’re filled with supernatural horror and teenage girls who must fight for their lives – sort of like the novels we read and loved when we were younger… the novels of Christopher Pike. In honor of Halloween, we decided to have a Pike reminiscence and love-fest. This is the conversation that transpired.

Diana: My favorite Pikes were MONSTER, SEE YOU LATER, and MASTER OF MURDER.

Carrie: Your memory is so much better than mine.

Diana: Just because I’m LOOKING at them. I have a stack of them here on my desk.

Carrie: I wish I’d gotten my box of books. I’m sure just holding them would make me remember. I read these books on weekends, staying up until 3am usually because I HAD TO KNOW what happened.

Diana: Yeah, me too. I remember Monster kept me up all night, and I kept trying to convince myself it was just fiction, so I could go to sleep without thinking that vampires from outer space were going to come eat me.

Carrie: Oh, that’s right! His vampires were from outer space!

Diana: And India. He had those vampires too. That’s actually the one they’re reissuing and is on the bestseller lists right now: THE LAST VAMPIRE, with the sexy immortal blonde girl vampire from India. Not MONSTER, with the crazy bat-like alien vampires.

Carrie: Those books taught me to speed read. [Carrie goes online to look up old favorites.] It’s interesting to read this flap copy now.

Diana: Why is that?

Carrie: His plots – the descriptions – don’t seem as complex as I remember: “Kid goes on vacation, someone dies, haunting ensues.” But I remember the stories being so fantastically unique. They were SO beyond anything else I was reading or thought about.

Diana: I wonder how much of that was that they were going to tone down anything that seemed out of the ordinary, for marketing purposes. I love the covers. Neon candy colors with blood dripping from the fonts – but not girly, even with all the pink. All these gorgeous paintings of girls with long glossy hair in jeans and sweaters standing with boys in jean jackets pulling them to safety. (Even though the girls could take damn good care of themselves.)

Carrie: Oh yeah, the covers bring back TONS of memories.

Diana: Is there any Pike book you specifically want to talk about?

Carrie: What’s the one with the bad coke? [note: that’s the one where someone was forcing people to snort bad cocaine and killing them]

Diana: DIE SOFTLY.

Carrie: I wonder whether you could have a book like that now. I can’t remember at the time if I was appalled by the story line – I doubt it. I think today there might be issues with it being too dark or edgy (or, would it be considered a problem novel). And I also wonder if it would fly in terms of plausibility. The chick’s killing people by making them snort it (duct tape over their mouth).

Diana: Yes! That was freaky. “Say no to drugs, kids.”

Carrie: I remember that ending with him setting up a camera in his closet and AS HE’S DYING he hears the photo shutter. Of all the books, that’s what stands out in my mind because I never saw that coming and I thought it was so brilliant, because the chick would have gotten away otherwise. Now, I wonder if readers would think “Oh, they’d find the tape residue on his mouth,” because they watch so much CSI.  I wonder if today you have to be hyper aware of forensics and stuff like that. I NEVER thought about those types of things when I first read the books but maybe today’s teens would.

Diana: That’s a good point. It was weird how sometimes he’d write thrillers with no paranormal elements, and sometimes they’d be supernatural. And sometimes they’d start out as thriller/mysteries and then BECOME supernatural in the sequels. Like, I loved CHAIN LETTER but then I thought the sequel kind of went off the rails.

Carrie: Oh, I forgot about that one! The best thing about CHAIN LETTER is that there were actual Chain Letters out there – I remember getting them. Not this email nonsense – real letters with stamps.

Diana: I still remember how scary that was, especially in the sequel, where the supernatural came in. How you moved your name up on the list, and then once you were at the top of the list, your name went into the box. “Once you are in the box, you stay in the box.” that line was so scary, I remember it more than a decade later.

Carrie: See what I mean about memory?

Diana: Because – spoiler warning — the box was hell.

Carrie: Maybe you didn’t like the sequels as much because it’s that initial figuring out the world that’s so interesting with him.

Diana: His worldbuilding was fascinating. It was always so Californian and had that New Age flare, too—biofeedback machines and reincarnations, etc. So different from what I was used to in Florida.

Carrie: And me in South Carolina. It sort of gave it an even more otherworldly aspect.

Diana: We two southern girls living vicariously through the liberal woo woo Californians in Pike novels!

Carrie: LOL. But I never felt like I couldn’t “get it.”

Diana: I didn’t even have cheerleaders at my high school, let alone sociopathic coke dealing ones.

Carrie: I was a cheerleader at my school – haha!!

Diana: Did you deal coke?

Carrie: No, not so much.

Diana: Did you sell cookies? That was their cover.

Carrie: I made stupid plastic cups filled with candy for the football players.

Diana: Close enough!  I guess I must have read a lot of these in middle school, because had I tried in high school, I might have gone, wow, why does everyone have boyfriends in this!

Carrie: The other thing I really like about Pike is the games he plays with the narratives. It’s a question of who is telling the story and when. There are a lot where it’s the cop interrogating people later on.

Diana: Oh yeah. I loved that. The first-person narratives in REMEMBER ME, where she’s dead, and in THE LAST VAMPIRE, were very powerful. Who is telling DIE SOFTLY? Herb, right? But he dies.

Carrie: Just because someone was narrating didn’t mean they’d make it at the end, which, from an author standpoint, is fascinating. It’s also something I love about writing YA because as an adult I wonder if I’d find something like that trite because I’d seen it before? But there’s always got to be that first time and that’s the BEST feeling – when you’re reading and for the first time to realize that your narrator can die.

Diana: Do you have something to tell us, Carrie?

Carrie: About my characters dying? LOL. That’s what I love about writing for teens. It’s always new for them.

Diana: All those little narrative tricks. Unreliability, killing off the protagonist, story-within-a-story (which he does in so, so many of the books, ROAD TO NOWHERE, THE MIDNIGHT CLUB, WHISPER OF DEATH)… Pike kills off a lot of people in his books. No one was safe.

Carrie: I love how he sort of took these ordinary things we all knew – chain letters, scavenger hunts – and then made them horrific.

Diana: That’s where I always thought horror is scariest. That’s what Stephen King does so well, Dogs, cars, trucks, sink drains, cornfields….

Carrie: I learned not to pick up hitchhikers from Christopher Pike.

Diana: Ha! That was ROAD TO NOWHERE. Awesome cover. Chick with a skeleton hitchhiker in her car.

Carrie: I think reading Pike then expanded my understanding of how far authors could go. It’s exactly what you said – no one’s safe, which I think added to the thriller aspect. I mean, there’s a comfort in reading a romance where you know things are going to work out, you just don’t know how. They’re still page turners because it’s the figuring out how that’s fascinating, but with Pike… all bets were off.

Diana: And so many of his books started out with death. Just reading the descriptions people are dealing with the death of someone in the group…their murder, their suicide.

Carrie: They always are. Do you think that was a choice he made cause he was writing thriller and death is an easy thriller choice? Or do you think he was trying to deal with something more?

Diana: He wrote one from the perspective of a serial killer—Dexter before Dexter. THE WICKED HEART. I think it’s a way of saying these teens are already in danger, they’ve already seen darkness. Usually the past death is connected to whatever is going on. It’s the inciting incident, from a storytelling perspective.

Carrie: I wonder if I would have read them differently if I’d dealt with something like death as a teen. Because as a reader, I got to hold those stories out at arm’s length.

Diana: That’s a really good question. I don’t know if you see books like this for teens anymore, where they aren’t called “problem novels.”

Carrie: Me neither. It’s more common to see books that deal with suicide be more in the vein of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY.

Diana: So many of the Pike characters have best friends or exes that committed suicide too, but instead of sitting in a diner listening to tapes, they are fighting the killer vampires from outer space.

Carrie: Or being haunted… literally. Hmmm, I was about to say that that’s because the books aren’t about the suicide, but aren’t they? I mean, dealing with a literal ghost of the dead person… isn’t that just a stand in for how people deal with suicide and death? He just makes it literal?

Diana: True. You could probably write an excellent comparison paper between 13 REASONS and Pike’s WHISPER OF DEATH.  They are both about a teen girl suicide whose last act on Earth is to arrange a post-mortem payback for the people she blames for her death. Hannah of 13 Reasons does it with tapes. Betty Sue in Whisper does it by magically creating a parallel dimension in which she horrifically kills the people who made her suffer in life.

Carrie: Huh, that’s really interesting to think about. Just looked on the Amazon website – for Whisper of Death they have the reading level at ages 4-8… er… no

Diana: Really? That book STARTS with an abortion. And then this one guy, Helter Skelter — I’ll never forget it – is walking on this wall that turns into a razorblade and splits him in two.

Carrie: Ugh – that’s very Saw.

Diana: That book actually IS very Saw, now that I think about it. It’s very horror porn — the horrific killings. Now, people might say some of the stuff in his books was way too old for middle schoolers, which is mostly when I read it. I never even thought of it. Rape and murder and abortions and coke dealers. I read them at 11, 12, and people are saying “oh, this is 14 or 15 and up” now.

Carrie: I never thought any of it was too mature for me.

Diana: Or maybe people were saying it then too and because I was a kid, I never heard it.

Carrie: It never freaked me out – except for late at night when I needed to know how it ended.

Diana: It freaked me out, but then again, I’m a wimp. As for horrific deaths, there are some in Suzanne Collins that are just as horrific…the wasps, the mutts, etc. The more things change….

Carrie: Good point.

Diana: Pike’s books were always thrillers, and sometimes they were supernatural thrillers, which at the time was called horror. It’s like how now they call books “dark fantasy” what might have been called horror. Like your book. I’ve also seen reviews of Rampant that call it horror.

Carrie: Really? I never saw it that way.

Diana: It’s kind of how when chick lit was popular, people would try to call any sort of women’s fiction chick lit. Sometimes, with these old Pikes, you had to read the book before you knew if it was supernatural or not. That’s another thing they don’t do now. That and let books with all that death slide without being a Book About Death. Though I guess your book starts with deaths.

Carrie: True, but I don’t think of it as a problem novel.

Diana: Well, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH isn’t even set in our world. Pike’s novels were always set in OUR WORLD.

Carrie: Which made it easier for them to at once seem real and accessible, but still didn’t feel like it was going to happen to ME, which kept that horror at a distance.

Diana: You don’t think it would be more at a distance if it was set in another world? That’s what scares me about the “normal” horror – I’ve been in a rest stop bathroom, I’ve been in the house with the lights off. This could happen to me. I’ve never lived in a religious compound in the zombie-infested forest after the apocalypse.

Carrie: No?

Diana: I remember making the conscious choice to start RAMPANT like a horror movie. Babysitter, boyfriend, monster in the woods.

Carrie: I’m not sure I even saw all that but it’s true. Wow, I’m shocked I missed that.

Diana: Me too. And grumpy. There was also a lot of meta in Pike novels. Like he would have his characters go to see a movie based on another of his books, or he would have them mention his other books. For instance, the characters in FALL INTO DARKNESS were inspired by reading GIMME A KISS, and the writer in MASTER OF MURDER seemed to have written FALL INTO DARKNESS. That was another favorite, actually. MASTER OF MURDER was about a teenage bestselling horror novelist and no one knew it was him, including his crush, who was a huge fan. Such fantasy wish fulfillment for me!

Carrie: I loved reading books about people in publishing.

Diana: I wonder how many aspiring teen writers reading that book got the totally wacked out idea that they could be a secret novelist and no one but their agent would ever know their true identity. I know I suspected Pike was really some 17 year old kid when I read that particular book.

Carrie: Oh, I’m totally sure of that. I even remember another book that was basically the same idea: popular genre writer with a pen name and the book they’re talking about in the book is the book you’re reading (wait… was that too convoluted of an explanation?)  I totally felt like reading Pike is what got me to not only love books, but love the idea of writing.

Diana: I actually met Pike’s longtime agent this summer at a cocktail party and I totally monopolized her telling her what an inspiration Pike was to me.

Carrie: Yeah, I remember you calling me right after that happened.  I felt the same way when I met RL Stine (which is who I read after Pike).  I spent most of the time around him being stunned and wanting to tell him just how much of an influence he was on me. Do you think your writing now is influenced by Pike?

Diana: I do, especially when it comes to characters making plans. Pike wrote characters who thought things out and made these elaborate schemes. You’d have chapter after chapter of the character going “Okay, this is how I’m going to fake my death/kill the alien vampires infesting my town/whatever. I’m going here and I’m getting this harness and I’m building this kind of bomb that will throw me clear…” And it was always so interesting, watching the plans come together, watching them work or fail or backfire. Nothing came easy for the Pike characters. They really had to work for it, and there were dangers and consequences of messing up.

Carrie: That is totally so true and I think that’s what I’ve taken from him – how things can just get worse and worse and you never know what the consequences could be — nothing was taken off the table (death, dismemberment, happily ever after).  That’s what really kept me reading: I just never knew what would happen.

You know it’s just sort of funny to find ourselves here as critique partners, having grown up in totally different places and yet both loving Christopher Pike and both being influenced by him/taking inspiration from him. Man, I really need to go get that box of Pike books out of my dad’s attic once I’m done with this deadline.

Diana: I was in the store the other day and his reissued vampire books (THIRST) are shelved next to RAMPANT because of our last names – Peterfreund and Pike. That seemed so incredible to me. I can’t imagine someone going up to 13 year old me in the Waldenbooks clutching a copy of REMEMBER ME and saying, “One day, you’re going to be right there on the shelf next to him.” And now I am.

Carrie: OMG that is just about the coolest thing ever! To be on a shelf next to Pike – heck being on any shelf in a store at all.  You’re totally right, my 13 year old self would have died (and my significantly older self still does die when I see my book near his!).  Thanks Mr. Pike!

Thank you, Diana and Carrie, for the fabulous post, and trip down memory lane! You’ve both inspired me to bust out my old Pikes for a Halloween re-read (luckily, I have them with me thanks to my sister):

Some of them are pretty tattered, but readable. And I’ve had them all these years, through multiple moves…so I’m proud of my Pike collection.

How about you? Any Christopher Pike books you love? Or any YA horror favorites you care to share?

Earlier this year, after Thea read (and loved) Secret Society Girl, Diana Peterfreund’s debut novel, we Book Smugglers started to follow her blog and look for more titles and news from this talented author. When we first heard about her upcoming Young Adult book, we were instantly hooked: Rampant is a novel that takes the unicorn (one of the most beloved, magical creatures of myth) and turns it into a bloodthirsty killer. We had to read it. And wouldn’t you know it? We loved it. And we’re well on our way to developing huge girl-crushes on Diana.

So, when the opportunity arose to have the author over for our Young Adult Appreciation Month, we were absolutely thrilled! Ladies and Gents, without any further ado, please give it up for the lovely Diana Peterfreund!

I could probably talk for ages about my inspiration for the book (the non-western facets of the unicorn legend) and my love of stories about female warriors (my first hero was Princess Leia). But there’s also the way I combine these fantasy elements with the real world – in this case, Rome, Italy and how the truth of this amazing city is far more fantastical than anything I could make up.

One of my personal rules for setting up a fantasy world is to make everything else beyond the magic make perfect sense. I look for real-world analogs like a lawyer building a case looks for precedents. Rome, in this capacity, is a veritable gold mine.

Using examples as varied as the Vestal Virgins and the Knights Templar, I created an order of warrior nuns: women born with the power to be unicorn hunters who were tithed to the church as celibate servants of God. Their service just happened to be with a bow and arrow. It really wasn’t so outlandish an idea. Religious orders were a deeply entrenched, unbroken chain of history and learning, and a vow of celibacy was the most reasonable way to make sure that your unicorn hunters stayed eligible. It was common throughout much of European history for families to pack their daughters off to nunneries (Christian or otherwise, as the Vestal Virgins were just another type). The question was, once unicorns were hunted to supposed extinction (160 years before my story starts) and the order disbanded, what becomes of all that stored knowledge? And how does a new generation of unicorn hunters, not necessarily Catholic (and definitely not down with being tithed or cloistered anywhere!), react in a world that has changed completely, both in terms of female empowerment, and also in terms of what one does with deadly, but endangered, animals?

Once I chose Rome as the seat of the ancient Order of the Lioness (in the legends, the lion was one of the only creatures who could kill a unicorn, plus it was one of the signs of Alexander the Great, and therefore an obvious choice for my nuns’ official mascot), I decided a research trip was in order. I’d already had an idea of having my hunters’ nunnery – my invented Cloisters of Ctesias — feature walls studded with the trophies from unicorns that their ancient counterparts had killed. But the monks of Rome were way ahead of me.

Behold the Capuchin Bone Chapel beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione in Rome. For hundreds of years, members of this monastery donated their bodies to this massive work of funerary art, which first began when they moved their church, and dug up the pauper graveyard at their old location. After I saw this, I realized my problem with my “bones in the wall” idea was only that I hadn’t gone far enough!

I’d also come to Rome with a plan to check out some of the architecture of various monasteries and Cloisters, to help plan mine. Well, look what I found in a small cloisters at the Cathedral of Rome:

That’s right. Columns shaped like unicorn horns. Gates shaped like arrows and guarded by statues of stone lions. A mosaic of maidens and unicorns (along with other fantastic beasts). And all in the exact same neighborhood and built in the same time period as I planned to set my fictional nunnery. It was too good not to steal. So I did.

The location of my hunters’ nunnery is another robbery. I put it in the same spot as the Basilica of San Clemente, a small church near the Colosseum that’s a major archaeological site. San Clemente is a Renaissance church built on the bones of a medieval church (seriously, you can go underneath it and see where they stole some of the columns) built on top of an ancient Roman temple, built on top of an even more ancient Roman mansion. Every time you take a set of stairs down, you uncover a whole new facet of history. This seemed to fit well with my idea of a modern corps of hunters reconstructing the knowledge of an ancient order whose incarnation changed depending on the prevailing culture, religion, and model of institutional virginity. Here’s a picture of the exterior (public) courtyard, which is the only visual I stole for my Cloisters (except I put a dome in).

Then there’s the Galleria Borgese, where a pivotal scene in my novel is set. My heroine’s love interest is an art student and has been studying all the amazing art Rome has to offer. He takes my heroine to this famous museum and shows her the following:

This is Raphael’s “Lady with a Unicorn,” and I found it a most inspiring work of art. This painting was likely a bridal portrait, sent to the groom’s family so they’d know what they were getting: in this case a young woman, a virgin (symbolized by the unicorn in her lap), who brings to her marriage a large dowry (symbolized by the giant jewels she wears). But my favorite part of this portrait is that the unicorn, far from being horse-like, is perhaps a baby lamb or kid, and therefore much more similar to the goatlike zhi that the hunters in my book domesticate and keep as pets.

Remembering my theory of worldbuilding precedent, I love it any time real artwork coincides with my imaginary world – such as showing a dangerous unicorn, or a unicorn that does not look like a big white horse. In the novel, my heroine Astrid sees this painting and instantly recognizes it as a portrait of a hunter with a zhi in her lap.

Finally, I traveled north of Rome to research the final battle scene (no spoilers) for my book. One of the most common questions I get is how there can be unicorns hiding in Rome. Rome (pop. 2.7 million) is not as dense a city as, say, Manhattan (pop. 18.8 million), and it also features one of the largest areas of parks and greenspaces of all European capitals. It’s also surrounded by vast tracts of countryside and farmland, and the city proper is riddled with archaeological sites that are closed off from the public and foot traffic, not to mention miles upon miles of underground catacombs and ancient remains of Roman apartment buildings (not unlike the kind found at the very lowest level of San Clemente). The few larger unicorns I have hiding out in Rome in my book can certainly discover ways not to be seen.

However, when it came to hiding a large pack of them, I needed a more rural area, and so I found Cerverteri. Smack dab in the middle of the beautiful Roman countryside lie the ruins of an Etruscan City of the Dead, a twisting warren of pyramid-like tombs hollowed out from tuffa – a soft volcanic stone common in the area. Nowadays, the tombs look like giant green hills. There are some that are excavated and open to the public (and whatever wildlife happens to wander by) but miles and miles more buried under vineyards and olive groves. Here’s a picture of me standing beside one:

And here’s a view from the top of another hill/tomb.

Plenty big enough for a pack of killer unicorns to hide out in. And a truly spooky setting for the climax of my book.

Thank you, Diana!

Diana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she’s concerned, she’s just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote books about rocks. Now, this Florida girl lives with her husband and their puppy in Washington D.C., and writes books that rock.

You can read more about Diana on her website HERE, or follow her blog HERE.

And Now, For the Giveaway!

We are giving away ONE copy of Rampant! The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only, and will run until Saturday August 15 at 11:59 PM (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment here and let us know what your hunter name would be if you were an evil unicorn slayer. (For example, Thea would be Stormhilda Baroness of Hurricanes, and Ana is Pearlfang the Wise Warrior)

Good Luck!

Title: Rampant

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: August 2009
Hardcover: 416 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of a planned series, though can be read on its own.

Why did we read this book: Two simple words: KILLER UNICORNS. How often is it that you come across a fantasy novel that portrays unicorns not as gentle, noble creatures, but as raging, poisonous beasts? Never. So, when we heard of Diana Peterfreund’s debut YA novel about virgin heroines hunting down rampaging killer unicorns, we were positively giddy.

Summary: (from DianaPeterfreund.com)
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns…

The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great.

Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed ather eccentric mother’s stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods – thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom – Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters, all is not what is seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to – perhaps most dangerously of all – her growing attraction to a handsome art student… and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: WOW. I had a vague idea of what to expect from Ms. Peterfreund having read her excellent Secret Society Girl – but Rampant completely blew me out of the water. Or knocked me off my horse. Or unicorn. Whatever analogy, the important thing is that Rampant surpassed all of my expectations. This is a remarkably imaginative, painstakingly researched, and impeccably written novel. Not only is the core concept fantastic with its delineations of unicorn species and their unique history and place in our own cultural mythology, but the explication of characters – especially the gender roles of women, of virginity and power – is breathtaking.

Yeah, you could say I loved Rampant from its hilarious start to its blood-drenched finale.

Ana:This is my first foray into Diana Peterfreund’s books and I simply loved it. I have to echo Thea’s feelings about the imaginative story, the research and the writing but really, Rampant is, quite absolutely, undeniably, a FUN book to read. I mean, Killer Unicorns and the Virgin Warriors that are the only ones that can kill them? Set in Rome – my favourite city in the whole world? How could I not love this book?

On the Plot:

When Astrid Llewelyn reads a magical unicorn story while babysitting two little girls, she couldn’t be more repulsed. For Astrid, the descendent of Clothilde, the descendent of Alexander of Macedonia, knows a different side of the sparkly magical creatures – and it ain’t pretty. While the rest of the world thinks of unicorns as enchanting, gentle, noble creatures, Astrid knows that they are bloodthirsty, vicious predators with poisoned alicorns (horns) and are nigh invincible. Only virgin women descended from Alexander the Great, like Astrid, can kill a unicorn – and even then, it’s no cakewalk. Impervious to bullets, incredibly self-healing and ranging in size from goat-small to mammoth-large, generations of women like Astrid have honed their skills as hunters to fight off the supernatural menace, armed with spears, bows and arrows, and knives. Though Astrid has grown up hearing these stories from her mother, Lilith, she finds it a bit hard to take seriously – her tales of killer unicorns have cost her jobs, her Ph.D., and labeled her as the family nutjob. In any case, Astrid takes solace in the fact that even if Lilith is right about unicorns, they are certainly extinct. That is, until Astrid is tested by one in the woods surrounding the house where she is babysitting – a zhi, the smallest species of unicorn, appears to Astrid and runs through her sort-of boyfriend with its alicorn.

Suddenly, Astrid’s life is thrown upside-down as she finds herself headed to Rome, to live and train in the Cloisters of Ctesias, legendary home of unicorn huntresses throughout the ages. Here, Astrid will make new allies and enemies, and she will learn exactly what it means to accept her birthright as a daughter of Alexander.

Thea: It is in the plotting of this novel, the scope of new species’ of unicorns, and the extent of world building that Rampant really, totally rocks. In this alternate version of the world, instead of having a secret population of fae, vampires or shapeshifters, there are four dangerous species of unicorn:the smaller zhi, the ferocious kirin, the bull-like re’em, and the enormous karkaadan. It’s clear from reading Rampant that Ms. Peterfreund put some serious effort into historical research, taking and reinterpreting history across different cultures from Alexander the Great, to western european paintings & tapestries, to east asian folklore. It’s some truly fascinating stuff, and the prevalence of these myths across varied cultures is enough to make readers suspend disbelief and take something that could have been very silly, seriously. Perhaps unicorns have never really existed – but the way they are presented in Rampant is pretty convincing.

Beyond the unicorns themselves, Ms. Peterfreund has created an alternate history of hunters with whom their fates are intertwined. And here’s where things get really interesting, because for some reason that science can’t really explain, each hunter must be descended from the line of Alexander the Great and must be a virgin in order to face and kill unicorns. The interesting part here is the focus on a complicated topic that isn’t as cool or much explored in a lot of current literature – namely, virginity. That these girls derive and maintain their huntress powers through virginity raises some tough questions and topics, which Ms. Peterfreund explores thoroughly. In the 21st century, teen girls who don’t give it up are likely to be seen as prudes or frigid, or that something is “wrong” with them – branded psychologically with a ‘V’ instead of a scarlet ‘A’. For the young women in Rampant, like the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome their virginity is literally their lifeblood – and their continued battle against unicorns is mostly through their own choice. (Of course, this raises other questions – what if this choice is taken away from them? – which I was also very happy to see Ms. Peterfreund address in the novel) This exploration of not only gender roles and the assignation of power is some serious food for thought, and impressive in its scope.

As far as the actual writing and plotting is concerned, Rampant does a solid job. Though a tad on the long side at over 400 pages, the plot moves smoothly with only a few dragging points, culminating in a glorious, blood-soaked ending. The revelations are unpredictable and though it takes a shade too long to get to these fabulous twists, they are delightfully shocking and well-executed. Writing-wise, Ms. Peterfreund is in top form with her crisp, light prose, and Rampant is completely engaging and compulsively readable. I have no complaints.

Ana: Ditto.

Although I do have to say that I had a little bit of difficulty getting into the book to start with. It was hard for me to accept how Astrid’s mother, after realising that Unicorns were back simply ships her away to Rome without as much as a second thought about what Astrid wanted or who exactly would be taking care of her. There is nothing intrinsically wrong, obviously, with the way things get into motion as it is part of the characters’ arc but my gut reaction was such that I started to sound like my own protective mother (that scared me like you wouldn’t know) and it detracted from my reading experience at least for the first few pages.

But once Astrid arrives in Rome and the story effectively kicks-off, the plot moved along smoothly for me. And what a story – from the mythology surrounding the Unicorns dating back to Alexander the Great and Roman Gods to the current emergence of the beastly creatures, this book is a fiesta for the Fantasy-inclined reader. Thea is spot on when she says that the entire plot could have gone terribly wrong by the way of silliness but it doesn’t and it is all down to the way the story is interwoven with snippets of real-life events and with the portrayal of the Hunters. These girls are born to a line and to a destiny that at first seems overwhelmingly difficult to accept. And yet, choice presents itself to all of them – to avoid such a destiny is incredibly “easy” actually. All you have to do is to give away your virginity – but by doing so you give away your powers and your place in the sisterhood. Each of the girls has then a choice to make and it all depends on how they see themselves and their future. Because to accept their Warrior side is also to choose a lifetime of commitment to blood, to war and to being single. The “being single” part is particularly stressing for two of the girls: Astrid and Phil who, when sneaking out to enjoy Rome, end up meeting too guys. The romance plot is a very important one here as well adding another layer of angst to the story.

Also, speaking of Rome – what a fabulous setting for the book and Diana Peterfreund seems to know the place really well and inserts enough sightseeing and elements of Roman culture to make it part of the book. Astrid and her love interest Giovanni’s visit to the Borghese Gallery was one of the highlights of the book for me.

Even though the story is convincing as a Fantasy book and for all that there is seriousness in the way of power struggles, the life and death situations and themes such as Virginity or Independence, the book also allows for moments of fun which comes from the humorous narrative and from moments of sheer campiness: like for example how the girls keep an Unicorn pet of the zhi variety (the only domesticated one, sort of ) called, BONEGRINDER. Oh, the ludicrousness – I love it.

And then there are the plot twists – there is one in particular towards the end of the novel that irrevocably moved Rampant from a “very good” to an “awesome” read.

On the Characters:

Thea: While the mythos of the unicorn & hunter was so impressive, it’s almost expected that the characters weren’t quite as strong or fulfilling. That’s not to say that the characters were poorly done – quite the opposite. Astrid, the protagonist and first-person narrator of Rampant certainly feels like a genuine teenage girl thrust into a much larger situation, with impossible expectations. Though it would have been easy to write Astrid as a firebrand, or a stubborn, sword-wielding badass from the getgo, Ms. Peterfreund takes it a different direction; Astrid instead is a quieter teen, who really doesn’t want any part of her immense destiny, nor does she choose it initially. She goes along to Rome (even though she really doesn’t want to) at the behest of her pushy mother, she becomes a hunter even though she really doesn’t buy into it, and when the only thing she really is interested in – getting down to the scientific breakdown of the Remedy and the biochemical secret hunters’ resistance – is denied her, she basically lets it go. Astrid is passive – that is, until she finds her own purpose and strength. This heroine might not be the warrior woman readers expect, but she is one that I at least found myself rooting for wholeheartedly by the end of the book because of her solid character arc.

The secondary characters in Rampant are varied and add a wonderfully human element to the story. Of these, my favorites had to be Cory, the obsessed know-it-all (with good reason for her hate for unicorns) and Phil, the slightly older and much more outgoing cousin of Astrid. Phil’s sparkle, her wit, and her own journey in Rampant is a powerful one – I loved her character very, very much. There are less lovable characters too – such as Lilith, Astrid’s glory-hungry mother. For all that I found myself despising her pushiness and singleminded attitude towards Astrid and the hunters, Lilith is another character that felt very real and believable – after years of being marginalized and belittled for her radical views on a then-believed mythological character, when she has an opportunity to be proven right and for her daughter to fulfill her birthright, she of course seizes it with both hands. The only character that I wasn’t really crazy about had to be Giovanni, Astrid’s love interest. A bit too good to be true, perhaps. The lackluster hunky Italian dude aside, though, I like that Astrid is forced to confront the choices that she has to make, and Giovanni is a part of that.

Ana: Astrid’s quietness and initial, completely passive acceptance of her mother’s attitude drove me insane. At points I wished she would rebel, scream, do something to avoid going on a journey she so clearly did not want. But eventually I was glad she didn’t and her character proved to be so much more interesting like that – for her quiet strength that grows into so much more. Her arc was such that by the end of the book, I was completely in love with her and understood her decisions – as they were clearly delimited by everything she went through in these pages: from understand her destiny, her heritage, to using her strong desire to be a scientist into researching aspects of the mythology no one has ever thought of. This is one of the things that I have to give mad props to Diana Peterfreund: for not allowing the Astrid that begins the book turning into a completely different, alien Astrid by the end of it. It is the same character – only one that becomes her own person, who can make her own choices, finally.

As a coming of age story, Rampant is a great book indeed. And one where the teenage girl does not depend on the teenage boy for a lifetime of happiness – there is a romantic element to the book and Astrid does draw strength from being with him but not in an obsessive manner. These kids talk, assess and think about their situation in a very balanced way and still they have their hormones driving them crazy. It is a great balance, if you ask me. Plus she can totally kick his ass (and at one point I really wish she would, as I was not so keen on Giovanni. Go figure).

As for the other characters: there is Cory and I loved her from the start (as she threw Bonegrinder through the window, I thought: You had me at hello, girl); and Astrid’s cousin Phil who shone through the novel with an almost blinding light and nearly overshadowed Astrid and her more meek attitude. I really do hope we can see more of Phil in the next book. But the other girls were not as clearly drawn , unfortunately, which is a shame since they came from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds but I understand the necessity of drawing a line somewhere – to give the other girls more pages and line would detract from the main characters and the main story.

Final Thoughts, Observations, and Rating:

Thea: I loved Rampant from beginning to end. The staggering amount of meticulous research and fantastic twist on the unicorn myth and the exploration of gender and virginity alone are enough to make this book one of the most memorable I’ve read this year. Add to that the solid, different characters, and Rampant is one irresistible book. Absolutely recommended, and easily one of my notable reads of 2009. I cannot wait for more from Astrid and the unicorns.

Ana: Rampant is a great book, with a gripping, interesting plot that never lets go. With a bunch of strong Girl Hunters and such sympathetic characters such as Astrid and Phil, this one is a winner. And can I just reiterate the fact that there is a pet unicorn called Bonegrinder? Bring on the next book.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Harper Teen, with its great Browse Inside feature has the first 80 pages of Rampant up! You can check it out online HERE, or use the widget below:

Additional Thoughts: Killer unicorns. Diana Peterfreund boldly goes where no one has gone before in current literature with her take on these mythological creatures. For more insight on Diana’s research for Rampant make sure to stick around as she’ll have an Inspirations and Influences guest post later today! Plus, we’ll also be giving away a copy of Rampant to a lucky winner…

In the meantime, we leave you with the Evil Unicorn:

Rating:

Thea: 8 – Excellent

Ana: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

Hello, welcome and good Sunday to all!

Week 3 of our Young Adult Appreciation Month is down – 2 more to go!

This week on The Book Smugglers

Monday – Kristi, the Story Siren, is interviewed by us on reading and blogging about YA novels…

….followed by Thea’s review of Dull Boy by Sarah Cross;

Tuesday - Thea reviews the controversial and much raved about novel Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan…

… followed by Ana’s review of Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Wednesday – Thea reviews two books: The Devouring and Soulstice by Simon Holt, and we’ll also have a giveaway of The Devouring…

…while Ana reviews The Poison Garden by Sarah Singleton

Thursday – Souls Screamers Special: Ana reviews My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent followed by a guest post by the author.

Friday – Killer Unicorns attaaaaaack!! We review Diana Peterfreund’s highly anticipated debut Young Adult novel, Rampant and later in the day she talks about her Inspiration and Influences for this new series.

Saturday – Party Day! This is the date of our collaborative Young Adult Celebration!

We invite YOU to read or write a post about anything Young Adult. Anything counts: a review of a favorite oldie, a review of a new (or new to you) YA novel, a post reflecting on the genre, or even a piece on why you DON’T read YA – write a post, come back here on the 15th and we will link to it. So far, more than 35 bloggers have signed up. Go here to learn more on how to be a part of the party!

New Cover of Liar

If you have been around the Internets for any amount the time in the past few weeks, chances are you have heard about the controversy surrounding the cover of Liar, by Justine Larbalestier. Basically, the book is about a black girl and the original cover was this one:

Following the understandable outcry, the US publisher decided to manup and change the cover to this one:

Much better right? And equally beautiful and intriguing. You can read more about at the author’s website.

On our YA radar:

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

Rayne can’t wait to start her summer job at a remote country mansion, far from the crowded, noisy London she so desperately wants to escape. But the retreat soon turns into a nightmare — the mansion is creepy, the legends of ghosts keep Rayne up at night, and she doesn’t feel safe anywhere.

Can Rayne figure out why she’s so freaked — before she becomes a ghost story herself?

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel’s dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

Love can be a dangerous thing….

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

It’s a fight to the death – on live TV – when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules – and the GSA – can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him… For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence – a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

They look sooooooooo good!

R.I.P. John Hughes

We were saddened to learn that iconic 80s movies writer and director John Hughes has passed away yesterday at age 59, of a heart attack. John Hughes was responsible for some of our favourite movies growing up:

Ana: Thea and I exchanged a few emails talking about how we loved his movies and I became so nostalgic, I couldn’t sleep, as I kept thinking about my favourite lines, or favourite stories. Or how they affected me: for example, I can still remember the day I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for the first time. I must have been 12 (as the movie was already out on VCR when I first saw it) and I can see right in front of me, my TV. Above all, I remember how it felt watching that scene in the parade when Ferris takes over the microphone and sings Danke Schoen (to this day, the only German words I know – it means Thank you) and then Twist and Shout. It was like being struck by lightning – It was the first time I ever heard of The Beatles and I was all like OMG what is this song? Want. Need.

Thea: Ahh Ferris. Yes, an iconic film, and Matthew Broderick is just so adorable! And of course, the song – you know, the “de bow bow…chick chick-chicka!” (If anyone watches It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, this is funny).

The most hilarious Hughes moment for me has to be from Sixteen Candles. You know, the incredibly horrible racist take on a Chinese exchange student? Auuutomobiiiile?! (Also, “MARRIED?! YES married!” cracks me up like no other) But as for a favorite scene EVER? It’s close. Though Duckie’s Try A Little Tenderness gives it a run for its money, my favorite has to be the cathartic final scene from The Breakfast Club. You know, the paper being read, the Claire and Bender kiss, the final image of Bender’s arm up in victory while “Don’t You Forget About Me” is playing? I don’t think it gets any better than that. (And no clip because I can’t find one! Gaah!)

Ana: I will leave you with Ferris singing Twist and Shout.

And a question for you, dear reader: what is your favorite John Hughes’ movies memory?

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

Title: Secret Society Girl

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Genre: Fiction, Humor, Contemporary

Publisher: Bantam Dell
Publication Date: May 2007
Paperback: 320 Pages

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of the Ivy League Novel series.

Why did I read this book: I had initially heard about this book from Li of the fabulous Me and My Books. After reading her glowing review of this book (and her subsequent praise of the series!), I knew I had to give it a try…and when I went to my local Target of all places and saw this book, I knew it was a sign. From there it languished on my TBR, until my recent trip provided the perfect opportunity to get it off the bench and on deck.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
In a fabulous blend of the bestselling traditions of Prep and The Devil Wears Prada, Secret Society Girl takes us into the heart of the Ivy League’s ultraexclusive secret societies when a young woman is invited to join as one of their first female members.

A smart, sexy introduction to the life and times of a young woman in way over her head, Secret Society Girl is a charming and witty debut from a writer who knows her turf—and isn’t afraid to tell all….

Review:

I hereby confess, I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did.

This isn’t the type of book I’d normally read, as my tastes run toward fantasy. And I wasn’t quite sold on the book blurb — but I trust Li and Angie, who both loved this book and this series. So, faced with a few days on a hot, white sand beach, what better time to dig in (oho, the puns, you love them!) to Secret Society Girl?

Amy Haskel is a junior undergrad at the fictional Eli University (modeled after Yale), an Ivy League School (for non-Americans, Ivy League schools are the oldest and arguably some of the best universities in the country; highly exclusive, horrendously expensive, and those accepted into these prestigious universities are either brilliant, filthy rich, or have some influential ties). Amy has a solid GPA and is the editor of a smaller literary journal on campus, and she fully expects to get “tapped” by Ink and Quill, the literary secret society (Being “tapped” and then inducted into a secret society is, apparently, a huge deal and vital for Ivy Leaguers’ success in the Real World as these societies provide invaluable connections to jobs, contacts, networking benefits, etc. For the non-American reader, I should reassure you that not all universities have secret societies; this is much more an east coast Ivy League school thing. But more on that later!). When she receives a mysterious phone call and goes to her society interview, however, Amy is baffled to discover she has been tapped by Rose and Grave, the big bad granddaddy of secret societies, the most powerful society in the country (if not the world). Amy’s shock is twofold: first, the “diggers” (Rose and Grave members) never tap women; second, Amy, while ambitious and successful, doesn’t exactly fit the digger superstar criteria. Amy’s digger class has a few more female taps, incurring the wrath of the older members of the society. When these patriarchs make it clear how enraged they are with the perversion of their society’s membership extended to women by throwing all the inductees (the seniors and junior tap class alike) out of the club, Amy and the diggirls decide to fight back.

I hereby confess, Ms. Peterfreund’s writing style is more addictive than Pringles.

As anyone who has read Diana Peterfreund’s work can attest, I could not put this book down. In fact, I finished it in a single day at the beach. In fact, every copy of this book should come with a warning: this book, detailing the inner workings of chauvinistic, elitist secret societies, is impossible to put down once started.

Ms. Peterfreund’s prose is undeniably crisp and airy. Amy narrates this book (written in the first person point of view, in the form of confessions) and it is her candor and wit carries the novel, even though the plotting is just so-so. This book isn’t exactly the War and Peace that Amy has been laboring over in lit, but it is highly enjoyable (and dare I say, far more readable than Tolstoy).

I hereby confess, Amy Haskel is freaking awesome.

Amy is your everygirl overachiever. She doesn’t really know what she wants — from her career, her boyfriends, or her life. She knows that she needs to score a great job after graduation and that her summer internship at a publishing house in New York is the best way to pad her resume. But when it comes to things she actually, passionately desires, she doesn’t have a clue. She vacillates back and forth with her friend with benefits Brandon (who wants Amy to be his girlfriend), and she wavers in her resolve to stay in Rose and Grave…and I loved Amy all the more for her doubts and insecurities. Why? Because she felt completely real to me, and she’s a character I can relate to on a personal level. Yes, I know this is a reviewing no-no, and that a good reviewer will evaluate characters on literary merit as opposed to how well they can relate/want to be friends with said character — so sue me. I liked Amy. As a recent highly ambitious college grad who is still uncertain about what to do with the rest of my life, I can identify with Amy’s dilemma.

Besides my personal biases, I can also safely say that Amy is a well developed character who comes across as a bright young woman and a completely endearing heroine. I did wish that I knew more about Amy’s background (for instance, she quips at trust fund kids and the celebs that go to Eli, and makes it clear that she is neither rich or a “legacy”), but there is much room for those developments in subsequent books. I loved Amy’s sparkling narration, her dry wit, and her passionate ability to stand up for herself and her fellow diggirls when it comes down to the wire.

In contrast, the other characters aren’t nearly as fleshed out as Amy, but still are colorful and fresh enough to engage readers. There’s some simmering romance, the beginnings of wonderful friendships, and hardships galore, and I cannot wait to read more.

I hereby confess, there’s no way in hell I’d want to be in Rose and Grave.

One of the most fascinating things about this novel for me was the whole notion of Secret Societies. I went to UCLA, a large public university, which does have a rather active Greek scene but no secret societies. In Secret Society Girl, many things made me smile nostalgically – laundry woes, drinking games, one night stands and friends with benefits turning into complicated messes – but so much was completely alien to me. Being “tapped”, the whole initiation ritual and the subsequent drama with Rose and Grave was mind-boggling, and fascinating (think a cross between The Skulls and sorority movies like Sydney White). And all things considered, the lengths to which the patriarchs go to try to eliminate the female taps, there’s no way in hell I’d want to be part of such a misogynistic organization. I suppose that’s the biggest question I had with Secret Society Girl — why would any woman, especially the group of highly intelligent, confident, and ambitious women in this book, want to remain a part of Rose and Grave?

Of course, there are three more books in the series already written, so I’m sure I’ll get my answers soon enough. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next few books to find out.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

It all began on a day in late April of my junior year. I was in my dorm room, for once, trying to squeeze in a load of laundry between a tuna salad sandwich in the dining hall and my afternoon lecture on War and Peace, or as I like to think of it, WAP. (That’s not an acronym, by the way, but onomatopoeia. It’s the sound the hefty volume makes when I drop it on my desk.) Professor Muravcek’s lectures tended toward the impenetrable side and I wanted to spend some time brushing up on my notes. I was tilting toward a B in that class, which was unacceptable if I wanted to graduate with honors in the major. However, it was either laundry or rushing out that night to buy a new package of underwear. You know you’re desperate when trekking downtown to GAP Body is easier than waiting for a free dryer.

But neither Tide nor Tolstoy was in the cards for me that afternoon. I’d just finished disentangling my disentangling my fuchsia lace thong (Friday night date panties) from the legs of my “going out jeans” and was on my way out the door with a load of darks when the phone rang.

Crap. It was probably my mom. She seemed to have a divine sense of when I’d be in my room.

I balanced the basket on my hip and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Amy Maureen Haskel?”

“You got her,” I said, shaking one of my balled-up gym socks free.

“Your presence is required at 750 College Street, room 400, at two o’clock this afternoon.”

Two o’clock was in fifteen minutes. “Who is this?”

“750 College Street, room 400. Two p.m.” And then the line went dead.

You’re intrigued, aren’t you? The rest of the chapter is up on Diana Peterfreund’s website. Check out her blog, while you’re at it.

Additional Thoughts: The books of the Secret Society/Ivy League series are as follows:

Secret Society Girl, Under the Rose, Rites of Spring (Break) and the forthcoming Tap and Gown, due out on May 19, 2009.

Verdict: Secret Society Girl is a delightful, highly enjoyable read, and the perfect summer read. I cannot wait to continue with the series!

Rating: 7 Very Good

Reading Next: The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett