When I was in my twenties, I had a roommate who told me that I was a magnet for weirdness. “Stuff happens to you that doesn’t happen to other people,” he said. I don’t know if that claim is exactly true, but I have experienced my share of unusual situations. For example: I’ve ripped a muscle in my … [Read more...]
Creation and Survival
Creating and Survival and major themes in these two new YA novels coming out this month - though the two are very different, they ask some interesting questions about what could be. Vitro, by Jessica Khoury RazorBill, ISBN: 978 1 59514 645 2 When Sophie receives an urgent email asking her … [Read more...]
Trilogies: Guaranteed Frustration That’s Worth It
Last year I read Blood Red Road, the hefty first part of a new trilogy by debut author Moira Young, and was so disappointed when it ended and I was going to have to WAIT for part two. I also went ahead and pushed it on everyone I knew, so they could be just as disappointed - you're welcome, … [Read more...]
Shatter Me
On the heels of The Hunger Games, post-apocalyptic lit has been hot for teens these past few years, with big titles like Blood Red Road, Matched, Divergent, and this one, all featuring strong girls - not a bad model for a teen book, if you're going to go with a popular formula! Shatter MeTahereh … [Read more...]