YA New York

I’ve been waiting impatiently for today. Very impatiently. Because, you see, although today is the official release day of Matthue Roth’s new book, Losers, it’s been on sale in stores for awhile. But you know the rules: No reviews before the release date.

All right. The story takes place in Philadelphia, centering around a high school kid named Jupiter. Yes, it’s a funny name for a funny kid who immigrated to the US from Russia when he was a child. It seems to me that anyone named Jupiter is destined to be bullied.

Which Jupiter is, of course. On the first day of school, a bully gives him a nice little beating and demands that he “share” his locker. But somehow, things start to get better as a result of Jupiter crashing a party and making a place for himself, one that allows him to mingle with members of just about every clique in the school. And throughout it all, we get to experience his hilarious mishaps with him.

What’s amazing about Matthue’s book is that it’s not only funny, but also a pretty decent breakdown of high school cliques. Of how the people in them are maybe not so evil. Of how everyone, even the bullies, are just trying to find a place for themselves. So yeah, it’s a little heartwarming and fuzzy, but in a good way. A really, really good way. Indeed, I was so charmed by this novel that I went out and got myself a copy of Matthue’s memoir (not YA), and am working my way through it right now.

I’ve also got an interview with Matthue that I was hoping to post today but will have to post a little later in the week. So watch for that, coming soon. And for now, go get yourself a copy of Losers, yeah?

One. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (the film) comes out in theaters on Friday. Our LA correspondent Jami B. will be attending and writing up a review. I’ll also be going, with luck, and I may chime in as well.

Two. Terry Gross interviewed Michael Cera (who stars as Nick in the film) on her NPR show, Fresh Air. The interview was almost entirely good, except that she failed to mention the film is based on the fantabulous book by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Umm … hello? Anyway, you can read about and listen to the interview here.

Three. It’s Banned Books Week, as you’ve probably already heard. There are about a million great books that have been banned, so try picking one up. My personal top three from the “frequently challenged” list include the works of Philip Pullman (killing God makes you not so popular), Lois Lowry (dystopian societies are a no-no), and Stephen Chbosky (all sorts of ban-attracting stuff in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but I’ll say no more). Anyway, while I adore those three authors and their works, I’d encourage you to have your pick — there are gazillions of amazing books being banned all the time.

Four. There’s a new blog in town, started by Michael Grant, author of Gone and something like 700 other books, all under pseudonyms. Michael is really cool, because he created this massive group blog called Stupid Blog Name, and he invited all sorts of people to contribute. Including me! I was so surprised and amazed, and even more surprised and amazed when I looked at the site today and saw that MEG CABOT is blogging on the site too. Umm, hello? I cannot believe I am occupying the same web space as Meg freaking Cabot. And Michael freaking Grant. You should go check it out, and soon.

I just read this article by Lucy Maud Montgomery’s granddaughter, telling the world that the great novelist suffered from depression and eventually took her own life. It’s a sad story, especially when you put it in context: She died in 1942, during the second world war. She had written, during the first world war, that to see the entire world at war was too painful to watch. (This is a paraphrase; I can find exact quotes later on.) She was deeply depressed, as am I, and she was the wife of a conservative minister, and she didn’t have the resources we have now. A variety of medications, sympathetic and knowledgeable doctors, and most importantly, good friends who understand that mental illness is not a character flaw.

I have an entire shelf in my bookcase devoted to her writing. She was, without a doubt, the most influential author I read during my childhood. You know that feeling you have, especially when you’re very young, that certain authors are like friends to you? That if you ever met them, you’re sure they would be kindred spirits, because their stories capture you entirely? That is how I felt about LM Montgomery growing up, and I feel it even more today.

Dot Lin from Tor Books sent me this link, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me, as right now I’m sitting at the bottom of a giant hole. What is amazing is that, in spite of her illness, Lucy Maud achieved so much. She wrote wonderful books and connected with generations of readers.

So for today, all I have to say is this: Read the article. And then go back and re-read some of Lucy Maud’s best work. If you haven’t read anything by her, start with the Anne books and go through the first three at the very least. Otherwise, try the Emily trilogy. You won’t regret it.

Sorry for the long absence; I’ve been ill and still am. Actually, I shall soon be returning to my bed, where an IV drip of YA fiction awaits me. But I’ve got a bunch of reviews and interviews coming your way as soon as I’m back up and around and back to my normal peppy self.

Speaking of which, I’m looking for a second writer for this here site. If you’re interested, shoot me an e-mail with some info about your reading habits, writing creds (blogs count!) and maybe a sample review or a link to your own site. I’d especially love to have someone on board who is interested in graphic novels, manga, and any other YA stuff you think the site needs more of. Last thing: You don’t need to live in New York if you want to join up in this volunteer effort. You can live anywhere. Alaska. Oklahoma. Finland. Etc.

Back soon, and much love,
brina

Not to get too political on y’all, but Maureen Johnson has started an online networking group called YA for Obama. I’ve been staying away from politics this election cycle, not because I don’t care but because I want to make sure everyone feels welcome at YA New York. But the thing is, folks who write teen fiction tend to be somewhat political. And they’re often somewhat liberal, which is why there are a lot of cool authors with informed opinions on Maureen’s site, which officially launches on Sept. 22.

Want more? Click on the little ad below:

Visit YA for Obama

Justine Larbalestier’s new book is totally doos. (That last word there, it’s not a typo. It’s a Justine-ism that means brilliant, awesome, and incredibly cool.)

The set-up: How to Ditch Your Fairy takes place in a world where … you know … people have fairies. And it’s a pretty regular thing. Our heroine, Charlotte Steele (better known as Charlie), was born with a parking fairy, which seems pretty benign. Like, I would totally want a parking fairy, because I live in Brooklyn — in an area that is not as accessible by public transit as I’d like it to be — and I have to move my car every morning for alternate side of the street parking. Not only is it a pain in the arse, it’s also gotten me a ton of parking tickets.

But see, Charlie hates her fairy, mostly because people are incessantly asking her to go places with them in their cars. And sometimes they don’t even really ask. They demand.

Enter Fiorenze, a classmate who is stuck with a fairy that makes all boys her age fall madly in love with her. You can imagine this would rock for about ten seconds before it drove you crazy, right? I mean, yeah, it would be great if every cool guy I met was into me, but … no, it wouldn’t actually be great. It would suck.

Both Fio and Charlie are getting into loads of trouble at school, all because of their fairies. So of course they both go looking for ways to rid themselves of these pesky parasitic creatures. (I don’t know. Are fairies parasites?)

All in all, Justine’s latest is wonderfully enjoyable, hilarious, frustrating, well-written, and just … worth every penny. Because, see, I bought it. Yes, I bought it for full price, dammit, and I’m glad I did. Otherwise I’d never have gotten the chance to read something so unstoppably fun. And I only dropped it in the bathtub once, so it’s not completely ruined, either. Just a tiny bit waterlogged.

A few things I thought of as I was reading: 1. Justine gives Libba Bray full credit for the title. 2. There is actually a character in the book with the last name Bray! 3. I want a fairy. 4. In the glossary Justine writes about a story fairy, who turns all your experiences into excellent stories. But, she says, the hard part is writing the stories, not getting the ideas. 5. This means I must have a writing fairy, and pronto. Anybody got one they’d be willing to swap for my afternoon nap fairy? If so, just drop me a line, yeah?

I’m pleased to present an interview with Robin Wasserman, whose new book Skinned is getting rave reviews from pretty much everyone. You may recognize her name, considering this is her eleventh book (and she’s only thirty!); Robin is the author of the Seven Deadly Sins series and a bunch of other good stuff.

Question One

Me: How did you come with the idea for Skinned?
Robin: In grad school I did a lot of work on automata, which are mechanical replicas of life, and so I’ve been thinking about those issues for a really long time and so it was exciting to get them into a teen novel exploring life and death and all of those issues. Read the rest of this entry »

All right, folks. Another sci fi dystopia has hit the shelves, and it’s a good one. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is going to suck you in and swallow you whole, I swear.

Summary: The United States fell apart at some point, seemingly hundreds of years ago. First there were weather disasters (floods, droughts, all the usual stuff), and eventually a new country arose, called Panem. The nation was divided into thirteen districts, but there was a rebellion, and district thirteen was completely obliterated.

But, and here’s where it gets interesting, the diabolical government (located somewhere I imagine is near what we now call Denver) has chosen to remind citizens of their treason every year by hosting the Hunger Games, in which two teenagers from each district — for a total of twenty-four “champions” — must go into an arena and fight to the death until one comes out alive.

Our heroine is Katniss, a poor girl from district twelve, the poorest of the districts. She’s had to make it on her own for various reasons, and so she has learned to hunt and to identify edible plants, which makes her a better contender than she knows. And of course she ends up as one of the “tributes,” or sacrifices from each district to the games.

The beginning of the book starts out with a Shirley Jackson-esque type of lottery, except that in this lottery your chances of being picked are higher if you’re in danger of starvation, because you can enter your name extra times in exchange for simple things like food.

But as Suzanne weaves the story, she delves into a lot of issues. Poverty, obviously. Inequality. And then she also brings up some positive traits that are completely un-expected. Generosity, concern. I mean, really. What teenager wants to kill twenty-three others so she can go home and continue to live?

There are a host of movies that explore the insane urge some humans have to prey upon one another, notably The Most Dangerous Game, but none of them (at least none I’ve seen) explore class barriers in the way Suzanne’s novel does.

And, though it’s weird, you can’t help but get into the game itself after awhile, hoping to see Katniss survive, hoping that a few other characters will make it too, hoping that this impoverished but determined girl from a place that is detested by the wealthy can prove herself. And then, maybe, that she can challenge in the government in some way, that she can become an agent of change.

I’ve read a lot of fantastic books this year, and I keep coming back to you and telling you, “You’re going to love this one! You are! It’s amazing, I swear!” Well, The Hunger Games falls into that category, too. But let me tell you: I read probably three or four times as many books as I review. (If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.) I only recommend books I really enjoyed, and this is one I heartily recommend. It reminds me of so many other works of great dystopian fiction — of Scott Westerfeld, Robin Wasserman, Margaret Atwood (an adult author whose novel Oryx and Crake is one of my all-time favorites, although I could go on about her books for about a million years if you’d let me). And yet it’s unique in its approach.

Let me put it to you this way: The Hunger Games is a really compelling read, and one that takes place in a future you could actually imagine. It’s tragic and yet hopeful. And I’m excited to see what else Suzanne is going to bring us, because a little bird told me that The Hunger Games will not be a stand-alone novel. (Also, the last words in the book are “End of book one,” which is a dead giveaway that there will be a book two.)

So please. Go read it, and soon. And, even if you don’t love it as I did, come back and tell me what you think.

Buy The Hunger Games from Amazon.com.

Dude. Scott’s interview with Robin Wasserman (author of Skinned, of course) way outshines my own. So I’m going to link to his for now and post mine later in the week.

Go read it!

There is not always a cure for insomnia, but usually a gal can find something to make it bearable. Like a book that’s been sitting on her shelf for the last two weeks, just begging to be read.

Death By Bikini is the first in a trilogy by Linda Gerber, and it would have been the perfect beach read if I’d gotten myself a copy back in May. Then again, I’m not much for the beach. Sand, you know. Anyway, beach or no beach, Death By Bikini is the sort of lovely mystery you can gobble up in an hour flat, with a twist of chick lit and a hint of more to come.

Aphra lives with her dad at a private island resort, with the closest city accessible only by helicopter. Together, she and her father run the perfect tropical paradise escape. But over the course of a few days, things at the beach go completely haywire, resulting in Aphra running for her life and trying to save a few others while she’s at it. Better yet, she begins to solve the mystery of why her mother left four years ago and hasn’t so much as sent a letter since. And of course there’s a cute boy by Aphra’s side to heat things up.

The first book I thought of when I read this was Helen Fielding’s Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, though the villains in Gerber’s novel aren’t quite so transparent. But wait! What I’m actually saying here is good, because I adore Helen Fielding, Mother of Chick Lit, and there aren’t many books I’d compare to hers.

Let’s see: It’s 5:30 a.m., and my brain is admittedly not up to the task of writing well about anything at the moment. But I can say a few things. This novel is fast-paced, fun, and maybe just a little scary. (What’s a mystery without a nice chunk of danger?)

Oh! And it’s a paperback, which makes it even more compelling for the gal who’s on a budget.

If you’re looking for a good, light read — the sort of thing that’ll take your mind off AP physics and your evil gym teacher — please do consider checking out Death By Bikini. You won’t regret it.

Buy Death By Bikini from Amazon.com.