Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli
"Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met."- summary from Amazon

I could write pages upon pages about how awesome and adorable this book is but I will try not to make this too long. Albertalli has written such a wonderful coming-out and coming-of-age tale. Simon's voice is pitch perfect and felt like such a realistic depiction of gay teens today. While GLBT people are becoming more accepted and it can be easier to come out nowadays, it is still a difficult process to have to come out to your friends and family. You may think you know them well enough, but sometimes you don't and it's hard to fathom that kind of rejection so you hide part of your basic self from others. Simon is dealing with that problem and there are little things that are said or done that affect how he perceives people and how he thinks they'll handle this sort of announcement.

Keeping him happy is the relationship that's slowly blossoming between him and Blue, another gay boy at his school. They keep in touch through emails sent from accounts used just for that purpose. I could honestly read a whole book just composed of their emails because they are hilarious, touching, insightful, and playful. It is such a perfect way to show how close they are getting and how willing (or not willing) they are to break their self-imposed silence.

Simon's friends are also written very well and they are brought to life through Albertalli's breezy yet thoughtful way of writing. The writing itself is light when it needs to be and heavy when it needs to be, just like real life. The various friendships written in this novel are so realistically done that they all feel like real people and people I would like to spend time with.

Overall, an amazingly stunning debut and I urge you all to read it and become fans for life like I am. Get this book immediately when it comes out tomorrow.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell + Interview

Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell
"For as long as she can remember, Lucy Aimes has been plagued by a dark, recurring dream of drowning. But when her family moves to an old plantation outside New Orleans, she starts having intense new dreams, vivid scenes of a bygone era filled with people she shouldn't know but does. Searching for answers to her haunting visions, Lucy reluctantly descends into the city's mystical culture.

What she finds is Alex, a charming but mysterious boy who behaves as if they've known each other forever. Lucy shouldn't be so drawn to him . . . but she is. As she tries to solve the mystery surrounding Alex, a centuries-old vendetta unspools around her, resulting in a vicious murder. Now trapped in a dangerous crossfire, Lucy must act fast to save her future—and everyone she loves."- summary from Amazon

Maxwell's debut is a scary but fun book. The mystery surrounding the plantation and Alex makes for a compelling, page-turning read and Maxwell knows when to give enough information but leave some just out of reach. I am a big fan of books that involve voodoo elements because I'm just such a huge fan of various forms of magic, so this was right up my alley. The book is set at a good, slow pace, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat wanting to find out more about what's going on. The attraction between Lucy and Alex makes the book captivating as well, and Maxwell treads the line between romantic and creepy very well when it comes to that part of the story.

Overall, a fantastically written debut and I'm eager to read more from Maxwell, which includes a companion book out this year, which she talks about in the interview below!

and here's an interview with Lisa:

1) How did you get the idea for Sweet Unrest?

The idea for SWEET UNREST started with one of my wedding pictures. There’s a weird smudge in one of them, and the photographer (only partially jokingly) said, "oh, that’s a ghost. We see those all the time.” So that was the beginning of Lucy’s character and the opening lines of the book. From there, I had this idea to write about Zombies, but the more I researched *real* Zombies, the more interested I got in Voodoo. And when I discovered that the first African American Daguerreotype photographer lived in New Orleans… things started coming together.


2) You have a second book coming out in 2016 from Simon Pulse called Heartless Things. Can you tell us about it? Are you working on anything else?

Actually, my second book is a 2015 release with Flux that is a companion novel/sequel to SWEET UNREST. It’s called THE GATHERING DEEP and tells the continuing story from another character’s POV.

Then HEARTLESS (which will be retitled eventually) is in 2016 and another book to be decided from Simon Pulse in 2017. I also have a Middle Grade that’s about to go out on submission called Xavier T. Fletcher, Ornithologist, and the Keeper of the Rend. It’s about birds and boys and goats and monsters and bees and I love it. :O)


3) What do you love most about teaching English? Is there anything you don't like about it?

I love getting to talk to bright students about books and writing—and I get paid for it. There are certain stories and poems that I can teach over and over again and never get tired of them. And I just got to propose and develop a course in YA Literature, so I’ll actually get to teach what I write in 2015 or 2016. There’s plenty I don’t like—starting with the grading. But the hardest thing for me to deal with as a professor is to see students who could really go far not care or not try or not be interested in or believe in themselves enough to put in the time and effort to get ahead. That’s the most frustrating thing—so much potential, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Because, ultimately, learning is internal and personal. No one can make you do it.


4) You blog as part of the Fall Fourteeners. How have they helped you along as you deal with your first published book?

The Fall Fourteeners have been such a lifeline! They’ve been my best cheerleaders and we all have bounced ideas off of each other about publicity and marketing and just surviving this whole crazy launch experience.


5) What book(s) are you currently reading, or are about to start? Any 2015 titles you're excited for?

I’m currently on a binge reading spree, desperately cramming in more words before I get my next round of edits. Today’s book is EVERY DAY by David Levithan, but I have a pile lined up behind that. I’m really excited about the second book in The Winner’s Curse series and also for the follow up to Snow Like Ashes. And I can’t wait for Rachael Allen’s The Revenge Playbook.


6) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or if you don't like those, do you have a favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

Favorite flavors are a mix of toasted marshmallow, strawberry something, and coconut.

FTC: Received finished paperback from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst
"It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassible dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing—and what she's running from—before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found…. "- summary from Amazon

I love Durst's books as they're all such interesting concepts and she creates each world so well. The Lost is a thrilling book encased in a character study of Lauren and the other residents of Lost. Each person there is on a quest for a purpose and they need to look deep within before they can figure out what that is. Helping Lauren along on this journey are Claire, a cute, deadly six year old and Peter aka the Finder (who brings the people to Lost) after Lauren has been run out of town by the locals. Both characters are fun and mysterious and I enjoyed reading about their time together as they navigate Lost to stay away from the hostile locals. Lauren is a character many will relate to, as she feels lost after what happened recently to her mother and wonders just what exactly she is doing with her life. She's a strong character for sure, but also vulnerable and scared (both emotionally and physically- the townspeople are after her, after all).

Overall, Durst has written a fantastically compelling start to a trilogy and I cannot wait to read more. Book 2 is already out, with Book 3 out later this year.

FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Contest- Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash + Interview

Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash
"Alys’s whole world was comprised of the history project that was due, her upcoming violin audition, being held tightly in the arms of her boyfriend, Ben, and laughing with her best friend, Delilah. At least it was—until she found herself on the wrong end of a shotgun in the school library. Her suburban high school had become one of those places you hear about on the news—a place where some disaffected youth decided to end it all and take as many of his teachers and classmates with him as he could. Except, in this story, that youth was Alys’s own brother, Luke. He killed fifteen others and himself, but spared her—though she’ll never know why.

Alys’s downward spiral begins instantly, and there seems to be no bottom."- summary from Amazon

I absolutely loved Banash's Elite series and was excited to see new books being released from her. I never got a chance to read White Lines (her book from last year) and so jumped on the opportunity to read her latest book. The subject matter interested me because I find school shootings fascinating and tragic and there's so much to be mined from that subject. Banash picked an interesting angle to come at, telling the story from the perspective of the shooter's sister. Alys is such a wonderfully depicted character and I really felt and understood her struggle as she tried to grasp at the reality of the situation and deal with the aftermath of it all.

The vast majority of the book focuses on the aftermath of the shooting, with the actual event itself taking place within the first 30 pages or so. Banash has a beautiful, atmospheric way of writing that really brings the reader into the story and into Alys' life. The ripple effect of this event is immense and deep and while she still has a long way to go toward getting better, there is a hint of hope at the end of the book and the story ends in just the right place.

Overall, a fantastically written book that's extremely compelling and engrossing. I may have to read White Lines soon to get more of a Banash fix. I highly recommend this book- go out and get it now!

and here's an interview with Jennifer:

1) How did you get the idea for Silent Alarm?

I got the idea for Silent Alarm from reading about the 2012 school shooting in Chardon, Ohio. One article mentioned that the shooter had a younger sister and that fact stuck with me--I started obsessively wondering what it was like for her to be related to him and have no idea what he was capable of, to live in the same town. Although the girl in question didn't actually attend the same school as her brother, my wheels began to turn, imagining the possibilities. It's funny because I was slated to write a completely different book altogether, but this story took hold and wouldn't let go. I'm just thankful that I have an editor who, without missing a beat, told me to go for it, to write the story I needed to tell. The result was Silent Alarm.


2) What are you currently working on? Can you tell us anything about it?

I'm pretty superstitious when I'm working on a project, but I can tell you that the next book I'm writing is about a relationship between two high school students that begins online, and then moves into the real world with all of its problems and complications. It's also tangentially about bullying and catfishing, but I don't want to give too much away . . .


3) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, what kind of snack do you like to have while writing, or as a reward for writing?

I actually (don't hate me) am not the biggest fan of jelly beans. I much prefer chocolate, and the darker the better. I eat it in vast quantities when I'm working on a book. Basically, my eating habits go right out the window and by the time I'm finishing a novel, I'm usually eating frozen M&M's straight out of the freezer and calling it dinner (I mean, it IS, right?). Writers are not always the healthiest of people!


4) What book(s) are you reading now, or are about to start?

I just finished We Were Liars, by E.Lockhart and loved it, and Afterparty by Ann Redisch. I'm also rereading Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth right now. I love to either read or reread one classic a month, and I adore Wharton's descriptions of the problems and perils of high society. I'm really excited about the memoir from Kim Gordon from the band Sonic Youth that's coming out later this month, Girl in a Band, not to mention the new biography of Stevie Nicks. I love stories of strong, creative women. I find them really inspiring, and I find that often, after I reach a certain point in a manuscript, it helps to read things that are unrelated to whatever I'm working on.


CONTEST!
I have a signed hardcover of Silent Alarm to give away, thanks to Penguin. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post stating why you want to read this book. The contest is open to US/Canada residents only and will run until Monday, April 6 at 9pm EST when I will pick a random winner. Good luck to all!

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes towards funding contests.

Discussion- AV Club vs. My Heart & Other Black Holes

So yesterday afternoon, I saw that Jasmine Warga's debut novel "My Heart and Other Black Holes" was optioned to be made into a movie. That made me very happy because even though I have yet to read it, I love any YA book being made into a movie. I read the article on Deadline, then while perusing one of my favorite sites, The AV Club, I saw they had posted about the movie option too. I read the article, laughed at it, and forgot all about it. Then, right before I went to bed last night, I saw some tweets about stuff going down on Twitter- a book was being attacked. I asked about it, and someone pointed me to look at Anne Ursu's twitter feed for links about people saying mean things about a book. I went and checked it out and, to my surprise, the article in question was the AV Club's article about Jasmine Warga's movie option.

I was dumbfounded. What was wrong with the article? I didn't remember any crazy horrible things being said about the novel, but apparently there was. I went back and re-read it, and I could potentially see where these people were coming from, but I knew how the AV Club worked in general and they are sarcastic about every topic. It's just their M.O. It's not malicious, it's not saying "serious topic itself = hilarious" but they find ways to include humor in many of their articles, no matter what the topic is. Personally, I don't see them saying that people dealing with suicidal thoughts is hilarious (or that they are only written just for novels because what would be the point in writing something that wouldn't resonate with people?), but rather this progression of YA trends (and we can all agree that there are trends, whether or not authors are specifically writing for them, which I do not think Warga was doing anyway). I also wonder if this would've ended differently if the author of the article had read the book before writing that newswire piece but still wrote it the same way. Does reading/watching/listening to something somehow make a difference in how we can talk about it?

I love being part of the YA community but this is a time when I am embarrassed to be a part of it (the same goes for the gay community when they get bent out of shape over some stupid little thing that doesn't matter in the long run instead of saving it for a more worthwhile opponent/topic). Does no one know what humor is anymore? Has everyone suddenly lost their sense of humor? I feel like this happens to me a lot- I laugh at something, then find out later there's an outcry about it and I have no idea what the problem is. Perhaps it's just because I have no filter, say offensive things all the time, and am rarely offended by jokes myself (even if they deal with an aspect of myself)? I also don't take YA too seriously - there are problems when it comes to marketing, how often books suddenly have sequels or everything bought is part of a trilogy, there are money-making trends, etc. That's where the humor in this article is coming from, and it's the same sort of things that I discuss and make fun of with my fellow book blogging friends occasionally. It doesn't mean I love YA less or anything, it just means that I know a real attack when I see one and this is not one.

But I do feel like I'm in the minority on this one (as I usually am, it seems), and I would love to discuss this further in the comments, so please leave your thoughts on it in a comment below. Comments have to be approved by me (as they are for every post, not just this one), but I will approve every single one.