Hey all,
It is crazy times at chez Book Slave. A lot going on but watch out you're gonna have a great deal to read as we crash into the end of this month. Why does February always seem so short?
I want to throw a shout out to author Emily Wing Smith whose book The Way He Lived I reviewed here. She was nice enough to say hello, shake my hand, and put up with my slobbering praise at an author event in my library. Later on I discovered that she had posted a link to my review on her own author blog which I appreciated immensely. Again I reiterate that I meant every word of praise and can't wait for her next book. On a similiar note I also had a fun time talking to Sara Zarr, author of Once Was Lost, and she was great. Having seen her speak several times it's wonderful that she is still excited to connect with her readers.
I think that this is indicative of author's in the young adult genre. I see a notable enthusiasm whenever I attend an author's event. Why is that? It's clearly to match the reaction of their audience. Despite protestations to the contrary, teenagers are voracious readers. If they get hooked into a series young adults want to read them all. This is especially true of young females, more so than young males. Now I'm no literacy expert but I work with young adults all the time in my job. It seems to me that any young adult, no matter how snotty, will be hooked by a great engaging story. (Well really isn't that the case with anyone? but I digress...)
I've noticed though that those in the YA field are more apt to embrace any way that they can connect with their audience. Twitter is full of crazy wonderful authors such as Maureen Johnson and John Green (one of the famous vlogbrothers, already a youtube sensation) who love to interact. Often these authors have personal blogs which balance information, promotion, and some personal insight. This can only increase connectivity with the so-called Net Generation who have adopted the internet as social media. The pioneer of all this is Neil Gaiman. He has written a blog for 9 years now. 9 years! He often answers questions, posts pictures of his dogs, and sometimes shares what he's working on. Clearly he understands and enjoys being able to share with his audience.
The closeness that the internet provides is a natural progression for a genre that is all about emotions. The YA genre has evolved away from easy moral lessons or cutesy humor. (Well maybe not in Meg Cabot books...) Being a teenager is about discovering your identity, being powerless, and learning that life is not always fair. This does not always lead to cheery subject matter. The best books of this genre in my opinion, such as Speak, have intense raised stakes. The protagonist's reward is often an emotional revelation that's a source of empowerment. The internet allows for a sort of empowerment that is becoming unlimited. That's what the new social media is all about.
Either way I think that it's great for teens who are interested in writing to have an opportunity to meet there favorite author. Definitely before the cold cruel world of cynicism smacks down their dreams. By reaching out and embracing their audience, authors are more likely to mold potential talent and gain readers for life.
Showing posts with label Sara Zarr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sara Zarr. Show all posts
2010-02-20
2010-02-11
Emotional Truth: The Way He Lived & Once Was Lost
Hello,
This is the start of some "review" entries for the next few. Any of you gentle readers who have missed some of my thoughts about fiction, well you're in for a treat.
Emotional Truth: The Way He Lived & Once Was Lost
I've been struggling to write this review for days. It's difficult to revisit the experience of reading Emily Wing Smith's The Way He Lived. There was a moment in the first 25 pages when I realized that I couldn't read this book in public. It was hard enough to keep myself emotionally composed at home-no need for me to break down while riding the bus. The Way He Lived is that kind of book.
Smith's debut novel interweaves six characters who are affected by the death of a young man in their community. Joel Espen died from dehydration while on a cub scout trip to the Grand Canyon. Smith uses multiple character voices to show the terrible void left behind by this loss. I was struck immediately by the emotional rawness of Smith's characters. The author has a real connection with the feelings of these characters. Going beyond the usual 5 stages of grief, Smith is able to find complex emotions in unexpected ways. Miles's anger is linked to Adlen's frustration, even though these characters would never be connected in real life. In turn Claire, Joel's sister, is able to help Norah move on from her secret crush on Joel.
It was not a mistake that at the same time I read The Way He Lived I also read Sara Zarr's Once Was Lost. These two books deal with the existential angst of teenage lives. Lost deals with this dilemma directly as the lead character is already loaded with her own religious baggage. Samara Taylor, nicknamed Sam, is a daughter of a pastor in her community. It is just expected that she should have an unshakable faith. However she has begun to doubt, which mirrors the experience of many teenagers. Both Zarr and Smith are able to capture the doubts and angst of their teenage characters with a heartbreaking acuteness.
The realism of these character's voice reminded me of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak which I reviewed here. Speak is also written in first person point of view as the main character Melinda tries to sort out her own emotional trauma. This narrative technique allows for a degree of emotional truth that has elevated the genre. These teenage characters deal with tragic events but are able to find an inner strength. My cynical heart shrinks away from the corniness of that description, but the author's ability to make us relate to these characters is important. I desperately wanted Melinda to succeed, to overcome and find her voice.
I felt the same way about Sam in Lost. Zarr has a great ability to capture female characters that are conflicted about the superficial lives they see around them. Sam realizes the failure of her parents which is a pretty common revelation for teens. However Zarr is able to parallel this realization with a loss of religious faith. It's not hard to see the narrative construction at work, however the originality lies in the plot. Sam's existential angst is pushed over the edge by the kidnapping of a young girl in their community. Zarr allows for the religious questions that this situation would bring up as seen through the POV of her teenage lead character. Although Sam is not related directly to the missing girl, she realistically is conflicted by the tragedy. Again I feel that this is due to Zarr's ability, like Anderson and Smith, to accurately capture emotional truth.
Like Melinda in Speak, I desperately wanted the characters in The Way He Lived and Once was Lost to overcome their problems. As a reader I need to be emotionally invested in their success. I want to root for them. It's a testimony to Sara Zarr and Emily Wing Smith that I still cannot let go of these characters.
This is the start of some "review" entries for the next few. Any of you gentle readers who have missed some of my thoughts about fiction, well you're in for a treat.
Emotional Truth: The Way He Lived & Once Was Lost
I've been struggling to write this review for days. It's difficult to revisit the experience of reading Emily Wing Smith's The Way He Lived. There was a moment in the first 25 pages when I realized that I couldn't read this book in public. It was hard enough to keep myself emotionally composed at home-no need for me to break down while riding the bus. The Way He Lived is that kind of book.
Smith's debut novel interweaves six characters who are affected by the death of a young man in their community. Joel Espen died from dehydration while on a cub scout trip to the Grand Canyon. Smith uses multiple character voices to show the terrible void left behind by this loss. I was struck immediately by the emotional rawness of Smith's characters. The author has a real connection with the feelings of these characters. Going beyond the usual 5 stages of grief, Smith is able to find complex emotions in unexpected ways. Miles's anger is linked to Adlen's frustration, even though these characters would never be connected in real life. In turn Claire, Joel's sister, is able to help Norah move on from her secret crush on Joel.
It was not a mistake that at the same time I read The Way He Lived I also read Sara Zarr's Once Was Lost. These two books deal with the existential angst of teenage lives. Lost deals with this dilemma directly as the lead character is already loaded with her own religious baggage. Samara Taylor, nicknamed Sam, is a daughter of a pastor in her community. It is just expected that she should have an unshakable faith. However she has begun to doubt, which mirrors the experience of many teenagers. Both Zarr and Smith are able to capture the doubts and angst of their teenage characters with a heartbreaking acuteness.
The realism of these character's voice reminded me of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak which I reviewed here. Speak is also written in first person point of view as the main character Melinda tries to sort out her own emotional trauma. This narrative technique allows for a degree of emotional truth that has elevated the genre. These teenage characters deal with tragic events but are able to find an inner strength. My cynical heart shrinks away from the corniness of that description, but the author's ability to make us relate to these characters is important. I desperately wanted Melinda to succeed, to overcome and find her voice.
I felt the same way about Sam in Lost. Zarr has a great ability to capture female characters that are conflicted about the superficial lives they see around them. Sam realizes the failure of her parents which is a pretty common revelation for teens. However Zarr is able to parallel this realization with a loss of religious faith. It's not hard to see the narrative construction at work, however the originality lies in the plot. Sam's existential angst is pushed over the edge by the kidnapping of a young girl in their community. Zarr allows for the religious questions that this situation would bring up as seen through the POV of her teenage lead character. Although Sam is not related directly to the missing girl, she realistically is conflicted by the tragedy. Again I feel that this is due to Zarr's ability, like Anderson and Smith, to accurately capture emotional truth.
Like Melinda in Speak, I desperately wanted the characters in The Way He Lived and Once was Lost to overcome their problems. As a reader I need to be emotionally invested in their success. I want to root for them. It's a testimony to Sara Zarr and Emily Wing Smith that I still cannot let go of these characters.
2009-02-17
How I develop a ghostly pale look.
Hello,
I hope you are all having a great week. I have had a lot of great time off. And being the kind of person that I am I've spent it inside curled up. That has to be why I am so ghostly pale and have never won awards for being athletic. Well Onward!
Reviews
Sweethearts
Jenna Vaughn has spent the last 5 years reinventing herself after the loss of her only friend Cameron Quick. She is shaken to discover that Cameron Quick is back in town. This is the second book from Sara Zarr who wrote acclaimed book The Story of a Girl. (Just to disclose: I've met her a few times and she's very nice.) Her specialty, thus far, is portraying the inner trauma of being the outsider. The first half of the book details in painful detail how terrible it is to be the least popular girl. Having been one myself I could easily identify with Jenna's psychological state and feel that Zarr captured it very well. She also did a lot to make Cameron Quick a mysterious, enigmatic figure. I wish that she had paid a little time to develop his character so we can better understand his motivations. At first I thought he was meant to be more adjusted than Jenna, however he seems just as troubled. I would have liked more of a view into his head since he's the catalyst of the story. The character of Jenna is so well drawn, it is unfortunate that the other teens in the story are not more realistic. I didn't buy the character of Katy, no realism there. And Ethan, Jenna's boyfriend, is so unlikable that I don't understand why she stays with him for so long. Ultimately I was drawn into the relationship between the two main characters which made the book an enjoyable, fast read.
Other Reviews
WMPL Rocks! | Teen Book Review
| slayground
Monster Vol. 1
Yes I decided to try another manga. Monster was very different from Whistle which I read last year. I was very surprised to discover that about 90% of the story is a medical drama. It was like E.R. where the main character Dr. Tenma is morally conflicted when he has to choose between patients. He's literally told to let a little boy die to operate on the mayor. Manga is never subtle but I did find the writing here to be a massive improvement. Sure the one major female character is a one-note horrible woman. The villianous medical administrators have no shades of grey, they would rather get ahead above all. They sort out who is worth saving and who isn't like gods. Dr. Tenma resists this mentality. Urasawa does a great job of layering in the thriller elements with a clear discussion of medical ethics.
Other Reviews
Comics Worth Reading | IGN | Comic Book Bin
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5
I was heavily anticipating this next volume because I have become a huge fan of this series. As much as I am annoyed by Scott's immaturity, I understand what it's like to be 24 years old. O'Malley has done a great job of showing Scott pull himself together in order to deserve the love of Ramona Flowers. It's chivalrous how Scott has to continuously fight evil ex-boyfriends. Unfortunately for him it seems that Ramona Flowers is no longer impressed. In Vol. 5 their romance has soured. O'Malley does a great job of dropping hints throughout that makes the conclusion inevitable. Again he does a great job showing action visually and in original ways. He also does a great job portraying the mundane as well as the emotional. In the end I think that the conclusion is a set up for the final volume. I cannot wait.
Past Reviews
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4
The Reading List
Books
Girl on the Fridge
Deathnote vol. 1
Comics
Captain Britain and the MI-13
Magazine
Newsweek
Check Out Count: Working on it.
Comic Pull List: Dynamo 5 #0, Outsiders #15, Trinity #38
Have a great week folks! Book Slave.
I hope you are all having a great week. I have had a lot of great time off. And being the kind of person that I am I've spent it inside curled up. That has to be why I am so ghostly pale and have never won awards for being athletic. Well Onward!
Reviews
Sweethearts
Jenna Vaughn has spent the last 5 years reinventing herself after the loss of her only friend Cameron Quick. She is shaken to discover that Cameron Quick is back in town. This is the second book from Sara Zarr who wrote acclaimed book The Story of a Girl. (Just to disclose: I've met her a few times and she's very nice.) Her specialty, thus far, is portraying the inner trauma of being the outsider. The first half of the book details in painful detail how terrible it is to be the least popular girl. Having been one myself I could easily identify with Jenna's psychological state and feel that Zarr captured it very well. She also did a lot to make Cameron Quick a mysterious, enigmatic figure. I wish that she had paid a little time to develop his character so we can better understand his motivations. At first I thought he was meant to be more adjusted than Jenna, however he seems just as troubled. I would have liked more of a view into his head since he's the catalyst of the story. The character of Jenna is so well drawn, it is unfortunate that the other teens in the story are not more realistic. I didn't buy the character of Katy, no realism there. And Ethan, Jenna's boyfriend, is so unlikable that I don't understand why she stays with him for so long. Ultimately I was drawn into the relationship between the two main characters which made the book an enjoyable, fast read.
Other Reviews
WMPL Rocks! | Teen Book Review
| slayground
Monster Vol. 1
Yes I decided to try another manga. Monster was very different from Whistle which I read last year. I was very surprised to discover that about 90% of the story is a medical drama. It was like E.R. where the main character Dr. Tenma is morally conflicted when he has to choose between patients. He's literally told to let a little boy die to operate on the mayor. Manga is never subtle but I did find the writing here to be a massive improvement. Sure the one major female character is a one-note horrible woman. The villianous medical administrators have no shades of grey, they would rather get ahead above all. They sort out who is worth saving and who isn't like gods. Dr. Tenma resists this mentality. Urasawa does a great job of layering in the thriller elements with a clear discussion of medical ethics.
Other Reviews
Comics Worth Reading | IGN | Comic Book Bin
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5
I was heavily anticipating this next volume because I have become a huge fan of this series. As much as I am annoyed by Scott's immaturity, I understand what it's like to be 24 years old. O'Malley has done a great job of showing Scott pull himself together in order to deserve the love of Ramona Flowers. It's chivalrous how Scott has to continuously fight evil ex-boyfriends. Unfortunately for him it seems that Ramona Flowers is no longer impressed. In Vol. 5 their romance has soured. O'Malley does a great job of dropping hints throughout that makes the conclusion inevitable. Again he does a great job showing action visually and in original ways. He also does a great job portraying the mundane as well as the emotional. In the end I think that the conclusion is a set up for the final volume. I cannot wait.
Past Reviews
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4
The Reading List
Books
Girl on the Fridge
Deathnote vol. 1
Comics
Captain Britain and the MI-13
Magazine
Newsweek
Check Out Count: Working on it.
Comic Pull List: Dynamo 5 #0, Outsiders #15, Trinity #38
Have a great week folks! Book Slave.
2008-10-28
Lit Times Are Good For This Gal
Hello,
How are y'all? I've had a great week! It was full of many highs of the literary kind. On Sunday I attended a matinee of a production of Frankenstein done in the radio show style. The production was really awesome with 4 actors reading all the parts. From what I know it was faithful to the plot line of the original book. I've never read Frankenstein, perhaps I'll give it a shot.
On Saturday was the Utah Humanities Book Festival and I was able to see some author panels. It was fun seeing Ann Cannon, who is a local author. I highly enjoyed a panel with Sara Zarr and Paul Fleischman where they questioned each other. If you want to read Zarr's fine blog, click here. Zarr is the author of Story of a Girl, which was nominated last year for the Newberry. She is also very nice. I was shocked that she remembered my name. Anyway it was fun, although still very low-key. I hope next year there's more that I'm interested.
Tonight I went to another meeting of the Hard Boiled Book Club. I've mentioned it before, to read that click here. Again it was another fun evening of discussion moderated by the mysterious Zach Sampinos. Our discussion centered around the book In the Miso Soup, which is reviewed below. This is a book I would never pick up on my own. Sampinos has thus far done an excellent job finding books that are off the beaten path. It was good times.
Well enough about how awesome my life has been lately. Onward! To the Reviews!
Reviews
Apocalypse Handbook
I picked this up because it looked amusing and is written by a writer from The Daily Show. I found this book very funny in a black humor sort of way. It's very easy to go broad when talking about a subject as crazy as the end of days. While not really highly substantive and serious, I wanted a silly book. This fit the bill.
Ultimate Spiderman Vol. 2
Bendis continues his reboot of Spiderman starting from the beginning. In this story arc young Peter Parker fights the Kingpin and starts work for the Daily Bugle. I love the humor and characterization that Bendis brings to this story. In this volume he makes mistakes and then beats himself up for it. This reminds us again that Parker is just a teenager and he's still learning. Also Bagley continues to bring amazing art to the panels. I love his splash pages.
In the Miso Soup
As mentioned above this is a book I would never pick up on my own. The story revolves around the relationship between Kenji, a japanese guide, and Frank, a strange American. Kenji is hired by Frank to help him traverse the Japanese sex industry. Slowly tension builds as Kenji starts to believe that Frank is a serial killer. There's a lot of interesting ideas and themes, which are not really followed through on. Murakami seems intent on commenting on the objectifying of women in the sex industry, yet does not really stick to any clear statement. On top of all this is an unreliable narrator which makes you waiting for some kind of twist. That twist never comes. This is a book that I think climaxes about half-way through but then slows up to an ambiguous ending. So a great first half is squandered by a ponderous second half.
What's In My Bag
Books
TBA
Magazines
Out
Comic
Spiderman Loves Mary Jane #3
Check Out Count: Fluctuating
Comic Pull List: Northlanders #11, Superman #681, Trinity #22
Have a Great Week! Book Slave.
How are y'all? I've had a great week! It was full of many highs of the literary kind. On Sunday I attended a matinee of a production of Frankenstein done in the radio show style. The production was really awesome with 4 actors reading all the parts. From what I know it was faithful to the plot line of the original book. I've never read Frankenstein, perhaps I'll give it a shot.
On Saturday was the Utah Humanities Book Festival and I was able to see some author panels. It was fun seeing Ann Cannon, who is a local author. I highly enjoyed a panel with Sara Zarr and Paul Fleischman where they questioned each other. If you want to read Zarr's fine blog, click here. Zarr is the author of Story of a Girl, which was nominated last year for the Newberry. She is also very nice. I was shocked that she remembered my name. Anyway it was fun, although still very low-key. I hope next year there's more that I'm interested.
Tonight I went to another meeting of the Hard Boiled Book Club. I've mentioned it before, to read that click here. Again it was another fun evening of discussion moderated by the mysterious Zach Sampinos. Our discussion centered around the book In the Miso Soup, which is reviewed below. This is a book I would never pick up on my own. Sampinos has thus far done an excellent job finding books that are off the beaten path. It was good times.
Well enough about how awesome my life has been lately. Onward! To the Reviews!
Reviews
Apocalypse Handbook
I picked this up because it looked amusing and is written by a writer from The Daily Show. I found this book very funny in a black humor sort of way. It's very easy to go broad when talking about a subject as crazy as the end of days. While not really highly substantive and serious, I wanted a silly book. This fit the bill.
Ultimate Spiderman Vol. 2
Bendis continues his reboot of Spiderman starting from the beginning. In this story arc young Peter Parker fights the Kingpin and starts work for the Daily Bugle. I love the humor and characterization that Bendis brings to this story. In this volume he makes mistakes and then beats himself up for it. This reminds us again that Parker is just a teenager and he's still learning. Also Bagley continues to bring amazing art to the panels. I love his splash pages.
In the Miso Soup
As mentioned above this is a book I would never pick up on my own. The story revolves around the relationship between Kenji, a japanese guide, and Frank, a strange American. Kenji is hired by Frank to help him traverse the Japanese sex industry. Slowly tension builds as Kenji starts to believe that Frank is a serial killer. There's a lot of interesting ideas and themes, which are not really followed through on. Murakami seems intent on commenting on the objectifying of women in the sex industry, yet does not really stick to any clear statement. On top of all this is an unreliable narrator which makes you waiting for some kind of twist. That twist never comes. This is a book that I think climaxes about half-way through but then slows up to an ambiguous ending. So a great first half is squandered by a ponderous second half.
What's In My Bag
Books
TBA
Magazines
Out
Comic
Spiderman Loves Mary Jane #3
Check Out Count: Fluctuating
Comic Pull List: Northlanders #11, Superman #681, Trinity #22
Have a Great Week! Book Slave.
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