The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

It took time for me to warm up to the narrator (Death) and his habit of stopping the story to ruminate and make comments. I even had a bad dream that he had pinned me down and was forcing me to listen to his tale as he lay on top of me in my bed. But at some point, he became endearing, like the hot-mouthed Rosa. I fell in love with the characters and was enthralled with their joys and sorrows. I miss them now that I've finished their story.

The narrator's descriptions were also a pleasure, and I felt the author found a way to infuse originality into a story humanity has needed to tell over and over since the Second World War.

The Book Thief is a beautiful testament to the power of words--to their ability to kill and to save lives. It is also a beautiful testament to human beings in exactly the same way.

The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

I recently included the first book of this trilogy in my Young Adult Literature class at the University of Texas at San Antonio because I truly admire the world and complexities created by Collins. The characters are multidimensional and believable and their futuristic dystopian society has just enough similarities to our own with its use of television and propaganda, class striation, and exploitation of the poor to be relatable.

I know many parents have criticized the level of violence in this series, but the ultimate message is similar to the one in Jonathon's Swift's Modest Proposal: We need to stop sacrificing our children in our political conflicts. It's no accident that Katniss is seventeen years old when many soldiers in our country and others recruit that age so that they are prime for enlisting by age eighteen. And families who pride themselves on serving their nation for generations in the armed forces are not unlike the career tributes.

Collins's trilogy is anti-war in the same vein as Small Soldiers, a partially animated movie in which technologically advanced toys go to war with one another. But it is also fatalistic in that the rebellion and the Capitol soon become indistinguishable from one another in the same way as Orwell's men and pigs in Animal Farm.

I highly recommend this heart-wrenching, fast-paced series to young and old alike.

Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

I enjoyed a great deal about this novel. I loved the concept and have never read anything like it, which is saying something because I've read a lot of books. I was also amazed by the author's imagination. Her descriptions of the circus, the clothing, the setting, the rooms, and even the books were so vivid that they felt tangible. I truly was carried away during the scenes at the circus, feeling like a reveur.

I gave the book three stars because, for me, the heart and soul of a good story comes from its characters, and Morgenstern's, though unusual and distinct and memorable, were not developed adequately enough to make me invested in their journeys. There were times when I had to force myself to continue because I didn't care enough to feel compelled to finish their stories.
So was it interesting? Yes! Imaginative? Absolutely! At times, breath-takingly beautiful? No doubt. But a compelling read it was not. Not for me, anyway.

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer

Wow. Talk about a wild ride. You get on and there's no getting off. You can't even stop to breathe! The tension is unrelenting. You have to keep going till the end.

I loved the concept of alien parastites taking over humans for "the greater good," at first emphasizing the tendency for humans to be violent and unreasonable, and later defending us as the most desirable companions in the universe.

I also loved the concept of two enemies sharing the same body, forced to get to know one another and eventually coming to love one another. I loved how the two identies occupying the same body have distinct personalities, which is underscored by their being in love with different men. The conflict of the two men both wanting the same body but being in love with two different persons is brilliant.

The ending might have gone on a little too long, but that's my only complaint about this exciting, interesting, and moving read that has made its way up to one of my top picks!

The Next Big Thing

The beautiful Stefania Mattana, from http://dailypinner.eraniapinnera.com/the-next-big-thing-and-chase-novels/, contacted me last week, inviting me to participate in a world-wide movement known as The Next Big Thing, an author relay in which one author answers a series of interview questions and then passes the baton onto another. Thank you, Stefania, for choosing me!

 

1. What is the title of your book?

The Gatekeeper's Challenge, The Gatekeeper's Trilogy #2

 

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I've loved Greek mythology since the eighth grade, when I read Edith Hamilton's Mythology. After reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, I wondered what would happen if something similar ocurred between a girl and a Greek god.

 

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary young adult fantasy.

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I have no idea.

 

5. What is the one sentence synopsis for your book?
In order to be with Thanatos, the god of death and the love of her life, sixteen-year-old Therese Mills must complete a set of five challenges designed by Hades, who hopes to see her fail.

6. Will your book be self-published or through an agency?
Self-published.

 

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Nine months.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
 The Goddess Test, Oh My Gods, Solstice, Starcrossed, and The Percy Jackson series.

 

9. Who or what inspired you to write this story?
See my answer to number 2.

 

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I'm holding a contest for my readers from January 1, 2013 through October 1, 2013. The winner will recieve a one-of-a-kind locket (resembling the one Athena gives to Therese in my first book) with this inscription from Alice Walker: "The most common way people give up their power is by believing they have none." The winner will also receive a solid brass apple with this engraved: "Hera's golden apple of immortality from the garden of the Hesperides." With parental permission, the winner's photo and brief bio will be published in the final book of the trilogy. Details can be found here: http://www.evapohler.com/contest.

 

11. Which other writers would you like to tag to tell us about their Next Big Thing? Please go check out my good friend, fellow writer, and Texan, Valerie Chandler, at www.vpchandler.com.

Author Spotlight

Please meet the fabulous E.G. Gaddess, young adult author of Victorian fiction. Soon I will review her debut novel, Dhampyr Heritage. Go here to learn more: http://www.eggaddess.com/books/

Available now!
It is 1909.
Four years ago, Gideon's best friend - Christian - died. It was not a pleasant death. Gideon was the only witness.
Gideon was sent to Portugal - to his grandmother's home - to be safe.
But the danger has followed him, and he is not the only one in danger. So, it is time to return to England - for Gideon to face his family, Christian's family, and the truth of Christian's death.
However, Christian does not just haunt Gideon's memories, he's flesh and bone - and still 12 years old - a vampyr.
And then, there is Zola, a new friend, with her smile and strange words, whose guardian just may be the one responsible for Christian's current existence.

Starters, by Lissa Price

Starters is a dystopian novel about a war-torn society in which unclaimed minors struggle to survive without getting caught by marshals, who want to institutionalize them. Because most of the middle-aged citizens were wiped out in the spore wars, the society consists of minors and the elderly. A power-hungry entrepreneur has developed a company called Prime Destinations at which impoverished minors, also called starters, can make money by renting their bodies out to elderly folks referred to as enders. Callie, desperate to help her sick younger brother, becomes a renter when things go wrong. The person renting her body pulls her into an investigation of Prime Destinations and she gets caught in the crossfire where she can't always tell who her friends are.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. I loved the concept, and thought Price did an excellent job making the technology believable. Other areas weren't quite as believable, in my opinion, and at times I felt like some of the language describing emotional scenes was a bit heavy-handed, but the logistics of switching bodies was well presented. The plot was also compelling. There was never a dull moment.

Overall, I would recommend this story and look forward to the sequel.