Monday, May 6, 2013
Off the blog for a while
As many of you have noticed, I've been off the blog recently. I've picked up more hours at work, and I'm trying to polish up my draft of 'Dark Skies' for editing next month. I will not be posting during May as I try to catch up with what's currently on my plate. I aim to get back to my regular blogging schedule in June.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Road Trip Wednesday: Best of April
April is wrapping up, and not a moment too soon here in NC. I'm waiting for the pollen count to drop to finally get back to enjoying the great outdoors. While I'm stuck inside sniffling, though, I can do some more reading!
Yay allergies!
I picked up a lot of goodies from the library this month, and the standout winner was 'Scrawl' by Mark Shulman.
Scrawl's protagonist is not a nice guy. In fact, high schooler Tod Munn is a barely tolerable guy. In between stealing lunch money, vandalizing school property, and irritating teachers, Tod finally pushes his luck and gets into major trouble.
Instead of being expelled, Tod is sentenced to a few months of detention supervised by his guidance counselor. Mrs. Woodrow requires Tod to write in a journal, and what she discovers about Tod and his friends surprises everyone...
What I liked about this book:
In a word: Tod. Shulman created a rich, believable character, and I think I liked Tod more precisely because he is unlikeable. His journal entries are laugh-out-loud funny, and Tod finds ways to justify all of his behavior.
Through Tod's journal entries, we see an intelligent kid who is consistently written off by teachers for being obnoxious. We see a boy who can be a caring friend (to longtime buddy Bernie) or can be a nightmare (to anyone who talks down to him).
We see a kid who falls to the expectation that teachers set for him, and rises to the challenge that one of his peers sets before him.
We see a smart-ass. And as my dad always said: "You have to be smart to be a smart-ass".
What I didn't like about this book:
I was a bit wishy-washy on the ending. Tod seems to subscribe to the 'snitches get stitches' school of thought, and through the whole story refuses to squeal on his buddies. At the end of the book, he changes his mind and tells his counselor about his misdeeds, naming any friends that are complicit. Shulman hints at what makes Tod change his mind, but I think the ending would have felt more authentic if the reader could see a bit more of Tod's thoughts and why he changed his mind.
Final verdict:
Loved it. When browsing the library, I feel like there are so many more YA stories with female protags than males. This one was a nice change of pace, and handles the harsh realities of high school, friendships, and life beautifully. Check it out!
********
Your turn! Have you read a book featuring a bully? Share in the comments!
Yay allergies!
I picked up a lot of goodies from the library this month, and the standout winner was 'Scrawl' by Mark Shulman.
Scrawl's protagonist is not a nice guy. In fact, high schooler Tod Munn is a barely tolerable guy. In between stealing lunch money, vandalizing school property, and irritating teachers, Tod finally pushes his luck and gets into major trouble.
Instead of being expelled, Tod is sentenced to a few months of detention supervised by his guidance counselor. Mrs. Woodrow requires Tod to write in a journal, and what she discovers about Tod and his friends surprises everyone...
What I liked about this book:
In a word: Tod. Shulman created a rich, believable character, and I think I liked Tod more precisely because he is unlikeable. His journal entries are laugh-out-loud funny, and Tod finds ways to justify all of his behavior.
Through Tod's journal entries, we see an intelligent kid who is consistently written off by teachers for being obnoxious. We see a boy who can be a caring friend (to longtime buddy Bernie) or can be a nightmare (to anyone who talks down to him).
We see a kid who falls to the expectation that teachers set for him, and rises to the challenge that one of his peers sets before him.
We see a smart-ass. And as my dad always said: "You have to be smart to be a smart-ass".
What I didn't like about this book:
I was a bit wishy-washy on the ending. Tod seems to subscribe to the 'snitches get stitches' school of thought, and through the whole story refuses to squeal on his buddies. At the end of the book, he changes his mind and tells his counselor about his misdeeds, naming any friends that are complicit. Shulman hints at what makes Tod change his mind, but I think the ending would have felt more authentic if the reader could see a bit more of Tod's thoughts and why he changed his mind.
Final verdict:
Loved it. When browsing the library, I feel like there are so many more YA stories with female protags than males. This one was a nice change of pace, and handles the harsh realities of high school, friendships, and life beautifully. Check it out!
********
Your turn! Have you read a book featuring a bully? Share in the comments!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Indie Review: The Crowded Kingdom
First off, thanks to all the blogging buddies who stopped by to check in during my hiatus. Between home renovations, work, writing, and some serious allergies, I just needed a break. A few doses of Zyrtec later, and I'm feeling pretty good.
********
A few weeks back, author Louella Dizon San Juan asked me to read and review her book, The Crowded Kingdom. While this story is geared toward children unlike the YA books I usually read, I was pulled in by the fairy tale twists and turns.
Jada and her little sister Jinny are playing in New York's Central Park one afternoon, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Jinny finds a mysterious black rock on the ground, and as soon as she picks it up both girls are magically shrunken down to the size of dandelions.
After narrowly escaping the trampling feet of some soccer players, Jada and Jinny fall down a storm drain where they discover that there's a whole world of fairies, gremlins, and elves living right under their noses.
What I liked about this book:
Louella created a rambling, roving fantasy tale, less focused on swashbuckling and more focused on exploration. It put me to mind of older children's fantasy, like Edith Nesbit's 'The Enchanted Castle'. Evidence of elves and fairies in everyday life were cleverly woven in. The elvish transportation system includes traveling on lost balloons, plastic grocery bags, and pigeons. They crawl through the vents in buildings (creating those clanging sounds we've all heard), and they jump in the cuffs of people's pants to climb treacherous stairs (which is why your legs get so heavy while climbing a staircase!). I found the tiny world of the fairies and elves to be a fresh take on the creatures.
What I liked best about this story, though, was its simplicity. It's a wonderful children's fantasy, no more, no less.
What I didn't like about this book:
The writing and storytelling was well done but there were a few formatting issues along the way. When Louella first introduces one of the elves, his name is written as a hard-to-pronounce series of symbols. The symbols were oddly formatted and caused a line break in the middle of a paragraph or sentence. Fortunately, the elf is soon given a regular nickname, so this issue only popped up a handful of times.
The book is illustrated, but I found most of the illustrations to be grainy/difficult to see while reading. They probably needed to be created or uploaded in a higher resolution to be more visible.
Final verdict:
Illustrations aside, the story is cute, and it's one I could see being told to children at bedtime. If you have younger children (age 5 - 9), this might be a good pick for them.
******
Your turn! What was your favorite bedtime story as a kid? Share in the comments.
********
A few weeks back, author Louella Dizon San Juan asked me to read and review her book, The Crowded Kingdom. While this story is geared toward children unlike the YA books I usually read, I was pulled in by the fairy tale twists and turns.
Jada and her little sister Jinny are playing in New York's Central Park one afternoon, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Jinny finds a mysterious black rock on the ground, and as soon as she picks it up both girls are magically shrunken down to the size of dandelions.
After narrowly escaping the trampling feet of some soccer players, Jada and Jinny fall down a storm drain where they discover that there's a whole world of fairies, gremlins, and elves living right under their noses.
What I liked about this book:
Louella created a rambling, roving fantasy tale, less focused on swashbuckling and more focused on exploration. It put me to mind of older children's fantasy, like Edith Nesbit's 'The Enchanted Castle'. Evidence of elves and fairies in everyday life were cleverly woven in. The elvish transportation system includes traveling on lost balloons, plastic grocery bags, and pigeons. They crawl through the vents in buildings (creating those clanging sounds we've all heard), and they jump in the cuffs of people's pants to climb treacherous stairs (which is why your legs get so heavy while climbing a staircase!). I found the tiny world of the fairies and elves to be a fresh take on the creatures.
What I liked best about this story, though, was its simplicity. It's a wonderful children's fantasy, no more, no less.
What I didn't like about this book:
The writing and storytelling was well done but there were a few formatting issues along the way. When Louella first introduces one of the elves, his name is written as a hard-to-pronounce series of symbols. The symbols were oddly formatted and caused a line break in the middle of a paragraph or sentence. Fortunately, the elf is soon given a regular nickname, so this issue only popped up a handful of times.
The book is illustrated, but I found most of the illustrations to be grainy/difficult to see while reading. They probably needed to be created or uploaded in a higher resolution to be more visible.
Final verdict:
Illustrations aside, the story is cute, and it's one I could see being told to children at bedtime. If you have younger children (age 5 - 9), this might be a good pick for them.
******
Your turn! What was your favorite bedtime story as a kid? Share in the comments.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
J is for juxtaposition
Let's start this post off by being philosophical -- would there be black without white? Would there be good without evil?
Juxtaposition is the contrast between two things (characters, settings, etc). Contrast helps each item be seen more clearly.
For example, think of the TV show 'Monk'. Monk's behavior is odd, but the contrast between his actions/compulsions and those of his assistant (Sharona, and later Natalie) make his OCD and phobias stand out in sharp relief.
Juxtaposition can also be used to draw sharp distinctions between locations and cultures. In 'Divergent' and 'Insurgent', Roth creates several different factions of society. On their own, each faction seems a little odd compared to our current society. But the juxtaposition between Tris' original faction (Abnegation, which focuses on being selfless) and the faction she chooses to move into (Dauntless, which values bravery), makes the quirks of each faction even more clear to the reader.
Juxtaposition can be used to highlight differences, illustrate ironies, or used for comedic effect. Want a giggle? Check out this post on Billboard Juxtapositions, where two ads are placed together for hilarious results.
What are your favorite juxtapositions in fiction? Share in the comments.
Juxtaposition is the contrast between two things (characters, settings, etc). Contrast helps each item be seen more clearly.
For example, think of the TV show 'Monk'. Monk's behavior is odd, but the contrast between his actions/compulsions and those of his assistant (Sharona, and later Natalie) make his OCD and phobias stand out in sharp relief.
Juxtaposition can also be used to draw sharp distinctions between locations and cultures. In 'Divergent' and 'Insurgent', Roth creates several different factions of society. On their own, each faction seems a little odd compared to our current society. But the juxtaposition between Tris' original faction (Abnegation, which focuses on being selfless) and the faction she chooses to move into (Dauntless, which values bravery), makes the quirks of each faction even more clear to the reader.
Juxtaposition can be used to highlight differences, illustrate ironies, or used for comedic effect. Want a giggle? Check out this post on Billboard Juxtapositions, where two ads are placed together for hilarious results.
What are your favorite juxtapositions in fiction? Share in the comments.
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