Revisionist Racism, New Releases & Errata

Children's lit aficionados have talked about this before - bowdlerizing children's books, trying to brush away evidence of an intolerant past. It's something American librarians, teachers, and parents have wrestled with, whether to remove TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO, and TINTIN from their collections, or to put the BARBAR books out of the reach of impressionable children. This time it's not the Americans concerned - it's the Germans, according to a report in the English language version of Der Spiegel, this past Wednesday.

The book in question is THE LITTLE WITCH ("Die kleine Hexe") which was written in 1957 - and which uses the word "Negro" as a descriptive term for two little boys.

"The two little Negro boys didn't come from the circus. No more did the Turks and Indians. The Chinese women, the cannibal, the Eskimo girl, the desert sheikh and the Hottentot chief were not part of the show either. No – it was carnival time in the village. The children had a half-holiday from school because of the carnival, and they were romping about the village square in fancy dress."
- translated by Anthea Bell

While apparently all of these children are German children in costumes - the Brit English translation of the phrase "fancy dress" - ostensibly only the word Negro is objectionable, possibly because there are children in blackface? Since the children are merely children playing, without an adult directing their play, the offensiveness might be hard for the average person to spot. It's a hard call for the German publisher, Thienemann Children's Books, as they insist that they only change word in order to allow new readers to understand the text. Much like the British publishers who eliminated words like "swotting" from the newer editions of the Enid Blyton "Famous Five" books, it's all about repackaging to create a new audience, to the publishers. So, to publishers, Negro is a confusing and long-ago word no one uses anymore. Okay, fine. But, what are they going to put now? To lovers of books, sometimes change = desecration. It'll be interesting to see which way this ends up.

Meanwhile, those who wrung their hands over the Evil Dark That Is Children's Lit should be gratified to visit Cornell's "Wardrobes and Rabbit Holes: A Dark History of Children's Literature" exhibit that runs through March 22. Items from Cornell's rare manuscripts room will be shown in the Samuel L. Hirshland Gallery at Kroch Library. People can then prove to themselves that the darkness in children's lit began rather earlier than they might think, from the scary 19th century "Der Struwwelpeter", all the way down to Harry Potter. Thank you, Cornell, for putting together a program which will satisfy people who just knew children's lit was going to the dogs... and for the rest of us who think original 19th century children's books are fairly awesome.

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I've meant to mention a couple of new releases which have come on scene this year. One is DOUBLE VICTORY by Cheryl Mullenbach. Full disclosure: I had the chance to read this book when it was just a neatly collated paperback ARC. Even without the gorgeous cover and sharp B&W photography, this was a fun, fun book to read, telling more detailed and individual stories of women who broke both the color barrier and the gender barrier to support the effort in WWII. I know a lot of people are "over" WWII, and wonder why so many stories this year are coming out of that time. Because the U.S. is constantly IN war nowadays, future generations must never, never, ever forget it, lest we make the tragic past again someone's future. These are important books.

Tanya Lee Stone's COURAGE HAS NO COLOR is the story of The Triple Nickel - the 555th Paratroopers - the only all African American paratrooper team during WWII. With pages and pages of photographs and lots of research, this is the kind of nonfiction stuff that I love. These stories are affirming and validating tales of the history of African Americans of "the greatest generation" and a reminder to present generations that they, too, have their part to play. COURAGE HAS NO COLOR is out from Candlewick January 22nd.

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Periodically my agent goes to conferences and big ALA dos and returns talking about the forecast in children's lit, but that's usually after he pops over to Italy in February. Both Scholastic Books and YALSA President Jack Martin, have put out an earlier scoop on what's trending so far this year. In no particular order:

1. Dystopian romances, vampires, and zombies remain, but angels seem to have been a passing fancy, thankfully. Actual science in SF is supposed to be on the rise - we'll see!
2. Crossovers are trending, hard - it's not just those "new adults" who are driving the market, but adults reading YA now,
3. Tough girl tales: Katniss ate the HUNGER GAMES for breakfast. As always, editors are looking for the next best thing...
4. Two surprising trends, War and Bullying for family and nonfiction books this year. The trend toward war embraces cultural heritage - as seen in the aforementioned nonfics out already - as well as historical causes of war, and its details, seen in books like Steve Sheinkin's BOMB. Maybe this is the year we'll declare war on bullying?
5. And finally manga remains - graphic novels, novels-in-comics, and more wordless books telling big stories.

Toon Thursday: More Psychobabble

Now presenting not only your toon for the day, but also a freshly updated Toon Thursday Archive (which I sheepishly realized I had not updated since last March...oopsie). Anyway, here you go:

Writer's Rites: All Alone With You

QUOTABLE: "The act of writing is not only about claiming our truths, our selves, but having the courage to not apologize when we do." ~ Robin LaFevers

...and there is indeed a part of writing where it is about struggle. AF and I are both writing and revising at this point, struggling to wrestle the tail ends of narrative into a cohesive (coherent?) conclusion, saying what we want to say, ending up where we need to end. It's tough, and it's the part where it's easy to not trust oneself - not trust oneself to have said enough, and not too much, and to trust oneself to go back and ensure that we've said what we mean to say - that we've dug deeply enough to get all of the bits of us which resonate on this topic. So, we're always glad when our friendly Shrinking Violet Robin drops by Writer Unboxed with new discoveries about her own writing journey. To wit:

The truth is, I feel sad when someone doesn’t connect with a book I’ve written. I want to connect with people through my fiction and feel I’ve failed when I haven’t. On really tough days? That feeling can be closer to shame. And no, I’m not proud of that. I’m rather horrified, actually. All that personal work toward self-empowerment, forgotten in a second. Sometimes I wish I could apologize to the reader; they invested time and energy in my book—time they could have used reading other books. I want to explain to them that I didn’t try to set out and write a boring or shallow book or flat characters or a distant heroine.

But the thing is, chances are that our book isn’t those things—even though some readers respond that way to them. Because the truth is, the writer only writes the first half of the book, it is the reader herself that writes the second part of the book. All that white space we leave in the book is filled in by the reader’s own personality, world view, and expectations, and there is simply no way we can control that. And if we tried to control that by adjusting our stories to gain those readers approval, we could very well destroy the parts that created such a strong, resonant connection with other readers.

It’s not about pleasing ALL readers, but about finding OUR readers, our tribe.

So much more that's important to remember. Get the goods here, and take a moment to breathe - and then dive back in.

Monday Review: FLORA'S FURY by Ysabeau S. Wilce

Reader Gut Reaction: I was very excited when I saw this one at the library. It's the third volume in Wilce's Flora Segunda books, and it felt like it had been a little while since I'd last read one. I always enjoy being plunged into the fantastical alternate California that the author has created, Califa, with its sort of Wild-West feel and strange forms of hereditary magic floating around and its fearsome Aztec-like Huitzil warriors south of the border threatening Califa's sovereignty.

The political intrigue continues to thicken as part of the backdrop of this latest installment, but as before, this is Flora's story. Now that she's found out more about who she is, she's got to keep it a secret if she wants to stay safe—but that doesn't stop her from using her magick to try to find Tiny Doom, who….spoilers if you haven't read the first two books…is really Flora's mother. (I had actually forgotten about that, it had been so long since I'd read the first two; it took me a chapter or two to get my bearings.) Flora is convinced that Tiny Doom is alive somewhere, and she does everything humanly (and sometimes inhumanly) possible to try to find her, from using dangerous magick to consorting with were-bears to manning a military outpost in the hot desert, all the while trying to avoid being caught by the Huitzil magician who's hunting her family.

Concerning Character: Flora is, as always, an impetuous heroine who is ultimately sympathetic and likeable; she wears her emotions on her sleeve, but she's learning a bit of discretion, too. It's the characters who really make this story shine. The fun and fantastical setting is icing on the cake, of course, but the conceits (and I mean that in a neutral sense, not as a criticism) of the world-building never distract from the heart of the book—the completely believable actions, emotions, reactions of Flora, of her friends and family. In this volume, Flora has begun to truly come into her own and try to make her own way in the world, and as a consequence she accomplishes more—and gets in more trouble—than she ever thought possible.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Fantastical fiction about worlds that are very much like our own, but not quite—like DM Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo books, or maybe even Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland (reviewed here) or The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (reviewed here).

Themes & Things: Flora, at sixteen, is really just beginning to learn who she is and to define herself, and then there's the whole complication of finding out her mother, Buck Fyrdraaca, isn't her real mother after all—that role's reserved for Tiny Doom, whom you may remember from the first two books. Flora feels betrayed by them both—angry at Buck for lying to her for all those years, and angry at Tiny Doom for not being there. The mother-daughter issues felt familiar and true, and were at the heart of this one, but there's also plenty of potential romance (not to mention adventure and danger) to keep it from being heavy on the family drama. Wilce handles those themes with a light touch, letting them inform and deepen the story without intruding on the adventure part.

Review Copy Source: Library.

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You can find Flora's Fury by Ysabeau S. Wilce online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

TURNING PAGES: A Song for Bijou, by Josh Farrar

What attracted me to what can only be described as a middle grade romance? Was it the adorable cover, the adorkable main characters, the title, which includes the singular of my favorite French word, or the spicy hints of conflict? It was all of the above, plus a soupçon of culture and compassion, all rolled together in a little American-Haitian story of first love.

Reader Gut Reaction: I'm very hard on love stories; I feel like in YA lit they tend to be too cinematic, too much of what a particular author wishes happened to them, instead of what most often happens. Full of zingy one-liners and intelligent patter, they keep readers on the sideline to watch the performance of love. This novel allows readers to participate a bit more - because there are missteps and obvious Bad Guys, and the winces and cringes as the main narrator, Alex, runs into walls, and the flinches as secondary narrator, Bijou, misunderstands things, are very real...

Concerning Character: Alex Schrader just noticed girls five minutes ago, and he's Mr. Obsession. Last year it was Angela. This year it's ... Bijou. Bijou Doucet... She has an amazing name, she has an amazing face, she has little butterfly beads on the ends of her braids....

Alex is smitten, in the cute, dizzy way that isn't often ascribed to boys in literature. He's just a mess, and she's slightly horrified... and not just because Alex is horribly shy and barely able to look her in the face. Refreshingly, it's not even because he's Caucasian American and she's Haitian, and completely clueless about the country or the culture. It's because He's A Boy. And she, Bijou Doucet, doesn't want a boyfriend.

Why is that boy staring at her? Why is he always red? Bijou, dear readers, is Not Impressed. Yet.

Throughout the novel, the dueling narrators are quite clear on what they do and do not want. There are a few rough spots; the conclusion is a little too fast and tidy for me. At times, I found their voices to be a bit mature for their ages, and I sometimes felt their emotional responses were a little lacking - but I also know that not every kid is Full On Drama 24/7. Despite their noisy - interfering and at times really unkind - schoolmates, these are two quiet people wondering both who they are, and who the other person might be - and they both find they're willing to risk quite a bit to find out.

Recommended for Fans Of...: BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS, Edwidge Danticat, SHUG, by Jenny Han, ABSOLUTELY NORMAL CHAOS, by Sharon Creech, DRUMS, GIRLS, & DANGEROUS PIE, Jordan Sonnenblick, HAITI ON MY MIND, Dana Vincent.

Themes & Things:Because Haiti has been, politically and environmentally, eviscerated over and over again, I knew that disaster was going to be a part of the novel - it would have been disingenous to have a novel set in modern times completely not mention the recent and devestating earthquake. HOWEVER. Do you know how many novels there are NOT about just plain-old-day-to-day Haitians, who live, and fall in love, and go to school? This is a love story - so the bits of Haiti which are included in the book aren't all about abject poverty and loss - and I'm so glad. These are two things which Americans all too often associate with Haiti as if that's the only thing it has going for it. Haiti is a proud country, with a rich culture and history - food, music, kicking slavery's butt - some great stuff happened there, and the author touches on these things with intent.

Another quiet theme in this novel is honesty - which is another good MG topic, because the preteens are when the lies we tell our parents possibly get... bigger. There's a lot of fodder for discussion in this!

Cover Chatter: Slightly big-headed preteens gazing adorkably at each other on a busy city sidewalk is WAY TOO CUTE. This cover makes me want to hug it, and the people nearby. I'd say we can call that a win.

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FTC: This was an unsolicited review and the ARC was shared courtesy of the publisher, Bloomsbury, via NetGalley.

AFTER FEBRUARY 12, 2013, you can find A SONG FOR BIJOU by Josh Farrar at an independent bookstore near you!

Thursday Review: TUNE, BOOK 1: VANISHING POINT by Derek Kirk Kim

Reader Gut Reaction: How could I resist a book about a kid going to art school? In San Francisco? Not gonna happen. This one's got an almost irresistibly fun premise that will appeal to older YA and adult audiences—the kid who's pressured by his parents to do something productive with his life but instead decides to go to art school. Then, horror of horrors, he decides to DROP OUT of art school. That goes about as well as you might expect, but then, finally, a job offer does materialize: it's just…not what anyone expected.

A job offer from interdimensional aliens? From a parallel universe? One of whom is a major grump and could pass for an alien version of Red Forman from That 70s Show? Sure, as long as it's got benefits.

Concerning Character: I couldn't help immediately relating to main character Andy Go. I went to art school, too (and in San Francisco, too!). So it was definitely entertaining reading about the antics and woes of Andy and his illustration-major friends as they navigated the treacherous waters of art school. Young adult readers will relate to that feeling of thinking you know exactly what you want to do, but having insufficient knowledge of how the world really works to put your nebulous plans into action. I cringed with recognition when Andy said "It was dawning on me that I had been way too cocky in not only my illustration skills, but the amount of work available in the field."

And then his parents torment him, asking him why he didn't major in computer science, like so-and-so's successful son. (Also disturbingly familiar to me.) On top of it all, he has a crush on his super-cute friend Yumi, but doesn't have the guts to tell her. Andy is funny, flawed, and familiar—and his friends are entertainingly weird and goofy. And then there are the aliens…but I don't want to give too much away. The manga/manhwa-influenced drawing style and funny, informal narration lends humor to what could be simply a series of painful life situations—and it also suits the sci-fi elements well.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Derek Kirk Kim's other GNs for young adults, like Good As Lily (reviewed here) and The Eternal Smile (with Gene Yang, reviewed here), and other graphic novels that take place on the cusp of adulthood, like Gene Yang's Level Up (reviewed here) which also contains elements of magical realism. Fans of sci-fi humor will also enjoy it—and it's only Book 1!

Themes & Things: That tough, unpredictable period between being a college student—when you think you know everything and have big plans—and being a young adult out in the world making your own way…it can be a rude awakening, and that's the case for Andy as for many of us. It's a huge life transition, and one that isn't always dealt with in either YA or adult fiction. I'm happy to see another contribution to the list of literature that tackles college and post-college life. In addition to that overarching theme, Tune also contains a lot of classic threads like the tension that develops between Andy and his parents, as he resists their directives while still having to live at home; and of course the unrequited (or is it??) love for Yumi. And then there are the aliens: could they be Andy's big moneymaking break? What's the right choice? I won't tell you what Andy decides, but I will mention that the end of the book leaves you hanging, waiting for Book 2. So if you hate cliffhangers…well, you can always go check out the webcomic.

Review Copy Source: Requested copy from publisher.

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You can find Tune, Book 1: Vanishing Point by Derek Kirk Kim online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

CYBILS F/SF: And Now, The Post-Mortem...

So, yeah. The Cybils, 2012, YA Fantasy/Sci Fi.

205, at final count, in our category. 99.7% books read by one person, 98.6% of the books were read by two people, .03% unread (the discrepancy is because some books were difficult to get - some individual self-pubbed authors and smaller presses just didn't have the wherewithal to send copies or give us digital access), and 199 books were read by me.

Around the end of last month, I be tard, which is why you're getting your post mortem just over a week after all the confetti was thrown. Lord. Have. Mercy. What a year.

The 2013 Cybils wasn't easy for YA F/SF. It wasn't so much the number of books - for the first time in five years, it was easier for me to access them than not; I have three counties library systems from which to choose, and was willing and able to poach my sisters' library cards - but it was the deliberations. Sheila often calls it the Survival of the Book Fittest. Either you read a book and the plot sticks with you, or it ...goes by the wayside as a readalike or just another piece of plot in an endless mountain of story. There were simply Too. Many. Good. Books. Should I shortlist this silly, lightweight novel which immediately caught my eye? Should I downgrade silly when something heavier-hitting came my way? Should I add this one, despite the fact that the hero annoys me a bit, because we need more books guys would enjoy? These are the types of things that go round and round and round in the secondary phase of narrowing down our lists. Sure - the knee-jerk, uncritical pleasure we have in cracking each book is there, and some people have an initial shortlist and have sixteen books on it -- and then they agonize as they pare it down. My style tends toward more critical reading early on, and this year, the paring started on day one, and went on and on and on.

It didn't make deliberations any easier when adding others to the mix. For the first time since I've been on a Cybils panel -- since the very beginning; a year on YA Fiction and five on YA F/SF - the judges met and were unable to come to a consensus in a single three hour session. We had to go away and come back, and after some heated exchanges and outbursts some returned owing to others sincere apologies And some sincerity is still owing, but I will belt up and let that go. Eventually. Deliberations took, all told, nine hours. All flippin' day. (Imagine if I'd still been in Scotland, having to get up at 3 a.m. for deliberations...!)

We came up with a list I mostly like. There is never 100% LOVE from anyone for any list; there are a couple of books on the list which are iffy for me -- and there are a couple of books on the list which are clearly hot-button books for others. For the most part, though, it is a good, sturdy list of worthy books. However! I still wish we'd had room for...

GRAVE MERCY, by Robin LaFevers. Now, y'all know I LOVED this book. LOVED IT. It is not every day when you start the day just thinking you'll read a chapter or two of a book, and then the day gets eaten up with you and your book, and by evening, you pretty much have to sit down and write a thank-you note to the author because she'd helped you pleasurably waste an entire day. (This may not happen to you a lot, but I always try and let myself be happy when it happens to me. Life is short. Truly great books are rare.)

Robin wrote up one of my favorite adult-style tales for young adults, about a Wronged Woman who morphs into a Castaway, and then by the turn of the Wheel and on a whim of the Fates, she becomes A Warrior Woman. So many tropes, so freshly scrubbed up and nicely presented! It was so satisfying - beginning, middle, end, DONE. No dangling bits of this fair assassin's tale, nope. She was all tied up in a pretty bow, and yet, the worldbuilding leaves room for more stories. I cannot wait for the next, and it was really disappointing to be unable to include this book in our finalist list. I was fair gutted. But, what to do, what to do?! There were just so many great books we couldn't include, like...

LOSERS IN SPACE, by John Barnes. I was SO SURE this book would be a shoo-in for the list; I was certain. But my shortlisting it on my personal list was met with a few folk scrambling and complaining that they couldn't find it. Like so many others this time around, this book suffered from lack of easy access and time issues. Many people weren't able to make it past the first few chapters of set-up, and if you don't persevere with this one, it's easy to say, "WHAT? She's SO annoying!" I agree that the book starts carefully, with the character equivalent of stepping gingerly on sidewalks and avoiding cracks, but by a third of the way through, the narrative pelts along, running full out, cracks be darned. The narrative starts the way it does for a reason, I promise you: KEEP READING past the first quiet - and possibly annoyingly voiced - beginnings.

A lot of people had the same reaction to M.T. Anderson's FEED. Why they wondered, do we have to read about disaffected teens? Because, there's something called a CHARACTER ARC in which they BECOME. Please give this book a shot - it's worth your time. If you enjoyed Beth Revis' book last year, or any of the other going-away-to-space/new-civilization books pubbed recently, you'll like this. Persevere!

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo. For many, this book was a sleeper, and snuck in under the radar. (If you haven't yet read it, you have time; the sequel comes out June 4, so maybe it's Spring Break reading?). It takes the appearance of a quiet Orphan Tale, and morphs comfortably and hopefully into a near traditional Cinderella story. But then... it morphs one more time into a place of ambiguity, with less readily identifiable Good vs. Evil, which makes it an enticing read for me. Without too many spoilers, there's a moment of, "What, seriously!?" in the novel which might come as a hairpin turn for some. I somewhat saw it coming, and thought, "Naaaah," but it turned out that the narrative was indeed leading that direction. The novel explores our very human tendency to drift toward embracing might instead of right, and our very human rationalizing, "Well, would it be so bad, if...?" tendencies. That this is a debut novel only makes me happier - we have a lot of great stuff to anticipate from this author who hopefully has a long, long, long career to go.

EREBOS, by Ursula Poznanski. I'll say up front that I won't be able to give much description of this novel without giving too much away, so I will only say that this novel isn't at all straightforward.

Having attended and taught at a school, I can easily understand the realism of some in-group kids having Something which other people are curious about -- but to which information is limited to an Invitation Only list. That was really realistic for me. Here, everyone is playing this GAME, and human nature makes desire a huge component in giving it a try. Others affect indifference, but we know that their indifference is certainly put on - for the most part. Other people can play but aren't risk-takers, so they come to a point in the game, say, "Meh," and give it up. The novel covers all of these real reactions. And then, it moves forward from there...

In the end, it was all about responsibility - if you're under orders, it's not on you if something goes wrong, right? I mean, you were doing what you were told... I enjoyed the ambiguity of this plot - not knowing who is to blame, or if there IS anyone to blame is a plot device which dangles a fat juicy little snippet of interest the reading hook, and lured me in. Other people don't do well with not knowing all the facts up front - for me, this was a race to figure out if I was right, or if the book would Reveal All before I got all my clues in order. You might enjoy pitting your wits against a game that plays back...!

SHADOWFELL, by Juliet Marillier. I was sure I'd reviewed this novel on this site, but alas, I find no evidence of such. Ah, well. This book is about a place - but it's such a mystical and secret-laden place that nobody actually knows where it is. All Neryn knows is that it had better exist - if not, she's going to die. She's hiding a magical secret in anti-magical Alban, and it's a secret which has lost her family everything, and has driven she and her father onto the road. Or, rather, it's her father's gambling habit which has led them to the road. They have nothing, sure, but then her father gambled away everything else, and then stands her as a stake in a game. Neryn is won by a man whose very face terrifies her, and she's on the run again -- not knowing who she can trust, and fearing to use the little bit of magic that is trying so hard to help her... There's something amazing about each and every one of Juliet Marillier's books. This is the start of a Journey series - with a lot of hiking, even - and if you're not a person who can wait well through a first book which has a lot of set-up for tension-filled relationships and such, wait 'til July when the sequel is released, and then read straight through.

There's a lot to look forward to in 2013 - and if you're looking to be on the YA Cybils F/SF team, my advice is to begin reading NOW and stay on top of the new releases that are buzzed about from The Big Six publishing houses (or is it five now that we have a megalith?), as well as some of the quieter books from indie houses whose greatness tends to be shared by word of mouth instead of flashy book trailers and endless blog tours and interviews. There's a lot of great worthy stuff you might not know about. 205 books might look like small fry next year!

Finally, if I haven't already said it, THANK YOU, and kudos to the people who brought the sleeper and quiet books to greater attention this year. The Cybils is nothing without those who nominate, and we appreciate all of you!

Graphic Novels Galore, and More

Just a catchall post of links for this damp, grey Monday, as I catch up on blogging and house cleaning and other small projects (thus successfully procrastinating on real work while also maintaining the illusion of productivity).

• First, a plethora of graphic novels for the comically-minded--not only did the Cybils release their finalist lists (including GNs for young readers and teens alike), GraphicNovelReporter has released THEIR list of the best graphics of 2012--interesting to compare, and not surprisingly, there are a few titles that overlap: Congrats to Raina Telgemeier and Faith Erin Hicks!


• More lists of Best Books of 2012 are popping up throughout the kidlitosphere: check them out at Bildungsroman, Fuse #8, Bookshelves of Doom, Chasing Ray, and a bonus from Leila over at her Kirkus Reviews column.


• Have you heard of PaperBackSwap.com? I hadn't, but it's a great way to get books to schools in need as well as ditch some of those titles taking up space in piles, on your floor, in your office or living room or bedroom...you know you've got those piles.


• For other ways to help students in need, check out Adopt-A-Classroom, which I just read about over on Goodreads, or check out ARCs Float On and the other book donation programs on Reach a Reader (yeah, yeah, I'm totally biased about that one!).

Toon Thursday: First Toon of the New Year!

Better late than never, fresh from my pencil, pen, scanner, and Photoshop, and without further ado, here is The First Official New Cartoon of 2013! Enjoy.

"On the first page of the end of despair..."

What would it mean to live
in a city whose people were changing
each other's despair into hope? --
You yourself must change it. --
what would it feel like to know
your country was changing? --
You yourself must change it. --
Though your life felt arduous
new and unmapped and strange
what would it means to stand on the first
page of the end of despair?

1983

Dreams Before Waking by Adrienne Rich Excerpt from Your Native Land, Your Life: Poems by Adrienne Rich ©1986

I'm confident my Adrienne won't mind me using the above Adrienne poem snippet from her New Year's blog post. It spoke to me, in the silence through which I've lately been listening.

Part of me is still stunned and caught, stumbling and frozen, ears ringing with the sound of silence as twenty-six souls might make, wrested from this world so terribly too soon. Like so many people, it has become easier to talk about the mechanics of a thing - law, weapon, institution - than the reality of a thing: hopelessness, brutality, incomprehension. Like so many people, I have been jarred loose of my moorings, forced yet again to face another incident soon only to be known by the name of its city or institution - Aurora. Virginia Tech. Columbine. Like so many others, I have found it hard, after repeated promises and consolation from politicians, to think that life is going to change.

My friend Barb, in an attempt to find for herself sanity and balance in a world where she just wanted to retreat to her bed, has declared a personal war on the dark. She has become a ninja-style hatred-assassin, sneaking about and spreading light. Something as simple as buying a certain type of tea at Starbucks - and then another, for the next person who comes along and orders it, or buying herself a split pea soup at a local bakery, and another for the next person who orders it. As simple as paying her own toll on a bridge, and then for the next four cars. She's been fun to observe, but more amazing has been those joining her. She's generating a greater light as tiny sparks are fanned across the world.

Better to light a candle than curse the dark.

Someone mentioned wanting to do twenty-six random acts of kindness in the names of the twenty-six people who died in Connecticut a few weeks ago. And then, they reasoned, "there were actually twenty-eight victims," including the mother of the shooter and the shooter himself. They rounded up, and decided to do thirty-one deeds for the month of January, and in honor of mental health month. I like that idea - but I have names for the other victims which make up the number to thirty-one. Those names are You and Me and Us.

You and Me: we're the people who think twice about smiling across an aisle at the gas station at the man filling his car. You and Me: we're the ones who maybe glance with suspicion at the people in the line at the bank, who are inundated with negative media about our fellow humans, Us, who wonder if the world is indeed a more hostile and crazy place.

You and Me: we're the people who wonder what world we're leaving to our kids. We don't know our neighbors, and wonder if they're crazy, too. We're prepared to shoot first. We're prepared to not be the victim, and so the aggressor. We're prepared to pack up and run, to keep everyone at arm's length, to lock our doors and ride out the apocalypse, hoarding our resources. It's not enough that the economy has tanked and we've wrangled on politically for the last twelve months, spewing anger and nastiness and raising voices in protests which keep getting batted down. We've been ground down before, ...and now this???

Individually - you and me - collectively - us: we've been hurt, in a thousand tiny ways. How many people wanted to go to work, or send their kids off to school the Monday after this happened? How many people wanted to pull the drapes and stay in bed - not just through Christmas, but through all of these dark days?

Here's a fact I know about the world: Ninety-nine-point-nine-nine-nine times out of one hundred, people are okay: definitely quirky, truly strange, undoubtedly weird, and yes, perhaps freakish, awkward, sometimes repellent -- but not abusive, not cruel, not insane, not homicidal. Each time I leave the house, I want to remember that. Each time I interact with strangers, I want them to remember that. Each time my eyes meet those of a stranger's, I want to remember kindness. To that end, I am going to do thirty-one things, ninja-sneaky, to keep faith with peace. Thirty-one things to remind myself that we are people of the light. If we walk in the light, not everyone is out to get us. If we light our lights, we make the night brighter for everyone. Who knows, maybe my small thing will remind thirty-one other people. And maybe they'll keep the cycle going. Maybe that little spark I bring to their day will be enough to light their own tinder, and they'll keep the flame burning.

Asking for another diner's check at a restaurant, and paying theirs, too. Paying a $10 fine at the library, toward the person (identified by the librarian) with the greatest fines. Buying another copy of a book I want, for the next person to come along and receive for free. Giving up a primo parking place, or paying someone else's parking meter. It's not for anyone else to see or know about but the receiver. It's not about the glow for me, but the glow that goes forward.

And so, on this New Year's Eve, when I know that light must diminish to become brighter in the light of morning -- and a new year -- I'm signing on not for "resolutions" just for myself, and the usual losing battle with weight, coffee, smokes, booze or exercise, etc. -- those are daily, personal battles that must be fought, true, but they're not as important. Not as much as the battle to fight for my neighbors - for my community - for the you-me-us that makes up my world. Instead, my intention for the year is to cast out fear, embrace love, and lighten the dark.

Thirty-one days... or, maybe three-hundred and sixty-five?

Stay tuned. Things are getting brighter...starting now.

Happy New Year.

Cross-posted from Tanita's blog

Are You Ready?

It's December 31, 2012. The end of the old year.

Are you ready for a new year? Or do you want to run screaming into a cave?

Are you ready to attack your writing and reading with new vigor and fresh eyes?

Are you ready to persevere with the old, or try something new? Or both?

Are you ready for tomorrow's announcement of the 2012 Cybils finalists? (Don't forget to tune in--the announcement gets posted at 12:00 a.m. PST!)

Are you ready to commit to some resolutions--or does the R-word make you want to scream, too?

I'm still working on my plans for the upcoming year, so, at this rate, I suppose Item #1 for me will be Make Plans for New Year. What about you?

Thursday Review: PARALLEL VISIONS by Cheryl Rainfield

Reader Gut Reaction: My next book has psychic powers in it, and I've always enjoyed reading books about ESP and such (HUGE Lois Duncan fan, here), so I was excited to read Cheryl Rainfield's latest YA novel, Parallel Visions. I was also happy to see that it's well-reviewed on Amazon, because this one was a gripping and fast read that was tough to put down. Although in some ways I feel like it was almost too fast of a read—my reader greed (and perhaps just personal taste) made me want certain aspects of the story to be expanded upon, but regardless of that, the premise is an intriguing one: Kate is a girl who sees visions of what might be the present or even the future—but only when she has an asthma attack. As her body spins out of control and her breath begins to leave her, the visions come: a scary prospect to envision. But her visions might be able to save people, too. Kate is faced with the difficult choice of how much she's willing to endanger her own life to, perhaps, save someone else's.

Concerning Character: Kate is easy to relate to, and her asthma attacks are described with dizzying, alarming, vivid detail—many readers, I'm sure, will recognize how it feels. Though I'm not an asthma sufferer myself, I think this is a great trait for a character to have, not only in the sense of creating realism but also with respect to demystifying and normalizing asthma—it makes for a good addition to the realm of diversity literature, in my opinion. And with respect to side characters, I loved that she has a friend in Gil—one she trusts and who knows about her ability.

Recommended for Fans Of...: I think this would be a great one not only for suspense fans but for reluctant readers, too. Caroline Cooney fans, people who love the combination of suspense and problem novel (and they do tend to go together these days).

Themes & Things: Like other books by Cheryl, this one deals sensitively with the topic of abuse. This time, though, it's told not from the abuse victim's perspective, but from the viewpoint of a family member—Kate—who faces the same decisions most anyone in her situation does: When and how is it appropriate to intervene? How can we save someone who doesn't want to be saved, and what if it puts a life in danger? In Kate's case, using the one (supernatural) power she does have over the situation means considerable sacrifice. There's a lot of suspense and danger in this one, but it's also hopeful, too—Kate is brave and loyal and willing to risk a lot for her friends and family, and ultimately, even though her power is strange and dangerous, she has friends and family who stick by her, and that's a heartening thing.

Review Copy Source: Author.

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You can find Parallel Visions by Cheryl Rainfield as an ebook from Amazon!

Holiday Thoughts

Winter, Alphonse Mucha, 1896

Today I will be with family--mine, and my husband's too; we will be stuffing ourselves silly and watching our nephews cavort and exchanging some gifts a day early; we'll travel, and then return home and snuggle up against the winter weather that has been dumping rain on us, off and on, for weeks now.

Tomorrow we'll exchange a few more gifts with my parents, enjoying a quiet morning at home; then we'll see a movie, have a nice celebratory homemade dinner, and feel sated and thankful to be able to have all of these things and people in our lives, to have had the good fortune of another year, replete with both work and play.

And then we'll start again.

Our best to you whether you're celebrating a religious or secular Christmas, Hanukkah, or simply sharing the joys (and tribulations--let's be real here) of family and friends at the end of another year. The end of the Mayan calendar did not herald a wrathful apocalypse, but rather the need to chisel another ginormous stone thingamabob to last another few thousand years, and so we again have--as always--the opportunity to make the most of what's to come. Let's do it, writers!

winter.

Ezra Jack Keats, SNOWY DAY, 1962

The darkest day has arrived; it all gets lighter from here on out. Er, that is, if we survive the Mayan apocalypse today, you know.

Look forward to more reviews, more cartoons, more chitchat of a bookish flavor, after the end of the month, but at present, Cybils duties loom as well as holiday responsibilities, so it might get a bit quiet from me for a bit! Stay well - and stay tuned...

Calvin & Hobbes say, "Let it snow."

Toon Thursday: This Is What My Desk Looks Like

The one on the right, that is, not the one on the left. SIGH. I've gotten a little closer, though. I do have a beautiful desk made from an antique sewing table. But it still resembles the one on the right.

Yes, this one's a re-run...but I really wanted to do a Toon Thursday and due to circumstances beyond my control involving a temporarily missing external hard drive, an emergency trip to Barnes & Noble, and me being totally behind on Christmas stuff*, most of today slipped by me.

(*I live in a Grinch house, by the way. If it weren't for me, there would be no Christmas. No presents, no cards, no baking, no nothing. Probably just video games, TV, and pizza boxes. Just kidding. My husband is a very good cook. So we'd eat well while watching TV.)

Happy Thursday, and I promise you I have ideas in the hopper for new cartoons, just no time to execute or even mildly torture those ideas.

CYBILS F/SF: FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS, by Diana Peterfreund

I'd mentioned already being leery of Book Reboots, and how I wasn't sure if I could read another version of Jane Eyre. Well, never fear, it's time now for another Austen reboot!

Wait, wait - don't go. There are no zombies. NONE! Instead, this novel treads perilously close to sacred ground - my favorite book of all time of the Jane Austen panoply is PERSUASION, and this is a reboot of that very treasured story.

To be clear, Jane Austen set the gold standard in Romantic era fiction for me. NOTHING will ever be as good as the original PERSUASION. However, this novel is gold in its own postmodern way.

Reader Gut Reaction: This is not a retelling - it's an Austen tribute. If you keep that in mind, the novel works much, much better.

This is straightforward science fiction, a futurist world in which, as a result of The Reduction, a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong, there is an automatic servant-class, and everyone who survived otherwise are Luddites. There is a rigid compliance with what is assumed as "God's will," and natural law to keep them safe from more massive die-offs and retardation - no technology. No new discoveries. Even something as simple as cross-breeding plants for a stronger yield is anathema. Luddites ... and servants. An entire class of people are lifetime servants, as a result of The Reduction; they seem to suffer from mental challenges. Some of their children, however, do not. Post-Reductionists want to live and breathe and be real citizens, not second-class people. But, they can't do it on Eliot's father's land...

Concerning Character: Eliot North could be thought of as a girl who has everything - except she's not. She's the girl who does everything, to keep the servants on her father's land fed and cared for. He - and Eliot's spoiled older sister - wants to live large on the money the estate makes, but has zero interest in doing the work and good stewardship that it takes to make it. Eliot steps in time and again to save things - and her father resents her in a childish fashion. He hurts her through hurting the servants, and tries to control her - when he isn't ignoring her entirely. (In an otherwise nuanced and subtle novel, their relationship is the one false note for me - I found myself asking for more "whys" behind his behavior.)

Malakai Wentforth - a clever, self-educated boy is a Post-Reductionist, a second generation non-Luddite who was Eliot's childhood friend and love. He went away to seek his fortune, for there's nothing left on the North's estate for him. When he asks Eliot to go with him, she refuses. It breaks her heart to stay away from him, to choose to keep cleaning up her father's messes, but to Eliot's mind, to whom much is given, much is required. Her genetics are pure. Her mental acuity is sharp. Her responsibilities, therefore, are much greater. She refuses to live her life solely for herself, as do her father and sister - which is a positive and strong-minded, mature choice. After nearly five years, Eliot is terrified that Kai's dead. She actually mourns him as if he IS dead. But, now, he's back. Brilliant and accomplished and different - and utterly hateful toward Eliot, Malakai's return is the worst and the best day of Eliot's life.

Peterfreund adds a touch of Brontë to this novel's hero that I don't think Austen ever did. Kai is a right butthead at times, prickly and quick to temper, moreso than Frederick Wentworth ever was - and I'm not sure his behavior should have been accepted without a confrontation. Eliot is just as passive as her predecessor, Anne, but for very different reasons, but she makes abrupt decisions, especially at the conclusion of the novel, which came across as impetuous, which some readers object to, but which was, I think, deliberate. There is immense care taken with the narrative, and with the story, showing Peterfreund's love of the original story as well. She subtly twists the new tale into a tribute which doesn't cleave too closely to the original, yet has much of its charm.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Novels of the romantic era, such as Jane Austen's PERSUASION, Star-crossed romances like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and novels wherein the lowly hero scores the high-class heroine.

Themes & Thoughts: Because Eliot doesn't fit in with the wealthy Luddites in her society, she finds her home among the servant-class. One of her friends is a Reduced girl who is simple and sweet, and Eliot adores her. The adoration is difficult - though the girl sometimes tells what she shouldn't and sees and mimics what she should not, Eliot kind of has to love her. They were born the same day. She's the last link to her childhood, and Kai. The emotions and drawbacks and rewards of loving a differently-abled person is one of the things I wish the novel had taken more time to explore. We don't often run across a lot of teen differently-abled characters in YA now, especially not in SFF, where everyone in the brave new world is brilliant.

Speaking of brilliant, there are a few ethical questions in this Luddite society I wish could have been covered more thoroughly. I know the point of the novel was romance, but the worldbuilding really intrigued, and I'd love to see another novel in the same universe that digs in deeper to the world, caste systems, class, and the fabulous genetic advances that had been made - and which ruined the world....

This book has so, so much good going on with it, that it's easy to be forgiving of the moments which were not delved into as deeply as I might have liked! It's only one book - I think if I wrote it my way, it would be three...! Which leads to the question, is this a single volume, like PERSUASION? It appears that the answer is yes, which is killing a lot of people, but be of good cheer: there's a bonus novel prequel on Diana Peterfreund's website, at least.

Cover Chatter: At first I wondered if I had imagined that Kai was described as quite fair with specifically arresting eyes, and Eliot was plain and dark, but no -- I reread. Eliot has long dark hair, and brownish tan - or, in the winter - sallow skin. She's kind of a farm girl, and does the farmer tan. What I didn't know is that apparently some people consider this cover to be white-washed. I don't read it that way. I love the stars and galaxies which appear through the character's dress, and I think the cover is gorgeous. I don't recall Eliot really ever wearing that awesome of a dress, but even farm girls have a yen to dress up every once in awhile.

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FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher, unsolicited review.

A novel both exasperating and endearing, you can find FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS by Diana Peterfreund at an independent bookstore near you!

Monday Review: TRAITOR'S SON by Hilari Bell

Reader Gut Reaction: I enjoyed the first book in this duet, Trickster's Girl (reviewed here) a lot more than I expected to, so I was pleased to find the second book was available in my library so soon after I read the first one (no waiting ages for sequels! yay!). I found that this second book defied my expectations, but in a good way. MINOR SPOILERS to come….

At the end of the first book, when Kelsa throws the medicine bag across the Alaska-Canada border and into the hands of a strange boy, it turns out that her quest also becomes his. Now, Jason is the one who must heal the land, and with his native roots, he seems to be the perfect choice. …Or is he? Like the first book, this one's got plenty of adventure and angst, danger and daring.

Concerning Character: So, this second book in the Raven Duet is Jason's story. At first, it felt jarring to suddenly leave Kelsa behind and continue the quest with a new hero. I mean, that's an unusual choice from a writing perspective, and surprising for the reader. But once I got used to the new setting (and—minor spoilers again—the new, ravishingly feminine form of Raven), Jason really fit well into the story. He's a reluctant hero, even more reluctant than Kelso, and he's got his aims in life, and his Native heritage is far more of a source of conflict than he'd like it to be. In fact, there's a rift between his father and the rest of the family, and most of them are holding Jason's father's behavior against HIM—sins of the father and all that. Jason is a very layered character whose backstory has appropriate repercussions for his own development and growth, as well as being integral to the plot.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Realistic fiction with a dose of fantasy. If you enjoy Charles de Lint, who incorporates North American and European mythological elements into his books, or other books about Trickster-y characters like those by Tamora Pierce, you might like this one.

Themes & Things: Jason is a mixed-race character, and his heritage is a major theme throughout the book. His self-identity and self-acceptance are tied into how he relates to the various parts of his family—his father, who has been ostracized by the Native community, and his grandparents, who live a more traditional lifestyle. And now he's got this whole quest thing to deal with. It's very satisfying to watch Raven break down Jason's reluctance and skepticism about healing the environment, and win him over to the idea that this earth is all of ours and we are all responsible, no matter how small or how large a part we play.

Review Copy Source: Library.

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You can find Traitor's Son by Hilari Bell online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

CYBILS F/SF: INSIGNIA, by S.J. Kincaid

I've got school story-itis. I LOVE and adore school stories. Boarding school stories are EVEN BETTER. I don't know why - I went to boarding school and know it to be a peculiar sort of hell, but somewhere in my head I'm still expecting to find interesting haunts in the second floor west bathroom, or maps to hidden rooms. Nope, nope, nope. I know better. But, still.

This is a school story, a military school story. I think the school bits are what kept me reading, that, and the engaging voice. It's a review I held onto for awhile, ambivalent about the book and unsure I should post it - but, whatever. Sometimes you just have to write about enjoyable books with plot holes, so here goes:

Reader Gut Reaction: This story started off with a character who was both funny and awful - and in an awful position. I'm always rooting for the underdog, so that hooked me. And then when there is a school in the offing, a tough girl, and Things Not Being What They Seemed I was definitely in. This novel is flawed and slightly readalike for a few written in the past several years, but I like that it has a male protag who is blind in some predictable ways - but it remains my hope that, with the remaining volumes left in the series, that there is redemption for this character. A lot can change in a book, if the main character is allowed to open his eyes...

Concerning Character: Presenting Tom, underdog, downtrodden, bitter and fronting. He's intimidated by the world in which he lives, and yet contemptuous of it, as he sharps and hustles and slides to stay alive. Goodness knows he has to; his father, once a brilliant man, is a well-known gambler, and entirely a mess now. Tom - short, pale, spotty - does what he must, he tells himself. He listens to his father's paranoid rants, skips school, and becomes an amazing gamer as a way to make money. He has inherited his father's brilliance - which causes him attention he's not sure he wanted. His father is POSITIVE the attention is unwelcome and unwarranted, but all Tom can see is what they're offering him - a place to belong, steady meals, and the attention - maybe even the friendship - of a girl...

I don't even have to tell you that All Is Not What It Seems. You get that automatically, right?

Recommended for Fans Of...: READY PLAYER ONE, by Ernest Cline, ENDER'S GAME, by Orson Scott Card, DIVERGENT, by Veronica Roth, and the very awesome HEIR APPARENT, by Vivian Vande Velde.

Themes & Thoughts: A little disclosure: I love The Book Smugglers. I read their reviews on everything and generally lurk around their site. I read Ana's review of this book for Kirkus, and can see her points - but I want to say that I was not, I don't think, unduly influenced. See, if you read this novel critically, you'll see that there are holes. Holes you might be able to get past - the voice is engaging, and there's a lot to like - but that's up to you.

Some of the holes were obvious - you would think there might be greater computer security at this school, seeing as everyone is so into computers, to the point of having one onboard in an android fashion. There were some hazing scenes that surprised me - and other problematic fixations in this book on little things - wrong little things that never really get resolved. ****MINOR SPOILERS****

Okay, the "man-hands" girl gets a boyfriend she isn't sure she wants... and that solves her issues? Is a man the key to her confidence? And, okay, Tom finds a way to bring down the enemy - but it's not through superior plotting and his super-brilliant intellect. No, it's because of a specifically feminine fear. Um...in whose dreams?

*****/SPOILERS****

The character arc that includes growth and coming to grips with things? Is kind of missing. From everyone. Especially in light of the conversations going on in the gaming world about the role and the reactions to female gamers, there is some stereotype dependence and some missteps here.

I'm going to go so far as to say the issues raised made parts of this novel anticlimactic and disappointing. This story is written in an easy and engaging style, which leads me to hope that there can be some course corrections in the plot and characterization - I believe it's supposed to be a trilogy, so a.) maybe this was deliberate and b.) maybe there's time to fix it?

Time will tell.

Cover Chatter: I can appreciate very much that the book designers avoided faces on the cover! The cover color is striking, the sort of formal coat-of-arms/school insignia was a wise choice to go with. Apparently this kind of cover is what book designers feel appeal to boys - strong colors and simple designs. *I* like it, and hope to see more designs like it.

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FTC: Unsolicited review of a library book

You can find INSIGNIA by S.J. Kincaid online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

CYBILS F/SF: THE SELECTION, by Kiera Cass

I judge.

I should be ashamed to say it, but I'm not. We all do it. We judge books by their covers, even though there's a clear "don't" in that saying. And, okay - there's a reason, in this case.

I'm not a very girly girl, try as I might. If I see The Big Dress of Hopeless Foofiness on the cover of the novel, nine times out of ten, I'm out. The niecelet meanwhile will RUN ME OVER trying to get to it, and I'll just hand it to her, and say, "What? Like I'd try to KEEP that from you." The Dress of Hopeless Foofiness = Niecelet. Possibly, the Girl In Tank Top With Weapon and Tattoo = Me.

( Not that either of us have those - foofy dresses [Niecelet has refused to wear dresses since she was eleven] nor weapons and tatts [guns and needles, just...no. Sorry. I do say YES to knives, though]). Our internal landscapes lead us to our books, which is why it's so funny that today I'm reviewing a Niecelet Book, complete with geez, louise, big-old-foofy-dress. But, I was so happy to read it, because it was like a milkshake - a bit frothy, a LOT predictable - I mean, it's a milkshake, right? - but at least some flavor was there.

Reader Gut Reaction: Foofy. This book has its own Pinterest page, okay? Seriously foofy. And yet, I was reminded of my favorite fish-out-of-water trope when I started the story: a girl who DOESN'T want to be a princess? Who has MET her Prince Charming? Who goes in with the intent to FAIL, after a few good meals? Who prefers to wear PANTS? Oh, yeah. Bring it on.

Concerning Character: America Singer is just that - a singer in the land of Illéa, which is some subset of post-apocalypse America (no, the country, not the girl). Her family is in the class of entertainers and artists, Class 5, and it's rough - people are poor, flat out. There's not much money or time for entertainment, except in the warm summer months. Families and clans must stick together for their survival. (With the notable exception of America's poseur artist brother, who has not only moved up, but who pressures America to name-drop him to the prince. I'm wondering if there's some purpose for him, and if we'll see him again.)

It could be worse. America could be a Six, like her secret boyfriend, Aspen. Sixes are servant class, and the lowest caste there is, except for the homeless who aren't even in-caste. Not just money, but food is even more scarce for them. America sneaks him food, and they sneak time together. But all of this comes to an abrupt halt - because of The Selection. A once-in-a-lifetime application process to choose the newest queen of Illéa, The Selection is all anyone can talk about. America isn't into it, but her mother pressures her. And then, her boyfriend pressures her - and dumps her. Angry at the limited choices in her life, she goes. She is, of course, chosen immediately as one of the thirty-five finalists.

There are uses for being a square peg in a round hole. With nothing to lose, America stands to gain everything.

Recommended for Fans Of...: The Purim Story (of Queen Esther), in the Torah and in the Bible, THE PRINCESS ACADEMY, by Shannon Hale, MATCHED, by Ally Condie, DIGNITY, by Eva Caye, THE HUNGER GAMES, and any number of princess fairytales, including Cinderella, by Strabo and all the others who retooled it.

Thoughts & Things: With some of the clichéd readalike bits of THE HUNGER GAMES dress-up scenes and the basic tool-worthiness of both love interests, this isn't the strongest book I've ever read, and yet, I still was able to enjoy parts. It attempted originality with its post-apocalyptic angle. There's a war going on, with rebels and deaths and attacks on the palace. Maxon, the prince, seems to have only the vaguest idea of what it's all about, and it seems to be America who is allowing him to understand the concerns of, you know, "real people." The fact that this book, with only one volume published and two to go, is already a in the process of being a TV series makes me uneasy for it - it could get better, or it could all get a lot worse. Hard to tell how this will go!

I wanted to have more of a discussion of the sociological impact of royalty on an already poor society - there is so much history against the idea of a seriously rich monarchy and a seriously starving populace (Hello, France? Anyone?) that it seems that Maxon is kind of stupidly just going along. What happened to The U.S.? Yes, it fell, but how/why? Also, Maxon is presented as loveable, but he's so dumb. Is America - remember now, non-royal, caste-stuck entertainer - really going to be the one to Show Him The Way when she, too, is painfully naive at times? I found myself wondering, of Maxon, "Why doesn't this man have advisers, or at least, you know, duties?" When it comes down to it, the entire royalty is a teensy bit one-dimensional -- But. This is a first book - and I know that Niecelet will love it. I'll look forward to explanations on the rebels and who/what they're fighting for, how Illéa became segregated by caste - which is only something that works in one or two societies even now - and etc. There are quite a few things for the author to explore in the sequels other than big dresses.

Cover Chatter: I mentioned foofy, right? In this new and post-futuristic Illéa, apparently there are only people of the dominant culture left. Since the dominant culture in the U.S. at present is Latino, and America admits to our country being her land of origin, I'm wondering how there are no brown-skinned ladies on the cover of the book...? Just a thought.

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FTC: Review copy received from the publisher, unsolicited review.

You can find THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass at an independent bookstore near you!

Thursday Review: THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER by Jasper Fforde

Reader Gut Reaction: I adore Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books, so I was excited to read that he was making a foray into YA—although from the pacing and content, I'd consider this one suitable (and perhaps more appealing) to MG readers. Like his other books, I'd describe it as a quirky fantasy adventure with a good dose of silliness, although instead of having the detective/mystery component that his adult books have, The Last Dragonslayer is more of a coming-of-age story…or, more precisely, it's a young-woman-thrust-unwillingly-into-various-positions-of-weighty-authority story. Because not only is Jennifer Strange the acting head of Kazam Mystical Arts Management since the head of the operation vanished, she's also just found out that there's Big Magic afoot, and with recalcitrant, cranky wizards to employ, a brand-new indentured foundling to train, and the last of the dragons to contend with, her hands are more than full. And it's about to get even crazier…

Concerning Character: Jennifer Strange is an intriguing individual—born a foundling, now the de facto head of a magical talent agency for aging sorcerers afraid of obsolescence in the face of technology. However, for my taste, the book didn't give me quite enough depth of character—despite being written in first person, I felt like I didn't have a very strong sense of the narrator. She acted, she reacted, but her emotions and even her thoughts about her own self and her past were a bit of a mystery. Nevertheless, it's quite a fun, fast-paced read, and being the first in a series, presumably we'll get to know Jennifer a bit more over the course of future books. Oh. And I love the Quarkbeast. That is all.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Not unlike Monday's review, if you like books about orphans or foundlings who have a great destiny to fulfill, particularly if those books have a slightly off-kilter sense of humor (like the books of Terry Pratchett, perhaps) then you'll want to check this one out.

Themes & Things: This book's pretty much got all the themes a good adventure should—friendship and betrayal, mysterious doings and shocking revelations, and lots of rushing about from one catastrophe to the next. And because it takes place in a sort of alternate present, it's got plenty of fun and unique elements that make it stand out from your average fantasy. For instance, Jennifer may live in a world with magic, but they've also got TV. So when something like, oh, a prophecy of the last remaining dragon's death gets broadcast on every psychic wavelength, rest assured that it's going to mean a big media circus, too. Very wry and funny, with a nice twist at the end.

Review Copy Source: Library.

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You can find The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

WEDNESDAY WRITERS: Your Bechdel PSA

Periodically I share things with my writing group that I think are a great idea to share with people across the board, as it were. So, from us to you: your periodic Bechdel Public Service Announcement.

A quick refresher for those who don't know what I'm talking about - the Bechdel Test came from a 1985 comic strip called "Dykes to Watch Out For," written by one Alison Bechdel. One of the characters in the strip, which is entitled "The Rule," talks about how she only sees a very specific sort of movie, ones in which female nad male actors interact in specific ways. The Rule has been taken and morphed to touch on not just movies but books and media of all kinds. So, on to what was shared in our writing group:

Every once in awhile, I reread what this Bechdel thing means. I desperately want ALL of my work to pass this test, and so it's important to me to remind myself to not fall into the easy tropes and cheap shot stereotypes. Multiple, developed, relevant female characters who advance the story is the goal. Multiple, developed, relevant male characters who advance the plot are also good, even from the periphery.

DEFINED:The Bechdel test is used to identify gender bias in fiction. A work passes the test if it features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man.

And, of course, there's the Bechdel Test for Race in Popular Fiction. Does your story have at least two characters of color in it? Do they talk to each other? About anything other than the character from the dominant culture?

Multiple, developed, relevant men and women of all genders, ethnicities, and sexes is what will make your fiction great -- tougher to write at times, with no lazy in-group shorthand, more critically observed, walking the line between inclusiveness and condescension, but with the potential for excellence. And what more can we really ask from our writing but this?

Go forth and write outside of the box, people. Si, si puede.

CYBILS F/SF: Partials, by Dan Wells

One of the rare straight SF novels of the Cybils season (not that rare overall, but this year has some better science than last, I think) this book was meant to be a quick sip whilst doing something else, and I ended up putting off whatever else it was I was doing to finish it.

Reader Gut Reaction: The book reads a great deal like a Scott Westerfeld novel of old - there are Stakes, there are True Friends, and there is action all over the place - running, ducking, escaping, shooting, and lying like bad rugs. And it all takes place in ... Long Island. Which seems like a sort of odd setting, I mean, it's a suburb. But, that's where the action's at.

It's not a perfect novel, by any means - I can see Ill-Fated Romance coming, but fortunately it doesn't show up in this book, and there's definitely hope it won't happen - I may just be cynical. I don't buy Kira's boyfriend's place in the novel - he's A-freaking-nnoying, and he seems only there to be the representative for Teh Establishment (TM) - I don't see his übermicromanagement as caring, anymore than I'd see an overhanging cliff that could collapse on my head as a sign of love, but some people read things differently. Anyway, it's a diverting book with some good examples of amazing friendship, hacker-tech (the Mp3's Kira's friend collects are great), and interesting intellectual issues of a woman's control of her body (there's a LOT of that in YA lit lately).

Concerning Character: Kira is sixteen, a medical assistant, and not really keen on her job, which is, at this point, collecting data about dying babies. Humanity is failing, because the mortality rate for infants is at 100% - babies are dying right around the two week mark, because of a RM, a virus that was unleashed by the Partials - factory made, partially human supersoldiers who rebelled - as an act of war -- and which decimated most of the world population. In this haven of population, those who choose to live there, live by the rules of the Council - who keeps lowering the age of consent for women to have babies. The Hope Act isn't just ASKING people to have babies. They've lowered the age to sixteen now, and it's every girl's DUTY to have a child. Someone's baby HAS to survive. The science behind the deaths has to break at some point.

Obviously, not everyone is going to agree with what the council wants. People on outlying farms are being killed - in acts of terror by dissenting people. Everyone is in fear, everyone is obeying the council without question - everyone but Kira, and a few of her friends. Kira desperately wants to save humanity, and to that end, she's decided she needs to find a Partial, and study it. After all, they unleashed the virus. They survived. Something in their blood must be the answer...

Recommended for Fans Of...: The Scott Westerfeld UGLIES series, Battlestar Galactica, The Hunger Games trilogy, especially CATCHING FIRE, by Suzanne Collins,

Cover Chatter: If there were a virus that had decimated Long Island, most of its buildings would be standing. Most of its malls would still be filled with clothes. Its only issue would be the unfortunate piles of the dead. This is reflected pretty well on the cover of this novel - a road, still paved and painted. Fences, still standing. And a faraway city that only looks good from a distance.

While still not a fan of the woman-on-the-cover thing, and while I think showing an actual partial - faceplate and all - might give this more of an edgy, SF feel, this cover is one of those "does-the-job" types that just produce a shrug. Not great, but not awful, either.

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You can find PARTIALS by Dan Wells everywhere, including at an independent bookstore near you!

Monday Review: DODGER by Terry Pratchett

Reader Gut Reaction: OK, bear in mind that I am a big Terry Pratchett fan. I think he's an amazing fantasy writer, and I say this as someone who is not really huge on the Discworld series. So I was extra happy to run across another stand-alone of his in the library a couple of weeks ago: Dodger. His stand-alones, including the Discworld-related (but not fully Discworld-immersed) Tiffany Aching books, are the awesomesauce.

So is this latest one. A period piece—well, really, a sort of alternate-history-fantasy kind of thing--Dodger follows the adventures of the pseudonymous young Dodger, who scrounges for lost change and jewelry in the sewer to eke a meager living. But apparently fate was just waiting for an extraordinary event to test Dodger's mettle and lift him literally out of the sewers and into a whole new intriguing life wherein he meets Charles Dickens, Sweeney Todd, and Benjamin Disraeli and is caught up in adventures beyond his control. It's sheer craziness, and it takes place in dirty, nasty, fog-infested Victorian London, and I love it.

Concerning Character: Dodger is another one of Pratchett's memorable characters: a charming mixture of naïve and cunning, loyal and scrupulous yet incorrigibly criminal, but above all, someone who seems real from virtually the first page. Dodger is, yes, a tosher—a sewer rat—but he's also not going to stand by when someone innocent is getting hurt, especially when that innocent person is a very, very pretty golden-haired girl. And that sets the tone for his behavior throughout the book: simply by being himself, following his instincts, he is led on an adventure that tests his ethics and loyalties as well as molding him as a man. So he's very easy to cheer for, even in clothes covered in muck.

The other characters are equally engrossing, but my favorite of the rest of the cast has to be Dodger's mentor/roommate, the elderly gentleman Solomon Cohen. Solomon may be a poor old watchmaker, but has taken Dodger under his wing and made of him somewhat of a project, taking every opportunity to clean him up a little here, give him a life lesson there. What's more, he's got Dodger's back, and keeps an eye on him as things start to get dangerous and Dodger gets unwittingly mixed in with larger events. This being Pratchett, all the primary characters are well realized and deftly drawn with both humor and sympathy, even the bad guys, who of course eventually get their comeuppance. (No, not really a spoiler.) Oh, and I have to say I loved the Charlie Dickens character…such a writer…

Recommended for Fans Of...: Books about orphans or foundlings who have a great destiny to fulfill and go off on character-molding adventures: the Monster Blood Tattoo books by DM Cornish, for instance, or the Bloody Jack series by LA Meyer.

Themes & Things: For me, a primary theme that weaves throughout this book is the meaning of loyalty and friendship—and the fact that it takes many guises and can be found in some truly unexpected places. And there's also the idea of what it means to be A Good Person, even if you are A Good Person Who Occasionally Does Dodgy Things, as many of us are. I'm a sucker for that particular trope, apparently—the fallible, very human hero.

Review Copy Source: Library.

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You can find Dodger by Terry Pratchett online, or at an independent bookstore near you!