Tag Archives: young adult

No, I don’t want to see real people on book covers!

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Okay, I apologize in advance for today’s Thoughts for a Thursday because I fear it might turn out into a mini rant. Look below and tell me what you see.

  

  

People! You see people!

Call me old fashioned, but I don’t like it. The whole point for me to read books rather than watch movies is so I can use my imagination. I love being able to picture the characters in my head just the way I want to—but I can’t do that if the characters are photographed across the front of the cover, can I? Not to mention they all look pretty similar, body type wise. There are the slender, big-eyed girls and the sexy/dangerous men. I’m sorry, what? When did YA go from thought-provoking, anonymous covers to photoshopped people barely even representing the inside of the book? I don’t mind the covers where they show people but not their faces—it’s just that hint of mystery that sparks the reader’s imagination to create the whole person in their mind. But no, not like this.

I can’t be the only one who feels this way, right? What do you all think?

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

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Book Review #23: City of Fallen Angels, The Moral Instruments Book #4

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Days to Read: 1 week

Synopsis (as taken from Chapters): The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price. Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

My Thoughts: It’s been a long, long time since I last read a Mortal Instruments book (I read the third book as soon as it came out two years ago). Normally when such a long period of time occurs between reads, I read the entire series before picking the new book up. That wasn’t the case here, however. I remembered every little detail because the series is so good, so I didn’t have to do any re-reading.
As with the other books, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love stories with various voices and points of views, and Cassandra Clare spins each side with ease. She makes it painless jumping from person to person without losing the story.

However, I must say I was at first a little hesitant when I heard Cassandra Clare was writing a fourth book. The Mortal Instruments was originally intended to be a trilogy, and had ended on such a nice note that I really didn’t want—or expect—anything else from the characters. I knew Clare is a genius storyteller and would find some way to make this story continue, but I just didn’t see the point.

That is, until I read it.

This fourth book just reinstated my love for Simon and my indifference for Jace. Yes, I know Jace is sexy and loves Clary with every fibre of his being. But. There’s something to be said for the friends, the sidekicks, the cute vampires that don’t quite know what to do with themselves. And as a lover of Simon, I was most pleased with all his narrations in this book. He really took centre stage in City of Fallen Angels. Some of the other characters also had the chance to share their side of the story. It was refreshing to hear voices other than just Clary’s (like the first three books). It balanced the book out and made me care for each individual character more.

While some characters shined more than others, all of them still had a lasting affect. New characters were introduced to the reader, too. I particularly liked the fact that Clare touched on a topic that I had become worried about in the other book: Alec and Magnus’ relationship. As an everlasting warlock, I knew Magnus’ time with Alec would be limited, and I was worried about how that knowledge would affect them. So I’m glad to see reality found its way to them in this book, made them see their relationship for what it is, and opened their eyes. I know that part of the series isn’t over, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Alec found a way to live forever by the end of it all. Then again…bittersweet mortality could also be a painful, but perfectly honest way to go with regards to their future.

All in all, I found the plot of this book a little blander than the others, which disappointed me. I still enjoyed reading it and still flew through the pages, but I just couldn’t help but feel something was missing. I won’t go into too much detail about the plot, but to all those who have read the book, do you agree with me?

On the whole, I’m glad Clare wrote another book, and I can’t wait to buy the fifth book in the series. Hopefully that’ll be just a bit better than this one! Keep on writing, Clare, keep on writing.

My Rating: 7.9/10  (Yes, I really can be that precise)

Favourite Quotes:
“But I watch my brothers give their hearts away and I think, Don’t you know better? Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you’re never what you were before.”

“Or maybe it’s just that beautiful things are so easily broken by the world.”

“No. That’s Clary; she’s my best friend,” Simon pocketed his phone. “And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really, really has a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends. Trust me on this one.”

“Still I pictured having you for fifty, sixty more years. I thought I might be ready then to let you go. But it’s you, and I realize now that I won’t be anymore ready to lose you then than I am right now. Which is not at all.”

“You’d think the Angel would have been foresighted enough to give us a birth-control rune, but no dice.”

“All that running and getting nowhere, he thought. Story of my life.”

“If we are going to the Silent City, you might want to get dressed. I mean, I appreciate the bra-and-panties look, but I don’t know if the Silent Brothers will. There are only a few of them left, and I don’t want them to die of excitement.”

A Conversation with Author Tamar Hela

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In today’s hectic world, it seems almost impossible for one to sit down, collect his or her thoughts and write a novel from pure imagination. Even more rare is when that person puts everything they’ve got into their work and sees their story published to the very last page. But amazingly, Tamar Hela has done it. This twenty-something young lady has put her heart and soul into her novel Feast Island for the past three years and, finally, it has hit bookshelves across the country and online. But how did she do it? What made her pick up that pen (or open up her laptop) and begin writing? What were her inspirations? And who is the girl behind this fantastically new coming-of-age fantasy novel? Well, I had the chance to talk with Tamar and not only is she incredibly talented, but she’s fresh and fun to listen to.

You’ve been writing since the age of ten… At what point in your life did you realize that writing was the path you were going to follow in life, abandoning the idea of a stable career in another field?
Honestly, it’s still something I am realizing. I have a day job, among other projects and endeavors, and I’m so busy that I sometimes forget I’ve written a novel! I don’t think I would be happy in life by sticking to just one thing. However, I am working on some plans to get to the place where writing is the top priority in my life, as I take on other projects to give back to others. That’s really why I do what I do: I want to give back to others, to the community, while utilizing the gifts I’ve been given. Writing is one of those gifts and I hope that I can be an inspiration to others.

Life is as busy as ever nowadays. How did you find the time to sit down and write the first novel in your series?
This was especially hard for me, especially since I am involved with many things. I had to schedule writing into my planner like an appointment. I must admit, I couldn’t always stick with it, but I tried my best. Also, trying to stick to word count deadlines helped, as well as being pushed by a good friend. She continually asked for more and more material from my novel and that kept me on track the most.

What events in your life led you to Feast Island? What were your inspirations for writing such a novel?
I had a dream about Feast Island over three years ago. I have the craziest dreams, all the time. This one in particular would not go away, however. Since I could not get the images out of my head, I decided that it was time to check something off my bucket list: writing a fictional novel. And that’s just what I did.

Who were your biggest supporters for this first novel? How did they help you?
My biggest supporter was my friend and now manager, Jessica. She read the story from the very beginning and was the one who continually prompted me to finish. And here I sit, answering interview questions, all because of her support to get me to this point. The book would not have been finished without her.

As you began to write Feast Island, what were your fears?
My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t finish! I tend to take on too many projects and sometimes end up leaving a few hanging here and there, unfinished. Another fear, which is something I think most writers can relate to, is whether I would have an audience. Just because YOU think your writing is good, or at least decent, doesn’t mean that someone else will. Once I began to receive positive feedback, however, those fears were assuaged.

What challenges and obstacles did you face as you wrote your novel? What was surprisingly easy for you?
Writer’s block was a HUGE setback. That’s why it took me almost three years to finish the novel. Mostly, it was the dialogue portions that were the most challenging. The easiest thing was putting the overall storyline and the rest of the series together. Outlining is my best friend when it comes to building a story and new worlds.

What was your writing routine like? Did you listen to certain types of music? Drink certain beverages? Write in certain locations?
I would try to write on the weekends at local coffee shops and in the evening, when everyone in my house was asleep. As for music, one of my favorite bands to listen to while writing is Radiohead. The droning sounds actually help me concentrate. I also have a playlist for Feast Island as well. The song list in my iTunes library is one that evokes emotion with many developments or actions in the novel. Each song helped me visualize a character or scene in the story. And my favorite beverage to drink while writing was a soy white mocha!

What has your writing experience been like so far?
It has been amazing and has far outweighed anything I’ve imagined. It is still surreal to sign books for people. I recently had a signing at a local Barnes & Noble and that was a huge deal! The people my team and I have connected with have been mostly warm and friendly and so inviting. I look forward to continue to build these relationships, especially in my community, and grow my business of writing.

In a Tweet-sized summary, tell me what Feast Island is about!
Feast Island is to where seven teenagers are magically transported on the planet Cantelia. If they want to go home, they must break a curse.

What is the most important lesson readers can take away from Feast Island, and what will surprise them?
One of the most important lessons is that it doesn’t matter how insignificant you think you are; you can make a difference if you are willing to take a leap of faith. What may surprise readers are the gory and gruesome scenes.

Just for fun, I want to know your five favourites: author, musician/musical group, city, historical moment, animal — and why.

Author: C.S. Lewis because his writing is so diverse and intriguing. I am still in love with the Narnia series to this day and used it as part of my teaching curriculum over the past three years.
Musical Group: Keane because I love their sound and style.
City: Alicante, Spain because I lived there for a little bit in the summer of 2008 while studying abroad. I fell in love with the culture and people there.
Historical moment: When America was recovering from the 9/11 attacks. In a time where great tragedy occurred, my country stood firm and really became a community again. It’s sad that we don’t always keep that spirit of camaraderie, however.
Animal: A bear. I’ve just always thought they were cute since my childhood.

After getting to know such a great person, I can’t wait to read Feast Island. For more information about her book or to purchase it, check out Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

Book Tour: Socialpunk (Preview, Q&A and Author Insight!)

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How would it feel knowing that your hard work, your passion and your time has finally resulted in something that you only dreamed about: a novel? What if, before your eyes, you felt the excitement of your future fans and saw your words being bound within covers and printed online?

All those feelings and more are exactly what Monica Leonelle’s heart and mind overflows with, and she stopped by at A Novel Place to share her thoughts, feelings, challenges and favourites — and to preview her first trilogy Socialpunk. In the first novel in the trilogy, social media and technology take a whole new turn when lives become trapped in a virtual reality.

About the Book: Socialpunk

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

About the Author: Monica Leonelle

Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit.

10 Not-Always-Serious Questions For This Seriously Talented Author:

1) Let’s start at the very beginning… where were you when came up with the idea that formed your Socialpunk trilogy? 
I was inspired by the city of Chicago, by social media issues in our current world, and by the cyberpunk genre. The book is a bit like the Terminator series and I reference that a couple times just for fun. James Cameron is basically my favorite director ever, and he really inspires me with his world-building and storytelling skills.
2) When you began planning your first novel, what were the reactions like from your friends and family? Did they encourage you? Hinder you? What were your initial thoughts when you officially decided to write the novel?
I’ve been writing forever, so a new book came as no surprise to anyone. My friends and family always encourage me with whatever my endeavors are. When I first start a new novel I’m excited to get my ideas down on the screen.
3) Inspiration comes in many forms, and it would be impossible to believe authors aren’t inspired by the world and those around them… in that case, what inspired you? Events? People? Places?
I wouldn’t say any one person or thing is my inspiration, because that doesn’t create anything new. You create new things by combining inspirations from all sorts of different sources and then adding your own touch or twist. But if you want to be inspired, you should expose yourself to all sorts of media—books, television, movies, radio, art museums, you name it. If you are writing one book you should consume at least ten books, ten movies, ten TV shows, ten songs, etc. to prepare. It doesn’t matter if they are related or not—in fact, the more diverse, the better. And how much fun is it that I just told you to watch TV in order to do work? You’re welcome for that.
4) When you began to write, what challenges did you face? Did anything come easier than you expected?
Since I’d written a novel before, I didn’t face as many challenges as with the first one. There was one point after I’d written the first half of the book where I thought, “the rest of this is so wrong.” So I re-plotted the entire second half of the book.
5) As with many authors, did you have a writing routine that you stuck to? What did a typical writing day look like?
I’m a “burst of energy” type of person rather than a “little every day” type of person. So I will write a whole book in a week or two, then go back and edit it all in a week or two. And then I won’t write as much for the next few weeks. On an average day I probably write a couple thousand words, during a book writing session I write closer to 5000 words a day.
6) What did your writing space look like? Did you have a particular playlist you listened to? Drink? Food?
I mostly just write on my couch and often with the television on! It’s really bizarre. If I’m writing fiction I typically need quiet, so I’ll write in the dead hours of the night. All I need is typically my computer, and sometimes my Spotify account. Writing is one of those lucky professions that you can do anywhere.
7) Who do you owe most for your novels?
Myself. I wrote them :)
8) If there’s one thing you learned most from your experience, what was it?
Just keep writing. Good writing comes with practice, and you do just get better and better. But it takes awhile. Patience! It’s the worst thing to tell a writer. I hate hearing it too, which is why I’m saying it now. To remind myself to have patience with writing. It’s not easy to make a living at it. A lot of people advise that if you can see yourself doing anything besides writing, you should do that instead.
9) What would you tell other aspiring authors out there who are fearful about starting that first novel and publishing it?
That they can combat fear by hiring a good editor. Writers should also learn marketing because they are either going the indie route or they are under fire to sell through on their advance with a traditional publisher. You can learn more about marketing your writing with my Free Writer Toolkit here: proseonfire.com/the-free-writer-toolkit.
More importantly, writers should inject their marketing directly into their manuscripts. Writers often think of marketing as this separate thing from writing, but it’s not at all. 80-90% of books are sold through word-of-mouth and most of the marketability of a book is right there in the manuscript. So even if you are going the traditional route, if you are serious about getting published you should hire an editor to go through your book and see how marketable it is. Traditional publishers are looking for marketable books. It’s a business and they need to make money.
10) For fun, tell me about your five favourites: book/author, musical artist, city, language and historical event – and why?
Book/author: I have tons. But my favorite book from the last year is Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. It’s so romantic and lovely and sweet. It’s actually the second book in the Infernal Devices, so start with the first one, Clockwork Angel.
Musical Artist: I’m loving Jessie J right now
City: Chicago, easily.
Language: English, I guess! I don’t know any others well enough.
Historical event: The signing of the US Bill of Rights. I recently visited DC and went to the National Archives to view these documents. And I’m in amazement at how relevant they are today. I genuinely believe too many Americans are ungrateful for how the country was formed and who the men were who put the systems into place.

Novel Preview & Author Interview

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Almost everyone I know has said at one point in their lives that they want to write a novel. But hardly anyone ever does. The world is brimming with untold stories, but thankfully, Loved is one story we will soon have the chance to read, relish and remember.

Kimberly Novosel recently shared her thoughts with Books, Tea & Me regarding her upcoming novel, anxiously awaiting the day all her hard work can finally be realized and enjoyed by those looking for a novel that will speak to them. Not only is this young woman gifted with words, but she has the ability to bring forth those raw emotions and challenges we all face growing up into a new light with a fresh perspective on that classic coming-of-age story.

I had the opportunity to speak with Kimberly about her life, her favourite things, her fears and her passions, and I hope you are just as intrigued about Loved as I am!

Let’s start at the very beginning… What moment in your life made you really stop and think “I should write a novel about this”? Was there one particular event or a combination of events?
In general, I was fascinated by the way that people come and go in our lives, how not everyone we get close to remains in our present, but each person has an impact. Positive or negative, always an impact. Specifically, one person I lost was very special to me. He really defined who I am as a person. This story started out as his story, then I realized I was really saying so much more. (Disclaimer: Find out who this person is in my next interview with her in a couple of months!)

When you first decided to write Loved, what were your initial fears? What did your support system (friends, family, coworkers, peers, etc.) say about your goal? What challenges did you meet while writing Loved? What was surprisingly easy for you?
I didn’t have any fears at first because I was only writing for myself. If no one else is going to read something, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Little by little, I started to want other people to read it and feedback from friends and some friends-of-friends was positive, which encouraged me to keep going and put it out there. Now I have fears!
I read a quote somewhere about how writers hate to write but love to have written. That couldn’t be truer. I love the feeling of reading something back and being so excited about what you’ve accomplished. Sitting down to write can be challenging. The hardest part of the whole process is editing. Once you have written the story, the last thing you want to do is go through it with a fine toothed comb and rewrite and rewrite and move commas around. That was agony!

Why do you believe Loved is a story that needs to be told?
I wish someone had told me at seventeen, or twenty, or even twenty-five that I wasn’t alone in my struggles and heartache, or encouraged me about the woman who I would become, in words that I would understand. Those messages come from parents, teachers, pastors and they don’t really sink in. In our young adult lives we tend to feel really isolated from most of the world and from our future selves.  Life isn’t that hard. These young women need a new way to look at things and I’m hoping this story speaks to them in a way they really hear.

Without giving the whole story away, in 50 words exact summarize Loved… And go!
Kimberly leaves her small town to chase big dreams of working in the entertainment industry, falling in love, all the beautiful things life has in store. She’s hit hard by loneliness, heartbreak, and the disappointment that things don’t always work out ideally. She has to learn to manage the letdowns.

Wow, spot on! Nicely done! Okay, now moving away a bit from Loved because I want to get to know the person behind the novel…  Other than writing, what are some of your hobbies and interests?
I love to travel — Portland and Las Vegas are favourites. I’m taking my first trip to Mexico later this year and I’m really excited about that. I also try to stay really active. I love yoga and kickboxing, and I’m hoping to find an adult ballet class. Ballet is one of the things from my youth that I miss! Planning events is also something I love, whether for work or for fun. My two best friends and I founded a charity event planning group called Giving Back is the New Black, through which we host events for charities that we’re passionate about, like young adult cancer advocacy and various issues in Africa.

Describe your perfect day.
Let’s do this schedule style!
7:00am: Waking up in New York in an apartment that I love, checking in with my assistant and answering emails and phone calls in my pj’s, drinking coffee.
10:30 am: Working out and making lunch.
12:00pm: Getting dressed up for client meetings and generally being a marketing/PR rock star.
6:00pm: drinks or dinner with friends.
9:00pm: Reading or writing at home unless I have an event.  Hopefully eventually someone I love will be there when I get home.
11:00pm: Bedtime.


As you can see, this lady is a delight to speak with and her debut novel will definitely be making an impact on young women everywhere. I actually can’t describe how excited I am to read her novel, and I hope this has peaked your interest as well. She has created a Kickstart campaign to get her novel printed, so please click on this link to find out more. I’ve already pledged money and I hope you do too! Let’s help Loved kick off from the ground running.

The Fault In Our Stars: Book Review

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Book Review #8: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

Genre: Young adult fiction

Days to Read: 4

Synopsis (as taken from Chapters): Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

My thoughts: Despite The Fault In Our Stars being a YA novel, I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful — yet tragic — piece. From the first chapter, Hazel became a memorable character. She didn’t speak or think like the usual female heroines you see in most young adult novels, which was refreshing for me. She was determined in her seclusion, her situation and her future, and she didn’t care tuppence about what others thought of her — that is, until Augustus entered her life. He was her funny bone. He breathed fresh air into her atmosphere and renewed her outlook on life. They both gave each other just another reason to live. But, of course, once you began to fall in love with the characters, you knew something bad was lurking around the corner. I won’t say what, however, because I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read it yet. The characters were enticing, and each relationship between the characters only strengthened the story. I must say, though, I was not a fan of Peter Van Houten. I found him annoying and every scene he was in only dragged the story down just a bit. I’m not entirely sure what John Green’s reason was to include him, except perhaps to show Hazel and Augustus (and us too) that not everyone could live up to their expectations; disappointment will sometimes occur in life and they must rise with each challenge they meet. Still, he could have made Van Houten a little more bearable for the readers. On the whole, though, The Fault In Our Stars was a fantastic introduction to John Green’s work, and I can’t wait to read more of his stories!

I wrote a review on this novel for my university’s print newspaper, The Reflector, and I thought I’d share with you my first paid review:

“No book in January was given the amount of media buzz that John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars received. After hearing positive remarks about his new book, I decided to read it with an open mind. The Fault In Our Stars was a very difficult book to get through. Not because it was boring — oh no, quite the contrary. I found it difficult because it was so heartbreaking. John Green created his characters with such depth, complexity and honesty that I felt like I knew Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters for many years. It isn’t easy to write about cancer, much less deal with it personally, but John Green gives a convincing account of how cancer marks you. He doesn’t rationalize, sentimentalize or romanticize the realities of cancer, but rather touches you with the story of two teens looking for a forever within their numbered days. Once you open the book, I promise you will not be able to think of much else.”

My Rating: 4.5/5

Challenge: Day 28

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The last book I read and finished was The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I know I haven’t done a review on it yet for this blog, but I did do one for my school newspaper, The Reflector, and I’m just waiting for a PDF version of it to come out so I can link it to my blog. It should come soon!

Anyways, I absolutely loved this novel. It was so fresh, honest, funny, uplifting, depressing, bittersweet and romantic — all at once.  The character of Peter van Houten kind of annoyed me though. He was the one weak link to an otherwise fantastic canopy of characters and intriguing plot.

I’ve never read anything else by John Green, but after such a wonderful introduction to his writing, you can be sure that I’ll be reading his other work.

What was the last book you read?

Challenge: Day 6

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The Truth About Forever has got to be one of my most favourite young adult novels. It’s sweet, easy to read, touching and has a very lovely story. To be honest, I love most of Sarah Dessen’s novels, but I didn’t want to have another day where I put a bunch of different novels because that feels like a cop-out to me. Sarah Dessen is the bridge between typical teenage novels and adult novels. Every story is different, but they’re always moving and she has this way of just tugging on your heart strings. Check her out if you’re ever looking for a wonderful novel you can finish in one sitting.