By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/14/2015
Via Diamond’s Previews website (which duplicates content from other Diamond websites) comes news of an interesting new sales incentive: paper sculpture! Have your customers build their own Deadpool with these fun promo items from Marvel. Each of the releases (parts 1 – 6) are a specific part/piece of Deadpool. When finished, the approximate size of […]
By: Kat,
on 4/15/2015
I once saw a fellow YA author tweet something to the effect of: “Books are made out of caffeine, sugar, and tears.” This sentiment stuck with me (though not the author’s name, unfortunately) because it was not only simultaneously hilarious and sad—but also because it was very true to what my own writing process used to look like only a year ago.
About this time last year, I found myself in my doctor’s office because my health was total crap. I wasn’t sleeping, I had no energy, my anxiety was through the roof, I was testing as pre-diabetic, my hormones and thyroid were out of whack, my adrenals were burned out, and my BMI was far too high for both my and my doctor’s liking. I told my doctor that I was confused by my extremely unhealthy state because whenever I am “not on deadline” I try to eat as healthy as possible and be physically active. My doctor then asked me to describe what I’m like when I am on deadline.
My deadlines have always been tight (about 2 to 3 months to produce a first draft, and about 3 weeks or less per revision) and I found myself describing long days (sometimes 12 to 16+ hours) in front of a laptop, eating chocolate covered cinnamon bears, Swedish Fish, gluten free cookies, whatever take-out my husband brought home, and guzzling Coke Zero, to keep myself half-crazed and barreling toward that ever impending deadline. To this my doctor responded, “So basically you use sugar and caffeine to whip yourself into a manic frenzy in order to write a book?” After I nodded grimly at her assessment, she went on, “Well, we either need to figure out how to completely overhaul your writing process or you need to find a new career, because being an author is literally killing you.”
My doctor’s pronouncement was both devastating and a big “duh” moment for me. Rather than give up the career I love, I decided to dedicate myself to creating healthier (and happier) writing habits. I’ve spent the last year researching, consulting other professionals, and trying out new tricks and habits. During that same time, I thoroughly revised one book (THE ETERNITY KEY, which will be published on April 28th!) outlined two more books, and crushed a deadline for a first draft on another book—all while increasing my daily output by shortening my writing days, improved my emotional and physical wellbeing, and losing 40 pounds (instead of packing on my usual 15 pounds of “book baby weight” per deadline).
My new writing process is kind of involved (I could probably write a whole book on it) but I thought I would share a few of the highlights with you in case you’re inclined to make a few changes to your own process:
To me, the act of writing an entire book is daunting, and thinking about it as a whole is an immediate trigger for writer’s block. I’ve learned through trial and error over the course of seven books that I do best if I look at a book in bite-sized pieces—or scene by scene. I am both a very visual and a hands-on person, so when I plot a book, I do it by hand. I start by covering my walls with giant Post-it notes and list out ideas and questions. Once my ideas start to gel, I pull out a set of blank notecards. I ask myself, “what are the ten most important things I want to have happen in this book?” Or “What are the ten most important scenes?” I write out a card for each of those scenes (with about a two sentence description) and then start thinking of all the scenes I need to connect those ten scenes together. I keep making cards until I have a big stack, and then I use a magnet board to arrange them in a three-act structure—filling in or making changes as I go—and pretty soon, I have an entire book outlined scene by scene. When I sit down to write for the day, I will take two or three scene cards down from the board and those are the scenes (or bites) I will work on for the day.
Many people have recommended meditation to me over the years, but I used to write it off as new-agey mumbo jumbo. However, after listening to several Ted Talks that recommended daily meditation, I decided to give it a try—and holy crap, it actually works! I’ve had many a meditation session end with an answer to a plot quandary or character issue popping into my head. I now start my writing day with a ten to fifteen minute meditation session. I use an app called Simply Being to guide me through each session.
I used to spend long hours, day and night, chained to my computer during deadlines—much to my family’s detriment and displeasure. Now, I try my best to keep my “author hours” compartmentalized between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. while my kids are in school. This is my time for writing, taking care of author business, marketing, blogging, etc., so that when my kids get home, I can remove my author hat and put on mommy one. (Though once homework is done and the kids go off to play, I may sneak in a writing sprint later in the day if I find myself alone in the house.) Both my family and I are so much happier when I’m not trying to multi-task writing and mommy-ing at the same time. (And did you know that multi-tasking lowers your IQ more than if you were stoned?)
There are so many important non-writing tasks that go along with being author (and non-important ones like Twitter) than can end up filling all my time if I am not careful. I am also naturally a very slow writer—I used to average anywhere from 250 to 700 words a day after many agonizing hours. To combat these problems during deadlines, I’ve become a big fan of writing sprints. After my morning pre-writing routine (which would take another blog post to describe) and my meditation, I take a scene card, sit down at my laptop, and set a timer for an hour. I then challenge myself to write at least a thousand words during that hour. I’ve found that speedwriting helps me turn off my inner critic and get the words on the page. I tell myself that it is okay to write crap during these sprints because I can always revise them later, but I’ve actually found that most of my best writing happens while I’m in speed mode. It’s like I’m tapping into my subconscious brain, and scenes I’ve been dreading writing almost seem to magically work themselves out as I go with very little conscious thought on my part. I try to do 2 to 3 writing sprints during my “author hours” and often find my daily word count to be between 2000 to 5000 words. That sure beats agonizing for hours over 500 words!
I will also set a timer and do productivity sprints for other non-writing author tasks—like responding to emails or writing this blog post.
Between my writing sprints, I give myself permission to take breaks. I get up and go for a short walk (or even just walk up and down my stairs a few times to get my blood flowing), check Twitter (though I really have to be careful with this), text with friends, read, or watch a show while I eat lunch. (CHOPPED and PROJECT RUNWAY are my favorite lunch break shows—I find it very motivational to watch other people be creative.)
This was the hardest (and best) change to my writing process. Because of my hormone and blood sugar issues, my doctor put me on a very specialized diet (think stricter than Paleo). I cried when she handed me my new “lifestyle” guidelines and thought, “How can I ever write without sugar and caffeine?” But on my doctor’s orders, I traded in my cinnamon bears and other goodies for nuts, berries, avocados, olives, veggies, and raw food protein bars. Instead of Coke, I guzzle bottles of water. At first, I thought this change was going to kill my writing, but now I find that I leave my writing sessions feeling healthy instead of gross and bloated. I feel even-keeled instead of hopped up and cranky. And because I’m not staying up late to write anymore and my stress levels are lower, I find I don’t need caffeine at all to get through the day. (My doctor does allow me a few pieces of 75% dark chocolate a day, and you better believe I savor the heck out of those!)
I once read in an interview that Joss Whedon calls part of his writing process “feeding the monkey” because he has to reward himself with treats for getting his work done. I adopted this practice, but instead of using edible treats, I found other ways to reward myself. Every time I add 7,000 new words to a story, I give myself a prize. Maybe it’s a new pair of fuzzy socks to wear while I’m writing, a new book, or a date-night out with my husband. I sometimes even get my husband to buy me little inexpensive presents and wrap them up so I don’t know what they are. The anticipation is often motivating enough to get me to squeeze in one more writing sprint before my “author hours” end.
Okay, I could go on and on (like I said, I could probably write a book on this topic) but I should probably let the Pub Crawl gang have their blog back! You may not be in need of a complete writing process overhaul like I was, but I hope you found at least a couple of helpful tips to try out. Let me know what you think, or share your ideas for creating a healthier writing process.
–
Bree Despain is the author of the Dark Divine trilogy and the Into The Dark trilogy. Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo.
Add a Comment
By: Amie,
on 2/10/2015
by Pamela Voelkel
–
Amie here first: Today’s is a very special post, and we here at Pub Crawl want to encourage you to read it all the way through, and pass this news along to the readers in your life.
As you may be aware, Egmont USA recently closed its doors, leaving some wonderful authors without a home. Many people would have screamed in frustration at the unfairness of it all — all that work, then this! — but instead, Egmont’s Last List has handled the situation with grace and humour, and we all admire them so much. In the next few months, Pub(lishing) Crawl will be featuring Egmont authors as their books release, and we hope you’ll all join us in supporting them and celebrating their wonderful books.
You can find them in their new online home here, and if you’re a blogger and want to help show the Last Listers how ready the publishing community is to support them, we hope you’ll head over to the blog hop that Cuddlebuggery is hosting, and sign up. Let’s show Egmont’s Last List some love — you can do so in the comments below to enter today’s giveaway, and whether you enter or not, we hope you’ll let the Egmont authors know you’re right behind them!
Now, here’s Pamela:
Today is a huge day for my co-author (and husband!) Jon and me because it marks the end of a ten year obsession. That’s how long we’ve been researching, writing and illustrating the Jaguar Stones books, a series of Maya-themed adventures for middle-schoolers.
So much has happened. So many family trips to Central America, so many interviews with archaeologists, so many nights at home in Vermont arguing about plot points or trying to coax a crashed computer back to life. And then there’s the journey to publication, the book tours (thank you, Egmont!) and school visits, the amazing emails from readers, and the way people just generally seem to like you better when they find out you write books for children.
So today, as the fourth and final Jaguar Stones book, THE LOST CITY, is released, I’d like to share my top ten moments from the last ten amazing years:
The first time we visited Egmont USA and the wonderful Alison Weiss had made a huge poster of a Maya stela to welcome us.
Discussing the perils of trying to make a living as a writer with another Egmont author, the great Walter Dean Myers. His advice? “Write fast!”
The sheer terror and excitement of being interviewed live by Al Roker for his book club segment on the Today Show.
The look of horror on Meredith Viera’s face when we took a wrong turn after our spot and nearly stumbled onto the news set in our pith helmets, like explorers looking for the source of the Nile.
The day I forgot to pack food for a dawn walk in the jungle and fed my kids termites for breakfast. (A woody, carrotty taste, since you ask.)
The day Jon was peed on by a howler monkey.
The school visit where a boy who’d never spoken in class before raised his hand and said: “I am Maya.” We handed him the mic and he took it from there.
Being after-dinner speakers for an End Of The World party near Chichen Itza on December 22, 2012.
Something that can’t be told in bullet points, but so many faces, so many places, so many Maya people who told us their stories.
Being part of this incredible community of authors, bloggers, booksellers, editors, teachers and librarians who have rushed to support the last ever list from Egmont USA. Since our age range of readers aren’t online so much, we don’t do much blogging beyond our own website – and then shamefully sporadically. So it’s been astonishing to be swept up in this wave of love. I will never again say that writing is a lonely profession.
In that moment when we received the shock news from Egmont, it felt like everything was over just like that, and we were alone and forgotten in a publishing world that had its own problems to worry about. But then the emails began to pour in.
When Amie. suggested this piece, she said: “It’s the least I can do.” No, Amie. No, it really really isn’t. I never expected to associate the closure of my publisher with happy feelings. But thanks to Amie and to all you guys, and whatever happens next, it will be impossible not to look back and smile a little.
Amie says: Leave a comment below showing Egmont’s Last List some love, and enter to win a copy of all FOUR Jaguar Stones books, signed by the authors! (USA only, sorry internationals!)
—
Pamela and Jon Voelkel are the author and illustrator of the Jaguar Stones series. You can find them at their series website, or on twitter! To research the Jaguar Stones, they and their three adventure-loving children have explored over forty Maya sites in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico; canoed down underground rivers; tracked howler monkeys in the jungle; and learned to make tortillas on an open fire. Jon’s most frightening experience was being lost in a pitch-black labyrinth under a Maya pyramid. Pamela’s most frightening experience was being interviewed by Al Roker on Today.
.jpg?picon=107)
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 8/26/2014
As you know, I really liked Amity by Micol Ostow. And by "liked" I mean "had the heck scared out of me."
So when I found out about the Blog Tour for Amity, of course I said I wanted in!
Micol Ostow: Actually, my first introduction to the Amityville legend came via my favorite master of horror, Stephen King. In his early nonfiction treatise on horror, Danse Macabre, he dissected what he felt worked and what didn’t work in the movie, specifically. Ironically, if I recall much of his criticism of the original movie had to do with its focus on the physical manifestations of the house’s evil spirit rather than a build of psychological terror or dread. I didn’t end up seeing the movie until the 2005 remake, which I found really effective. Afterward, when I was kicking around ideas for my follow-up to the novel family, that remake was on tv and sparked something in me. That was when I went back and finally watched the original movie and read the book. So it was a surprisingly long time coming for a horror buff, in addition to my coming at it with a weird amount of preconception and bias given my total ignorance of the original subject matter!
Micol Ostow: The “research” question is always hard to answer because the answer is slightly embarrassing: I’m very drawn to dark stories and I’m fascinated by the question of evil from within versus evil from without, so much of the research I did both for family and Amity was actually just background reading I’d done before I even had the slightest notion to write either book. Putting aside the obvious Amityville source material, though, I’d say the book’s most clear-cut influences to me are The Shining and The Haunting of Hill House.
.jpeg?picon=3655)
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 9/13/2013
The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.
The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members—many of them teenagers— have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time travelers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.
With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.
But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?
 |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
.jpg?picon=590)
By: Lorie Ann Grover,
on 4/19/2013
As we look back over the day, you all rocked the drop from Glasgow to Georgia, from zoos to restaurants, from one reader to the next, and we thank you! What a celebration for Support Teen Lit Day. You all posted, tweeted, tumbled, and pinned. The photos are awesome on #rockthedrop and the readergirlz facebook page. Be sure to scroll through and enjoy what we did together. It's AMAZING!
Crissa, rgz HOST, always rocks the drop with style! Take a look at her video drop. Thank you, Crissa!
And here are just a few pics to remember the day:
Thank you, publishers, such as Team Egmont!
Thank you, libraries, such as San Diego County!
Thank you, authors, such as Sara Zarr in Salt Lake City to...
Liz Gallagher in Seattle.
Thank you, schools:
Courtney Craig Merritt
and thank you, readergirlz!
Bravo, everyone! Bravo! 
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 2/27/2013
 |  |  |
Visit www.kateellison.com and follow the author on Facebook.
By: Beth Kephart ,
on 12/1/2012
By: Kristi Helvig,
on 9/26/2012
In case you missed my squeals of joy yesterday, this is the official news about my debut YA book deal from Publisher's Marketplace:
September 25, 2012
Children's:
Young Adult
Kristi Helvig's sci-fi series BURN OUT, after the sun has burned away the atmosphere, Tora Reynolds
survives, protected by lethal bio-energy guns that bounty hunters and governments are desperate
for, to Greg Ferguson at Egmont, in a pre-empt, for publication in fall 2014, by Jessica Regel at Jean
V. Naggar Literary Agency (world).
I am beyond to excited to be joining Egmont, and am super grateful to my rock star agent for believing in this book! The deluge of awesome emails, tweets, and FB messages yesterday was amazing, and I feel lucky to know so many wonderful people. Wow, I use a lot of adjectives when I'm excited.
Also, don't forget to enter the 1000 Twitter Follower Giveaway to win books and all kinds of critiques (including the Wednesday Query Critique)!
By: Kristi Helvig,
on 9/26/2012
In case you missed my squeals of joy yesterday, this is the official news about my debut YA book deal from Publisher's Marketplace:
September 25, 2012
Children's:
Young Adult
Kristi Helvig's sci-fi series BURN OUT, after the sun has burned away the atmosphere, Tora Reynolds
survives, protected by lethal bio-energy guns that bounty hunters and governments are desperate
for, to Greg Ferguson at Egmont, in a pre-empt, for publication in fall 2014, by Jessica Regel at Jean
V. Naggar Literary Agency (world).
I am beyond to excited to be joining Egmont, and am super grateful to my rock star agent for believing in this book! The deluge of awesome emails, tweets, and FB messages yesterday was amazing, and I feel lucky to know so many wonderful people. Wow, I use a lot of adjectives when I'm excited.
Also, don't forget to enter the 1000 Twitter Follower Giveaway to win books and all kinds of critiques (including the Wednesday Query Critique)!
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 8/21/2012
By: Beth Kephart ,
on 4/2/2012
I read the stories of Sophie and Emmy, one beautiful word at a time, savoring the words and images evoked by the poetry Beth Kephart brings to us. Eager to turn the page but yet reluctant to let it go, I read on into the night knowing I needed sleep. How can I turn out the light when Emmy and Sophie yearn for what they can’t have? How can I leave them when they are trapped and alone?
By: Lorie Ann Grover,
on 10/13/2011
By: Lorie Ann Grover,
on 9/23/2011
Can we take a moment to thank Egmont for publishing another Beth Kephart exquisite novel? Thank you, Egmont!
You Are My Only will be released October 25th, and I encourage you then to find Beth's newest book. In this realistic fiction novel, you'll breath despair along with several suppressed characters. You'll turn pages and yearn for them each to find hope. One story tells of a young mother's loss of her baby, while the second winds a tale of a teen sequestered from society. How the works intertwine is brilliant. From beginning to end, images and movements echo and resonate back and forth between the stories. At the reveal, I actually stopped reading, stunned by the moment of truth.
As always, I was mesmerized by Beth's rich writing. Even in the smallest detail:
"There is a bird making a tree branch heavy, her gray belly bottom like the high back of the sun."
"Outside the wind sneaks up under the loose skirt of the roof tiles..."
Nesting in the story are sweet truths of life that you can grapple with and then possibly hold.
"Tragedy and blessing," Miss Cloris says. "Sometimes they're the same one thing."
"What do you suppose any of us, Sophie, wish to be remembered for? For the things that tried to stop us or the ways we carried on?"
I'm still thinking over the latter. I'm challenged to find the truth that I would ultimately hold.
You Are My Only is current, relevant, and gracefully written with gripping realism. There is no shrinking back. Thank you, Beth, for staying truly dedicated to the fine art of writing.
You Are My Only
by Beth Kephart
EgmontUSA
Add a Comment
By: Julie,
on 6/23/2011
|
Title: Hourglass Author: Myra McEntire Publisher: Egmont ISBN: 978-1606841440 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened? Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut. |
Review:
I wanted to like Hourglass better than I did. I had high, high hopes for it, and to be honest, I don’t think anything could have lived up to the hype I had planted in my brain. I was thrilled to be reading a book that was a little different, one without vampires or shape shifters, but one that still had paranormal elements, and one that might be the tiniest bit scary. Emerson does see ghostly apparitions, and what’s not spooky about that? I built this book up so much that it fell a bit short of my expectations.
Here’s what worked for me: Emerson is a wonderful character. Since she can see things that nobody else can, she gets a big old crazy label slapped across her forehead. After spending time in a mental institution, she weans herself off of her medication because she is tired of feeling like a zombie. She is stubborn and determined, and she tells herself that she will just have to deal with the ghosts that she sees, without letting her brother and his wife know that she’s not taking her meds anymore. While less than wise, it showed that Em is brave and that all she wants is to live a normal life like every other 17 year-old.
When her brother hires Michael to try to help her with problems, Em is surprised to learn that he’s only slightly older than she is, and that he works for the mysterious organization called Hourglass. When Em tries to dig up some information on Hourglass, Michael is less than happy with her. In fact, he gets a little irate. Here’s one of the things that I didn’t like: Michael. I just never warmed up to him, or thought that he was the right guy for Emerson. He put his own agenda ahead of helping her, and he didn’t hesitate to lie to her and manipulate her to get his way. It is disheartening when you don’t like the soul-mate of the protagonist, and wish she would get together with his best friend instead. Even if his best friend is a player. Sigh. That was one love triangle I didn’t mind, though I was hoping for a different outcome.
Without giving away too many spoilers, I will say that I loved the time-traveling aspects of the story. Michael wants Em to help him right
Add a Comment.jpeg?picon=1637)
By: Shutta Crum,
on 5/19/2011
My friend, Cynthia Leitich Smith, has posted a fun interview with Publisher Elizabeth Law of Egmont and author Allen Zadoff. And Elizabeth has been kind enough to offer a critique of part of a manuscript! This is a wonderful chance for someone to get some thoughtful criticism back from a respected professional in the field. So head on over to Cyn’s site at her Cynsations Blog and check it out! What have you got to lose?
Happy Writing!
By: Betsy Bird,
on 5/13/2011
I just searched my archives to see if I ever made a “monted eggs” joke in conjunction with Egmont USA. To my chagrin, I did that very thing during the last Egmont preview. Gah. I hate being so predictable that even I can figure out what old jokes I’ll be pulling out at a given moment.
In any case, Egmont recently hosted the Summer/Fall preview of all their upcoming titles for the librarian hoards of New York. And while their children’s offerings pale in the face of the YA fare, they provide me with cheese and so I go. On this particular day the temperature was swelling well into the 90s in New York, giving me a brief glimpse of what pregnant women must normally endure in August. An unpleasant sensation.
Picture Books
Just as it was at the last preview, Egmont has all of one picture book to their name per season. And this year, that would be Little Lost Cowboy by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. The book was introduced with the joking caveat, “We only want to do animals that you can cuddle and are cute.” Crayfish, you are outta luck. In this book a rolly-poly coyote cub is separated from his mommy. He manages to indulge in a couple key “Aroooo”s, which reminded me of the Aroooos of one of my favorite picture book readalouds Katie Loves the Kittens. A well placed Aroooo is worth its weight in gold. Trust me.
And that polished off the picture books right there. No time lost, eh?
Middle Grade
Y’know, for a supervillain Vordak the Incomprehensible sure seems to align himself with some pretty up-and-up causes. Our attention at this point in the preview was directed to a nearby Reading Rules poster, as created by ALA. There you may see Vordak tearing up just a little over The Velveteen Rabbit.
For fans of Vordak, a sequel was announced at this time. I can count on one hand the number of children’s books written with adult protagonists that are human. The general rule when it comes to making adults your heroes in books with kids is that they have to be a furry animal or no ten-year-old will be interested (call it The Redwall Conundrum). Vordak flips that theory neatly on its ear . . . or at least he did until the book Vordak the Incomprehensible: Rule the School was announced. Voluntarily
By: Lorie Ann Grover,
on 4/14/2011
By: Julie,
on 3/21/2011
|
Title: Human.4 Author: Mike A Lancaster Publisher: Egmont USA ISBN: 978-1606840993 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone’s behaving oddly. It’s as if Kyle doesn’t exit. Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister? Narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future, Human.4 is an absolutely chilling look at technology gone too far. |
Review:
What an odd book! Odd in a good way, too, but Human.4 is hard to classify. What is this? Sci-Fi, mystery, psychological thriller? I’m still not sure what I would call it, but I do know one thing; I could not put the book down, and I polished it off in just a few hours.
Kyle Straker volunteers to be hypnotized by his friend at the annual community talent show. He doesn’t really want to, but he doesn’t want to see his friend crash and burn when nobody else wants to help him with his act. Kyle finds himself onstage with three other townspeople, and when he wakes up from the hypnosis, the world is completely different. He’s not sure what’s going on, but he can tell that it is not the same. His parents are acting very oddly, and the phone lines are all dead. So are the computers and the television sets. Is he losing his mind? Or did something happen while he was hypnotized?
The suspense is overwhelming! I wanted to find out what was going on just as much as Kyle did. Have aliens invaded? Is he trapped in a nightmare? Is he nuts? The narrative is tense and exciting, and the pacing never slows. The story is so fast-paced, and the short chapters add to the urgency of Kyle’s predicament. I kept telling myself I would only read one more chapter before I turned the light off to go to sleep, but then I would say – just one more! I couldn’t stop reading!
Kyle’s narrative kept me engaged in the story, but the occasional editor notes were very jarring. The narrative is supposed to be a transcription of Kyle’s audio tapes, which described his ordeal. The premise is unique and I thought it was very interesting, but the research and scientific notes slowed down the pace of the story. They just didn’t fit well into the narrative, and I grew tired of them very quickly.
The book ends neatly, with all of my questions answered. I found the reason for Kyle’s extraordinary ordeal to be kind of “meh,” but the run up to the final revelation kept me engrossed in the story. The ending was a bit of a let down, though, and I don’t want to say much more because it will spoil the suspense of the read. I think that this book will have a lot of appeal for boys, and readers who enjoy thrillers and mysteries.
Grade: B
Review copy provided by publisher
Add a Comment
By: Kimberly Pauley,
on 2/16/2011
Larkin Pace dreams of being the next great filmmaker. He loves watching old time movies and repeating lines from them. If only his relationship with his long time friend Brooke was as easy. Add to that the challenge of being fourteen. When his English teacher gives his class an assigment to maintain a personal blog, Larkin records just how challenging life is. The Accidental Genius of Weasel High is the perfect book for Wimpy Kid fans who are now in high school. It's also a great book for those reluctant readers who love hilarious stories with a hero they can relate with.
Click here to read more
By: Kimberly Pauley,
on 2/6/2011
Frances' whole life has been mapped out for her. She needs to get good grades, go to Berkeley and become a doctor so she can help out her mother. Frances doesn't question her path until she ends up in a speech class and finds that she's a natural at debate and public speaking. She knows she should drop the class but finds she doesn't want to. She ends up hiding this from her mother who considers speech 'fluff'. Along the way Frances starts to question what she wants out of life even if that disrupts her mother's ambitions for her. Bitter Melon is an incredible tale that is sure to inspire readers.
Click here to read more
By: Julie,
on 11/17/2010
|
Title: Guinea Dog Author: Patrick Jennings Publisher: Egmont USA ISBN: 978-1606840535 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
Rufus has been dreaming of getting a dog. His best friend has one. His worst friend has one. But his dad has a few objections: They whine. They gnaw. They bark. They scratch. They beg. They drool.
Rufus pays no attention when his mom offers her think-outside-the-box suggestion, because she can’t be serious. She can’t be.
She can be. And she actually comes home with a guinea pig. And if Rufus’s dad thinks dogs are a problem, he won’t know what hit him when he meets the Guinea Pig that Thinks She’s a Dog. She barks. She bites. She’ll eat your homework.
Review:
I connected with Rufus from the first page. All he wants is a dog. Surely that’s not to much to ask! He’s a good kid who tries to stay out of trouble, so why can’t he have his dog?
This is where the conflicts in Rufus’ life are explored. His dad now works at home, and he is having a problem adjusting to his work at home status. He is a neat freak, he doesn’t like to hear a lot of noise, and he doesn’t like strangers in his house. He is so anal, in fact, that poor Rufus feels uncomfortable in his own home. It’s his dad who is putting his foot down about the dog, because dogs are noisy, messing, and need attention. Rufus and his father constantly clash about the dog question, when his mother comes up with what she thinks is a good solution.
What’s his mother’s great idea? She brings home a guinea pig for Rufus. A guinea pig!? What self-respecting boy is going to want a guinea pig for a pet?! Rufus wants a dog! A D.O.G.! Why don’t the adults in his life understand that? A furry rodent is not going to take the place of a dog in his life!
This is a fun read about expectations, and how they sometimes have to change. When I was Rufus’ age, all I wanted was a dog (ok, I wanted a pony, too). I sympathized with him right away. When he receives Fido, the guinea pig, instead of a dog, he is beyond dismayed. A goofy little rat-like thing is so not a dog. When Fido turns the household upside down with her unexpected behavior, Rufus learns to look at things in a new light. His friends, the boy he doesn’t get along with, even the weird girl in class make him stop and think about things in a new way. Maybe the people he doesn’t like aren’t really all that bad. Maybe having a guinea pig instead of a dog isn’t all that bad. Rufus exhibits convincing character development, which in turn helps him to understand and get along with his dad.
Guinea Dog is a humorous MG read about finding the good in what at first seems like a bad situation.
Grade: B+
Review copy provided by publisher
Add a Comment
By: Kimberly Pauley,
on 8/2/2010
What is worse than having a friend decide to move on? Add to that a former friend that decides to make your life miserable? Madison is fed up with the attics of her former BF Cassidy. Then she visits Combing Attractions and decides to follow the advice, given to someone else, of writing the names down of her former friends and burning them. What happens next puts a whole different twist on be careful what you wish for. Meanicures is a light fun read.
Click here to read more of my review.
By: Beth Kephart ,
on 7/8/2010
I think this is a pretty great promotional gimmick. I was impressed with the quality of the free Iron Man paper doll components–especially given the questionable quality of Marvel’s overpriced print comics. The Iron Man doll parts seemed well designed and printed and were a lot of fun to put together.
Unfortunately my retailer must not have ordered enough of all the right titles, so my Iron Man only has a head/torso and a right arm.