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Zara White is, as she puts it, hollow. Her stepdad’s dying left her such a shell of a person that if ten times as many letters as she writes to save political prisoners through Amnesty International were written on her behalf, it still wouldn’t be enough to free her spirit.
Desperate to help, her mother sends Zara to stay with family in Maine, where, surprisingly, the rescuers start lining up. There’s Betty, the step grandmother EMT who gives Zara both the space and benevolent wisdom she needs, and there’s Issie, the one-girl welcoming committee who befriends Zara immediately.
And then there are Ian and Nick. Ian, the junior-class president who also plays basketball and runs cross-country, chivalrously walks Zara to homeroom on her first day. Nick gallantly guides her across the icy parking lot, but has a smile that screams, Danger! Stay away!
Ian says Nick is bad news; Nick warns Zara to stay away from Ian. What’s a new girl to believe? Well, judge a boy by what he eats, of course!
That’s why, on page 92, when Nick chooses an oatmeal raisin cookie over an M&M/chocolate chip one, I choose him. Easy peasy; oatmeal always wins. ;) Too bad there’s still that pesky pixie problem to deal with…
2 Comments on FOODFIC: Need - Carrie Jones, last added: 11/30/2012
Glad I found someone who appreciates oatmeal raisin as much as me! I never did like M&Ms in my cookies, though they're so popular lately. Also, this book seems an awful lot like Twilight, minus the vampires and all :) Love how you work food into the review, glad I found your blog! All the best, Liat
Thanks so much for stopping by, Liat! Yes, the supernatural elements and mysterious love interests are similar to Twilight, but this protagonist is a little insecure, just grieving. And the pixie lore was new to me.
Piper, our intrepid children’s book reviewer, is back with a new batch of summer reading! She’s loving WHATEVER AFTER by Sarah Mlynowski, FRANKLY FRANNIE by AJ Stern and DEAR BULLY by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones.
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (September 13, 2011) ARC: 320 Pages Genre: YA Paranormal Carrie Jones's Website | Twitter Steven E. Wedel'sWebsite | Twitter
From Goodreads. Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.
Review by Kate
AFTER OBSESSION, by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel, is a spine-tingling thriller that I wouldn't recommend reading at night! This book was masterfully and seamlessly crafted by two talented authors with alternating POVs. I've never read anything quite as terrifying and awesome at the same time.
There are so many things I would love to say about this book but it would definitely spoil the awesomeness that is After Obsession. Aimee and Alan form a quick alliance when his cousin and her best friend becomes possessed by a hide-under-your-covers-creepy-demon. The whole town seems to be affected by this demon's powers and through Aimee's gift and Alan's Native American spirit guide, they are thrust into the roles they were destined to fulfill and hope to come out alive.
I loved the whole collaboration between these two authors. And this book is definitely something new in the world of current YA books. Jones and Wedel seriously know how to creep someone out with the fantastic evil they created. Any fans of the horror genre or those looking for a great book with scary tendencies should definitely pick it up!
0 Comments on ARC Review: After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel as of 1/1/1900
To celebrate the release of Carrie Jones's next book, co-written by Steven E. Wedel, AFTER OBSESSION, Bloomsbury has generously offered an interview with the two authors, a book trailer, and a chance for someone to win a copy! Enjoy!
How did you two meet, anyway? Is it true this Wedel guy used black magic to lure Carrie to Oklahoma in 2008?
CARRIE: Actually author Melissa Marr set us up on a speed date at a conference in Oklahoma where we had to go around to tables talking to people for five minutes. Melissa said she put us together because we were both mellow and nice. Ha! We had her fooled. Oh! Wait, maybe that was part of the Wedelian black magic. Geesh! How did I not know?
STEVE: hehehe I love it when a plan comes together! Seriously, until I saw the schedule Melissa had put together, I didn’t have a clue who Carrie Jones was. But the chemistry was instantaneous. We developed a little introduction as we went table to table and just had a great time. Later, Carrie stole the fruit out of my beverage, though. I’m not sure I’m over that yet.
Carrie, you are a respected New York Times bestselling author. It probably came as no surprise to you to learn that Wedel had created some fantasy in which you would write a book with him. Why didn’t you simply report him to the police immediately when he continued to harass you? Do you feel you encouraged his demented obsession through your innocent e-mails?
CARRIE: Since I work as a part-time police dispatcher, I knew that the complaint about Wedel would not really be taken seriously. There were no explicit death threats involved. Since I was on my own without law enforcement back-up, I figured that I might as well just do it.
No, actually I was super excited to try to write a book with Steve. It seemed like a cool experiment. And if I failed, I got to fail WITH someone. That’s never happened before. I’m used to failing alone. How about you, Steve? Was it freaky writing YA instead of Adult?
STEVE: Oh, I’m used to failing alone. But then, I am older than you, Carrie. Writing YA wasn’t all that freaky, really. Getting used to first person present tense took a while, though.
Rumor has it Steve chained Carrie to a desk and forced her to write this novel. In an effort to end the torment, you both set a breakneck pace and finished the book in a very short time. Is that how it happened?
CARRIE: It took less than a month to write that first draft. Enough said. Although as supporting evidence, I do have chain marks on my ankles. Really, I’ve never had so much fun writing a book before. I’d check my email all the time muttering, “Has he sent a new chapter yet? What?! WHAT?!? No new chapter.” Then I’d rush out my chapter to see what would happen next.
It was kind of like when you have a crush on a boy and you really want him to text and he doesn’t and you’re like – come on! Come on!
It was probably the opposite for Steve. He was probably all, “NO! NOT ANOTHER CARRIE CHAPTER!” Was it? (Please say “no,” Steve. Please say “no.”)
STEVE: Not even close! I felt exactly the same. I couldn’t wait for that next chapter, and as soon as I got it I was inspired to write my next part right then. If something happened and I couldn’t write my chapter on the same day I got Carrie’s latest I was wracked with guilt and afraid she would need more time, or would withhold her chapter as punishment
0 Comments on Author Interview, Trailer & Giveaway: After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel as of 9/5/2011 10:02:00 AM
It’s always fun and exciting when something you’ve read sparks your imagination and makes you want to learn more.
That’s what happened when I read Carrie Jones’s new picture book biography about Civil War nurse and spy Sarah Emma Edmonds. When I studied American history in Hawai’i eons ago, I learned a lot of names and dates that I couldn’t really relate to. I certainly never dreamed that one day I’d live near a real battlefield site, meet people who like to don period garb to participate in battle re-enactments, and be steeped in heady historical richness that would actually mean something.
I had heard of female Confederate spies, but knew very little about the ones spying for the Union army. Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender(Carolrhoda Books, 2011) is a provocative introduction to the feisty Canadian teenager who fled her home country, assumed the identity of a man (calling herself Frank Thompson), and then served in the Second Michigan Infantry, first as a field nurse and then as a spy under the command of Major General George B. McClellan.
Sarah Edmonds in female and male garb.
Jones’s tightly woven narrative emphasizes Edmonds’s skill as a master of disguise. An adventurer at heart, Edmonds was motivated by a deep sense of patriotism to her adopted country because she was able to forge a new life, far away from her abusive father who hated that she was a girl and who tried to force her into an arranged marriage.
Steely, brave, clever and highly adaptable to whatever circumstances came her way, Edmonds assumed various guises, as an African American male slave, an Irish peddler woman, and a black laundress. She infiltrated enemy lines many times and returned with valuable information for the Union army. When she contracted malaria, she chose to recuperate in a private hospital in Illinois to avoid blowing her cover. After learning that she was listed as a deserter, she reclaimed her identity as a woman and returned to nursing, with no one the wiser.
Further reading revealed that much, if not most, of Sarah’s exploits took place on Virginia soil. She participated in both the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, The Peninsula Campaign, Vicksburg, Fredericksburg, Antietam, Williamsburg and Yorktown in her various capacities as field nurse, postmaster and spy. When I read that she nursed wounded soldiers at an army hospital in the Old Stone Church in Centreville, I had to see the place for myself. I’ve lived in Virginia for 30 years and might never have heard about the church (only 10 minutes away) if I hadn’t read Carrie’s book.
Old Stone Church circa 1860's (Library of Congress photo).
The Old Stone Church was first built by Methodists in 1854, and used as a hospital by both the Union and Confe
Part of our responsibility as children's book writers is remembering what is important.
Hint: It is not our own ego.
I was on a panel with this very cool writer guy once. I’m going to call him Writer F. He was clever and witty and a good writer. Then we became Facebook friends.
He’s gay.
That’s important to this story, I promise.
So, a month or so ago he posted on his status update that he thought he should give it up as a writer. Why? He wasn’t on a list on someone’s blog for books that were awesome and written by gay people or had gay themes. He’s been on all sorts of lists before. He gets to be on panels. I mean, this is a guy who is respected.
But he was really upset. He felt slighted. He felt like he kept getting overlooked. So, I told him a story of how I’d been at a meeting for gay/lesbian/bi/ trans and questioning teens, and since I’m a writer one of the kids told me about a book he’d read. The books was by Writer F.
The boy told me that he has never taken out a gay-themed book from the library because he didn’t want to out himself. He hadn't even outed himself fully to himself yet. He was incredibly depressed, was barely making it through the school days. He felt miserable and alone. His only salvation was books. Straight kid books, he'd said.
Writer F’s book is not contemporary gay teen fiction. It’s a genre. It’s a genre the boy liked. And when he looked at the cover he had no idea that the main character, the hero, was gay and that he’d fall in love with another guy and that he’d have to battle bigotry along with evil, less human, monsters.
The boy took out Writer F's book. He read it in a night. He reread it the next day. The book gave him courage. The book helped him find the strength to believe in himself at a time when he was right at the brink of suicide.
He didn’t go that route.
Why?
Because of Writer F’s words. Because Writer Fwrote the kind of book that made a difference. In that book, Writer F took responsibility for his craft and for the kids that were going to be his readers. He wrote a world so real and compelling that it helped one very bright, very awesome boy to survive.
So, when Writer F was having his public meltdown on Facebook about not being on a list, I told him the story of the boy who survived because of him. And you know what he said?
He said, “Whatever. If it wasn’t me, it would’ve been some other book.”
He kind of missed the point. And despite his very brilliant, very responsible, very honest first book, I think he’s missing the point of being a writer, too.
Being a writer, especially a writer for teens and kids, isn’t about being on lists or winning amazing awards or even getting fan mail. All these things are awesome though. So, is getting an advance and a royalty. But in our rush for fame or glory or recognition we can lose sight of the fact that our one book can help one person.
That’s always been my goal as a writer although I’ve occasionally been ridiculously self pitying about not getting on some list. Anyways, I always thought that helping one kid would be the greatest success.
Because I am a bit of an overachiever and also an evil taskmaster I asked the newest tollboother three questions.
Here’s what Gretchen had to say.
I've been thinking about white space a lot lately - the emptiness where readers can put in their own thoughts, rest from the story (etc). Can you tell us if you think about the white space more when you're illustrating or more when you are writing? Or not at all. What importance do you place on white space?
That's an interesting question. Coming from the graphic design world, I've thought a lot about white space over the years – and used it a lot. In fact, I would argue that the design of my own website (www.gretchengeser.com) is all about white space, even though there's hardly any white. The site makes use of large predictably blank areas, where the eye can rest and which help organize and highlight areas of content. That said, I don't consider white space consciously when illustrating. With picture making, I appreciate the opportunity to be a little freer than I could as a designer. With regard to writing, my answer to Stephanie's question yesterday sort of addressed white space, too, in the sense of omissions. I'm not sure exactly what you mean about "the emptiness where readers can put their own thoughts," but I'm intrigued, and when talking about Lindgren's writing, I was trying to show how he leaves out so that the illustrator Landström can fill in.
Do you have any good resources for writer/illustrators looking to learn more about illustrating children's books? Either on the internet or in actual book form?
I love "Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication," by Anne Whitford Hall. And I couldn't have written my picture book currently under contract with Holt without Marion Dane Bauer's "What's Your Story?: A Young Person's Guide to Writing Fiction.”
If you were a Muppet, who would you be?
Tough question! I haven't watched television in maybe twenty years so of course my five-year-old daughter doesn't watch it either. I'll have to draw upon childhood memories and say the cookie monster, even though I rarely eat cookies nowadays.
Thanks Gretchen! We’re so happy to have you here. - Carrie
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So, we’re still talking about characters here and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say:
It’s important for people to like your main character.
Obviously, this isn’t always true. There are exceptions, but just in general, okay? You all can debate about it in the comments if you like. It might be fun.
A big key to the reader liking your character is: YOU LIKING YOUR CHARACTER.
It’s hard to write 75,000 words or a picture book if you despise your main character. It’ll come through to the reader. Another big key to character likability is: THE FIRST IMPRESSION.
That’s the big moment when the reader first meets the character. So think about your reader and whether or not they are going to like a character that they first see picking their nose (some will/some won’t) or rescuing a bird (some will/some won’t) or jumping off a swing or telling off a teacher or moping in their room or playing in a sandbox.
This first impression is shallow. It isn’t deep and it’s not enough to sustain the reader throughout the book, but it’s the first link the reader has to understanding the character. It’s important. It’s just as important as a lead sentence. I swear it.
And it’s also important to remember that if that first impression is unpleasant (say you are writing a romance novel geared towards straight women and the male romantic figure is expelling gas out his rectum while studying ear wax when we first meet him (Note: This is gross not quirky)) it is really hard sometimes to overcome that first impression. You, as the writer, have to work super hard.
Even if he looks like me? Yes, Fabio, even if he looks like you. Maybe even more so.
Finally, readers usually want to feel sympathetic to the main character. They want to relate to him or her or it. But they also want to be curious about that main character. The main character shouldn’t be EXACTLY like the reader, is what I’m saying.
Hi! If you’re just joining us we’re talking about character this week.
So, yesterday in the comments Helen mentioned that she once took a writing class and, “the teacher said every character had to have a good trait, a bad trait, and a quirk of some kind. I've often wondered if that was good advice.”
I think that’s pretty simplistic, actually, no offense to that teacher. I think lots of times when teaching people to write we try to reduce things down to a magic formula that is as simple as possible, because that’s kind of what people want: We want it easy. And it can work. I mean microwave popcorn works. But is it as good as real popcorn, popped over a campfire? Um. No.
Writing is like that too. We can try to create characters (quirky or not) by going like this.
Good trait: Brave Bad trait: Leaps without looking Quirk: Collects phobias
But that doesn’t really make a character real or whole or anything like that. Also, people tend not to have just one good trait, bad trait, or quirk. These things shift and change. People and characters are not static things that can be defined so easily. Just try to define my character that easily. I dare you!
I mean, I ADORE Harry Potter, but sometimes he’s a bit of a pain-in-the bum when he gets all mopey and secretive and annoyed at Ron. Right?
Similarly, I love my daughter of awesome who is normally a sweetheart, but sometimes she’s a bit of a pain-in-the-bum when she gets all, humans-must-not-chew-food-anywhere-near-me.
When I talk at schools I tell them that character is determined by the choices someone makes in real life and in books. Major characters have choices. Quirky characters have choices.
When the kids decide to follow the Cat in the Hat that forms part of their character. When Harry feels empathy for the snake that’s jailed in the zoo that forms part of his character.
What else forms a character?
How they talk How they feel How they want What they want What they feel What they say What they do How they act Why they act How they fidget Why they fidget
The stronger those things are, oftentimes the more real or the more quirky the character is. Think about in Winn Dixie. That little girls wants and how she talked and felt were so vivid that they not only make her character soar, they also make the book soar.
As authors for kids we need to know the why and how of our characters (or we have to just trust the why and how depending on what kind of writer we are) and we have to work. It isn’t always simple and that’s good. Really good.
Okay. More tomorrow! I have revisions to do. Xo Carrie
Lots of times when people review my books they call my characters…. Get ready for it… QUIRKY.
This man looks a little quirky here and I wish he were one of my characters, but he isn’t. He may be soon though.
Now, when I think of quirky, I think of my uncle Kilton. If you are a man, Uncle Kilton will grab your bicep and check out your guns the moment he meets you. If you are a woman? If you’re a woman … he guesses your weight. Now that’s quirky. It is also annoying, actually, but it’s definitely quirky.
Uncle Kilton, this is what scales are for, dude. Note: You are a man, not a scale.
The quirkiness doesn’t stop there. Uncle Kilton once ate a worm in his corn on the cob and said, “Mmm…. Protein.” He chews pieces of grass and wears green maintenance worker pants with a white undershirt and flannel shirts. People call him Kilty. He likes to rescue cats. He has about 18 old pick-up trucks. He’s also built a telescope and is a millionaire. He has never gone on a vacation in his life.
So, compared to him I tend to not think my characters are ‘quirky.’ But it also gets me thinking about what makes our characters – characters. What makes them unique or quirky or flat or lovable? What makes them real?
The ultimate in quirk.
This week we’re going to try to find out. We’re going to look at major character. Those are the characters the story revolves around like the CAT in CAT IN THE HAT or HARRY POTTER and RON and HERMIONE. In our books there are also minor characters and placeholders but I’m going to blow them off for now, which makes me feel both powerful and mean. Sorry minor characters! Seriously, no complaining. JOyce Johnson already took care of you....
As an author of novels for young people, I have to stay on top of the trends. The trends have shown that girls these days are swooning over magical old men who sweep into their high schools and offer danger and breathy declarations of love. Stephanie Meyer is keeping the vampire fires burning with her upcoming novella and the Eclipse film. Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver has shown that girls dig werewolves too. Lauren Kate’s Fallen has proven they like them winged and biblical. And Carrie Jones’s Need feeds the need for hot pixie-love. No, I’m not talking about Kim Deal and Black Francis.
Seeing how successful these books have become, I thought I’d jump into the game. So here, for the first time, is a sneak preview, an excerpt from a novel I am writing. Set in coastal South Carolina, it is known simply as Clover.
The violet light skipped across his face. I couldn’t always tell indigo from violet, but this was violet alright. It splashed soft highlights in his fiery hair and shrouded his freckles in inky, purple shadows. I reached down to touch his cheek.
“You’re old,” I said.
“Aye,” he said.
“In school, the boys are always bragging about being men and all that. Three years ago, they didn’t even know what shaving cream was.”
“Tis true,” he remarked.
“Your face is rough,” I said. In his stubble I could feel the hills of his homeland, the roots of soul.
“Twas a beard for many a snow,” he said. “The sands of Myrtle Beach know lil kindness towards a whisker me-fears. Barbers rule this land.”
“Myrtle Beach is cruel,” I said. I’d always believed it, but never had the courage to admit it to my friends or my parents. They all adored the golf and go-carts.
“Aye,” he said. Smoke trailed from the side of his mouth. If the breeze hadn’t stolen it, I would have sucked it up and felt its dangerous caresses on my lungs.
“There’s a dance,” I told him. “It’s not important or anything. It’s just something we do here. If we went for an hour, would that be awful? Together I mean. If we went together.”
“I do a jig,” he said. The velvet soles of his boots attacked the sand and the rhythm of the waves combined with the gentle scrape into a sensuous lullaby. I knew that Lance was still waiting at the concert. He’d texted me, “Wassup Jen? Where u at? Got the tix. Theez jams r gonna rock ur bra off!” I’d let him wait. I had my music here.
“The rainbow?” I asked him. “How long will it last?” In a tide pool, I saw that the colors were now cast upon my face.
0 Comments on An Excerpt from Aaron Starmer’s Clover as of 1/1/1900
Today's Author Spotlight is on Carrie Jones and Captivate, the much anticipated sequel to her NYT bestseller Need. Regular Ypulse readers will remember the YAB Review we ran for Need from Youth Advisory Board member Caroline Marques. [Note: I'll be... Read the rest of this post
So for my book tour that my publisher sent me on I had a partner, Alyx Harvey. Alyx has been published in Canada but HEARTS AT STAKE is her major U.S. debut.
Having a book tour buddy is good because:
1. You can make in-jokes about peach Iron pills really smelling like bottoms. 2. You don't have to talk all the time - just you, by yourself, with everyone staring at you. 3. You have someone to go to the restroom with and therefore you don't feel like the only one with a nervous bladder. 4. You have someone who can help you find your way back from the restroom and to the place you are supposed to talk. (I have a tendency to get lost).
But having a tour buddy can be bad if:
1. You have a big ego and don't like sharing. 2. Your tour buddy is way cooler than you (has a haunted house, belly dances) and you are insecure. 3. You like peeing alone.
I liked having a tour buddy. I really like Alyx.
This is Alyxandra Harvey
But before the tour started I was totally terrified she wouldn't like me. Sort of like Kirk and Spock in the beginning of the new Star Trek movie, but I was also nervous about a million trillion things, such as everything going totally wrong in a Star Trek kind of way. Like what if we got captured by evil people who knew we weren't from Northern California or Seattle and them whip us and put us in a cell where we have nothing to do except stare longingly at each other?
See Spock and Kirk. See Spock and Kirk stare longingly. I think I am Kirk because Kirk has a bigger chest/rib cage and Spock is a vegetarian. Alyx is a vegetarian. See?The similarities are endless.
I was also worried about random crazy monsters that might plague us on our book tour. These monsters are known as THE SUPER AUTHOR EGO, THE WHAT IF NOBODY SHOWS UP MONSTER, THE WHAT IF I ACCIDENTALLY SAY the phrase 'WEREWOLF EROTIC NOVELS' DURING THE PRESENTATION MONSTER.
This is Kirk fighting a Gorn Monster Guy. They are fighting, I swear. I know it looks like they are about to kiss, but they are fighting.
But the truth is that if you DO get locked in a jail cell or fight a Gorn having a tour buddy is an awesome thing. It makes it easier. If you have to talk to 250 people (and we did) or just 25 (we also did), it's good to have someone there who understands exactly the feelings that you are going through. Because you are vulnerable out there, sort of half-naked and presenting yourself and your books to people who you mostly don't know.
In other words, it's good to have a half-naked friend there with you, laughing and talking about books.
So book tour buddies? I am highly in favor. -Carrie
Things I have to Stress to Myself about Writing in the Summer
Going swimming does not count as writing.
Working on a sun tan does not count as writing.
Thinking about working on a tan does not count as writing.
Going to the grocery store does not count as writing.
Eating does not count as writing.
No, Grover, drinking does not count as writing, either.Do not tell me you are feeding your muse! Your muse does not ingest actual liquids and solids.
Anyway, I started out my life working at a newspaper and writing between 12-14 stories a week, all year long. I started working when my daughter was in half-day kindergarten. That meant I had to get my articles done in about three hours every day.
So I did.
That’s what I do in the summer, too, only she was actually there with me while I was writing then. She is very good at interrupting. This is part of why I love her. Really! I think it's cute. Plus, it makes me good at focusing and multi-tasking. It's part of being a parent, I guess.
I know other authors change their schedules in the summer. I know they take time to actually (gasp!) live, but I have this wicked New England work ethic that actually doesn’t allow me to live until I have my work done.
So, this is what I do:
(I will call this list… Carrie’s Summer Plan)
Make a daily goal (ie: 1,000 words and/or 25 pages of revision)
Wake up.
Really Wake up (sort of).
Stumble to the computer.
Work fast and straight to that goal.
Finish in about two hours.
Go live.
Example of me not writing. Seriously. I told you it happens! I know I am soooo stylin' in the white baseball hat and red pants. Remember: This is Maine.
Now, the caveat is that I also print out my work and carry it (and/or a notebook) around with me so every time I’m waiting in the car for Em to get there, or I am outside hanging out, or I am bored on a boat or something – I have it there and I can work a little bit. This is how the guilt doesn’t kill me.
Oh! And I also keep a word document and write my word count/revision count every day so that I can feel like I’ve accomplished something. If I don’t do that, it seems like I haven’t worked at all.
After giving a little more thought to what Ypulse readers want to know about teen/YA readers, we've dome some reworking to our YAB review format. Today, we debut the new, improved version with Youth Advisory Board member Caroline Marques' review of... Read the rest of this post
Most people would think Zara is one strange girl. She collects phobias, knowing what practically ever phobia ever named is. Were you aware that Arachibutyrophobia is the fear that you will "have peanut butter stickage on the roof of your mouth? (1)" I mean, really, who knows that?! Apparently Zara, the main character of Need, does.
Her stepfather has just passed away and her mother believes that Zara would be better off living in Maine with her grandmother, rather than staying at home where Zara feels she belongs. At first completely adverse to the idea, Zara finally gives in, just wanting to make her mother happy, thinking depression has overtaken the woman's life.
After she is shipped off the the freezing cold land of Maine, Zara realizes she's been seeing a man everywhere, in the most random of places and always the same man. She saw him at home, she sees him in Maine. She is beginning to get a tad bit freaked out (I mean, seriously, who wouldn't), especially because the guy seems to leave a small trail of gold dust wherever he is. Uh. Weird.
With the help of some new friends, Zara starts to learn about the world of pixies. Not the nice, friendly, sweet pixies we all know of from fairy tales, but rather angry, evil, murderous pixies that Zara now believes wants her for something. The needs of these pixies are uncontrollable and both Zara and her friends think she is in mortal danger, forcing them all to do research to find out how to fight off the advances of the pixies...and survive.
Fans of Stephanie Meyer and Melissa Marr are going to scramble to get copies of this new paranormal thriller by Carrie Jones. Though I had a really hard time believing what the author was trying to sell me, there was so much suspense I could not stop turning the pages. Action packed doesn't describe and it's even completely and totally creepy at times.
As I mentioned, Jones had a hard time selling me on Zara's feelings about pixies and the fact that they are "real" in the story. Stephanie Meyer seemlessly weaves vampires and werewolves into her books, but the beginning of Need is a little rough. I don't buy the pixie thing. As the chapters go by, that aspect gets better and I'm more and more impressed.
The thing about wearing your clothes inside out to ward off pixies though? Still don't buy that.
Overall, this was good. I loved the concept and loved the suspense. The cover is great (though I only have an ARC, I'm not sure of the final cover) and I really think this is going to be a huge hit with the teens that love their paranormal/supernatural/fantasy books. I would definitely recommend this as a purchase or library shelves.
To learn more or to purchase, click on the above book cover to link to Amazon.
NeedCarrie Jones320pagesYoung AdultBloomsbury USA Children's Books9781599903385January 2009
I'm a big fan of urban fantasy, but you have to be in the mindset that that stuff is REAL. And then the author has to successfully pull it off which doesn't always work.
I love that you put the book info at the bottom of your post. I might steal that idea, if you don't mind?
Your blog is becoming dangerous for me. I can't possible add this to my pile and yet what's the first thing I do? See if I can find a copy at our library...ugh!
The ever amazing, writes faster-than-lightning, uber author, Carrie Jones, has done it again! Today, her fourth novel, Need, is officially out from Bloomsbury Books!
NEED by Carrie Jones (Bloomsbury, 2008), ages 12+, 320 pages. On shelves now!
Seems like only yesterday John Wayne moseyed into the alphabet soup kitchen to rustle up a big pot of soup for the little lady in honor of Girl, Hero (Flux, 2008). I guess he's done a mighty fine job of making her cowboy up with that smokin' keyboard of hers, because this time, she's created an awesome paranormal romance.
High school junior, Zara, depressed after her stepfather's death, is sent to stay with her grandmother, Betty, in rural Maine. A self declared phobia collector, Zara must cope with a new school, a cold, remote environment, and painful memories. To make matters worse, she's being stalked by a mysterious man, and there have been reports of young boys going missing. In a suspenseful plot which offers surprises at every turn, Zara learns that the stalker is actually a pixie with uncontrollable needs, who'll stop at nothing to fufill them.
So, whom can she trust to help her? Bouncy, endearing Issie and Hollywood-smile Devyn, who befriend her right away? Or maybe overachieving Ian, who seems a little too anxious to win her favor. What about gorgeous, brown-eyed Nick, who makes her feel all wiggly inside, and vows to always protect her?
Readers who like a little blood sucking and shapeshifting served up with a good side of smoldering romance will eagerly devour this fast, enjoyable read. Zara is appealingly forthright in her non-violent, socially consciousness way, displaying newfound courage as she outsmarts the enemy and faces her greatest fears -- never feeling anything again (after watching her stepdad die), and the all-encompassing, menacing cold. What could be more unnerving than discovering those closest to you are not who they seem, and that instead of being sent to a place of safety, you've been thrown directly into the path of danger?
Need has been receiving enthusiastic reviews, and is on the Winter Kids Indie Next List. So, ski, sled, or snowshoe over to your nearest brick and mortar, or click on through to your favorite indie bookstore pronto! You must do this immediately, to avoid developing pixiophobia (fear of pixies who make people wear glitter lipstick while eating mashed potatoes).
And now, please join me -- humans, pixies, weres, all, in congratulating Carrie!! Note: Bad pixies do not like iron or metal, so bring extra spoons! (You'll have to read the book to find out about the forks.)
Today's Special: Pixie-proof Soup* served in a crown of forks (sprinkle on pixie dust if you like to eat dangerously)
*This soup will repel pixies long enough for you to enjoy Need, and is especially effective at curing these phobias:
Mageirocophobia (fear of cooking) Deipnophobia (fear of dining) Phagophobia (fear of eating and swallowing) Sitophobia (fear of food) And most important, Philemaphobia (fear of kissing).
For more about Carrie and her books, visit her website and Live Journal blog, carriejones .
Jeri Smith-Ready also has a cool and funny Carrie interview and a special book giveaway here. Go over and comment for the chance to win a signed copy of Need; deadline is Sunday, December 28th.
NEED by Carrie Jones is one of those books that sneaks up on you. It starts off firmly grounded in the real world, with teens so real you can almost smell them sweating after cross-country practice, a setting so vivid you can feel the winter wind blow, and the very real teen drama that defines every high school in America. But this isn’t just any town; it’s a town with a high concentration of pixies – magical beings with terrible, evil needs. By the time you realize the danger the main character, Zara, is in, you’ve already accepted this book as real, which makes the scary parts even scarier.
After the death of Zara’s father, her mother sends her to live in snowy Maine, where she’s thrown off balance by icy roads and people who aren’t what they appear to be. But even worse than the blustery snow is the mysterious man who shows up. He’s been following her everywhere, he leaves a trail of gold dust behind him, and Zara’s convinced he’s connected to the disappearance of some missing boys in town. When Zara discovers that the mystery man is a pixie, she’s forced to fight her fears and question some of her own ideas about nonviolence.
I love Zara. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Carrie Jones created her in response to some of the issues I have with TWILIGHT’s Bella. While I read TWILIGHT, loved the exciting plot, and completely understand the appeal to teen girls, I always wonder how they view Bella, who isn’t as strong a heroine as I like to see in books for girls. Zara, by contrast, is a girl with ideals and gumption. She has her own sizzling love interest in NEED, but it’s on her terms. She’s a heroine I can feel good about introducing to my 7th grade girls. NEED is a great book for paranormal romance fans – and a fantastic “next book” for kids looking for something to read after TWILIGHT.
Kate's Holiday Book Review Note: I hope you're shopping with independent bookstores for the holidays! After all of my holiday season book reviews, I'll be posting a short note on how each title might fit into your gift list.
Note: This title has a December 23 release date from Bloomsbury. If that's cutting it too close, you might want to pre-order it as a holiday gift and just leave a little note with a picture of the cover under the tree. It's that good. Or just pick up a gift certificate for your favorite indie and wrap it up with a copy of this review!
Suggested ages: 12+
Buy it for kids who loved: Twilight, Wicked Lovely, Lament, other paranormal romance novels. They'll love this one, too!
Having very much enjoyed Carrie Jones’ Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend, I had no plans to read Love (and other uses for duct tape) prior to the latter book being nominated for the Cybils this year. I just didn’t want to face the possibility that my enjoyment of Tips would be ruined by whatever might happen in Love. *cough*Charmed Thirds*cough* But while I was pleased that Love did not, in fact, lessen my enjoyment of Tips, I also thought it was not as good a book as Tips.
It’s now May of Belle’s senior year of high school. She’s still dating Tom, still best friends with Em (who’s still dating Shawn), still friendly with Dylan (who’s still dating Bob). But she wants more. With Tom, at least. She wants to have sex with Tom. She loves him, he turns her on, and if she had sex with her gay ex-boyfriend, why isn’t she having sex with her decidedly straight new guy? Plus Belle, who’s epileptic, has an unexplained seizure, which she worries will affect Tom’s feelings toward her, and must help Em deal with unexpected news.
I liked that Belle has sexual desires and wants to have sex with her boyfriend and that it’s presented so naturally. For this alone, I would recommend this book. But there were times I felt like Belle was confusing Tom’s willingness (or lack thereof) to have sex with her with his love for her, in a “We’re not having sex, so he must not love me” kind of way. I also found it annoying that, for most of the book, every time Belle referred to Dylan, it was in conjunction with the “gay ex-boyfriend” label. People who’ve read Tips know that already, and folks who haven’t read Tips don’t need to be told that Dylan is her gay ex-boyfriend every time he’s mentioned. Once or twice would have been just fine.
So why don’t I think Love is as good as Tips? Good question! Ultimately, I guess it was the accumulation of minor things, like the above complaints, which, individually, I do consider to be pretty minor. I think fans of Tips will also enjoy Love, and it stands alone well enough for people who haven’t read Tips. But Love never seemed to move beyond Tips, by which I mean it never distinguished itself from Tips. I’m sure this will make it even more enjoyable to some readers, and I kind of feel that this bothers me a lot more than it will bother teens. Who, after all, are the actual audience for this book. Love retains the same compressed time frame (everything takes place in less than a week), and the chemistry between Belle and Tom, and the small town atmosphere, and basically everything else that made Tips so enjoyable. But for me, it also made things a little stale this time around. This time, it seemed like there was too much going on in too little time. This time, things were perhaps a little too familiar. So maybe it’s not exactly that Love isn’t as good as Tips, but that it never created an identity of its own to separate itself in my mind from Tips. And since Tips is the book I read first, it’s the book I have stronger feelings toward.
This book is a Cybils YA Fiction nominee and was also reviewed by Becky.
0 Comments on Love (and other uses for duct tape) by Carrie Jones as of 11/30/2008 1:58:00 AM
My little missy, Carrie Jones ( carriejones) has a new book out this month.
It's called, Girl, Hero, and if ya know what's good for you, you'll get yourself a copy and read it.
GIRL, HERO by Carrie Jones (Flux, 2008) Young Adult, 312 pp.
Now, I'm not one to brag, but I just happen to be in this book. Seems a girl named Liliana, just starting high school, writes me a pack of letters because she's got no one else to turn to. Her ma's got a new man who worships the bottle. Her pa is up to some un-cowboy things. Her best friend, Nicole, sets her sights on some shallow goals. And don't even ask me about Lili's brother-in-law. Any man who beats on a woman is a sorry excuse for a human being.
Right about now you're probably wondering, "How's that girl gonna see her way clear so she can ride off into the sunset?" Make no mistake. No young person should have to walk around in those boots. But this is the real world. And any book about a young person who has only herself to depend on, and who, in the end, becomes her own hero, is a book worth reading.
Most of you know me from the big screen. I've been on both sides of the law and ridden some pretty steep trails. Today, because I love my little lady, I broke new ground and stepped into the kitchen. During the writing of Girl, Hero, I had to remind Carrie over and over again to cowboy up and write. Friends, she's got true grit and done me proud.
It took three chefs from the alphabet soup kitchen,
three cans of designer tomato soup,
and three whole boxes of alphabet pasta.
That's what ya need to make celebration soup for book #3.
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
Well, what are ya waiting for? Slurp hearty, and tip your Stetson to my girl!
Today's Special: Western Tomato Grit
**See Carrie's website for reviews and an excerpt of Girl, Hero.
This week is going to be busy! I’ve got lots of editing to do and I’m working away.
I reallllly wanted to do ScriptFrenzy (it starts April 1), but I just do not have time this year. I’ll have to make my own ScriptFrenzy month later. Is anyone participating? Lots of people on the blue boards are excited. :)
Tomorrow, a new video will be posted, so check back for that. And no, it’s not a video clue for the super-secret surprise. But it’s coming. Soon.
Yesterday, I played with Blog Talk Radio (it’s really supposed to be used as a radio call-in show, but I use it for podcasting) and made my first entry. I talked over my introductory beginning (oops!) and in the intro that I taped weeks ago, I said the podcasts would start later in the summer than what I said in the live bit that I taped yesterday. So, please excuse my mistakes and I’ll be sure to make the next one better! :)
On Friday, Class of 2k8 member and fellow Floridian Debbie Reed Fischer will be here.
Today’s my mom’s birthday. Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!
Finally, GO CARRIE JONES! Carrie’s making a run for office—how inspiring and cool is that? Find out all about it: http://www.voteforcarriejones.com. You go, Carrie! :)
0 Comments on Go Carrie Jones! as of 3/31/2008 7:50:00 AM
At a recent liter-rally held right here in the alphabet soup kitchen, thousands of fur-clad supporters (okay, four) growled their overwhelming support for an author they can't help but love -- Carrie Jones ( carriejones)!
Indeed, the name of this illustrious kayaking cowgirl, who has been known to consume 100 fudgsicles an hour while writing young adult novels with very strange titles resembling repair manuals, is also on the minds and lips of every card totin' voter in the kidlit blogosphere today.
Why? Because her books are tastier than the best tomato soup -- her first novel, Tips on Having a Gay Ex-Boyfriend (Flux, 2007), recently won the Maine Literary Award for Children's Fiction. Her second novel, Love (and OtherUses for Duct Tape), released just a month ago, is already stacking up good reviews and creating serious buzz among those in the know.
And if that wasn't enough, Ms. Jones has two more books coming out this year -- another novel called Girl, Hero, in August, and a nonfiction picture book published by David Godine in the fall. Bloomsbury will release Need, a fantasy containing elements of magical realism, in early 2009.
Now, Carrie's fabulous books are only part of the reason she is so loved and admired in these parts. Awhile ago, I awarded Carrie a ROAR for Powerful Words, because, "she is unafraid to voice her political convictions while wearing two different shoes in public. She is so wise, yet vulnerable, highly intelligent and irresistibly quirky."
Little did I realize that she would decide to run for the Maine State Legislature! Read her "Message of Hope," more about her life, and the issues she will work on if elected as delegate for Maine District 38 here.
So, as part of Women's History Month, we celebrate and salute all that is Carrie Jones. Keep your eye on her, folks. This rising star is skyrocketing to the moon!
(Thanks to Tori Winning britlitfantwin for creating the awesome Carrie buttons!)
Wrote another 6150 words on my new MG novel - I broke the 27,000 mark tonight, and I love where the story is going.
Met the illustrator of Spitfire for the first time. Her name is Martha Gulley, and she's not only talented but so, so nice. She's doing chapter illustrations for my new book, Champlain & the Silent One, right now. Waiting to see what she does with it is like waiting for Christmas.
Talked with librarians and teachers about some school visits I have coming up this spring and cooked up a brand new historical writing workshop to fit one of the school's requests. I'm pulling together diaries, artifacts, images, period food and games, and it's going to be so much fun!
Read Love and Other Uses for Duct Tape bycarriejonesand felt like I was in high school again. It was funny and sad and wonderful. And I was reminded that the tiniest sensory details can make a book shine. The rip in the vinyl seat of a pickup truck. A crack in the sidewalk that looks like New Hampshire. I loved this book. It's the kind of YA novel that most of my middle school readers aren't ready for just yet -- more of a high school title -- but it will be well worth the wait. Thanks, Carrie!!
Picked up tickets for the family to see The King and I at Chazy Music Theater. My friend Andrew is directing this play, and you should go, too. Unless you live in California or Iceland or something. Then I understand. But you'll still miss an amazing show.
Even though I declared it "Required Reading," maybe you're not up for a 500+ page graphic novel about a Japanese family's experience when their first child is diagnosed with autism. Maybe you just need some helpful strategies for the child who is in your classroom. Things you can do tomorrow.
In my experience, the best resources are the people who know the child well. Our school is lucky. We have experienced paraprofessionals who work with our special needs kids, with our special education teachers, and with regular education teachers throughout the elementary school career of the children. They are invaluable.
I asked our special ed teachers what professional books they would recommend for teachers of autistic children. Rather than books, they recommended Autism.com. The site is searchable -- try "teachers" or "teacher resources" for starters.
For further anecdotal reading, I would recommend Rules by Cynthia Lord, and Temple Grandin's work. (I found Temple Grandin by reading Oliver Sacks' fascinating books.)
Are there any other great (practical) resources you would recommend?
0 Comments on Support for teachers of autistic children as of 1/1/1900
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Even if he looks like me? 
This man looks a little quirky here and I wish he were one of my characters, but he isn’t. He may be soon though.
Uncle Kilton, this is what scales are for, dude. Note: You are a man, not a scale.
The ultimate in quirk. 
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This is Alyxandra Harvey
See Spock and Kirk. See Spock and Kirk stare longingly. I think I am Kirk because Kirk has a bigger chest/rib cage and Spock is a vegetarian. Alyx is a vegetarian. See? The similarities are endless.
This is Kirk fighting a Gorn Monster Guy. They are fighting, I swear. I know it looks like they are about to kiss, but they are fighting.
In other words, it's good to have a half-naked friend there with you, laughing and talking about books. 
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Having very much enjoyed 
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Glad I found someone who appreciates oatmeal raisin as much as me! I never did like M&Ms in my cookies, though they're so popular lately. Also, this book seems an awful lot like Twilight, minus the vampires and all :) Love how you work food into the review, glad I found your blog! All the best, Liat
Thanks so much for stopping by, Liat!
Yes, the supernatural elements and mysterious love interests are similar to Twilight, but this protagonist is a little insecure, just grieving. And the pixie lore was new to me.