The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles)
by Mary E. Pearson. Henry Holt & Co. 2014. Reviewed from ARC.
The Plot: Princess Lia runs away from an arranged political marriage.
She finds a small village to live in, finds a job and a place to live, and embraces her non-royal life.
Two men are following her: one, the jilted prince. The other, an assassin.
The Good: I'm sorry to say that I read this over a year ago, should have blogged it then, but didn't. But I loved it so much I didn't want to just say "oh, too late now."
Lia does something selfish, by running away and abandoning her obligations to family and country. But so what? Seriously. Lia isn't asking for much -- she has no say in her future, her spouse, no choice at all. All her choices have been taken away from her. So she runs. So she needs time to figure out who she is and what she wants. She needs time.
Meanwhile, there are the two following her: one, a prince who is upset about her leaving and who recognizes that the marriage is of political necessity. The other, an assassin loyal to his own and whose job is to make sure that political marriage doesn't happen. Here's the thing: while the reader knows one is a prince, one is an assassin, the reader doesn't know which of the young men we're reading about is which.
Is Lia falling for a prince or her killer? Is the prince or the assassin falling for her? I kept on going back and forth with my guess.
What else does this have? Twists! Adventures! Turns! Questions! Cliffhangers! Romance! Secrets! Betrayals! Death!
And yes..this means it's a Favorite Book of 2015.
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© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Mary E. Pearson is the terrific author of several YA novels, including the fascinating The Adoration of Jenna Fox, the heartbreaking, beautiful A Room on Lorelei Street, and her latest, the thoughtful, wonderfully-crafted The Miles Between. As I said in my review of A Room on Lorelei Street, Pearson has 'a great talent for creating characters that resonate strongly with me, even if on the surface I have nothing in common with them. Her writing is very strong, like a slap in the face at times. Very vivid, very powerful. The writing style is unique and unconventional, but it works well. She has a way with bringing stark truth and emotion to "everyday" scenarios.'
It is with great pleasure, then, that I present to you an interview with this talented writer.
What inspired The Miles Between?
After writing two very heavy books, I wanted to write something that was fun. Combine that with a certain fascination with coincidence and the unlikely ones I have encountered and the wheels began turning. Of course, even though I set off writing this to have fun, I am a very serious person and that part of me quickly kicked in. Destiny turned out to be a very complicated and conflicted character–a much darker side to her than I expected--and through her and the other characters, I explored some heavier topics. I just got a review from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books and I was especially happy about one particular line: “The lightness of the prose and subtle hints of magic belie the substance of this text the way the gossamer appearance of a spider web belies its strength.” Writing “light” along with the heavy subjects was certainly a challenge. I didn’t want to be dismissive of the gravity of what I was dealing with but I wanted to be true to the personalities involved and as the reviewer said, still convey the magic of the day. It was nice that she saw that.
Do you prefer writing in first person or third? And what is it about present tense that appeals to you...does it come more naturally for you?
It really depends on the story. Most of the time I do like the closeness of first and being able to get right into the head of my character. First also gives ownership of the story to the character which I like. As for tense, I don’t consciously choose a tense but I do like the immediacy of present.
Do the theme and questions you want to pose/explore in the story come first, or do the plot or characters? Are the theme/questions more important to you than a specific plot in terms of what helps propel the story forward?
Oh boy, I don't even think of theme blatantly--and in fact I am really bad at identifying theme at all! It seems like there are so many in a story depending on what you focus on. My stories all begin in different ways. It might be a voice, an image, a question that I wonder about, or even maybe something I observe and my imagination gets carried away with it. So sometimes, yes, it is a question that gets the ball rolling, but I never think of "them
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (April 29, 2008)ISBN-10: 0805076689
ISBN-13: 978-0805076684
Source of book: Review copy from publisher
How far would you go to save your child? Is there a limit as to how much science and medicine should intervene when it comes to saving lives? These are questions that are still spinning around in my head three days after I finished The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.
Set in a dystopian future where there have been enormous medical advances, 17-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma after a horrific car accident. As her memory gradually returns, she can't help but think that something is not quite right. How is possible that she can remember events from her infancy? How can she quote Thoreau's Walden word for word? Why does her grandmother seem to hate her? And why is her mother so secretive?
As Jenna struggles to find her identity and fit in with her peers, she discovers the terrible truth about the accident and her recovery that leaves her and her entire family in danger.
Mary E. Pearson's powerful writing and unique plot kept me up reading until 3:00 in the morning because I simply had to know what would happen to Jenna. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about when I say "powerful writing," here's an excerpt from when Jenna remembers an event from her childhood.
'You bought me another snow cone. A week later when we went back. It was--'
'Cherry.'
Mother begins to sob. She scoots her chair back and comes to me. Her arms wrap around my shoulders and she kisses my cheek, my hair. 'You're remembering, Jenna. Just like your father said. This is just the beginning.'
Remembering.
Jenna Fox is inside me after all. Just when I was ready to move on without her, she surfaces. Don't forget me, she says.
I don't think she'll let me. (p. 28)
However, despite the seriousness of the book, Mary E. Pearson never lets you forget that Jenna is a teenager and adds some lighthearted moments. For example, Jenna innocently calls her grandmother a bad name because her grandmother says she shouldn't be dating a classmate, Ethan. They're not dating, so Jenna calls her a "d**khead," a word she heard Ethan use, because she thinks it means, "annoying." When she's relating the incident to Ethan, you can see how flustered she is and how much she's struggling to express herself. You also get insight into Ethan's impish personality:
'So why is your grandmother a d**khead--I mean, annoying?' he asks.
I'm relieved that he breaks our silence first. 'Because she said we shouldn't be dating--' Oh, my God, Jenna. Stupid. Stupid.
'We're dating?'
'No. I mean, my mother thought--'
'Your mother thinks we're dating? Just because I'm giving you a ride home?'
'No. Well, yes. I mean, never mind.' Help. Every word seems to bury me further. Was I always this inept?
'Hm,' he says... 'So, why doesn't your grandmother like me dating you, other than I teach you bad words?' (p. 88)
I'm sure many teenagers will relate to this situation--the awkwardness of talking to someone you like, putting your foot in your mouth, not knowing the right thing to say, and I applaud Pearson for "keeping it real."
This is one of those books that I feel crosses over into the "adult" realm, and teenagers shouldn't be the only ones to read it. Every person (adult or teenager) who has questioned the role of science and the possibilities it can play in medicine should read this book.
How far would YOU go? How far should science go? As a mother myself, I think I know what MY answer would be.
What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
Jen Robinson's Book Page: "Don't read any more reviews - don't risk spoiling it - just go and get it. But make sure you have a clear chunk of time so that you can read it in one day. Because you're going to want to. Trust me." (
read more...)
Becky's Book Reviews: "...one of the most original and amazing coming-of-age stories that I've read in quite a while." (
read more...)
YA Notes Weblog: "The beauty lies in the exploration of the soul and the ethics as much as the biology of who we are. This is a must read for all of us." (
read more...)
Cynthia Leitich Smith has a great interview with Mary E. Pearson (author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox) on her blog.
Wanna know what your pen name would be? Here's an amusing way to find out.
A cool peak into the cover designs for the book Miniatures and Morals, a book about Jane Austen.
I really enjoyed Holly Cupala's post about the SCBWI conference she just attended.
Milton Glaser's I Love NY logo just turned 30 years old. It has become one of the world's most recognizable, enduring and ubiquitous brandings, Milton Glazer's design (which he made as a gift to the city bro bono) Check out an old interview with Chip Kidd. Cheers, Mr. Glaser. Art is Work is available in hardcover and will be released in paperback in March 2008.
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*snort*
My new pen name: Donna I. Dowdel.
Beat that!
Lol I love it!
Mine's Shannon A. Strike. Heehee.