Covers, Conversations and More!

I can't begin to tell you how glad I am the last few days are over. I was ill, stressed out and generally not in any way happy with the world. But all that's over now, hooray! And I have lots of fun stuff to show off today. And yes, most of it is a bit behind the times, but better late than never, right? 

Last week I popped over to Manga Maniac Cafe for an interview. Julie asked some really great questions and I talk plenty of THE LOST GIRL, so check that out when you get a chance.

THE LOST GIRL has a German cover! I was super-excited to see it and really do love it - it's so strange that it's so different from the US cover, but they're both amazing and both capture the spirit of the book.

And finally, two fantastic reviews to share with you guys. I've mentioned before that Lauren DeStefano (y'know, NYT bestselling author of WITHER, FEVER and the yet-to-be-released SEVER?) blurbed THE LOST GIRL, but she's also recently posted a lovely review on Goodreads.

"Grief is a shadowy road that nobody wants to tread; it's a journey we'd all rather not take, and for that reason, I say that there are really no villains in this story. There are nightmarish measures, and there's cruelty, and things that would disturb Mary Shelley's ghost, sure. But beyond that, it's all about the measures parents would take to hang on to their child, what it means to die, what it means to be alive, and that terrible moment when you realize your loved one is not coming back."

The complete review's up on Goodreads here. Also, Kirkus reviewed THE LOST GIRL, prompting much squealing and excitement, so here's a little from them too:

"Both an interrogation of bioethics and a mesmerizing quest for identity, this debut succeeds through its careful development of the oh-so-human Eva and those around her. A provocative and page-turning thriller/romance that gets at the heart of what it means to be human."

As you can probably tell, I'm having a great day! Happy Tuesday, everybody. Anyone reading anything fun right now? Any fabulous reads to recommend?

Book Review: String Bridge by Jessica Bell

This is a big month for Jessica Bell, whose literary novel String Bridge releases in Kindle and paperback, and I'm so excited to be part of her blog tour! Here's a little bit more about Jessica and her book-


Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s.

She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education.

In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards, on her website.

From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.
 
You can find her online here.

As for String Bridge, this is from the Amazon blurb-

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits...

The book is available on Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes and Noble. It also, rather excitingly, has its own soundtrack (composed by Jessica - I KNOW, is there anything she DOESN'T do??), which you can find here.


And what did I think of this book?

Read it. I don't want to say too much about the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but String Bridge is painful, and exhilarating, and the 'tragedy' so tantalizingly teased in the blurb? Oh boy.

Characters are important to me and I wasn't disappointed. I didn't always like Melody or agree with her choices, but I rooted for her. And I hated her husband from the off. It's a huge point in the book's favour that these characters make it feel real.

I will admit that, personally, this isn't a genre I often read. And I know why: it's because I sometimes struggle with literary fiction and there were times I struggled a little here, with small sections where I just wanted more to happen. But I never wanted to stop reading.

Finally, music plays a huge role in this story and I loved that about it. From the title to the main character Melody's name to the huge impact music and love of music has on the plot, it's not just a device: it's an inextricable part of the story. Often books play on a passion without really making that passion a living, breathing part of the story; sometimes, though, that passion comes through and it does here. You may not always like Melody - or you may, I don't know, I can only speak for me - but you'll understand her because Jessica makes you understand how she feels about music. That's what, to me, really made this book shine.

Big congratulations to Jessica!

The awesomeness of Deathly Hallows

So this morning my parents, brother and I went on a family outing to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, which released in Bangalore today. Some of you may know I am a huge, huge Harry Potter fan and I've been so looking forward to this for ages! And I'm happy to say, it was worth waiting for.

 

I loved it. Now bear in mind this is me still somewhat in the afterglow of the film, so I might think of a few flaws tomorrow or next week. But as of now, I think it was totally and incredibly awesome and I can't wait to see it again. Honestly, if you like Harry Potter at all, go see this film because it is by the far the best adaptation of the book - largely because, having split the novel into two films, the filmmakers were able to actually explore things this time around. Unlike the previous movie, very little felt rushed or incoherent.

My favourite scenes? They were two sections of the movie I adored so intensely I could have cuddled them. The first is the entire sequence at the Ministry of Magic, where Harry, Hermione and Ron disguise themselves as Ministry employees to infiltrate the building and find one of Voldemort's Horcruxes (a locket). This was brilliantly done - the actors were amazing, it was hilarious and dramatic and thrilling all at once!

The second bit is a scene the screenwriter and director invented for the movie, i.e. it's not in the book. When (spoiler!) a certain character is absent for a part of the movie, Harry tries to comfort and cheer Hermione up by dancing with her. This was funny and touching and just absolutely incredibly done.

Oh, and I loved the end too. Moving and tragic and dramatic. I cried.

I did have a couple of quibbles: a few of the early bits felt like they went by too fast and could have been slowed down a little, and I had some nitpicky issues with the way Ron and Hermione's 'relationship' was suddenly catapulted into something far more touchy-feely than we've ever seen before (and much too abruptly), but these were small things and didn't really diminish my enjoyment of this as a movie.

So, yes. Go see it! It's so much fun.

Review: After You by Julie Buxbaum

I'd better start by saying this: Julie Buxbaum's After You is not an easy read. It's a story of grief, loss, trauma and struggling to cope with the things you and other people have been hiding from. Quite simply, it's about protagonist Ellie's attempts to deal with life after her best friend is murdered - and that includes coping with Lucy's suddenly silent daughter, and her grieving, withdrawing husband. This makes for quite a gritty novel, in some places even downright depressing.

I didn't find the characters particularly memorable or original. They are distinct from one another, but not particularly different from most generic characters usually found in this sort of novel. But it's the story and themes here that really pull this book through. 

My favourite part of the novel is The Secret Garden, which Ellie uses to help Lucy's daughter Sophie recover. The author draws on the similar themes of loss, loneliness and discovery, and plays on them beautifully. The best scenes here, I thought, involved Ellie, Sophie and The Secret Garden. To anyone who loved that book as a child (or now), you'll love those scenes too.

I'd definitely pick this one up. It's a tough, gritty, emotional read, but it's worth it.

Review: Amberville by Tim Davys

This is my third review for the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge, and I'm rather sad because it's just one last book after this and then the challenge is over! At least, it is for me.

So, Tim Davys' Amberville. If you read the Amazon blurb, you'll see that the premise is original, intriguing and messes quite spectacularly with your head. Set in a town full of stuffed animals who live, eat, breathe and act like people, this is so many things. A story about a gangster who threatens our protagonist. A story about flawed people and dark pasts. A love story. But more than any of these things, I thought this was, essentially, a story about brothers. 

Eric and Teddy Bear. Eric is given an ultimatum by a stuffed-bird mob boss: get said mob boss off the mysterious Death List, or the mob bosses's cronies will tear Eric's love Emma to pieces. So Eric sets out to find this Death List and get the mob boss's name off it. But it's not quite so straightforward as that. There are complications upon complications, tons of supporting characters (most of whom aren't remotely nice), and subplots that tangle and weave and ultimately contribute to this key storyline.

This is an excellent book. I'll get my criticisms out of the way. This is not really my favourite genre, so I suppose I could have enjoyed this more. And it got a little tangled and convoluted for me. and I found myself skimming a few parts of the story... but. 

Yes, but. The relationship between Eric and twin brother Teddy is enough to keep you going. It's complicated, but touching. Oh, so touching. It's more effective than a love story would have been in this novel, though Emma Rabbit's relationship with both Eric and Teddy is compelling. The novel is told from multiple points of view, including the twins', and the format leaves the reader able to pick up on ironies and plot details that the characters don't yet know about. For instance, an important twist in the story is revealed to Teddy about two thirds of the way through the book, but Eric remains ignorant of it - and that ignorance could well cost them both their lives. Prepare to shout at the characters and claw at the pages, but it's a very satisfying shouting and clawing.

As for the ending? 

There's a key choice towards the end of the novel, one that means everything to the brothers' relationship and lives, and it's a gripping, moving, spectacular choice. The threads are tangled in the novel, but they come undone and straighten out very smoothly. It's not a perfectly tidy ending, but it didn't need to be. When I read the last page, I felt satisfied, I didn't need any questions answered.

This is a great read, even if you don't normally read the genre. 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

I think Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep deserves 5 out of 5 stars.

The story of a teenage girl's four years at an exclusive private high school, Prep is bleak, harsh and brilliant. While on the surface the novel could be classed as a boarding school story, there are undercurrents here that make it so much more. The caste system of this elite school is emphasized, along with teenage sexuality, friendship and the social differences between narrator Lee, who's on a scholarship, and her wealthy classmates. 

Reading this, I loved that there were so many different things to stop and pick up on. The novel is not so much about a quest for popularity as it is a quest for Lee to somehow satisfy herself that she is not unworthy, and her self-doubt and eagerness to please continue right through the story.

What I liked best about Prep was the fact that nowhere do the characters slip into an easy or lazy stereotype. The most popular boy in Lee's year is not an arrogant dumb jerk, nor is he by any means the swoon-worthy perfect guy of every teenage girl's dreams. The most popular girl, who by all rights would be a right bitch in an average high school movie, is not actually that bad at all: she's self-absorbed, yes, and she's not the nicest person around, but there's nothing overtly vicious or evil about her. 

Most interesting of all is Lee: as the narrator, we should sympathize most with her, but over the course of the novel I found myself looking at Lee the way others around her do: as somebody who has no identity of her own, but imitates attitudes she thinks will make her likable and popular. As we journey through Lee's four years, we feel for her and understand her, but we're allowed to step back from her and look at her critically. I found this remarkable.

The novel isn't satisfying. There's no happy ending, no sense of epiphany or closure or true completion. If that's the kind of ending you want, this is probably not the book for you. It doesn't satisfy you.

But I kind of think that's the point.

Review: Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This is my first review of the books involved in the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge: Catherine Ryan Hyde's Second Hand Heart.

The basic premise revolves around, quite literally, a second hand heart. Vida is nineteen years old and very ill, with a heart condition. She's got about two weeks to live when she receives a donor heart, from a woman who has just died in a car accident. The woman, Lorrie, leaves behind a grieving husband named Richard. When Vida sees Richard for the first time, she falls in love with him, putting them both in a fraught situation.

The novel switches back and forth between Vida's and Richard's points of view, exploring the possibility of trace memories and feelings from the donor heart, while also balancing Richard's grief and secondary characters like Richard's mother-in-law, Vida's overprotective mother, and her friends Esther and Victor.

So, what did I think?

Overall, this was a good, solid read. If I were going to rate it, I'd give it three out of five stars, and I'll explain why.

It's extremely well-plotted, following a clear and thoroughly intriguing line from beginning to end. I often find that with books in this genre, we take long and uninteresting deviations into the lives of minor characters that the reader doesn't really care about. This isn't true of Second Hand Heart. The deviations are small, and engaging, and definitely give us a better sense of the characters as people and of the complicated relationships between them. The plot focuses on Richard and Vida, moving seamlessly between their perspectives, their conflicts and using the motif of a smooth worry stone to sort of tie them together.

The conflict, too, is great: for Vida, she's suddenly in love with this man she feels like she knows, because of her new heart. She doesn't know how much of what she now thinks and feels is her, and how much is Lorrie. For Richard, there's a girl with his wife's heart who claims to love him. Has he really lost his wife for good, or is there a part of her he can cling to?

Compelling, isn't it? The novel is essentially about grief, and letting go, and learning to live your life to the full: common, popular themes, but popular for a reason. I thought each of the themes were explored beautifully and I loved the motif of the worry stone, a stone the characters rub every time they feel anxious or upset. It made me want my own worry stone!

And, best of all, the conflicts are resolved realistically and satisfyingly, leaving the reader without any frustration or doubt at the end.

So where did the book fall short, in my opinion? Well, for one thing, while the secondary characters were interesting, I found Vida, the protagonist, annoying. I'm not sure whether it was because she comes across as selfish (trying to seduce Richard who is obviously grieving his wife, and showing no respect for that grief) or because she seems ungrateful for the things she has. Yes, her mother is overprotective; yes, she lies about her daughter. But even before Vida has her heart, she seems to resent her mother already and there's no sign of appreciation at all. Flaws in a character don't bother me, but I just found that Vida annoyed me too often for me to really enjoy being in her head.

And then there was the slight disconnect I felt right through the novel, like I wasn't really able to get into it and absorb the story as well as I should have been able to. Maybe it's because this isn't a genre I read very often. Maybe it's because I found Vida annoying. Either way, I wasn't terribly moved by the emotions, and I found the concept of trace memories more interesting than the main characters.

That said, there was no point while reading the book that I felt 'oh, I can't be bothered to read this anymore'. It was compelling, it kept me reading, and I'm fairly certain that while I didn't love this, a lot of other people will.