Cover Reveal: The Sound of Letting Go (and Giveaway!)

I'm pleased to be taking part in the cover reveal for Stasia Ward Kehoe's novel, The Sound of Letting Go! First, here's the book summary:

"For sixteen years, Daisy has been good.  A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly.  A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad.  She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal.  Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy?  Should she side with her parents or protect her brother?  How do you know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?"

You can find Stasia on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/swkehoe
 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Stasia-Ward-Kehoe/480528638649616

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/125253.Stasia_Ward_Kehoe

Her blog: http://swardkehoe.blogspot.com

And now for the cover...

What do you guys think?

Plus, Stasia is hosting a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Identical: Guest Review

Najela from Brave New Adventure is back with one last guest review for Psychtember! This time she's reviewing Identical by Ellen Hopkins.

Summary: Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins trying to live in the abusive house of their parents. Their father is a district attorney and he has turned his attention to Kaeleigh while their mother is absent. Raeanne has turned to drugs and alcohol and men to get the love she can't get from their father. An accident that happened years ago is starting to take it's toll on the sisters, but with their Raeanne spiraling out of control, can Kaeleigh help her sister take control of her life before it's too late? Or will both sisters hit rock bottom with no way out? 

Likes: This novel was chilling, the amount of tragedy these "girls" endured. Had this story been in another format, like a straight prose novel, it would have been heavy handed and overwhelming, but Hopkins expertise with verse serves the novel well. The brevity of the verses serves the novel well and allows for the twist to be woven in seamlessly. I honestly didn't see the twist coming, but when you do get to that point, you see all the subtle hints Hopkins drops along the way. I've read quite a bit of Hopkins novel and this one is by far one of my favorites.

Psychological Aspect: The psychological aspect of this story is done so well that you don't see the twist coming. When you get the twist it doesn't come off as a gimmick, but something that you could honestly see happening. I'm trying not to give any spoilers, but the psychology behind this story is fascinating. If you read this story, I urge you to look up the disorder that one of the sisters (again, no spoilers) has and tell me that you didn't see that twist coming. I think I've said too much already. Seriously go read it.

Writing Tip: There are several ways a story can deal with a mental illness. It can something that is a known illness and newly diagnosed with people learning how to manage it. It can be something that the character has known for a while and is just dealing with it. Or it can be unknown, as in the case with Identical where a character is dealing with the symptoms of a disorder without being diagnosed. If you are going to write about a charcter dealing with any type of illness, you'll have to determine how far they are into the illness. That'll determine how much you should emphasize this. Here's a fabulous post for more advice on how to write about a mental illness.  http://atapestryofwords.blogspot.ca/2012/09/guest-post-how-much-should-you.html

Another Book to Read: Any Ellen Hopkins book!


Najela is a graduate from UC Riverside with a dual degree in Psychology and Creative Writing and finally making the most of both degrees. She works with kids and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Exceptional Student Education. She is also working on several writing projects including a Beauty and the Beast retelling webcomic coming in late October 2012. You can follow her at her website or her tumblr.  



I'm glad to hear you were impressed with Identical, Najela — thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Song of the Sparrow: Review

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell, read for my "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" Challenge. 

  
Goodreads' description:

"Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings created in her name. She is Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a book all her own. The year is 490 A.D. and 16-year-old Elaine has a temperament to match her fiery red hair. Living on a military base with her father, brothers, and the rest of Arthur's army, Elaine pines for the handsome Lancelot, and longs for a female friend. But when the cruel, beautiful Gwynivere arrives, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. Can Elaine find the strength to survive the birth of a kingdom?"

Why is it outside my comfort zone? I've never been a big fan of novels in verse, but I don't think I've given enough of them a try...hence why I'm reading some for this challenge!

Did it win me over? Why or why not? Yes, it definitely did. I actually found myself really enjoying Song of the Sparrow. The writing is so atmospheric, and even the fact that it's written in verse works quite well given the medieval setting, especially with the nod to the Lady of Shalott poem.

It's fun to see how the author incorporated the various Arthurian figures and stories. I always thought Lancelot was pretty much a jerk (come on, he continually messes with Arthur) so I was glad to see him get some comeuppance in this version. I also loved how Sandell tied in that iconic scene from Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" — the riverboat one replicated in Anne of Green Gables — with her own plot.

I never liked the version of Tristan and Isolde I read (by Gottfried von Strassburg); I studied it in university and thought both Tristan and Isolde were immature and irresponsible, and so instead I just felt sorry for poor King Mark. However, I definitely prefer Sandell's version of Tristan, one who has already experienced the Tristan-and-Isolde love affair. We see him as a young man who's been burnt by love and is now wary of it. Hearing the Tristan/Isolde story after the fact (as Tristan tells it to Elaine) allowed me to respect Tristan's character a lot more and actually sympathize with him.

Best aspect? The expressive writing and richly vivid description that makes you feel like you're really there with Elaine. From lush forest scenery to the rough, dirty tone of the Saxon camp, it's sensuous and vibrant.  

I also liked Elaine as a character — yes, she's girlishly naive at the beginning, but it's the kind of innocence that feels real. And I admired her resourcefulness and her ease in the wild, contrasted sharply with Gwynivere's fashionable style and self-important manner. We can spot Elaine's romantic relationship coming a mile off, but seeing her sort out her feelings and realize the difference between an infatuated crush and a love forged from friendship is rewarding. So too is seeing all the different types of relationships Elaine has with the various members of the camp — her relationship with her brother Lavain is fraught with tension from a horrifying shared memory; she has an easy friendship with Tristan that she undervalues; Morgan teaches and mentors her; she continually longs for Lancelot's attention. Perhaps the lessons Elaine learns over the course of the story are a little obvious — and there are a few oh-so-sappy lines towards the end — but overall the emotions are handled with a light, poetic touch.

If I could change something, I would... I'd flesh out Gwynivere's character. I got the impression we were supposed to see her personality change as character development, but it was too quick for me and ended up feeling more like an odd Jekyll-and-Hyde arrangement instead. She is portrayed as such a cold, snooty "ice queen" type at the beginning that I didn't find her "growth" to be believable. Sandell sets us up for one Gwynivere and then gives us another, and that didn't work for me; her later actions just don't fit with the Gwynivere we've come to expect. Spoilery details, highlight to read: Would she really have had the stamina, determination and chutzpah to slog through rough conditions for days on ending, following Elaine? And all so sneakily that Elaine doesn't see her? I doubt it. 


I also had to suspend a bit of disbelief when it came to the climactic scenes. Spoiler: the girls managing to escape so easily from the Saxon camp was a bit much for me. Granted, they're quick-witted (and quick-footed, too) but I found it difficult to believe the Saxons could be fooled with quite so simple a distraction. And Gwynivere being the one to save Elaine worked out a little too perfectly, especially considering I didn't think Gwynivere would have paid enough attention to figure out which herbs were needed.

Just one more thing I want to mention: the first 3/4s of the book are pretty slow-moving. I didn't mind this much, although I did find myself wanting to flip ahead to find out what happens. The slow pace does allow the reader to get to know Elaine and her role in the camp, and shows off the beautiful writing style, but admittedly there isn't a lot of action.

Would I read more like this book? Yes, certainly. I was surprised at how this book drew me in. I hadn't read anything medieval in a while and this got me right into the mood for it.

Quote:




The scent of blood rides high
on the wind,
with its traces of cold, black iron,
rotted earth, dying flesh,
and I stagger backward
as the smell, pungent
and terrible, fills my nostrils.
It stings and brings
tears to my eyes.
         I hate this rank stench. 

Final verdict: 4 shooting stars.

 

If you haven't signed up yet for the "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" challenge and would like to, you can learn more about it and fill out the form HERE. 

Purple Daze: Review

Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan, read for my "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" Challenge, and also for the YA Historical Fiction Challenge I'm participating in. (Thanks to the author for providing a few photos to accompany this review!)

Goodreads' description:

"Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America-- a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago."

Why is it outside my comfort zone? I've tried a few novels in verse before but never really got into them... I'm not too sure why, perhaps because they're often more sparse and lacking in details than standard novels. I think the few I've read have also been rather emotionally dark and dealt with depressing subject matter. I've never heard of a novel in verse set in the '60s before, though (actually, just generally I think it's a gap in YA fiction) so that particularly interested me about Purple Daze.

Did it win me over? Why or why not? For the most part, yes. It took me a little bit to get into Purple Daze, since there are six main characters, and we jump back and forth between each teen's perspective. I found it difficult to distinguish between each of them at first, but after a while I started getting to know them better. I really enjoyed the letters sent from Phil to Cheryl in particular; I felt that of the characters Phil felt the most real and his voice the most authentic. (It turns out the author based his letters on actual letters she received from an acquaintance serving in Vietnam, so no wonder!)

An actual letter from the author's friend in Vietnam.

Despite the fact that there's no central threat (other than the general threat of the war in Vietnam), and thus not really a driving, overarching plot/storyline, the tone and characters are engaging. Instead of a linear progression, we are just given glimpses into brief moments of 1965 for each teen. I had worried at first that I might have to push through this one, but I found myself getting quite caught up in it and nearing the end sooner than I would have expected.

We do see more of some characters' viewpoints (Phil, Mickey, and Cheryl, I thought) than the others (Nancy, Ziggy and Don). I would have liked a few more excerpts from the characters who were given less screen time, since they remained kind of elusive in my mind's eye. I know there were a lot of subplots hinted at (especially involving Ziggy) but because we're only given snippets from each perspective, I was left a little confused about what was going on with some of the characters. There were a few more dots that could have been connected to make their stories more clear and cohesive.

Best aspect? The atmosphere created by Shahan's writing. It's exceptionally evocative of the '60s era, and the richness and boldness of the characters' voices leaps off the pages.

The slang in this book is groovy. Neato, cool beans, hip – can I be any plainer? In other words, it was far out. (Sorry, but how many opportunities will I get to use '60s jargon in a review? Precious few.) 

And I really enjoyed the deepening friendship between Cheryl and Phil, which we see almost exclusively through Phil's letters to her from Vietnam. I did wish that we could see some of her letters back to him (and to her other friend, Mickey) but at the same time, it was fun to pick up on the hints through Phil's letters alone and have to guess about what Cheryl had written. Phil's personality really shone through in his letters, both his tough exterior and glimpses of a more sensitive side in his respect for Cheryl, and his gratitude to her for keeping up with the correspondence. Also interesting is Phil's changing relationship with the war, beginning with optimism, turning quickly to discomfort and disillusionment, and then to a harder cynicism towards the end.

The "real" Phil, in Vietnam.

If I could change something, I would... Change the 'current events' sections, as I didn't think they connected that well with the characters' stories. There were segments every so often that discussed the current events of the time, in paragraph form. While these were informative, I found myself wanting to skim or skip over them and get back to the "real" story of the six teens. They just felt too dry and textbook-like to really engage me, and broke the flow of the narratives.

Also, a glossary of '60s-specific terms would have been helpful. Some of it was understandable from context, but there were a few times that the slang or other references would go right over my head.

Just one more thing I want to mention: I was actually quite disappointed that we don't get more closure with each teen's story. I liked that it chronicled exactly one year in the life of these six individuals, and that the format of the ending mirrors the beginning, but I was left wanting to know more about how each character turns out (especially given the hints of a Cheryl/Phil dynamic). I really wanted to see a reunion of the six at the end!

Would I read more like this book? Yep, I think so. The verse format didn't actually pose as much of a problem for me as I thought it might, once I got used to it. I thoroughly enjoyed the spot-on '60s vibe I got from Purple Daze, and while I would have appreciated more plot than we're given and a centralized storyline, I do think that a novel in verse can pull off a story through "snapshots" of characters' lives more effectively than a novel of standard prose would be able to.

Final verdict: 3 shooting stars. It was difficult for me to rate this one because I don't really have much to compare it to, having not reviewed any other novels in verse yet, so I am ranking it overall. Compared just to other novels in the same format, though, I expect my rating might be a bit higher. 

Recommend for: both those who lived through the "flower power" era, and those who wish they had experienced it! Note: there is a fair bit of mature language and content in here, so I'd only recommend this one for older YA readers.

Author's website: http://www.sherryshahan.com/

The author then (high school yearbook).

The author now.

Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the author/publisher.

If you haven't signed up yet for the "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" challenge and would like to, you can fill out the form HERE.