Giveaway! Telekinesis Prize Pack for In the Afterlight by Alex Bracken

IN THE AFTERLIGHT, the third book in Alexandra Bracken's fun series is coming out in one month on October 28th. (I can't wait to read it!!) And to celebrate, I'm offering an awesome prize pack today!

BLUE PSI PRIZE PACK (TELEKINESIS)

Levitate your library! Enter here by October 8th for your chance to win a floating bookshelf and The Darkest Minds series & tote bag.

Prizing & samples courtesy of Disney-Hyperion. Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Find all 50 giveaways across the internet!

ABOUT IN THE AFTERLIGHT

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. Only Ruby can keep their highly dangerous prisoner in check. But with Clancy Gray, there's no guarantee you're fully in control, and everything comes with a price.

When the Children's League disbands, Ruby rises up as a leader and forms an unlikely allegiance with Liam's brother, Cole, who has a volatile secret of his own. There are still thousands of other Psi kids suffering in government "rehabilitation camps" all over the country. Freeing them--revealing the governments unspeakable abuses in the process--is the mission Ruby has claimed since her own escape from Thurmond, the worst camp in the country.


But not everyone is supportive of the plan Ruby and Cole craft to free the camps. As tensions rise, competing ideals threaten the mission to uncover the cause of IANN, the disease that killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others with powers the government will kill to keep contained. With the fate of a generation in their hands, there is no room for error. One wrong move could be the spark that sets the world on fire.

ABOUT SPARKS RISE (The Darkest Minds: 2.5 e-Book release)

Available now!

This New eBook Novella connects the last two novels in The Darkest Minds trilogy.

Sam didn't think things could get worse at Thurmand rehabilitation camp. Then the Reds arrive. Everyone assumed the kids with firepower had been killed years ago. Instead they were taken away, brainwashed, and returned as terrifyingly effective guards. To her horror, Sam recognizes one of them: Lucas, the one spark of light in Sam's dark childhood.

Lucas has a deadly secret--he beat the brutal training that turned his fellow Reds into mindless drones. When Sam defends herself against an attack by a vile PSF guard and faces a harrowing punishment, Lucas must risk his everything to save her.

Reviews on a Theme: Time Travel (YA)

Time travel is always one of my favorite topics in books and here are a few I read this year. I can recommend all of the following for fellow time travel fans.

AFTER EDEN by Helen Douglas

When Eden meets mysterious new boy Ryan she has no idea he's from the future - a future where a discovery of new planet by her best friend Connor has ruined the Earth's environment. Ryan's mission is to keep Connor from discovering the planet, and getting close to Eden is part of that plan.

AFTER EDEN's appealing sci-fi hook is what attracted me to the novel in the first place, but I stayed for the absolutely sweet contemporary romance between Eden and Ryan. It's a light, fun read that gets more action-oriented towards the second half, and I would hand it to readers looking to branch out to sci-fi as a great gateway book.

FTC disclosure: Lucky 13s ARC tour

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill

In the future, Em is imprisoned at a military base and it's up to her to break out, get back to the past and prevent a catastrophic time travel machine from ever being built. In the present, Marina is love with her best friend James, a genius on the verge of a major scientific breakthrough - one that could very well get him killed.

This twisty novel starts out with a big bang when Em finds a note from a past version of herself telling her that there's only one option left: "You have to kill him." This sets up a high-stakes chase through time where if Em succeeds, she will erase herself, but in doing so, she'll be able to spare her younger self a lot of pain. The characters face many impossible choices and both Em and Marina's stories are intensely compelling.

I didn't quite understand the mechanics of the ending or how it's possible with the time travel rules that the novel established early on. But otherwise, I am impressed with this one. Definitely worth a re-read!

FTC disclosure: Netgalley

LOOP  by Shandy Lawson

Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal days—both the best and worst of their lives—they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man destined to kill them.

This is incredibly fast-paced and also pretty short, so even though it's highly addictive and action-oriented fun, there's not much time for character development. I did find myself wishing it were longer and more developed, but I enjoyed my time spent reading it.

FTC disclosure: Netgalley 

Review and Giveaway: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

First of all, congrats to Alexandra Bracken for making the NYT bestseller list!

After I read The Darkest Minds (my review) last year, I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to continue the series. I had a lot of nagging world building questions, especially concerning plausibility. But then I read the eNovella In Time (my review), and some of my questions were addressed, giving me hope for Never Fade.  And indeed, Never Fade does a great job of going deeper into the world building aspect, although the main draw is still the pulse-pounding action. I enjoyed this second installment immensely, especially because I felt like I got to know the characters (old and new) more deeply. And I'm 100% sure I want to read the final book in the trilogy next year.

Here's the book summary:

The gripping and highly anticipated second installment in a dark YA trilogy about teens with dangerous powers on the run from the government. 

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children's League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster. 

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children's League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America's children-and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts-has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future-and who now wouldn't recognize her. 

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam-and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart-she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Find out more about the series:

http://www.thedarkestminds.com/

Giveaway!

Show that your quest for truth and justice will NEVER FADE.
One (1) winner receives:
Custom Never Fade t-shirt and a copy of Never Fade

Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only.
Prizing & samples courtesy of Disney Book Group.

To enter, fill out this form by November 11, 2013 at 11:59 pm CST.

FTC disclosure: Review copy provided by Big Honcho Media

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Time After Time Playlist Song + The Better Than Ezra Experience

Back in May, Tamara Ireland Stone and I drove from an event in St Louis to the Romantic Times Convention in Kansas City.  After only a couple hours of sleep and fueled by coffee and anticipation, we kept ourselves awake by sharing some of our favorite songs. Obviously it was an amazing road trip that I'll never forget.

Tamara has a real love affair with music. Her debut novel Time Between Us (read my review) was inspired by Tamara's desire to have the power to time travel back to epic shows by bands like Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins.  In one of the first chapters of the sequel Time After Time, Bennett and his sister travel to a small club in Munich to see Coldplay before they were big. I mean, how cool is that?!

So, when I found out that Tamara was doing a playlist blog hop for Time After Time, I begged her to be part of it. And when I saw that there was a Better Than Ezra song on Anna's playlist, I knew I had to have it.



To me, Good is a song about being apart which makes it an apt choice for Anna and Bennett who are in the ultimate long distance relationship across time. When you're together it's good. And when you're not, you're left with this yearning feeling, not knowing if you'll ever see each other again.

Better Than Ezra is the soundtrack to my college years. I didn't start listening in earnest until I saw the video for In The Blood, and this face:

And then I had the chance to go to a concert in Lawrence, KS at the end of October 1996. The concert was the highest of highs, not only did I feel the music deeply in my bones, I also got a backstage pass for being such an enthusiastic fan.

On the way home from that concert, a deer hit my car while we were listening to the song Rewind.  Rewind has the following lyric that I love, and it struck me as so ironic at the time.

In any case, over the course of the next two years, I traveled to any BTE show in KS, MO, OK or TX, culminating with my last show at The Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas in November of 1998 to bring me up to a total of 11 shows. Almost every journey was fraught with some sort of calamity - a speeding ticket, a flat tire, running out of gas - but those concerts will always hold a special place in my heart.

As will Tamara's novels, and Bennett and Anna.

More about Time After Time (add to Goodreads):

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds.

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want? 

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

AND because today is a Playlist Double Dip, you can get a Bennett Song & enter a giveaway for signed copies of the books over at Once Upon a Prologue! 

Bookanista Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Lilac's father is the richest man in the universe. Tarver is a decorated military hero, but from a poor background. Lilac and Tarver would never spend much time together under normal circumstances, but when the spaceship they're traveling on crashes on a mysterious planet, leaving them as the only survivors, they'll have to rely on each other to survive.

THESE BROKEN STARS contains some of my favorite romance tropes - forbidden love, the slow-burn, and what I like to call "stranded together" romance. (An aside: another recent book I read with this last trope was SURVIVE by Alex Morel, where two strangers are the only survivors of a plane crash and must learn to trust each other to find civilization -- there are certain crazy parallels to THESE BROKEN STARS in it, so check it out if you're a fan of the trope too!)

I've seen THESE BROKEN STARS pitched as "Titanic in space" and that's certainly accurate in the beginning scenes, though once on the planet, I'd compare it more to the TV show Lost. In any case, it's super creative and addicting (considering I read it instead of working on my revisions which are due in less than a week) and definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

THESE BROKEN STARS comes out on December 10, 2013. Find out more about it at Amie's website. Also, check out this interview I did with the authors about the whole series and its dystopian elements.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: Gifted (thanks Melody!)

Other Bookanista reviews this week:

Shari Arnold has chills for BY BLOOD, by Tracy E. Banghart
Rebecca Behrens is wondering at WONDER, by R.J. Palacio
Christine Fonseca has all the feels for DARKEST MERCY, by Melissa Marr
Nikki Katz is gushing about BLYTHEWOOD, by Carol Goodman
Stasia Ward Kehoe has taken a shine to GOLDEN, by Jessi Kirby
Jessica Love has fond memories of ALL OUR YESTERDAYS, by Cristin Terrill

Book Review: The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Nere has always felt more comfortable in the sea, and one tragic day, she finds out why - she was genetically altered to be able to live under water as part of the Neptune Project. The Neptune Project was a covert experiment with the aim of building a better future away from the pestilence and war on land. Nere's quest for survival has just begun.

I'd classify this one as a middle grade adventure book. Though the main threat is a dystopian government that wants to get their hands on the project kids, the dystopian elements are mainly in the background - i.e. the reason the Neptune Project was started and kids were experimented upon.  For the most part, Nere faces obstacles that have to do with survival in the ocean, such as terrifying sea creatures. And the action in this novel is non-stop thrilling. As soon as Nere escapes one dangerous situation, she's thrust into another. Be warned - there are some deaths.

But at least Nere has super cute dolphins to help her on her journey.  Fortunately, the dolphins came off as strong, wise allies instead of the more annoying type of sidekick role that "talking" animals are usually forced into. (They "talk" via telepathy).

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT is available now. Find out more about the it at the author's website.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: Picked up at ALA

Review & Twitter Party Announcement: In Time by Alexandra Bracken

IN TIME is a The Darkest Minds e-novella featuring an older character (25 year old Gabe) who is a would-be skip tracer.  He happens upon Zu (one of my favorite characters from TDM) and sets out to turn her in to collect a reward.

I won't tell you much about the plot beyond that, only that Zu is amazing as usual (she'd save you a lot of money on gas), and Bracken knows how to rip out her readers' hearts. WHY, Bracken, WHY?!

IN TIME could theoretically be read as a stand-alone, but there are several points of intersection with TDM that make the experience all the richer.  I really liked how some of my worldbuilding questions from book 1 were answered here (especially regarding how parents would be willing to give up their children, especially the relatively harmless Greens).

I also wanted to let you know about an upcoming IN TIME event!

#INTIME TWITTER PARTY
WITH AUTHOR ALEXANDRA BRACKEN

When: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST

How: Be sure to follow @AlexBracken, @HyperionTeens, and @TheBookCellarX and use #InTime during the 1-hour event to ask questions LIVE and win prizes.

· To join the party, just search #InTime on Twitter.

· Watch for questions from @TheBookCellarX and win awesome prizes including promo codes for In Time, autographed copies of The Darkest Minds, compass necklaces, and a $200 Visa card!

· Ask Alex questions, enter giveaways and chat with other partygoers—just use the tag #InTime in all of your party tweets!

Tweet your questions for @AlexBracken now using #InTime and participate on Wednesday, July 24th for her live responses!


Read my review of THE DARKEST MINDS.

Find out more about book 2 in the series, NEVER FADE (Releases: October 15, 2013)

FTC disclosure: Review copy provided by Big Honcho Media

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Bookanista Review: The Rules by Stacey Kade

You know how I've been wavering about writing reviews? Well, the Bookanistas invited me to join their group, and it seemed like the perfect solution. So I'll be doing at least two book reviews a month, maybe more.  My first Bookanista review is THE RULES.

In order to stay out of the grasp of GTX the laboratory that created her, Ariane follows very specific rules. She lies low. She doesn’t get involved. And she never falls in love.  Until she gets to know Zane.  Will Ariane risk everything for a chance at a normal life?

THE RULES is told from two perspectives – that of alien/human hybrid Ariane and that of Zane, a popular boy who is under the thumb of high school tyrant Rachel.  Both Ariane and Zane are sympathetic, though they both have their weaknesses, especially in relation to Rachel.

The stakes are high – if Ariane gets caught, she’ll be imprisoned in the sterile lab she grew up in – but Ariane can’t resist the pull of Zane, and the way he makes her feel something like normal for the first time in her life.  I loved their growing relationship and the tentative way they begin to trust each other.

You should know that this novel contains one of the best first kiss scenes ever put to print.  It kinda brought tears to my eyes. And also – a blush to the cheeks of the man who was reading over my shoulder on the plane. 

I also very much appreciated the time Kade took to develop the voices of Ariane (very detail oriented) and Zane (hurting with a sheen of false bravado). Lots of excellent characterizing details too – i.e. Ariane loves high-end jeans because she yearns for nice things and yet can’t afford to stand out.

Can’t wait to see where this awesome new series goes next!

THE RULES came out this week. Find out more about THE RULES at the author's website. 

Check out what the other Bookanistas are saying:

Katy Upperman ponders LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo

Kimberly Sabatini wonders at WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney

Elana Johson falls for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

Tracy Banghart loves LACRIMOSA by Christine Fonseca

Corrine Jackson adores the ARCADIA BELL series by Jenn Bennett

Rebecca Behrens delves into CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

Stasia Ward Kehoe wraps up National Poetry Month with THE POETRY TEACHER’S BOOK OF LISTS by Sylvia Vardell

Christine Fonseca celebrates UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Jessica Love hails THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith

Shannon Messenger discusses some recent reads

FTC disclosure:  NetGalley

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today I'm featuring TIME BETWEEN US, a YA gem that has so many things I love in a novel: it's imaginative, heartfelt and mixes time travel, foreign countries and music!

I was lucky enough to read TIME BETWEEN US earlier than most, and I've been excited for months for other readers to discover it - which they can finally do tomorrow! It was nearly a year ago now when I went to dinner with Tamara (and Veronica Rossi) and we all traded the first chapters of our manuscripts to read.  I was so hooked by the end of chapter 1, I cajoled Tamara into letting me beta read.

So what got me so hooked?  First, the book opens with a scene in October 2011 of an older Anna handing a letter to a 16 year old Bennett who doesn't know her. She hopes the letter might be able to change things. Next, we get a scene in March 1995. Anna's running at a track and there's a boy watching her. But when she turns to look at him again, he's gone. And when she goes to investigate, there are no tracks leading to or from where he's sitting.  How cool and mysterious is that opening?

I quickly became invested in Anna's character.  She has a world map and longs to stick it full of pins to show places she's been.  When she meets Bennett, he makes her world larger - and not only because of his big time travel secret.  Anna and Bennett are so sweet together - and the narrative is infused with such urgency because you want these two teens from different times to end up together.

And now, let's chat with Tamara!

What is your favorite scene in the book?

I have always loved the rock-climbing scene. By the time I wrote it, I felt like I really knew both Anna and Bennett as individuals, and when I placed them in that setting together, they came to life for me even more.

I really like the way the two of them interact with each other throughout the scene. And I love that Anna is completely out of her element. She’s not used to being vulnerable or having to rely on someone else, but when you’re climbing, your safety is literally in someone else’s hands. I liked putting her in danger and seeing how she’d react.

But I love that scene most because it’s really all about the moment the two of them start to trust each other completely.

What is your favorite line in the book?

Oh, I’d give so much away if I told you! Also, I’m going to cheat here, because my favorite line has to be coupled with another.

My favorite lines are the two that occur at the end of Chapter 27. I love the build up to those lines—the discussion, the kiss, the fact that the two of them are so in the moment—and those two simple sentences felt like the perfect way to punctuate the emotion.

Those sentences made me all tingly! What setting was most fun to write?

The scenes in Vernazza, Italy were my favorites to write. Vernazza is Bennett’s favorite place and one of my favorite places too, so every time I worked on those scenes I got to picture myself back there, sipping coffee in the square, walking cobblestone streets, people watching.

And those scenes were not only fun, they became hugely cathartic. In revisions, I had to dig deeper than I did at first, and I guess a big part of me was resistant because it took lots of rewriting before I let myself say what I was really trying to say. But now, I love those scenes even more because there's so much of my own experience in those pages.

We moved around a lot when I was young. When my parents decided to move again, right before I started my senior year of high school, my best friend’s family offered to let me live with them so I didn’t have to graduate from a new school.

In Vernazza, Bennett talks about finding a home with a family that isn’t his own. He finds comfort in the fact that he’s formed a connection not only with Anna, but also with the people in her world. Getting that down on paper was more emotional than I expected it to be and those scenes became incredibly personal. I realized I was talking about my own experience of feeling at home with a family that wasn’t mine.

Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?

I’m always smiling as I write Emma, but I have to keep her in check—that girl can be a bit of a scene-stealer! I love the way she’s been described in some reviews: Funny and quirky. A bit of a smartass. Someone who says what she thinks. But mostly, people love her—and I love her—because she’s so committed to Anna. I think the two of them are a great example of a strong, healthy female friendship.

Amen! What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?

Working with my agent and my editor. They have both been so supportive and brilliant with their advice. They completely get this story, these characters, and me.

They were exactly what I’d hoped for: coaches who would help me make this a better book, and help make me a better writer along the way.

Thanks Tamara!

TIME BETWEEN US comes out in hardcover tomorrow. Find out more about it at the author's website. 

FTC disclosure: Beta read a copy provided by author

Author Interview: Polly Holyoke previews The Neptune Project

For my spotlight on upcoming dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction series, I interview authors with novels coming out in the genre in 2012/13. These are exclusive first looks at exciting new works. Enjoy!

Today I'm thrilled to introduce Debut Author Polly Holyoke whose middle grade adventure novel THE NEPTUNE PROJECT is coming out with Disney/Hyperion in the US and Puffin Books in the UK in Summer 2013.


Here's the summary:

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT is set in a future where the seas are rising and global warming is out of control. Nere Hanson and her teen companions are shocked to learn they have been genetically altered by their desperate parents to live in the sea. Protected by her loyal dolphins, shy Nere leads the rest on a perilous journey to her father’s new colony. Fighting off government divers, sharks and giant squid, can Nere and her companions learn to trust each before their dangerous new world destroys them?

And the interview!

Why do you think people are drawn to “dark” stories?
Wow, that’s a great question, and it’s one I’ve often thought about in the context of fairy tales. I’ve always been fascinated by the way small children love bloodcurdling stories like “Little Red Riding Hood.” “Hansel and Gretel” is just about the most frightening tale I can imagine — a trusted father takes his young children out into the forest and purposely abandons them there. They almost get eaten by a witch and cook her in an oven instead. That’s pretty grim stuff.

Perhaps we need constant reminders that our own lives and fears aren’t nearly as scary as the challenges characters face in dark stories. We as a species certainly enjoy being frightened , but to just the right degree. Then we can scamper back to our own nice, relatively safe reality.

If your book had a theme song, what would it be and why?
My first reaction was: “Under the Sea.” Hey, I work for Disney now, and the lyrics, “Darling, it’s better down where it’s wetter, take it from me,” fits the long term future of my characters! They do adapt and begin to build a whole new community in the sea. But it’s not an easy task, so now I’m imagining the low, ominous opening notes to JAWS playing—my characters have some very scary battles with sharks and giant squid. “Never Let Me Go,” by Florence and the Machine sounds like sea music to me, and the lyrics, “And I’m going under, but I’m not giving up! I’m just giving in…” make me think of a harrowing moment in the story when Nere’s mother forces her under the waves to make Nere breathe water for the first time.

What fictional character from another book would your character choose as a best friend and why?
I think Nere would really like Cammie Morgan from Ally Carter’s spy books. They both are shy and tend to disappear into the background, but they also are loyal, brave, tough and resourceful. They both are natural leaders, even though they don’t see themselves in that light.

What are your five Top Dystopian recs and why?
My five Dystopian lit recommendations would have to include: Shipbreaker (awesomely vivid and creative world building), The Hunger Games (deceptively simply prose, great characters), Dark Life (fun MG sea book, wonderful male protagonist), Divergent (non-stop action) and City of Ember (one of the first modern Dystopian novels, really a classic).

What’s on the top of your to-do list before the world ends?
I REALLY want to go trekking in Nepal because I grew up in Colorado and love mountains even more than I love the sea. I want to backpack the entire unimaginably beautiful NaPali coast of Kauai and spend several nights camping at the end of this incredible trail. And I would love to dive on the Great Barrier Reef before rising ocean temperatures (and they are rising, that is scientific fact, folks!) bleaches all the corals. 

How does your novel stand out from others in the genre?
I think the coolest thing about THE NEPTUNE PROJECT is its unusual setting. After chapter 10, truly all the action takes place in the ocean. I’ve been fortunate enough to do a fair amount of scuba diving, and those experiences introduced me firsthand to the amazing world under the waves. I did a ton of research on oceanography and all kinds of marine life, and I believe that also helped me to depict the ocean world more vividly. I’ve always loved dolphins, but the more I found out about them, the more fascinated I’ve become with these intelligent and amazing animals.

Thanks Polly!

Check out Polly's website: www.pollyholyoke.com
Add THE NEPTUNE PROJECT to Goodreads

Like Polly on Facebook
Follow Polly on twitter @pollyholyoke

Joint Review Discussion + Giveaway: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

For the third month in a row, Michelle of Galleysmith and I are doing joint review discussions. These are more in-depth than my usual reviews and discuss plot points in a non-spoilery way. We'll post about a different book every Thursday, and our third book is THE DARKEST MINDS.

Publisher summary:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents. 

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Michelle and I decided to discuss four topics: Genre classification, "Black is the Color", Government Control and Characters. The first two we discuss below, the second two we discuss over at Galleysmith.

Genre Classification

Lenore:
THE DARKEST MINDS is one of those novels where something horrible happens (semi-apocalyptic) and then a corrupt government takes over, ruling over the country with an iron grip and making the lives of our characters miserable. It reminded me a cross between ASHES by Ilsa Bick (disease that affects only teens), Kristen Simmons’ ARTICLE 5 (brutal police force rounding up kids and putting them in rehabilitation camps) and SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi (main character with paranormal abilities who can’t touch people lest she screw them over).

Michelle:
You know what it reminded me of? X-Men. Mutant kids who are persecuted and segregated for their abilities then rebel was definitely reminiscent of X-Men. This just happens to be a situation that occurs at semi-apocalyptic time when the corrupt government has the ability to take over. Despite the similarities in theme I thought this was a fantastic read. Though I appreciated the character focus I do wish we knew a bit more about how these circumstances arose.

Lenore:
Ha! Yes - I always heard SHATTER ME compared to X-Men and it works here too for sure. I’m not always a fan of integrating paranormal abilities into real-world dystopians (I prefer “realistic” dystopians, lol), but Bracken does a great job of showing how terrifying it would be to suddenly have these strange (and amazing) abilities. The way Ruby is portrayed is absolutely consistent with how I imagine someone in her position would develop. She’s learned to blend in and keep her head down no matter what. And making friends has never been a safe proposition for her, which is super heartbreaking.

Michelle:
I didn’t mind the paranormal abilities so much. The way Bracken tied them in with IANN made them a natural progression instead of just some magical appearance. She integrated everything very well without having their prevalence be too overwhelming to the story overall.

Black is the Color

Lenore:
The original title of the novel was Black is the Color, a title which speaks to one of the kid characters assurances that all the kids of all the colors are equal, when they most assuredly are not. Oranges, like our main character Ruby, are the most powerful and dangerous (and most seem to be psychotic as well), while Reds (firestarters), Yellows (electrical manipulation) and Blues (telekinesis) can also cause a lot of damage. But Greens (increased intelligence)? I never really got why parents would be frightened enough of their super smart children to let them go, especially after 98% of the children in the US died.

Michelle:
One of the best parts of the book was when Black is the Color was mentioned as a way to unify all the kids as opposed to segregating them. Only, it didn’t really work out that way because in the reality of it all the strong were groomed for more (nefarious as it was) and the weak were just kind of there. It really wasn’t an all inclusive culture but a society built on segregation hiding behind the idea that they were all fighting for freedom and equality.

This brings me to the idea of the Children’s League. I struggled with understanding their true role in it all. Did they want to have control instead of the President? Did they want to free the kids? It wasn’t ever truly clear to me what their grand intentions were.

Lenore:
You’re right about that. But I don’t think the think the Children’s League’s intentions were meant to be clear (though, I’m suspecting that the CL has less than benevolent intentions). I think we’ll be finding out a lot more about them in the next book.

Michelle:
I can’t decide if there is some deflection there. I got the vibe that not everything was as it seemed (both from the positive and negative side). There was definitely more to allude to the latter than the former but I still find myself wondering if there is so much more to it. I didn’t realize there is another book, this excites me! I was left feeling like I wanted more at the end of this one. Especially given how things with Ruby and Lee played out.

Lenore:
I’m pretty sure it’s a trilogy!

Don't miss the rest of the discussion over at Galleysmith!

THE DARKEST MINDS comes out in hardcover on December 18, 2012. Visit the author's website for more information.  Want to read it early? I have one ARC to give away to a reader in the US curtesy of the publisher. Simply fill out this form by August 24, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST to enter to win!

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: I got the ARC at BEA 2012 (thanks Susan!)

Author Interview: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner discuss These Broken Stars

For my spotlight on upcoming dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction series, I interview authors with novels coming out in the genre in 2012/13. These are exclusive first looks at exciting new works. Enjoy!

Today I'm pleased to have writing duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner here to discuss THESE BROKEN STARS a sci-fi epic coming from Disney-Hyperion in Fall 2013.

Here's the summary:

Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen never should have met. She’s the socialite daughter of the richest man in the galaxy, and he’s a decorated soldier fighting back rebellions on newly terraformed planets. But when the vast luxury spaceliner they’re both traveling on crashes, they find themselves thrown together as the two sole survivors on an alien planet. 

As they survive harsh conditions and dwindling supplies—not to mention each other—the two begin to uncover a mystery surrounding the abandoned planet that neither of them could have guessed.

The first in a trilogy, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a series of timeless, standalone love stories that span galaxies—and are linked by their shared worlds and one mysterious enemy.

The preview cover:

And the interview!

Why do you think people are drawn to "dark" stories?

Meg: I went to this completely awesome workshop called Odyssey a few years ago and we talked a lot about genre there. One of the things I found fascinating was the idea that fantasy and horror let us "rehearse" our fears in a safe way... as in, we experience them through the stories and "survive" them, in a way. I think people are drawn to darkness for the same reason they're drawn to fire--deadly can be hypnotic.

Amie: Just between you guys, the Internet and me, I'm kind of a happy endings girl, while Meg was once described by her editor (in public!) as "up to her elbows in viscera". I think she's dead on, though. Dark stories let us feel dread, be thrilled, then come home safe.

Meg: I actually think this is one of the things that make us a good pair. You keep me light and I keep you dark. You’ve got to have the up and down in a story, the highs and the lows, or else it’s just unrelenting kill-me-now awfulness.

Amie: Yeah, you want that stuff to relent every so often. Just a bit.

If your book had a theme song, what would it be and why?

Amie: Ooh, ooh, I know. It's Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol. That song captures the desperation of Tarver and Lilac's situation, that us-against-the-world quality to their story.

Meg: AGH, you stole mine! I don’t think we can be friends anymore.

Amie: Think of it more as... collaboration. Go team!

Meg: I totally agree, though. That song just has this energy, this buildup… the lyrics are all about trying to get someone to open their eyes and SEE what’s really going on. Which works for THESE BROKEN STARS on soooo many levels, not just the romance aspect.

What fictional character from another book would your main character chose as his/her best friend and why?

Meg: Oh, this is such an easy question for Lilac. Well, actually not so much a fictional character as a historical one… but Lilac would totally pal around with Marie Antoinette, don’t you think?

Amie: !!! Oh, she totally would! Marie Antoinette had a fake village built, with sheep carefully washed and perfumed, and properly clean villagers so she could play at the country life. Lilac has always been similarly distanced from the world--in These Broken Stars, she's forced up close to all that reality. Also, Lilac and Marie Antoinette would totally swap fashion tips and talk hairstyles.

Meg: Especially in the beginning of the book, Lilac is all about the dresses, the dancing, the drinks and delicacies.

Amie: As for Tarver, he'd share a drink with Captain Mal Reynolds of Firefly (TV). They're both rough, practical soldiers of no particular breeding and highly likely to put their foot in it if they're let near the gentry, but there's poetry in their souls.

Meg: Oh man, that is perfect. Hell, I’d share a drink with Mal. Or with Tarver. Or, let’s be honest, both of them. >_>


What are your top 5 Dystopian lit recs and why?

Amie: First pick for me is Under The Never Sky by the incredible Veronica Rossi. There is SO much to love in that book--the characters that grabbed me and pulled me in (I have a Roar crush), the way she plunges you into the world she's built and forces you to run to catch up, the layers of plot that peel away to leave you going "No, no, OH NO YOU DIDN'T."

Meg: Oh man, I LOVE that book. I have a major Roar crush too. Sooo good. My top rec is easy, because it’s one of my favorite books of all time: The Giver, by Lois Lowry. It’s such a beautiful, beautiful book. The writing is lovely, and the vision of mankind’s future is both bleak and hopeful—a vision of everything we’ve given up in the name of fairness and equality, and everything one boy’s willing to do for the chance to get that back. So gorgeous.

Amie: One of the many things I particularly love about The Giver is that I've read it many times over the years at different ages, and found a different story every time. I'll add Scatterlings by Isobelle Carmody, an Australian author. It's about a girl who wakes up with no memory of who she is, to find that the world she remembers is now ancient and decayed, highways grassed over, skyscrapers crumbling, survivors ruled by a group called the Citizen Gods.

Meg: You keep telling me to read Isobelle Carmody. One of these days I’ll actually get around to it! Okay, I’ll say the obvious one: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I feel like that’s a new classic, really—the series that really jumpstarted the current dystopian craze. Plus it’s just awesome.

Amie: Awesome in so many ways. Even leaving aside the things I love about the writing, I love that so many people I know from all walks of life are reading it, and I love seeing folks who'd usually never come together on books arguing about it. I'll round us out the The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which I think is one of the most haunting and beautifully written books I've ever read.


What's on the top of your to-do list before the world ends?

Amie: I'm always on the move—I've traveled by plane, train, bus, camel, bike, motorcycle, horse, foot, sailboat, kayak and most other ways you can think if. Before I check out, I'd love to take the Trans-Siberian Railway, live in Vernazza, Italy for a while and see some of Africa. I was so inspired by Meg's recent trip there!

Meg: Mine’s all about travel, too. I desperately want to see Asia—I’ve never been to China, Japan, Vietnam, India. I’d love to go. And like Amie, I’m envious of her travel… she’s been to Vietnam several times, and it sounds so lovely.

How does your novel stand out from others in the genre?

Meg: Well, THESE BROKEN STARS isn’t a dystopian—at least, not in the strict traditional sense. The shape of the series as a whole definitely has dystopian elements… the universe is run by unscrupulous corporations, and our heroes and heroines have to work to take them down. But it’s also very much a science fiction series, and not just the post-apocalyptic kind of sci-fi. We’ve got spaceships and other dimensions and terraforming and all sorts of things you don’t normally see in dystopian fiction. And if that we’re enough, in addition to the science fiction and dystopian elements, TBS is also a survival story. And that’s where the heart of this first book lies—in the way these two survive in conditions they were never meant to face. We love that kind of story.

Amie: I've always been a real geek about survivalist stories that explore the way people keep themselves alive, and even transform themselves when disaster hits. From Robinson Crusoe to the journey across a post-apocalyptic America in Stephen King's The Stand, I was always that kid going "okay, so what are they going to eat?" I don't think a lot of SF features situations like this -- even when we're talking about colonizing planets, there's usually equipment in the wilderness. Tarver and Lilac have pretty much nothing, unless you count each other. And at least at first, they sure don't!

And bonus question: Why'd you decide to write this novel together?

Meg: We’ve been writing together for years, ever since we met—the original foundation of our friendship was writing together. And we’ve always written couples, and alternating points of views and characters. It was always just for fun, never with any end goal in mind. It certainly never occurred to us to publish our collaborative work. But it was around the time when I signed with my agent for SKYLARK that we suddenly realized that maybe it was worth exploring, and we started turning our just-for-fun ramblings into a more cohesive whole. It helped that we met another pair of fantastic collaborative writers, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, at World-Con in Melbourne that year and listened to them talk about their process. The only thing holding us back from trying it was the fear it might hurt our friendship to become professional partners—but meeting them really gave us the courage to give it a shot.

Amie: Writing with someone else has the potential to be a disaster, but if you're really in tune--and we've spent years practicing--then it means that you've always got someone there to change you, encourage you, share the awesome moment and pick you up when you need it. Also, our different timezones literally mean you wake up, and it's like elves worked on your book for you overnight!

Amie: Lenore, thank you SO much for having us!

Meg: Yes, thank you! It’s been so much fun.

Thank you two - after this interview, I am DYING to read THESE BROKEN STARS! 

Amie’s Website: http://amiekaufman.com/
Meg’s Website: http://www.meaganspooner.com
Amie’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmieKaufman
Meg’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/MeaganSpooner
TBS on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138635-these-broken-stars

Book Review and Giveaway: Beta by Rachel Cohn

Elysia is a clone of a sixteen year old girl on the island paradise of Demesne. Because of the special air on the island that makes humans relaxed and happy, Demesne has long used clones for all of its service jobs, but they've all been adult. Elysia is one of the first teenage clones, a beta, created to serve as a companion for some lucky family on the island.

BETA was an incredibly entertaining read. Demesne is so well rendered as a place, I had the urge to book a trip there myself (though I wouldn't be allowed to go, since I can't afford the landing strip or private jet to take me there). Of course there are plenty of cracks in this perfect world - especially in their treatment of the clones (who aren't exactly as unfeeling as they are made to be).  Elysia forms a friendship with the maid of the family who buys her, Xanthe (which is seriously one of my favorite names), and learns about the dangers clones face as well as about a growing rebellion.

BETA has some good twists, and even though I did see them coming, I still thought they worked well in the context of the story.  The plot doesn't really kick in until about halfway through (until then, it's a lot of excellent world exploration - worthy of a Zombie Chicken Merit Badge for Worldbuilding), but from that point on, it's high octane with a killer ending that definitely has me excited for the possibilities that await in the next book!

BETA doesn't come out until October 16, 2012, but thanks to the publisher, I have 1 ARC to give away. To enter, fill out this form by August 17, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST. Open US & Canada only.

Visit the author's website for more information.

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: ARC from BEA 2012 (thanks again Susan!)

Book Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Scottish "Verity" is captured in Nazi occupied France and interrogated by Gestapo who allow her to write her story in the hopes of getting valuable secrets from her. What follows is a passionate, rambling account of her friendship with the British pilot, Maddie, she crashed down with.

The first thing you should know about VERITY is how absolutely heartbreaking it is. It's the kind of book that induces ugly sobbing in the fetal position, even in a "never crier" like me.

I connected with Verity's narration so much, I wanted her to be real, to find a time machine to and come be my BFF.  At the beginning of the novel, she admits to being a coward, to being someone who would give up all the codes to the enemy just for the comfort of getting her clothes back.  But how reliable of a narrator is Verity? How much of anyone's words can we take at face value during a wartime operation filled with double agents?

It's a tense, intricate puzzler of a story with a bang of an ending. It will take a long time for my poor heart to recover from this one.

CODE NAME VERITY is available in hardcover now.  Find out more about it at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: I read an eGalley provided by the publisher on NetGalley.

Author Interview: Rachel Cohn previews Beta

For my spotlight on upcoming dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction series, I interview authors with novels coming out in the genre in 2012/13. These are exclusive first looks at exciting new works. Enjoy!

Rachel Cohn, author of NICK & NORA's INFINITE PLAYLIST (with David Levithan) among others, introduces us today to BETA, the start of a four book series. Book 1 is set to come out on October 16, 2012 with Disney Hyperion.

Here's the summary:

In a world constructed to absolute perfection, imperfection is difficult to understand—and impossible to hide. 

Elysia is a clone, created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen year old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of teenaged clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to be created. 

Elysia’s purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air there induces a strange, euphoric high that only the island’s workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to. 

At first, Elysia’s new life on this island paradise is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne’s human residents, the most privileged people in the world who should want for nothing, yearn. And, she comes to realize that beneath its flawless exterior, there is an undercurrent of discontent amongst Demesne’s worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations clouding Elysia’s mind? 

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn’t the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When Elysia’s one chance at happiness is ripped away from her with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she’s always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, Beta is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a corrupted world.

ETA the cover:

And the interview!

Why do you think people are drawn to "dark" stories? 

Life is dark! And we like our stories to reflect that. But I think fictional worlds allow us to go to deep, dark places that are also safe, where creepy terror can feel real, until you close the book and return to your regularly-scheduled (hopefully terror-free) life. I can't speak for other people, but certainly that's why I like dark stories. Also, to know I'm not alone in with feelings of darkness.


If BETA had a theme song, what would it be and why?
"Swim Until You Can't See Land" by Frightened Rabbit, because listening to that song practically wrote this book. The story is very water-oriented (Elysia is a great swimmer and diver), and the lyrics really spoke to me and what Elysia was experiencing.

Dip the toe in the ocean. Oh how it hardens and it numbs.
The rest of me is a version of man, built to collapse into crumbs.
And if I hadn't come down to the coast to disappear
I may have died in a land-slide of the rocks, the hopes and fears.
So swim until you can't see land.

What fictional character from another book would your main character chose as his/her best friend and why? 

As a newly emerged clone, Elysia is a very raw being, with no context of experience. She is very eager to experience life, so I think she would be especially drawn to anybody who felt extreme curiosity for every single thing, along with great intelligence and kindness, someone who would not be judgmental of Elysia as an inferior being because she's not "real." I wracked my brain on this one and finally settled on perhaps not the most original choice, but definitely one I think would be a great guide and BFF to Elysia: Hermione Granger.

What are your top 5 Dystopian lit recs and why?
I confess I'm not particularly well read in this area, but here are some I've loved.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Do I really need to say why? We already know! Because it's so freaking awesome! Incredible action and suspense mixed with a huge depth of heart and imagination. Every page perfect.
Feed by M.T. Anderson for the pure brilliance of the writing. It's a pretty bleak book but so smart and funny and just masterfully written.
Bumped by Megan McCafferty. I love this dystopian take on the issue of teen pregnancy. Very funny and original, but also with a lot to say about women's reproductive rights through the lens of teen experience and slang.

What's on the top of your to-do list before the world ends?
I keep waiting to go to Italy until I can really make an event out of it, and I hope the end-of-the-world isn't what finally gets me there, but it's definitely a country I'd like to see and eat my way across before I die (fat and happy).

How does your novel stand out from others in the genre?
BETA is a classic "fish out of water" story -- nothing too new or original in that -- but what's different about it, I think, is the way in which it's told, through the prism of a teenaged clone who has only just been "born" and has no life experience to inform or support anything she sees or does. And, she's a clone who is not supposed to feel emotion, only mimic it in ways that please humans. This was a really challenging perspective to write, but definitely the most rewarding of anything I've done. I hope readers like it!


Thanks Rachel - looking forward!


Visit Rachel's website

Follow Rachel on twitter @rachelcohn
Add BETA to your Goodreads wishlist

Dystopian Books Out Now (Featured in August) + Giveaways of The Way We Fall and Legend

Part of the fun of my dystopian months is getting to read and review new dystopian lit months ahead of time. I thought a little reminder post was in order...because now you can actually buy these books or borrow them from the library!

SCORED by Lauren McLaughlin Oct 2011

Summary:
Imani knows the only way for her to be able to afford college is to keep her score above the scholarship line of 90.  But is the score really the best thing for Imani and society as a whole? Or is it just a way for ScoreCorp to rule with an iron fist?

What I said then:

"Privacy is a big issue and Author McLaughlin explores it here in depth, showing us the effects freely opening up your life for public scrutiny has on a person, a peer group and a larger society."

Read my entire review

LEGEND by Marie Lu Nov 2011

Summary:

Day is the Republic’s most wanted criminal and June is the Republic’s most promising military cadet and charged with tracking him down. Day only stays in the city because he wants to protect his family. June is out to avenge her brother’s murder. When they meet, they uncover secrets and discover they might not be on opposing sides after all.

What I said then: 

"I was completely drawn into their two points of view, understood their motivations and rooted for them to succeed – which of course creates palpable tension and heart-stopping thrills. Day and June are dystopian fiction’s new power couple: Apart they are formidable opponents – but together, they are legend." 5 Zombie Chickens - Highly recommended

Read my entire review

Want to read a copy?  Thanks to Penguin, I have two hardcover copies up for grabs. US and Canada only.  Fill out this form by Friday Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:59 CST for your chance to win!

THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting Nov 2011

Summary: 

In the violent country of Ludania, where merely looking at someone who speaks a different language than you can condemn you to the gallows, Charlie lives in fear of her neighbors discovering her unique ability to understand all languages. When she meets a boy who speaks a language she has never heard before, Charlie is swept up into centuries old intrigue and a forbidden romance.

What I said then:

"The prologue, featuring the most evil queen this side of Snow White, sets up the creepy atmosphere of Derting’s dystopian world perfectly."

Read my entire review

CROSSED by Ally Condie Nov 2011

Summary: 

Sequel to MATCHED.  Assigned to a work camp, Cassia has only one thing on her mind: getting to the outer provinces to look for Ky. Meanwhile, Ky is trying his best to survive as a decoy villager at the edge of the Society’s reach, knowing he’ll probably never see Cassia again.

What I said then:

"CROSSED will most appeal to Team Ky fans (he even gets chapters from his point of view). Probably my favorite part was the setting. Deep canyons and landscape that reminded me of the James Franco movie 127 Hours (without the arm amputation)."

Read my entire review

THE WAY WE FALL by Megan Crewe Jan 2012

Summary: 

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.  Because how will she go on if there isn't?

What I said then:

"Despite hitting some familiar beats of epidemic fiction (looting, violence, characters close to main character dying, dwindling supplies, etc), the narrative still manages to feel fresh."

Read my entire review

View the trailer

Visit the website

Want to read a copy?  Thanks to Big Honcho Media, I have two hardcover copies of THE WAY WE FALL up for grabs. US and Canada only.  Fill out this form by Friday Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:59 CST for your chance to win!

INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows

Summary: 

In a world where all other inhabitants have been reincarnated over and over again for thousands of years, Ana is a new soul (or as her heartless mother Li likes to say, a “No soul”). Once she hits 18, she sets out for Heart to find answers about the origins of her existence.

What I said then:

"The world building is inventive and made my imagination run wild. I can’t wait to see what Meadows has in store for the rest of the trilogy!"

Read my entire review

Read Jodi's preview interview

Are any of these on your to-read list?

Apocalypsies Love! Book Review: Ditched by Robin Mellom

Apocalypsies Love is all about me telling you what I loved about a 2012 debut book written by one of the amazing Apocalypsies. I also chat with the author to gain insight into their very favorite parts of their creation.

Today, I'm featuring DITCHED: A LOVE STORY, a YA contemporary about a girl's prom night from hell that's a bit like a teen HANGOVER. 

First of all, I love the unique narrative frame of DITCHED. At a convenience store, after being dumped on the side of the road, Justina tells a sympathetic clerk the story of her nightmare prom by explaining how she got each and every stain on her ruined prom dress. This was such a fun, fresh way to tell the classic "prom sucked" story! 

Justina's voice was entertaining.  She has the tendency to go off on tangents and is slightly crazy cakes when her blood sugar gets low, but you want the best for her.  And it is to her credit that you still believe in her even when her story gets ridiculously implausible.

And now let's talk about her prom date and good friend Ian. She'd come to the point where she'd planned to declare her love for him with the perfect kiss pre-prom. But - obviously something went very wrong. Is Ian a scumbag? Or is it Justina's own fault? This comedy of errors highlights Justina's  undeniable chemistry with Ian and ends with bang.

Now let's chat with Robin!

What is your favorite scene in the book?
There is a scene where four teens are pulled over by a cop and must get out of the situation. I decided to make the police officer young (very young), and writing this situation where a rookie cop must deal with some witty teenagers was just too much fun.

What is your favorite line in the book?
“Allyson Moore…I mean, what was it exactly that he couldn’t resist? Surely it wasn’t her remarkable intelligence—the girl thinks monogamy is a type of dark wood.”

Ha! Yes - that line made me laugh out loud. What setting was most fun to write?
I loved writing the 7-Eleven scenes. Every other chapter the story switches back to present time where the main character explains what happened the night before to some very opinionated ladies at the convenience store. They also indulge in numerous 7-Eleven snacks (slurpees, corndogs, nachos, corn nuts!) so food plays a big part, thus my enjoyment in writing it.

It's no secret I love corndogs! Who is your favorite supporting character - one you could see getting a spin-off book - and why?
One character actually will be getting a spin-off book—Serenity, the firecracker friend Justina makes during the night. Serenity was my favorite supporting character and I wanted to know more about her backstory and what finding love would look like for a kick-ass girl like her. Serenity does just that in my next book when she finds herself in jail in BUSTED.

Can't wait! Keeping my fingers crossed that Ian makes another appearance. What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
Working with my editor to make my books better has been an amazing experience. It takes a special person to motivate you while simultaneously pushing you further than you thought you were capable. The collaboration process has been very fulfilling and I’m fortunate to have an editor who truly “gets” what I’m trying to do and knows how to yank the best out of me. 

Thanks Robin!

____________________

Intrigued by DITCHED? It came out Tuesday in hardcover. Find out more about it at the author's website and add it to Goodreads. You can read the first chapter of Ditched here: http://www.robinmellom.com/books/teen-books/ditched

FTC disclosure: Review copy from NetGalley