Reviews on a Theme: Sex in YA

Sex in YA is usually of the fade to black variety. But I read three contemporary books this year that get quite a bit more graphic than that. For further reading on the topic of sex in YA, check out this excellent post at Stacked.

THE INFINITE MOMENT OF US by Lauren Myracle

Wren has always done exactly what her parents want her to. But the summer after she graduates from high school she decides it's time to do what she wants instead. That includes falling hopelessly in love with a foster kid, Charlie Parker.

What Myracle does so, so well here is capturing the all-consuming nature of first love. Wren and Charlie's get to know each other deeply on many levels - emotionally, intellectually and, yes, physically - and it's all refreshingly honest and straightforward.

But --- not gonna lie, Wren drove me absolutely crazy with her self-centeredness. It's like once she realizes she can live for herself instead of her parents she thinks everyone else should live just for her. This was especially apparent in her relationship with Charlie (who should be awarded a roomful of medals for putting up with her). His sweeping romantic gesture at the end of the book would have been swoon-worthy if it wasn't so foolhardy and if it didn't play right into Wren's self-centeredness.

Still, I would jump at the chance to read what happens next between Wren and Charlie.  Here's hoping there's a sequel (set in SPOILER).

FTC disclosure: Netgalley

WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Dollar

Callie returns to her father after her mother is arrested for kidnapping her as a child. As she adjusts to life in a stable environment, she also falls for the town's resident charmer.

Based on the pitch, I somehow expected this to be more of an exploration of Callie's relationship with her father. While this aspect is more or less glossed over in favor of Callie's romance with Alex, I can't complain too much because their chemistry is a thing of beauty. Other pluses: Callie's fabulously understanding and uncomplicated friend Kat, the extended Greek family and detailed rendering of the tourist town of Tarpon Springs, FL. Personally I yelled at Callie a lot for the horrible way she treated her father, but at least I could understand why she behaved so badly.

FTC disclosure: Netgalley

USES FOR BOYS by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

In the beginning, it's just Anna and her mother and they are each other's whole world. But as Anna's mother starts a series of relationships with men, she pulls away from Anna - leaving Anna to look for someone else to complete her.

Anna's loneliness and neediness permeate the pages. Much of the novel is about how people use each for sex, and it's gritty and heartbreaking and depressing. Fortunately the ending is hopeful and I really do think Anna's journey is a powerful one that I'm sure many teens will relate to.

FTC disclosure: Bought

Joint Review Discussion + Giveaway: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

I really enjoy doing these joint review discussions of dystopian reads, and this month I'm doing a couple with Christina of Reader of Fictions. These are more in-depth than my usual reviews and discuss plot points in a (mostly) non-spoilery way. Today we are discussing IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS.

Publisher's summary:

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her? 

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Christina and I decided to discuss four topics: Atmosphere, Romance, History and Ghosts. The first two we discuss below, the second two we discuss over at Reader of Fictions.

Atmosphere

Lenore
A plague that kills a high percentage of people, dead, bloated bodies lying in the street, boys and men sent off to war, hucksters trying to make a quick buck off of desperate people, protesters arrested and jailed. Sounds like a typical post-apocalyptic novel right? But it’s not. It’s 1918 San Diego and Mary Shelley is staying with her aunt after her father’s imprisonment. She meets up with her childhood friend Stephen and his family - including an older brother who is a celebrated spirit photographer. And the deadly flu comes ever closer …

I just loved the spooky atmosphere of this novel.

Christina
Yes, the atmosphere is amazing. It’s very gothic and dark, full of shadowy corners and buzzing flies. Death is coming from every direction: the government, the woman coughing next to you, the cart of corpses down the street, the violent ghost inhabiting your body, the war... Mary Shelley, aptly named for a horror novel’s creator lives a life surrounded by horrors. I was so impressed by how well she managed everything. In this environment, I would be worthless.

Lenore
Yes! Mary Shelley was so determined to set things right for Stephen - even if it cost her her life. I admire that kind of moxie and dedication. And that’s how Winters manages to up the stakes even more - Mary Shelley has to solve a whole mystery involving Stephen. This mystery was so well plotted, too. I totally didn’t see those reveals coming.

Christina
Moxie is the perfect descriptor for Mary Shelley. She has that in spades. I kowtow to Winters’ mystery-plotting, because she totally fooled me. I thought I knew what was up, but she threw me off the scent! One of those where you’re blindsided, but then look back and go “I should have seen that coming!” since it’s been so perfectly set up.

Lenore
We should have seen it coming. But I love that we didn't.

Romance

Lenore
One of the main reasons I fell so hard for this novel was the connection between Mary Shelley and Stephen. By the time the novel opens, Stephen has already been shipped off to fight in Europe - so we mostly see their relationship develop via his letters (swoon!) and a flashback of their first kiss (double swoon!). And man …. I felt sooo bad for both of them. I ached for them to be back together.

Christina
You’re going to call me hard-hearted, but I didn’t feel them as much as you did. I would have loved to see a few more scenes of them playing together as children, and to have read a few more letters. I do feel ever so badly for Stephen, though. That kid grew up with his abusive older brother and decided the best way to escape was the war. Bad plan, buddy. Bad plan. Their romance did have some of the best romantic lines, though. Ones that made me want to fistbump Cat Winters, like this one from one of Stephen’s letters: “Don't ever worry what the boys who don't appreciate originality think of you. They're fools.” Keep in mind, folks, that the quote is from the ARC, so it could change, but I hope it doesn’t.

Lenore
I adore that line! And sometimes, a line like that goes a long way to winning me over. I mean, yeah - I would GLADLY take more Stephen/Mary Shelley interaction anyday, but I didn’t need more. I thought Winters packed so much emotion and longing into so little. It’s so hard to do, too.

I nearly gave this a Zombie Chicken Merit Badge for Romance, but in the end, I decided for the Writing badge.

Don't miss the rest of the discussion over at Reader of Fictions!


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IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS doesn't come out until April 2nd, but luckily for my readers, the publisher has donated five advance copies for giveaway! Fill out this form by March 8, 2013 at 11:59 pm CST to enter. US only. Visit the author's website for more information about the book.

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: NetGalley + I gave my ALA copy to Christina for the purpose of this discussion

Author Interview: Cat Winters previews In the Shadow of Blackbirds

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 have Cat Winters on the blog to preview her historical dystopian IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS. It releases from Amulet Books in Spring 2013. I am definitely excited to read this one as it is a scary yet fascinating period in American history.

The summary:

WELCOME TO A DYSTOPIAN WORLD STRAIGHT FROM AMERICAN HISTORY 

A teen girl mourns the loss of her first love in 1918 California, where a flu has turned deadlier than a world war, disloyalty is forbidden, and spirit communication has become a dark and dangerous obsession.

ETA the cover:

And the interview:

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

I think we enjoy dark tales because we want to see how other people survive the absolute worst situations the world can offer. I would never want to go through the terrifying, grueling experiences my favorite characters endure, but it always gives me a tremendous rush of hope to watch them overcome the darkness bearing down on them.

I think society as a whole is especially drawn to tales of young people overcoming the darkness. Not only do children and teens represent the possibilities of a new future, but they tend to be more honest about the cruelty and ridiculousness of overwhelming situations.

If your book had a theme song, what would it be and why?
"Doomsday Serenade" by Jill Tracy (http://jilltracy.bandcamp.com/track/doomsday-serenade): a ragtime-influenced love song set during the Apocalypse. It's perfect for my two main characters, who desperately try to remain together during a moment in time when the world truly did feel like it was ending. I won't even get into the fact that one of those characters happens to be dead.

What fictional character from another book would your main character chose as his/her
best friend and why?
Hmm…that's a hard one. I suppose my main character would get along well with Lina from Ruta Sepetys's BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, another dark historical novel that almost feels like it's set in a dystopian world (at least, I wish that world had only been imaginary and not a real place). Both girls are fighting for survival under dire circumstances they can't control, and they're both smart girls with potential who watch their chances for a bright future crumble around them. My protagonist would certainly be empathetic to Lina's experiences.

What are your top 5 Dystopian lit recs and why?

NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR by George Orwell - It was my first introduction to dystopian literature, and the Big Brother concept definitely influenced my portrayal of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS's overbearing 1918 setting. My main character is the daughter of a man who's beaten and arrested for thinking the wrong ideas, and she's constantly reminded that people could be listening and watching for her signs of betrayal to the government.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood - I was blown away by the intensity of this book. I remember being a little freaked out because shortly after I read the novel in college in the early nineties, we all started using credit cards to buy groceries, gas, etc., just like in THE HANDMAID'S TALE. Before then, we were mainly using cash and checks, so it was disconcerting to move one step closer to Atwood's fictional world.

FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury - The idea of burning even one book makes me shudder. The concept of a society that burns ALL books is pure dystopian horror. I've been a Bradbury fan since childhood.

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins - I read this book as I was starting to write IN THE SHADOW ON BLACKBIRDS, and it made me stop and realize, "You're writing about a period

in history that was a true dystopian society. Portray it that way." Something about Collins's novel and the juxtaposition between The Capitol and Panem's citizens allowed me to start seeing my own book's setting as something that could have emerged from science fiction. My two central teen characters are even science fiction fans, which seemed appropriate for a young couple immersed in a bizarre dystopian reality.

LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding - I know there's some debate over whether or not this is truly a dystopian novel, but this book is the epitome of how fear and chaos can create a nightmare society. The fact that children are involved in creating that society makes the book all the more chilling.

What's on the top of your to-do list before the world ends?
Visiting as much of the world as I can. When I was nineteen, I had the opportunity to study theater in London for five weeks, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but that's the only time I've left North America. I'd love to see more of what's out there.

How does your novel stand out from others in the genre?
IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS is historical fiction, a genre not typically associated with dystopian literature, mainly because dystopians are usually defined as having purely fictional settings. As I mentioned above, however, a Big Brother/apocalyptic mood pervades the entire novel.

I'm guessing many people unfamiliar with the history of 1918 may even believe I created the monster flu at the center of the story, as well as the book's oppressive U.S. society, which at times resembles Nazi Germany and paranoid Cold War nations. I think readers will see from the very opening scene they're in store for a historical American world that feels unfamiliar, unsettling, and definitely dark.

Thank you Cat!

Visit Cat's website: http://catwinters.com
Follow Cat on twitter: @catwinters
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