Book Review: Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

Laura Brown is a typical British teen writing in her diary about the year the UK decided to implement strict carbon rationing. Each resident is issued a card with a certain amount of credits and each has to make some hard choices about how to use them. Laura’s family doesn’t deal well with the changes (to say the least) – will everyone make it through 2015 alive?


While I liked the concept of a focusing on a family trying to transition from the freewheeling life they’ve always known to a more meager form of existence, the diary entries tend to ramble and there isn’t much in the way of an overreaching plot.

I did think Laura’s voice was extraordinarily well done, and I loved the way she could see the humor in the little things even as her family life starts to collapse. It often felt very much like a screwball comedy, which is very unusual for the genre, but it works.

I particularly like this passage from a section where Laura accompanies her parents on a survivalist camping adventure in the countryside:

Huh, I got totally bullied by a gang of ponies on the way back from the shop. I was innocently crossing a field when a squinty black pony shot out from under some trees and went for my pack of Munster Munch. And then a load of others came up behind him. It was dead scary. I had to surrender the Monsters and make a run for it. When I looked back they were all tearing at the plastic like piranhas. The countryside is so brutal. p 210

Umm…and that’s really all I have to say, other than I doubt I’ll read the sequel. My rating: 2 Zombie Chickens - Entertaining but not essential.

Series order

Carbon Diaries 2015

Carbon Diaries 2017

Find out more about the books at the author's website.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Dystopian Reader Views - What fascinates you about the genre?

A major part of the community aspect of Dystopian August is finding out what fellow dystopian readers - whether they be newbies, junkies or somewhere in between - think about the genre.  When I sent out a call for help with the project, I got such a great response, I realized that Dystopian Reader Views could be a series.  Today I want to talk about why we read dystopian and post-apocalyptic lit. 

Personally, I love the genre because I love high concept premises. The more a novel makes me ask the question "How the heck is the author going to pull THIS off?", the more excited about it I am.  And the best ones in the genre, in my opinion, are the ones that did pull off a high concept premise because they backed it up with not only what every good novel needs - logical world building, great storytelling and characters I can connect with - but also because they explore hot-button issues and/or universal themes within a constructed context that is far enough away from us that we feel comfortable discussing it but still close enough that we feel like taking some sort of action.

Here's what other readers (and writers, who are also readers) had to say:

It's about the "what if?" - Diana Peterfreund, Author
I've written about this on my blog.  I think it's the chance to recast the world. You can explore "what if" to the nth degree, without the framework of our society -- oh, they have cell phones, they have vaccines, they have jet planes. It's like a little biodome for you to experiment with the human condition. What would we be like if we existed in this condition? When creating the post-apocalyptic world for my 2011 novel, I had to answer questions like "what happened after they realized what was coming next?" and "how would society go about protecting themselves?" and "how far-reaching is this society? Is there anything 'outside?'


A new perspective - Julie @jflamingo2
To be completely honest, I didn’t think I liked dystopian literature at first. I am new to this genre and I had tried to read several books and I felt that I just couldn’t relate or “get into it.” I realize now that I was most likely giving up a few pages too early. I had a friend at the time who really loved dystopian lit and I loved hearing her talk about it. Soon, it peaked my interest and I found myself researching different dystopian books and wondering where to start. A young adult book club that I started attending at the library actually introduced several dystopian books to me and that is where my fascination with dystopian lit started. I am fascinated with how these authors create these worlds that feel and seem like I’ve known them already. It causes me to question and ponder what I know in my world. I gives me a new perspective through the character’s eyes facing challenges that feel as real as my own. All of this, combines for a unique reading experience with dystopian lit that I really love!

The little things we take for granted - Jen Arnold @littlejennywren
I’m pretty adverse to change and bad news, so it is a little odd that I love dystopian lit as much as I do...I think it is because in most dystopian lit, no matter how much the world as we know it has changed, no matter how depressing things have become, there are always still a few bright spots to hold onto... love, friendship, hope. Dystopian lit seems to hold onto these things even when everything else has been changed or wiped away - I love that. I’m fascinated by the way that characters in dystopian lit can be comforted by little things that we take for granted. Drinking can of Coca-Cola is nothing out of the ordinary for us, but in a post-apocalyptic world, it is a luxury that might help you get through the day, week, year. Dystopian lit helps me appreciate the little things.

Strength of character - Serena @SavvyVerseWit
I've always been interested in the tough situations people find themselves in and how they deal with it. You can tell the strength of a person or in this case character by how well they adapt to the dystopian world. It is also interesting to see how people who have known nothing else by a dystopian world have visions of a better place and what they try to do to achieve that ideal.

A cracked mirror of our world - Lorin
I really like reading about a world that is like ours but different. In some ways, it's the same reason I like science fiction and fantasy (of which there is much overlap with dystopian fiction), I think. There's nothing like holding a cracked mirror up to our world to see what is true in the reflection.  My husband gave a great answer to a similar question in his review of THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin - he talked about how dystopian fiction is a reminder of how fragile society is, and how it raises the question of what would you do if things got really bad.

A peek at what's to come - Sya @splendibird
I think that I have a bit of a morbid fascination with how things might turn out in the future. The human race seem to be doing so many terrible things to each other and the planet that I can't see it all being a bed of roses 50 years down the line. I guess I just want a heads up!

A warning for humanity - Amy H. Sturgis, Author
I appreciate the warnings inherent in dystopian literature. They may be as specific as warning about allowing a governmental policy or practice to continue unchecked, or as general as warning about ignoring the potential destructiveness of a natural disaster. At the heart of all of these warnings, I think, are critiques of human nature, from the human tendency to be corrupted by power to the human tendency to assume someone else will fix the world's problems. Although these literary worlds may appear dark and frightening and bleak, I find the dystopian tradition ultimately to be a hopeful one. After all, we don't give warnings unless there is time to avoid what lies ahead. A warning implies there is still time to act.

Embracing what it means to be human - Carrie Kitzmiller
First of all, I've always been fascinated by the future - and the way technology and scientific advances will change the way that we live. The conflict between science and the value of human life and quality of living. Also, I love the way dystopian lit embraces the part of humankind that keeps us going even in the midst of the darkest of times.

The social commentary - Jennifer
What I’ve always found fascinating about dystopian lit, especially dystopian lit of the mid-20th century, is how intuitive so many of the authors are about society and humanity. For example, whenever I read Fahrenheit 451 (and I reread it every year when I teach it to my freshmen), I am continually amazed at how much closer our world has moved to Montag’s world. Dystopian lit can provide social commentary that is sharper and more affecting than contemporary-set lit, because it’s easy to say That’s not what we are but far less so to say That’s what we could be.

World building - Steph Su @stephxsu
You have to do so much world-building in such a small amount of space and time--like, right at the beginning, and it has to be a world that is a plausible future for us. Dystopian doesn't merely mean a future world with systemic things gone wrong: it's an incredibly detailed genre in which every word and detail literally counts

The range of reactions - Celia
I think dystopian lit tries to answer the question of what humans ultimately do when their back is against the wall. We want to see them act nobly. We want them to find the best system for society (if we believe that is possible). But we know in the back of our heads that that is not necessarily reality. It's also interesting to see a range of reactions. Some people love structure - we all know one or two people who would fit in a dystopian authority hierarchy really well. It's imagining the possible outcomes and reactions that make me come back over and over to the genre.

So what about you?  Agree? Disagree?  Tell us what fascinates you about dystopian/post-apocalytpic fiction - either in the comments or you are welcome to write a post about it on your own blog and link to it in the comments for us all to read!  Alternatively, you can also tell us why you DON'T read it, if that's the case.

Author Interview: Lesley Hauge discusses Nomansland

I reviewed Nomansland earlier today, and now I am pleased to welcome the author, Lesley Hauge, to Dystopian August.

What five objects from your life would you put in a time capsule to help a future society form a picture of who you are?


1) A large mug of tea (it's a very sophisticated state-of-the-art time capsule that can preserve such things). That first, early morning mug of English Breakfast tea or if I can get it, Kenyan tea, with milk and sugar, defines the start of the day and in some way defines me. Tea is a legacy of the colonies, as am I.

2) A chipped but very beautiful crystal glass of very cold, very dry white wine at 6 pm. I am a creature of habit. This is my reward at the end of the day, in the same way as the tea helps negotiate my passage into the day. I collect odd crystal glasses. I don't mind the odd chip.

3) A small brass box, given to me by my brother, containing the last letter he wrote to me before he died.

4) A pair of dancing figures, both male, made out of scrap metal from Zimbabwe. I love dancing. I love Zimbabwe and these figures are so full of life and friendship, so ingeniously and resourcefully made -- they represent a triumph of joy over the tough life of Zimbabweans, and they are made so anonymously -- no signature, no ego.

5) A photo of my family: my sons, my husband and my parents.

(and if I could have an extra one, the Oxford English Dictionary. I have the Compact Edition, two volumes housed in a blue box with a little drawer for a rectangular magnifying glass that you need in order to read the tiny print.)

You state on your website that John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids inspired NOMANSLAND and you use a quote from it to open the novel. What other dystopian lit has made a lasting impression on you?

I like what you might call the off-center, subtle dystopias of J.M. Coetzee in WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS and J.G. Ballard's books.

You’ve said in another interview that your next project is another book in the NOMANSLAND universe – possibly a prequel. Any chance we’ll get a direct sequel? That ending just screams for one!

Oh dear ... I didn't want any screaming.

You have two cats: Kate Moss and Stan Lee. I desperately need to hear the story behind those names.

My oldest son Max named them (they're both rescue cats, brother and sister) because the girl cat is skinny and beautiful and my son much admires the work of Spider Man creator, Stan Lee. Stan Lee aka "the boy cat" does not love me -- he is polite, but keeps his professional distance. He only loves Max. He sits outside on our stoop and tourists take his picture. Kate Moss doesn't go out much -- although a few days ago she fell off the fire escape and managed somehow, to grasp the electrical wires slung across the backyard with her two front paws, and dangled there, skinny, pale tummy exposed, back feet peddling madly, yowling her head off -- we rescued her (it wasn't that far to drop).

What is your favorite destination in Africa and why?

I have to say that my parents' garden is my favorite destination in Africa. But if I were to pick one place outside of that, then almost anywhere on the Zambezi river. I once canoed on it for ten days, from Kariba to the Mozambique border, and it changed constantly, from vast, empty spaces, glittering water to strings of villages and then to dark red chasms and cliffs. There is life and game and birds everywhere. One early evening, some lions on a sand bank in the middle of the river, jumped in and swam in front of our canoes back to the river banks on the mainland
 
Thank you Lesley!  Daniel and I also did a short canoing trip on the Zambezi, and once we got over our fear of being capsized by hippos and eaten by crocs, we had fun!
 

 
Find out more about Lesley and NOMANSLAND at her website.
 
I also found Lesley's guest post on the MacKids blog about how she integrated the topic of feminism into the novel to be very interesting.

Book Review: Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Keller lives in a future society closed off from men and deformed deviants. Where girls growing up are told that it was men who caused the destruction of the planet and are therefore the enemy. And where friendships are discouraged and strict adherence to rules is the only way to survive.


Keller is being trained as a tracker – a defender of the society. It’s one of the most prestigious assignments because it means likely avoiding the burden of being impregnated and used as a breeder. Every day is the same monotonous brainwashing and chores, until one day, a fellow tracker trainee, Laing, takes Keller to a hidden stash of objects from “before”. Laing’s growing obsession with the fashion magazines and make-up she finds there causes her to become increasingly rebellious. And Keller has to make up her mind – is her loyalty to individuals or does she have a greater responsibility to the collective?

As far the plot goes, I definitely get the sense that the girls were going to get caught at some point, but other than that, I really had no idea what to expect. That suspense kept me glued to the page despite there being more far more introspection than action.

Although I did appreciate the careful world building, a lot of it felt stereotypically dystopian and therefore not too surprising. More surprising is Keller, who really is quite an atypical choice for main character in a YA dystopia. Keller’s personality and attitudes have been shaped by her warped society far more than she’d care to admit. She’s hard and rough, and she’s the go-to girl when it comes to the difficult jobs like shooting animals that have outlived their usefulness. In fact, she does seem to have prominent similarities to the society’s tyrannical leader, Ms. Windsor. She is conflicted about her role in the events of the story to a degree, but it felt to me that circumstances rather than her own choices were what dictated her actions and their consequences. Considering where she ends up at the end, it’s a fair question to ask which side Keller is really on, and that’s pretty unusual and thought-provoking.

I did feel that the gender role issues brought up could have been explored in more depth. Some of the scenes seemed to be saying that if you give a pretty girl a dress and some make-up, she’s going to turn into a bitchy queen bee, which fell flat for me.

All in all, a novel well worth reading, so I bestow upon it 3 Zombie Chickens. I’m definitely looking forward to the possible sequel.

Come back later today when I have an interview with Lesley about the novel!
 
See an index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

Book Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES has the feel of a dirge, beautifully poetic, but so relentlessly depressing, it’s draining. This is a dead world where the masses of infected “zombies” vastly outnumber the few pockets of humans still fighting against the tide. It’s a world where one slip-up means infection, isolation, or death.


At the center of all this is Gabry, a sheltered, timid teen who is thrust into the fray after heeding the call of her raging hormones. After one perfect moment of freedom and bliss with her childhood crush Catcher at the forbidden amusement park outside their beach front settlement of Vista, everything goes wrong in Gabry’s world. Some of her friends are infected and turned, some are captured, and some, like Catcher, have disappeared. And after an act of desperation (and stupidity), Gabry is forced to go on the run (basically a near identical plot structure to book 1, only in reverse, and without as much tension).

All of the characters in this installment have ISSUES. There’s Mary (all grown up after her outing in book one THE FORESTS OF HANDS AND TEETH) who still regrets leaving her friends behind. There’s Elias, a mystery teen who hangs out with Soulers (a cult that thinks turning zombie gives you immortality – an interesting thematic aside that could have been expanded) and hides a dark secret. Then there are some other characters with major angst too – but to mention them by name would be too spoilery.

Gabry’s got mommy issues, but they and everything else are overshadowed by her OMG!! love triangle with Elias and Catcher. Gabry internal monologues can be grating as she constantly flips back and forth between bemoaning her new, dangerous existence and exclaiming that nothing matters more than the AMAZING KISS!! moment she just experienced. Exhibit A:

“Is this all there is?” I ask him. I’m so tired of this struggle, of trying to survive when it seems like there’s no point to it. When everyone I love dies or changes and I’m left alone. “Is this what life is about? Waiting for death? Looking for it? Inviting it in?”

“No,” he says, his voice barely a whisper against my cheek. “That’s not what life is.”

“Then what is it?” I need him to give me a reason to keep fighting. To keep pushing forward even though it’s so hard. Even though I’m not sure I still can.

“This,” he says, and he presses his lips to mine.

“…..” (Reviewer’s Note – this is an OMG kissing scene you’ll just have to read for yourself)


For the first time I’m content with who I am; where I am. I don’t want to go back in time. I don’t want to erase everything that’s happened because I don’t want to erase this moment. (p 320-321)

I know both Catcher and Elias have their own special, specific reasons for SO DEEPLY LOVING Gabry, but if you take Gabry at face value, she’s no one that objectively should inspire so much devotion. It’s not like I ever rooted for the zombies to go ahead and rip her apart or anything, but I didn’t end the book as a big fan of hers, honestly.

But despite a bit of eye-rolling over the overwrought love triangle, I thought there were enough moments of brilliance here to give it 3 Zombie Chickens: Well-worth reading (especially for those who are looking for closure about certain events in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH).

Series order:
THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH (read my review)
THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES
THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES (coming March 2011)
 
Find out more about the series at the author's website.
 

 
See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Book Review: Z for Zachariah by Robert C O'Brien

16 year old Ann thinks she may be the last person on Earth after a nuclear bomb destroys all the surrounding areas around her self-sustaining valley. But then, Mr. Loomis shows up in his anti-radiation suit with his anti-radiation gear and Ann starts to realize there may be worse things than being alone.

In this diary format novel from the early 1970s, Ann details her daily life on her farm in post-apocalyptic America, made more exciting, scary, and worth writing (and reading) about by Mr. Loomis’ arrival.

“Most of the time I didn’t write, because one day was just like the day before, and sometimes I thought – what’s the use of writing anyway, when nobody is ever going to read it? Then I would remind myself: sometime, years from now, you’re going to read it.” (p 5)

At first, Ann is hopeful that Mr. Loomis will turn out to be a good partner – someone she can repopulate the planet with. But then he does something stupid that puts his life in danger, and something crazy that puts Ann’s in danger, and suddenly the stakes are raised.

Despite the diary format, the simple story is a nail-biter and seriously psychologically twisted. However, I could never fully immerse myself in the proceedings because I was trying to wrap my brain around the unlikelihood of such a self-sustaining valley existing. I mean, seriously…does this valley have its own personal clouds that were not affected by radiation? Do these clouds only suck up moisture from the safe part of the creek and not from the poisoned part of the creek? It never actually rains in the 2 ½ months we read about, and yet all the plants and trees are growing nicely. Am I the only one bothered by this?

Also, and I realize this was the 70s, but Ann is remarkably passive when it comes to Mr. Loomis. For all of her considerable survival skills, this passivity was rather infuriating, especially considering the ending (which I won’t spoil).

So well-worth reading for its “classic” status, but not one of the most satisfying the genre has to offer.  I'd give it 2 Zombie Chickens - Entertaining but not essential.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Author Interview and Giveaway: Paolo Bacigalupi discusses Ship Breaker

I reviewed SHIP BREAKER earlier today, and now I'd like to introduce Author Paolo Bacigalupi and welcome him to Presenting Lenore for a Dystopian August interview.

On the surface, SHIP BREAKER is a kick-a$$ adventure story, but there are a lot of weighty topics explored as well – the importance of loyalty, corporate responsibility and breaking the cycle of violence. Which came to you first – the ideas you wanted to explore or the storyline/characters?

With this book, the ideas came first, but not the ones you name, actually. I was initially interested in writing about the environment and cool sustainable technologies. That was the real seed for the story. But as I crafted Bright Sands Beach and the world of the ship breakers, another set of themes emerged--the need to rely on one another for survival, the vast differences between the wealthy winners of the future and the losers; and as Richard Lopez came on stage, with his addictions and violence, the theme of family and what we owe our parents ended up taking over the narrative. So the world-building and story-telling ended up creating their own driving rules. I started with a map and a plan, and then took a sharp turn and went off-roading, instead.

I was really fascinated with the half-men, especially as they related to the theme of loyalty – they are essentially as loyal as you get in SHIP BREAKER’s world. Can you tell us a bit about their development? Will we ever find out how Tool was able to be his own patron?

Yes. You'll definitely see Tool again. I've always been interested in bio-engineered characters, and anyone with the blood of tiger, dog and hyena running through his veins is too interesting to leave alone. When Tool first arrived onstage for me, he was almost fully formed, and he turned out to be a good metaphor for questions not only of loyalty, but also a stark example to illustrate questions of nature vs. nurture that Nailer finds himself wrestling with. Tool has the blood of dogs running through him, and he's expected to obey his patron at all times. To be the well-trained animal. Which, come to think of it, is pretty much what we expect of our kids, as well.

I’m totally psyched for SHIP BREAKER II – THE DROWNED CITIES. When is it coming out and what can we expect?

Not sure when SHIP BREAKER II will come out. I've got a bunch of revisions to do, so I'm sort of delaying the process more than I'd like. Hopefully sometime next year, though. You can expect to see Tool again, and Nailer's life is far from secure. To say more would sort of spoil the surprises that I'm lining up, but you can expect to see more of the world fleshed out, and to get a better sense of parts of its history, as well.

Do you read a lot of dystopian/post-apocalyptic literature? Any influences? Any recommendations?

Actually, I don't read that much of it. My influences all come from environmental journalism. I look at current trends and then try to extrapolate on what might come next. If oil is getting scarce, then what might the world look like? If we're destroying ecosystems, what does that mean? Mostly, what I like to do is turn up the volume on a trendline that already exist and is already playing out. I think of my stories as thought experiments, and to the extent that other people call the results dystopian or post-apocalyptic, I think that reflects how ugly some of our current trends are.

If I was going to suggest something to read, I'd say most of the writings of Michelle Nijhuis are interesting, she's an environmental journalist and a friend of mine, and I'm always stealing from what she writes about. Elizabeth Kolbert of the New Yorker is doing a great job of sketching out the broad lines of the future based on what's happening today, and it's scary as hell. David Quammen's book Song of the Dodo is a fabulous look into the science evolution and extinction, and what it has to tell us about our present. Journalists like these ones are mining the present for the stories that are telling us what tomorrow will look like. I turn to them again and again so that I can understand our own narrative arc.

As far as fiction that I've read and liked, and that used the tools of dystopia particularly well, I'd recommend MT Anderson's FEED. It's about as smart as it gets.

The dystopian genre has really exploded in terms of popularity in the past year. Do you think it’s been played out? Or are readers insatiably hungry for these types of stories?

I didn't really understand that there was a dystopian genre until SHIP BREAKER was labeled that way. I've always thought of myself as writing extrapolations, and really (let's whisper it), science fiction. There's a long tradition in science fiction of writing speculations that ask the question "If x goes on, what does the future look like?" I think of myself as being pretty firmly embedded in that tradition.

Regarding the current taste for devastation, I suppose that to the extent that it has something relevant to say, it always will have a place.1984 still survives because of its continued relevance. Books like LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow continue in that tradition, and I think that relevance doesn't get played out. If dystopian literature has something worthwhile to say, it will survive; if it's a shtick, it will die in favor of some new shtick.

Thanks Paolo! 

Visit Paolo at his website to find out more about SHIP BREAKER and his other novels.  You can also read the first 30 pages of SHIP BREAKER via Hachette's open book app.

Thanks to Little, Brown, I have three copies of SHIP BREAKER to give away today to readers with US mailing addresses (no PO boxes please).  To enter, just leave a comment about some aspect of today's interview.  Contest will remain open until August 31st at 11:59 CST.

Book Review: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Small and scrappy, Nailer works as a ship breaker on “light crew” in a post-apocalyptic version of America’s Gulf Coast. It’s a dangerous job, and everyone is looking for that one “lucky strike” that could take them away from all the poverty and struggle and set them up for life. Nailer proves lucky, not once, but twice and has to decide the best way to parlay his luck into a better future for himself and those he cares about.


SHIP BREAKER pulsates with energy from page 1 as we follow Nailer into the narrow, claustrophobic passages of a dead freighter on the search for copper wire to make his quota and justify his place on his work team. As Nailer confronts challenge after challenge in a series of escalating cinematic action sequences, we also really get inside his head and root for him unabashedly.

Because this is much more than a post-apocalyptic adventure novel – it’s also got great characters. Nailer is not perfect, but he’s clever and retains a certain level of basic human decency and compassion even when most of the world’s population seems to have abandoned such luxuries. That he wants so badly to do the right thing – the good thing – is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. And the cool thing is – that instinct pays off.

The other major character here is Nita, and she’s a great counterpoint to Nailer. She grew up rich and pampered, but that “swank” life doesn’t do her much good on the run, and she learns to admire Nailer’s resourcefulness and survival skills. Nita represents a possible improvement of Nailer’s lot in life, but she’s characterized to be so much more complex than a mere golden goose. Her relationship with Nailer is fascinating to watch develop.

Supporting characters are also diverse and well-drawn. Tool, the” half man” is especially noteworthy and ties to the theme of loyalty that is thread throughout the narrative (as does Pima, Nailer’s friend from the light crew, albeit in a radically different way). And Nailer’s father? One of the most terrifying fictional guys I’ve come across lately.

There are a few places where the plot disappoints a bit, devolving into a sort of panicked “run for your life” mode that I never can totally get into, but those bits aside, this is an ambitious, rollicking ride that sparkles with originality and complexity.

Oh, and there is a sequel planned! SHIP BREAKER II – THE DROWNED CITIES will be out sometime next year. I can't wait! Find out more about it and the author, when I post my interview with him later on (which includes a book giveaway!)

My Rating – 4 Zombie Chickens: An Excellent Example of the Dystopian (Post-Apocalyptic) Genre

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

Book Review and Giveaway: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I know, I know! This isn't a dystopian title, but the one little non-dystopian post I'll be doing this month.  You see, over at Sarah-Land ning, Penguin is celebrating The Summer of Sarah for Sarah fans new and old to get excited about Sarah Dessen's backlist titles in preparation for her new book coming out next year WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE.  This week, it's all about JUST LISTEN, and you have a chance to win a signed copy here and another signed copy over at Sarah-Land.

Here's what Sarah has to say about the novel:

People are always interested to learn where a story comes from, and I’m often asked where I get the ideas for my books. The truth is, sometimes I don’t even know: rather than just one big moment, it’s often a lot of little random thoughts, scribbled notes on scraps of paper and backs of receipts, that make up a novel. Other times, though, you can trace a story’s beginning back to a specific moment. That’s what happened with Just Listen.

It was the fall of 2004, and I was about to start a new book. I had a couple of ideas kicking around in my head, some things I knew I wanted to do, but nothing concrete just yet. One day, I was sitting in the lobby of a private school, waiting to do a talk, when I saw a yearbook on the table beside me. I picked it open and started to flip through it, looking at the sports shots, different classes, and finally the senior pages, which were filled with personal photos from each of the graduates. One in particular jumped out at me. It was a shot of three beautiful girls, obviously sisters, all blonde, posing together by a pool, and even at first glance all I could think was that they looked like the kind of girls who had everything. A great family, fabulous social life, palpable confidence, all the stuff I wished I had in high school, and beyond. Then someone called my name: it was time to give my talk. So I shut the book, and left it behind.

Later though, when I was driving home, I kept thinking about that picture, and how quickly I’d made assumptions about it. After all, nobody’s life is perfect, and you can’t tell anything from just one shot, one day. I started to wonder what it would be like to be one of those girls, with everyone so quick to judge, and just how wrong they might be. And just like that, Annabel’s story, which had been hovering in my head in bits and pieces, began to come together.

It is always my intention to write a simple, streamlined novel, short and sweet. But that never happens. Instead, I begin with one idea, which morphs into another, and then another, like a picture that grows past its frame to show everything else that’s happening you can’t see at first. So like The Truth About Forever, my last book, Just Listen has a lot going on. There’s modeling, music, family dynamics, and even bacon. It also brings back a few people those of you who have read my other books might recognize, and I hope will be happy to see again.

No writing process is ever easy, and this book took a lot out of me. Looking back, I think that like Annabel, I had a hard story to tell, and sometimes it was tough to work up to getting it out. I kept going back, rewriting, not trusting that I was doing it justice. It was only once it was finished that I was able to see that all along, I should have been taking my own advice. Not over thinking, backtracking, or obsessing, but instead simply letting Annabel have her say. I just needed to listen. I hope you will, too.

And here's what I have to say:

On the surface, Annabel seems like the perfect teen. But she’s starting to crack under the pressure of broken friendships, dark secrets, and family troubles. Then she meets Owen and finds in this loner, music-obsessed boy with anger management problems someone who always speaks the truth and who will just listen.

Believe it or not, JUST LISTEN was my first ever Sarah Dessen novel. And despite the tragic circumstances in my life while I was reading it, I did get rather sucked into the story.

Owen is a marvelous creation – an atypical love interest for a YA novel – raw, honest and real. His relationship with Annabel reminded me of a book I loved as a preteen JUST A LITTLE BIT LOST by Laurel Trivelpiece in which the wallflower main character gets lost on a school hiking trip with the most popular boy in school and they grow to trust each other and really bond. I really like stories about very different people looking beyond the surface to see their similarities. I also loved all the scenes with Owen’s younger sister – she’s a riot!

Annabel was a bit frustrating for me though. She never really lets you get inside her head, which is something I feel is essential in this type of book. You do come to understand some of her motivations for her semi-withdrawal from life, but I never did get why she let former best friend Sophie push her around like she did. I think she lost a lot of sympathy points by being such a pushover.

But still, this is one of the better contemporary YA realistic fiction I've read and I'm sure I'll read more Sarah Dessen in the future.

Your chance to win:

I have one signed copy of JUST LISTEN to giveaway to one lucky reader with a US mailing address. Copy is provided and sent by the publisher. Just tell me in the comments what Sarah Dessen novel I might try next (or if you haven't read any, than any contemporary YA realistic novel).  Contest will close Monday August 8th at 11:59 pm CST.

You also have two more chances to win over at Sarah-Land by answering the fun trivia questions this week about JUST LISTEN.

And tomorrow I'll review my first dystopian title of the month, promise!

Dystopian August Kick-Off

It's here! A whole month of dystopian fun at Presenting Lenore. Grab the button below for your sidebar if you plan to participate!

*UPDATES*
Recap of Week 3 including all currently open giveaways
Recap of Week 2
Recap of Week 1

Here's what I have on tap:

Reviews of over 20 dystopian novels, past, present and future - complete with my infamous Zombie Chicken Ratings. (Refer to my index of dystopian reviews for latest updates and past reads)

Interviews with authors of dystopian fiction.

Dystopian Reader Views - I surveyed a ton of readers on fascinating dystopian related topics and I'll be sharing the results in a series of posts. You are invited to join in my posting your own response to the topic, either in the comments or on your own blog.

Previews of dystopian fiction coming out in 2011 and 2012.

Contests and book giveaways and more!

Speaking of contests, I have a fun one to start us off! Macmillan US has generously donated a 6 book dystopian YA prize pack of books I've either reviewed during Dystopian February or will review this month. All you have to do to enter to win is read and review at least one dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel during the month of August and then link to your review via Mr. Linky (if you review it on your blog) or via the comments (if you review it on a review site such as GoodReads because you don't have a blog). Challenge and contest is open worldwide, so get reading!

Here are the books you could win (one winner takes all):

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge (Hardcover) (Publisher info)

The Gardener by SA Bodeen (Hardcover) (Publisher info)

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (Hardcover) (My review)

Escape from Furnace: Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith (Paperback) (My review)

Escape from Furnace: Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith (ARC) (Publisher info)

Razorland by Ann Aguirre (ARC) (Info on author's website)

Please link your reviews to any dystopian novel you review from August 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010. Please format your link as follows: Book Title (Blog Name). One link per review please. Make sure to link to this post from your review for it to count as an entry to the Prize Pack giveaway. The more dystopian books you read and review this month, the more chances you have to win!