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

Chick-O-Saurus Rex Updates!

Can you believe CHICK-O-SAURUS REX comes out next week already? (add to Goodreads)

We have some fun stuff in the works, including three upcoming bookstore events:

Saturday July 27, 2013, 11 a.m. at Watermark Books in Wichita, KS

Saturday August 3, 2013, 3:30 p.m. at Hooray for Books in Alexandria, VA (also appearing: Ann Bonwill & Erin Cabatingan)

Saturday August 10, 2013, 10 a.m. at Fundamentals Bookstore in Delaware, OH

Come out and see us and get a personalized illustration in your copy of the book!

CHICK has also gotten some awesome trade reviews:

“Fun for reading aloud, especially in group settings." (Booklist)

"Dinosaur-loving youngsters will warm to Little Chick." (School Library Journal)

"Provides a distinctive angle to a story about bullying." (Publisher's Weekly)

Also, if you want to see me with swamp hair, check out this CHICK promo video where Daniel and talk about our process and we share a hilarious dinosaur joke.

The Return of Cat Tuesday (85)

How about some RAWRS?

Bookanista Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Caymen despises the rich, entitled customers that treat her badly at her mother's shop, so when wealthy hotel heir Xander comes by to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it's hate at first sight. But despite their class differences, Xander and Caymen start to get to know each other, and start to think they might be able to close the distance between them.

The more I think about this one, the more I like it. It's a light, romantic read with a appealingly snarky MC (who works and lives in a CREEPY DOLL SHOP) and a swoon-worthy boy - exactly what I needed as a respite from all my doom and gloom reading. The ending might be a bit too pat (and doesn't allow the couple to really work through their main conflict) but it put me in a good HEA mood, so I won't grumble.

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

FTC disclosure: Unsolicited review copy from publisher

See what the other Bookanistas are enjoying:

Christine Fonseca fawns over THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Elana Johnson is wowed with DUALED by Elsie Chapman

Nikki Katz is speechless over UNSPOKEN by Sarah Rees Brennan

Stasia Ward Kehoe flips for ALL THE TRUTH THAT'S IN ME by Julie Berry

Katy Upperman sees stars for WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Book to Movie Adaptations

Before I was a blogger, one of my favorite ways to find good books to read was to peruse the pages of Entertainment Weekly and see what movies were coming out.  And of course I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie, because we all know most of the time, the book really is better.

Which brings us to this week's Top Ten Tuesday!

Here's a list of movies that I think were as good (or better) than the books or at least brought something new to the experience of the story, in no particular order:

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

If you can believe, I read A CLOCKWORK ORANGE at the beach (in Myanmar). I remember having to read the first page about 10 times because it was so strange. Stanley Kubrick was the perfect director to bring this to life.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Ok, so I wasn't on board with some of the casting choices (Peeta), but for the most part I enjoyed the adaptation. At least, every time I rewatch it, it sucks me right back in.

Holes (2003)

This is probably my favorite middle grade book of all time, and though the movie is a different experience than the book, it's still a great one mainly due to the perfect casting.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

I read this specifically because the movie was coming out and I loved the cat and mouse of the book.  The movie glosses over some of the plot, but Matt Damon and Jude Law were great in their roles.

Little Children (2006)

I also read this because of the movie, and I love Kate Winslet in the part of a bored housewife who has an affair.  The production hits all of the dark atmospheric notes perfectly.

The Great Gatsby (1974)

I refuse to see the 2013 version because no one but Robert Redford will ever be Gatsby to me.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

This probably makes me weird, but this book was my favorite as a kid. When the movie came out, I saw it 8 times in the theatre (a record that still stands, and likely always will).  I mean, those looks between Uncas and Alice. I totally believed in their wordless, unrequited romance.

Thank You For Smoking (2005)

The plot of the movie is less wacky than the plot of the book, but I so enjoyed both versions, because at the time, I had just finished working on a project for a potentially reduced exposure product from a major cigarette producer and everything rang so, so true to my experience. Brilliant.

Life of Pi (2012)

This was one of those books I was always pushing on people so I could discuss it with them, so when I heard Ang Lee was directing a film version, I was super excited. The visuals in this are STUNNING.

Les Miserables (2012)

I was obsessed with the Les Miserables musical in high school (saw a traveling production in Dayton for my 18th birthday), so when the 1998 movie came out, I kinda hated it because they didn't sing. The movie soundtrack won't replace my broadway version, but it works in the context of the movie (yes, even Russell Crowe). And I always cry at the end. Every time.


Additional thoughts

The Lord of the Rings. LOVED the movies but I've only read bits and pieces of the books, so I guess I can't count these.
Cloud Atlas. For this to work, you HAD to have read the book, so that is not such a successful adaptation in my mind. It was very ambitious though, so I'll give it an A for effort.
The Never Ending Story. Ok, so I loved both when I was a kid, but wow, is this movie ever cheesy when I watch it today.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Well, actually Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (1971) because both book and movie are so wonderfully weird. HATE the remake.

Disappointments

The Time Traveler's Wife. All the pieces seemed to be there, but it just didn't work. Lack of chemistry?
Memoirs of a Geisha. I read this in one sitting until the wee hours of the night, but the movie was boring.
The Road.  One of my favorite books, and the movie didn't do it justice.
A Series of Unfortunate Events. I think Jim Carrey ruined this for me.

Loved the Book, Still need to see the movie
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Where the Wild Things Are

Loved the movie, Still need to read the book
Misery
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Children of Men
The Silver Linings Playbook
No Country for Old Men



Ok. Stopping now. For reals.

ETA: Not stopping apparently! Just reminded of The Help and Atonement. Both excellent on page and film.

Return of Cat Tuesday (84)

Tight spot + new place to explore when I take out my sock drawer to organize it:

Bookanista Review: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

So funny story -- immediately prior to reading this novel, I was chatting with several bookish friends about how I was mostly burnt out on the YA contemporary issue novel -- those dealing with abuse, self-harm, incest, drug use, etc. I tend to gravitate towards the sunny, carefree side of contemporary YA, probably to counterbalance all the dark science fiction and dystopians I read.

CHARM & STRANGE is a strange case, however. It's not immediately clear what genre you're getting. Is it a YA contemporary featuring a male protagonist with some serious mental health issues or is it a paranormal about werewolves living among us? (In this set-up, it reminded me a lot of Justine Larbalestier's LIAR, except that Andrew isn't so forthright or cheeky about his possible unreliable narrator status).

What is clear is that Andrew needs to excise his demons. The action in the present takes place over the course of one night at a party in the woods with Andrew's boarding school classmates, and is interspersed with flashbacks of his family life.  The novel cleverly plays with the idea that we often need fiction to be able to deal with fact and keeps you guessing and compulsively reading to find out what is fact and what is fiction in Andrew's life.

CHARM & STRANGE is available now. Find out more about it at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: Netgalley


See what the other Bookanistas are excited about this week:

Shelli Johannes-Wells gives cover love to FAKING NORMAL

Stasia Ward Kehoe delves into DANCER, DAUGHTER, TRAITOR, SPY by Elizabeth Kiem

Elana Johnson and Nikki Katz adore THIS IS W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Gretchen McNeil is wowed by THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher

Katy Upperman praises WORST CASE OF PASKETTI-ITIS by Kris Asselin

Blog Tour: Proxy by Alex London

Looking for an action-packed dystopian that's different than what's already out there?  You'd do well to pick up PROXY then.  

The synopsis: 

Knox was born into one of the City's wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death. 

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own. 

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

My thoughts:

It's sorta funny that I read this right after putting up my post about animal death in fiction, because PROXY kills off a bunch of zoo animals and some poor horses.  I was able to keep reading though, because although the animal death wasn't entirely justified, it was understandable in the context of the brutal setting. The action flows really well and Syd is relatable and someone worth rooting for.

Even if I didn't 100% buy it from a characterization standpoint, the ending is a great example of poetic justice and sets up some interesting questions for the sequel.

And now, here's the author to talk about the book!

Proxy excerpt: 

“‘…why else do you think I hired you?’
‘Because I have small hands and I don’t steal.’
‘These things are all true,’ Mr. Baram answered. ‘But that doesn’t make them my reasons. Perhaps not even I know my reasons.’
‘I’m sure your reasons are as noble as your visage.’ Sydney joked.
‘My visage, eh?’ Mr. Baram chuckled. ‘You’ve been reading through my library.’
‘You should password protect better if you don’t want readers.’
‘Oh, I want readers, my boy.’ Mr. Baram sighed. ‘A world of readers, I want, and yet, all I have is you. You want information, mere data, just like everyone else. That’s not reading. Wisdom? Inspiration? Phfft! Their time has passed, eh?’ He waved his hand in the air. ‘You cannot nourish the soul with data!’” – page 35, PROXY

Alex London on the best aspect of the society in Proxy: 

I suppose the technology they have in Proxy is pretty great, but it is also that technology that isolates people from each other and from the context in which they live. If you can afford it, you can do or get or be anything you want anytime you want it. Some might say that kind of freedom is ideal. There are no laws-- only corporate regulations, agreements and contracts. It's an entirely free market, where you get whatever you can pay for...and nothing more.

None of this sounds very good does it?

I suppose the good side of that is, that in that society you are free to be awful and to exploit your neighbors and abuse your proxies--no laws will stop you--but you are also free to be kind, to be generous, to be a boon to those less fortunate than you.

Of course, one of my main characters chooses to be like that and one most decidedly doesn't, but they are both free to change. Exploring that, how much of what they think and know comes from the society around them and how much they can defy its expectations is the crux of the Syd and Knox’s journey. I suppose that's true of everyone growing up, in a bleak imaginary future, or now, in our society, in our time. We all have to decide who the best version of ourselves is and how much we are willing to do to become it.

So the best aspect of the world of Proxy? The people in it, just like our world.

About Alex London: 

Alex London writes book for adults, children and teens. At one time a journalist who traveled the world reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he now is a full time novelist living in Brooklyn.

You can find Alex London on twitter and his website.

Find the next stop on the Proxy blog tour on The Compulsive Reader tomorrow!

Bookanista Review: All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

ALL YOU NEVER WANTED is a story of sisters in crisis.  Alex is the older sister, prettier and more popular, but hiding an embarrassing secret that is making her withdraw from life.  Thea has always wanted to be like Alex, and as Alex diminishes, Thea sees her chance to take over, spinning wild lies in her quest for world domination.

It's also a "poor little rich girl" story, in a way, because Alex and Thea's problems are magnified by their new wealth.  Their mother has remarried, to a fabulously rich man who lives in a mansion the girls call Camelot, and while the money can buy lots of things, it has also effectively removed their mother from their life, as she now travels with her new husband instead of taking care of her children.

I absolutely loved how real both sisters came off.  They aren't best book friend material by any means - Alex is very withdrawn, prickly and "ice queen"-ish while Thea is overdramatic, a compulsive liar and could give Hedda Gabler a run for her money in the soul-sucking department - but their struggles are relatable and their motivations fully understandable.

Alex's story unfolds in third person, fitting for a girl who has distanced herself from her own life. Her secret shame came as a direct result of a rich guy power play by her step-father, so she's especially bitter. She's also developing an eating disorder, and no one wants to call her on it - not her drug-dealer boyfriend, her friends or her sister - all for their own underhanded reasons. But fortunately for her, Xander is in her life. And he might just offer the lifeline she needs. (LOVE Xander!)

Thea's story is first person all the way, and we get front row seats to the way she deceives everyone - even herself.

Highly recommended, especially to those readers who value excellent character development. I'd also suggest Bennett Madison's THE BLONDE OF THE JOKE as a read-alike. Thea reminded me a lot of Val, especially in the way she spectacularly self-destructs.

Find out more about ALL YOU NEVER WANTED at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: Bought

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week!

Shari Arnold loves SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller

Tracy Banghart embraces IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker

Shelli Johannes-Wells delights in Cory Doctorow’s LITTLE BROTHER and HOMELAND

Nikki Katz gets the shivers for 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Stasia Ward Kehoe, Carolina Valdez Miller & Debra Driza sing out for the cover of THE SOUND OF LETTING GO

Jessica Love raves about ROAD TO TATER HILL by Edith M. Hemingway

Katy Upperman celebrates THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay – with giveaway!

Animal Death in Fiction: Is it a deal breaker for you?

We all have our deal breakers when it comes to fiction, and mine is clearly the death of animals.  It's why I avoid obvious tearjerkers like OLD YELLER or MARLEY AND ME or WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS (hint: if the animal is on the cover, it's probably going to die). But sometimes, even if you do your best to pick books that seem to have nothing to do with furry creatures, you'll encounter the tragic death of an animal anyway. And the thing is - sometimes these deaths seem gratuitous - a shortcut for the author to show that a character is deranged or a cheap trick to wrangle some emotion out of the reader.  And that's when I'm compelled to exit.

Recently, I was reading AMITY & SORROW, an adult novel about a mother and a pair of sisters fleeing a cult. With spare and haunting prose, Author Peggy Riley shows us the horrors these women have lived through and how difficult it can be to escape our pasts.  She also shows how warped Sorrow has become, detailing her increasingly erratic and destructive behavior. But then Sorrow kills a kitten - and I had to put down the book forever.

Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but that act seemed unnecessary.  I already knew that Sorrow was seriously messed up - wasn't there another way to illustrate how far she'd go?  Anything other than killing a newborn kitten?

There are other books that have shocked me with their cat and dog killing ways.  One of my biggest hurdles to liking fan favorite JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta is that Taylor drowns a cat - and once she did that, it was very difficult for me to sympathize with her (though I did finish the book). I had to skip a whole chapter in Tiffany Schmidt's SEND ME A SIGN because of a dying pet, and gritted my teeth together when Jerome reveals that he used to kill cats in Martha Brockenbrough's DEVINE INTERVENTION (though this is admittedly a good reason for Jerome to worry he might end up in hell).

There are times, too, that I'll avoid books entirely because other readers have warned me about animals dying within (such as BLACK CITY by Elizabeth Richards and ORIGIN by Jessica Khoury - as much as I find the premises of these books appealing, I just can't go there right now).

That is not to say I don't think there is a legitimate place for animal deaths in some stories.  For example, I thought the way KM Walton handled it in CRACKED was justifiable and moving. See, Victor is friendless, hopeless, and plagued with suicidal thoughts. The family's elderly poodle is Victor's only reason for living - so when he dies, it's the final straw. (Note: I think it was wise that Walton stressed that the poodle lived a full and happy life.)  And Megan Shepherd's THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER would have hardly worked as a retelling of THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU without being true to the original's animal experimentation plotline.

If animal deaths are also a deal breaker for you, you might want to check out this list of books where the dog dies (sadly I couldn't find a similar list for cats) and this website which covers all animal deaths in movies.

(Speaking of movies, I was beside myself with worry for the cat in MOONRISE KINGDOM, and then *pow* the poor dog bites it.)

What's your take? When is it acceptable to portray animal deaths in fiction - if ever?