Batty About Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older - Part 1

Batty About Books 

presents

Shadowshaper 

by Daniel Jose Older
(@djolder, ghoststar.net)

Join us as we read and discuss Shadowshaper. My (@thebrainlair) comments are in blue and Maria's (@mariaselke, Maria's Melange) are in purple.

Schedule
Cover Appeal
Today - pgs. 1 - 140
Saturday, August 8th - pgs. 141 - end.

First Half Discussion - I decided to look mostly at the characters in this first half. These are the things that stuck out for me as I was reading.

Sierra Santiago

Love Older’s description of his main character - her wild fro, combat boots, and sense of style. Sierra’s style extends to her murals, which I wish I could see. I can picture the huge, shiny dragon climbing the side of the Tower. Sierra alternates between knowing who she is and questioning how others see her.

“Sierra felt an invisible thread of possibility hanging between them...” 67

I identify strongly with Sierra. Even though we are culturally different. Even though her artistic skills are something I will never have. There’s something about her struggle to become herself that rings true to my own memories of adolescence.

Robbie

What to think? On the one hand, he appears to be new to the scene, “..who had shown up midyear” (9) and introduced himself to Sierra at the party but later her brother, who’s always traveling,  says he always thought Robbie was weird and Robbie himself mentions working with Papa Acevedo since he was twelve. He knows about the Shadowshapers but disappears twice when Sierra needs him. Is that significant or a red herring?

Yes! I want to like Robbie. I want to cheer for him. I do like the mystery of his true motivations, though. I want to know what the resolution for this character will be. I missed the bit about him showing up mid-year, myself. That makes it even stranger that he’s claiming to have worked with Papa for so long… hmmm…

Abuelo Lazaro and Professor Wick

Hmm are they friends or enemies? Wick’s notes states he loves the power of the culture behind the shadowshapers but he also seems to want to help by getting Lucera to return. Something profound has happened to Lazaro and his moments of lucidity hold powerful clues. I expected Sierra to pay more attention to him. I have my doubts about Wick’s power because that seems too easy but I will wait to discuss them after the second half so I don’t spoil much. What really happened between Lazaro and Lucera? How does one have a disagreement with a spirit?

The bits with Wick toward the end of this section were the exact spot when my interest in the overall storyline became to intensify. I liked the characters from the start - but trying to figure out what’s going on with Wick and the creepy shadows makes me want to dive back into the book and find out what happens next.

I’m also getting more suspicious about Abuelo’s health problems. I’m wondering now if it wasn’t entirely natural..

Other characters

I want to know about Sierra’s godfather, Neville. He seemed like a cool guy who knows what’s going on. He also helped her get into Columbia’s library. What does her mother know and why doesn’t she want to speak of it? Was Lazaro hesitant to pass his gift to her because she was female? Is that why she pretends not to know anything? What role will Manny play as the story moves forward? He knows something. What families were torn apart? (75)

where lonely women go to dance

come to the crossroads, to the crossroads come

where the powers converge and become one

I’m just going to leave that right there for now.

Yes! The fact that the rest of the family clearly has information that they aren’t sharing with Sierra is intriguing. What, exactly, are they hiding? I will admit to being a bit angry with the family once I realized that BOTH of her brothers had information and NO ONE told Sierra anything. I was also quite amused with Neville’s antics in getting her into the library. I liked how he was willing to play off of the assumptions people make of him. People want to assume he’s a danger? Fine… he’ll use that. But just how dangerous is he really?

Shadowshaper/Sorrows

The magic is interesting. Throughout this first half, Robbie and Sierra seem to attract random shadows but Robbie mentioned using specific ones for murals. I wonder how he called them? The name Sorrows doesn’t seem Golden to me.

Agreed! That difference in terminology (Golden vs. Sorrows) is so odd. What, exactly, is going on here? Is Wick combining the spirits from different cultures? It sounded like his “Sorrows” were from a research trip that was earlier than the one he did in this city.

Overall

When I first read this part, I was confused and I felt the story was jumbled but going back to re-read, I was able to pick up so much more. I was able to get more into the story and can’t wait to read the second half as I have many questions about Shadowshaping and Robbie and how it all fits together.

Come over to our Batty About Books Facebook page and tell us what you thought of the first half of Shadowshaper. What stood out for you?

Maria has a fascinating look at the book through the windows and mirrors frame of diversity. Please stop by Maria's Melange and read her thoughts.

Affiliate Link: Shadowshaper (Amazon)

Batty About Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older - Cover Appeal

 

Batty About Books 

presents

Shadowshaper 

by Daniel Jose Older
(@djolder, ghoststar.net)

Join us as we read and discuss Shadowshaper over the next two weeks.

Schedule
Today, July 25th - Cover Appeal
Saturday, August 1st - pgs. 1 - 140
Saturday, August 8th - pgs. 141 - end.

Be sure to check out our Batty About Books facebook page or tweet with the hashtags #BattyAboutBooks and #Shadowshaper as you talk about the book.

Cover Appeal -  I did a quick inventory with my 19-year-old daughter, Jessica, about the cover and here are her thoughts:

• I love it.
• It's eye-catching,
• Her hair looks like mine.
• The colors draw you in and make you want to know what they mean.
• She looks scared - her eyes are very expressive.
• She looks like she is staring something or someone down.
• I like her skin color - is she mixed race? (my daughter is, btw)

Like Jessica, I was drawn to this cover. I like how the city is superimposed on the main character and that she is a beautiful young lady who looks powerful but afraid. Not so much that she's afraid of someone but of her own strength instead. 

What kind of battle did she start? Does she do graffiti? I can't wait to learn more!

Check out Maria's thoughts on Maria's Melange!

We are also on Twitter - Maria (@mariaselke) and Kathy (@thebrainlair)

Happy Reading!

Affiliate Link: Shadowshaper (Amazon)

What's Your Winner's Curse? Winner's Crime Blog Tour - March 5, 2015

Rutkoski, Marie. The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, 1). MacTeen Books (Macmillan Children's Publishing), 2014. 384 pgs. $9.99. 978-1-25005-697-9.

Affiliate Links: (Amazon | Indiebound)

As part of the celebration for the release of Winner's Crime (Amazon | Indiebound) the second book in Marie Rutkoski's Winner's Trilogy, bloggers
around the globe are answering the question: What's Your Winner's Curse?

The Winner's Curse is an economic term that means you've gotten what you wanted -- 
but at too high a price!

Blog Tour Schedule

The weekend of February 20th I was scheduled to take the day off and drive to New Haven (12 hours away) and visit my daughter in college. Her tap dance company was putting on a show, The Tapper Games, so it was a chance to see her in action as well as see her beautiful face in person!  At the last minute, I decided it would be better to fly, since there were winter weather warnings across the Eastern and Midwestern US.  I left early to drive to Chicago, normally a 2 hour drive, but not early enough. I ended up in Chicago 10 minutes too late to board my plane since I need to check a bag!! I only needed to check a bag because I had a huge suitcase full of snacks for the kid! There were no ohter flights to New Haven on that Friday!!! The airline could get me to Philadelphia but I was on my own after that. I decided to go, in the hopes that other flights would be delayed and I would magically be able to make my trip. No such luck. I ended up renting a car to drive to New Haven from Philadelphia, normally a 3 hour drive that took 5 hours!!! And it cost me an extra $400. I ended up getting to New Haven so late we just stayed in the hotel! I could have just gotten a room or stayed with a friend in Chicago untl the next day! Also, my flight back was delayed by 3 hours!! I did enjoy the tap show though!

Learn more about The Winner's Trilogy!

Play the Bite and Sting Card Game from the book!

Find Marie Rutkoski on Twitter!

Giveaway

You can win either a copy of The Winner's Curse or a copy of The Winner's Crime.  Entries accepted March 5, 2015 until March 11, 2015, 11:59pm. US Only please. One entry per household.

Using the above affiliate links will bring a small measure of support to The Brain Lair and I thank you in advance.

Ares: Bringer of War by George O'Connor - Blog Tour

To climb atop a pile of your enemies...and want more. That..is Ares.

O'Connor, George. Ares: Bringer of War (Olympians, 7). First Second (Roaring Brook Press), 2015.
76 pages. $9.99. 978-1-62672-013-8.

Affiliate Links: Amazon | IndieBound

Genre: Greek Mythology Graphic Novel
Cover Appeal: Color choice screams WAR! And Ares' stance tells you he glories in it! This is how covers should be done! Middle Schoolers and above.

Immediately After:
Whoa! That last line was great!

Students can't seem to get enough of graphic novels or Greek Mythology and this series combines both.

We are introduced to Ares in comparison with his sister Athena. Ares is bloodthirsty and the joy he gets from the chaos comes through in the graphics. The Gods  are watching the Trojan War enter into it's 10th year. The stakes are high in this war as  many demi-gods are involved and each God wants to help his or her child. Zeus asks that they stay impartial but that does not happen. In addition to seeing the Gods involvement, we also witness the war from the fighters. These two levels give Ares: Bringer of War a level of complexity not seen in the previous graphic novels. I sense much discussion to ensue from this one. I already have students waiting for it as they've read all the other books - some several times.

Layout
O'Connor's artwork is always vivid but I think he's outdone himself. There are some FANTASTIC spreads and throughout Ares: Bringer of War that portray so much emotion and life. Here are a few but please go to the Macmillan Ares page and DO NOT miss O'Connor's Olympians site.

Overall
I gave this a 3 out of 4 stars because the different storylines made it confusing. I had to go back several times to understand what was happening. The previous books in the series were more straightforward.  A wonderful part of each book is O'Connor's End Matter. He not only gives you more information about the featured God but he has "Geek (Greek) Notes" where he discusses particular panels, questions for discussion, and a bibliography.

Blog Tour

Thank you to First Second books and Macmillan for including me on this tour! Using the above affiliate links will bring a small measure of support to The Brain Lair and I thank you in advance.

WTF Did I Read? AKA Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Smith, Andrew. Grasshopper Jungle. Dutton (Penguin Group), Feb 2014. 388p. $18.99.
9780525426035.

Affiliate Links: Amazon | Indiebound

Genre: Science Fiction (mutant grasshopper soldiers)
Cover Appeal: Plain green with yellow pages (if you are lucky) will appeal to all with its brightness. Very eye-catching in its simplicity.

Weird. From beginning to end. And yet, I couldn't stop reading. This is my second Andrew Smith book and both were different. Grasshopper takes you through an incident of bullying, a breaking and entering, an attempt to get drunk, an underground lair, and some mutant grasshoppers who hatch from inside some randos throughout the story. The grasshoppers are key since they are pretty much impossible to stop. Or Unstoppable.  Throughout this crazy story, Austin Szerba is constantly questioning his sexuality since he's attracted to both his girlfriend, Shannon, and his best friend, Robby. I had pretty much been dystopiad/post-apocalypticed out until I read this book. I'm hoping that more authors step out the box because I am tired of the same-o, same-o. Maybe not as crazy as this one.

I recommend this for 9th and above.

Dragon Slaying 101 AKAThe Story of Owen by EK Johnston

I always carry my sword in my backpack.

Johnston, E.K. Story of Owen, The (Dragon Slayer of Trondheim, 1), Carolrhoda Lab. 2014. 302p. $17.95. 9781467710664.

Affiliate Links: Amazon | IndieBound

Genre: Fantasy (dragons and dragon slayers)
Cover Appeal: I think the front works better without the dragon on the cover. It's a cover students will look over because it's not bright and eye-catching.

This is actually the story of Siobhan McQuaid, bard to Owen Thorskard, high school student and dragon slayer-in-training. Siobhan is the first person to befriend Owen when his family moves to Trondheim. Owen's family is special, his aunt Lottie is the most famous Dragon Slayer of this time and his dad, Aodhan, is no slouch either. They also bring with them Hannah, the best swordsmaker. They have raised Owen in a loving and kind household. Siobhan's family are no slouches either.

As Owen and Siobhan's friendship grows, the family asks her to be Owen's bard. They want to shape the story of dragon slayers. There's a lot of talk about who controls the message and how. It's like you are reading two stories at once. And therein lies it's excellence.

"This is pretty much entirely not exactly what happened." 199


I recommend this for 7th grade and up.

Writing Great Books for Young Adults - Excerpt and Giveaway

Just in time for NaNoWriMo! 

Are you looking for some inspiration to write your own novel? 

Check out the newly updated

Writing Great Books for Young Adults

Brooks, Regina. Sourcebooks. $14.99. 
ISBN: 9781402293528

from the publisher:

With an 87 percent increase in the number of young adult titles published in the last two years, the young adult market is one of the healthiest segments in the industry. Despite this fact, surprisingly little has been written to help authors hone their craft and truly connect with the young adult audience.

Writing Great Books for Young Adults gives writers all the advice they need to tap into this incredible and innovative market. Literary agent Regina L. Brooks shows writers how listening to young adults will help them create characters their audience can identify with.

Topics covered include meeting your protagonist, engaging your readers,, trying on points of view, and many more.

Excerpt

Giveaway
Open to US Residents only. 13 years of age and older. 1 entry per person/email.
Closes October 24, 2014 , 11:59 pm. EST. Winner announced October 26th.
UPDATE: Congratulations, Stephanie.  Expect your book directly from the publisher.

About the Author 

Regina L. Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and has been developing award-winning authors and books for over a decade. She has been highlighted in several national and international magazines and periodicals, including Poets and Writers, Essence, Writer’s Digest, and Sister2Sister,Forbes, Media Bistro, Ebony, and Jet. She lives in New York City.

Connect With the Author

Twitter: @serendipitylit

Facebook: Serendipity Literary Agency

Website: Serendipity Literary Agency

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

Hale, Shannon. Dangerous. Bloomsbury Publishing, 4/2014. 416p. $17.99. 9781599901688.

Affilitate Links Amazon
| Indiebound

Genre: Science Fiction (aliens taking over, superheroes created)
Cover Appeal: Nothing sets this apart from any other science fiction title out now. I do like the purple and gray though. I also like the font used for the title.

Maisie Danger Brown is tired of her boring life. She's homeschooled with her best friend, Luther and both her parents work from home.  They never go any where or do anything exciting.  She figures it's because they don't have enough money.  Along comes a sweepstakes to win a trip to astronaut camp. Now Maisie has a chance to live up to her middle name. She becomes part of an elite team who isn't sure what their purpose is but are sure they need to work together.

For the most part  the book is all about the science of space travel and gadget building with moments of romance and intrigue thrown in.  I was happy to see Maisie pull herself from the brink of losing her sense of self over a boy though she was aware that it could happen and she fought it. She was a strong character who thought carefully about how her actions affect others. I enjoyed seeing her thought process. The aliens were bit underwhelming and the rest of the characters, Jacques, Mi-sun, and Ruth, could have used a bit more depth. Luther, even though he was only in the book a short time, was one of my favorite characters.

I recommend this one for 7th Gr and above.

Mistwood by Leah Cypess - #bookaday 11

Mistwood
Leah Cypess
Genre: Paranormal

I'd read this one a few year ago. It was long enough ago that I'd forgotten much of it outside of vague notions and ideas.

It's time for Rokan to be king and he's afraid for his life. Many years ago the crown was protected by a Shifter but there was a tragedy involving the last royal family. This creature was said to be born of mist and fog and could shift into any animal including a human being. Rokan travels to Mistwood to find his Shifter and binds her to him using a special bracelet.

The Shifter, Isabel, is finding it hard to shift and doesn't really understand who or what she is though she feels it's her duty to protect Rokan. She just has to figure out who exactly is threatening the crown.  She is finding it more and more difficult to do her Shifter job due to emotions clouding her judgement. Though the Shifter is supposed to be less than human.

I liked this one because it's more of a character study instead of the relentless action you find in many books of this genre.  I would have liked to see more romance but I enjoyed what was there.

Angel Experiment by James Patterson - #bookaday 5

The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, 1)
James Patterson
Genre: Paranormal

The Angel Experiment has been suggested for One Book consideration by students for the past 4 years. I've always said no way.  This year, I decided to put it in front of the committee, in the hopes that they would see it my way.

I started this one on audio.  Usually I go back and forth between the audio and the physical book if I have lots of books to read. Unfortunately my audio version was not only abridged but the narrator was not that great.

Not the best book I've read but I can see students enjoying this one. Lots of action and moves quickly. The writing style isn't my favorite and I can't see myself reading beyond this first one, though.  Also, a little concerned about the random violence even though it doesn't seem to keep anyone down. Maybe that's it - the violence doesn't seem to matter and that's my issue.

Tools of the Trade by MK Hutchins - Guest Post - June 2014

Hutchins, M.K. Drift. Tu Books (Lee and Low), 2014. 392p. $19.95. 978-1-62014-145-8.

Pick up your copy of Drift (affiliate links) Amazon | Indiebound and stop by tomorrow for my review.

Drift follows Tenjat, 17 as he tries to carve out a life for his sister Eflet and himself. They lost their parents five years ago as they were escaping their previous island home, Island Ita.  Tenjat is determined to escape the life of a farmer hub and become a Handler on Island Gunaji to give Eflet the future she deserves. The future he promised his father he would give her.

Read on as M.K. Hutchins talks about flintknapping obsidian and how that helped define her worldbuilding in Drift.

Years ago I sat in a room with a tarp-blanketed floor, holding a chunk of obsidian in my hand. Some of the exterior of the rock remained – gray and pitted like a crumbling piece of city sidewalk. Inside, though, the obsidian gleamed: black as ink, glossy and glittering as polished jewelry. The stuff is practically magic.

Using a piece of antler or a round, smooth stone, I struck at the obsidian, trying to fracture off a long flake in a process known as flintknapping. Any badly-angled strikes could produce a bad flake or – worse – cause imperfections inside the stone that would make further flintknapping difficult. My protective leather gloves were soon spiderwebbed with thin cuts, even though I worked with care. Freshly flintknapped obsidian is far sharper than surgical steel scalpels. When the class was over, we gathered up those tarps and safely disposed of the obsidian in accordance with hazardous waste regulations.

Beyond the beauty and the skill and the danger, I also admired the technology I was trying to learn. It would be wasteful to take one chunk of obsidian and knap it down into a single tool. Ancient peoples figured out how to make cores. They looked somewhat like tapering cylinders with a flat striking platform on top. From that platform, an experienced flintknapper could knock of blade after blade, utilizing almost every bit of the beautiful stone.

And the Classic Maya were virtuosos of flintknapping. They didn’t just make tools and weapons, they made art, called flint eccentrics. By striking off flakes, they crafted delicate, graceful patterns and profiles of human faces. Every time I look at one of these, I think of how one misplaced blow during the manufacturing process could have snapped and ruined the entire thing. The technology to create these is lost – modern flintknappers can’t recreate them.

I never became a great flintknapper, but I’m still a little obsessed with obsidian. Fantasy is a genre defined by setting. It’s part of the reason that I, at least, read fantasy. I want to become immersed in a world, in the smells and sounds and tastes.

Drift was largely inspired by Maya mythology, and I wanted to pay homage to that. Often, fantasy is a realm of swords, blacksmiths, and horses, but I wanted to step away from that. I wanted jungles and plaster, howler monkeys and turkeys. And I wanted obsidian – with all its danger and beauty. In the novel, the use of stone tools is just one aspect about the world, but it made the world more real to me.

Sample Chapters of Drift
MK Hutchins blog
MK Hutchins Twitter

Blog Tour

June 19: John Scalzi’s Whatever Blog - M.K. Hutchins on worldbuilding and cultural ecology here

June 20: Supernatural Snark – M.K. Hutchins on being inspired by Maya mythology here.

June 23: It’s All About Books – M.K. Hutchins’ top 5 most influential books here.

June 25: Read Now Sleep Later - Drift GIVEAWAY here.

Girl With the Windup Heart by Kady Cross - #bookaday 4

The Girl With the Windup Heart (Steampunk Chronicles, 4)
Kady Cross
Genre: Science Fiction

I've been waiting for this book for a year. I loved The Strange Case of Finley Jayne, The Girl in the Steel Corset and The Girl In the Clockwork Collar. I thought the Girl With the Iron Touch was good, but not as good as the others.  I wanted to know more about Mila. I was happy to hear Windup Heart would be about Mila!

But, it wasn't. Not really. Mila's story was interspersed with Griffin's story but I felt his took precedence. There seemed to be much repetition and things moved pretty slowly. I felt as if I was reading what was intended to be two short e-novellas.

I did like seeing Jack in action and seeing how much he'd grown to care for Mila. The introduction Finley's father was also a welcome addition. I would recommend reading at least the first two but not necessary to read the rest to feel satisfied.

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout - #bookaday 3

Obsidian (Lux, 1)
Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal

This was a recommendation to me from a friend. Weirdly, I have a hard time taking recommendations even though that's part of my job. Sometimes it's because I have a lot to read already and sometimes I wonder what I will say if I don't like the book. I encourage students to tell me when they don't like something because it helps me advise them better the next time. I always try to get particulars so I can refine their choices.  I wish there was a way to add notes to their records instead of trying to keep track of it in my head.  If only there was an easy way for them to add reviews to our system.

Let's start with the cover.  I don't think the guy is attractive and he looks to old to be in high school. The author tells us over and over how hot he is and what a jerk he is. And yet ?, the main character, still liked him. I probably wouldn't have so much of a problem with it if she hadn't kept harping on it - like you can't be attractive and not be a jerk. Though of course, he has his reasons for being a jerk.

I never connected with any of the characters in this. I didn't feel an of the urgency or have a sense of foreboding. I did like the sense of humor and that Katy was a blogger. I enjoyed hearing her talk about doing her Waiting on Wednesday posts and other blogger memes. Other than that, not for me.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - #bookaday 2

The 5th Wave (1)
Rick Yancey
Genre: Science Fiction

Our goal for our One Book, One School program is to encourage students to choose reading as one of their recreational activities.  We look for books that make students want to turn the page and read on, and if there is a second book, to want to read that book also.

In the 5th Wave, aliens are invading the earth and killing off the population. They are doing it in waves and four waves have passed already. The few people who are left are trying to survive and plan for the 5th wave.  Cassie is hiding out in the woods, trying to make her way to Wright-Patterson where she believes her little brother, Sammy, has been taken.

Although Cassie's is the main story, we also hear from Evan, another survivor who helps Cassie out, and Ben Parrish, a soldier. Their stories overlapped in a way I predicted but the outcome is not one I suspected.

One criteria we have is the book we choose should hook you within the first 75 pages.  This is not that book. No matter how much I enjoyed reading The 5th Wave once I got hooked, it won't work for our purposes.  Though, I can't wait to pick up The Infinite Sea in September and this time I won't wait a year to read it!

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - #bookaday 1

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science Fiction

Amazon

| IndieBound

As a fan of Brandon Sanderson and his extensive world-building (see my attempt to catalog The Way of Kings here, here, here, and here) I was eager to find out how his earlier writing compares to his more recent work. Mistborn is his second published work after Elantris, which I have around here somewhere too.

As much as I can tell, there are two major types of magic in Mistborn, Allomancy and Feruchemy.

Allomancers gain power by downing metals.  They can increase their vision by burning tin or their strentght by burning pewter.  Some Allomancers can only use one type of metals (there are at least 10, possibly 11) but Mistborns can use them all. Feruchemists use their own bodies to gain power, which they store in metals until needed. They can store up youth when they want to appear younger or strenghth when they need muscle power.

Mistborn follows Vin, a street thief, as she is caught up into a new thieving crew whose goal is to take down the Lord Ruler.  The crew is led by the legendary Kelsier, the only known survivor of the Halthisn Pits.  Vin doesn't trust anyone on the crew.  She goes along with them because she's interested in learning more about the gift of Luck that she has.  It turns out she is a true Mistborn and what she calls luck is a form of changing peoples emotions.  She can Soothe or Riot them. She also has many other powers.

What follows is Vin's take on Kelsier's plan. It introduces us to lots of cool magic, including traveling by pushing off metals, which reminds me of the Lashings in Sanderson's The Way Of Kings. They also read a logbook about The Hero of Ages which is the third book in the series. Can't wait to see how that connects!

So far I've enjoyed Mistborn, Warbreaker, Alcatraz Vs. Evil Librarians, The Way of Kings, The Rithmatist, and Steelheart. Hope to hit Elantris this summer and revisit Way of Kings next summer so I can read the sequel, Words of Radiance.

I am an Amazon and Indiebound Associate.

Batty About Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst - Cover Appeal

Batty About Books

presents

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Simon And Schuster (Margaret K. McElderry Books), 2012

424p. $16.99. 978-1-4424-2376-3

Amazon

|IndieBound

We are trying something new with Batty About Books. Several times we've felt the book would have been better if we'd read it straight through. So we decided that we would do that with Vessel. So, we'll have this cover post then, 2 weeks from now, we'll have our thoughts about the book.

Along the way, check out Batty About Books on Facebook as we promise to post quotes and thoughts as we read.

Cover Appeal

Batty About Books talks Cover Appeal

I love this front view.  It looks like they took shades of one color to make this.  The color scheme is amazing. It gives me a Dune vibe, which I love, but the rich wine colors also pop out.  (Stop making me admit to books I haven’t read...)

It’s very atmospheric. The clouds whirling around her, the bright moon in the background, and the undulating sands at the bottom combine to give the cover movement and depth.

It’s rare to see a person of color on the front of a book. She looks thoughtful and beautiful. Heck, just seeing a full woman - not a portion of the face missing or a focus on a single body part - is also a nice change. (ha!, so true!)

Her clothes speak of times past though the henna on her arms makes it seem not too far in the past. I wonder if she wears that scarf to keep out the heat? I definitely felt the desert even before reading the copy!

I love the typeface. Even though it’s not the same font as Not A Drop to Drink - it has that similar see-through treatment. I like that the title is at the bottom giving the girl the more important part of carrying the cover.  I hadn’t picked up on that - but I love it!

Even the tagline and the author’s name are in the background.  The cover I’m showing is a paperback, but I have the hardcover here and at the bottom it says “She must defy the gods to save her tribe.” The inside states Liyana is abandoned by her tribe. So even though she’s abandoned, she sets out to save them. I like that.

The back of the hardcover is mostly just sand and darkness. I really want to know how she will survive that. My back cover has that image as well, but has the copy over the image. It makes it a little hard to read when it goes over the sand, since the text is white.

The spine is also inviting (if you ignore my messy house). It’s sort of a mini-repeat of the front cover, including Liyana.  I really wonder what she is looking at. Her facial expression is determined, resolute, and a little sad. The letters  themselves are like vessels. They are stronger than the letters on the front. And they appear to be empty. I love the spine! I started with that part of the cover, and found it very intriguing. 

Overall, I think it’s attractive both from the side and the front. I can’t wait to get started!

Now you've seen what I think - head over to Maria's Melange to see how she approached this cover appeal. She starts in a very different spot!

Batty About Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - Wrap Up

Batty About Books presents

Not a Drop to Drink
by Mindy McGinnis

If you've missed any discussions, check out Cover Appeal, Part One, and Part Two below. Also, feel free to stop by the Batty About Books Facebook page! Join the discussion!

Cover Appeal
Part One - pgs 1-95
Part Two - pgs 96-195

Now here we are at the end. Maria's thoughts are in purple. For her full discussion, check out Maria's Melange (@mselke01).

Part Three - pgs 196 - end

There were several unexpected things that happened in these final pages. And since these are final pages, they are spoilery.  I decided to write them anyway but I changed the font color on most though I left one intact but labeled, so that you can skip them if you want. “If you do want to read them, highlight the text for the full effect.  As I mentioned on Goodreads, this is one of those rare books that would have benefited from more pages. 

Maria: Ahhh, good plan. I struggled with how to talk around the spoilers. And I agree - I wanted a lot more development of a variety of plot points during this section.

Vera and Lucy and Neva

As we knew she would, Grandma arrived. The way she arrived was wholly unexpected to me though. I expected more of an entrance and even though she arrived with the men from the south. And did I know she was Neva’s mom? Why was I thinking it was Eli’s mom? She did not add anything to the story for me, not sure why we needed her as they could have gotten medicine without her.

S-E-X

There’s an undercurrent of sexual assault that comes to the surface several times throughout the book but particularly in this last part.  It was counteracted, somewhat, by Lynn and Eli’s relationship. I found it nice of Stebbs to take Lucy for a spell so that Eli and Lynn could have some time alone. This gave Lynn a chance to be a somewhat “normal” teen-aged girl for a change.  But, the progression to the cot seemed un-Lynn-like to me. She had just wondered if he was going to try to have sex with her (p.209 ) then she didn't understand why he would need to take a bath in a snowbank. (p. 214) If the cot was as small as it was described (he carries it to the stream house later) and they were wrapped in an embrace...well. 

Maria: Yes, I found this confusing as well. I’d be curious to know if teens would find it more understandable. It’s been a GREAT many years since I teetered on the edge of “knowing but not really understanding”.

Spoiler - I didn't understand why the men wanted Neva and not Lynn. We had already been told how pretty she was and they seemed to be running a trade shop, why didn't they take her too? Despite the father. 

Maria: Exactly. This was a spot I found underdeveloped as well. Even with that we find out later, I found this jarring. I talked about the assault aspects on my post as well. I found it so disturbing, and I want to believe it’s unrealistic. But with what is going on in Nigeria right now - that we think all those girls were kidnapped and sold into “marriages” (really sexual slavery) - it feels all too likely. In a world where societal niceties break down, this is the kind of horror that real people actually do.

1st UNEXPECTED THING - SPOILER

I figured Neva had something crazy up her sleeve, we’d been told often enough that she wasn't right in the head. But, I did not expect her to kill herself. Especially so soon after being reunited with her mother and knowing that Lucy was sick. I I would have expected her to believe in Lynn and Stebbs a little more and see if they would rescue her. I thought she would find a way to let them know where she’d gone, leave a trail somehow. 

Maria: YES. I know we've had the build up of her being a bit unstable, but this event still felt unlikely.

2nd UNEXPECTED THING - SPOILER

Lucy’s father is alive. I guess I should have expected that since he was mentioned quite often. But, in my head, he would not have been in great shape. He was also supposed to be crazy, so I pictured him alive but noticeably mental.  But, he was ruling a town. Making trades. And, like no time had ever passed, building a dam. He knew she was alive and how she was living yet offered no assistance.  

Mara: I think I would have liked this plot twist if it didn't feel so…. twisty and abrupt. Yes, I think there were bits leading up to this point that let us know that her father is important to the story. But because the ending was so quick, I didn't feel like it carried through well. More development with her father might have made me like this part better.

3rd UNEXPECTED THING - SPOILER

Eli. Unbelievable. I thought maybe Stebbs or Lucy but Eli? I was for sure Lynn and he would make it to the next book and possibly get married. Raise Lucy. “...unable to look away from the path of the only bullet she had ever fired with love in her heart.” (295) 

Maria: I know, right?!? I mean, on one hand her actual action fits with what we know about her. She’s decisive, and she doesn't let emotion get in the way of what needs to be done. On the other hand, I was angry about this loss. I expected her to lose someone at the end… but NOT this character!

4th UNEXPECTED THING - SPOILER

She shot her father in the forehead.  

Maria: I did like how she phrased her decision. I think that -- again -- more development in this part of the book would have given this choice greater impact.

Epilogue

I would love to know how old Lucy is now.  I've always wondered how Lauren was able to get all the furniture, including a piano, into the attic. When I picture an attic, I can’t see a piano going up the steep stairs, let alone one being carried alone.  I’m so happy that Lynn found the “safety of community”. It tempts me to read the second book. 
Maria: I put the description of the companion novel on my post. I was hoping I’d get to hear about the city - but instead the book jumps ahead in time to describe this community. I’m interested enough in the characters that it will go on my list to read in the future.