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Bookanista Review: CHOPSTICKS

Here is the official blurb from the publisher:

CHOPSTICKS

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song “Chopsticks.” 

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory’s reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it’s up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along…

****

CHOPSTICKS is a love story told through visual cues. The reader is given an intimate, almost voyeuristic view into the world of piano prodigy Glory and her neighbor Frank. Glory is almost a prisoner to her music as her father pushes her harder and harder and they embark on a world tour. One day she disappears and the book tells the story of the events leading up to her disappearance. The story is relayed through photos, letters, images, IM’s between characters, emails, plus other images like ticket stubs and announcements. We see Glory and Frank fall in love through their correspondence and then we see Glory’s slow descent into seeming madness as she begins to play “Chopsticks” at her concerts.

The reader is put into the role of sleuth, trying to uncover what the images mean and which clues matter. One of the great aspects of the book are the links that send you online to find additional content (ie. videos on Youtube). There’s also an accompanying app (which I didn’t play with and am not reviewing here) that unlocks additional content. It is our job to figure out what happened to Glory, and the reader becomes an active participant.

All the while I was reading, I kept having these flashbacks to another series (not YA) that I was obsessed with in the nineties. There are strong parallels between the format and the stories, so I didn’t get the sense CHOPSTICKS was as wholly original in concept as some claim it is. In the Griffin and Sabine series, Griffin is a postcard designer and Sabine is a stamp illustrator. Their love story is told through artistic postcards and letters. Real envelopes are pasted to the pages of the trilogy and you pull the love letters out for a read, giving you a unique tactile experience. I was fascinated by these books and spent hours unfolding the notes to reread them because – like CHOPSTICKS – you are never sure if the love story is real or a figment of Griffin’s (or Glory’s) imagination.

I think CHOPSTICKS is the 21st century evolution of Griffin and Sabine – emails, IMs, and Youtube links, in place of postcards and letters. I love the internet – hai, I’m on it umpteen hours a day –  but maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned because I missed the sensation of opening those envelopes and unfolding those letters. I may be reading a larger context into the novel while comparing these works, but I saw how our society has evolved in this age of technology – and not always in a good way. I was left with an urge to write someone a letter and send it the old-fashioned way.

Overall, the book was intriguing albeit leaving behind a hint of yearning for answers. If you are the kind of reader who likes definitive resolution to a mystery, this book will drive you crazy. However, if you want a reading experience that takes you beyond the page, this is definitely a book for you.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from the publisher.

***

Check out the links below to see what the other Bookanistas are talking about!

One Year After the Book Deal

First, I want to say that I know how lucky I am, and I try to never take it for granted. I’ve had more success in the last year than I know how to cope with on most days. I’ve sold four books, some with foreign and audio rights. I’m going to graduate with my MFA in July in Paris, and I get to visit Germany while I’m in Europe. I have amazing editors and an agent who are all very supportive, even when my Type A personality rears its ugly head in the form of charts, spreadsheets, and too many emails. I couldn’t ask for better friends and family. From my local critique group to the writers and bloggers I’ve come to love online, I’ve found myself rich in friendships and support. And I have two books coming out this year. Some weeks I’m hit with so much exciting news that I’m riding on a good news high. I actually glow. I know because NASA has proof of sighting me from space.

Of course, that only lasts until I sit down at my computer to write. I had a mini-meltdown about a week ago. I’m super at looking like I have everything handled, and not so good at sharing how I’m freaking out on the inside. When I had my mini-meltdown – the kind where my friends could tell from my emails that I was most likely (a) crying when I wrote them and (b) eating ice cream straight from the pint with a spoonful-of-peanut-butter chaser – several people wrote me to say how it made them feel good to see me losing it. And they meant that in the nicest way, which is exactly how I took it.

My fake superwoman act kind of made my friends feel bad because we’re all prone to comparing ourselves to others. (I want to be as funny as Tahereh Mafi and Maureen Johnson. I also want to be classy and handle myself like Veronica Roth. And I want to move people like Laurie Halse Anderson. See? We all do it.) By only sharing the great happenings, I gave off this air of having it together. Juggling two book deals with school and a full time career? No problem! Piece of cake. *finger snap* At least, that’s what it looked like when I hid my struggles.

And it’s not much better on this blog. I’ve been posting less and less frequently, partly because some things seem shrouded in secrecy once you get a book deal (you simply can’t talk about some things), but mostly because I once used this blog as a place to share my struggles, and now I feel like there’s a perception that if you have a book deal, you no longer have struggles. Or at least, your struggles are ones that others would volunteer for, so please, please stop your whining, stupid author. The first I can’t do much about, but the second, I’m getting over because of what happened after my mini-meltdown.

See, I’ve been struggling to write the sequel to TOUCHED. My first two books (TOUCHED and IF I LIE) I wrote in this vacuum where all was sunshine and love of words. It was a magical place where the pressure to sell out an advance, critics, Goodreads ratings, and deadlines didn’t exist. The only expectations placed on me were my own. Now, I have others to think about, and I’m such a people pleaser. Man, I hate to disappoint anyone and, when I had to ask for a deadline extension, I cried. I was hugely disappointed in myself that I couldn’t MAKE myself deliver on time. And despite me crying, my agent was lovely and reminded me that my life has undergone some major changes this year, and that truly I didn’t let anyone down.

I thought about that after I got off the phone with her and then processed it over the next few days. Last Valentine’s Day – it seems so apropos to post this almost a year to the day after I sold – I sold my first book. A month later I sold a trilogy. I have balanced edits, line edits, copy edits, first pass page review, school, book marketing, a full time career in marketing, writing the sequel, family obligations, a crit group, and more. On top of that, my father passed away seven months ago. And I’ve only been in San Francisco a couple of years, so there’s that adjustment. If you back up to 2010, it’s like someone shoved me in a snow globe and every few months, they’ve taken complete run-through-a-meadow joy in giving it a good jolt. Upheaval, even good upheaval, is still upheaval. There’s no shame in that. See how I’m admitting that finally?

Taking all of those stressors into account, I’ve acclimated well. I think. I work hard. I regularly put in 15-18 hour days on a computer. In retrospect, beating the hell out of myself for not working hard enough is laughable and shows how I lost perspective. You can only demand so much of yourself.

Sometimes I need to pause and take stock. Look at where I’ve been and then readjust my expectations of myself. And I need to share my struggles, both to help myself and to let others in. When I had my crying jag, I discovered at least six other YA writers who are struggling to write their sequels with all the pressures that didn’t exist when they wrote their first books. It turns out that I am not alone.  I’m ridiculously normal, as a matter of fact. And knowing that I was struggling helped those other writers see they were normal, too. It’s so nice to find out that you’re not alone in the boat sans paddles.

Really we’re all doing the best we can. Nobody ever tells you what comes after your dream comes true. Stories always seem to end with “And they lived happily ever after…” But there’s a lot of effort, sweat, and tears that goes into that ever after. And, this is so huge for me, it’s time for me to come up with a new dream, a new goal to strive for. This seems so presumptuous, right? I never thought the first dream would come true, so how dare I reach for a second one? But you know what? I’m going to do it anyway.

So yeah, that’s what’s been going on with me.

Class of 2k12: Facial Expressions

I have a post up over on the Class of 2k12 blog. It’s all about how to show what your characters are feeling through facial expressions. It includes some images that have helped me tremendously. Be sure to check it out!

http://classof2k12.com/?p=1244

Bookanista Review: MAY B.

Full disclosure: Caroline Starr Rose is a fellow Class of 2k12er.

Here is the official blurb from the publisher:

MAY B.

I’ve known it since last night:
It’s been too long to expect them to return.
Something’s happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor’s Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it’s hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May’s memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she’s determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose’s fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

****

This book in verses is kind of quiet and unassuming. Like a lot of my favorite books or songs, you have to be paying attention to every word. When you are, you’ll feel like you got punched in the gut because while Caroline Starr Rose is a minimalist writer, she is one who chooses each word with tremendous care.

Take for instance the second poem. May B. has just been told that she is to be sent away to work a stranger’s farm. She wonders why her brother is not sent instead and concludes: “boys are necessary.” Man, this just about ripped my guts out. Those three words say loads about how this young girl has been taught to value herself and how girls were viewed in this rough pioneer time. My heart broke for May B. in those three words.

But May B. is a fighter. She has dreams and desires. She’s told they are impossible, but she still believes in possibilities. While I’m not normally a big fan of historicals (somehow I missed out on falling in love with the Little House on the Prairie novels), this pioneer story gripped me to the end. May B’s struggle to survive on her own and the way the setting insinuates itself throughout the story are so well done.

Librarians should definitely get this book on their shelves. Both boys and girls will love it, and it’s perfect for struggling readers!

***

Check out the links below to see what the other Bookanistas are talking about!

Sample Chapter and Other Stuff

I know, I know. I’ve been absent again. The sequel to TOUCHED is due to my editor at the end of this month, and my first pass pages on IF I LIE are due on 2/1. Add my MFA creative thesis due at the end of the month, too, and you’ll understand why I’m hiding in a hole. These are great problems to have, though, so I’m not complaining. Instead, I’m putting my head down and trying to get through this month.

In the meantime, TOUCHED: Der Preis der Unsterblichkeit is out in Germany on February 17 from Thienemann Verlag. If you can read German, a sample of the first chapter is up on my publisher’s website. The cover is simply gorgeous. Sorry, US, peeps! You’ll have to wait until December.

Okay, now I’m diving back into my hole to get book 2 finished.

PS. I’m newly obsessed with this song. The video is so weird and hypnotic, and I’ve watched it 8 times.

PPS. I’m also obsessed with this video because I love random moments of strangers connecting.

Change Write Now: Week 1

ETA: I also lost 3 lbs this week. I’m sure it’s a lot due to all the water we’re drinking, but it’s a start!

On January 1 we began week one of the Change Write Now challenge. The game challenges the players to lead a healthier lifestyle. More details here. We have a shocking 92 players (a few dropped out before we began). Now I’ve tried to diet before – and failed. With only me holding me accountable, I checked out and didn’t see it through. After a week of the challenge, I can say IT WORKS.

For one thing, I don’t want to let my team down. When I think about skipping my daily exercise or that last 8 ounces of water, I think of my teammates working so hard to do their own exercise and drowning in their water intake. Then, I feel obligated to get up off the dang couch and guzzle that last bottle of water. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m doing it.

Then there’s the support factor. I have daily check-ins with my teammates. We encourage each other, and they listen when I whine. And the great thing about the challenge is that the support isn’t isolated to just my team. If you check out the twitter hashtag #changewritenow, you’ll see everyone supporting each other. Most of these people are strangers or acquaintances, but they are cheering each other on.

And you want to know something cool that struck me today? With all the troubled book blogger-author relations happening right now, the Change Write Now challenge is one place where these people are meeting on common ground. Granted, we’re not exactly talking books and reviews, but I see friendships forming. And this is only week one. I can’t wait to see where we stand when the challenge ends in March.

Here are some seriously tasty recipes that I made this week. They were easy to prepare and totally within my points since I’m doing Weight Watchers. I hate salads, and yet I found myself enjoying them this week. Try them. You’ll like them.

Cuban Style Black Beans with Cilantro Lime Rice

Arugula with Pomegranates, Blue Cheese and Pistachios (I’ve always hated arugula, but man, this salad is awesome.)

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Roast Beef, Arugula & Shaved Parmesan on a Baguette (except I used Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins)

Blood Orange Salad with Gorgonzola, Pecans and Baby Greens

Images of all the recipes for those who are visual about food like me.

Bookanista Review: THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST

Full disclosure: I picked up this ARC from the author as we are Class of 2k12 sibs, Sarvenaz Tash.

Here is the official blurb from the publisher:

THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest. Debut author Sarvenaz Tash combines an edge-of-your-seat adventure, a uniquely clever voice, and an unforgettable cast of characters to prove that sometimes the best adventures of all are waiting right in your own backyard.

****

I don’t read a lot of middle grade books, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST. This is kind of an area of books that I skipped over almost entirely since by middle grade I was reading romance novels and Sweet Valley High books. With that said, I find Sarv to be very funny, and I couldn’t wait to see if they came across in her book.

I’m so happy to say it did. I was reading a copy that has exchanged hands between several Class of 2k12ers. We write comments to the author in the margins, and the comments were loaded with LOLs, smiles and other indicators that (a) we all have a juvenile sense of humor and (b) the author does an amazing job at making us all feel like kids again.

The characters in the novel are so fun to read about. Goldenrod, the intrepid explorer, with her quest to map her town. Her little brother who just wants to be brave enough for his sister to let him come along on her adventures. And then there’s the Gross Out Gang, a group of runaway kids who have formed a gang and made a home in the forest Goldenrod is exploring.

There’s just enough danger to make you worry for their safety – the Gross Out Gang is up to no good and led by a very bad teen – but not enough to worry a parent who watches over their child’s reading material. Mostly, though, kids are going to love the Gross Out Gang with their gleefully disgusting habits and kids will adore Goldenrod and her little brother as they try to outsmart the gang. Really great fun!

A big thumbs up for a rollicking adventure!

***

Check out the links below to see what the other Bookanistas are talking about!

Blog Circus 2011: Top 5 Favorite Books (Road Trip Wednesday)

Continuing on our week of lists, today we have my Top 5 Favorite Books of 2011. I read a lot of books this year. And I review all of my favorites for the Bookanistas. Here’s my list.

1. WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman (review)
2. ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins (review)
3. DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth (review)
4. SOULLESS by Gail Carriger (Technically not YA, but I loved it a lot.)
5. UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi (review)

Check out what music the others liked in our Best of 2011 Blog Circus!

Caroline Richmond
Erin Bowman
Kaitlin Ward
Kate Hart
Kathleen Peacock
Kirsten Hubbard
Kristen Halbrook
Kristin Otts
Lee Bross
Lindsey Roth Culli
Lynn Colt
Phoebe North
Sarah Enni
Stephanie Keuhn
Sumayyah Doud
Veronica Roth

Blog Circus 2011: Top 5 YA Girls/Top 5 YA Guys

Today’s blog – part of the week of the best of 2011 lists, a blog circus led by Sarah Enni - was difficult. We’re looking at the baddest or hottest YA Girls and Guys of 2011. Now these characters are not always in our most recommended books, or even from our favorite books, but they definitely made an impact. Here’s my list!

TOP 5 YA GIRLS

1. Mia (Where She Went) – As exposed as she was in If I Stay, I love the mystery of Mia through Adam’s eyes. You feel her yearning to reach him, even though Adam can’t quite figure it out. Definitely an amazing book.

2. Sophie (Hex Hall and Demonglass) – Sophie has a lot on her plate. Getting sent to a weird school, having a vampire roommate, falling for a guy who’s taken, and meeting a father she’s never known. Plus, you know, those people trying to take her out. Luckily she handles it all with a sense of humor.

3. Emerson (Hourglass) – Emerson is an amazing mix of vulnerability and sassy bravado. One minute she can take on the world, and the next she’s falling to pieces at losing someone. I loved her attitude and her courage.

4. Juliet (Juliet Immortal) – The stakes are pretty damn high in this book. Romeo betrayed Juliet and hunts her through eternity. Her goal is to save other young lovers before he can destroy them. I loved her survival instinct and the mix of her justified rage and compassion for others.

5. Deuce (Enclave) – Deuce is a huntress. She fights off the monsters known as Freaks. She braves underground tunnels to find food. And she does it all without complaining as Fade fights by her side. This girl is badass.

TOP 5 YA GUYS

1. Adam (Where She Went) – The longing, the tortured musician, his unending love for Mia. Man, I love this guy.

2. Etienne (Anna and the French Kiss) – Definitely a favorite when I read it earlier this year. Etienne is sweet, smart, loyal, hot, and FUNNY. I love that he knows how to be a good friend most of all.

3. Noah (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) – He’s snarky and cocky and way too full of himself. If Mara didn’t dish it back at him, I’d probably think he was an ass. BUT the more she dishes back, the hotter he becomes because it’s obvious he likes a strong girl. LOVE a guy with an ego who’s not afraid of an equally strong partner.

4. Four (Divergent) – He doesn’t go easy on Tris. He has rough edges and hints of danger, but he’s vulnerable when he needs to be. Plus he’s shrouded in mystery. Awesome.

5. Archer (Hex Hall and Demonglass) – You’re never quite sure whose side he’s on or who he cares about. Unless we’re talking about Sophie. He risks everything for her.

Check out what music the others liked in our Best of 2011 Blog Circus!

Caroline Richmond
Erin Bowman
Kaitlin Ward
Kate Hart
Kathleen Peacock
Kirsten Hubbard
Kristen Halbrook
Kristin Otts
Lee Bross
Lindsey Roth Culli
Lynn Colt
Phoebe North
Sarah Enni
Stephanie Keuhn
Sumayyah Doud
Veronica Roth

Blog Circus 2011: Top 5 Favorite Songs to Write to

We’re back again for a week of the best of 2011 lists, a blog circus led by Sarah Enni. Today we are listing the Top 5 Favorite Songs/Albums to Write to. Now, just like last year, I rarely purchase a whole album. The last two were Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Adele’s 21 album.

I love discovering a great song, more than a great album, because there are always songs on an album that I don’t like. And since I can’t write WITHOUT music, I’m constantly looking for songs to fall in love with. Of course, I couldn’t limit my choices to just five, so here are more than five of my favorites from the year. These are pretty much set on repeat. Enjoy the playlist! And if you want to purchase the songs, please do so legally.

Check out what music the others liked in our Best of 2011 Blog Circus!

Caroline Richmond
Erin Bowman
Kaitlin Ward
Kate Hart
Kathleen Peacock
Kirsten Hubbard
Kristen Halbrook
Kristin Otts
Lee Bross
Lindsey Roth Culli
Lynn Colt
Phoebe North
Sarah Enni
Stephanie Keuhn
Sumayyah Doud
Veronica Roth