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Bookanista Review: THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU & ME

Full disclosure: I picked up this ARC at the Northern California Bookseller’s Association Trade Show.

Here is the official blurb from the publisher:

THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU & ME

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning…. Welcome to forever.

BRIE’S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn’t love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she’s D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there’s Patrick, Brie’s mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick’s help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she’s ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

****

At the outset, the premise didn’t grab me. There, I said it. I know this book has a ton of buzz, but honestly, a girl dies of heartbreak? It didn’t snag me. But on a Sunday afternoon, I needed something different to read and I picked it up.

There is a lot to recommend about the book. First, the voice. Brie is fifteen and she dies at the start of the story when her boyfriend breaks up with her. We follow her on a journey through the five stages of grieving. She haunts her boyfriend, parents, little brother, and best friends, watching them grieve for her. This could all feel very maudlin, but Jess Rothenberg manages to steer clear of that. The voice is so exactly that of a fifteen year old girl, full of sass and sadness and naiveté and the odd moment of wisdom. That voice hooked me right away.

I also loved how we are carried through the five stages of grieving. There’s a lot of meat there for anyone to relate to, whether you’ve broken up with someone or lost someone close. Brie’s emotions bounce all over the place, but they almost always feel real. She’s not always a nice character, but she’s a believable one. In fact, she’s probably more believable because of her faults.

There were some things – fairly big things for me – that bothered me about the story. A few scenes felt unnecessary or repetitive. Brie’s love of 80’s music didn’t ring true for a contemporary teen – I felt like it was author intrusion into the story every time they were mentioned. And, I hate to say it, but the love interest plotline fell flat for me, especially at the big dramatic moment at the end.

What saved the book for me, though, aside from the wonderful, engaging voice and interesting format, were the relationships Brie had with her friends and family and even her dog, Hamloaf. Before she dies, Brie has a kind of simplistic view of her world. After her death, when she gets peeks into the private lives of those she haunts, she learns that the world is not what she thought it would be. That people are more complex. That sometimes they are weak and fail you, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love you. I thought Rothenberg did a fantastic job illustrating this, and despite the problems I noted, I think a lot of readers will love this book.

***

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

The “Change Write Now” Game

*UPDATE (12/9 @ 10:22):
Whoa. Three big updates.

First, my lovely editor at KTeen has offered up custom prize packs of books (meaning you get to pick which genre you like) to the winners. Feel free to thank her on Twitter @meganrecords. We’ll be adding to the prize pool this month, and we’ll let you know as we pull things together.

Second, Sarah Nicolas and Gina Rosati are heading this effort up with me, and I’m so terribly glad because every day it’s growing in size. Sarah has even created a website that we’ll tell you about soon, and Gina (who has done a similar challenge before) is going to act as our Game Guru to answer our questions. I’m throwing hearts at both of them.

And finally, drumroll, please…. As of this AM, we are up to 60 players. Yes. 60!!!!

*UPDATE (12/7 @ 10:02):
Guys, you overwhelm me. When I put this out there, I thought maybe I’d get four or five people wanting to play along. Instead, as of right this minute 46 people have signed up. 46. That blows my mind. And makes me feel less alone. Your comments on the sign up form, on Twitter, Facebook and below are wonderfully encouraging and full of relief to not be alone in this. Honestly, I’m humbled by all the positivity. I’m actually thinking that getting healthy might, just maybe, be fun. Who knew?

***********

First, a confession.

Warning: this may be TMI. Since I started taking my writing seriously, I’ve developed some very unhealthy habits. I have a day job and school and my writing and lots of other commitments. To fit all of those things into my life, something had to go. Unfortunately, it was my health. I am currently the heaviest I’ve ever been, and I’m none too happy about it. Aside from the weight gain, I’m dehydrated (unless you count all the coffee I drink), tired (who needs more than 4 hours of sleep?), and sorely lacking in energy (if I see another San Francisco hill, I’m going to throw a rock at it).

In other areas of my life, dreams are coming true, rainbows are popping up, and birds sing as I pass by. As far as my health is concerned, I’m failing. I know it. My body knows it. I’m sick often. My asthma acts up with more frequency. And I can feel the medical history of my family members bearing down on me. Not good.

Second, a realization.

I need to make a change. What I’m doing isn’t working. (Ice cream for dinner? Seriously?) All that time I spend on my rear end at work and while writing isn’t doing me any favors. I need to learn some healthy habits. Even better, I need to stick to them once I’ve learned them. They say it takes 66 days to make something a habit. So, beginning January 1, I’m going to commit to two months of being better to myself, kinder to my body, and hopefully, gaining more energy.

Third, an invitation.

Writers, editors, agents, bloggers – many of us are in the same boat. We work hard. We play hard. We don’t always pay attention to our needs. Here’s what I’m suggesting. Join me in a “Change Write Now” Challenge for the next 66 days. This challenge is inspired by the “Game On” challenge developed by Krista Vernoff (Grey’s Anatomy writer) and Az Ferguson, but is less work. Basically, we will divide into teams to support each other to make some healthy changes. And there is a points system and prizes for the winners if you are inspired by competition. Really, this is about helping each other.

How it works.

Simple. Sign up if you want to join in, and I’ll help to assign people into teams. Each day you get points for adopting healthy habits. Eating good meals, exercising for twenty minutes, giving up one bad habit (like smoking , swearing, or putting yourself down), adopting one healthy habit (like cooking at home or flossing when you’d rather skip it), drinking water, and getting enough sleep. For more info on the rules and how to tally points, see below.

The scoring is done on an honor system and works like this. Each day you tally points for:

• Eating Healthy –25 points
• Exercising for at least 20 minutes – 25 points
• Sleeping at least 6 hours – 10 points
• Consuming 64 oz of Water – 10 points
• Checking in with your teammates – 10 points
• Adopting One Good Habit – 10 points
• Tossing Out One Bad Habit – 10 points

Each week, everyone will send their score sheets to me (to be provided to participants). I will tally them to determine which team is in the lead. You will NEVER share what your weight is, and I would NEVER, EVER ask you to. Because I won’t ever freaking share my own weight.

What does eating healthy mean?  The original game suggests (and gives points for) eating five small meals a day. They do suggest giving up things that might be hard to give up for some of us. Like fried foods, refined sugars, white flour, butter, whole-fat cheese, or things made with these items. (OMG, cheese! No!) The recommended foods are more along the lines of beans, whole grains, veggies/fruits, low-fat versions of cheese/dairy, and lean meats. If you want to follow these eating guidelines, I suggest buying the book. However, some of you may already have healthy eating guidelines that work for you. This is going to vary by person, since some of you may not want to lose weight. Some people may just be looking to exchange the Doritos and soda for more healthy options. Either way, this works for our version of the game. You know what is best for your body. Did you live on coffee and M&Ms for the day? If the answer is yes, don’t give yourself points.

What constitutes good habits or bad habits?  That will also vary person to person. The Game On book is full of suggestions, or maybe you have your own ideas. For instance, smoking may be a bad habit. Or maybe it’s playing on Twitter when you’re supposed to be writing. Again, ask yourself honestly what you could work on to be more healthy.

What this is not.

I’m not a dietician or a nutritionist or anyone who should be giving out diet/fitness advice. I’m a writer who wants to be healthy. I think doing this challenge with others will help me. BUT this is not about being fat or skinny. It’s not about who will lose the most pounds. That doesn’t interest me. If it did, I’d go join Weight Watchers and you’d never know the difference. No, this is about health. MY health. If I get points for sleeping 6 hours and my team is depending on me, I’m going to try harder to get those 6 hours in. And maybe I’ll have some better habits at the end of the two months. If for any reason you think this may trigger an unhealthy reaction for you, please skip the game or check with a doctor.

Who can play.

Anyone at any weight. There’s no skinny or fat here. I hate those words and nobody should define themselves by either category here. Like I said, this is about health. Getting some exercise, drinking more water, eating better meals, and getting more sleep – these are the goals. You may lose weight, especially if you’re like me and think exercise is a 4-letter word. If you’re already in good shape, you may just find you have more energy when challenged to get the proper amount of sleep. That’s it.

If you are excited and want to blog/tweet/vlog/post about it to get your friends to play along, go for it!

Finally, how do I play?

If after all of that, you want to play, sign up here by December 29. I will assign teams and you will be asked to exchange emails with your teammates to offer each other encouragement. Once we have the teams in place, I’ll provide easy score sheets.

Beginning January 1, 2012, the game is on and will last through the beginning of March. There will be prizes for the winning team members, though I’m still working those kinks out. Some of you may want to share your progress with the world. Some of you won’t. Either way is okay, though I will post each team’s overall score once a week on my blog, so we all know who’s leading the scoreboard.

ETA: Use the #changewritenow hashtag on Twitter if you want to tweet about it!

Here’s to a healthier us!

Corrine

What is the editing process really like?

Sharpie Gel Highlighters - They will change your world.

A few people have noticed that I’ve been conspicuously absent from both this blog and Twitter. For the last few months, I’ve been busy writing the sequel to TOUCHED. And intermittently, I’ve gone through two rounds of line edits and a round of copy edits on IF I LIE. Before I went through this process, I’d often heard of authors complaining about edits. From my position of (a) having not sold a book yet or (b) waiting, waiting, waiting on tenterhooks for my edits, I wanted to kick those whiners to Siberia. Now that I’m on the other side, my perspective has changed somewhat. I thought I would share what the process is like. Just know this differs for every author.

The Editorial Letter

Even though, I love my editor fiercely, as I waited on my letter, I was secretly waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was pretty sure my editor, Annette Pollert, would ask me to cut a character, or to do something I hated. At which point, I would be faced with the dilemma of going with the flow and caving to the desire to be published or making a brilliant stand for my story with guns blazing (like I own a gun that doesn’t use water as ammo). I got antsy every time I thought about this and died inside a little more each time I contemplated how much my editor must want to renovate my book like it was the Extreme Makeover: Novel Edition. As you can see, I worked myself into quite a state, while barely managing to keep the crazy under wraps from Annette.

So the letter arrived in May. I held my breath and clicked on the email, expecting to find the ten-page, single-spaced letter I’d heard so much about from my Apocalypsie friends. I started reading. And then I started crying because Annette opened the letter by saying my novel had made her cry six separate times when she should have been immune from tears by then. Of course, with that opening, any criticism that followed felt like glowing praise. (Well done on you, Annette, you brilliant mastermind.)

Quite frankly, the letter felt completely manageable. Also, I’m ashamed to admit I felt a smidge smug. After all, my editorial letter was ONLY THREE PAGES. Holla. My changes mostly consisted of adding new scenes. I don’t mean to say this was a breeze. I had to reorder the beginning of the book, not an easy thing to do with the structure this novel chose. In the end, though, I had Scrivener and four weeks to make the changes. The scenes really made the book better. A thousand times better. I finally confronted my trust issues and decided I was stupid to doubt Annette. She has my best interests and those of the book’s best interests at heart. We’re a team, damn it.

Line Edits

I go to Italy for school for a couple of weeks in July and some traumatic crap happens back at home, turning my life upside down. I’m basically a wreck when I return. I can’t write. It makes me cry, and I’m tired of crying. I take some time off. I actually look forward to my line edits to ease me back into my work. But my trust issues have raised their bastard head again. A niggling doubt insists that here – in the line edits – is where Annette will have me sacrifice a character on the altar of my writerly ambition. Here is where I will be forced to take a stand with my water gun. I tell the doubt to shut up and stop overreacting. It sticks its tongue out at me.

In August, Annette emails me the marked-up manuscript. I have a little under a month to make the edits and return them. I open the document. And pretty nearly faint. Holy *bleep*! Scrawled notes are on EVERY SINGLE PAGE. I suddenly remember when Annette said that she LOVED line edits more than the edit letter. How could I have forgotten that? So much for my smugness at my short letter. I’m not even sure how to begin to tackle the beast.

So I do what I do best. I get organized. I buy some bitchin’ highlighters, and I take my butt to Starbucks. One page at a time, I tell myself. Except, I look up four hours later and I’ve only conquered 13 pages. And my ego feels battered into the ground and I wonder if my editor really liked my book after all. But, hey, my highlighters got a helluva workout. The pages are practically bleeding pink.

I don’t know what this process is like for others, but I felt a bit bruised. It’s not a reflection on Annette. Dude, the woman worked her pencil to a nub with those edits. She put so much time and heart into them, and I will ever be grateful. But as I was making the changes, my emotions were all over the place. One moment, I was angry that a line I loved had been suggested for deletion or alteration in a way I disliked. The next, I was abashed at things I’d missed. Then, I was euphoric as a change that felt so right. For the mont, I worked on those edits, I was all jagged edges and bitten fingernails (plus jacked up on caffeine).

I’m baring myself here to tell you I did not have the best attitude at all times. It’s really hard to let go of your ego, and see the bigger picture. When your book sells, it is no longer yours alone. When you start working with an editor, your book becomes a collaborative project. You may have final say, but another person is making decisions and directing you in ways that you may not want to go at first. That seems like an obvious statement, but day-um, it’s a difficult realization.

But when the light bulb went off, I wondered why I’d been fighting it. My freaking trust issues had raised their heads again. I tackled my chaotic emotions the best way I could – WITH A HIGHLIGHTING SYSTEM and a SENSE OF HUMOR. My code: pink for changes I’d made; orange for compliments (because Annette did make loads of fun comments, thereby keeping me from falling apart); and yellow, for things I might not want to change. I even sent a picture of one of my pages, bleeding in pink, to Annette for a laugh and we shared our deep and abiding love for office supplies.

To salve my ego, I allowed myself to save favorite lines in brilliant yellow. Except, I decided that when I finished the edits, when I felt less battered by all the changes, I would look at those yellow lines again. I wanted to ensure I wasn’t being too precious about things, but I needed to be in a mental/emotional space where I could accept the change a bit more graciously.

In the end, my wondrous editor, asked to see my edits before they were finished. I sent over the draft and had to explain my highlighting system. And do you know what she did? She helped me work on those yellowed lines, to fine tune them so that I didn’t have to sacrifice them. She really did get it.

In my defense, I will say I hid my skyrocketing emotions during this time, except from close friends and family. I want so bad to be one of those authors who works for the best of the book and doesn’t let ego get in the way. I believe I accomplished this. I think Annette would agree. But I’d be lying if I said it felt good all the time. Oh, but how wondrous it feels to be on the other side! When I read my book, I’m blown away by how tight it is now. Annette challenged me, I stretched myself, and I’ve grown as a writer.

Growth hurts so good.

Copy Edits

On Friday I received my copy edits, and last night I finished them. A whole week early. I intend to do another read through because this is my last chance to make any big changes. This is the version that will become the galley. And now is the time when I have to turn in the dedication and acknowledgments. Compared to line edits, copy edits are like chewing gum – a total snap. I’m still learning. I have some tics that I’m aware of now and will work on.

There were two big surprises in this pass, though. First, I saw my copyright page. I wasn’t prepared for how it filled me with pride. I did it. I worked hard and created something from nothing. Awesome. Even better, though, is that I’m perfectly content with the story. I don’t have that anxious need to keep perfecting, to edit one more thing. Annette really is amazing. It may have felt overwhelming at the time, but those line edits tightened the story up so much, that it feels whole and complete to me.

See, I’m still learning to trust, but I made a huge leap in this round. I am in great hands at Simon Pulse. This is the best version of the book that it could be, and I can’t wait for you all to read it. For you writers, I hope you are lucky enough to work with an editor like Annette and the team at Pulse. I will forever bleed pink for them. The editing process can be completely brutal. It may break you a little, but only to build you back up as a better writer.

Class of 2k12 Site Launches!

The Class of 2k12 is a group of debut middle grade and young adult authors working in concert to promote our books and reading. As our novels drop throughout 2012, this website will keep you tuned into our activities and bring you along on what’s sure to be a wild ride.

In honor of our friends debuting this year,we’re giving away a huge prize pack of all seventeen Class of 2k11 titles for a deserving class, school, or public library. If you’d like to nominate your favorite library, stop by our Facebook page and tell us about it. The winner will be announced November 12.

Be sure to visit our links to find out about 2k12 books, authors, and events:

our website
our blog 
our Facebook page
our Twitter link
our newsletter (Click to sign up — simply write ADD ME in the comment line)

Teenquake and Figment.com to Honor Teen Writers

I’m volunteering at this event and another Teenquake event. Can’t wait!!!

Teenquake & Figment.com are honored to invite you to attend the Teenquake Writing Awards Ceremony on Friday, October 14, 8pm at Z Space, 450 Florida Street, S.F.The evening will be a celebration of teen writing, with superstar authors and an open mic. First, second, and third place winners in each category will be announced live by the judges, and each first place winner will be invited to read their work to the audience. Please bring your friends and family. Z Space is a super cool re-purposed industrial space from the late 1920s with a huge auditorium, and we want to fill those seats. And did we mention the event is free? The guest judges—Jandy Nelson, Malinda Lo, Dana Reinhardt, and Charlie Price—will also be on hand to sign books after the event (thanks to Bookshop West Portal). So you can ask them questions about their writing craft. Or just hang out and listen to some fresh teen writing. The open mic sessions will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend that you get there early to watch Word for Word’s amazing staged reading of Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere at 6:30pm and get your name on the list then! RSVP on our Facebook page and tell your friends!https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157066431049655 Litquake is a project of the nonprofit Litquake Foundation, and seeks to foster interest in literature, perpetuate a sense of literary community, and provide a vibrant forum for Bay Area writing as a complement to the city’s music, film, and cultural festivals. In addition to October’s festival, Litquake produces unique monthly events for readers and writers, and brings children’s authors to public classrooms throughout the school year. www.litquake.org

Journaling and Italy and My Father

I’m not into journaling. I know a lot of writers are, and if I never get another journal as a gift, I’ll be a happy girl. I just don’t care for it. Part of me wishes I did. I think about these famous authors who left behind a legacy of hundreds of journals filled with their thoughts and bits of writing, starting from their teen years through their old age. Then I think, “Oh, well. I should’ve started as a teen, and now it’s too late. Besides, you know, I still don’t like journaling.”

It’s not that I haven’t tried. As a teen, I tried to keep a diary, but I ended up writing lame, stilted entries that sounded like I was explaining my life to somebody’s awkward cousin. Happily, those journals have long ago disappeared into a trash bin.

I would happily never journal again, except that my school asks us to every summer when I go off to my summer residency. They like us to record our experiences and then we read an entry to each other our last night together. It’s actually very fun to hear the readings, to hear how others were inspired by what we experienced. I generally write exactly one entry during the residency – the one I read out loud. (Sh. Don’t tell my school.)

This summer in Italy, I planned to do a better job, but I kept putting it off so I could do homework or cool off in the pool at Spannochia. Then, in the last days of the trip, my father passed away. When I sat down to write my one journal entry, all I wanted to was curl up and cry. So the journal entry I read our last night was not a happy one. I broke down reading it, and my amazing friends cried with me. And I was reminded how cathartic writing could be, and how it connects us with people, even when we feel disconnected from everything.

I didn’t plan on posting this, but because a few people requested that I do, here it is. I promise to post a much more cheerful piece of writing next week.

I will not journal. I will not sit and pause over what this trip has meant to me. I will not ponder the grieving pietas or the blood-stained Colosseum or the churches with their body parts. I will not write about the Roman roads that often never led home or the wars that showed the darker side of men. I will not think about the Inferno, or the Purgatorio, or a paradise that some men may not reach. I will not journal about an email from home or how Italy has left her mark on me.

Because everything here reminds me of death and grief and him. It’s in the ground and in the air and in all the words we breathe. Age makes me think of wasting, waning time and everywhere I look I see bricks older than a great-great-great me. We’re dying every minute, blowing back to dust. Which brings me back to an email and to him. Which makes me cry. So I will not journal.

And now I get a St. Paddy’s Day Present…

On Valentine’s Day I announced that my second YA novel IF I LIE sold to Simon Pulse. Well I have more news.

Yesterday my YA paranormal romance trilogy sold in a 3-book deal to Megan Records at Kensington/Kteen. The first novel, TOUCHED, is about a girl who has the power to heal people with her touch, but at a steep cost because every illness or injury she heals becomes her own.

I can’t tell you how excited I am or even begin to describe what the last month has been like! Now you know why there has been so much talk of cupcakes on Twitter. =D

Also, can I just say how amazing my agent Laura Bradford is? I couldn’t ask for a better person to have on my side.

Scrivener for Windows Love

The day the Scrivener for Windows beta debuted, I was all over like it was Ben & Jerry’s and I hadn’t had ice cream in a month. I downloaded it, played around with it for a few days and thought, “I love the corkboard tools, but this just isn’t for me.”

Last week I decided to give it another try. I’ve been editing up a storm and (as a procrastination technique) pasted my finished book into the updated beta program to see if it would help me in the editing process. Happily, I discovered that all the features I thought the program lacked on my first trial had been turned on in this later version.

I can write scenes and shift them around easily between chapters. I can write a quick summary of the scene that goes onto a tiny index card. All of these index cards show up in my chapter folders. I can stamp them First Draft, Revised Draft, Final Draft, etc. depending on where I was at in my editing process. And in the end, it took all of 10 seconds to compile my manuscript into a Word document.

And these were just the things I found useful in the editing process. I can’t wait to use this on a new book where I get to use all those corkboard tools. On a joyful side note, I also discovered that Scrivener’s Outline interface works incredibly well with my outlining methods.

I highly recommend this program to both outliners and pantsers. And if you tried the beta last year and didn’t like it, I suggest you give the latest version a try while it’s still free. It’s come a long way since November.

(Image property of Scrivener)

It’s so shiny!

Look what posted on PM today. It’s all so very real and wonderful now. Ooh, aah!

Corrine Jackson’s IF I LIE, about a girl who becomes an outcast in her small military town when she chooses to keep a secret for her Marine boyfriend who has gone MIA in Afghanistan, to Annette Pollert at Simon Pulse, for publication in Fall 2012, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency (World English). Translation: Taryn Fagerness Agency

Thanks again to everyone who has left kind notes on Facebook, Twitter, the boards, and here. If I didn’t personally thank you, I’m so sorry. Just know I’m completely overwhelmed by all the love this week!

YA Blogosphere Lovefest: Krista Ashe

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today, a bunch of YA writers are spreading the love in a big ol’ blogfest. We were each given a Secret Valentine to lavish some affection on. My Secret Valentine is Krista Ashe.

If you’ve ever visited the Old People Writing for Teens room on the Absolute Write forums, you’ve most likely met Krista. The unofficial welcome committee, Krista exudes Southern Magnolia charm as she greets all the newcomers and helps everyone settle in to the conversation. I know she was there to greet me when I first showed up and helped me ease my way into the group.

Krista is also one of the founders of the Got YA blog. She and her cohorts have tackled everything from query letters to censorship, while throwing great contests for their followers. Plus we get a peek at what they were like as teens when they take a trip to the past on Flashback Fridays. Krista also writes some very real characters, infusing her writing with the same passion she infuses in her life.

If you’ve met Krista for even five minutes, you know she has a fierce, loyal heart. She adores her puppy and her Grandmother. She also gives a tremendous amount of love and attention to her students, and has even been recognized with a WXIA 11Alive News Class Act Teaching Award.

You can find Krista on her blog, at Got Ya, or follow her on Twitter!