Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow by Daniel Nayeri Commercials

Daniel Nayeri, co-author of Another Faust, is releasing his own solo-novel, Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow, on 25th October from Candlewick Press! The book is a collection of four stories of different genres:

Straw House: A Western sizzling with suspense, set in a land where a rancher grows soulless humans and a farmer grows living toys.

Wood House: This science-fiction tale plunges the reader into a future where reality and technology blend imperceptibly, and a teenage girl must race to save the world from a nano-revolution that a corporation calls "ReCreation Day."

Brick House: This detective story set in modern NYC features a squad of "wish police" and a team of unlikely detectives.

Blow: A comedic love story told by none other than Death himself, portrayed here as a handsome and charismatic hero who may steal your heart in more ways than one. With humor, suspense, and relatable prose, this hip and cutting-edge collection dazzles.

And check out these awesome comercials advertising each story.

Our Lady of Villains:



Wish Police:



Doom With a View:



Toy Farm:



How cool does this book sound? I shall be keeping my eyes peeled for a copy!

Continue reading Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow by Daniel Nayeri Commercials

Competition: Jack the Ripper Tour with Maureen Johnson

JACK THE RIPPER FAN WALK



To celebrate the publication of Maureen Johnsons new YA thriller The Name of the Star, HarperCollins Children’s Books is offering 10 lucky readers the opportunity to accompany Maureen Johnson on a private Jack the Ripper walk in London on Thursday, 13th October 2011.

The walk begins at 5:00 PM and will carry-on for two hours into the night! Visit the haunting sites of Jack the Ripper and hear first-hand from Maureen how they inspired her new book The Name of the Star.

To enter, simply email nameofthestar@harpercollins.co.uk for a chance to attend the event with a friend.

Disclaimer: Entrants must be 13 or over. Please ensure that you are available to attend the event on Thursday, 13th October from 5.00pm to 7.00pm before entering. Winners will be informed on Friday, 7th October, and will be provided with further instructions then.

Continue reading Competition: Jack the Ripper Tour with Maureen Johnson

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (#Ad)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (review copy)

I was sent this review copy for free from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.

Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.

When Brimstone called, she always came.

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (#Ad)

News: Design the New Cover for Lord fo the Flies Competiton for 13 - 16-Year-Olds

There is a new design initiative for young people, which has been recently announced between Faber and Faber and Guardian News & Media.

They're calling on young artists to create a brand new look for one of the world’s most famous books: Lord of the Flies by William Golding. One talented artist will be selected by a team of expert judges and will have the chance to watch as their work is transformed by the Faber design team into a cover for the new educational edition of Lord of the Flies. The winning illustration will be unveiled at a special exhibition showcasing the best of the entries, and the winner and other featured entrants will be invited to the opening of the exhibition at the Guardian’s offices in London in February 2012.

The competition is open to young artists aged 13 to 16, and submissions are welcome in any medium. The closing date for entries is 20 January 2012 and can be made by visiting http://lordofthefliescover.com/, which also features exciting additional content for aspiring illustrators.

For more information, check out the press release.

Continue reading News: Design the New Cover for Lord fo the Flies Competiton for 13 - 16-Year-Olds

News: Lauren Kate to Release Companion Novel to the Fallen Series - Fallen in Love

Big news!!!! Lauren Kate is publishing a comanion novel to her Fallen series, Fallen in Love! Read the press release below:

Random House Children’s Books will publish an original novel by Lauren Kate that is connected to her internationally bestselling series, Fallen. The novel, FALLEN IN LOVE, acquired in the UK by Annie Eaton and Becky Stradwick, will be released in the UK on 2nd February 2012, before the fourth and final title in the series, Rapture, is published. FALLEN IN LOVE is a riveting collection of four intertwined love stories featuring the Fallen characters that fans have grown to know and love: Miles, Shelby, Roland, Arriane, and Luce & Daniel.

Since the publication of the first book, Fallen, in December 2009, Kate’s series has become a bona fide smash hit with close to half a million copies sold in the UK alone. Her story of star-crossed lovers and fallen angels has captured the hearts and imaginations of readers all over the world, with rights sold in 33 countries and counting. All bestsellers in the United States, the novels of the Fallen series: Fallen, Torment, and Passion, have become international sensations, hitting No.1 slots in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The final novel in the series, Rapture, will be released in the UK in June 2012 taking readers on a journey that will close the chapter on Luce & Daniel’s love forever.

Annie Eaton, Fiction Publisher comments "It's incredibly exciting for us - and all Lauren Kate's legion of fans- to have this extra-special Fallen book coming for Valentine's Day. What a treat to start 2012 with!"

The release coincides with Lauren Kate’s current UK tour to promote the third book in the Fallen series, Passion. Last night guests attended a drinks reception at Proud Camden which featured a reading from Lauren. The tour includes a visit to Ireland, and an appearance at the Bath Children’s Lit Festival this weekend.


How exciting is this?! Thoughts people!

Continue reading News: Lauren Kate to Release Companion Novel to the Fallen Series - Fallen in Love

Review: Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn - Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station - and she also happens to be a werewolf. One night, sick of the usual lame song requests, she accidentally starts 'The Midnight Hour', a late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. Almost immediately she's deluged by calls from desperate vampires, werewolves and witches from all across the country, wanting to share their woes and ask her advice. Kitty's new show is a raging success, but it's Kitty herself who could use some help, not least because her monthly change is a deep and dark secret to all but a very special few. And when she finds one very sexy werewolf-hunter on her tail, not to mention a few homicidal undead, she realises she may just may have bitten off more than she can chew... From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Review: By Midnight by Mia James

By Midnight by Mia James (review copy) - April Dunne is not impressed. She's had to move from Edinburgh to Highgate, London, with her parents. She's left her friends - and her entire life - behind. She has to start at a new school and, worst of all, now she's stuck in a creepy old dump of a house which doesn't even have proper mobile phone reception. Ravenwood, her new school, is a prestigious academy for gifted (financially or academically) students - and the only place her parents could find her a place, in the middle of term, in the middle of London, on incredibly short notice. So she's stuck with the super-rich, and the super-smart ...and trying to fit in is when the rest of the students seem to be more glamorous, smarter, or more talented than she is, is more than tough. It's intimidating and isolating, even when she finds a friend in the conspiracy-theorist Caro Jackson - and perhaps finds something more than friendship in the gorgeous, mysterious Gabriel Swift.

But there's more going on at Ravenwood than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when Gabriel saves her from...something...in the Highgate Cemetery, and then she discovers that a murder took place, just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on.

...and whether or not she's going to live through it... From Amazon UK

I love me some vampires, yes I do! So for the simply fact that By Midnight had vampires in it was a definite plus in it's favour for me reading it. However, I am not a fan of books where people are popular and rich and focus all their attention on either how they look or putting others down. From the blurb above, I assumed that's what I would find, among other things, in this book, and it did put me off for a while - hence the fact that I've only just read it. But I picked it up recently when trying to decide what to read next, and vampires and murders and cememtries... well, my interest was piqued enough to know now was the time to give it a go.

By Midnight is a really good stry, but it's not what I expected. I know it's a mystery, but the fact that it's about vampires, I expected a bit more of the supernatural element. You know, maybe April stumbling across some vampires being vampish and drinking blood or being extra strong or something, but there isn't much of anything along those lines in the book until much later on. It really is a mystery. April doesn't find out the existance of vampires by accident, but through trying to work out who's behind various murders. Through clues, and books, and talking to people, and going about things the old fashioned way.

I have to say, the research part of the book was just awesome! This book is loosely based on actual real life legends of the Highgate Vamire, people actually believed there was one in Highgate Cemetary, which features hugely in this book. Real places with real "supernatural" history are the settings for this story, which just add credibility to this story which is just wonderful. I actually want to go visit Highgate Cemetary now because it sounds wonderful. But I also love the research April does herself into vampires; the old victorian books she reads that are just full of brilliant myths and folklore, and, oooh, I want those books! It was just fascinating!

The mythology James has created for her story is just wonderful, but highly intriguing. There is still a big mystery, and the mechanics of the vampire society, if you will - or what we know of it so far - is just so interesting. There's a lot of conspiracies going on, and because of this I can't tell you much more, but I can't wait to find out more about vampires as a whole, and the specifics that April is interested in in the later books.

Thankfully, there wasn't too much queen bee bitching going on to wind me up, but there were elements of By Midnight that did annoy me. April is 16 and starting her A-Levels. I remember being that age, and the people around me. April was sometimes too immature and shallow for her age, and I just wanted to shake her and yell at her to grow up. She could be so fickle, swayed too easily by good looks. And when she had an inkling as to what was going on, she would jump back and forth over whether she was right or wrong, without actually listning to what would give her the answers she would need to know either way. She really wound me up, and I have to say, I'm not her biggest fan.

But still, the story was really, really intriguing, and I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel Darkness Falls. A pretty good book!

Thank you to Gollancz for sending me a review copy.



Published: 22nd July 2010
Publisher: Gollancz YA
Buy from Amazon US
The Ravenwood Mysteries Website

Continue reading Review: By Midnight by Mia James

Review: Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance

Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance (Review Copy) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the previous books in the series. If you plan on reading the Cassie Palmer series and don't want it spoiled for you, don't read any further.

Cassandra Palmer recently defeated a god, which you'd think would buy a girl a little time off.

But when your job is being Pythia - the world's chief clairvoyant - you don't get a lot of R&R. Cassie is busier than ever, discovering her power, figuring out her complicated relationship with enigmatic and sexy vampire Mircea, and preparing for her upcoming coronation.

But someone is dead set against Cassie being Pythia, and will go to any lengths to stop the coronation ceremony from happening - including making sure that Cassie is never born.

Now, Cassie has to save herself - and the world, if she can find the time ... From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (review copy) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoilingthe Vampire Academy series. Do not read any further if you haven't read the VA series and don't want it spoiled for you.

Sydney protects vampire secrets - and human lives.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one... From Amazon UK

I am a seriously huge fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, huge! I loved how the series ended, but was sad it was over, and sad for some of the characters. So when I heard that there wa going to be a spin-off series, with Sydney, Rose's Alchemist friend, I was over the moon! More awesomeness from the world! And once I had the books in my hands and opened the first page... well, I didn't stop reading until it was finished. Amazing!

I lapped the book up! However, although I read it in one day, I did have to get used to the difference. This is Sydney's story, not Rose's, and she's not as strong willed and angry as Rose can be, so although there were emotional highs and lows, it was a little less to do with immediate danger, and more to do with Sydnety's dislikes of certain people, worrying that she will fail, and going out of her mind trying to follow rules yet try to keep everyone happy - despite the fact hanging out with vampires isn't her favourite pasttime. Even so there is a big difference between the characters of Rose and Sydney, and their priorities - which makes the stories different - Bloodlines was still an amazing story!

I found it really fascinating finding out more about Sydney's life, and the role of Alchemists, and all the tricks they have up their sleaves. It's just so interesting to seethe science that they're work is based on. It's quite refreshing to have science play a bigger part in a world of myths. Yes, there's is another YA vampire series where there is a scientist, but it's different with Bloodlines. This is chemistry, mixing things together to get what you need. It's just a strange but cool way of separating the moroi from the alchemists - one used magic, one uses real, physical science. I just found the contrast really interesting.

But the science isn't the main focus, that is keeping Jill safe, and to do so, she hasn't come on her own. As well as Jill, we also get Eddie and, hurrah, Adrian! There are cameo appearances of some of the other characters we know, including Rose, but Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian are the main four we stick with. Jill is still a young, teenage Moroi girl, and wants to have a teenage life, but she's having enourmous trouble fitting in, is seriously underconfident, and feels that no-one relly cares about her, they just want to keep Lissa, who is now the Queen, safe - on top of trying to get used to the fact that they're related. Eddie is Jill's guardian, and is super vigilant, but still the nice guy we know from the previous series. And Adrian is his usual laid-back, snarky self, but he's also hurting a lot over wht happened with Rose. Despite this, I am so happy Adrian is back, because I absolutely love him! He just cracks me up!

Sydney isn't a guardian, so there's less fighting in this book that we're used to, but she is smart, so where it's a battle of the fists and stakes with Rose, it's a battle of the minds with Sydney, and whether she can out-smart those that need out-smarting. There is, however, a big, and quite disturbing, fight scene. Oooh, it was good! And worrying - as I said, Sydney isn't a guardian.

Now, I don't knbow if it's because I have read all the previous books and therefore know the signs, or just jknow the world enough, but two out of the three major plot revelations I guessed fairly early on. I don't know if it will be the same for other reasons, but they both just semed fairly obvious to me. That doesn't take away from how good the book is though; just because I already knew what these revelations would be, I didn't know how the characters would find out, what that would mean, and the consequences of finding them, so it was still really good watching the others figure things out. The third I had half right, I just didn't know the reasons for it. But I did shout at my book at least once saying, "Come one! It's so obvious!..." with frustration that the characters weren't as quick on the up-take as I had been. Still, as I said, it didn't make the book any less enjoyable.

In all honesty, Bloodlines isn't as heart-pumping exciting as the Vampire Academy series, but it's amazing nonetheless. It is the first book, so ground work is laid, and with a few hints throughout the novel make me believe that the book will get the whomp we've come to love. There are a fair few unanswered questions that I'm highly intrigued about! And the stirrings of possible feelings that you know are just going to cause all kinds of complications! Oh, I love it! I am just so excited to read the next novel, The Golden Lily, when it comes out next year. The wait makes me wish I hadn't read Bloodlines in one day! It will most definitely be worth the wait though! Mead has done it again, an amazingf start to what I can tell is going to be a brilliant series! I just have to get my hands on her adult series now!

Thank you to Puffin for sending me a review copy.



Published: 25th August 2011
Publisher: Razorbill UK
Buy on Amazon US
Richelle Mead's Website

My reviews of the Vampire Academy series:
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Book 1)
Frostbite (Vampire Academy Book 2)
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy Book 3)
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy Book 4)
Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy Book 5)
Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy Book 6)

Continue reading Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit Week: The End

Today is the last day of Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit Month! That's it! Finished!

I have a lot of people to thank. First of all, thanks to Clover of Fluttering Butterflies, Emma of Book Angel Booktopia, Sammee of I Want to Read That and Vivienne of Serendipity Reviews for being so understanding when things didn't go as plnned. These three ladies were going to be taking part in D&B with me when it was first going to be a month event, and prepared really well for it, only for my computer to die. Thsi not only caused problems for me, but for the others who couldn't post any other time because of their own blogging commitments and other reasons. So thank you to you three, and I'm sorry!

I also want to thank Annabel Pitcher, Lauren Oliver, Jenny Downham and Denise Deegan for allowing me to interview them or writing guest posts. It's so lovely of you all to take time out of your bust schedules to get involved in the week, and I really appreciate it!

I also need to thank the various publishers who were kind enough to respond to emails on suggestions for books I could cover for this themed event. It really was lovely of you to go through your backlists for me and help me out, I appreciate it!

Although not a lot of books were covered for this week, unfortunately, I loved every one of them! I may have reviewed books by some of these authors previously, like those by Lauren Oliver and Jenny Downham, but these were read first, so this week has helped me discover some fantastically brilliant authors who just completely blew me away. At the time of reading the books reviewed for this week, they were all knew to me, and I had such a great time getting lost in their pages.

I really enjoyed seeing how these authors dealt with the topic of death and bereavement. No two books are at all similar, each one taking a different route - be it that the teen narrator was dying, or was dead, or was almost dead, or whether the narrators were dealing with recent grief, or grief that's been there for a while - and each and everyone made an impact on me. I may not have managed to cover as many books as I had wanted, but the ones I did were just so incredible, I find I don't mind so much. It's been emotionally wrenching, but it's been amazing.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed D&B Week too. :)

Continue reading Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit Week: The End

Further Reading

If you would like to read more books on death and bereavement, the following may be something you'd be interested in reading.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin - How do you describe ELSEWHERE? A novel so astoundingly original and carefully crafted that its complexities become common place and the common place resounds with poetry? In this delightful novel death is a begining, a new start. Liz is killed in a hit a run accident and her 'life' takes a very unexpected turn. At nearly sixteen she knows she will never get married, never have children, and perhaps never fall in love. But in Elsewhere all things carry on almost as they did on earth except that the inhabitants get younger, dogs and humans can communicate (at last) new relationships are formed and old ones sadly interrupted on earth are renewed. Full of the most ingenious detail and woven around the most touching and charming relationships this is a novel of hope, of redemption and re-birth. It is a novel that tells of sadness with heart-breaking honesty and of love and happiness with uplifting brilliance. From Amazon UK

The Everafter by Amy Huntley - Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can reexperience—and sometimes even change—moments from her life.

Her first kiss.
A trip to Disney World.
Her sister's wedding.
A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life—and death.

This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments—and the strength of true love even beyond death. From Amazon US

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne La Fleur - Something terrible has happened. Eleven-year-old Aubrey is on her own.

'It was fun at first, playing house. Nothing to think about but TV and cheese. A perfect world.'

She's determined to hide away and take care of herself, because facing the truth is too much to bear.

'I couldn't let anyone know that I was alone. I was staying right here.'

But with the love of her grandmother and the letters she writes, can Aubrey begin to see that even though she's lost everything - all is not lost? From Amazon UK

Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate - Sam is gorgeous and Alison can't resist him. So when Sam asks her to the Valentine's Day dance she is elated, until she finds out her dying friend Isabella, has fallen for him too. She wants Isabella's last days to be happy, even if she and Sam have to hide their love. But can they keep it secret? From Amazon UK

Slog's Dad by David Almond and Dave McKean - Do you believe there’s life after death? Slog does. He reckons that the scruffy bloke sitting outside the pork shop is his dad come back to visit him for one last time – just like he’d said he would, just before he died. Slog’s mate Davie isn’t convinced. But how does this man know everything Slog’s dad would know? Because Slog says it really is his dad, that’s how. From Amazon UK

The Book Theif by Markuz Zusak - HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH

It’s a small story, about:
a girl
an accordionist
some fanatical Germans
a Jewish fist fighter
and quite a lot of thievery.

ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES From Amazon UK

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Franciso X. Stork - When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony's Home, he knows his time there will be short. If his plans succeed, he'll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister's killer. But then he's assigned to hep DQ, whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. DQ tells Pancho all about his "Death Warrior's Manifesto", which will help him to live out his last days fully - ideally, he says with the love of the beautiful Marisol. As Pancho tracks down his sister's murderer, he finds himself falling under the influence of DQ and Marisol, and beginning to understand that there's more to life than revenge and more to death than sadness. From Amazon UK

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - On the outside, Macy Queen is cool and calm. On the inside, she's breaking. Silently struggling with her Dad's death, and spending the summer apart from her oh-so-perfect boyfriend, Macy is smiling her way through - she's 'fine'. It's only when she meets a group of new friends - and artistic, sexy Wes catches her eye - she realizes she can wear her heart on her sleeve sometimes. Because life doesn't stop when someone disappears - and even though she's lost so much, can Macy see what she has to gain?

Hugely engaging and with great emotional depth, Sarah Dessen's rich, warm, atmospheric writing makes this the perfect summer read for teenage girls. From Amazon UK

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler - For sixteen-year-olds Anna Reiley and Frankie Perino, their twenty day-long, minimally supervised California vacation will be the 'Absolute Best Summer Ever' and according to Frankie, if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance that Anna will get her first real boyfriend.

Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie - she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. From Amazon UK

Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls - My name is Sam. I am eleven years old. I collect stories and fantastic facts. By the time you read this, I will probably be dead. Sam loves facts. He wants to know about UFOs and horror movies and airships and ghosts and scientists, and how it feels to kiss a girl. And because he has leukaemia he wants to know the facts about dying. Sam needs answers to the questions nobody will answer. WAYS TO LIVE FOREVER is the award-winning novel from an extraordinarily talented young writer. Funny and honest, it is one of the most powerful and uplifting books you will ever read. From Amazon UK

And to be released in January next year:

Torn by Cat Clarke - Four girls. One dead body. A whole lot of guilt.

Alice King isn’t expecting the holiday of a lifetime when she sets off with her classmates on a trip to the Scottish wilderness, but she’s not exactly prepared for an experience beyond her darkest nightmares…

Alice and her best friend Cass are stuck in a cabin with Polly, the social outcast, and Rae, the moody emo-girl. Then there’s Tara – queen of mean. Powerful, beautiful and cruel, she likes nothing better than putting people down.

Cass decides it’s time to teach Tara a lesson she’ll never forget. And so begins a series of events that will change the lives of these girls forever...

A compelling story of guilty secrets, troubled friendship and burgeoning love. From CatClarke.com

And some others you can look up:

A Beautiful Lie by Ifran Master
A Time for Dancing by Davida Hurwin
After the Death of Alice Bennett by Rowland Molong
After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away by Joyce Carol Oates
Always and Forever by Lurlene McDaniel
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger
Blowout by Suzan Vaught
Breathing Underwater by Julia Green
Breathing Underwater by Lara M. Zeises
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip
Curses for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb
Dear Zoe by Philip Beard
Feels like home by E E Charlton-Trujillo
Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
Flying for Frankie by Pauline Fisk
Frannie in Pieces by Delia Ephron
Freefall by Mindi Scott
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills
Hold On by Alan Gibbons
Invincible Summer by Jean Ferris
Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton
Keys to the Golden Firebird by Mauren Johnson
Last Seen Wearing Trainers by Rosie Rushton
Life, Interrupted by Damian Kelleher
Losing Faith by Denise Jayden
Love you, Hate you, Miss you by Elizabeth Scott
Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks
Memory by Margaret Mahy
Noah Barelywater Runs Away by John Boyle
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse
Saving June by Hannah Harrington
Saving Zoe by Alyson Notel
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver
Scar Hill by Alan Temperley
Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate
Slog's Dad
Sparks by Ally Kennen
Starseeker by Tim Bowler
Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison
Tell Me What You See by Zoran Dvrenkar
The Beginner’s Guide to Living by Lisa Hills
The Dying Game by Catherine Johnson
The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong
The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
The Rope Ladder by Nigel Richardson
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard
Waves by Sharon Dogar
Whirlgig by Paul Fleischman
Winter Longing by Tricia Mills
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn
Young Chieftain by Ken Howard

Continue reading Further Reading

Other Bloggers' D&B Posts

Originally , D&B was going to be a month long event, but due to the death of my computer, problems arose. This meant that some of those who were going to take part with me no longer could, and posted their reviews back in July anyway. So here are their posts for D&B.

From Michelle of Fluttering Butterflies:

Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown's Guest Post on Death and Bereavement in Hate List
Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Review: Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Review: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
Review: Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers
Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Review: Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton
Allan Stratton's Guest Post on Chanda's Secrets

From Vivienne of Serendipity Reviews:

Review: Rockaholic by C.J. Sckuse

Continue reading Other Bloggers' D&B Posts

Previously Reviewed

For this post, I'm going to highlight two books I've read previously that work so well for D&B Week, books I absolutely adored!

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to centre stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, with a nearly magical grin. One boy takes Lennie out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But the two can't collide without Lennie's world exploding... From Amazon UK

Taken from my Review:
This book is chock full of emotion. To compare it to a rollercoaster ride, like I would normally do, wouldn't work for this book. It just seems silly to do so in light of the depth of feeling running through this book - it would be like comparing the heat of the sun to a radiator. As weird as this may sound, Lennie's grief over Bailey's death is beautiful; it's sharp, it's overwhelming, it's heavy, and it's endless. Lennie compares it to a building, but I'd compare it to the sea; it washes over her - and you - and drags her down, away from the surface, leaving her unable to breath.

Read my complete review here.

Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison - Sometimes only love can save you.
Leesie Hunt's Unbreakable Rules: No Kissing (at least not of the French variety)...No Sex (hah! Not even close to happening anyway)...No Dating Outside the Mormon Faith (what would be the point?)...ABSOLUTELY No Falling in Love with the Wrong Boy (would ruin everything).
Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out: get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael--a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.
Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace? Or is she just falling in love?
But if Leesie gives in to temptation, who is going to save her? From Amazon US

Taken from my review:
The plot is just awesome. Michael is grieving over the death of his parents, and isn't coping too well, suffering from nightmares and visions, and Leesie is the only one who can seem to keep it all at bay. However, Michael isn't used to having to control himself, so finds it really difficult to stick to Leesie's rules as a Mormon. Having been passionately in love twice before, Michael doesn't see how you can get close enough to someone to fall in love without actually loving them, like he feels so much he's unable to express it well in any other way.

Read my complete review.

Continue reading Previously Reviewed

Review: A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley - A summer of friendship, romance, and songs in major chords...

CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.

ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive. From Amazon US

Continue reading Review: A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

Review: Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen

Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen (review copy) - Blind dates can be bad, but Sarah Dearly's date is a true contender for worst ever. His neck nibbling didn't just leave a bruise; it turns her into a vampire -- and the newest target for a pack of zealot vampire hunters. With her date now their latest victim, Sarah runs for her immortal life -- straight into Thierry de Bennicoeur, a master vampire who is just a wee bit suicidal. Thierry can't resist a damsel in distress and agrees to teach Sarah how to live the vampire life if she'll help him end his own. But as it turns out, Sarah may be his best reason for living. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen

Guest Post from: Denise Deegan: Bereavement in And By the Way...

Joining us today for Death and Bereavement Week to talk about her debut YA novel, And By the Way..., is author Denise Deegan.

Every story starts somewhere, sometimes with the tiniest idea that just takes on life and grows. And By The Way did not start as a story of loss. It began as a voice that entered my head, one afternoon, in a coffee shop. It was the angry, sarcastic but also vulnerable voice of Alex (16), who was talking at her rock-star father. Alex was coming from a place of hurt. I didn’t, at the time, know what that hurt was. I let that come, the same way I let Alex’s voice come, to see where it would take me.

As the story formed, it became clear that Alex’s turmoil was caused by the loss of her mother to cancer, (six months before the story opens), and the loss of her father to work. And By The Way explores, not just how two people can react so differently to loss, but how one person’s reaction can impact so strongly on another.

Alex’s circumstances highlight how influenced children are by their parents’ response to grief. Alex lost, not just her mother, but her father, as, unable to cope, he turned to his music, unaware how his actions might be misinterpreted by his lost and vulnerable daughter. Yes, he hired ‘the experts’. It was he Alex needed.

When the book opens, Alex is beginning to adopt a coping strategy. She is hardening, pulling back emotionally, so she doesn’t leave herself open to that kind of loss again. Alex doesn’t see that she is sabotaging herself, that if unchecked, her actions will lead to the loss of people who genuinely care. Two of those people are determined not to let that happen.

I did not want to write a sad book, just an honest one. I wanted it to be warm and human and infused with humour and ultimately love. I have published four other novels and have never received the response I have from And By The Way. People’s reaction has blown me away.

Thank you, Denise, for a great guest post! Don't forget to check out Denise's website. What did you think about what Denise had to say?

Continue reading Guest Post from: Denise Deegan: Bereavement in And By the Way...

Review: And By the Way... by Denise Deegan

And By the Way... by Denise Deegan - At Strandbrook College, we are Kids Of. Kids of diplomats, media stars, musicians, artists, actors, oh, and wealthy people who aspire to all of that. I'm the kid of a rock star. Means nothing to me.

When Mum died, six months ago, I didn't just lose her, I lost my dad, 'The Rockstar'. To work.

But now I don't trust anyone or rely on anyone. That way, I won't get hurt.

My best friend Rachel won't let me pull back though. And that's a problem.

Another one is David McFadden, a guy in my class (who calls me the Ice Queen). He says he wants to help. Six months ago, he could have - but he didn't. Now, it's too late. The very last person in the world I'm going to listen to is David McFadden. I'll show him who's Ice Queen.

Continue reading Review: And By the Way... by Denise Deegan

Interview with Jenny Downham

Today, I have the delight of sharing with you an interview with Jenny Downham, author of Before I Die.

The plot for Before I Die is such an incredible idea. How did you come up with the idea for it?

I didn’t know Tessa was dying when I began writing. I just had this idea about two friends who were very different from each other and I started with their voices. Tessa was angry and sad and Zoey didn’t seem able to comfort her. It became apparent after only a few weeks writing that Tessa was ill. I knew if she was terminally ill that it would increase the narrative drive.

As a story-teller, your characters need boundaries to push against, and there’s no bigger boundary than death. Putting this kind of ticking clock into the story increased the narrative drive, but also risked losing tension because the end of the story was determined. The challenge became how to make a journey towards the inevitable interesting. That’s where the ‘before I die’ list came in.

What research did you have to do for this book?

I read a lot of books about terminal illness as well as fiction and poetry about dying. Susan Sontag’s ‘Illness as a Metaphor,’ was very inspirational, as was Anatole Broyard’s ‘Intoxicated by my Illness’ and Gillian Rose’s ‘Love’s Work.’ I read a lot of poetry about bereavement and loss, finding particular inspiration in Raymond Carver’s collected poems, ‘All of Us.’

Two nurses helped me with medical detail over many months. One of them was a palliative care nurse who worked with terminally ill teens. It felt really important not to get too embroiled in the medical stuff though. I wanted it to be accurate, but it was never supposed to be a medical or hospital-based story.

Why did you decide to write a story about death for your debut?

I never plan structures for novels, instead I do thousands of words of ‘freewriting’ and eventually I find a story in the pages I turn out. I revise as I go along, working on several chapters at once.
I started Before I Die with two characters (Tess and Zoey) and the idea of a friendship. I had their voices but not much else. I didn’t know what it was about, but I couldn’t let go of them.

Sometimes the way forward was obvious – if it were film-making, it would be like a take in ‘one.’ But there were also points where the way ahead was murky and unknown, and then I found myself thinking consciously about structure and pace.
Funnily enough, I don’t actually think of the book as being ‘about death.’ Tessa attempts to live as if there was only ‘this’ moment, right now. I think this is something people relate to, but find extremely hard to do. Most of us save up for the future, looking forward to tomorrow when things might be better or different somehow. But Tessa is forced to value things in a different way, to seek out the things that truly matter.

Life becomes concentrated when it’s boundaried. Death is the biggest boundary of all. When you can’t look deeply into the future, then all you have is the present, and in the present, small ordinary things become rich. By looking so closely at death I was actually hoping to write about life.

Before I Die is such a terribly moving and heart wrenching novel. Why did you choose to write the novel from Tessa’s point of view, that of the dying?

I wanted the reader to inhabit Tessa’s body in the hope that they would have both a visceral and an emotional response. If Tessa’s body does the talking - if the reader experiences a lumbar puncture or a haemorrhage with her - then it inevitably pushes the reader closer to the physical self. I wanted to achieve an immediacy between the body’s decline and the words Tess uses to describe what’s happening to her. Using first person, present tense meant that she had to narrate her own death, and that was a great challenge.

Your novel is very life affirming. Did you write Before I Die with the intention of making people think about the longevity of their lives and to get out there and do things?

I was attempting to write a good story, one that moved readers emotionally, but also made them think. So, something as random as illness happens and Tess has to make sense of it. Why me? Did I do something wrong? What choices do I have left? What actually am I in charge of in my life? There are no ‘lessons’ though. I think storytellers should give other world’s, other lives, so that reader’s can empathise, can think ‘what would I do if that were me?’

What is your opinion on how YA novels deal with death and bereavement?

Books can address difficult situations and confront social issues and help readers deal with real-life challenges. They can transport you, make you think, move you…. the list is endless. I think good YA novels should be beautifully written, shouldn’t patronise and shouldn’t make assumptions that teens are not interested in difficult or complex issues.

Young adults are experiencing so much for the first time and are drawn, I think, to stories that reflect that intensity, or which evoke feelings that match the emotional rollercoasters they're riding in their own lives.

There are some wonderful books out there that deal with very difficult subjects extremely sensitively.

Were there any books you found dealt well with this topic when you were a teen?

I was always attracted to books that could transport me from the rather boring town I grew up in to somewhere ‘other.’ For me, it was the story - with all its complexities, with the emotional truths it uncovered, the experiences beyond the everyday that it gave – that was the reason I read.

I didn’t experience the death of a loved one until my late teens, but I did know the more general feelings of pain and isolation that came with teen territory and I found it so cathartic reading about someone else’s troubles!

I had a fantastic teacher who used to hand me books in the corridor – D.H.Lawrence, Gunter Grass, Jane Austen. He introduced me to poets – Dylan Thomas, John Donne, Keats, R.S.Thomas, Auden. He also spoke to the librarian and I was allowed to take out books that were clearly marked as being for older children. On my first visit, I chose Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and D.H.Lawrence’s ‘The Rainbow,’ both of which have a very special place in my heart. I also loved Ann Holm (I Am David) and Robert C.O’Brien (Z for Zachariah).

Thank you, Jenny, for such a great interview! What do you think about what Jenny has to say?

Continue reading Interview with Jenny Downham

Review: Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Before I Die by Jenny Downham - Tessa has just a few months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is sex. Released from the constraints of 'normal' life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time finally runs out. "Before I Die" is a brilliantly-crafted novel, heartbreaking yet astonishingly life-affirming. It will take you to the very edge. From Amazon UK

I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this book is. It's absolutely wonderful, simply heartbreaking, and just brilliant. Such a beautiful story!

Tessa is a character I am unbelievably in awe for. How someone so young is able to cope so well with being told they only have so long left to live is just beyond me. She's strong, she's brave, and she's just incredible. And she has a plan. A plan to live before she dies. She makes a mist of things she wants to do before she no longer can, and it makes me want to list.

The first few things on her list I weren't the biggest fan of. Either because they're things I disagree with or Tessa doesn't actually want to do, but feels like she should just so she can say she has. Where was the sky diving? Where was the swimming with dolphins? Drugs, casual sex and breaking the law... not really the first things I would have thought of. But she does them, and her story as she goes along is just so sad.

A lot of the things she wants to she does with her best friend Zoey. I really didn't like her. She seemed unsupportive, a bad influence, and quite selfish. She got a little better towards the end, but she was always criticising Tessa and what/how she did things. I really wanted Tessa to just give her the elbow and try doing things on her own. I think she may have enjoyed things a little more if she did.

I cannot tell you how awful it was to read about Tessa's family trying to deal with Tessa's imminent death. Her Dad was in denial, yet wanted Tessa to be careful. Her younger brother was a typical younger brother, but also really scared and upset. Her Mum didn't know what to do with herself. No-one really coped too well. It was difficult to read the arguments between Tessa and her Dad, because you cn understand Tessa wanting to get out there and live, but you can also understand her Dad not wanting her to do anything that will bring her death date closer. And there really wasn't anything her Dad could do, and he knew it. So, so sad.

Adam, the love interest of the story, is just amazing. He is just so sweet, and he does all these little things to try and help Tessa tick items off her list. He's such a sweetheart, and he tries so hard. But I kind of almost didn't want Tessa to end up with someone. It just didn't seem fair; you know how this story is going to end, and sure, Tessa is allowed some happiness, but it just felt a little selfish of her, he would be left behind. I was almost crying when they got it together. And this quote really got me:

'I know I look like a pile of bones covered in cling film. I see the shock of it in Adam's eyes.
"Not quite how you remembered me, eh?"
He leans down and kisses me on the cheek. "You're gorgeous."
(p279)

I cried like a baby over the last few chapters. So much I could hardly see what I was reading. It was just excruciating, and the way Downham wrote those chapters was just so well done. In the end, it felt like Tessa was someone I knew, and I mourned when she died. At some points, I was so wrapped up in the story, it felt like I was the one who was dying, and wanted less to complete my own bucket list, the things that I had thought of that I wanted to do, but to relish every small thing. I received a text from a mate while I was reading saying he was just saying on the sofa, and I just so wanted to do the same myself, like I hadn't done it in years. Just something small that would be so good. That was pretty much what Tessa was doing. It made me so happy to be alive, and want to notice things more, take less for granted.

Before I Die may just be the most amazing book I've ever read. Simply brilliant. Cannot wait to read more by Downham.



Published: 5th July 2007
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Buy on Amazon US

Continue reading Review: Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (review copy) - They say blood is thicker than water. They have no idea. As a blood tracker, Liv is extremely powerful. And in a world where power is a commodity that can get you killed, Liv s learnt to survive by her own rules. Rule number one? Trust no one. But when a friend's daughter goes missing, Liv is bound by a potent magical oath. She can't rest until the child is safe. And that means trusting her dangerous ex, Cam. A sinister prophecy tells that she and Cam will be the death of each other, yet Liv's tired of being a slave to destiny. She's ready to play the forces controlling her world at their own game. No matter what the cost. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Everybody has to make choices.
Some might break you.
For seventeen-year-old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family, friends and a gorgeous boyfriend decisions might seem tough, but they’re all about a future full of music and love, a future that’s brimming with hope.
But life can change in an instant.
A cold February morning... a snowy road... and suddenly all of Mia’s choices are gone. Except one.
As alone as she’ll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all.
Gripping, heartrending and ultimately life-affirming, If I Stay will make you appreciate all that you have, all that you’ve lost - and all that might be. From Amazon UK

I bought this book a while back before I even knew I would be doing Death and Bereavement Week at the behest of a fellow blogger. I had read on several blogs that this book was brilliant, so I did indeed buy it. Considering its subject matter, it was a no brainer that I would read it for the week. Now I wish I had read it much sooner.

When schools have announced a snow day, Mia's family decide to go out for the day and visit some friends. But then there is an accident, a car crash. Mia ends up in hospital, but is somehow separated from herself; her spirit sees and hears and walks. While her body is lying in a hospital bed, she is roaming the hospital with a decision to make; should she stay, live and deal with the tragedy, or should she go and die?

To be honest, when I started reading it, I had trouble with it. The very first pages were great, as it was painted as being just an ordinary morning. But when it comes to the accident, I couldn't deal with how graphic the crash scene is. So much so, you don't realise actually what's happening until it hits you. That along with all the blood was just too much for me at the time. I had to put it down. I read four other books before I could pick it up again, after some encouragement from another blogger. I picked it up again, and worked past the squeamishness to get to the heart of the story. Once I was there... wow.

The story takes place just over 24 hours, but is interspaced with flashbacks of beautiful, happy, joyous moments of Mia's life. The important things in her life; her family, her boyfriend, her best friend, her music. And it's just wonderful. Some of these moments are so crazy yet normal, they caused flashbacks of my own, moments of my life that are ridiculous and crazy and normal. It was just brilliant.

The main crux of the story is Mia's choice, and which way she will go. Throughout the novel, you're never entirely sure which she will choose. Watching her deal with the her time in hospital and remember all those moments, struggling with the decision of whether to live or die is just... mind blowing. If you think of the gravity of that decision, that there is a possibility she may choose to die, it's just amazing, the whole idea. And seeing both sides of the coin, reasons for living and dying, and undersanding, just makes it even more hard yet beautiful to read, and her ultimate decision so powerful.

What was also really lovely was getting to see Mia's family and friends visit Mia at her bedside, them not knowing about Mia's presence. Seeing them talk to her while they're in this limbo of not knowing whether she'll make it or not is just heartbreaking but lovely.

This is a fantastic, beautiful book that everyone should read. I absolutely adored it, and it makes me so, so happy that I don't have to make Mia's choice.



Published: 13th May 2010
Publisher: Definitions - Random House
Buy on Amazon US
Gayle Forman's Website
If I Stay's Website

Continue reading Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Discussion: Reasons for Reading Books About Death

"By the end of high school, 20 percent of today's students will have lost one of their parents; 90 percent will have experienced the death of a close relative or loved one. Add to this the fact that one in every 1,500 secondary school students dies each year, and we can see that death and the resulting grief is a part of everyday life for many teenagers." From Bereavement Poems and Articles.

People die all the time, I know this. However, due to being lucky enough that I haven't had that many major people in my life die - and I believe those that did died while I was an adult, I found the above quote really shocking. From looking at those statistics, it looks like probably most people I know had a loved one who died while they were a teenager, it's a lot larger than I expected, simply because it never happened to me as a teenager.

During my googling for various things for this week, I came across a lot of websites and nonfiction books that deal with teen bereavement, how to get through it, but I think novels that deal with the subject also have their place, because through reading a story about someone who is going through the same thing, they find someone who understands. This could be said for any topic, but when you're feeling as lost as you are when you lose someone, I think novels can really help.

Yet, there's also the entertainment value of such books. Despite the fact that most teenagers might actually have known someone who died could have very little to do with them coming across such books. An article that come out on the Guardian website back in February 2010, when The Lovely Bones movie came out, Teenage Fiction's Death Wishes by Alison Flood, gives two sides to the entertainment argument.

The popularity of these books, believes [Gayle] Forman, [author of If I Stay] isn't necessarily because teenagers are drawn to the morbid – more that they are attracted to dramatic stories with stark moral choices. "When you're at this age, you tend to be experiencing so much for the first time – first love, first time away from home, first heartbreak – so life is imbued with extra intensity," she says. "I think teens are drawn to books that reflect that drama, or which evoke feelings that match the emotional rollercoasters they're riding in their own lives. So, while I don't think a story necessarily has to be all sturm und drang, it needs to stir something up."

Cate Tiernan [author of Immortal Beloved] isn't so sure: she does perceive a certain yearning towards the macabre among teen readers. "Traditionally, teenagers tend to be fascinated by morbid topics," she says. "The Lovely Bones probably spurred an interest in a dead teenager narrating a compelling story – you know it will be dramatic, because she's already dead. The storyline and impetus are in-built."...

Teenagers, Tiernan points out, are going through an enormous growth period – the greatest they've experienced since they left infancy for toddlerhood. "I see 'morbid' topics as a way to safely explore extreme, even threatening emotions, to vicariously experience hard, even shocking events from the safety of one's own room," she says. "I remember being intrigued by death, as a teenager. Some of my friends died in high school, either by suicide or from stupidity, and while it was horribly final, it was also surreal. There was definitely a feeling of 'it couldn't happen to me.' Even dangerous situations didn't seem that bad. I look back on dumb stuff I did and wince."

The article is really interesting and does have a lot lot more to say, so you really should check it out. But what do you think? Can such novels help those who are grieving? And what would you say is the reason such books are so popular?

Continue reading Discussion: Reasons for Reading Books About Death

Interview with Lauren Oliver

Joining us today for Death and Bereavement Week to talk about her debut novel, Before I Fall, is author Lauren Oliver.

The plot for Before I Fall is such an incredible idea. How did you come up with the idea for it?

To be honest, I was really mostly interested in writing a book about the possibilities of change. I wanted to explore a character’s evolution, from a mean and self-centered girl to someone with a real capacity for care and self-sacrifice.

What research did you have to do for this book?

Fortunately, none! That’s the great thing about fiction—you can just make it up! I grew up in a town similar to the one in which Before I Fall takes place, so I was really just inspired by my own memories and observations.

Before I Fall has such intricate plot threads. How did you keep track of the secrets, stories, histories of all the characters in the novel?

Outlining, outlining, outlining! I carefully mapped out the whole book before I began writing, because I knew that otherwise I’d become hopelessly ensnared in continuity problems.

Why did you decide to write a story about death for your debut?

To be honest, I didn’t initially set out to write a book about death; that part of the plot was kind of secondary, which surprises many people. I set out to write a book about Sam Kingston, a mean girl who changes, and I was trying to generate a convincing set of circumstances that would allow her to begin to see her choices from a different perspective. Paradoxically, it’s her death that she gives her clarity about her life.

Your novel is an eye-opener and very thought provoking. Did you write Before I Fall with the intention of making people think about how they live their lives?

A central theme of the book is that it’s important to live life with as much deliberateness as possible. That’s definitely something I believe in very strongly.

Were there any books you found dealt well with this topic when you were a teen?

There are a ton of books that deal well with death, particularly ones aimed at young readers, although I happened upon many of them later in life. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and If I Stay by Gayle Foreman are two that come to mind, for example. But I like both of these books because they’re actually about life, and I’d like to think that Before I Fall is, too.

Anything else you would like to add?

Thanks for having me! And please check out http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/ for more info/upcoming book releases.

Thank you, Lauren, for such a great interview! What do you think of Lauren's answers?

Be sure to check out Lauren's website, above, and her blog.

Continue reading Interview with Lauren Oliver

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - They say to live every day as if it's your last - but you never actually think it's going to be. You always think you'll have more time.

That's what I thought. But I was wrong.

The thing is, you don't get to know when it happens. You don't remember to tell your family that you love them or - in my case - remember to say goodbye to them at all.

What if, like me, you could live your last day over again? Could you make it perfect? If your whole life flashed before your eyes, would you have any regrets? Are there things you'd want to change? From the back cover

There's something that amazes me about books. I've read quite a lot over the years, and most of them have been really good books. I have a lot of them amongst my favourites. But every so often I come across a book, a jewel that is just so incredibly good, when I finish it's like time stops for a short while, and I just sit there in astonishment. Astonishment over how amazing the book was, and feeling incredibly lucky that I happened to pick that book up over another, that I was lucky enough to read it in my life time, that I have the memory of this read, this wonder, this astonishment forever. It's the one thing that makes me wonder if fate exists, as crazy as that sounds.

Before I Fall is one of these phenomenal books. There really aren't any words to describe how good it is, or how it made me feel. It's completely full of surprises, high moments, incredible lows, tragedy, laughter, craziness, utter bliss, paralysing fear, and deepest sorrow. It has absolutely everything, yet none of those words can even come close to the beauty of the moments I thought of as I wrote them. The plot, the writing, the characters, the small events, the big events... I'm just completely dumbfounded.

Sam Kingston dies at the end of what is a normal day. Except that's not the end. She wakes up again the morning of that day, again and again, having to relive it. Each day something different happens; she'll do, say, be somewhere different, which will lead to her seeing, hearing, knowing something different. As the days pass, she slowly begins to piece together how she dies, but learns about herself, about her friends, and about the life she leads. Will Sam break the circle, or will she continue to live the same day over and over? And if she does, what then?

How fully formed the characters in this novel are is fantastic. Seriously, there are so many different characters that play a part in this book at one point or another, but most are all part of the same popular clique, so it would be very easy for them all to blur into each other and for us to not see much difference, but they all have their own personalities, quirks, histories, secrets, stories. So many layers to if not all, then most of the characters, and you're always learning, always discovering - along with Sam.

Of all the characters in the book, I have to mention Lindsay, Elody, Ally and Kent. The three girls are Sam's best friends, the queen bees of the school and are so loyal, love each other deeply, but then can be the nastiest cows you could possibly imagine to anyone who looks at them the wrong way. It's so bewildering to read, because you want to hate them so much for what they do to people, because they are so absolutely disgusting, but the friendship and camaraderie between the four - they really are each other's best friends, and you can't help but smile over their antics. And Kent! Lovely, geeky, quirky Kent! I want one for myself. He is just the sweetest, most loveliest guy, and he makes me "aww" so much! And I can't say any more that I want to without spoiling the book.

You can't read this book without noticing things around you, and realising what you take for granted. I went out shortly after finishing it, and couldn't help but enjoy listening to the wind in the trees, and the rain on my face. Sam started paying more attention once she knew it was her last day replaying over and over, but we can never do that unless we start now. As the blurb says, you don't get to know when it will happen. It was brilliant to see how Sam reacted to finding out, and then how she chose to live each day, the decisions she would make that would change the outcomes of other things. It was really eye opening, and pretty much just brilliant.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It was unbelievable. I will relish reading this again at some point in the future. You cannot miss out on Before I Fall! I cannot urge you enough to pick up this book! You will not regret it.



Published: 22nd July 2010
Publisher: Hodder
Buy on Amazon US
Lauren Oliver's Website

Continue reading Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Interview with Annabel Pitcher

Joining us today for Death and Bereavement Week to talk about her debut novel, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, is authorAnnabel Pitcher.

Thank you, Annabel, for writing such a fantastic novel and letting me interview you for Death and Bereavement Week. How did you come up with the idea for My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece?

The idea came to me in a youth hostel in Ecuador, of all places! I was travelling with my husband and, having arrived in South America in the middle of the night, we were too jet lagged to sleep and a little nervous of venturing out of the hostel in the early hours. Instead, we went to the tiny TV room and found a pirate copy of a film about 9/11, which really affected me. The idea for Mantelpiece sort of fell into my head after that, that very night in fact! I started the novel in a notepad and wrote the rest of the book travelling round the world. It was a blissful existence!

Jamie has an incredibly authentic voice, and I fell head-over-heels over how adorable he is. How easy or difficult was it to get into the mind of a ten-year-old?

I found it incredibly easy. Jamie was so real to me – so three dimensional. I have a very strong memory of my own childhood and I have worked with young people in my adult life in various capacities, so it wasn’t difficult to create his voice. Very early in the first draft, I put ‘speech rules’ in place (for instance, Jamie speaks in a very matter-of-fact way, usually in short sentences, with little verb variation) and once I had those parameter in place, creating the rest of the character’s voice was easy.

There are some cleverly woven in issues in My Sister that the reader will understand a little more than Jamie, such as anorexia. Although Jamie doesn’t see the full seriousness of Jas not eating, the reader will, and adds more credibility to the story as we see everyone effected. Was it difficult to insert these issues so that the reader would notice them yet leave Jamie to his innocence?

That’s a good question! Yes, it was at times. I didn’t want Jamie to come across as stupid in any way, so I had to make the references subtle so that the reader could understand why Jamie might not pick up on them, but sufficiently strong for the reader themselves. It was a fine line, and one that took a couple of edits to perfect.

What research did you have to do for My Sister, if any?

There are two very different answers to that – very little and a lifetime’s worth! Very little because I didn’t feel the need to research anything that happens in the story, and a lifetime’s worth due to the fact I put absolutely everything into it, 28 years of knowledge and experience and everything that I’ve ever learned about life. It’s a book about human emotion, loss, love and family, so I wrote from the heart, drawing on my own and others’ experience, rather than looking up facts in books.

Why did you decide to write a story about bereavement for your debut?

I am fascinated by humans – their experiences, their stories, their emotions, their struggle to cope with the things life throws at them – and I suppose death and bereavement exaggerate all of this. However, the bereavement in the novel is very much the backdrop to what is (I hope) just an entertaining and moving story about all sorts of things – friendship, courage, coming of age, acceptance, bullying, love, the list goes on! I don’t see it as a book about bereavement. I see it as Jamie’s story, which just so happen to includes bereavement.

Not only does My Sister deal with bereavement, but also specifically with how terrorism can affect those left behind. Why did you decide to write a novel on the effects of terrorism? Was it hard to tell the story through the eyes of a ten-year-old?

It was important to me to write a contemporary story, set in a world young people recognise. I wasn’t interested in writing a fantasy, or a fluffy romance. I wanted my debut to be hard hitting and real. Terrorism, being such a contemporary issue that we’re all affected by in some way or other, enabled the story to become the raw, true-to-life one that I imagined.

What is your opinion on how YA novels deal with death and bereavement?

I don’t really feel qualified to answer that as I haven’t read a huge amount of YA novels about death and bereavement. However, the one book that qualifies is Before I Die by Jenny Downham, and I was in awe of the writer’s unflinching approach to cancer and grief. It captured the heartache and tragedy of the girl’s death without ever becoming sentimental. It is the most astonishingly real book – a huge triumph.

Were there any books you found dealt well with this topic when you were a teen?

Not really – and if there were, I didn’t tend to read them! I was always more interested in fantasy than I was in reading things that were too harrowing. I do remember Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, but all I can recall is being gripped and moved by the story; I wouldn’t be able to say if the book dealt well with the topic.

Anything else you would like to add?

Thanks for having me and for your interest in the novel!

Thank you, Annabel, for such great answers! Be sure to check out Annabel's website. What do you think about what Annabel has said?

Continue reading Interview with Annabel Pitcher

Review: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher (review copy) - Ten-year-old Jamie Matthews has just moved to the Lake District with his Dad and his teenage sister, Jasmine for a 'Fresh New Start'. Five years ago his sister's twin, Rose, was blown up by a terrorist bomb. His parents are wrecked by their grief, Jasmine turns to piercing, pink hair and stops eating. The family falls apart. But Jamie hasn't cried in all that time. To him Rose is just a distant memory. Jamie is far more interested in his cat, Roger, his birthday Spiderman T-shirt, and in keeping his new friend Sunya a secret from his dad. And in his deep longing and unshakeable belief that his Mum will come back to the family she walked out on months ago. When he sees a TV advert for a talent show, he feels certain that this will change everything and bring them all back together once and for all. From Amazon UK

As much as I liked the sound of My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, when it came to reading it, I did put it off quite a few times. Why? Because the story was told by a ten-year-old, and in my mind that meant that it was aimed for quite young readers. As I'm not normally a fan of books for younger readers, I was worried I'd be disappointed by this novel. In actual fact, I was completely blown away.

The first thing I need to talk about is just how sweet this book is. Yes there are some pretty bad things that have happened before the start of the book and happen within the book's pages, but it's Jamie's voice; young, ten-year-old Jamie who is telling us his story and has such a brilliant, wonderful, and simple outlook on life, it's just lovely. He finds beauty int he most unexpected places, and love and strength in the most dire of circumstances, he is just wonderful! He explains things in his simple, child-like way, but makes absolute, perfect sense. The voice is just so incredibly real, together with the perfect cover, you can't help but imagine that gorgeous little boy telling you his story, and I wanted to pick him up and give him a hug so many times.

This story was also completely heartbreaking. His sister, Rose, died five years ago, and he doesn't really remember her. Yet his family are still suffering from the grief. His Mum walked out on them, and his Dad drinks himself into a stuper almost everyday. His Dad is completely obsessed with Rose, to the point that she gets a stocking put by her urn every Christmas, and a slice of cake whenever it's someone's birthday. He cannot let go, and everything is about her, to the point that Jamie might as well be invisible.

Jas, Jamie's older sister and Rose's twin, tries hard to give him the care he needs, but at just 15 herself, and going through her own issues, it just isn't perfect. But Jamie finds fun in the absolutely lovely Sunya, the girl he sits next to at school. However, as Rose died in a terrorist attack, his Dad is completely anti-Muslim, so Jamie goes through this inner conflict of wanting to be Sunya's friend, but how can he be when Muslims killed his sister? And when his Dad hates them so much? On top of all this, Jamie desperately, desperately wants to get his Mum and Dad back together and for everyone to be happy again, and he tries so hard.

There are also some other issues covered in My Sister, such as bullying and religions/beliefs, and those that Jamie himself doesn't know are big issues due to his age but the reader will, such as anorexia. In the case of anorexia, although Jamie doesn't realise how serious his sister's eating is, the little glimpses show a bigger picture, how the death of her twin, the abandonment from her mother, and her Dad's drinking affects Jas, and makes the story even more credible. Jamie may not see it, but we do, and understand. With this as one of many examples in mind, yes, this book can be enjoyed by younger teen readers, but it can also by enjoyed by older teenagers and adults alike, it has complete crossover appeal. It's such an amazingly fantastic novel that everyone can find something to enjoy from it.

This really is a beautiful, moving, and heartbreaking story, and at times really difficult to read, but absolutely brilliant. I am completely in awe of Pitcher over how spot on Jamie's voice and how real the story feels. It really does feel like he's talking to you, and you can't help but fall in love with him and want to look after him. This is one little boy I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Thanks to Orion for sending me a review copy.



Published: 1st March 2011
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Buy on Amazon US
Annabel Pitcher's website

Continue reading Review: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit Week: It's Here!

Death is a fact of life. Everyone dies, and we have to accept that. But what's hard is actually coming to terms with the fact that loved ones are no longer here. In my opinion, the teenage years are when everything feels so much bigger and important, and when things effect you most strongly. This is not to detract from the greif felt by adults, everyone finds grief hard, but I feel losing someone close to you as a teenager, when you yourself feel invincible... it's going to be a huge deal.

And so Death & Bereavement in Teen Lit Week was born, to see how authors deal with such a sensitive subjet. Unfortunately, due to computer issues, I was unable to make this a month long event, but I'm able to use what I had already written to hold a themed week. During this week, I will look into books that deal with those in mourning, those who are dying, and in some cases, those who are dead. There will be reviews, author interviews, and discussions.

Below is a schedule of what you'll find on Once Upon a Bookcase during this week. I hope you, for want of a better word, enjoy.

Monday 12th September 2011
My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece by Annabel Pitcher
Interview with Annabel Pitcher

Tuesday 13th September 2011
Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Interview with Lauren Oliver

Wednesday 14th September 2011
Discussion: Reasons for Reading Books About Death
Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Thursday 15th September 2011
Review: Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Interview with Jenny Downham

Friday 16th September 2011
Review: And By the Way... by Denise Deegan
Guest Post from Denise Deegan: Bereavement in And By the Way...

Saturday 17th September 2011
Review: A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Previously Reviewed
Other Bloggers' D&B Posts

Sunday 18th September 2011
Further Reading
Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit: The End

Continue reading Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit Week: It's Here!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor Trailer

Here are the three trailers for the amazing novel, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor! The trailers are just awesome, and the book is brilliant!







Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (released 29th September 2011) - Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.

When Brimstone called, she always came.

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought. From Amazon UK

Find out more at the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Website.

Continue reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor Trailer