The Book Smugglers

Book Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Thea — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:01:06 +0000

Title: Partials

Author: Dan Wells

Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Dystopian, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Publication Date: March 2012
Hardcover: 472 pages

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials–engineered organic beings identical to humans–has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question–one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

Stand alone or series: Book 1 in the Partials Series

How did I get this book: ARC from the Publisher

Why did I read this book: I *love* Dan Wells’ John Cleaver trilogy (I Am Not A Serial Killer made my longlist of notable reads of 2010), so when I learned that he was writing a dystopian SF series for the YA crowd, I was ecstatic – and Partials shot up to the top of my list of most highly anticipated books of early 2012.

Review:

“When our ancestors were attacked at Pearl Harbor, they called it a day that would live in infamy. The day the Partials attacked us with the RM virus will not live in anything, because there will be none of us left to remember it.”

~President David R. Cregan, March 21, 2065, in a press conference at the white house. Three hours later he hanged himself.

The Partials were created by man – a synthetic human-appearing army of super soldiers, made to fight mankind’s battles. They evolved. They rebelled. There are many copies. And they have a plan.

(Ok, I couldn’t resist the BSG comparison – it’s kind of inevitable. But more on that in a bit.)

When the Partials – one million strong – rebelled against their human overlords, they unleashed a biological weapon that decimated mankind. The RM virus had a 99% fatality rate, leaving only a small, isolated community of less than 50,000 survivors congregated in the crumbling ruins of Long Island. The true legacy of RM and the Partial War, however, would not be felt until years later – with the death of every single newborn child. Desperate to find a way to cure the virus, to have at least one baby live longer than three days, the aging Senate that governs humanity passes the Hope Act, which dictates that all fertile women over the age of 18 must be impregnated and bear children on a yearly basis.

Sixteen year old Kira, a “plague baby”, can barely remember the days before the Partial War, but she’s passionate to find a cure for the RM virus that threatens the survival of her species. A skilled medical researcher and an idealist, Kira has a crazy idea – to capture a Partial and to study its physiology. When, against all odds, Kira’s plan to capture a Partial succeeds, she finds herself mired in a power struggle of unfathomable repercussions. To cure RM and save her best friend’s unborn child, Kira will do anything – but the answers to Kira’s questions will change her world forever. Nothing is what it seems, and Kira gradually uncovers the truth: the truth of the Partials and the war with humanity, the truth of the civil unrest that threatens the handful of human survivors, and the truth of the RM virus itself.

Well, color me happy – I had pretty high hopes coming into Partials, having been such a fan of Dan Wells’ other work – and I am incredibly happy to report that this book totally, unquestionably rocked.

Inevitably, Partials draws comparisons to Battlestar Galactica – you’ve got a flawed, decimated human society with just a few thousand survivors, living day to day in a struggle to simply survive. You’ve got your cylon-esque synthetic humanoids, in this case called Partials, that are indistinguishable from their human creators, seen as abominations by their human creators, but think and feel and emote just as their human creators do. There aren’t any battlestars or raptors, no resurrection ships or FTL jumps in Mr. Wells’ book, but the themes that underly BSG are all present in Partials – what defines humanity? Who is to blame for the calamitous war? With the stakes so high, how far can and will either side go in order to survive? What separates a rebel cause from terrorism?

Frak me, I loved every second of it.

But enough of the BSG references – how does Partials stand on its own, you ask? The answer is: beautifully. From a writing and storytelling perspective, this first book in a planned series expertly weaves in complex themes of humanity, and addresses the question of immediate survival, versus hope and planning for the future. The twists might be a bit on the predictable side (not because of poor writing, but because, well, there’s only so many directions a story like this can go), but are executed with surgical precision. Dan Wells also plays close attention to pathology of RM and delves into the structure of the virus and the medical mystery/thriller aspect of its proliferation, in the style of Megan Crewe’s The Way We Fall and Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy. Also similar to the Newsflesh books, and to some extent, Patrick Ness’s The Ask and the Answer (Book 2 in the Chaos Walking trilogy) Partials has an impressive political subplot that addresses rebellion, freedom of choice, of speech, and expression of these rights. The only thematic aspect of the story that I wish could have been explored more thoroughly is the question of women’s rights – the Hope Act and its repercussions, forcing women to bear dead child after dead child, year after year, is an amazing vehicle for deeper evaluation and commentary around reproductive rights and a woman’s right to choose. While these issues are touched upon lightly in this book, I’m hoping for deeper examination in book 2.

From a character perspective, I loved Kira as a heroine – fiercely capable, level-headed, never the damsel in distress, and passionate about those she cares for and her ideals. She’s also refreshingly free of the traits so common in the contemporary dystopia YA heroine – none of the annoying too-stupid-to-live tendencies, none of the frustrating inner monologues about romantic entanglements (especially when there are clearly bigger issues – like extinction – at stake). No, Kira has a mission and even though there is an undeniable romantic subplot for future books, it’s tempered with realism and handled with subtlety. The larger cast of characters feels genuine and well-rounded, from Kira’s boyfriend Marcus (with his genial attitude, but frustrating tendency to want to “save” Kira – who bristles at his protective urges to save her from herself – ick, but believable), to the serious one-track minded Haru, to the passionate Xochi, to the stoic Partial captive, Samm. The best litmus test for effective cast building is the fact that I cannot wait to get to know these characters better in the next book.

I loved this book, I cannot wait for the next volume, and I’m afraid that my list of favorite books of 2012 is filling up already. Absolutely frakking recommended.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Thanks to HarperCollins’ Browse Inside feature, you can read the first 95 pages of the book online HERE.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Earthseed by Pamela Sargent

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, nook & apple

Book Review: Gil Marsh by A.C.E. Bauer

Ana — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:33:19 +0000

Title: Gil Marsh

Author: A.C.E. Bauer

Genre: Contemporary, Retelling, Mythology, Young Adult

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date: February 28 2012
Hardcover: 192 pages

Good looking, athletic, and smart, Gill Marsh is the most popular kid at Uruk High School, even though he is only a junior. When Enko, a new kid from Montreal, shows up, Gil is wary. Yet Enko is easy going and matches Gil’s athletic prowess without being a threat. Soon, the two become inseparable friends, practicing, studying, and double-dating.

Then suddenly, to everyone’s shock, Enko succombs to an aggressive cancer.

When Enko’s parents take his body and return to Canada, Gil is unable to even say good bye. He is inconsolable. Determined to find Enko’s grave, Gil sneaks away and heads north.

Closely based on the ancient story of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian King from 3000 BC, A. C. E. Bauer has carefully woven the classic elements of myth to follow Gil’s quest and explore the grief and growth of a young man.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did I get this book: Review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

Why did I read this book: Mythology retellings are my New Thing and was DYING to read this book. DYING.

Review:

I am currently kind of obsessed with retellings of mythological and/or historical works (it’s my New Thing) and when I heard about Gil Marsh, a Contemporary YA retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh, I immediately placed it at the top of my Most Highly Coveted Books of 2012. The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known works of literature and it follows Gilgamesh, the oppressive king of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia on an epic journey to become a better king and to understand the nature of death and mortality. One of the main things about it, is the king’s relationship with Enkidu, a mortal man sent by the Gods to distract Gilgamesh from oppressing his people. They become friends and it’s Enkidu’s death and ensuing grief that prompts Gilgamesh to go on his quest.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited about reading Gil Marsh. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. At all.

Before I proceed any further though, I think I need to clarify what exactly those expectations were because they are important in understanding how I approached the book (and this review). I read Gil Marsh as a modern retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh, this means that I searched for the connections to the original story within this one and how it was adapted to a modern audience. This also means that for the most part I did not read Gil Marsh as a stand-alone, self-contained novel, not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t, given the aforementioned expectations.

In this retelling, Gil Marsh is the king of Uruk High School: the most popular kid because of its good looks, athletic prowess and his smarts. When Enko, a new guy from Montreal shows up and proves to be a worthy competitor, Gil is at first wary and even nasty to the guy. But soon they become inseparable friends: the reigning king and his deputy. But then Enko dies and Gil is grief-stricken. Enko’s parents take his body to be buried in Canada and Gil is unable to attend the funeral and say goodbye. Inconsolable, Gil runs away from home and goes on a journey to find Enko’s grave and maybe even restore him to life.

To start with, I think the biggest problem of Gil Marsh is in its poor attempt at retelling the original story. Bearing in mind that this is supposed to be a retelling of an epic story about an epic journey AND about grief and immortality, this story lacks depth and gravitas. We are supposed to believe in the powerful bonds of friendship between Gil and Enko – which is what prompts Gil’s journey – but there is very little of it beyond: “they became friends, they partied together”. Their relationship is insta-friendship, i.e. it happens suddenly and without any development whatsoever. There is a lot of telling here, not enough showing and a definite overuse of exclamation marks to portray all sort of emotions.

Similarly the theme of “immortality” is present but glossed over. Gil is supposedly grief-stricken but as he travels through Canada and gets into perils and hardships, he barely thinks of Enko or about death. One of the things he pursuits in the story, is the legend of an immortal blacksmith who made a ring that Enko left him. But it is never very clear whether Gil actually believes in this man’s immortality, what does it mean if he is indeed immortal, how does that connect with his own life and eventual death, etc, etc. Does he really believe that Enko could be brought back to life?

Mind you, this retelling didn’t need to be epic, it could have been a good, quiet contemplation of grief and death. But it isn’t, the story is just really superficial and most of the time, Gil just came across as a petulant child who kept having tantrums because he lost his teddy bear.

The very premise of how and why Gil goes on his “perilous” journey in the wilderness of CANADA was EXTREMELY contrived as well. He runs away from home in search of Enko’s grave in Canada and gets in all sorts of problems (his money is stolen, he is beaten up, he gets lost, etc) because he doesn’t know where the grave is. The idea is that he didn’t want to ask because he didn’t want his parents to know he was going as they would prevent him from going. But it’s hard to find that believable: it was a simple matter of ASKING his BEST FRIEND’ S parents about the location. He had time as he spent days and days working to save money, he concocted a whole story about a sport’s competition so he could leave, he could have asked as it was only natural he’d ask that.

It is hard to believe that a guy who was presented as the smarted guy of his school would be so naïve as Gil proved to be throughout the story. Furthermore, I felt that since he ended the story much as he began, there was no real substance to his story arc.

Beyond those, one thing really baffled me and I honestly don’t know what to make of it. For example, Enko is really hairy: he has thick hair that covered his knuckles, his arms, his chest, his shoulders, neck and legs. Gil calls him “Beast Man” and makes fun of him which he apologises for once he learns that Enko feels bad about it (“not everyone is born smooth and pretty”).”Smooth”? “Hairy”? “Beast boy”? Enko is bullied and excluded at first because he is “hairy”?

I believe this is one of the places where the author failed in adapting the story to a modern audience. I find that kind of unsettling and actually a bit insensitive to contemporary issues. Wasn’t there anything more contemporary or relevant that could have been used here? “Beast Boy”, although tying up with the original, is oddly out of place and out of time. I will grant that this could be used a metaphorical “blanket” for ANY type of bullying or prejudice but I am not really sure that these elements are successfully addressed either. Here is another quote that baffled me:

Though he was dark and hairy while Gil was golden and smooth, Enko was also smart, charming, strong, with an edge that Gil liked.

“Though”? Why “though”? This is a bit where Gil is sort of having a positive revelation so again, I ask myself: why “though”?! Like it is beyond belief that someone “dark” and “hairy” could also be “smart, charming, strong”?

Oh book, you disappointed me.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Excerpt from the first chapter:

Gil Marsh

First day of school. Coach yelled from across the field. “Marsh! Meet our latest recruit.”

Gil stopped stretching and jogged over. Coach spoke to a boy dressed in a running tank and shorts. Thick black hair covered the boy’s knuckles and arms. It poked out from his chest, his shoulders and neck. It covered his legs. A beast boy, Gil thought.

“. . . help you out. He’s one of our best runners.” Coach turned to Gil. “Marsh, this is Enko Labette. He’s from Quebec.”

Hmph. Gil wasn’t one of the cross-country team’s best runners. He was the best. No one else came close. He had led James E. Uruk High School to Nationals two years in a row.

“Hi,” Gil said.

Enko extended his hand in an oddly formal gesture. Gil shook it.

Enko had a powerful grip—a ring on his pinky finger dug in slightly. He smiled, producing a deep dimple in his chin. He was trying hard to impress.

Well, let’s see what the beast boy could do.

“You follow me,” Gil told him.

He started the warm-up jog just a notch faster than usual. Enko didn’t break a sweat.

“Round the back, over the Rock!” Coach yelled to the team. “No clock today. Keep to the running trail. I want it clean and even.”

Clock or no, Gil took off, in a sprint now, almost at racing speed.

Enko followed.

They circled around the back of the school to one of the paths along the Green Valley Creek, over the footbridge to cross the water, then up the side of Overhang Rock. The other boys lagged behind.

Overhang Rock stood three hundred feet above town. Made of exposed, weathered red stone, it had a war memorial at the top, erected some ninety years ago by a veterans’ group. A running trail wound alongside a road that led to the memorial.

Gil ignored the running trail and chose a hiking path that switchbacked in the other direction, zigzagging at sharp angles around and up the other side of the Rock. At a walk, the trail provided a small challenge. At a run, it required all your concentration to get from one boulder to the next without falling. Gil could do the path in the dark—had done so numerous times. Enko, much to Gil’s surprise, took to it as if he could run it blindfolded.

By the time they reached the Memorial, sweat trickled down Gil’s back.

“We follow the road down,” he said. “Safer that way.”

Enko nodded. He wasn’t the least bit winded. Who was this kid?

Gil sprinted even faster downhill.

When they returned to the field behind the high school, Coach was waiting for them. “What the hell is the matter with you, Marsh? I said the running trail, not the climbing one!”

Gil leaned forward, hands on his thighs, panting. This had been more of a workout than he had expected. Enko breathed a little harder, too, but wasn’t out of breath.

“It’s okay, Coach,” Enko said. He had this weird French accent. “That was fun.”

Fun!

Coach scowled. “Maybe Marsh can learn something from you.” He might have said more, but off in the distance two runners trickled onto the field.

“Cool-down walks!” he yelled. “Everyone,” he added pointedly to Gil.

When Coach turned to address the other boys, Enko slapped Gil on the shoulder. Gil walked ahead, ignoring the gesture. Beast Boy had just outperformed him. No one had done that before. And Coach had noticed.

Rating: 3 – Really Bad

Reading Next: The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, google, and nook

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Ana — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:01:16 +0000

Title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical, Second World War

Publisher: Dial Press / Bloomsbury
Publication Date: First published in 2008
Hardcover/Paperback: 274 pages

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

How did I get this book: Borrowed from a friend

Why did I read this book: A friend of mine, knowing I love epistolary novels and stories in a Second World War setting, put this book in my hands after she read it and loved it. It was sitting on my nightstand when Elizabeth Wein, author of the fabulous Code Name Verity mentioned it as one of her influences and that was what made me finally read it.

Review:

In a recent article, Elizabeth Wein, the author of Code Name Verity (right now, my favourite read of 2012) listed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society as one of her literary influences. Coincidentally, I had a copy of the book sitting on my nightstand, lent to me by a colleague whose love for books equals (if not surpasses) my own and who had raved about it. Based on the strength of these two recommendations, I read the book and ended up loving it with a passion. It reminded me of some of my favourite books: Doomsday Book and Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (for its fascinating and selfless characters) and Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster (for its narrative format and main character’s voice).

It’s 1946 and author Julie Asthon doesn’t know what to write next. Her Izzy Bickerstaff Goes to War column in the Spectator was very popular during the War but now she wants to put it behind her and work on something new. That’s when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey (one of the Channel Islands), a pig farmer who acquired a book by Charles Lamb that had once belonged to Juliet (it has her name on it) and whose love for the book prompted him to contact her to ask for further recommendations of other works by Charles Lamb. They begin a correspondence and Dawsey reveals that he is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and the name itself is enough to make Juliet extremely curious – what in the world is a Potato Peel Pie? – and when she learns that the society came about because of a roast pig party and the need to keep it a secret in the German-occupied island, she decides she needs to hear more about it.

Juliet then starts to research everything she can about Guernsey under the German Occupation: Guernsey children were evacuated to England just as the island was invaded by a huge contingent of Germans and the island was completely isolated from the mainland and some of its inhabitants were sent away to concentration camps. In fact, a concentration camp was built on the island itself (the only ever on British soil) to host slave labourers. But those are merely hard-boiled facts. It is not until Juliet starts receiving letters from other members of the Literary Society that she is able to see a human portrait of the island and its inhabitants under German Occupation.

The book is written exclusively in letter format (oh, epistolary novels, you are my kryptonite) and it follows Juliet’s correspondence with not only her new friends in Guernsey but also with her editor (and friend) Sidney and others friends. The core of the story belongs perhaps to two people: Juliet and Elizabeth McKenna. Juliet’s growing love for Guernsey, its people and its stories as well as her focus on her own growth as a person and as a writer is one of the main threads. But as the letters keep coming, it is easy to see the importance of Elizabeth for this story: she is the one who in the spur of the moment, created the Society. Her actions are extremely brave and heroic and although we never hear directly from her (the reason, too spoilery to mention here) but her life touched the lives of all the members of the Society. I can’t express how much I loved that a book that refers to events during Second World War has a female character as the most heroic, courageous, selfless character of them all. I can’t count the many stories have I read (or watched) that featured male heroes doing tremendous acts of courage and being hailed for them – so I will take this story and embrace it, thank you very much.

That said, even though the core of the story might be Juliet and Elizabeth’s lives, its essence is about much more than just the one person. It celebrates life, love, endurance in the face of adversity and above all the love for reading and writing. Each member recounts how reading and attending the meetings of the society helped them get through the hard times and I loved how each person approached reading in different ways (there is one guy who read only one book throughout and managed to get new things out of it every time).

This is without a doubt a very uplifting, delightful story with a lot of light and funny moments and quirky characters. But it never denies or hides the horrors of the Second World War either. It depicts the German occupation with a degree of shared difficulties that I truly valued. There are people going hungry on both sides. There are vicious, coward, stupid, good, brave, well-natured people on both sides. It doesn’t shy away from the truths about death, torture and survival. One of the most poignant moments comes from concentration camp survivors who find it hard to share their stories with those that did not experience it because how can they possibly understand the horror? It is a very human, nuanced story and I appreciated it all the more for it.

As I was thinking about how to review the book, I thought about this recent video by Ron Charles in which he makes fun of stereotypical, formulaic words and phrases reviewers use in their reviews. But do you know…sometimes, these things ARE true and they WORK. So here it goes:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is at once delightfully funny AND sadly poignant, uncompromisingly romantic and ultimately unforgettable: a tour de force!

Notable Quotes/Parts:

That’s what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you on to another book, and another bit there will lead you on to a third book. It’s geometrically progressive – all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfect

Reading Next: Gil Marsh by A.C.E. Bauer

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, nook, google, kobo & sony

Smugglers’ Stash & News

Thea — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:47:02 +0000

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! For those in the US, we hope you’re enjoying your long weekend.

Down to business!

Giveaway Winners:

We have THREE lucky giveaway winners to announce! The lucky winners of The Thief’s Covenant by Ari Marmell are:

Whispering Words

Lisa (Starmetal Oak)

Allison

Congratulations to the winners! You know the drill. Send an email to us at contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com, and we’ll get your winnings off to you as soon as possible. Remember, our giveaways for The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge is still open, so sign up for a chance to win.

A Heartfelt Thank You:

Earlier this week, I asked you, fellow readers and bloggers to complete a survey about book buyer habits and perception, especially with regard to ebooks. Thanks to you, I now have an *incredible* sample of data with which to prepare my thesis – a thesis I will get to present in front of a board of Big Six publishing professionals. The message that you have sent in your responses is insightful, fascinating, and hopefully will be eye-opening to the industry.

So, dear readers, I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart; a million times over, THANK YOU!

On a related note, if anyone that participated in the survey is interested in the results, I am happy to post the findings and analysis. As I am an ebook-maker and digital manager for a major publishing house by day, I’m thinking about summarizing all results in – what else?! – a DRM-free ebook (for non-commercial purposes, of course), and am happy to share that information with anyone who is interested. Please send an email, or leave a comment here, if you are so inclined!

This Week on the Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Ana (still reeling from the awesomeness of Code Name Verity) kicks off the week with a review of historical epistolary novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer.

Tuesday, Ana is back with a review of one of her most highly anticipated novels of the year, Gil Marsh by A.C.E. Bauer, a contemporary YA retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

On Wednesday, it’s Thea’s turn to review one of her most highly anticipated books of the year with YA post-apocalyptic dystopian novel Partials by Dan Wells.

Thursday, Thea takes on Earthseed by Pamela Sargent, a classic science fiction story recently repackaged and republished for a new generation (yay!).

On Friday, we close out the week with a joint review of middle grade fantasy novel The Humming Room by Ellen Potter.

It’s a busy week, and we hope you enjoy! Until tomorrow we remain…

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

On the Smugglers’ Radar

Ana — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:01:07 +0000

“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a new feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was born. Because we want far more books than we can possibly buy or review (what else is new?), we thought we would make the Smugglers’ Radar into a weekly feature – so YOU can tell us which books you have on your radar as well!

On Ana’s Radar:

I saw this one over at The Happy Nappy Bookseller – looks good.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When they meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the two loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special kind of friendship–the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime.

I am a huge fan of Michelle Harrison’s THIRTEEN trilogy and I can’t wait for her next book, Unrest:

Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn’t slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around, while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out of body experiences are harmless – but to Elliott they’re terrifying.

Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out of body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something dead that wants to live again . . . and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

Keeping the Castle seems to be a Historical RomCom and I really like the sound of it…

Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her widowed mother, young half-brother, and two stepsisters—and she must maintain Crawley Hall. Althea, in short, must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors—or suitors of any kind—in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then Lord Boring comes to stay with his aunt and uncle. Althea sets her cap to become Lady Boring. There’s only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has set his own cap.

After reading Code Name Verity by E Wein last week, I went on a binge and bought some of her previous books. I hear this one starts a series-within-a- series that mixes Arthurian legend and sixth century Ethiopian history (I KNOW, right?) with a hero that is reminiscent of Megan Whalen Turner’s Eugenides. HURRY UP POSTMAN!

Telemakos is the grandson of two noble men: Kidane, member of the parliament in the African kingdom of Aksum, and Artos, the fallen High King of Britain. Telemakos is also an exceptional listener and tracker, resolute and inventive in his ability to discover and retain information. Now his aunt Goewin, the British ambassador to Aksum, needs his skill. Plague has come to Britain, and threatens Aksum. Disguised, Telemakos must travel to the city of Afar where salt—the currency of sixth century Africa—is mined, and discover the traitor who has ignored the emperor’s command, spreading plague with the salt from port to port. This challenge will take all of Telemakos’s skill, strength, and courage—because otherwise it will cost him his life.

The Sunbird is the third in Elizabeth E. Wein’s ongoing Arthurian/ Aksumite cycle. Its striking, spare language, riveting plot, and all-too-human characters are unforgettable.

Charles Benoit (author of YOU) has a new book coming out in May. I am interested:

Grace always has a plan. There’s her plan to get famous, her plan to get rich, and—above all—her plan to have fun.

Sawyer has plenty of plans too. Plans made for him by his mother, his father, his girlfriend. Maybe they aren’t his plans, but they are plans.

When Sawyer meets Grace, he wonders if he should come up with a few plans himself. Plans about what he actually wants to be, plans to speak his own mind for a change, plans to maybe help Grace with a little art theft.

Wait a minute—plans to what?

On Thea’s Radar:

First up , a novel I received in the mail this week, for which I am pretty excited. I’ve read the first books in Michelle Sagara West’s Cast series but couldn’t really get into them – I’m hoping that Silence brings better luck!

“It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….”

Then, there’s this forthcoming Tor steampunkish graphic novel that looks like a lot of fun (love the cover art):

If you’re visiting the flying city of Amperstam without the latest printing of The Lurker’s Guide, you might as well be lost. This one-sheet is written, edited, and printed by Ashe, a girl raised on the streets of the flying city, and is dedicated to revealing its hidden treasures and deepest secrets—including many that the overcontrolling government doesn’t want anyone to know. The stakes are raised when Ashe accidentally uncovers the horror of exactly how Amperstam travels among the skies and garners the attention of those who would rather that secret be kept in the hands of the city’s powerful leaders.

Soon Ashe is on the run from thugs and assassins, faced with the choice of imperiling her life just to keep publishing, or giving in to the suggestion of a rich patron that she trade in her voice and identity for a quiet, comfortable life. It’s a war of confusion for Ashe, but one thing is very clear: just because you live in a flying city, you can’t always keep your head in the clouds.

This next book looks to be a historical urban fantasy novel, but takes to revolutionary eighteenth century America instead of the more commonplace Britain. Awesome.

Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, August 26, 1765

A warm evening in colonial North America’s leading city. Smoke drifts across the city, and with it the sound of voices raised in anger, of shattering glass and splintering wood. A mob is rioting in the streets, enraged by the newest outrage from Parliament: a Stamp Tax . Houses are destroyed, royal officials are burned in effigy. And on a deserted lane, a young girl is murdered.

Ethan Kaille, a thieftaker of some notoriety, and a conjurer of some skill, is hired by the girl’s father to find her killer. Soon he is swept up in a storm of intrigue and magic, politics and treachery. The murder has drawn the notice of the lovely and deadly Sephira Pryce, a rival thieftaker in Boston; of powerful men in the royal government; of leaders of the American rebels, including Samuel Adams; and of a mysterious sorcerer who wields magic the likes of which Ethan has never encountered before.

To learn the truth of what happened that fateful night, Ethan must recover a stolen gem and sound the depths of conjurings he barely understands, all while evading Sephira and her henchmen, holding the royals and rebels at bay, and defending himself and those he loves from the shadowy conjurer.

No problem. Provided he doesn’t get himself killed in the process.

I am woefully behind on this series, but I loved The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, so I WILL get back to reading this series. Soon.

Even as her husband is about to attain undreamed-of power, Ivy Quent fears for her family’s safety. With war looming and turmoil sweeping the nation of Altania, Ivy finds the long-abandoned manor on the moors a temporary haven. But nowhere is really safe from the treachery that threatens all the Quents have risked to achieve. And an even greater peril is stirring deep within the countryside’s beautiful green estates. As Ivy dares an alliance with a brilliant illusionist and a dangerous lord, she races to master her forbidden talents and unravel the terrible truth at the heart of her land’s unrest—even as a triumphant, inhuman darkness rises to claim Altania eternally for its own.

The premise of this next book is intriguing, so I’m willing to look past the MAC ad cover (though the eyeshadow color IS very pretty):

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She’s been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she’s closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don’t make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she’s been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable–except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning–and she’s not entirely willing to play by their rules.(less)

I LOVE this cover, and the fact that it is a new pioneer scifi novel has my heart all aflutter. WANT.

Pattie and her family are among the last refuees to flee a dying Earth in an old spaceship. And when the group finally lands on the distant planet which is to be their new home, it seems that the four-year journey has been success. But as they begin to settle this shining world, they discover that the colony is in serious jeopardy. With supplies dwindling, Pattie and her sister decide to take the one chance that might make life possible on Shine.

Saw this one thanks to the lovely KMont of Lurv ala Mode! I *loved* book 1, The Doomsday Vault and cannot wait for this next installment:

THE THRILLING STEAMPUNK SERIES CONTINUES…

Declared enemies of the Crown, Alice Michaels and Gavin Ennock have little choice but to flee in search of a cure for the clockwork plague ravaging Gavin’s mind. Accompanying them is Dr. Clef, a mad genius driven to find the greatest and most destructive force the world has ever seen:The Impossible Cube. If Dr. Clef gets his hands on it, the entire universe will face extinction.

And that’s it from us! What books do you have on your radar?

Joint Review: The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

Ana — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:18:46 +0000

Title: The Vanishing Game

Author: Kate Kae Myers

Genre: Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: February 14 2012
Hardcover: 353 pages

Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived. With help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack’s death and the company that employed him and Noah.

Jocelyn’s twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he’s dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from “Jason December” – the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn’s childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house’s powers weren’t just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light..

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did we get this book: We both got ARCs via Netgalley. Half way through it, Ana decided to buy a final copy of the book.

Why did we read this book: The blurb sounded so promising! We were both REALLY excited to read this one.

Review:

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. We feel that the book is so ridiculously bad, we need to despoil it in order to save our readers. Just a friendly Public Service Announcement.**

Ana’s Take:

I am not going to sugar coat it: this is the worst book I’ve read in a long, long time. If I sound angry, it is because I am: I spent my well-earned money on this, I spent my precious hours reading it and all of it just feels really wasteful to me. I am not naive enough to expect that all books will be incredible but it appears I do still foster the hope that a book will at least be readable. I found The Vanishing Game SO badly written, I barely registered the plot or the characters. This does make me angry – where was the editor of this book? How can a serious publishing house SELL this stuff? I refuse to count as a positive the fact that the book has no spelling mistakes. Standards: I can has them.

The prose is barely serviceable: it is all tell, not show, and the telling is extremely clumsy:

“My twin, Jackson Harte, and I were the only children of our mother, Melody.”

“His unwillingness to accept my theories caused my sense of purpose to falter”

“I grabbed the blow-dryer, working on my hair. It was long and shinny.”

“I reached for the knob and felt my adrenalin take a hike, since what lay below was scarier to me than the fire starters in the other room.”

“Had Corner Boy’s hostile ghost somehow managed to transport me, or had I fallen into a strange fit and traveled up here like a sleepwalker? Panic surged through me, and I turned around.”

It relies on extremely cheesy metaphors and wordings that seriously, made me LOL many times reading this book:

“My mouth fell sober”

“Light-hearted, I began falling down the deep well of love”

“And in the meantime, why set me up to fall in love with Noah all over again, only to have him stab me in the heart like I was a vampire and he was Van Helsing?”

“For a few seconds my confidence that my brother was still alive wavered like a candle frame in a cold draft. But then I mentally sheltered that hope, unwilling to let Noah’s faithless logic extinguish it.”

“Since then, everywhere I went the pain of losing him went with me. It wore me like a backpack, slapping a rhythm of heartache against my soul with each step.”

It has many passages that are completely illogical if you think of it:

“The shooting from last night went through my mind again, more terrifying than my nightmare, and once more I wondered who the dark man at the end of the alley was. How had he happened to be there just as Georgie’s knife was ready to rip into me, and why had he killed him? There seemed to be no answer.”

There IS an answer. She just doesn’t know it.

“Any theories?”
“Maybe one, but it’s really out there.”
I leaned forward, intrigued. “Tell me.”
“A couple of times I wondered if someone in the house had abilities”
“What kind?”
“Maybe some sort of mental powers”
“I just don’t see how that makes sense,” I said. “From everything I saw, it seemed to me that the problem was Seale House itself. It was like the more controlling and mean Hazel got, and the more dangerous Corner acted, the more the house became that way too.”

Yes, because THAT makes more sense?

“I braced my body against the blast that would bring more pain and disfigurement than I could imagine.”

If she can’t imagine it, and it hasn’t happened yet, HOW CAN SHE KNOW WHAT WOULD IT BRING?

And so on so forth.

Beyond the writing though, I also had problems with the story, the content, the characters, everything. The blurb promises a “shocking twist” in the end. Not so much. I not only saw it coming from miles ahead, I also think this “twist” is as full of holes as a Swiss cheese.

There is also a significant amount of hate on girls here that made me super uncomfortable: any girl who was not the main character was “vain”, “nasty”, “silly”, “boring”. Also, you will be pleased to learn that the only reason why Jocey was not abused by her mother’s boyfriends growing up is because she was not beautiful. No, seriously. This is an actual thing in the book:

“Now, at almost eighteen, I admitted there’d been a plus to my unattractive looks back then. Considering all the men that drifted in and out of Melody’s life, if I’d been pretty like my mother I’d likely have gone through much worse stuff than I had. But because all they saw was a tall, scrawny kid that could’ve passed for a boy, they left me alone.”

And also this (when referring to a BITE MARK in her arm):

“Probably just a form of stigmata. Fear and guilt will sometimes cause a person to self-mutilate.”

Stigmata: I do not think it means what you think it means.

Listen, the book is so bad that not even the appearance of a NINJA (no, seriously) and of Surprise!Telekinetic powers saved it from being deleted from my Kindle as soon as I collected those quotes above.

Thea’s Take:

I really, really hate it when Ana and I pick up a book and are super excited to read it, only to find that it…well…sucks. I’m sorry, and I wish I could be diplomatic with The Vanishing Game, but it is appallingly bad. It’s so bad, I wondered if the first draft was posted on NetGalley in lieu of second pass or whatever stage in the publication process from which the publisher decides to create ARCs. Ana actually *bought* the final book just to make sure we weren’t reading some half-baked early version, embarrassingly and erroneously released.

Unfortunately, Ana found that the final product being sold was, shockingly, the same as the ARC. This, dear readers, is no bueno. I have made note of a few of my favorite passages from the book (excepting the ones that Ana has already detailed), because I believe the showing is so much better than the telling.

Please, observe:

Strange shadows streaked his numb face like tears on a mannequin.

At the back of the pizza place I scooted into the corner of a dimly lit booth. Couples and a few families were scattered throughout the place, eating or talking. I envied their associations and their pizza.

This is my new favorite catchphrase. I love a 17 year old girl that thinks to herself – I envy your associations…and your PIZZA.

Furthermore, Ana’s note about the attitude towards female characters is actually nausea-inducing. Take for example this passage:

“Get out of the way, beanpole,” Monique said. “You’re blocking the view.”

Nessa laughed. “Yeah. Be considerate of us normal-sized people.” Two others, Tabby and Geena, joined in with jeering comments. I turned to look down at the four petite girls with their long hair and shimmering eye shadow. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were still in the restroom stuffing your bras with toilet paper.” A few of the boys laughed, including Jack and Noah. Nessa’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t even wear a bra, do you, freak?”

“Nope.”

“I don’t think you ever will. In fact, I think you’re just a boy who dresses like a girl.”

“At least I’m not a girl who dresses like a prostitute.”

I don’t think I have the words to express my utter horror, disgust, and RAGE at this kind of mentality being spewed in this book. Granted, the main character is actually insane (SPOILER ALERT – but kind of obvious) and has her own slew of personal perception issues, but I can’t help but feel that this pervasive attitude towards girls that like to wear makeup and dress in attractive clothes is indicative of a much larger problem. This derision towards other females, THIS makes me see red. Not only is it dismissive, but it also perpetuates the stereotype that girls who like to wear makeup or go out or wear short skirts are akin to prostitutes.

The computer hacker aspect of the plot is utterly ridiculous. It is so ridiculous that I need to reiterate in caps: UTTERLY. RIDICULOUS. You know that scene in Jurassic Park when Lex has to reboot the system to lock the doors and she goes, “IT’S A UNIX SYSTEM! I KNOW THIS!” Yeah. The Vanishing Game is kind of like that (sans the awesome dinosaurs, of course).

There’s an honest to god NINJA that appears in the late chapters of the book, which is also amazingly crazy ridiculous. The “twist” is indeed made of swiss cheese, as Ana says. I recently watched the lamentable horror film The Ward, which feels almost exactly like this book – full of flawed story logic and with an utterly predictable plot twist that was cool back in the 1990s (you know, when Fight Club came out).

There are many other quotes and many other problems, but I can’t muster the strength or power of will to detail them. Suffice to say, The Vanishing Game is a very, very bad book.

Rating:

Ana: 1 – Utterly bad. I want my money (and a few hours of my life) back

Thea: 1 – Ditto

Reading next: The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, google, nook and kobo

Book Review: The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley

Thea — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:01:58 +0000

Title: The Dead of Winter

Author: Chris Priestley

Genre: Gothic, Horror, Historical, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury (US & UK)
Publication Date: January 2012
Hardcover: 218 pages

An orphaned boy, a desolate house, and a poltergeist with a terrible itch for revenge…

After Michael’s parents die, he is invited to stay with his guardian in a desolate country house. He begins to suspect something is not quite right on the day he arrives when he spots a mysterious woman out in the frozen mists. But little can prepare him for the solitude of the house itself. His guardian is rarely seen, and there’s a malevolent force lurking in an old hallway mirror. As the chilling suspense builds, Michael realizes that the house and its grounds harbor many more secrets-both dead and alive.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

How did I get this book: Bought

Why did I read this book: I recently read and loved Susan Hill’s The Woman In Black (I loved it so much that I made Ana read it); then I saw the movie, which was also pretty solid. So, when I was perusing the Internet for another delicious gothic ghost story and I saw this novel (for about $5 as an ebook, too!), I knew I had to have it.

Review:

Young Michael Vyner has had a rough lot in life – his father died heroically in the first world war saving the life of a fellow soldier, leaving Michael and his mother pressed to make ends meet. After his mother dies of illness, Michael is orphaned and left adrift in the world when he learns that Sir Stephen Clarendon – the same soldier his father died rescuing in the war – has become Michael’s legal guardian. Whisked away from his home, Michael is sent to stay with Sir Stephen for the Christmas holiday, at the remote and imposing mansion of Hawton Mere.

There is something not quite right about Hawton Mere and its owners. First, there’s the terrified woman in white that disappears into the nightupon Michael’s arrival. Then, there’s the fragile mental state of Sir Stephen – heartbroken and driven to the verge of madness since his wife’s suicide – and the imposing attitude of his sister, the beautiful Lady Charlotte. Most unsettling of all, though, is the feeling of malevolence and the stink of despair that surrounds Hawton Mere and all those who live there. Soon, Michael finds himself the target of sinister, impossibly ghostly, attacks. It is up to Michael to discover the secrets of Hawton Mere, before he is claimed as another one of the desolate home’s victims.

I was cautiously optimistic going into The Dead of Winter because of my recent hot streak with Victorian-ish gothic horror, and I was delighted to find that the novel completely lived up to expectations. Part haunted house tale, part good old fashioned revenge-driven ghost story, The Dead of Winter rocks.

Chris Priestley’s novel has many similarities to the aforementioned The Woman In Black – both are retrospectively narrated; both are preoccupied with spectral appearances, haunted marshland manors in a post-Victorian England; and of course, both feature a lurking, pervasive sense of malevolent evil from beyond the grave. Most importantly, just as I did with The Woman In Black, I absolutely loved the ominous, traditional ghost story of The Dead of Winter. As a haunted house story, the sense of setting and atmosphere is paramount to the success of the book, and Hawton Mere is deliciously creepy with its isolation (of course), its marshy frozen landscape (another staple), and its many dark halls and secret passageways.

Also of major import is the ghost at the heart of the novel, itself. Unlike the pure force of malevolent hatred that drives some ghost stories (though it has an ample dose of this type of ghost, too), The Dead of Winter builds on a mystery and a wrong that needs righting by young Michael – a crime has been committed, and someone must be brought to justice. Though the mystery at the core of The Dead of Winter is fairly obvious (if not who the perpetrator is, it is obvious who the ghost is and why it is haunting the grounds), it is beautifully executed.

The other great strength that this novel has lies with its sympathetic main character, the orphaned Michael. Emotional and direct with his narration – essentially the novel is reflective and epistolary in style – Michael is a young man that has a good head on his shoulders. He’s not afraid to cry or to run for help when things get terrifying, and that’s always refreshing in a horror novel protagonist. Plus, as this is very much an introspective novel with minimal dialogue, Michael’s emotional intuitiveness helps move the story along wonderfully.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say this last bit – I love it when a ghost story ends on a terrifying high note – and The Dead of Winter certainly does that. Absolutely, enthusiastically recommended.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the prologue:

My name is Michael: Michael Vyner. I’m going to tell you something of my life and of the strange events that have brought me to where I now sit, pen in hand, my heartbeat hastening at their recollection.

I hope that in the writing down of these things I will grow to understand my own story a little better and perhaps bring some comforting light to the still-dark, whispering recesses of my memory.

Horrors loom out of those shadows and my mind recoils at their approach. My God, I can still see that face – that terrible face. Those eyes! My hand clenches my pen with such strength I fear it will snap under the strain. It will take every ounce of willpower I possess to tell this tale. But tell it I must.

You can read a full excerpt online HERE.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: The Vanishing Game by

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, nook, google, kobo & sony

Guest Author & Giveaway: Caitlin Kittredge on Inspirations & Influences

Thea — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:01:21 +0000

“Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspirations and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free rein so they can go wild and write about anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.

Today, we are thrilled to have Caitlin Kittredge, author of adult Urban Fantasy and YA speculative fiction. The second book in her Steampunk/adventure YA Iron Codex series, The Nightmare Garden was released on Valentine’s Day.

Here to talk about her books, please give a warm welcome to Caitlin, everyone!

It starts with a strange look—I’ll be describing my young adult trilogy, the Iron Codex, and I’ll utter the words “Lovecraftian steampunk fantasy”. And I’ll get the look. The I’m not sure what you’re about look. I get it, I do—these influences aren’t the most common basis for a YA novel. Honestly, when I started writing the books, I wasn’t sure it was going to work.

My inspiration for the first book, The Iron Thorn, was pretty simple — I wanted to write steampunk but I wasn’t finding a great deal of connection to the traditional steampunk tropes. I didn’t connect to gentle stories of manners and dirigibles, nor rip-roaring tales of rogue difference engines. I loved to read them, but every time I tried to write them I’d run of of steam (hah) within the first few chapters.

And then, one morning, the first line of Iron Thorn fell into my head. There are seventeen madhouses in the city of Lovecraft. I’ve visited all of them. Spoken in the voice of my narrator, Aoife Grayson, I wrote and wrote, trying to figure out why there was a city called Lovecraft and what manner of world it inhabited.

I’ve always been influenced by H.P. Lovecraft — I find his personal views and politics both despicable and sadly indicative of the time he lived in, but as for his fiction, in my opinion he has few peers when it comes to horror writing. His sentences aren’t always perfect and he does tend to ramble, but I haven’t met many other writers who can grab you by the throat and not let go, forcing you to watch the unceasing terror and tension folded into their stories play out.

So I had a steampunk story with a decidedly Lovecraftian twist — many of his monsters existed in the world of The Iron Thorn, and the horror of the unknown, the red thread that connects all of Lovecraft’s work, is also strong. I quickly decided that magic was outlawed in the world of the Iron Codex, seen as the ultimate blasphemy against science and reality. What would happen, I wondered, if Aoife Grayson discovered that magic was real, and not only real, but a part of her the same as her blood and skin?

She’d be in a tight spot, and I wrote The Iron Thorn to get her out of it. The sequel, The Nightmare Garden, is a lot more steampunk that Lovecraftian, if I do say. I had a fantastic time creating the gadgets, the locales, and the new characters for Nightmare Garden, and I could feel my childhood love of other pulps, such as the Conan stories, The Shadow (who’s extremely steampunk, if you read many of his adventures) and Victorian penny dreadfuls influencing what I wrote.

But it always came back to that strange combination, that twist on tradition that shouldn’t quite work. Monsters — unimaginably cosmic and horrifyingly real both — and technology, the solidness of iron and the hiss of steam — exisiting side by side. I don’t think the Iron Codex would have come about if I hadn’t been such a dedicated Lovecraft reader, but I don’t think it would have been nearly as much fun without the inspiration of giving the story a steampunk twist, eschewing tradition, gender roles, authority and cultural norms in a way that probably would have made old Howard Philips head for the hills. And I’m happy about that, because I love the world I was inspired to create by his stories, even if he wouldn’t.

Both The Iron Thorn and The Nightmare Garden are combinations of, I’d guess, most of my influences throughout my writing career and my life. There’s a lot in there—my love of pulps, old fairy tales my parents would read to me, my love of bizarre and forgotten folklore, and a strong dash of alternate history, the go-to spice of any steampunk author. And I think it’s because the inspiration for the books was so simple, but the influences so complex, that I love this trilogy as much as I do. I hope you feel the same way when you read it.

Giveaway Details:

Two lucky winners will receive copies of The Iron Thorn and The Nightmare Garden, courtesy of the lovely Ms. Kittredge. The contest is open to ALL and will run until Saturday February 25 at 11:59PM (PST). In order to enter, simply leave a comment here telling us what YOUR favorite Steampunk adventure novel is. Only one entry per person, please! Multiple entries will be disqualified. Good luck!

Smuggler’s Ponderings: Thoughts on Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Ana — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:00:49 +0000

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (US) / Bodley Head (UK)
Publication date: February 14 2012 / March 1 2012
Hardcover: 320 pages

I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did I get this book: Review copy from the UK publisher

Ponderings:

I’ve been thinking about Wonder by R.J. Palacio a lot and about my reaction to it since I finished reading it. There are many things I loved about the book and I do recommend it to everybody, including its intended audience (Middle Grade) although I do so with reservations and the hope that the book can – should – engender thoughtful discussions.

Wonder tells the story of August (Auggie) Pullman, a boy who was born with a facial deformity caused by an extremely rare genetic disorder. He’s been homeschooled all his life but now – after more than 20 corrective surgeries – his parents feel he needs to go to school. The book follows Auggie throughout fifth grade depicting his worries and the hurdles along the way. The book is roughly divided in 8 parts and is narrated by 8 different people – all of them part of Auggie’s life to one extent or another. The most impacting of those is of course Auggie’s own perspective: he sees himself as an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face. His narrative is poignant as he describes what it feels like in those seconds whenever someone looks at him then averts their eyes. What it feels like to know that people avoid being next to him and avoid touching him. This is a kid who knows about cruelty and unkindness but who also manages to be funny, endearing and super brave. He is surrounded by people who do love him – his family, his friends. The book progresses to show how Auggie deals with his life at school but also how everybody else around him is affected by it.

Wonder was published yesterday (Feb 14) and is already gaining acclaim. It got starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, a rave from The Independent and from Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing. I agree with the majority of these reviews. This is a beautiful, thoughtful book that celebrates kindness and thoughtfulness. I loved the main character, Auggie and I loved how his story progressed and I even loved its overly sentimental ending. Although I would definitely argue that some of the different voices don’t sound “different” at all and that a few of those viewpoints are completely superfluous and add nothing to the narrative (another thing that adds absolutely nothing to the narrative except cheap tears? The death of Auggie’s beloved dog). Despite those criticisms, this is a book worth of praise.

However, and please believe me when I say that I do feel bad for even thinking about criticising a book like Wonder, I do feel this book has a simplistic approach to a very complex subject. I feel bad because this is a book so full of good intentions, a book that celebrates diverse stories, that goes against bullying and yes, all of this is truly wonderful and Auggie’s is a story that deserves to be read and celebrated but to me, the book crossed a very fine line when it tried to propose certain precepts as universal truths.

There are three quotes from the book – coming from 3 different characters, at different points in the novel – which I would like to examine closely. These are the quotes that rubbed me the wrong way when reading the book and what kept me thinking about it. Because they are quotes from THREE different characters, I do feel they pervade the narrative more as “postulations” and “principles” rather than simply viewpoints. I disagree with them vehemently but would like to make plain that this is my personal opinion – and I am about to get really political and philosophical here.

Take this quote for example (this is from one of viewpoint characters, Auggie’s sister’s boyfriend who is thinking about Auggie’s condition).

“…no, no, it’s not all random, if it really was all random, the universe would abandon us completely and the universe doesn’t. it takes care of its most fragile creations in ways we can’t see. like with parents who adore you blindly. and a big sister who feels guilty for being human over you… maybe it is a lottery, but the universe makes it all even out in the end. the universe takes care of all its birds.”

Even though I appreciate the sentiment, I think this is a very naïve and even dangerous thought. What is this thought really saying? What is it saying about children that are dying of hunger in Africa right now? For a more close-to-home approach: what is it saying about kids just like Auggie who are poor and whose parents cannot afford health insurance in America right now? How do they take care of their kids?

The universe is absolutely NOT taking care of all its birds. WE are or at least, we should be. I think this thought is dangerous because it excludes personal and social responsibility from the equation. Within the context of this novel, I think it is awesome that Auggie has such a loving family but not everybody does and I am extremely sorry to say that I really don’t believe that the universe evens it all out.

Another quote from the novel (from a different character) which I think is connected to this same idea. This quote is part of a speech toward the end of the novel in which this character – the school’s principal – is talking about kindness and about what would happen if everybody were a (bold is mine):

“[...] little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognise in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.”

He paused and shrugged.

“Or whatever politically correct spiritual representation of universal goodness you happen to believe in.”

Which to me is just another attempt at evoking this idea that there is something in the “universe” that is intrinsically “good”. Not to mention how it not only infers that “goodness” can only come from a place of religion or spiritualism but it also manages to be extremely offensive to anybody who doesn’t subscribe to this idea of “God” while at it.

Both these quotes and ideas connect with one of the main themes of the novel – if not THE main theme, which is: the importance of kindness – and several different characters at different points voice that. I don’t think anyone could ever argue against the idea that kindness is important and even elemental to life. However this precept (which is lauded and applauded in the novel) is extremely problematic to me:

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”

I think “being right” is an idea that cannot be pinned down easily. I believe that “doing right by” is important. I don’t believe it should be one OR the other. I don’t think it applies to every circumstance. I do believe that sometimes being kind is the absolutely wrong thing to do. Sometimes it is more important to be right, it is important to say the truth and to speak out. Sometimes being right and speaking out IS the kindest thing to be done.

Ultimately, I feel that Wonder is a great novel which speaks on behalf of a wonderful kid but I think it does so from a white, middle class, Christian perspective that can afford to be kind over being right and to the exclusion of other perspectives. THAT’s what has rubbed me the wrong way.

As you can see, as I was writing my thoughts, I found myself living the very conundrum I am talking about. I could have been kind and just talked about what I loved about the book. But in the end I think I do the book, Auggie and its potential readers more justice by addressing some of the things that left me conflicted about it. And you know, I don’t think there is anything unkind about it.

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, google, nook, kobo and sony

A Non-Book Smuggler Survey

Thea — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:01:02 +0000

Hello, everyone! Book Smuggler Thea, here.

As you may know in addition to being a Smuggler, I’m also an NYU grad student, working on my degree in digital publishing. Today I write to you in my capacity as a sleep-deprived, book-loving grad student.

I’m in my final semester and working on my thesis – a hypothetical international publisher of SF/F ebooks and select high-quality print books. And this is where I throw myself on your mercy and beg! I need to gather data on book readers and book lovers – namely, YOU! I have prepared a survey that should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. It’s completely anonymous (unless you want to identify yourself) and results will only be used in aggregate for data trend analysis in my thesis. This is NOT for the Book Smugglers, nor is it reflective of the blog in any way!

If you feel uncomfortable or would prefer not to respond, I completely and totally understand. (But if you do fill out my survey, I will be eternally grateful and will love you forever. Precious. And if you want to pass on the survey, that would be awesome, too.)

You can access the survey HERE, or via the embedded page below.

Thank you so much for your time and help!

Loading…