Enchanting Review: Mistwood

MISTWOOD
LEAH CYPESS
YA Paranormal
Greenwillow Books
ISBN# 9780061956997
320 pages
$16.99
Hardcover – Available April 27, 2010

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Travelling deep into the dangerous Mistwood, a young prince and soon to be king call upon an ancient power. Summoning and then binding Isabel to them, it would seem that all of their problems are now solved. Or are they?

Isabel is the Shifter, bound to protect the royalty of Samorna both with her strength and her mind. Immortal and able to take on any shape she chooses, the Shifter is a formidable weapon and great protection for a king in need. When Rokhan summons her and brings her back to the castle with him, however, Isabel soon learns that everything is not as it should be. Strong in character and wise beyond the appearance of her years, Isabel is a fantastic character with quite a bit of depth to her. This is easily a character one could follow throughout many stories as there always seems to be something new to discover about her.

Prince Rokhan, next in line to the throne after the death of his father, finds himself relying heavily on Isabel. Her powers and physical abilities should help protect his life while her mental capacity and experience advising past kings should help Rokhan lead his people well. With a strong desire to better his kingdom and rule wisely, Rokhan appears to have great potential. With Isabel at his side, he truly believes nothing can go wrong. Unfortunately for him, however, secrets rarely stay hidden and when his come to the surface, losing his crown may be the least of his worries.

MISTWOOD by Leah Cypess is a robust tale of royalty, deception, self-discovery, romance and a decent amount of the paranormal. As we follow Isabel throughout the story, we learn more about her and the memories that slowly come back to her. Snatches of memory and good reasoning skills allows Isabel to discover that Rokhan may not be who he truly seems although the compulsion of the Shifter magic forces her to protect him anyway. Uncovering more about Isabel and Rokhan, we find ourselves in the midst of deception. Full of sorcerers, princes, princesses, kings and the Shifter, MISTWOOD is a wonderful tale of magic and the strength of the human spirit.

Originally drawn to MISTWOOD by the beautiful cover, I was amazed at just how good the story was. Isabel is unlike many of the shape-shifters that we see nowadays. Ms. Cypess has done an amazing job of creating her own world and her own set of rules. What really made this book fantastic was how well she stuck to those rules. I have experienced many paranormal books where suddenly the characters could do things that had been impossible for them to do previously in the story. Here, Ms. Cypess gives Isabel her quirks and limitations while actually sticking to them. That made the story much more believable and realistic, which is great for something so full of magic.

Relationships played a major role in MISTWOOD. As Isabel learns more about herself and uncovers the truths about others, we see relationships grow and falter. This is more than a single week of time in the life of some girl. While not covering a huge expanse of time, this book does seem to cover quite a large expanse of events. Ms. Cypess does a fantastic job of allowing the story to ebb and flow throughout the book, giving us little mini adventures and allowing each event to come Isabel’s way to really shine. When I said that the story was robust, that really is the best way to describe it. MISTWOOD is a very full story with plenty of twists and turns. Every time it felt like the story was coming to a close, something else would happen that would keep our heroine constantly moving forward.

For me, the true test of a story is how long it stays in one’s mind after the final page has turned. With the plot twists throughout the book and especially at the end of the story, I believe MISTWOOD will stay with me for a while. This story is dark and mysterious, the lies surrounding Rokhan and the loss of Isabel’s memory aiding the mystical feel of the book. The way in which this book has fully wrapped around my mind is evidence of Ms. Cypess’s clear writing style and beautiful story development.

MISTWOOD was many years in the making and truly a work of art from Leah Cypess. Although this is her first published novel, she has written a number of other short stories. She can be found online at http://www.leahcypess.com/.

Cinnamon Brown
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2010

Enchanting Review: Raven

RAVEN
ALLISON VAN DIEPEN
Young Adult Paranormal
Simon Pulse
ISBN# 9781416978992
304 pages
$8.99
Paperback - Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

RAVEN by Allison van Diepen was an interesting story and definitely not what I was expecting. I thought there would be more of a paranormal aspect to the story and while there was, it didn’t seem to play too major of a role. The best way to describe the otherworldly elements in this book is as accessories to make the underlying relationship and character development stand out. It certainly worked because although I might not have read what I expected, I definitely came out of it with a story that has stuck with me.

Nicole is our raven haired beauty full of mystery and secrets. That’s one thing she shares with the delicious Zin. Secrets consume the both of them, threatening to spill over and control their daily lives. Perhaps for Nicole, they already are. Living with a ghost is never easy, especially when this ghost haunts your dreams and occasionally your day-to-day life. Knowing that somewhere in the world your ghost is alive and hurting is ten times worse.

Having fallen in love with Zin from the moment she laid eyes on him, Nicole has filled her heart with this Arabic break-dancing stud. She even went so far as to join the Toprocks, Zin’s dancing group, to get closer to him. This is where I started to get lost in the story.

Unless you’re a fan of break-dancing and understand the sport, I would imagine that the common reader is going to need a break-dancing dictionary to help them visualize the story. Ms. Van Diepen uses quite a few break-dancing terms that made a majority of the action within the story difficult to understand. I could kind of see what the characters were doing and I certainly understood the adrenaline that the dancing was creating, but having no knowledge of the dance moves and no real explanation of them given, this aspect of the book was hard to follow.

The majority of RAVEN focused on Nicole and Zin as their secrets explode and each is left to pick up the pieces for the other. As their romance blooms, however, life gets in the way and the author does an amazing job of holding that romantic tension in the story. Will Nicole end up with Zin or won’t she? My answer to this question changed about every ten pages and this is the true sign of what great writing Ms. Van Diepen put into this book. Her ability to keep us entranced and addicted to the story was such that even though I couldn’t understand parts of it, I still kept reading, needing to know more.

The paranormal aspect of RAVEN – the aspect that I mentioned was kind of lacking – did play a role in our story; it just didn’t feel like the main focus of the story. Perhaps it is better that it wasn’t the main aspect; we were able to focus on the relationships in the story with the magic tossed in to keep us hooked. The paranormal aspect did allow for a common problem the characters could work around and provided a nice touch of otherness to the book that lent it a perfect edge. Overall I would have to say that the combination of paranormal to not ended up working well and was probably to the story’s advantage. The author gave us a fictional story that could easily translate to real life.

Allison van Diepen is the author of multiple young adult books, a few focusing on the harsher topics that come up in a teen’s life. She can be found online at http://www.allisonvandiepen.com/index.htm.


Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 2010

Enchanting Review: Fragile Eternity

FRAGILE ETERNITY
MELISSA MARR
Young Adult Fantasy
HarperTeen
ISBN# 9780061214714
389 pages
$8.99
Paperback - Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

A great continuation to the Wicked Lovely series and an interesting look into Melissa Marr’s world of the Fae, FRAGILE ETERNITY turned out to be quite an interesting read. Having heard some mixed reviews about this one, I was a little nervous to see if this third installment could live up to the first two books. Following the incredibly intense Ink Exchange, FRAGILE ETERNITY could have easily floundered. Luckily, it didn’t.

While Ink Exchange took us over to watch the Dark Court, FRAGILE ETERNITY brings us back over to the lives of Aislinn, Seth, Donia, and of course our Summer King, Keenan. Struggling to find love where they can and fend off love where they shouldn’t allow it, life is anything but easy for these four. While Aislinn and Keenan fight against the lusty call of Summer, Donia becomes absorbed in finding a way not to wage war against the Summer court. After all, the man who is supposed to love her can’t help but find himself drawn to another woman. Amidst the chaos Seth finds the answer to his dreams, but will the required sacrifice be worth it?

Seth and Keenan both soar to new heights in FRAGILE ETERNITY. We see a new, deeper side to Keenan that we hadn’t really witnessed before. With Seth we begin to see the beginning cracks of insecurity. Aislinn’s pull to Keenan isn’t something he wants to witness but with no way to stop it, he’s at a loss for what to do. I think readers will love Seth in this book as he really becomes the focal point of the story.

The overall feel of FRAGILE ETERNITY was quite a bit different from Ink Exchange. Missing the deliciously dark, romantic element that the previous book held, this book stands out as more of a turning point in the series. We learn more about the world and get to meet a few more characters. It is still Ms. Marr’s world of the Fae, so there is plenty of darkness thrown throughout the pages of this story, but overall it felt that the tension here wasn’t as great as in previous books.

Readers will enjoy getting a deeper look into Ms. Marr’s world. Many of our questions are answered which, of course, only leaves us with more. One of my favorite aspects of her books is the way she manages to give us a fulfilling story without necessarily giving us a happy ending. Readers of Ms. Marr’s work will understand what I mean. FRAGILE ETERNITY is certainly no exception to this, but there was something about it, something about the change in the characters that leaves me thrilled and excited for the next installment in the series.

Melissa Marr is hard at working promoting the fourth book in the series, Radiant Shadows. She can be found online at http://www.melissa-marr.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 2010

Enchanting Review: Bleeding Violet

BLEEDING VIOLET
DIA REEVES
Young Adult Paranormal
Simon Pulse
ISBN# 9781416986188
454 pages
$16.99
Hardcover – Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Hanna is a strong-willed, intelligent character; perfect for a book where your oddest dreams come to life. She probably doesn’t have the healthiest mind on the block and this is made evident by the number of prescription pills she has to take and the way she shows up on her mother’s doorstep. BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves is definitely one of those books where once the story is over, you go back to the title and finally realize what it means.

Wearing only purple dresses and nice heels, Hanna stands out in a town where everyone else wears black. It isn’t safe to stand out. Transies – transients – are people who have not grown up in the Portero, Texas area and are recent installations to this strange town. They are the only ones who wear bright colors; they don’t know any better. Why would you want to stand out when the attention you might receive could come in the form of something biting your head off…literally.

Immediately catching the attention of our neurotic Hanna is the green-clad Wyatt. His clothes signify his role in a dangerous organization within the town, one that can help or hurt depending on its desires. Wyatt and Hanna find themselves drawn to each other in a relationship that is surely as strange as the town they live in.

Ms. Reeves has created quite an interesting world in BLEEDING VIOLET. Portero is definitely on the top of my list of places I never wish to visit. Full of possessions, blood sucking creatures, monsters, and death, Portero is an interesting area where anything can happen. The possibilities the author created when she developed this town are many and I’m fairly certain that she utilized them all.

As we race through the story, Ms. Reeves throws a few different subplots at us. Hanna’s mother Rosalee wants nothing to do with her and we need to figure out why, the town is intensely strange with many secrets, someone close to Hanna starts to act oddly, and finally Hanna’s diseased mind itself plays a role in our exploration. Each of these impact the storyline and give the reader something to latch on to. Although the story may be vastly different from many out there right now, many readers will still find a good deal of enjoyment out of it. It’s oddity is such that there is never a moment when the reader feels bored. Hanna’s hallucinations (or are they real?) allow for some moments which can be at times hilarious or fairly disturbing. Ms. Reeves detail and imagery while creating these scenes is such that the full extent of the emotion in the book becomes available to the reader. I believe that the reader is meant to be confused, angered, and scared at times. These emotions fly freely off the page.

The style of writing and Ms. Reeves ability to give us a complex story in an interesting way was fantastic. At times, the story was a little difficult to follow as it stayed in fast-paced forward motion. Readers will need to make sure that they take the time to really read the book and not just flip through the pages as quickly as can be. This may be tempting as the story is quite addictive, but in order to get the full effect of the feelings surrounding Hanna, take your time with the story. It will pay off in the end.

BLEEDING VIOLET is the debut novel for Dia Reeves. Currently working as a librarian in Texas, she can be found online at http://www.diareeves.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 2010

Enchanting Review: Voices of Dragons

VOICES OF DRAGONS
CARRIE VAUGHN
YA Fantasy
HarperTeen
ISBN# 9780061798948
309 pages
$16.99
Hardcover – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Wow. Following in the footsteps of the great dragon writer, Anne McCaffrey, Carrie Vaughn created a fantastic new world and beautiful young adult story in VOICES OF DRAGONS. Combining a modern world with creatures we normally reserve for mythological places, Ms. Vaughn gave us what many readers search high and low for: real life with a touch of fantasy.

Kay Wyatt is our heroine of the story and probably one of the best aspects of the book. She is a well rounded character and very relatable. Not overly gorgeous or full of angst, Kay allows us to delve into the story with her and join in her adventures. Seventeen and feeling the pressures of teenaged life, Kay escapes to nature when she needs to clear her head. Hiking and rock climbing are her passions, the exhilaration of feeling free enough to calm any frazzled nerves. More than that, her outdoors activities end up serving another purpose. Coupled with fate, they lead her over the border to Dragon and to Artegal, with whom communication is strictly forbidden.

While Kay discovers that dragons may not be as evil as humans think, the rest of her normal life still has to go on. Her best friend, Tam, goes out of her way to encourage the budding romance between Kay and Jon. Caught in the middle of the peer pressure to take their relationship farther than either are really prepared for, the two navigate confusing and rocky waters while still managing to find comfort in the presence of one another. Unlike many new young adult stories hitting the market, Ms. Vaughn allows Kay and Jon to have a simple and fairly innocent romance. It was refreshing in a way because it kept the story light and sweet in terms of that aspect of the book.

As Kay learns more and more about the dragon, Artegal, she soon learns that there is no reason why humans and dragons cannot once again be friends and allies. As fate would have it, however, right around the time she comes to this conclusion, the military decides to start testing its borders with Dragon. As Kay struggles to keep both sides at bay and encourage talk between the two nations, she must learn how far she is willing to go and how much of herself she is really willing to sacrifice.

VOICES OF DRAGONS was a fantastic story. As mentioned previously, Ms. Vaughn’s work easily stands proudly next to some of the best dragon stories out there. With clear writing and beautiful imagery, the author manages to really pull the reader into the story and allow us to take part in the adventure. Although one would expect the main dragon in the story to be brilliantly hued and perfect in every way, Vaughn gives him more of a grey appearance and allows him to have his own quirks. She allows us to use our imaginations while still giving large depth and robustness to something as simple as the color grey.

There are a number of traits that make VOICES OF DRAGONS a winner, but the two that had the most impact in my opinion were really the development of her characters and her writing style. Full, detailed characters gave us something to hold on to and follow throughout the story. Each had their own personality and shared uniqueness in that they weren’t your typical young adult novel characters. There wasn’t a lot of angst, although there was quite a bit of emotion. Jon didn’t act like the typically hormone driven teenage boy we usually see and Tam, although she definitely could get prissy, didn’t end up being the bratty friend that would eventually turn snobby toward our main character. Pairing these well-rounded characters with a very fluid and clear writing style made for a book that was not only a pleasure to read, but one that was easy to read as well.

I would highly recommend VOICES OF DRAGONS to readers of any age but especially those looking for a little bit of magic in their lives. This was a fabulous book and one that will surely grab the hearts of those who read it.

Carrie Vaughn is also the author of the Kitty Norville series, an adult series about a werewolf who hosts a radio advice talk show. VOICES OF DRAGONS is her first young adult novel and she is very excited about it. She can be found online at http://www.carrievaughn.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2010

Enchanting Review: Prophecy of the Sisters

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS
MICHELLE ZINK
YA Fantasy
Little, Brown Young Readers
ISBN# 0316027421
343 pages
$17.99
Hardcover – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS really has two major players in the story. Alice and Lia are twin sisters living in the times of corset and petticoats. Lia, from whose point-of-view the story is told, is the more awkward of the sisters but has a kind heart and a gentle soul. Her sister, on the other hand, exudes confidence and ambition. If the clash in personalities wasn’t enough to separate these two sisters, the recent death of their father brings to light a truth that could put the girls on opposite sides of an age-old battle.

Since childhood, James has owned Lia's heart. A charming young man who works with his father in the family bookstore, James makes frequent trips to Lia’s home to catalogue her father’s expansive book collection. A happy side effect of these trips is the time that James and Lia get to spend together. Whether it’s secret visits to cuddle under their favorite tree or a stroll along the water, these two lovebirds seem to have a fairly strong bond. When the darkness starts to encroach on the light, however, it will be a challenge to see if the strength of their love can keep the two together.

The Prophecy of the Sisters is an ancient tale, often thought of as myth, of two sisters destined to serve as the line between good and evil. At first Lia doesn’t want to believe to the story; in the prophecy, one sister shall act as the guardian of peace while the other acts as the gateway to the Apocalypse. When Lia discovers a strange mark bloom on her skin shortly after her father’s death, she’ll be led on a journey of discovery. With this prophecy potentially at play, she may not like what she discovers.

I absolutely loved PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS. In my opinion, Ms. Zink did an amazing job taking an old myth and giving it her own special twist to create this compelling story. If it makes any sense, part of what made this book so great was the simplicity of the story while keeping the complexity of the layers at the same time. With the multiple twists and turns throughout the story, I expected to get bogged down at some point, but Ms. Zink’s writing remained very fluid and easy to follow. Even though there was quite a bit of devious scheming and some side story, this maintained a natural progression. Meanwhile, Ms. Zink instilled quite a bit of elaboration within the story. Twists and turns combined with quite a few unexpected events made for a story that was unpredictable yet comfortable.

The other part of this book that made it a winner to me is the romance within the story. As we proceed through the story we learn more about the love between James and Lia. There is definitely a tender feel to the characters; at the same time there is also something you can’t quite put your finger on. There is something different in the relationship that will be exciting to explore in Ms. Zink’s future books.

Admittedly, I am an easily spooked person. When I first started reading PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS I did so in bed, in the middle of the night by myself. I would probably not recommend that. Once I really understood where the story was going, a little of the spook factor went away, but overall there is definitely a creepy aspect to the book. Between the voices whispering in the dark and the midnight rituals, this story really got the hairs on the back of my neck hopping up. The best way to describe this book is dark and deliciously addictive. I read this story in a day and now am excited to see what else Ms. Zink has up her sleeves.

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS is book one in a trilogy; the second book, Guardian of the Gate is due out August 2010. Ms. Zink can be found online at http://michellezinkbooks.wordpress.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
February 2010

Enchanting Review: ASH

ASH
MALINDA LO
Young Adult
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN# 0316040096
264 pages
$16.99
eBook/Print – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

ASH was a beautifully told story and one that will live on in the memories of its readers for quite a while. Our heroine, Aisling, or Ash for short, is our Cinderella in this twist on the classic story of struggles overcome to find true love. Ash is an easily relatable character, which is part of what makes this story so attractive. She is a shy girl, but not overly so. She has her opinions and will let them out when needed. I think that many girls will be able to connect with ASH and her realistic personality.

Of course, we can’t have a romance without another party to join Ash. In this retelling of Cinderella, Ash’s Prince Charming actually comes in the form of the King’s Huntress, Kaisa. Wealthy and regal in her position by the King’s Side, Kaisa is a beautiful woman and full of life. She befriends Ash, despite the difference in their stations and shows our timid heroine how to truly live.

When Ash’s father dies and leaves her alone with her stepmother and stepsisters, life seems to be pretty much over for the young girl. Much like the classic Cinderella story, Ash’s stepfamily treats her poorly and it isn’t too long until she becomes a servant to her family. The similarities between the age-old princess story and MALINDA LO’S wonderful work of art pretty much end here though. To escape from the darkness of her days, Ash travels into the Wood near her house, despite the age old warnings that the Wood holds strange magic.

It wouldn’t be a complete romance if there weren’t some form of suspense thrown into the mix. Sidhean, a beautiful man who is anything but human, is an integral part of the story that really helped to make ASH a true tale rather than just another bedtime story. When Ash catches his eye, everything changes. Sidhean hides a secret from Ash and as time goes on it becomes more and more unclear whether Ash is safe with Sidhean or not.

In all, I would have to say that I absolutely loved ASH. There have been very few books that have made me say, “Wow,” and turn back to the first page to start the story all over again. I can honestly say that this was a book I could not put down and one that really had my mind turning. It’s as much of a romantic story as it is a suspenseful one. The imagery within the pages was spectacular and the book was filled with such color that I’m amazed a little sparkle didn’t fall from the pages as I was reading. MALINDA LO has created an immediate fan in me and I wait anxiously for her next work.

MALINDA LO and ASH have received multiple nominations, including a nomination for the Andre Norton Award for excellence in Sci-Fi and Fantasy for young adults. She can be found online at http://www.malindalo.com/.

Cinnamon Brown
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
February 2010

Enchanting Interview: Amy Efaw

Enchanting Interview: Amy Efaw

1. How long have you been writing? Was this something that you always knew you would do?

I starting writing like most kids do, when my English teacher assigned a writing project. And I noticed how easy it was to get an “A” when I wrote something – poetry or short stories or essays or even reports; I was good at all kinds of writing styles. But I really made a decision to try to write for “real” once I had kids.

I started trying to write picture books (three to be exact) and sent them off to publishers. I collected nothing but rejection letters. Then I decided to write a novel based on my experiences at West Point, and I sold that book – BATTLE DRESS – before I had even finished it! That book was published in 2000 with HarperCollins. The second novel I ever tried to write was AFTER. So, I’ve been pretty lucky. Some authors write several books before they ever get one published.


2. What drew you to write for Young Adults?

I think a big part of me is still stuck in “Planet Teenager” (as my husband likes to call it).

But, seriously, I might get into trouble for saying this, but I’m going to do it anyway – I think in many ways you have to be a better writer to hold a teen’s attention than an adult’s. We young adult authors have a lot of competition – video games and movies and MySpace and TV and iPods and text messaging, etc. If we don’t grab our audience right away, our book will be tossed, collecting dust under some bed and never to be cracked again. Adults tend to be more patient when they read; they’ll give books more time to draw them in.
Also, I believe that teens tend to be more open to new ideas than adults. Not that I write with an agenda in mind, but as an author, I think it’s an awesome thing to possibly affect the way people look at a particular issue or expose them to a new concept.


3. If your life and/or writing career were a book, what would the title be?

I know I’m totally ripping from Sharon Creech’s novel, but it would be ABSOLUTELY NORMAL CHAOS. Definitely. At least during this particular time of my life!



4. Our readers always like to know, what is your writing process like?

I write very slowly and meticulously. I write chapter by chapter, chronologically, for the story. Every once in a while, I’ll be suddenly inspired and will write a scene ahead of time, but that’s very rare.

On any given writing day, I’ll start by reading over what I wrote during the previous writing session. That gets me in the “mood” for what I’ll be working on next. I edit as I read through it, so I’m always revising. This method can be a bad thing because it takes a long time for me to write anything. But it’s a good thing, too. It makes for relatively polished first drafts.

I DO NOT use outlines, at least not the written out kind. But I do a lot of thinking before I ever start writing, so when I finally do sit down and get to work, I’m ready to roll.


5. Do you have any specific writing rituals, both in general and with AFTER?

I wouldn’t call this a “ritual” exactly, but my best time of day for writing is late at night – between 10 PM and, like, 2 AM generally. It’s the only time that I can just relax, not care about the stuff that I have to do during the day, and concentrate.

BTW, I just looked at my watch; it says 1:32 AM right now! So there you have it!


6. Response to AFTER has been rolling in for a while. How are fans responding?

The feedback I’ve received, particularly from book bloggers like you, has been great! It seems like almost everyone who’s read AFTER has “gotten it.” I haven’t heard from anybody who’s said that they think the story is bogus. This is important because the idea that a girl could deny the fact that she was pregnant would seem pretty far-fetched to most people. And that’s probably where most readers are when they step into this book. If I’ve gotten readers to understand, believe the phenomenon exists, and maybe even feel some compassion for the main character (even if they hate what she’s done) by the time they’ve finished the book, then I think I’ve done a good job.

A few readers have expressed some disappointment in the ending. It’s very interesting because, at the same time, they also say that they don’t know how the story could have ended otherwise. They don’t know how to – or can’t – articulate where exactly their dissatisfaction lies.

Some didn’t like the fact that all the relationships in the story didn’t come to full completion, that everything wasn’t tied up neatly at the end. All I can say to that is . . . that’s just not real life. And this is my own preference of course, but I personally roll my eyes when I read books where everything conveniently pulls together perfectly at the end. It kinda bugs me! I think it sort of cheats the reader because that’s just not how the world works. And especially books as tough as AFTER, in my opinion, need very realistic endings. AFTER doesn’t deal with a pretty subject; a pretty ending would not have worked. Pretty endings are for a different type of book. But that’s just my view!


7. I read that you did quite a bit of research before writing AFTER. How did this impact your story? Did it change the story from your original idea?

Not really. Since my story is more character-driven, I started with the character, Devon. And I didn’t write anything until I was able to figure out who she would be. The very first thing I did was pull hundreds of “Dumpster baby” newspaper accounts off the Internet and read them. By doing this, I discovered that most “Dumpster baby” stories share some definite common characteristics. Out of those common characteristics, I was able to compile a profile of the type of teen girl who might conceal her pregnancy and then throw her baby into the trash. That profiled character became Devon.

Then before I started writing about the scenes inside the juvenile detention center, I spent hours and hours observing girls inside one. And so on. Whenever I came to a place while writing AFTER where I needed to figure something out, I’d stop and do the research before moving on. That way, I wasn’t guessing, and I wasn’t wasting time writing scenes that were unrealistic and would eventually be cut or need extensive revision.

This makes for slow writing, but I think it makes for a better, stronger, and tighter story.


8. What scene was the hardest for you to write in AFTER?

Probably the courtroom scenes. I had a lot to accomplish in those scenes, but I didn’t want them to read like a transcript from a trial. I wanted them to be accurate of what it’s like to be in court, but they had to move the story along and not be so full of detail that they dragged down the narrative.


9. What was your favorite scene in AFTER?

That’s a hard question to answer! But I think one of my favorite scenes was when Devon and Connor are walking along Point Defiance, when their romance is just starting. There’s so little “light” in this book, that this scene just sort of lifts the darkness for a needed, brief moment.


10. Did you ever experience any difficulties or roadblocks while writing AFTER?

Yeah, a big one. I had originally signed a contract for AFTER with another publishing company, and I did this based on a synopsis and about twenty-five pages (similar to what I did with my first young adult novel, BATTLE DRESS). And then the editor who had acquired AFTER left publishing altogether, so my novel was handed over to another editor there. However, it took me so long to finish AFTER that my “new” editor (and publisher) lost patience and decided to terminate the contract. By that time, I had finished a solid draft of the novel, but, alas, too late.

Four anxious months crawled by. I worried AFTER would never become a real book. But my very capable agent, Amy Berkower, put it in Viking’s hands, and they snapped it up!

And, really, I’m so glad that this happened! I love Viking and especially my amazing editor, Joy Peskin. AFTER wouldn’t have been the same book without her.


11. What's next for you?


Another book! Finger’s crossed . . .

Interview by Cinnamon
August 2009

Enchanting Review: After

AFTER

AMY EFAW

Young Adult

Viking Juvenile

ISBN# 9780670011834

352 pages

$17.99

Hardcover – August 11, 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Devon is a straight A student who has never done anything wrong in her life. She has a strong character and a fantastic will that shows through even when the world around her is turning upside down. Polite, and unwilling to cause physical or emotional pain to anyone, Devon is the perfect daughter, athlete and student.

AFTER is the story of what happens when everything goes wrong. Devon makes a life altering decision by abandoning her baby in a garbage can. The resulting story is painful to read and yet strangely addicting. AFTER follows Devon as the juvenile detention system takes hold of her and the courts attempt to decide her fate. Efaw challenges us to ask the question, do we believe that Devon knew what she was doing? Did she plan to hurt her baby? With excellent research backing her up, Efaw gives us a look at the women that make the choice to abandon their babies.

I’m not sure if the word “amazing” is strong enough to describe AFTER. Efaw has managed to create a book that is so powerful that I, for perhaps one of the first times, am having a difficult time coming up with the words to describe it. My only hope is that I can convey at least a fraction of my thoughts and feelings on this book as the entirety of those thoughts and feelings would probably fill up their own thick stack of pages. AFTER is the most emotional and thought provoking book that I have read all year.

Efaw’s writing is so smooth and fluid that it was difficult to remember that I was reading a book and not watching a television show or staring at people in front of me. The emotion and strength that she put into her writing pulled Devon off the page and created a real person. That might be one reason why the story affected me the way that it did. Despite my best intentions, I found myself wishing the worst for Devon at the beginning of the book. That lasted all of three paragraphs and then suddenly my own feelings and desires vanished. All that was left was a little piece of me stuck up in Devon’s head. Her story has been playing constantly through my head and multiple times throughout the days I have found images from the story popping up in my thoughts. The raw emotion that Efaw writes with is so tangible that I’m unsure how a person can refrain from being drawn in.

The best and most unique part of the story, in my opinion, is how relatable Efaw made Devon. The subject matter of the story is fairly dark, but somehow, she made Devon a character that we couldn’t resist following. While the story didn’t by any means make me feel happy, it did make me feel. AFTER gave my brain new ideas to conquer and a different way of thinking to ponder. If ever there was a book that could get people talking and a cold heart to feel emotion, AFTER is it.

Amy Efaw uses her experiences growing up in the military and her West Point Academy education as the background to her writing. She can be found online at http://www.amyefaw.com/.

Cinnamon Brown

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

August 2009

Enchanting Review: Twenty Boy Summer

TWENTY BOY SUMMER

SARAH OCKLER

Young Adult Romance

Little, Brown and Company

ISBN# 978-0-316-05159-0

304 pages

$16.99

Hardcover - Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Matt Perino, best male friend turned boyfriend, or something like it. Sister to Frankie Perino, Anna’s best friend since time existed. The three of them grew up together, Matt acting as big brother to both girls until one evening when everything changes. A kiss transforms Matt’s relationship with Anna and starts a relationship that pulls their two souls together. He’s the perfect big brother and wants his sister to hear the news from him. He plans on telling her during their annual summer vacation getaway, but he never gets the opportunity. Instead, he dies.

Anna, our heroine and the voice of the story is an intelligent and well-behaved daughter. Devastated by Matt’s death, she keeps her promise to him and hides their secret relationship from Frankie, even after he’s gone. Anna is Frankie’s protector, always looking out for her and ensuring that she goes on, even when Anna herself is dying inside.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER is the story of life after Matt’s death. Two summers after the tragic loss, the Perino’s decide to continue their vacation tradition, hoping that it will bring some normalcy back to their lives. Frankie brings Anna along and together the girls attempt to plan the best summer ever. Completely boy crazy after Matt’s death, Frankie devises a scheme whereby the two girls will attempt to meet twenty boys by the end of the summer. Hopefully, by the time they go home, at least one of them will have found a true summer romance. Sunny beaches, thrilling adventures and boys aplenty color their vacation. But when emotions run high and memories are stirred, will it all prove to be too much for Matt’s survivors?

I really loved this story. Sarah Ockler did an amazing job of illustrating what it means to live, to die and to survive. TWENTY BOY SUMMER had beautiful prose and an undercurrent of hope that we, as the readers, couldn’t help but feel. I felt that her descriptions were so lovely and so realistic that it was almost like she picked us up and tossed us on the sands of the beach at Zanzibar Bay. We can really feel the sun on our face, the sand beneath our toes, and most importantly, the raw emotion that fills the pages.

There were points in the book where I couldn’t help but to wonder if this story was a little too deep and dark for young adults. I quickly realized that whether it was dark or not, the story was real. Anna and Frankie display real emotion as they grieve in their own separate ways. Ockler shows us that despite the darkness, despite the despair at losing a loved one, life really can go on. This, above all, made me an absolute fan of this story. I loved the romance, both remembered and new, and the realism that Ockler gives it. With writing as colorful as the various shades of sea glass, Ockler created a true winner.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER is the debut novel for author Sarah Ockler. She can be found online at http://sarahockler.com where links to her Facebook, Myspace and Twitter pages can be located.

Cinnamon

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

June 2009

Enchanting Review: Nation

NATION

TERRY PRATCHETT

Young Adult Action/Adventure

HarperCollins

ISBN# 0061433012

367 pages

$16.99

Hardcover-Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Mau is a young man with an indestructible spirit. He’s full of questions, something that isn’t highly encouraged. When his world is turned upside down and then thoroughly erased, he must find the strength to go on. Neither a boy nor a man, Mau becomes a new sort of person. With the help of his memories, Mau forges a new path and rebuilds The Nation.

No hero can do it alone! Wherever there is a strong young man ready to battle demons and life itself, there must be an equally strong young woman. Daphne is about as strong as they come. Marooned on Mau’s island after her ship crashes in a storm, Daphne is left with nobody for company save the strange boy who always seems to walk around the island as if in a dream. Daphne is an intelligent young lady and full of personality. The spark between the two as they attempt to communicate through language barriers and rebuild their worlds together is absolutely amazing.

NATION is the story of a world in disaster. A plague has ripped through the “civilized” world while a giant tidal wave takes out many small islands. One of these is Mau’s. When he returns home from a coming of age visit to the Boy’s Island, he finds that everything he knows is gone – completely erased. His friends, his family, the entire Nation was swept out to sea. Not having had the special ceremony that turns a boy into a man, he is now no longer boy, nor man. When he meets Daphne, he must struggle to communicate with her and go on with life even though he questions everything he knows. As they rebuild the community they are met with survivors coming from other islands every day. With their help, Mau and Daphne might just be able to put the Nation and Mau’s soul at peace.

Contrary to popular belief, NATION is not set in any part of what we know as Earth. Terry Pratchett wrote this book as an alternate reality world, so many bets are off when it comes down to rules and the laws of nature. I absolutely loved that about this book. His world has a high sense of realism to it. This story could happen anywhere and yet, at the same time, we are met with instances where the impossible happens. There are rarely moments when you’re thrown into what is definitely from the imagination. Instead, these magical moments are thrown throughout the book, creating a realistically impossible world.

Outside of the wonderful world building that Pratchett did, I found that the relationship between Mau and Daphne was my second favorite aspect of the book. There are many obstacles to their friendship including the color of their skin, their customs, language, etc. Whatever could be different about these two is, save for their enduring personalities and strong wills. I loved this because it was a nice conflict that added that extra tension to the story. Don’t get me wrong, there’s already plenty of delicious tension sprinkled throughout these pages. No, this added tension between the characters. Something that kept us reading, pulled to the characters just as they were pulled to each other.

I thought NATION was absolutely fantastic and surprisingly very funny! There were times when my eyes ran ahead of my brain and I got a little confused, so I suggest taking your time with the book. Pratchett has created a complicated world, but one that is completely filled with color and beauty. Feel free to reread passages or entire pages if you need to. Trust me, it’s completely worth it. This is definitely one of the books that I would pick up and reread over and over again.

The award-winning author, Terry Pratchett, can be found at http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/. I highly suggest you visit his website and take a peek around. He’s hilariously funny.

Cinnamon

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

May 2009

Enchanting Review: The White Darkness

THE WHITE DARKNESS

GERALDINE MCCAUGHREAN

Young Adult Action & Adventure

HarperTeen

ISBN# 0060890355

384 pages

$8.99

Paperback--Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Titus Oakes is a long dead adventurer, having met his maker on a doomed trip to the South Pole. He’s funny, witty, charming and lives entirely in Symone’s head. Even though he is 125-years-old, he loves Symone and cares for her at times like a big brother and other times like a romantic gentleman.

Our heroine of THE WHITE DARKNESS, Symone, is a shy fourteen-year-old girl. She doesn’t like to give speeches and hates to be pestered about her nonexistent love life. In her world, boys are immature and she has no interest in spending any quality time with them. She has Titus; what more could a girl ask for? Why waste time dating younger boys when she has her mature and charming adventurer at her beck and call?

THE WHITE DARKNESS is a story of friendship, adventure, betrayal and survival. Symone is a strong girl, bound and determined follow her Uncle Victor to the ends of the Earth and back. Uncle Victor, an interesting and then suspicious fellow, feeds her sense of adventure as he pulls her down in a mystery so dangerous that they will be lucky to make it out alive. Meanwhile, Titus plays the part of Sym’s true friend and confidant, frequently making appearances and helping Sym along the way as they unravel the secrets of The Ice. Two other players, Manfred and Sigurd, show up as father and son, chosen by Uncle Victor to help lead them on this treacherous journey. This new pair brings with them a whole new mystery; one that Symone has to unravel before time runs out.

THE WHITE DARKNESS was a great read. It had a fantastic storyline and was full of sharp twists and turns. The complexity of the characters was just amazing. Geraldine McCaughrean does an amazing job of developing her characters. Symone’s mother is really the only character that we didn’t get to know very well and she was only present in a handful of pages. McCaughrean lends real-life traits to her characters, making them both legendary and believable. Symone is easy to relate to with her quite nature and yet still has her own quirks that make her unique. Where I got stuck in THE WHITE DARKNESS was in the flow of the writing. McCaughrean has a habit of creating short sentences or sentence fragments and this slowed me down while reading the story. Don’t get me wrong; it was still great, just difficult to read. The discussion between Sym and Oakes as well as Sym and everyone else was differentiated by italicized text, but it was still difficult at times to figure out which parts Sym was imagining and which parts were really occurring. Perhaps this is all part of the story, I’m not sure. Either way, it was a great book, but one that requires quite a bit of concentration and rereading.

Geraldine McCaughrean is an award-winning author with over one hundred and forty books under her belt. She can be found at http://www.geraldinemccaughrean.co.uk.

Cinnamon

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

May 2009

Enchanting Review: Unwind

UNWIND

NEAL SHUSTERMAN

Young Adult Science Fiction

Simon and Schuster

ISBN# 1416912053

352 pages

$8.99

Paperback - Available June 2, 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

UNWIND is a thrilling tale, following the stories of three teens set to be unwound. The first, and oldest, is Connor Lassiter. He’s a good kid, a caring kid, but he has a temper that just explodes more often than anyone really cares for. When his parents decide that his constant fighting is just too much of a hassle for them, they make a decision and sign his unwind order. Everyone knows that once signed, the order is irreversible, so Connor’s only option is to attempt escape.

Risa is a StaHo ward – an unwanted child given to the state to raise. Wards are a hassle to the state; they suck down funding and resources. Every ward has to prove their worth. If not, they are more valuable to the state unwound than they are whole. It has been decided that despite her best efforts, Risa just isn’t talented enough to continue as a ward of the state. When she discovers that she has a date to be unwound, she makes a break for it, running into the wilderness.

Our third teen, Lev, has a story that will stick with me for years to come. He is a Tithe, a child conceived to lead a spiritual life continuing through the day he is unwound. While others beg, plead and run from their unwinding appointments, Lev looks forward to this. He has been raised to believe that his unwinding will be a glorious event where he will transition into a new state, capable of helping many people across the world. When something goes horribly wrong and Lev is forced to see the reality for other kids running from being unwinds, Lev gets a shock to the system that just might save his life.

Imagine a world where Pro-Life and Pro-Choice didn’t exist. In this world, everyone is happy because they have come to a mutual agreement regarding life. Well, everyone is happy except for the teenagers of course. In the world that Neal Shusterman has created, a great battle was fought over the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice issue. In the end, the Bill of Life was signed that protects life from the moment of conception up to the age of thirteen. At that point, between the ages of thirteen to eighteen, parents may choose to unwind their children for any reason. Unwinding is the process of removing every limb and organ while transplanting these into other individuals that need them. Have a broken arm? Get an Unwind replacement. Technically, 100% of the person is kept alive, so life doesn’t technically end.

UNWIND was chilling; absolutely and utterly chilling. I couldn’t put the book down, yet there were many times that I didn’t want to go on. Shusterman spun such a realistic and thought provoking tale that the question of “what if” kept playing through my head. That being said, I did finish the book and I absolutely love it. This is not the sort of book that I would cuddle up with in front of the fire. Rather, this is the type of book I would pull out anytime I wanted to exercise my mind, let the thoughts break free and roam of their own accord. I personally have not read a darker and more powerful tale than this. I would recommend it to everyone, but would warn that there is a message behind the book. Shusterman shows us what the world could turn into and does it in a gloriously gripping way.

If you get squeamish easily, normally I would say that this book is not for you; however, because this is such a great book, I would recommend it anyway. There are a few scenes that I still can not get out of my head. I wasn’t even there. I read a few black words on a grey page and yet they will haunt me for a while. The scenes in question are not graphic to say the least. If one examined the words, I’d say that they would probably be rated PG. Put them all together and allow Shusterman to take control of your imagine and the world will turn just a little bit darker.

UNWIND was intense; it was powerful. It is the kind of book that holds a revered spot on your shelf and the kind of book that you want to hide in a drawer somewhere so you don’t have to see it. Between the covers was such a complex and twisted series of emotions that the reader is left wondering about their own thoughts. It takes a certain kind of author to create a story that digs down to the core of a person and takes root there. Shusterman is that author and Unwind is that story.

Neal Shusterman is the author of other great Young Adult books like Everlost, Everwild and Downsiders. He can be found online at http://www.storyman.com.

Cinnamon

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

May 2009