Banshees, Chrystal Balls and Shadowquakes...Oh My! - VELVETEEN - Review

Title: Velveteen

Author: Daniel Marks

Release Date: October 9th, 2012

Format/Page Count: E-ARC/464 pages

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Purchased: NOT purchased--From NetGalley

Available for PRE-ORDER at Amazon: Pre-Order

Synopsis:  

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It'll be brutal . . . and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can't help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her. (From GOODREADS)

Expectation: Another Twitter book. All my recommendations come from Twitter these days. Following Daniel Marks through Twitter, and on Youtube, made me want to read this book. He has a great sense of humour and I figured when mixed with horror, that it would be a winning combination. HIGH expectation!

Market/Genre: Young Adult/Horror (I want to list a few more genres here...as it was so much more than horror...but horror it definitely was.)

Review:

How do I begin? First off, about the synopsis...it's just a little misleading. Bonesaw is AWESOME. And Velvet most assuredly has plans in her afterlife journey to make the despicable Bonesaw’s life a living hell. Don’t get me wrong. But this is only a side-plot in a most bodacious story about an incredibly built world living parallel to our own. PURGATORY is about to get into a kick-ass melee that can either spell the end of Earth, or, if Velvet Monroe has her way, the end of a few ill-meaning revolutionaries!

So, yes, Bonesaw is a focal point in Velvet’s story. Absolutely! And a fine one, at that. He’s a menacing serial killer with a penchant for cheese graters and knives. He’s a horror-ific delight! And Velvet secretly traipses between purgatory and our world with malignant intent in order to make Bonesaw suffer, while at the same time attempting to rescue his potential victims. And this is a wonderfully delightful plot-line in Velveteen.

But there is SO much more going on! And it is good. It is fantastic. Purgatory’s inmates are getting restless. They mean to invade our world and takeover our bodies. They mean to live again. Forever. As the revolution winds up, Velvet is in the forefront of the fight against it. This angry little girl is most assuredly spurred on by the passion built out of her life being stolen from the wicked, wicked man she calls Bonesaw (Fantastic name, by the way!). The injustice done to her makes her the queen of her peers. Her team is the best at what they do. And what they do is cross between that loosely veiled world of purgatory into ours…and save souls. So when Purgatory residents decide to invade Earth and live anew, it is Velvet who steps up to the plate to put a wrench in their works.

When certain evil elements in Purgatory plan an exodus, all hell breaks loose. Bitchy, loveable Velvet and her kickass team of avengers will do whatever it takes to put an end to the uprising. This is what Velveteen is really about. The fact that Velvet’s own dispute with Bonesaw is interwoven into this fantastical story is just pudding on the cake. Er…or icing on the whipped cream. Er…or the reader having their cake and eating it too.

Oh, what a wonderfully delightful read this was! I can’t say much more without giving away what happens, but I will say this: DANIEL MARKS is a king of description and detail and world-building! I SAW Purgatory…in all its wondrous, shabby, darkly festive glory! I saw it! He did such a wonderful job creating this world…it makes me want to call VELVETEEN a dystopian, but of course Purgatory is just an ethereal curtain away from our own world. At the onset of Velveteen our world is still in one piece, so a dystopian Velveteen is not.

Ooh…the graphic violence so well told in this tale! Truly a delight. The sassiness that is Velvet. The show-offy hotty, Nick, who was her forbidden love interest. The children sidekicks—the adorably hostile Luisa and her cranky, gas-addicted brother Logan. It was all a delight. Marks is a master at what he does. Velveteen was exquisite with humour and horror and romance and grit. This is a MUST read.

Velveteen truly is an extravaganza. The whole time I ‘walked’ the streets of Purgatory, I silently prayed that TIM BURTON would not only pick this book up…but fall in love with it. Dear Mr. Burton…please use your movie magic to recreate the splendidly frolicking world of Purgatory on the big screen. I’m begging you!

Expectation: MET. SURPASSED. CRUSHED. Thank you, Daniel Marks...because of you, I can now actually SEE Purgatory. It is a place. And it is fantastic (Ash-drab is a colour).

Size: 5 (1/2)

Spotlight - Hannah Moskowitz - YA/MG Writer Extraordinaire!

Hannah Moskowitz - YA/MG Author - Collector of Magic Gay Fish

If you live under a rock, inside a cave, on an uncharted island...then, chances are, you know nothing of the wonder known as Hannah Moskowitz. If there are any magic gay fish swimming around that island, however, then chances are you are already a fan of Hannah's.

I first fell for Hannah with the release of her debut novel, BREAK. Released in August, 2009, by Simon Pulse, Break is a fascinating look at a boy named Jonah and his journey to becoming a stronger person. It's a beautiful story filled with broken bones and redemption.

After Break, I couldn't wait for Hannah's next book. In what seems like record time, she gave us INVINCIBLE SUMMER, ZOMBIE TAG and GONE, GONE, GONE. Coming in January, 2013, we'll also have her TEETH. Also in 2012, we'll get MARCO IMPOSSIBLE. What seems impossible is the pace of Hannah Moskowitz's book release schedule!


Moskowitz is one of my favourite authors. She can write brothers better than any writer I've ever read. And it seems she is quite prolific. Unless something changes, we can look forward to having many, many more Hannah Moskowitz titles to add to the collection!

If you haven't picked up Hannah's books yet, the time is nigh. You do not want to be left behind. The train is leaving the station, and it's moving at lightning speed!

I have reviewed 3 of Hannah's titles on this blog. You can read them HERE, HERE & HERE.

You can visit Hannah at her website HERE
Follow her on Twitter HERE 
Visit her blog HERE  

Just remember, when you become a follower of Hannah Moskowitz, you become a Magic Gay Fish! Buy Hannah's Books. You'll thank me after you read them.


Hannah Moskowitz books on AMAZON.CA
Hannah Moskowitz books on AMAZON.COM


And, yes, you can PRE-ORDER both Teeth & Marco Impossible.


"We are all queer fish, queerer behind our faces and voices than we want any one to know or than we know ourselves." --F. Scott Fitzgerald

An Interview with VOICELESS Author - Caroline Wissing

Caroline Wissing, with Canadian author Wayson Choy.

I recently finished reading and reviewing a new Canadian Young Adult novel, VOICELESS, by CAROLINE WISSING (Thistledown Press). I loved it! I thought I would ask the author for an interview, so I could further share her with my TTBOFS readers.

Voiceless was a compelling read for several reasons, but what really drew me to it was the fact that the narrator did not speak. I was eager to see how the author would conquer this challenge. After reading Voiceless, I do believe Wissing nailed it.

Voiceless is a story about overcoming our less than stellar beginnings. Annabel (Ghost), the non-speaking narrator, will leave a solid impression on you. You can check out my review HERE.

Please continue on to read my interview with the author, CAROLINE WISSING.

KC: Whatever made you come up with the idea of having a non-speaking narrator for your debut YA novel VOICELESS?

CW: Wow, that’s a good question. Temporary insanity, maybe? I love quirky characters; normal is boring, and I delight in giving my characters challenges and obstacles to overcome. I don’t recall the exact moment when I decided to make Ghost non-verbal, so I can’t tell you my thought process. Maybe she just came to me that way. Sometimes characters seem to appear fully formed and there isn’t a lot a writer can do about it.

KC: That’s very true! Did you find that narrating through Annabel (Ghost) was challenging? Was there ever a time when you thought to yourself, “What am I doing?”

CW: Yes and yes. My narrative choices for Voiceless were sometimes limiting but, I found, also very rewarding. I fell in love with Ghost’s voice and really enjoyed living inside her head for the duration of the novel. She has a super heart and a lot of courage, and exploring that made for a great journey. I also love how she sees the world and observes the people in it.

KC: Voiceless is, essentially, a story about lost children. I sensed a passion for the underdog in its pages. There are so many lost children in today’s society. I will be including some Kid’s Help info at the end of this post. Did you explore this theme out of a personal empathy for kids in this position? Do you have any words for teens who are suffering right now? Teens who may not be orphaned or homeless, but just having a hard time?

CW: I dislike social injustice in all its forms, and find social injustice crops up as a theme in a lot of my writing. Homelessness is a national shame and should be everyone’s concern. In terms of teens, I was one and I remember how difficult it was to manage my emotions. I’m now parenting a teen and a preteen and I see how much they struggle with the pressures and choices that they have to make. I find teens need a parent, or at least a positive role model, more at this age than they did when they were younger, although they don’t seem to know it.

Without a stable a home, teenagers are terribly vulnerable. I think they want the same thing we all want: to feel safe. I’m not qualified to give advice to struggling teens, but it helps to remind them that these are probably the toughest years of their lives, of anyone’s life. Anyone who tells a teen that these are their best years is doing more harm than good.

KC: Wonderful response. Your passion definitely comes through in the pages of Voiceless. Whenever I discover a new writer, I become quite curious about the things that brought them to the point in their journey in which they happen to be at that moment. So, this question has a few parts to it. I like to know what an author’s favourite things are. Caroline, do you mind answering the following favourites list?

Who are your favourite authors now? And who were your favourite children’s authors when you were growing up?

CW: As an adult, I love writers who inspire me to be a better writer. Miriam Toews’ writing blows me away. I had the character from A Complicated Kindness, 16-year-old Nomi, in my mind a lot as I wrote Voiceless. I enjoy novels that combine humour and pathos. It’s a delicate balance, but when it works, it really works. A Prayer for Own Meany by John Irving is another contemporary favourite of mine.

I was a big reader as a kid. I was shy and introverted and books let me escape into more interesting lives than my own. Not surprisingly (and if you’ve read Voiceless you understand what I mean) I loved horse stories. I read and re-read The Black Stallion series, Black Beauty, My Friend Flicka and Man o’War. But the novel that really “got” me was Marian L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. I got it from the school library and it completely blew my mind. I’d never read anything like it in my life. I checked it out and read it so many times that I was worried they’d ban me from checking it out again.

KC: What are your favourite movies?

CW: I love movies! I like films with smart writing and quirky characters, so the Coen brothers’ films are big hits with me. Fargo is such a complex study of human strength and human failings, coupled with that wonderful dark humour, it’s definitely a favourite of mine. I also like classics, like To Kill a Mockingbird, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Paper Moon. I could go on and on.

KC: Your favourite quote from a novel?

CW: I love the idea behind Dr. Seuss’s line in Horton Hears a Who: “Don’t give up! I believe in you all. A person’s a person, no matter how small!” Every one of us can make a positive difference to someone, and, no matter how insignificant it might seem, it counts.

KC: Do you have a favourite writing place? A place you escape to, to let the muse run wild?

CW: I write mainly on the computer, only rarely jotting things in notebooks when inspired, so my space is wherever my laptop is. I also like to write in silence, so my home office is the peaceful, dedicated spot I need for my writing.

KC: What 3 books would you take with you to a deserted island?

CW: This is a tough one. So, I’m going to cheat and say the Harry Potter series, the Riverside Shakespeare (complete works), and The Norton Anthology of English Literature. There are so many great books to read out there that I don’t tend to re-read books, even if I love them. My answer serves to maximize the reading material (and provides great reading too!).

KC: Pantser or Plotter? Do you like to outline your novels, or do you just write off the cuff? OR, do you do a bit of both?

CW: I’m definitely a pantser. When I first started writing novels, I’d heard about writers using outlines and thought I was doing it wrong, so I tried to force myself to outline. It was a disaster. For me, everything flows much better when I allow myself to make it all up as I go along (although I always know the ending). Every writer should use the process that works best for her, not what works best for someone else.

KC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What is your first memory of actually sitting down and writing?

CW: I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I was a precocious reader (thanks to my diligent stay-at-home mother) and don’t remember ever not being able to read. Reading and writing have always been part of me. I was that weird kid in high school who couldn’t wait to get her essay back from the teacher. One of the stories I wrote in kindergarten ended up getting published in the school yearbook. It was about a pair of kittens and their adventures. I clearly remember writing that story at age 5.

KC: That’s awesome! I think that makes you the youngest published writer I know! Can you walk us through the journey you took from concept to finished book with VOICELESS?

CW: As a pantser, my process is very fluid. I know only where I’m starting and where I want to end up. The general concept for the novel came from a book I read about a woman in the States who rescues abandoned, abused and unwanted horses and gives them a place to live out the end of their lives in peace. Yes, there are generous, big-hearted people out there who do this. I was moved by her stories. And then I thought: what if those rescued horses were teenagers? So I made them human, gave them a past and a personality (and those quirks I love) and put obstacles in their way. The story grew from there.

KC: Do you have any other writing projects in the hopper?

CW: I’ve written five novels to date and am working on number six. Voiceless was the second novel I wrote. I’m hoping to interest my current publisher in at least one of those completed projects. Otherwise, I’m off to pound the pavement wearing a mortarboard advertising my wares!

KC: I, for one, can’t wait to read more! I wish Caroline Wissing the best of success with the rest of her writing journey. In Ghost, she certainly gave me a character I will cherish for a long time to come. Thank you, Caroline!

As promised, here is the contact for Kids Help Phone Canada & Kids Help Line

The Perfect Order of Things - Review

Title: The Perfect Order of Things

Author: David Gilmour

Release Date: August 27, 2011

Format/Page Count: Hard Cover/224 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Allen & Son Ltd

Purchased: From the Publisher, through the Ontario Writers' Conference.

Available at Amazon: The Perfect Order of Things

Synopsis:  Like a tourist visiting his own life, David Gilmour’s narrator journeys in time to re-examine those critical moments that created him. He revisits the terrible hurt of a first love, the shock of a parent’s suicide, the trauma of a best friend’s bizarre dissembling, and the pain and humiliation of unrelenting jealousy, among other rites of passage.

In fact, here is the narrator of David Gilmour’s previous novels writing his own fictional autobiography in a dazzling cavalcade of stories that punctuate a life passionately lived and loved. Set within an episodic narrative arc, here are stories about the profound effect of Tolstoy, of the Beatles, of the cult of celebrity, of the delusion of drugs, and of the literary life on the winding road of the narrator’s progress.

This compelling and deeply interesting picaresque novel is a creative tour de force from the hand of one our master story-tellers. The Perfect Order of Things breaks new fictional ground and is an astonishing story of a life lived fully and with breathtaking passion. (From GOODREADS)

Expectation: I love David Gilmour...plain and simple. I 'get' his words. I have not yet found a Gilmour I didn't like love. My expectation for this title was extremely high. When you adore an author, there is always the fear that you will read one of their works and think, 'what were they thinking!?' So, I went into The Perfect Order of Things with a high expectation...I was excited to be entering Gilmour's head again, and slightly nervous that this would be the book I didn't 'get'.

Market/Genre: Adult/Literary

Review:

As much as this is a work of fiction, David Gilmour can be gleaned in every sentence. This beautiful story is a trail of breadcrumbs that brings us to the author himself.

Gilmour’s first person narrator walks the reader of The Perfect Order of Things through a complex, well-lived life of a man always on the brink of the brink. We are treated to the narrator’s great loves, including Tolstoy and the Beatles, and we learn how these loves altered and enriched his life. We listen in as he walks us through the calamity of errors that go into making up his wondrous life and we wonder at the fact that he is still with us to tell the story.

This is a remarkable look at a man split open and vulnerable. The reader will delight in the way the stories of the narrator’s life are told. He is able to see the humour in each of his falls and he is able to mock himself and give us a clear unbiased look into his most inner thoughts as he maps out the fractured route of destruction taken through his remarkable and ordinary life.

Be prepared for honesty! You will see a small, bitter man being a wallflower at parties of the rich and famous and you’ll be able to listen to his inner thoughts and get a glimpse into just how fragile he is when he points out the flaws of the flawless people around him. He’ll give you glimpses into his parenting skills, his lust for beautiful women, his lust for accolades and fanfare. He’ll show you his broken friendship with a man more on the brink than he himself. And he’ll show you a small pathetic man who tries to recapture the places of his youth with a failure so ripe you can smell it!

David Gilmour’s writing is simply beautiful. For me, nothing comes close to beating it. He may be his generation’s most gorgeous wordsmith. And I constantly feel that he is underrated. Even by myself. I don’t think about Gilmour between his books. When I hear that another book is on the shelves, I think to myself that I must pick it up. And then, maybe six or eight or ten months later I will get it. And then I will read it…and I will die a million deaths from the beauty I discover within its pages.

The Perfect Order of Things is a look into the seedy underbelly of the mindscape of a human being. It’s simply a vulnerable view of a vulnerable man…an honest retelling of a man’s life and a man’s mistakes. And a man’s passions. I would recommend The Perfect Order of Things to anybody.

Expectation: This book is one I closed and held close to my heart when I was finished. Some writers can show us the summation of a life with a beautiful flare that makes us believe in that life. Gilmour is one of those writers.

Size: 5 (1/2)