Hi Readers!
I’m on the student newspaper, “The Gleaner,” here at Nazareth and I just recently wrote a book review of Ellen Hopkin’s “Tricks” to be published in “The Gleaner.” I thought I’d post it here in case any of you are interested in what I thought!
From the award winning author of “Crank,” “Glass,” and “Impulse” comes “Tricks,” a grisly novel-in-verse that follows the lives of five teenagers sucked into prostitution. Ellen Hopkins has created another enthralling, yet horrifying, read of young people faced with very real, very serious issues. Arguably the first author since J.K. Rowling to convince teenagers to pick up a book that easily tops 600 pages, Hopkins continues to rebel against the invisible boundaries of what many believe to be “appropriate” reading topics for young adults.
“Tricks” details the lives of five young people caught in the vicious cycle of teenage prostitution. Eden, the daughter of a fundamentalist Christian preacher, turns to prostitution in order to escape from the reform school where her parents have sent her as a punishment for having a boyfriend without their permission. Seth, a young gay man struggling to accept his sexuality in a small, conservative town, trades sexual favors for a place to live after being kicked out by his father. Whitney, a young girl convinced that her mother loves her sister best, sells her body to a smarmy pimp who lures her away from her home with promises of his love. Ginger’s mother has been a prostitute since before her birth, and while Ginger promised herself that she would never go down that path, a shocking family secret forces her out of her grandmother’s house and onto the streets of Las Vegas. Cody turns to gambling to numb the pain of his beloved step-father’s death and, soon enough, debt forces him into prostitution in order to support his addiction.
If you’re looking for a light read, run screaming from “Tricks.” However, if you’re open to a novel that will challenge every stereotype of a prostitute that you’ve ever held, then I highly recommend this one. While “Tricks” is fictional, Hopkins based several of the characters on teenagers that she has met at book signings and other events. That alone should be enough to make you think twice.
Hopkins will be at Nazareth on May 15 for the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival. For more information about the Teen Book Festival (TBF), and to find out how you can volunteer during the festival, visit www.teenbookfestival.org. To read more book reviews and interviews with authors attending the TBF, visit the official TBF blog at www.carlyreads.blogspot.com.
So, readers, do you agree? Let me know what YOU thought of “Tricks!”
Hey Readers!
This morning on facebook, Barry Lyga posted a link to a sneak peek of his newest book, aimed at middle schoolers, "Archvillain." Follow this link here. I'm WELL beyond middle school, but I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy as soon as it's published!
Check it out and let me know: are you as excited as I am?
73 Days Till TBF 2010!
Hey Readers!
Happy Sunday! And it’s even happier Sunday than most other Sundays because today I have another author interview for you! (I sort of lied in the headline of this post, though, because I didn’t actually speak with Laurie, we communicated by email. But you all get the allusion, right?)
I present (drum roll, please) … an interview with Laurie Halse Anderson!
C: Most of your books deal with important topics that are, typically, tough to talk about. Are your books ever challenged by individuals or groups? If so, how do you, as an author, defend your books?
LHA: The criticism mostly comes from people who feel that by talking about these problems, I am somehow encouraging teens to dive into dangerous behaviors. A book banner in California once called me a "pornographer" because I wrote SPEAK! That mindset is ridiculous and deadly. The only way to reduce the incidence of dangerous behaviors and to help heal emotional wounds is to talk about the things that are hard. To pretend that things like date rape, emotional abuse, eating disorders, and cutting (just to name a few) don't exist - and to ignore the pain that causes them - guarantees sadness and tragedy. I'm going to keep writing about what is real and hard because speaking the truth is the only way to make things better.
C: You write both historical fiction and realistic fiction. How does the writing process differ between the two genres? Do you enjoy writing one genre more than the other?
LHA: My historical fiction novels start in plot; the characters evolve out of it. My YA novels always start in character. The plot grows out of the conflicts faced by the characters. Because of the research involved, it generally takes twice as long to write a historical novel as a YA novel. I am a huge history geek, but I am also very passionate about kids and the issues they face, so I enjoy both genres.
C: You came to the First Annual Teen Book Festival in 2006! What was your favorite part of the festival?
LHA: The enthusiasm of the crowd was like nothing I had ever seen before. It completely validated my theory that teens love books and book events and authors. Can't wait to come back!
C: What was the last book that you read for pleasure?
LHA: “Shades of Grey” by Jasper Fforde
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
LHA: Several old friends - Terry Trueman, Ellen Hopkins, Coe Booth, and Holly Black. I'm looking forward to meeting Barry Lyga because we've been trash-talking each other on our blogs about the writing process.
Thanks so much, Laurie, for such a great interview. We can’t wait to see you at TBF 2010 in 75 days!
Readers, do you have any questions for any of the authors that I haven’t interviewed yet? Let me know and I’ll ask them!
What’s up, readers?
I’ll tell you what’s up here. I just finished the most frantic two weeks of my life (including four tests over the past three days). I’m so tired, I’ve done nothing but sit in my dorm room and watch “16 and Pregnant” on Hulu for the past hour and a half. (I know – that show is ridiculous, but I’m totally and completely addicted.)
Of course, you could probably care less about my crazy week and my “16 and Pregnant” addiction, so let me tell you the really exciting news for today. Today Simone Elkeles sent me her answers to the interview questions I asked her, so I can now share those answers with you!
C: What kind of research did you do in order to write “How to Ruin a Summer Vacation?” Have you, like Amy, been to Israel?
SE: I didn’t have to do any research because my father was Israeli and my husband is Israeli. I’ve been to Israel more times than I can count (I even got married there) and spent many summers in Israel. My family lives on a moshav in the Golan Heights where the book is set. Everywhere Amy goes in the book, I’ve been.
C: I love the “Perfect Chemistry” rap video book trailer! Did you get to help with the production of that trailer? (And do you procrastinate by watching it over and over again like I do?)
SE: I produced the trailer and helped write the rap, but I hired a director and actors who really did most of the work. I do think it’s hilarious. I just made one for How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Reputation that I posted on YouTube and my website...and ALERT **I just finished a MOVIE TRAILER for the sequel to Perfect Chemistry called Rules of Attraction (really a book trailer that is going to look exactly like a movie trailer) and Alexander F. Rodriguez (the groom in the Katy Perry video for Hot and Cold) to play Alex Fuentes and Giancarlo Vidrio will play his brother Carlos. These boys were totally amazing and the movie trailer/book trailer will blow you away. I hope to post it really soon...it’s in post-production right now. I posted pictures of the video shoot on my Facebook page...enjoy!
C: There’s a twist at the end of “Leaving Paradise.” Did you have that ending in mind when you began the book or is it something that came along as the book progressed?
SE: I totally knew that the twist was going to happen. It was hard for me, because I knew it and I needed to reveal it in little bits. There are many many hints throughout the novel...I can point them out to you one day!
C: What was your favorite book when you were a teenager?
SE: Okay, I have to admit I didn’t actually read much when I was a teenager. I hated reading, so I write books that I think I would have liked as a teen. I do remember reading "Forever" by Judy Blume, "Sooner or Later" (which became a tv special with Rex Smith), and "Cute is a Four-Letter Word." But here’s the problem...none of the girls in those books ended up with the guy. I love happy endings!
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
SE: Patrick Jones – I want to know how he gets his long hair to stay so straight...what’s his secret?
So there you have it, readers! Thanks so much, Simone, for answering all our questions. We can’t meeting to meet you at TBF in May!
Hey Readers!
This is the most exciting week that I’ve had in a long time because I’ve had THREE author interviews in one week! Keep reading to find out what Lisa Schroeder, author of “I Heart You, You Haunt Me,” “Far From You,” and “Chasing Brooklyn,” had to say when I interviewed her!
C: You write your novels in verse. Have you always liked reading and writing poetry?
LS: Yes, I have. I loved writing poetry when I was a kid, and I also had some children's poetry books that I enjoyed reading. I still have one of them, actually, one with beautiful artwork and little verses on every page. When I started writing books for kids about ten years ago, I wrote picture books, because I was instantly drawn to writing in rhyme. I loved the challenge of getting the meter and rhythm right while telling a story in the fewest words possible at the same time. It's interesting that now I'm writing novels in a similar minimalist manner, although not in rhyme, which would be REALLY hard. I hear people say sometimes that they are scared of reading a verse novel. Like it will be hard to understand, or will just be a bunch of poetry without a story. I always cringe when I hear this because I try very hard to walk that fine line between being poetic and being accessible. I want my books to be accessible. And the fact that “I Heart You, You Haunt Me” was chosen as an 2009 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers shows, I think, it's not a book that's difficult to understand. I always say - a verse novel is still a NOVEL. There are characters to fall in love with, a story to get lost in, etc. If anyone reading this is hesitant, I hope they'll challenge themselves to give one a try!
C: Your novels deal with loss and grief in one form or another. What role do you think novels can play in the grieving process?
LS: One of the things a book can do for a person, and not just a book about loss and grief, is to show the reader a character who is able to get through a difficult sitatuation and make it through to the other side. Death is as much a part of life as eating and sleeping, and eventually, we all have someone close to us pass away. We may not be sixteen when it happens, but it DOES happen. In my books, you'll see characters who struggle with that loss. It hurts. But through the course of the book, they get through it. While my books are about loss and grief, they are also very much about healing and hope. And that's what I hope people will take away.
C: I’ve heard through the grapevine that you have a children’s book due out in March. How does the writing process differ when you’re writing for teens versus when you’re writing for children?
LS: Yes, “It’s Raining Cupcakes” will be out with Aladdin in March. It's a book for 8-12 year olds. For me, the process isn't much different, it's more about making sure the voice is true for that age group and finding things kids that age struggle with. It's more about friendship than romance, for example, which is a big theme in YA books. One of the fun parts is I think you can be a little more quirky with characters in middle grade books, and kids like that. In YA, quirky doesn't always go over as well. I have the strongest memory of books during that period of 8-12, so I have a soft place in my heart for middle grade books, and I'm thrilled I get to have a book on the shelves for younger readers.
C: What was the last book that you read for pleasure?
LS: “Some Girls Are” by Courtney Summers, an intense, hard-to-read book that is at the same time impossible to put down. She shows us a side of teenage life we want to forget about - the cruel, painful side. I am in awe of Courtney's ability to make me care for a character I should be hating, because Regina, the main character, used to be a bully too, before she was frozen out of the popular group.
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
LS: All of them!!! I'm so, SO excited to be a part of the festival. As a fan girl, I'm excited to meet Laurie Halse Anderson for sure. On a personal level, Jennifer Smith, because we have e-mailed each other over the past couple of years, and she is so sweet, and I can't wait to finally meet in person.
Lisa, thanks so much for all the great answers! My readers and I can’t wait to meet you in May at TBF 2010!
