5 YA Crushes

I have more than 5, but that is not how the meme works. Jordyn over at Ten Cent Notes posted a list of the 5 guys in YA that she does and does not like the most and challenged the rest of us to do the same, so here are mine. If I wanted to make this really, really easy I could just pick one guy from every Maureen Johnson book & be done with it (and still have books left over) but I won't do that.

Just to name a few...
1. Spencer from Suite Scarlett
He. Is. AMAZING. He is sweet, smart, funny, and he can do a prat fall. And ride a unicycle! This is the boy for me. I was in love from his very first line, I swear.

2. Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter series
He's old, yeah, but whatevs, I don't care, I love this dude. Really smart, totally caring, and solves all your problems with chocolate.

3. Tom from Magic or Madnes
He's just fantastic. And he can sew. Although I have to admit, I fangirl him less & less as the series goes on. Probably because I don't like who he ends up with. (I like HER, I just don't like him with her)

4. Gavin from Shrinking Violet
I've always had a thing for guitarists, you know.

5. Hunter from So Yesterday
So he can be a bit of a wimp, but I'm willing to help him become braver. Still, he's smart as heck and nerdy, but also sweet. Good guy.


Guys I find very over-rated.
1. Edward Cullen. He's a creep, a stalker, & a pedophile. And a tonne of other things like those.
2. Harry Potter. I cannot stand him towards the end of the series. Honestly, where's the appeal?
3. Sirius Black. Even more-so than Harry. So many people are in love with him and I just don't get it! (double for Snape)
4. Victor from Runaways (totally counts). He is a robot, okay, got it...what else ya got?
5. Speaking of Marvel characters, why Wolverine?!! I never understood this. EVAH.

Review: Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Shrinking Violet is the debut novel by Danielle Joseph and it is definitely a strong start to what looks to be a promising career as a YA novelist! The story is about a young girl named Tere who has a problem: she is painfully shy. Still, all she wants is to become a radio DJ. It's a bit hard to talk to hundreds when she can barely talk to anyone outside of her best friend and Gavin--the cute boy in her English class--but when an opportunity to work at her stepfather's radio station presents itself, she doesn't hesitate to take it. Tere spends her next few weeks interning on a somewhat sleezy DJ, Derek's show until one of the other DJs drops out of his slot. Tere steps in to help one of the producers do the show and soon enough she's part of the show! But Tere's dream isn't all it could be. Her radio persona, Sweet T, becomes quite popular and Derek takes the liberty to offer her up in a contest. Whomever writes the best love song to Sweet T gets to take her to her senior prom. Only Tere doesn't want to go, she doesn't want to reveal herself, she doesn't want to go with a stranger. Truthfully she wants to go with someone else. So does she get out of it, or does she find her voice? You'll have to read to find out.

I really love this book, and I gratefully thank Danielle Joseph for sending me a copy (I won it off her blog). Tere is such a sweet, genuine character. She feels real to me, and that's the strongest part of this book. Gavin also feels real and I wish I had known a boy like him in high school. I admit that the ending was a little bit predictable, but I'm generally good at guessing these things, and I loved it anyway. In fact, I was hoping the whole time for it. There was a point where I got worried that it wouldn't happen even! Music plays a big part in this book and I'm left wishing that it came with a soundtrack. I especially want to hear the entry about Sweet T's favorite foods, that part made me laugh in the book. I also want to hear the band Shrinking Violet. In this book Tere became a good friend to me and it was nice watching her mature and change and truly "find her voice." The story is part finding yourself, part going after your dreams, and part adorable love story.

I highly recommend this book (twice today...so far), especially to anyone who loves YA and those cute Shojo-like books. It's a fabulous book that is wonderfully written with amazing, realistic characters that is sure to cheer you up and leaving you with a happy feeling and a need for more! Hopefully we'll see more from Danielle Joseph in the very near future.

4 Ways to Win a Copy of Scarlett Fever!

I care about you, readers, which is why I will never fail to tell you about a way to win something awesome. Today's awesome object is a copy of Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johson! Here's a few ways to win, and all you have to do is comment on these pages!

Frenetic Reader
Carrie's YA Bookshelf
Tower of Books
GreenBeatTeenQueen

Go go go! I wish you all the best of luck! :)

Link: Contest: 20 Boy Summer Goody Bag!

Are you excited for 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler? No? You should be! Go read the excerpt on Sarah's website. Okay, are you excited now? Good. Now let's add to that excitement with a little contest, hosted by the Beautiful Creatures Book Club. Enter the contest by leaving a comment on their blog, and earn extra entry points through a variety of ways. Contest prizes include an ARC of 20 Boy Summer, a lovely seaglass bracelet, a notebook, a California postcard, a beach bag, and blue frosting flavored lip gloss. I think, honestly, the lip gloss is my favorite part. Go read the excerpt if you want to know why.
Anyway, contest is this way. GOOD LUCK!

In related news, I bought 20 Boy Summer at Barnes & Noble today! It hit the shelves early (original pub date 1 June) in some stores, so maybe it's out by you too! I'm glad I found it before the long weekend, because I'll be at my aunt's house and on a few long car trips, so this is great! I'm also 1/3rd of the way done with Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph which I will finish tonight or tomorrow, so that's also awesome. I love books, especially debs from such nice authors!

You can follow both Sarah & Danielle on twitter! @sarahockler and @DanielleJoseph1

Money Issues in YA vs Adult Books

I generally reserve this blog for reviews, links, and other "formal" bookish stuff. In my mind there are "blogs" and then there's stuff to put up on my LiveJournal. I'm going to try to redefine my idea of "blog" this summer and work more personal thoughts into this, instead of only reviews. Whenever I want to say something about a book or literature, I will say it. I'll still leave out spoilers, of course.


Generally, I believe that children's literature (including Young Adult) holds more positive qualities than adult literature does, but this isn't the case in all areas. The biggest thing for me, lately, is that in regards to money, adult books seem more realistic. There's a simple reason for this: adults worry about money more. Because they spend their lives working for that money, and they have to pay the bills for water, heat, electricity, medical, insurance, etc etc etc. Then they have to buy groceries and toilet paper and rubber bands. Whatever. The point is, adults are constantly aware of how much money is going in, and how much money is going out. This is reflected in book catered to the adult audience. We see many issues of money in this genre: characters needing to pay rent, or trying to get a raise, worrying about how they'll pay their medical bills whenever something goes wrong.

In children's books, you don't see this. First off, because children don't pay their own expenses, they rely on their parents. This doesn't mean that children don't worry about money. When do we get to read the stories about the child who hides in the bathroom for the first ten minutes of lunch period so they can be at the end of the food line so that no one is around to hear them when they tell the lunch lady they get a free lunch? The story of the kid who has to buy all their clothes at the second-hand store and purchase all their shoes a size or two larger because they can't afford new things all the time? The kid who doesn't go to birthday parties just so they don't have to show up without a gift because the family couldn't afford one?
We don't read these stories very often. I think the main reason of this is that children who are reading the books don't want to read about those problems all the time--especially if they're living them. They might just want to escape the problem, put themselves in place of the main character, and live like royalty for a few hours. That's totally understandable.

With YA however, I see it a little differently. Young adults are no longer children, but not yet adults. They're somewhere in the middle, age-wise, and in this issue as well. Or, at least, in my opinion, they should be. That doesn't mean that they are. This is the age, especially in the later teens, that one gets their first job and starts to pay some things on their own. Sure, these things may just be movie tickets or new cds (assuming they even buy hard copies anymore), but it's their own money, and they need to keep track of it. Even still, you don't see this as much as you would expect. Yes, in John Green's Looking For Alaska this issue is tackled through The Colonel, who is always having Pudge pay for his cigarettes because he can't afford them. We go to his trailer even. But the thing is, the Colonel, much as I love him, is not the main character here. He's not the narrator either. It's all Pudge, and Pudge has the money to pay for cigarettes for both of them, to pay for McDonald's, and his family can easily afford the private school. Generally, the main characters have money. This may also go back to how poverty-stricken children want to escape their money issues through literature, but it may just be a way to make things easier on the author. Things are so much easier to get going if the character can afford them.

Still, there are books that address these issues, I'm not saying there aren't. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson is a great example. The family is having financial troubles and are barely keeping their head above water at the point where the story begins. The hotel is beginning to fall into disrepair and we see the ways this impacts the family members. It's great, and more than that, it's believable. It's something that some of us can relate to. So why aren't there more books out there like this one? Why do our main characters always have to be upper middle class with spare cash and cars (even if they're not new)? Will books featuring a few money issues (even small ones) become more popular in our current economic situation, or will we see rise to more books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where the poor boy finds the golden ticket--a way to rise above the current situation? I'd love to hear your thoughts on anything mentioned. Leave them in the comments.

Interview: Hilary!

And the children's book week interviews continue! Sorry I haven't posted every day, exams were rough and so was school. Why is there so much stuff going on at the end of the year, by the way? That's crazy! Why can't they give us some things like like, early March when we are dying of cabin fever?

Today's interview is with my fellow Nerdwriter, Hilary! She blogs on Fridays for the 5NerdsomeWriters, so check her out!

Jez: First off, what is your favorite book in either children's lit or young adult literature? Why?
Hilary: Hmmm.."Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was so intresting I couldn't put it down,

Jez: Is this the same book you loved as a child, or has that changed over the years?
Hilary: Oh, it's changed over the years. I used to hate reading as a kid.

Jez: Is there any book that stands out that really impacted you, either positively or negatively? Any books that you associate with a specific time in your life?
Hilary: Again, "Speak" because it is one of two books that made me like reading again. This being my freshman year of high school and all.

Jez: What was your favorite book that you had to read in school?
Hilary: "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was really "for" school, but my freshman english teacher assigned us to read it. It's now one of my favorite books.

Jez: What do you love most about children's literature? Do you think this gives it an advantage over adult literature?
Hilary: I love how classy and predictable it is for the most part. It has advantages because it deals with a certain group of people, those beginning to read by his or herself with different ranges, without being explicit.

Jez: What is the most important lesson you have learned from a book?
Hilary: Oh god, I never remember. I'm terrible like that.

Jez: Who is your favorite character, or which one do you identify with the most?
Hilary: Margo Roth Spigelman from John Green's "Paper Towns." I love her character. She's just really fun and interesting to read, and mysterious. Even if we're nothing really alike in real life.

I'm starting to get the feeling that I am a lesser person for not having read Speak. I'm sure Hilary will now try to force me to. :)

Another Chance to Win!

Didn't win Danielle Joseph's Shrinking Violet (btw, I did!) or the copy of How to Buy a Love of Reading that Jordyn was giving away? Fear not, there's another chance for you to win something! Jordyn, of Ten Cent Notes is holding another contest! This time it's for Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix, which has a fabulous looking cover. Pon is another debut novelist, so let's show her our support, okay? Plus, free stuff, what's not to love?

Check out the contest here.

Interview: Christina

For Children's Book Week I am interviewing basically anyone who wants to be interviewed about their favorite children's/YA books and about the genres themselves. Today we start with one of my best friends, Christina, who asked me to let her do this. So, here we go, my first reader interview!

Jez: First off, what is your favorite book in either children's lit or young adult literature? Why?
Chris: Stargirl. Has wonderful, colorful characters. ♥ Great story. I also really like A Great and Terrible Beauty.

Jez: Is this the same book you loved as a child, or has that changed over the years?
Chris: Not the same books I loved as a child--my books changed with interest. From silly ones: I SPY, ghost stories to Nancy Drew, Stable Club, Babysitters Club...I've always gravitated towards books with great female leads, though. I always loved the Bernstein Bears though (♥ ).

Jez: Is there any book that stands out that really impacted you, either positively or negatively? Any books that you associate with a specific time in your life?
Chris: There was this riddle book I read in the first grade called "Who am I?" I was obsessed with solving the riddle, and read it a bunch of times in the library. That was when I didn't like reading that much at all. I think that's why I got really into Nancy Drew books, because they were great mysteries. I got totally engrossed, and wanted to be just like Nancy--smart and stylish (check!). I think she was a good role model for babyChris. I remember I really liked those historical diary books. I own 4 or 5 and have read a lot of them.

Jez: What was your favorite book that you had to read in school?
Chris: I can't remember any YA books I had to read in school, except for The Diary of Ann Frank and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. I don't think I liked reading those very much. Read them in...3rd or 4th grade for Excel.
Jez: I'm going to assume that Excel was like super honors, because those are tough books to read as a 3rd grader. I think this is sort of like the Giver in that you can technically "read" it as a young child, but you don't understand the full magnitude (Ann Frank-Holocaust; Giver-Communism) until you are much older.

Jez: What do you love most about children's literature? Do you think this gives it an advantage over adult literature?
Chris: Children's literature is incredibly creative--you don't get as much in adult literature. It relies heavily on the child's imagination and really good books set off some spark--the want to write, draw, play, act, do scientific experiments, solve mysteries, or even make awesome flying crafts out of paper and balloons (thank you, BB). Adult literature is way too serious for its subjects--children's literature can be as goofy as green apes (grapes) and still be effective in conveying a message. Kid's books seem more fun to write, too. P:

Jez: What is the most important lesson you have learned from a book?
Chris: Generation Dead taught me that not all books about zombies are worth reading. Harry Potter told me that magic is everywhere, just hiding from us Muggles. Stargirl said that being myself is the most fun. Flipped reminded me that young love is foolish and funny in its own naive way. A Great and Terrible Beauty showed me that you can create your own paradise as long as you have friends, magic, and the courage to take responsibility for it.
Jez: We've argued zombies before, and you know I don't like zombie books, so we'll skip past that and move on.

Jez: Who is your favorite character, or which one do you identify with the most?
Chris: My favorite character is Stargirl. The most amusing person, I think we would get along swimmingly and be the best of friends. :D
Jez: The potential best friend character seems to be the reason why we pick some of our favorite characters. I mean, I'd give anything to be best friends with Mandie, Claudia, Lincoln, or Ms Frizzle. Of course, I'd like to be most of them also, which is another reason we go towards certain characters.

A big, extra-sized thank you to Christina for forcing me being the first reader interview here at TypesetWorld! You're the best, darling!