Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Mortal Instruments
What an amazing story world. Clare has an uncanny ability to use New York as a character in her stories. Through her description the setting comes alive and it literally feels like you're walking down the streets in New York. I also admire her proficiency for cliffhangers. I seriously could not put these books down because there is never a good place to stop. I read four books in four days. (And so you don't worry, my family is happy, fed, and the laundry is done.) What I've taken from this series is the importance of chapter endings. I need focus a little more energy to make sure the reader doesn't have a reason to put the books down.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Zusak accomplishes this with his clear skill for similes and beautifully descriptive metaphors, but the real kicker is the narrator. This book is narrated by Death. What an incredible idea!!!! This book not only touched my heart, but gave me incredible insight to the importance of the narrator. Not only that but the possibility of an unconventional narrator. The creative perspective for telling this story was opened full tilt by using Death as a third party observer to the events occurring to the characters. Death is able to take us places that we wouldn't be able to go if it had been told through one or even two of the characters. It is refreshing to read something with such spark.
Zusak is an artist of words. I enjoyed the theme paralleling the importance of words and books by show casing a book burning, having the main character develop a love for books, and emphasizing the power of words. I highly recommend this book from a creative standpoint, but also for entertainment. It is a story that opened my eyes to the tragedy of WWII for the Germans as well as the Jews. It inspires empathy and love for the fictional characters affected by the atrocities of war.
Monday, May 13, 2013
YA Explosion!!! My Notes for Novel Writing
I have literally read 5, yes 5, young adult novels in the last two weeks. Get ready for this list: Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Nightengale by David Farland, Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) Marrissa Meyer, Prodigy by Marie Lu. You might ask yourselves why this is so amazing? Well my friends, it's because I'm a wife, mother, professional writer, dance teacher, and Sunday School teacher. I have very little time to devote to reading, but for some reason the stars aligned just so that I could get some serious research under my belt. So for your enjoyment here are my notes about each of these novels:
Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth: Dystopian. If you loved the Hunger Games you will love this series. What I loved about it? The characters and the setting. Roth does an amazing job of creating believable characters. The story is seen through the eyes of Beatrice prior, a strong female protagonist who doubts her strength, but I would be just as interested to read it from Four's, the male protagonists, point of view. It is set in an apocalyptic world divided into major subcultures which children select and join when they turn 16. It is a fast-paced, energy packed series that keeps the reader invested because of the characters Roth creates.
Nightengale by David Farland: This is a contemporary fantasy. What I enjoyed most about this one is the fact it is set in my hometown! That's right a majority of the novel takes place in southern Utah, so as I was reading I found myself clearly picturing the setting for the characters. This was also a little unsettleing when it came to imagining the fantastical elements of the novel, but it gave me some good pointers for writing believable settings.
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marrissa Meyer: Sci-fi, Fiction. If you love fairy tale twists this book is especially for you. Meyer weaves an interesting element of fairy tale and science fictions. I like how she intertwines the genre and updates fairy tales. This second novel was a bit slower of a read than the first, but it picks up toward the end. I really enjoyed Cinder (her first novel in the series.) But something in this novel fell a little flat. I'm still intrigued by Meyers ability to marry genres.
Prodigy by Marie Lu. Dystopian. This series is suuuuper addicting. I simply cannot put it down when I get started. The big draw for me is the duel narrators. Lu tells her story through both June and Day. It is mesmerizing to read the events in the story from two perspectives that never over lap and bring something different to the story. I'm not sure how she was able to keep the events in the story so together when she was writing from two protagonists perspectives, but it is awesome! I'd like to give it a try in a story or two.
The novels I read were all good for different reasons. If I had to rate them in order of what I'd read:
1) Prodigy (Legend Series)
2) Divergent and Insurgent
3) Nightengale
4) Scarlet
Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth: Dystopian. If you loved the Hunger Games you will love this series. What I loved about it? The characters and the setting. Roth does an amazing job of creating believable characters. The story is seen through the eyes of Beatrice prior, a strong female protagonist who doubts her strength, but I would be just as interested to read it from Four's, the male protagonists, point of view. It is set in an apocalyptic world divided into major subcultures which children select and join when they turn 16. It is a fast-paced, energy packed series that keeps the reader invested because of the characters Roth creates.
Nightengale by David Farland: This is a contemporary fantasy. What I enjoyed most about this one is the fact it is set in my hometown! That's right a majority of the novel takes place in southern Utah, so as I was reading I found myself clearly picturing the setting for the characters. This was also a little unsettleing when it came to imagining the fantastical elements of the novel, but it gave me some good pointers for writing believable settings.
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marrissa Meyer: Sci-fi, Fiction. If you love fairy tale twists this book is especially for you. Meyer weaves an interesting element of fairy tale and science fictions. I like how she intertwines the genre and updates fairy tales. This second novel was a bit slower of a read than the first, but it picks up toward the end. I really enjoyed Cinder (her first novel in the series.) But something in this novel fell a little flat. I'm still intrigued by Meyers ability to marry genres.
Prodigy by Marie Lu. Dystopian. This series is suuuuper addicting. I simply cannot put it down when I get started. The big draw for me is the duel narrators. Lu tells her story through both June and Day. It is mesmerizing to read the events in the story from two perspectives that never over lap and bring something different to the story. I'm not sure how she was able to keep the events in the story so together when she was writing from two protagonists perspectives, but it is awesome! I'd like to give it a try in a story or two.
The novels I read were all good for different reasons. If I had to rate them in order of what I'd read:
1) Prodigy (Legend Series)
2) Divergent and Insurgent
3) Nightengale
4) Scarlet
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