Teen Troves

by Sharon Shinn

“When your own burdens are heavy and your own losses great, you tend to remember that seena can fly with an arrow through her breast or doena has the courage to bite through his own flesh and it gives you strength. That is comfort of a sort.”

This glimpse into the religious interpretation of the Chiarizzi culture teaches Averie that she must learn to understand that some cultures will go on no matter what happens to them. It is this knowledge that drives Averie to learn about the country she finds herself in after following her fiance to war. Aeberelle has invaded Chiarran for commercial purposes. This had never bothered Averie until she met Ket Du’kai, a foreign soldier in the Aeberelle army. Du’kai makes Averie question the influence Aeberelle is having on Chiarran and what it means for a culture to be torn apart by invading countries.

While Averie is becoming socially aware, she is also beginning to fall in love with a new culture that allows her to have more freedoms than before. Having always been one to push boundaries and ignore social constrictions, she is enjoying learning about Chiarran from her new servant Jalessa. Jalessa teaches her about the traditions and religions in Averie’s new country while Averie and her chaperone teach Jalessa their language. Averie is also learning that her finance isn’t the man she thought he was and she finds herself constantly comparing him to Ket Du’kai. As Averie begins to push more and more boundaries, she may be altering her life forever.

It’s been a while since a YA book has really captured my interest and made me want to read all night in order to find out what happens and this book finally did that. Sharon Shinn’s ability to make fantasy appear as common place as reality was very captivating. However, it was Averie’s adventurous attitude and desire to change the world that drew me in. I love reading about girls who do what they want and push people to open their eyes and that’s just what Averie did. I highly recommend this book to people who may be a little burned out on YA lit. It’ll get you back in the game.

One of the summer release we’re excited about here at Teen Troves is Stephanie Kuehnert’s I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, which hits stores on July 8th! You all know we love teen books and music. So a teen book containing lots o’ music? We’re so there!

To celebrate the release of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, we’ve paired up with Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag and a number of other bloggers to offer an AWESOME contest where the winner will receive a plethora of gift cards from a variety of stores!

What do you have to do to enter this contest?

It’s pretty simple: BUY THE BOOK! Then, either scan/copy the receipt OR take a picture of yourself with the book and send the scan/picture to Lauren at: Lauren51990@aol.com.

Deadline:
This contest will end on July 30. The winner will be announced early August so don’t wait!

The Grand Prize:

$10 Dollar gift cards from the following bloggers:

• And Another Book Read: Barnes and Noble
• Shooting Stars Mag
• Reading Mania
• The Compulsive Reader
• Bookluverreviews
• The Story Siren
• B is for Books
• Teen Troves: Amazon
• From the Corner of Megan’s Mind
• Presenting Lenore
• Writer’s Block Review
• In Bed With Books

So if you do your math: You buy ONE book an get entered in to win 12 $10 gift certificates. 10 x 12 = 120! One lucky winner will win $120 worth of gift cards to various book stores and possibly itunes, as the book is very music centric.

The grand prize may increase if more book bloggers join in! So check back as we’ll be updating the list of blog participants and the gift card list!

Teen Troves is pitching in with a $10 gift card to Amazon.com.

by Marjane Satrapi

 

It’s only natural! When we’re afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictators’ repression. Showing your hair or putting on makeup logically became acts of rebellion.

Growing up in Iran, Marjane experienced a vast societal change. At ten years old she was forced to begin wearing the veil and witnessed her parents protesting the new regime. Marjane witnessed her country begin to worship those who lost their lives for the pursuit of the country’s new found meaning. Her relatives were sought after and imprisoned. As life in Iran became more and more tumultuous, Marjane’s parents thought it best to send her to Austria . . . alone.

The second book begins her life in Austria. Knowing no German, Marjan feels extremely isolated. She begins to identify herself as an artist and falls into the eccentric crowd who appear to understand and accept her. As she begins to grow up, she begins to experiment with her identity, drugs, and sex. Having no real home, she is moved place to place in order to survive. This eventually leads to her living on the streets after a harsh and demoralizing break up. Marjane realizes her need for her family and decides to return to Iran and all that it holds for her further growth. Because she has experienced so much while living abroad, she struggles to fit in once she returns to her native country. She returns to school to work on becoming an artist. Her life takes many more twists and turns and she is forced to learn who she is and what she needs in order to survive in a smothering culture.

Satrapi’s graphic novel is an amazing introduction into life in Iran. Allowing the reader to see how people appear on the street and how Marjane sees others is an important component to the story. I don’t feel it would be as impactful if the story had not been in graphic form. What I found most interesting about the book was how the reader got to see a person grow up and how they interpret the world around them when they feel isolated not only as a teenager but also as a person in a foreign culture.

This book was also made into a movie, so check it out!

by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

**Review Contains Spoilers**

It had been forever since I read the first book in this series, City of Bones. I read it before we started this site so I don’t recall my exact reaction to the story. I knew there were some things I didn’t care for, but I knew I liked it enough that I would read the sequel. City of Ashes doesn’t disappoint. It was even better than City of Bones! I love the world that Cassandra Clare has created. So often in paranormal books we see just vampires and werewolves. However, with the Mortal Instruments series Clare has a fabulous blend of vampires, werewolves, demons, and faeries. Fans of the Twilight series will love the Mortal Instruments. Honestly, I’m enjoying the Mortal Instruments series better than the Twilight series. I know, it’s almost blasphemous to say, but true it is!

Clare has created three dimensional characters in Clary, Jace, and Simon. The one thing we find out early on in the series is that Clary and Jace, who have are attracted to each other are. . . gulp, BROTHER AND SISTER. It is clear that Clary and Jace have more than just sisterly and brotherly feelings for each other. This is seriously icky and at times I found my revultion towards their attraction to each other distracting.

My suspicion is that Clary and Jace will find out that they are not, in fact, brother and sister which will make it all okay; until then, however, I’ll continue to be slightly creeped out by their feelings toward each other. What makes me think they’re not brother and sister?

Well, first is the fact that Valentine is a sneaky bastard. He knows how much Clary means to Jace and we’ve seen how Valentine is willing to use Jace’s feelings against him. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re NOT brother and sister, but I think Valentine will use whatever feeling they have towards each other against them.

There’s also the curious about-face that the Inquisitor showed in regards to Jace. Throughout the book she had nothing but hatred for him, but she then turns around and dies for him?! There’s something fishy about that!

My guess? Remember we learn that the Inquisitor has lost her son because of Valentine? I’m thinking that perhaps Jace is actually the Inquisitor’s son. Why else would she have willingly DIED for him? Who knows though, I could be totally off base.

One more thought…poor SIMON! Boy did he have a rough time in this book!

So what are your predictions for the next book, City of Glass?!

What others thought about City of Ashes:

• 3 Evil Cousins
• The Book Muncher
• Reader Rabbit

by Daniel Waters

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is happening. Some teenagers who die aren’t staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same — they stutter, and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed “living impaired” or “differently biotic,” they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn’t want them.

Fitting in is hard enough when you don’t have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you’re not, it’s close to impossible. The kids at Oakvale High don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear — for good.

With her pale skin and Goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has just realized his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her, but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Because the book jacket did such a good job of summarizing the book, I’m not going to bother. I’ll just jump in with my thoughts!

I thought Generation Dead had a unique premise, although it is obviously fantastical…being about zombies and all, it made some very insightful parallels into our society. The prejudices shown toward the zombies, or, if you’d prefer to be more politically correct, the “differently biotic,” can be equated to the same biases we see in today’s society towards those who are different in their race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Although I thought this was an interesting way to portray prejudices and biases, I found the metaphors to be a bit heavy handed, and did I not particularly care for the ending. However, overall I enjoyed the novel, particularly Phoebe’s relationship with both Tommy and Adam, and the original, abet peculiar, take on prejudice.

While I didn’t love it, I certainly think Generation Dead is unique and look forward to more from Daniel Waters. Others have mentioned the possibility of GD being the first in a series, if that is the case I would definitely have to check out subsequent books!!!!

What others thought:

• Teen Book Review
• The Book Muncher
• The Compulsive Reader
• The Ravenous Reader
• The Story Siren

If you caught the MTV movie awards you saw the exclusive Twilight clip but if you missed it you can check it out below!

Comments? Reactions?

We have a cover!!!! Who’s excited??!!!!

Want more? Check out the excerpt up on Entertainment Weekly’s website!

With her newest novel, Stealing Heaven, out in stores today, Elizabeth Scott has taken time out of her busy schedule to guest blog here at Teen Troves!

When I was younger (all right, until I was twenty-seven) I didn’t feel the urge to write. I wasn’t the girl who enthralled her friends with made-up tales. I didn’t even keep a diary, though I was given one a couple of times as a present by relatives, and I would always open it and think, “oooh, it has a lock! I can write everything down and no one but me can read it!” and then promptly lose the key.

What I did do, though, was tell myself stories. Any time I was bored and every night before I fell asleep, I always had a story running through my head. I never told anyone about them–I figured everyone did it, and left it at that. I never thought about writing them down.

Writing, I thought, was something that had to be pulled out of you, that came in a torrent of inspiration and consumed your life.

I think it is like that for some people. But for others, like me, it’s a quiet murmur inside you, just there waiting for when you have a moment to drift away. It doesn’t own you. Writing is part of who I am, but it isn’t all I am.

Writing makes me happy.

Sometimes it makes me sad or frustrated or scared.

But that’s not what matters. What matters are the stories. The people I see, and the things they have to say. I’m glad I finally took a chance and let a story out of my head.

I’m glad I let words out of my head and into my heart. I like them there. They make me happy, most days.

They feel like they belong.

A big thank you to Elizabeth for giving us a glimpse inside her mind! And congrats on the release of Stealing Heaven!

You can keep track of Ms. Scott by checking out her blog.

You can also read our interview with Elizabeth or check out our reviews of her books:

• Bloom
• Perfect You
• Stealing Heaven

Stop by the Official Twilight Movie website which was recently updated!

The wonderful and talented Elizabeth Scott, author of Bloom, Perfect You and the upcoming Stealing Heaven, has kindly taken time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for us!

Stealing Heaven is your third novel, how has your writing (or your writing process) evolved from that of your first novel, Bloom?

Funny thing–Stealing Heaven is actually my second novel. And it was the first one to sell!

What happened is, an editor at Harper read the first ten pages of Stealing Heaven when I went to an SCBWI conference and had a critique, and she liked them enough to ask to see the rest of the book. My then-agent sent it to her, and my Harper editor bought Stealing Heaven and my third novel, Love You Hate You Miss You (due out next year).

As far as changes to my writing process, writing Stealing Heaven was a little different than writing Bloom, primarily because I had to do a lot of research (which was so much fun!).

If you were stranded on a desert island what five YA books which would you choose?!

Five? Only five?! Talk about hard…

Okay. I went with UK YA authors I adore: Let’s Get Lost by Sarra Manning, Diary of a Crush series by Sarra Manning, Game Girls by Judy Waite, Noughts and Crosses and Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman, and Footloose/Grecian Holiday by Kate Cann.

I know it’s more than five books but seriously, just making that list? Took FOREVER.

Who are some of your favorite authors (YA or Adult)?

Favorite non-ya authors include: Helen Dunmore, Jhumpa Lahiri, Charles Baxter, Ha Jin, Keith Maillard, James Hynes, and Maggie Helwig

Do you have any television shows you watch obsessively? Or all-time favorite movies?

I love HIMYM, The Office, 30 Rock, BSG, Gossip Girl, any True Life special, Law and Order–I think you get the idea. Me + TV= LOVE!

As far as all-time favorite movies–I own a lot of movies. A LOT. But one I never get tired of watching is the 1995 adaptation of Persuasion. Most Romantic Movie EVER.

Since you are a YA writer can you tell us what you were like as a teen? Does that influence your characters? How?

I was a pretty average teenager–I worried about clothes and boyfriends and going to college and getting the right dress for my proms and gossiped about who was doing what and who they were doing it with. I enjoyed high school quite a bit, actually (though I did grow awfully weary of living in the middle of nowhere), which always makes me feel vaguely guilty when I talk to other people, who seem to have really hated it.

As far as me influencing characters–I have to say, there’s not much of me in them–I like thinking and writing about other people, not myself.

What are you currently reading?

The Grave Tattoo, Bonk, and Unaccustomed Earth

Your next novel, Living Dead Girl, tackles some serious issues that you haven’t delved into in your previous novels. Was it difficult writing about such a disturbing topic? What inspired the story?

I got the idea for the story because I kept having this dream about Alice–the girl in the story–and in the dream she was looking at a window and she had no reflection and she was just so miserable–you could tell from the way she was standing, and it was all silence except for her saying, “I’m a living dead girl.”

I write down all my dreams, and after dreaming about Alice for four nights I realized my brain was trying to tell me something so I looked at all the stuff I’d written down about the dream–and there wasn’t much, just about how she looked and how I thought she felt and that phrase, living dead girl, and I started thinking. And then I just knew what the story was. That sort of thing doesn’t happen to me very often–I’ll get story ideas but fully-formed stories? Not so much.–and so I started writing.

As far as the subject matter–it is dark. But there’s so much darkness in the world and in ourselves, and I’m drawn to writing about it as much as I am to writing about lighter subjects.

You have two books coming out in ‘09: Something, Maybe (March 2009) and love you hate you miss (June 2009) can you give us a teaser of what’s in store for us?!

SOMETHING, MAYBE will be out in March, and it’s about a girl who, because of her infamous parents, has mastered the art of going unnoticed–and what happens when she tries to get the attention of the guy she likes.

LOVE YOU HATE YOU MISS YOU will be out in June, and it’s about friendship, loss, facing your fears–and yourself.

You can keep up with Ms. Scott by checking out her website, blog, MySpace or Facebook pages!

Also for additional tid-bits about Elizabeth, be sure to check out these interviews:

• Em’s Bookshelf
• Little Willow
• Becky’s Book Reviews
• Mango Firefly

Be sure to check back next week when Elizabeth guest blogs here at Teen Troves! Thank again, Elizabeth, for stopping by to chat with us!