Behind The Pages #1 - The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

Welcome to my first Behind The Pages post! This is my new feature in 2014 and one I've been waiting for months now to share with you all.

What is Behind The Pages all about? I asked some of my favourite authors and a bunch of promising 2014 debut authors to annotate a scene, page or more of one of their books. I see the feature as a chance to show readers what's behind a page. Authors can share their favourite writing memories, the music that influenced a certain scene or anything else that comes to their mind. We might get hints to what the characters were thinking and feeling that exact moment or other fun details about their story. 

Hope you enjoy Behind The Pages as much as I do. I'm intending this feature to be a monthly post here on the blog, with Lauren Oliver kicking off the feature with her second MG novel THE SPINDLERS and being my Behind The Pages January author. Thanks to all the fabulous authors who took the time to annotate a page or scene for us, your comments are always so insightful and fun to read. When readers can't get enough of a book and its characters it only shows how much the author's work means to them, to us. Thank you! 

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Looking across the breakfast table one morning, twelve-year-old Liza feels dread wash over her. Although her younger brother, Patrick, appears the same, Liza knows that he is actually quite different. She is certain that the spindlers—evil, spiderlike beings—came during the night and stole his soul. And Liza is also certain that she is the only one who can rescue him.

Armed with little more than her wits and a huge talking rat for a guide, Liza descends into the dark and ominous underground to save Patrick's soul. Her quest is far from easy: she must brave tree-snakes, the Court of Stones, and shape-shifting scawgs before facing her greatest challenge in the spindlers' lair, where more than just Patrick's soul is at stake.

Jonathan Alpeyrie, 2011

Lauren Oliver comes from a family of writers and so has always (mistakenly) believed that spending hours in front of the computer every day, mulling over the difference between “chortling” and “chuckling,” is normal. She has always been an avid reader. 

She attended the University of Chicago, where she continued to be as impractical as possible by majoring in philosophy and literature. After college, she attended the MFA program at NYU and worked briefly as the world’s worst editorial assistant, and only marginally better assistant editor, at a major publishing house in New York. Her major career contributions during this time were flouting the corporate dress code at every possible turn and repeatedly breaking the printer. Before I Fall is her first published novel. 

She is deeply grateful for the chance to continue writing, as she has never been particularly good at anything else.

Book Summary & Author Bio from Goodreads 

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The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
- In case the notes need translation Lauren Oliver provided it on the right side.

* So in my front yard we really did have a little fir tree next to a birdbath. One time, my sister and I buried a time capsule there!

  

*I was thinking of my mom's garden here, which was wild and magical.

*My best friend's name is Patrick. I even have his initials tattooed on my arm!

Want to find out more about THE SPINDLERS and not only what's behind a single page, but an entire book? Then I can recommend watching Lauren Oliver's seven-video series about HOW A BOOK IS MADE. In the first episode Lauren Oliver tells you how she developed the idea for her book.

The Spindlers Art by Iacopo Bruno

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Here's your chance to win the THE SPINDLERS copy Lauren Oliver used to annotate her page. She was so kind to donate the copy for a giveaway. Thank you very much! The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends February 15th 2014.

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Book Review: Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton

Title: Evertrue (Everneath #3)
Author: Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: January 21st 2014
Length: 368 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, romance, underworld, evil queen
Source: Publisher

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

Summary by Goodreads  

"You know the Everneath?"[...]
"Good. Because I'm going to destroy it." [...] 
"I'm taking the whole. Damn. Thing. Down. Are you with me?"

Isn't Nikki's declaration of war at the end of EVERBOUND inflammatory and rousing? Take the whole Everneath down and dethrone the evil queen, who often reminded me of Maleficient from Sleeping Beauty, seems like this impossible and ultimate challenge. How does she intend to do that? What about the dangers that will be awaiting them on their way?
I couldn't wait to find out what would be happening in the conclusion to her story, can you?  Nikki practically mobilises the reader to support her no matter what. And so I grabbed EVERTRUE right after I finished reading EVERBOUND and prepared myself for a strategic meeting with Nikki and Jack.

Brodi Ashton included a mean condition into Nikki surviving the Everneath a second time and so we are quasi burdened with Cole as an additional member of the resistance. You know he isn't my favourite book boy. Like Jack and Nikki got their flashbacks of important moments of the past in the second book, Cole, too, showed us memories that were of importance for his life and first impressions of Nikki in book three now.
Sadly the cool rock star lost a great deal of his authenticity, smashing wit and sarcasm. But one could also see it as some kind of transformation, a way for him to go back to his roots. I didn't mind as much as Team Cole readers might because I'm Team Jack anyway and he was as understanding and sweet as ever.

Nikki and Jack's love was still strong and many times they had small but significant moments to show what they feel for each other. Jack was never anything but swoon-worthy and there wasn't a time in which I didn't want more of him, more for him and Nikki.

EVERTRUE is the third and last part of Nikki's story in the Everneath and the part that somehow I didn't enjoy as much as the two parts before it. In EVERNEATH and EVERBOUND we always learned something new about the Everneath and made great discoveries with Nikki and her fellow travellers. In this last instalment the discoveries didn't feel so grand and stunning anymore. The absolutely amazing labyrinth from EVERBOUND could be the reason why I was harder to impress in the third book, it totally spoiled me. 

Throughout the entire story the task that Nikki and her two boys had to master or the trials they were willing to face, seemed always much bigger, too big, for the three of them and I wasn't entirely convinced by the ways they found to get over the finish line.

But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the time I got to spend with Nikki and Jack in EVERTRUE. The ending was quite a stunner. Brodi Ashton solved the conflict between Nikki and the Everneath and Cole and Jack fighting for Nikki in an almost poetic way, giving her characters the chance to show strength, courage and empathy. 

4/5 **** EVERTRUE - The daring and ultimate quest of underworld explorer trio  Nikki, Jack and Cole will leave no reader cold.

Can't wait to see which new world Brodi Ashton comes up with next. I'm open for anything but I wouldn't mind another story influenced by Greek mythology, I'm very into that lately. If you haven't had the chance to read Brodi's EVERNEATH books before, you should use your chance and read all three back to back. Right now!

"I waited for you."
"But it's a race. Why did you wait for me?" He lifted his head so that his eyes met mine. "I always wait for you." He took a deep breath, my ankle still in his hands. "I'm always waiting for you."  ― Everbound p. 229

EVERTRUE you might also enjoy  STARCROSSED by Josephine Angelini, THE GODDESS TEST by Aimée Carter and SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs, all influenced by Greek mythology. 

* Can't get enough of the Everneath? Then you should read the NEVERFALL novella.

* Read an excerpt of EVERNEATH here.

* EVERNEATH book trailer.

* For more information about Brodi and her books visit www.brodiashton.blogspot.com.

* A huge thanks to Harper Collins International for providing me with an ARC of EVERTRUE! 

Coveresque feat. Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi (US vs. UK vs. German)

    US                                                   UK                                                     German

                                        

In 10 days the third book in Veronica Rossi's trilogy following Aria and Perry on their search for the Still Blue will be released into the wild. Veronica Rossi has been graced with gorgeous US covers, INTO THE STILL BLUE being my absolute favourite. Aren't the colors easy on the eyes? The title practically glows with this luminous shade of blue and the background looks like a beautiful aurora borealis show. And I can totally picture Aria looking like the cover girl. 

The next book I would pick up judging by its cover would be the UK edition. The colors are not as great as on the US cover. But I like that it has the sea as its background and that the transparent or glowing girl is becoming one with nature, at least it looks like it to me. 

Why is the German cover so fiery? A hint at the Aether storms intensifying? I'm planning to read INTO THE STILL BLUE next week, so I'll find out then. The German cover is okay. It's anything but exciting that all the covers for book one, two and three are the exact same except changes in color scheme (from green to blue and red) and titles. I have no idea why the A (A for Aria I thought at first), R and G are highlighted. Ideas?

Q! Which cover do you like best? Do you have other covers to add to this list?

Mini Reviews #22

Today I've got three very different books for you. The first is BUMPED by Megan McCafferty, a dystopian read where teenagers are encouraged to get pregnant in order to give many couples the chance to adopt. The Middle Grade read of WONDER by R. J. Palacio will open every reader's heart for young August, an exceptional boy with facial deformity. And then there is PUSHING THE LIMITS, a steamy YA contemporary 2012 debut novel by Katie McGarry.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Imagine a future in which everyone over eighteen is infertible and teenage girls with baby bumps are the new stars for all the couples who can't get their own children anymore. Harmony and Melody are sixteen-year-old identical twins who were separated at birth. They are reunited the day Harmony, who was brought up in a religious community, shows up on Melody's doorstep and wants to convince her that bumping with a stranger for money is just not acceptable.

Melody and Harmony are twins but have very different opinions about the whole pro teen pregnancy hype going on. One of them is supposed to get pregnant very soon, the other isn't at all for premarital sex. It's not all about sex, there is still room for proper love stories for both teens, that were surprisingly funny and cute to follow. So BUMPED has a good portion of contemporary romance feel to it.

Harmony is highly religious and believes in God and keeping herself pure. I liked Harmony's story a little less because of its overly religious touch, which sometimes was just too much.

In our world people aren't always that enthusiastic about teenagers getting pregnant early, so it was a smart move of Megan McCafferty to base her story on a society that depends on teenagers getting pregnant, making BUMPED a provocative and very controverse read.

3,5/5 ***/* BUMPED - YA contemporary queen Megan McCafferty shows her talent to spin mere ideas into an affecting and thought-provoking dystopian novel. 

A future world with advanced technologies and a society plagued by infertility is kicking off debates about teen pregnancy, sex and all different kinds of aspects about adoption, religion and the right to decide what's best for you, your heart and your body.  

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publishing Date: April 26^th 2011
Length: 323 pages
Keywords: YA, dystopian fiction, romance, teen pregnancy, sex

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

Bumped Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

I have no idea why I don't read Middle Grade books on a more regular basis. Starting WONDER I expected an emotional story - and emotional it was. It is the story of August Pullman, a boy with an unique facial deformity.

So far he's never attended a regular school, but his first day of school in 5th grade is nearing. It was interesting to witness the process of socialisation and integration of Auggie into the class and seeing how other children reacted to him.

WONDER is told from Auggie’s perspective, an utterly honest and brave little voice. Auggie’s sister Via, his best friends and Via’s friend share their views and reactions on current events and their relationship to Auggie, too. Overall WONDER is written in a very easy and authentic language.

Chapters are rather short and are oriented at Auggie’s events, realisations or experiences. Familiar episodes alternate with Auggie’s experiences in a new school environment, daily life scenarios and the blooming bonds of true friendship, acceptance and respect.

5/5 ***** WONDER - This is a story about many first days of school, moments of bravery and a small boy who shows unbelievable greatness.

Auggie is a truly wonderful boy. What he lacks in conventionally good looks he has in integrity and natural sense for other people's feelings and intentions. He is one of the most adorable MG characters, one who earned my trust in his strength after only a few minutes into his story. 

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: February 14^th 2012
Length: 315 pages
Keywords: Middle Grade, school, friends, family, facial deformity

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

Wonder Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Meeting the love of your life in front of a school social worker's office isn't a sweet start? Well, read PUSHING THE LIMITS and reconsider. Echo and Noah both have issues and secrets of their own, but that doesn't keep them from colliding with each other. Logic and reason out of the way, they just want to get the other mad, tease, and get closer, much closer than to any other person ever before.

Their love story is one of the extreme kinds, they are both very torn characters and their romance is just the same.

What kind of threw me off the story, only a small detail that had an amazingly big effect on me liking the story a bit less, were the names Noah and Echo were calling each other. I just can't stand for a girl being called Baby more than once in a story.

The title is well chosen since there's always a constant pushing and pulling marking the relationship of Echo and Noah. They get to tell parts of the story from their perspectives and you see that they are both strong personalities, who are stubborn and not always willing to give in first. Especially chapters from Noah's point of view are marked with strong language, drug abuse, drinking and sex.

4/5 **** PUSHING THE LIMITS – A YA contemporary debut with a scorching love story with depth and an addictively written plot demanding to be devoured in one sitting.

PUSHING THE LIMITS is the first book in the highly acclaimed romantic series by Katie McGarry. Fans of Simone Elkeles should definitely find a new favourite read in Katie's debut novel.

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publishing Date: July 31^st 2012
Length: 392 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, family, loss

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

Pushing The Limits Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

 

 

Mini Reviews #21

Any fans here of SPELLBOUND by Cara Lynn Shultz? If you haven't read its sequel you should definitely get to it now. THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell could be a book for readers who enjoy historical YA. And the third mini review is for Anna Sheehan's A LONG, LONG SLEEP, a Sleeping Beauty re-telling of the cheerless kind.

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz

Emma and Brendan finally broke the old curse that burdened their love, but a new enemy is coming for them, intending to use their powers for her own evil plans. SPELLCASTER is the second and last book in the SPELLBOUND series.

Emma and Brendan's romance intensifies a bit, but not as much as one could've hoped for in a sequel. They might have lost some of their original magic in consequence of too much secret-keeping and not trusting the other to be strong enough to handle any upcoming difficulties. It was still good to see them again, spending more time together, as Brendan and Emma have a natural charm as a couple that is just meant to be together.
SPELLCASTER has one last trial to test their love for each other, a mean witch. The antagonist wasn't as scary and unpredictable as the enemy Emma and Brendan had to face in SPELLBOUND. Great is that we learn more about Emma's ancient powers to cast spells. She's practicing a lot and we can be front row spectators of her magical achievements.

4/5 **** SPELLCASTER – An encore to Brendan and Emma's cute and hip New York love story, upping the paranormal power use and all that's at risk.

If you loved SPELLBOUND you definitely want to read this sequel about the last trial to test Emma and Brendan's love for each other. In the extra section of SPELLCASTER fans are supplied with playlists of songs on Emma and Brendan's iPods, very good bonus!

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publishing Date: March 27^th 2012
Length: 371 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, evil witch, magic, New York

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

Spellcaster Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

 

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

In the Baltimore summer of 1889 Amelia van den Broek is plagued by visions. People are asking for her advice and prophecies, but then terrible things start happening. Can Amelia find a way out of it all and trick fate?
THE VESPERTINE is told by young and adventure-seeking Amelia who is new to Baltimore and soaks up every tiny detail about the city and the people she meets, making this a very descriptive read.
Like other 19th century tales Amelia's story is very much about her relationship to her family, which has been problematic thanks to the visions she's been having. Amelia is haunted by them and fears that they turn out to be true. Those visions bring a high mystery and paranormal factor to her story.

Amelia is also supposed to find a well-respected suitor. So when she falls for Nathaniel, someone she shouldn't be seeing at all, it's clear that theirs is no easy love. Nothing in Amelia's story struck me as overly outstanding, but all in all following her new start in Baltimore made for a pleasant read. 

3/5 *** THE VESPERTINE - This historical YA read right out of the Victorian era convinces with its paranormal elements and a heroine like no other.

For those of you who enjoyed THE VESPERTINE, Saundra Mitchell wrote two  historical YA companion novels, following Amelia's cousin Zora and Kate Witherspoon. You don't come across companion novels in this genre too often, so give this series a go and get three novels to fall in love with.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: March 7^th 2011
Length: 293 pages
Keywords: YA, romance, historical fiction, visions, Baltimore, 19th century

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

The Vespertine Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

 

 

 

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

It was only supposed to be a short nap in her stasis tube, but it will take sixty-two years for Rose to open her eyes again. Her parents are dead, the boy who kissed her awake is a stranger and the world she wakes up to is one that couldn't be more foreign.
The story of Sleeping Beauty has always been among my favourite fairy tales, so I gave A LONG, LONG SLEEP a go. Sadly, it wasn't at all as I'd imagined it. The futuristic world A LONG, LONG SLEEP is set in feels inconsistent and was completely unfulfilling just as its plot. I pitied Rose most of the time, none of her relationships to other characters did catch my attention and her love story (or better non-romance) with the mystery boy who kissed her awake is terribly dull.
Maybe Rose's story could've been stronger if it had been planned for two or three books instead of a standalone.

2/5 ** A LONG, LONG SLEEP - A Sleeping Beauty re-telling lacking the entrancement of its original inspiration.

This almost felt alien since it couldn't be further away from the original tale than the story that Anna Sheehan wrote. I guess she attempted a brave approach, but at no point did A LONG, LONG SLEEP feel like a story I'd want to read again.

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publishing Date: August 11^th 2011
Length: 342 pages
Keywords: YA, romance, fairy tale, re-telling, Sleeping Beauty, futuristic world

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

A Long, Long Sleep Excerpt 

Author's Homepage