In My Mailbox...

In My Mailbox is an exploration of what books I brought home this week, and is organized by The Story Siren.

This week, I got three more books for review:

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape. Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Girl Stolen by April Henry
Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

Bought:

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.
For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?
And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
Could any two sisters be more tightly bound together than the twins, Katherine and Anna? Yet love and fate intervene to tear them apart. Katherine's guilt and sense of betrayal leaves her longing for death, until a surprise encounter and another near catastrophe rescue her from a tragic end. Set against the magical kaleidoscope of the Philadelphia Centennial fair of 1876, National Book Award nominee Beth Kephart's book conjures the sweep and scope of a moment in history in which the glowing future of a nation is on display to the disillusioned gaze of a girl who has determined that she no longer has a future. The tale is a pulse by pulse portrait of a young heroine's crisis of faith and salvation in the face of unbearable loss.

What books did you bring home this week?

Winners of the October book giveaway!

It's time to announce the winners for this month's giveaway.

Prize Pack 1

  The winner is  ...  Beverly!!!

Prize Pack 2

  

The winner is  ...  Prism!!!

Congratulations to the winners!!  I will get those books out to you asap.

As for everyone else, come back next saturday to see what else I'm giving away.  HINT: it's two ARCs of books that were released this month.  :)

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”
Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power—and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

The whole idea of Famine mixed with anorexia is fabulous. The concept of someone starving herself on purpose being forced to see people starving because they have no choice really pulled me into this story, and I couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to tackle it.

I thought Kessler did a fantastic job with the eating disorder aspect of things. It felt real, especially with the gory details we get in certain scenes. Lisa’s ‘Thin Voice’ strikes me as something a real anorexic would hear in her own head, and drive her to do things she really shouldn’t. Such as not eat, or exercise herself into the ground. I also found Tammy’s scene in the bathroom to be incredibly powerful. Yeah, it was gory and disgusting, but it also shows exactly what bulimia is. There’s nothing glamorous about it.

Kessler also did a great job showing Lisa’s motivations for starving herself, given her home life. Her interactions with her friends was also realistic and believable. Though they try to help her, Lisa doesn’t see that she has a problem because she can’t see herself as anything but fat. And, if she were truly anorexic, she says, “I’d be thin.” Very powerful.

Unfortunately, the fantasy aspect wasn’t as compelling. I never got a complete sense of what Lisa’s job as Famine was supposed to be. She gets no instruction, and ends up causing both misery and relief. Her symbol of office is the scales, but she never really uses them. The bible states how the scales will be used during the apocalypse, but what about before? I would have liked to know a lot more about that.

The conclusion had me torn. On the eating disorder side of things, it was incredibly realistic and well-done. On the Famine side of things, I was confused. I didn’t quite understand why she made the choice she made, especially after discovering what she could do in her role as Famine. Plus, this seems to be a complication for the next book in the series, which is about War.

If you’re looking for a realistic view on eating disorders and the havoc they can wreak, then this is your book. But if you’re looking for a solid marriage of Famine and anorexia, well, this doesn’t quite do it.

NaNoWriMo--Who's Doing It?

In one week, the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) will begin. Those who participate will be frantically trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That's 1600 words per day, including weekends and (American) Thanksgiving. If you can't do weekends, then you have 22 days, and need to write 2275 words per day. If you can't write on those two days for Thanksgiving, then you have 20 days, and need to write 2500 words per day.

For me, my kids are home from school the whole week of Thanksgiving. So that means I'd have 17 days, and would need to write about 3000 words per day. And, I'd have to do it before my youngest son comes home from kindergarten (he's half-day). Which means I'd have two hours each day to write 3000 words. Um...not very realistic. :)

I did it last year, and I managed to organize play dates and some other stuff to get my writing done. I made the 50k words, but was so frazzled by the end of it that it wasn't a pleasant experience. So, this year, I'm going to do something different. I've decided to participate, but I'm not waiting until Nov 1st. :-D I've already started, and have about 4000 words so far. And, I've set myself a reasonable goal of 1000 words per day. I can definitely do that in two hours.

So, starting November, I'll post my word counts on the NaNo website, but I won't reach the 50k word count. However, what I will have is a strong, working first draft that I can mold into something to give my agent when it's done. That's better than 50k words any day. And, I won't be a quivering puddle by the time December rolls around. :)

So, are you participating? If so, do you know what you want to get out of it?

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

This was an interesting story. The mythology is quite unique, though a bit confusing at first, and I really liked the themes of feminism and slavery running throughout. Also, it did a great job of showing the difficulties around doing what is expected of you versus doing what you really want to do. The writing is strong as well, and painted vivid images.

I liked Ren a lot. He is a complex character with a rough exterior and a softer, understanding side to him. He’s a good leader and a good listener, and acts according to what he believes is right, as well as how he’s been brought up. I didn’t like Shay or Calla, though. They’re both pretty selfish, and they seriously mistreated Ren many times.

Shay professes to be better than Ren because he wants to treat Calla as an equal and not a possession. But he contradicts that every single time he kisses her, because she has repeatedly told him not to. I found that very disrespectful. Shay treats Calla as an object more than Ren ever does, because Ren actually listens when Calla tells him to stop, and also lets her set the pace with their upcoming union. If she'd told him to never touch her again, he'd have listened and respected her wishes. But she never says that. Instead, she encourages him.

At the beginning of the story, Calla is a strong alpha and a good leader. She starts out saying that she and Ren are both alphas and would run the pack together after their union, but then she willingly gives up control of the wolves in her own pack and we’re not told why. We’re just given her assumption that she's supposed to submit to Ren.

It bothered me that Calla just let's Ren take over like this without talking to him about her own wishes first. Ren has proven himself to be a good leader and listener over and over, so it made me mad that she didn't even try to talk to him. This undermined some of the feminist themes running throughout the story.

Calla’s transformation wasn’t a positive one in this story. She starts out strong, but then kind of melts into a puddle. In the beginning, she’s a strong alpha and demonstrates inherent qualities of decision making and decisive action. It doesn’t make sense that she’d fall to pieces because of a simple attraction to someone she’s not supposed to be with. Instead, an alpha would weigh the possibilities and then make a firm decision one way or another. And, she’d enforce that decision with strength and confidence, because that’s what an alpha would do. Instead, she slowly turns wishy-washy.

The mythology was interesting and unique, though, and I would have liked to see more of it. I was a bit confused by the ending, and the way it unfolded didn’t ring true to the characters or the situation. But I am hoping that will be cleared up in the next book. And, I’m hoping Calla’s spine will be back and intact.

Inspiration vs. Writing Every Day

I subscribe to the Guide to Literary Agents newsletter, and last month they asked about writers who write only when inspired vs. writers who write every day. Is there a need to write every day, or should we just write when inspired?

For me, there are two sides to this question. 1) Sitting down to write even when you're not inspired. 2) The actual ability to sit down and write without any other obligations getting in the way. These have two very different answers, so I want to tackle them separately.

1) Sitting down to write even when you're not inspired.
I believe in making inspiration come to me rather than waiting around for it to fall in my lap. So, I'd rather sit down and get to work even if inspiration is being elusive. However, I don't believe in forcing the words. If you sit down to write and it takes twenty minutes to get three crappy sentences on the page, then something is wrong.

The standard argument used here is that you can't revise an empty page, so bad words are better than no words. But I disagree. When I write something truly awful, I almost always end up deleting it and starting over (because it's just plain too horrible to revise). So, when I get myself into a situation like this, I stop writing. BUT, I don't walk away. Instead, I'll do some brainstorming exercises, journaling from the MC's perspective, or other tasks to help me figure out why the story isn't flowing properly. Once I figure it out, then I can get back to writing.

So, I think that instead of sitting down and writing every day, one should sit down and do something related to writing: brainstorming, planning, research, journaling, etc.

2) The actual ability to sit down and write without any other obligations getting in the way.
As much as I would love to write every day, I can't. I have a family, and I want to spend time with them. Because of everyone's schedules, it's not possible for me to carve out writing time every single day. So, I write on the days that I can, and don't write on the days I can't. For this reason alone, I don't have the luxury of waiting around for inspiration to strike because I can't sit down to write anytime I want.

Instead, I set up a writing schedule, which I stick to religiously. On my writing days, I either write or do something related to writing. Always. Some days, the words flow so quickly I can hardly keep up. Other days, it's like banging my head against the wall. But I stick with it, and the end result is always worth the work I put into it. If inspiration happens to strike on a non-writing day, then I jot notes in a notebook that I always keep handy. This may sound overly complicated, but if I didn't have this schedule then I would never get any writing done.

Basically, though, I think what the question of Inspiration vs. Every day is really asking is this: do you have what it takes to stick it out? Writing is hard work. Whether you write every day or need to be inspired in order to write, you still need to be able to come back to your story again and again in order to make it the best it can possibly be. If other things keep getting in the way (or if the “I’m not inspired” thing is really an excuse), then you’re never going to get there. If you truly need to be inspired in order to write, then find ways to get yourself inspired as often as you possibly can.

Keep working, learning, and pushing that envelope, and you'll get there in the end.

The Magnificent Twelve: The Call by Michael Grant

Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.
And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal—also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?

I read the first book in Michael Grant’s Hunger series, and it was a bit too much for me. I’m hypersensitive to kids getting hurt (this happened after I had kids of my own), so that series is just too disturbing for me.

The Magnificent Twelve, however, is the exact opposite. Fun, campy humor runs throughout the story, giving it a lighthearted tone and putting a perpetual smile on my face. The mix of Mack’s phobias with his general lack of reasonable fear makes for a hilarious combination. It also turns the story upside down when one of Mack’s phobias gets in the way of progressing the story. Very cool.

If you liked Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson, you’ll definitely like this. The humor is very similar, but the humor isn’t quite as ‘out there.’ Still funny, though, and I can see boys of all ages tearing through these pages.

For a chance to win an ARC of this book, fill out the form here.

500 Word Critique: MG ghost story

It's been a while, but someone else has decided they'd like to offer up 500 words for critique.  It's the beginning of a middle grade ghost story, a prologue and part of the first chapter.

I have kept the author anonymous, and given my reactions to the story. The green text in parentheses are my comments.


***
Prologue
The smell of death encompassed the room (What does death smell like? I know this is a hard thing to pin down, but it has to smell like something to this character, and if he/she can convey it to the reader, then we'll feel that much closer to the story). My legs felt like cement. Fear was stopping my every move (these two sentences actually say the same thing--perhaps combine?). My first thought was to run towards the door. I know the threatening one (this reads like a name or title; if so, it needs to be capitalized) is here, I just don’t see it. The smell lets me know as it looms closer (how does the smell change as the entity gets closer? Does it get stronger? Does it smell like something else? These details will heighten the tension and bring the reader closer to the story). Darkness surrounds the threatening one.

Terror gripped my senses and felt like it would never release me (instead of telling us that terror has an unrelenting grip on the character, show us how terror feels to this person--people experience it differently, so we need to know how it feels to this particular person). I tried to raise my hand in front of me to feel through the darkness, but I was concerned that I would run into the threatening one.

Whispers filled the air. It is closer and ready for attack (can s/he feel it coming? Where does s/he feel it? Tingles along the spine? Skin crawling? Paralysis? Show us the clues that let him/her know the entity is closer). A slinking sound behind me made me realize my existence would soon be over (for most people, a survival instinct would kick in—this makes it sound like s/he has given up). My thoughts were paralyzed with fear. I felt somewhat relieved that I couldn’t see its’ (its--no apostrophe) face. Prayer and hope were my only escape. Did anyone know that I was trapped in the prison of bitterness with a vengeful thing? The threatening one is protecting what it feels belongs to it. I want to protect those I love. (this is interesting, but a bit confusing—how does the character know the threatening one is vengeful, yet protecting something at the same time? Those two emotions don’t usually go together, so it’s intriguing. But perhaps make the situation a bit clearer as to how the character knows about them)

I heard the threatening one make a deep breathing sound (how does it sound? Show us so we can experience it with the character) as it crept even closer. Would someone wake me up (oh, I didn’t realize s/he was sleeping...or is s/he?)? I screamed in my head. I can’t continue like this (how old is this person? It sounds like an adult speaking)! My breathing was becoming slower and the room was closing in.

Silence filled the air. I stood motionless knowing this could be the end. Tears wanted to stream down my face as my eyes shut tightly (the POV is first person, but this sounds a bit like third—as in, from the outside looking in, not how the character is feeling on the inside). This is not how my life was supposed to end. “Tell my friends I love them,” was my last thought. (so, how does this person die? And how does it feel? Is it a brutal murder, or does his/her heart just stop? And how does that feel? These details will give us more insight into the character and the situation, and we’ll be able to feel the experience right along with him/her. It also increases tension and keeps the reader on the edge of his seat)

Chapter 1
“Don’t believe what people say about your house, Lauren,” I heard someone whisper. (this is a perfect place to work in the name of the protagonist—we’ll make a quicker connection, and also know she’s a girl)

“What? What about my house?” My eyes stare straight ahead.

“Oh, nothing. You’ll see.” (who spoke? An adult? A kid? A crazy homeless person? Knowing where this information comes from will help us know how much credence to lend to it. And also seeing the character’s reaction to that person will color our judgment, too, in favor of the main character)

I froze in the spot, afraid to move. A chill collected in the middle of my upper spine then shot down my entire back. There in front of me is my new home, looking like it was beckoning me to come inside. Was this house really smiling at me? Seriously, it looked just like the house was smiling (this sentence has a lot of great voice). It was a huge white two story Civil war type antebellum home. I swear it had to have been built in 1800 (that specific year? Or in the 1800’s?). I had a good sense of things about me and I didn’t have a good feeling about this. The smile on the house’s face was not a welcoming one, but one of “I dare you to come in” kind of look. Somehow this house reminded me of the smile on the Cheshire cat. (this is a great reaction to the house, and I think it would have a greater impact on the reader if we got this first—before the general statement that the house seemed to be smiling. The ‘Cheshire cat’ grin paints a specific and vivid image, but a general ‘smile’ can be interpreted in multiple ways. I’d jump right into the Cheshire cat.)

A big balcony with two large French doors looked like it was protecting the 2nd floor. A shadow cascaded across the entrance. I look around (nine times out of ten, sentences like “I looked...” are not necessary. We assume the character is looking around because she then reports what she sees, so it’s not necessary to tell us that she looks around). Wonder who that is, I thought. Must be one of the movers, I hoped. (not sure her thoughts are necessary here—we’re in her head already with the sentence ‘Must be one of the movers,’ and the ‘I hoped’ sounds like you’re trying too hard to create tension. The assumption that the shadow is from one of the movers has already planted the seed of suspicion in the reader’s head)

There were trees surrounding the house, which made its appearance look dark. I did like the balcony though because I couldn’t wait to sit there and read. In front, just like most antebellum homes, there were four huge pillars. I waited to see if Scarlett O’Hara would come walking outside. Maybe, hopefully, with nice landscaping it won’t be so gruesome looking. Where was the new house I thought I was going to have? Oh, there are shade trees, but what were my parents thinking???? (only one question mark is needed)

Overall comments:
This is intriguing! I think this is a great setup to a ghost story, and if we were a bit closer to the main character, it would be even better. We need to know more of what Lauren is thinking. But, what she thinks needs to be sharp and concise. If she’s saying the same thing three different ways, it’s going to frustrate the reader.


Watch out for your verb tenses—there are places where you switch from past to present and back. I’ve highlighted the places where you’ve slipped into present tense.


The prologue above is written in first person, and so is your first chapter. The implication here is that these two are the same characters. I’m guessing they’re not, though, so switching the prologue to third person might differentiate it better. It would also let us know whether the prologue’s character is male or female—and that will help us to better identify with him/her.
***

Thanks to the author for stepping up and sending in your work!!

As for all of you reading, what did you think? Do you agree with me? Disagree? Did I miss anything? Please weigh in with your comments!

If you would like your work posted here for critique, then send me 500 words from anywhere in your story. Or, feel free to send a query for critique.
tabwriter at gmail.com

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four.
I am next.

After reading this summary, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. Murder, mystery, and superheroes? What’s not to love?

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. The voice is on the quieter side, which fits with John’s (aka Number Four) need to blend in to the background. True to form for any kid his age, he gets tired of moving around and wants to form some real friendships in his new town. With that comes the unexpected desire to stand up for himself.

This is a great concept. The need to not be noticed conflicting with the need to establish himself set a fantastic tone and kept me interested. Some of the scenes where John stands up to the local bully were a bit too full of testosterone for my taste, and the middle of the book slowed down a bit because John got too caught up in ‘setting that bully straight.’ But when we get back to the fact that he’s being hunted, the pace picks back up. And, of course, by the end of the story, everything has changed for all of John’s people.

I’m looking forward to the next book, and finding out how everything is going to unfold. I am hoping, though, that there will be less posturing and more exploring of newfound abilities.

For a chance to win an ARC of this book, fill out the form here.

A Celebration of Banned Books

Today, I want to just appreciate a bunch of books that have been banned at some point or other. I’ve read these books at various points in my life—some as a child, some as an adult—and each of them have had a profound effect on me.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
I guess I’ve always been the black sheep of my family. It bothered me, because I had no one I could relate to growing up. But this book helped me realize that I can celebrate my individuality, and that there is a whole world of people out there. I don’t need to change myself to fit in with who is around me. Instead, I can keep searching until I find others who understand me.

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
This trilogy enabled me to take a good, hard look at my own beliefs, religious and otherwise. My revelations are far too personal to share, but I can say that these books were a catalyst for a turning point in my life for the better.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Growing up, I always felt I had to succumb to social conformity. That was perpetuated by the whole black sheep thing, but I also felt I was supposed to do what others said I should do. This book showed me that, not only is it okay to say no, I could find my own path. And, if I found the right one, I could make myself happy rather than worrying about making everyone around me happy.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
I read this book in seventh grade, and it was my first introduction to loss. I felt for the main character on a deep level. Years later, I lost a very good friend to a car accident. I didn’t know it at the time, but later on I realized that this book had already paved the way toward recovering from this kind of loss.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
Stubbornness runs in my family, and I can’t count how many times I heard “You’re too stubborn!” as I was growing up. It never occurred to me that stubbornness, which I always perceived as a weakness, could be used as an incredible strength. At least, not until I read this book. :) I was in grade school at the time, and this was a HUGE turning point for me.

And then there are a bunch of others that enabled me look at the world in a different light.
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
A Separate Peace by John Knowles

I wouldn’t be where I am today without these books. They’ve helped shape and define me in so many good ways, and my life would be truly sad indeed if I’d never been exposed to them. I am very grateful that they came along when they did.

In My Mailbox...

In My Mailbox is an exploration of what books I brought home this week, and is organized by The Story Siren.

This week, I got two more books for review:

ARC of Matched by Ally Condie

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

 

ARC of Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are? Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.

What did you bring home this week?

October Book Giveaway!

I know I said last week that I only had two books to give away this month, but I lied.  I've got four!  Two prize packs and two winners, and these are your options:

PRIZE PACK 1

ARC of The Necropolis by P.J. Hoover

The situation in Lemuria is rapidly deteriorating. In fact teleportation between the hidden continent and the outside world has become so dangerous, all agents and their families have been recalled. Although Benjamin is pleased to be living in Lemuria full time, he knows he needs to find his last sibling soon. However, between classes, a murderous half-brother, and complications with his friend Heidi, Benjamin can barely focus. Besides, there's only one place left they haven't searched - the hidden continent of Atlantis.

ARC of The Magnificent Twelve: The Call by Michael Grant

Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.  

And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal—also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?

BONUS BOOK: The lovely P.J. Hoover has generously offered a hardback of The Emerald Tablet to anyone who hasn't read it (so you won't be confused by reading the third book in the trilogy first).

Benjamin and his best friend Andy love being different from the other kids. They like being able to read each others minds and use their telekinesis to play tricks. In fact, they are getting set to spend their entire summer doing just that when Benjamin s mirror starts talking. Suddenly, he s looking at eight weeks of summer school someplace that can only be reached by a teleporter hidden in his hallway. And the summer only gets stranger.Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

At school, Benjamin discovers that he isn t really human but something called a telegen. It turns out that the powers he always thought made him special only make him normal. But then the mysterious Emerald Tablet chooses him as its champion, and all chances of a uneventful (well, as uneventful as summer school on a hidden, submerged continent can be) disappears.

PRIZE PACK 2

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

 

ARC of I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four.
I am next.

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