Saturday, August 23, 2008
Author Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend
by Daria Snadowsky. To be released in paperback in September.
Gotta love it when an author takes to the net to promote her own book, as this lady did, offering me a review copy of her teen novel of first love and loss. I'm glad, too, because for all that I love the cover (yeah, yeah, you do it, too), I may have passed it over as another fluffy teen chicklit book, which I've read lots of and find that while some are quite good, there are plenty that are, well, not so good. This book, while it does track the course of a romance, is not the same old formula, by any stretch.
What I most like about this is its straight take on the whole affair. Dominique wants to be a doctor, and has always been far too engrossed in studies and intellectual interests to notice boys all that much. She's a serious girl, unlike her friend, who is all about the fun with boys. Because of this curious, pragmatic personality, the fact that her voice is often frank and unflinching works really well to convey information about her sexual explorations as well as being able to discuss her emotions clearly.
Dominique, to be honest, is much like me as a teen, so I found her very relatable as a teen who is not a silly girl, but finds herself sometimes having to hold back to keep things going along at a pace that is is comfortable with, unwilling to completely give herself over to the rush of it, but unable to resist completely. She goes in with her eyes open and thinks about what she wants, which I like, but she isn't perfect and impervious to temptation, either. Neither a saint nor a slut, she treads a middle ground that I think will be familiar to teens and eye-opening but not alarming to parents.
I also really liked the writing of the sex and makeout scenes. It is free from cheesy euphemisms and other romance cliches, yet doesn't come across as clinicla, either. It is straight up, but perfectly evocative of how Danielle feels both physically and emotionally. I think it would actually be a really good book for a teen to read before they were involved in a relationship or considering any degree of physical exploration, as it really tells it like it is for an average teen.
I would highly recommend this for any teen.
Gotta love it when an author takes to the net to promote her own book, as this lady did, offering me a review copy of her teen novel of first love and loss. I'm glad, too, because for all that I love the cover (yeah, yeah, you do it, too), I may have passed it over as another fluffy teen chicklit book, which I've read lots of and find that while some are quite good, there are plenty that are, well, not so good. This book, while it does track the course of a romance, is not the same old formula, by any stretch.
What I most like about this is its straight take on the whole affair. Dominique wants to be a doctor, and has always been far too engrossed in studies and intellectual interests to notice boys all that much. She's a serious girl, unlike her friend, who is all about the fun with boys. Because of this curious, pragmatic personality, the fact that her voice is often frank and unflinching works really well to convey information about her sexual explorations as well as being able to discuss her emotions clearly.
Dominique, to be honest, is much like me as a teen, so I found her very relatable as a teen who is not a silly girl, but finds herself sometimes having to hold back to keep things going along at a pace that is is comfortable with, unwilling to completely give herself over to the rush of it, but unable to resist completely. She goes in with her eyes open and thinks about what she wants, which I like, but she isn't perfect and impervious to temptation, either. Neither a saint nor a slut, she treads a middle ground that I think will be familiar to teens and eye-opening but not alarming to parents.
I also really liked the writing of the sex and makeout scenes. It is free from cheesy euphemisms and other romance cliches, yet doesn't come across as clinicla, either. It is straight up, but perfectly evocative of how Danielle feels both physically and emotionally. I think it would actually be a really good book for a teen to read before they were involved in a relationship or considering any degree of physical exploration, as it really tells it like it is for an average teen.
I would highly recommend this for any teen.
Labels: 2007, friendship, girly, good stuff, growing up, love story, Publisher Reviews, teen
Monday, August 11, 2008
Publisher Review: Madapple
by Christina Meldrum. See more about the book on the publisher's website, here.
(and read about my stance on reviews here, if you like.)
To start, let me fill you in on the title: Madapple is another name for a local herb also called jimsonweed that plays a major role in this tale so defined by herbs and lore. Aslaug grows up isolated, under the complete control of her mother, who teaches her what she thinks she should know, including lots of mythology and history, as well as great amounts about scientific inquiry and how to identify and use local flora.
The actual story unfolds in two formats running in alternating chapters - one a series of transciprts from a trial, the other the story as told by Aslaug in her complete version, filling in the gaps and questions that the court records open up. I must say that I think this gradual drawing out of the plot was probably supposed to engage and draw in a reader, but I didn't love the device. It was a bit slow going for me, though it did raise questions along the way, as intended.
Once Aslaug's mother passes away, she seeks and finds family, only to discover a world of strange, intertwined secrets and history. Herbs continue to play a role, but now she is thrust into a place of religion, where she is suddenly introduced to the readings and explorations that her mother kept hidden from her, although she had known that her mother was reading in these areas. Now she begins to see a new side of her mother and hear conflicting stories that leave her confused. Each member of this new family seems to have their own secrets and agendas, many of which revolve around her, but which she is unable to decipher. History seems to repeat itself at the end, until her cousin decides to take matters into his own hands and break from the madness.
Without giving away the ending, it does leave you with questions, most certainly, and with some things to chew on, if the story has grabbed you enough to make you keep thinking about it. For myself, I wasn't finding that I had to keep coming back to it, though I did also have to give myself a good few days to let it percolate before I could sit down and write a review. I found myself wonderign, instead, whether I liked it or not. It was haunting in places, certainly, it raises questions that might be of gripping interest for some readers, especially if they are of a religious bent, for it flirts with religious teachings, and it leaves open questions about the family and their history. In the end, though, I think I might just not have been the right person for this one.
(and read about my stance on reviews here, if you like.)
To start, let me fill you in on the title: Madapple is another name for a local herb also called jimsonweed that plays a major role in this tale so defined by herbs and lore. Aslaug grows up isolated, under the complete control of her mother, who teaches her what she thinks she should know, including lots of mythology and history, as well as great amounts about scientific inquiry and how to identify and use local flora.The actual story unfolds in two formats running in alternating chapters - one a series of transciprts from a trial, the other the story as told by Aslaug in her complete version, filling in the gaps and questions that the court records open up. I must say that I think this gradual drawing out of the plot was probably supposed to engage and draw in a reader, but I didn't love the device. It was a bit slow going for me, though it did raise questions along the way, as intended.
Once Aslaug's mother passes away, she seeks and finds family, only to discover a world of strange, intertwined secrets and history. Herbs continue to play a role, but now she is thrust into a place of religion, where she is suddenly introduced to the readings and explorations that her mother kept hidden from her, although she had known that her mother was reading in these areas. Now she begins to see a new side of her mother and hear conflicting stories that leave her confused. Each member of this new family seems to have their own secrets and agendas, many of which revolve around her, but which she is unable to decipher. History seems to repeat itself at the end, until her cousin decides to take matters into his own hands and break from the madness.
Without giving away the ending, it does leave you with questions, most certainly, and with some things to chew on, if the story has grabbed you enough to make you keep thinking about it. For myself, I wasn't finding that I had to keep coming back to it, though I did also have to give myself a good few days to let it percolate before I could sit down and write a review. I found myself wonderign, instead, whether I liked it or not. It was haunting in places, certainly, it raises questions that might be of gripping interest for some readers, especially if they are of a religious bent, for it flirts with religious teachings, and it leaves open questions about the family and their history. In the end, though, I think I might just not have been the right person for this one.
Labels: 2008, enh, family, growing up, Publisher Reviews, slightly weird stuff, teen
