A Novel Cover Up is a semi-regular feature that looks at how covers are made. Here is the second of my Night Owls A Novel Cover Up double-whammy! Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children's Books, we're fortunate enough to have a guest post* from Designer Paul Coomey about how he designed the cover for the ten different proofs of Night Owls by Jenn Bennett. Other than the first photo, all images in this post are copyrighted to Simon & Schuster Children's Books and used with permission. They can be clicked to be enlarged.
I knew we had something special as soon as I started reading Jenn Bennett’s artsy, cool, YA novel, Night Owls. It follows the story of Jack and Beatrix who meet on the Owl – San Francisco’s night bus. Both protagonists are artists, though wildly different ones: Bex is fascinated by anatomy and wants to be a medical illustrator, while Jack is a street artist, spray-painting giant gold words across the city’s landmarks. When they meet, their worlds explode in the best possible way – and although they’re on a journey that neither of them is supposed to be, they might just end up exactly where they need to go. The idea behind the ten different proof covers came from a collective ‘wouldn’t-it-be-cool-if’ moment when we were in the early stages of talking about Night Owls. The idea fits in well with the tale as Jack, our Vegetarian Vandal, spray-paints ten different words on various San Francisco landmarks (Bloom, Begin, Belong, Celebrate, Endure, Fly, Trust, Rise, Jump and Love). There was no legal way for us to match the scope of Jack’s ambitious creations in the story, so the images we produced were more like fan-art or scaled-down versions of the words that he sprays in San Francisco. That said, our interpretation of his birthday wish to Bex might be about right. The images were made using gold acrylic paint and card stencils, which were later retouched in Photoshop.
We were able to work with our production department to print a limited edition of book proofs with the ten different words, keeping the same colour palette as the amazing cover created by Leo Nickolls.
Liz Binks, Marketing & PR Manager, then used these ten different proof covers as a key part of her Night Owls campaign. She sent the proofs to bloggers and key influencers across the country with instructions to Tweet a photo of the tag on the front of the proof to @hashtagreads using the hashtag #NightOwls for the chance to win a Kindle Fire. This created huge word of mouth buzz and helped to give Night Owls the special attention it deserved.
And here is a photo of my proof of Night Owls:
Thank you, Paul, for such a great post! Isn't it interesting to see how proof covers are designed? I never thought two different people would have designed the proof covers and the finished cover! And such a brilliant marketing idea!
Be sure to check out Paul’s website and, if you missed it, my earlier interview with Leo Nickolls on the final Night Owls cover. You can also read my review of Night Owls by Jenn Bennett, which is out now!
*This guest post was originally written for and a version published on Waterstones' Blog. I have republished it here with permission from Simon & Schuster Children's Books.
A Novel Cover Up is a semi-regular feature that looks at how covers are designed. Today I have a double-whammy for you. I have two A Novel Cover Up posts on Night Owls by Jenn Bennett; one for the final cover, and later today, one for the proof cover!
I have been fortunate enough to interview Graphic Designer Leo Nickolls about how he designed the cover for Night Owls. All images in this post are copyrighted to Leo Nickolls and used with permission. They can be clicked to be enlarged.
Can you tell us about the cover for Night Owls? What do you hope it tells readers about the story?
Well, it's a cover for a book about a girl called Bex who meets a boy called Jack on the San Francisco night bus – the owl. A can of gold spray paint in his bag tells her he is the mysterious graffiti artist who has been creating gold words in distinctive spots around the city. That’s a very abbreviated version of the story, but hopefully it explains the cover! The cover (again, hopefully) sets the scene for this story, so its gold graffiti above a san francisco map at night time! How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
There were various ideas, but all variations on the theme of night and graffiti. Luckily the story was rather easy to make a cover for, I love any chance to a) do a bit of handmade type, and b) have it foiled. Earlier versions were somewhat more ornate, and included the words the boy was spraying around points in the city, but in the end it got (rightly) simplified to how it looks now!
What were you given to base your ideas on? Did you have a manuscript, or were you given an outline?
I was given an outline. I’m usually given an outline on the brief, art directors/editors/sales and marketing will have a clear idea of how they want to market the book before they hand me the brief (although there are times when I’m asked to read and come up with my own ideas). So I was given setting, plot points, age readership and some competing titles.
What went into creating the Night Owls cover? Can you tell us about the process? Who else was involved?
Really it was just a case of sketching in photoshop various letterforms and words until something fit. I forget who it was that said it (possibly Jamie Keenan), but there’s another book cover designer who said designing a cover is often a quite thoughtless process, more meditative than planned. If that makes sense! Quite often designs that I’m pleased with happen by accident (I probably shouldn’t say that, haha).
So the early drafts were the result of researching graffiti styles (with some artistic license taken), the big murals you see on streets rather than tags; things like the little twinkles, using airbrush to accentuate the type and give shade, or making it look like it was the result of spraying through a stencil. I quite like them because I like any chance to go a bit more ornate and illustrated with any design, but in the end I think they were too busy, and the age of the cover just didn't look right. Looking at them now, I also think there's more style than substance too, the final cover sets the scene far better and more succinctly.
What do you like most about this cover?
The printed result is quite attractive I think, nice foil and paper stock. Makes for a nice tactile object!
Were there any other early ideas for the cover? Why didn’t they make it?
They were just a bit too complicated. Plus I think maybe I went too literary with it, they looked like covers for an older audience.
Thank you, Leo, for such great answers!
Leo Nicksolls has been a freelance book cover designer since 2007, working for most of the major publishers along with a handful of independent ones.
So what do you think? I really like the early drafts; they're definitely eye-catching. The first one is my favourite! But I agree that the final cover suits the book a little more.
Be sure to check out Leo’s website! Seriously. It's is full of absolutely incredible covers! There are quite a few that I would love to have prints of; like his covers for The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, Hush by Sara Marhsall-Ball, The Visitors by Simon Sylvester, Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne, Light Shining in the Forest by Paul Torday, and so many others (I'd link to them, but the website doesn't allow me to.) Cover designers should get to sell prints of the covers they've designed, it should definitely be a thing.
And when you're done done admiring and gasping in awe, check back later for post on how the cover for the Night Owls proof was created! You can also read my review of Night Owls by Jenn Bennett, which is out now!
All of the Above by James Dawson (review copy) - When sixteen-year-old Toria Grand arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl that Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, the bassist in a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria, but then there's Polly ... love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles. From Goodreads. I really liked the sound of All of the Above by James Dawson when I first heard about it, but I was also a little wary. I really didn't like Hollow Pike, Dawson's debut novel, and wasn't a fan of his writing style, so I was worried I might not like this one two. Fortunately, I enjoyed All of the Above more than thought, but I was still left a little disappointed.
Toria moves to Brompton-on-Sea with her family when her dad gets a new job. Worried about making new friends and fitting in at her new school, Toria felt awkward, but she shouldn't have. She is quickly embraced by a group of "alternative" kids, and finally finds her place among them. But finding a place is the least of all Toria's problems as she deals with what life throws at her in her first year at Brompton.
There is a lot going on in All of the Above, so to say it's a story about any one thing would be wrong. It's about everything; moving to a new town, making new friends, romance, mental health issues, sexuality, protesting, exam pressure, family problems, and so on. Rather than feeling like it's too much, it's not as overwhelming as you'd think. All of the Above feels like a very realistic snapshot into a year in Toria's life. No-one ever has just one thing going on, there are all sorts to deal with, and that's how this book is presented.
'Now, I appreciate you might be thinking that this is all a bit issues galore and mega emo. Well, sorry, but that was what happened. It would be neater, wouldn't it, if this was a story about self-harm or sexuality or eating disorders or drunk mums or ridiculously hot bass players, but it's a story about all of them. Yeah it's a mess. And it's about to get messier if you'll bear with me. That's the way it is sometimes - nothing's ever neat and tidy.' (p107)
If I had to narrow it down, I would say it's a story of friendship and finding your place. You'll notice I didn't say sexuality. And that's where this book disappointed me, because I was expecting a story about a girl questioning her sexuality, or discovering she's bisexual, or the fluidity of sexuality, one of these things in one way or another. And it is, but it's a subplot. It's one subplot among many subplots. There's no main focus. So, although there are hints, a few small bits and pieces along the way, Toria's questioning of and thinking about her sexuality doesn't really come into the foreground until maybe the last quarter of the book. And I was sold on this book being about sexuality. The fact that it's not the main focus of the book isn't a bad thing, it's just that the description from Goodreads above, the blurb on the book, even the title, they all make it out to be that kind of novel, and it isn't. All of the Above isn't the book I was expecting.
Saying that, this is a hugely diverse and intersectional novel. Toria is biracial - half English, half Indian, and questions her sexuality. Nico is of Italian descent. Of the new friends Toria makes, Daisy is asexual and has mental health issues, Beasley is gay, Zoë is a black lesbian, Alice is Asian, and Polly has a fluid sexuality and mental health issues. Huge props to Dawson for this; it's just so brilliant that there is such a diverse cast of characters! I'd like to talk about Polly and her sexuality here, because I think she's a character we don't see very often. Polly has had romantic and sexual relationships with boys and she's had romantic and sexual relationships with girls, but Polly does not identify as bisexual, and I think it's important to point this out. Do not put a label on her, she doesn't want them. That's not how she identifies. I could be wrong myself in saying she has a fluid sexuality, because that's not something she states herself. She just likes people.
'"You're bisexual?" [Polly] scowled in distaste. "Bitch, please. Labels are for **** you buy in shops."' (p117)
'"[...]Have you always fancied girls?" I asked, sipping on my now tepid coffee. "I didn't know you weren't supposed to. I never had brothers so I was like nine before I realised boys and girls were even different." "Wow." "No, I think it's a good thing. I don't think we are different. I don't see penises or vaginas, I see hot people or not hot people. It's pretty ******* easy if you ask me." [...] "I don't know why people find it so hard to believe. I find different things sexy. Like with Nico, for example, it was his dimples, his teeth, his arms. With you it was your lips." [...] "But do you see what I mean? I don't think I could ever say 'Oh I fancy this about girls' or I fancy this about boys' because boys don't all look the same and neither do girls.And they're very different in bed. Different but good." (p152-153)
All asterisks are in the actual novel. I think it's awesome to have this fluidity of sexuality represented, because not everyone does identity as bisexual or pansexual or any of the other labels. Straight cis-gendered people need to see that everyone can or wants to be pigeon holed.
As awesome as it is to see Polly discussing her sexuality, I felt a little let down by Daisy. Daisy's asexuality is brought up once:
'"What about you? I asked. "Who are you into?" It occurred to me that Daisy hadn't once mentioned a guy - or a girl - in that way. "Who's on the Daisy Weekes crush list?" Daisy looked me dead in the eye and said, "No one. I am asexual." "What?" She said it in the same way I say, "I'm a Capricorn." She held by gaze. "Are you for real?" I'm not a Tumblr virgin, I know all about asexuality, but I couldn't work out if she was kidding or not. Daisy being Daisy, she simply smiled. "Yes. I don't want to have sex with anyone just now, thank you very much." And that was that.' (p55)
And that really is that. It's not mentioned again. There are so few YA novels with asexual characters, I would have liked perhaps a little more of Daisy talking about it. Toria might "know all about asexuality", but readers of this book might not. I think it could slightly lead to misunderstanding, which I think would mean asexual people are mis-represented; not wanting to have sex "just now" could confuse people about what it means to be asexual. From what I've read and understand - and I could be wrong in my understanding so don't take what I say as gospel - there's no "right" way to be asexual; some asexuals may never have sex at all, whereas some might. There's a lot more to it than that, but I don't trust my memory or understanding enough to go into it further. This would have been a prime opportunity to help readers understand a little more what it means to be asexual, and represent asexual characters better... it's not what I would have hoped. I hate to say it, but, although there's more to her, it's almost like Daisy is the token asexual character when it comes to sexuality. I don't think that's so great.
There's also another girl in the group, Freya, who's story I had a problem with. I don't like how it was left. I don't want to spoil the story, but there's one conversation between Toria and Freya about this specific topic, and that's it, it's just left. I felt there should have been more about her as a character, and have more people involved in that conversation. To be just left like that seemed unfair, to everyone involved, and to Freya's character.
I have to say, there was an emotional disconnect for me throughout the book. I didn't much care about any of the characters or what happened to them. There was a moment of sadness for me, but only a moment. I just wasn't emotionally engaged with these characters. So that, the representation of Daisy's asexuality and the issue with Freya, along with this book not being about what I expected, left me disappointed. But in all, it's an ok, realistic story. I think there are a lot of people who would enjoy it.
A Novel Cover Up is a semi-regular feature that looks at how covers are made. Thanks to Vertebrate Publishing, I have been fortunate enough to interview Creative Director Nathan Ryder on how he designed the cover for Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi. All images in this post are copyrighted to Nathan and used with permission. They can be clicked to be enlarged.
Can you tell us about the cover for Here Be Dragons? What do you hope it tells readers about the story?
I knew from an early stage that I wanted to have something abstract as the basis for the cover (the dragon skin) and then build on it. I hope it signals to the reader that this is fantasy fiction and of course, the dragon skin is red, matching that of the Red Dragon of Wales, which is central to the plot. The white text, in contrast, represents the White Dragon – which also plays a major role in the book. There is also a little motif in the design – the footprints with a swirl in the heel. Whilst a potential reader won’t know the significance of these initially, once they’re into the book, hopefully, they’ll have another look at the cover and make the connections. This is also a love story – hence the love heart in the word dragon. The descender of the ‘g’ (the curly bit) is a stylistic dragon tail. I have deliberately avoided making the cover too ‘signposted’; this is a book about myths and legends after all. Ultimately, I hope the cover intrigues a reader and makes them want to read the book. How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
The starting point for me was the word ‘dragon’, and to begin with, I began drawing geometric patterns to represent scales. However, I decided they looked too much like fish scales! At that point, I produced some other visuals. As with all the covers I design, there is a visual brainstorming stage – during which I sketch ideas or, in this case, work directly on screen. As dragons aren’t real, I started looking for images of lizard skin and then later iguana skin once I realised this had the texture I had in mind. I searched various image libraries and websites for something I knew I could manipulate into what was in my mind’s eye. I also started looking at possible font combinations but actually ended up hand drawing the lettering in Illustrator because I felt the fonts were too ‘regimented’, even the ‘grunge’ fonts. I wanted the text to be freer and ‘scratchier’ and individual; I didn’t want to see the font used elsewhere.
What were you given to base your ideas on? Did you have a manuscript, or were you given an outline?
I read the first few chapters of Here be Dragons to get a feel for Sarah’s writing and I also talked at length with the editor about the book’s plot. We discussed significant elements within the book and then I had some time to think about how I could incorporate some of these into the cover design.
What went into creating the Here Be Dragons cover? Can you tell us about the process? Who else was involved?
As I mentioned previously, there was a visual stage where I produced probably fifteen different covers. I shortlisted six covers to present to Sarah and see which one she wanted to go with.
Sarah then showed these options to one of her classes (she’s an English teacher) and they chose their favourite – this was the one Sarah went with. Initially, the one the students chose was not my favourite, but there’s no point having a focus group, if you don’t listen to them – particularly when they are the target audience! In hindsight, I think the kids made the right decision; it was the strongest cover.
What do you like most about this cover?
I like the mythical feel of it. There is no ‘picture’; it’s semi-abstract and yet it’s expressive – slightly sinister in fact. It hopefully demands attention and encourages a reader to pick up the book and explore it. Once they have started to read it, hopefully the cover’s symbolism will become apparent to them. I also like the red block foil. I think it’s used subtly on the cover and spine to emphasize certain elements without being too garish.
What are you thinking for the sequels in the Snowdonia Chronicles series? Is there a theme? Have you started working on them yet? I have some ideas but they’re a secret at the moment! Besides, I need to get a good feel for the next book before I start putting ideas into practice.
Thank you, Nathan, for such a great interview!
Nathan Ryder is an award-winning designer and currently the Creative Director at Vertebrate Publishing. He has worked as a graphic designer since leaving university in 1994. He is passionate about good design and loves any opportunity to get his crayons out.
What do you think of the final cover? And the early drafts? I think I personally prefer the top two; I love the idea of the dragon scales, but I prefer the font on the top right cover, but I'm also really intrigued by the misty first cover, it's so mysterious! But I think the final cover is really eye catching and will get readers picking it up. What do you think?
Be sure to check out Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi, which is out now!
It's Once Upon a Bookcase's stop on the Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi Blog Tour, and I have not one, but two different posts for you today! Sarah Mussi is stopping by today to continue discussing the various stages of the writing process, and if you come back later today at 1pm, you will see how cover designer Nathan Ryder designed the cover for Here Be Dragons in A Novel Cover Up! But for now, over to Sarah...
(Warning! I think there are some minor spoilers in this post. I've not read the book yet, so I can't be sure, but in reading this post, I found out things I'd rather have discovered as I read the book. So decided if you want to read on or not.)
GO TO THE BOTTOM OF SARAH’S BLOG TO SEE COMPETITION DETAILS
Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi - Ellie Morgan wants a boy who’s all hers. Just for once, it would be nice to meet someone that Sheila (the cow) hadn’t got her claws in to.
A remote farmhouse on Mount Snowdon is hardly the ideal setting for meeting anyone unless, of course, you count her best friend George or creepy Darren (which Ellie doesn’t). But when a boy, glimpsed through the mist and snow, lures her up to the Devil’s Bridge, Ellie realises the place she knows so well, still has its secrets...
The stronger her feelings for this strange boy become, the more she is in danger: a battle as old as Snowdon itself has been raging for centuries and now Ellie’s caught in the middle.
Something has left its lair.
It’s out there stalking her.
Who ever said true love was easy?
The HERE BE DRAGONS Blog Tour – Post Six: Act 3 & The Climax
Hi there Once Upon a Bookcase! Thanks so much for having me on your blog.
Hi everybody and welcome back to my blog tour to celebrate the launch of HERE BE DRAGONS, book one in my new trilogy: THE SNOWDONIA CHRONICLES! So far on my blog tour, Sarah has told us (Sarah is interviewing herself) about the process and structures she used to write HERE BE DRAGONS. We have heard about eating mountains of chocolate, waking up dreaming of many headed fire-breathing dragons, worrying if she has hit DEAD STORY ZONE and much more including: a) The Hook b) The Inciting Incident c) The First Turning Point d) The Point of No Return e) The Darkest Hour - all in HERE BE DRAGONS!
So what comes next, Sarah, are you still using the three act structure to help you get this story right?
Right, as you say, so far on this blog tour we've had a look at how I used those classic three-act structures to create drama and order the story-beats in the narrative. Now as we go into the last act – where every demon must be faced, every problem resolved for good or ill, and where all the major players must make their entrances and be delivered their deserts... where the final collision – the crash of the trajectories of the protagonist and antagonists must be described tooth and nail (ah! So that’s why it’s called tooth and nail!) – We must pay even closer attention to story structure – for there will be BLOOD!!!!! And there will be only one victor!
Not much then, eh!
We can liken this stage to the Death Zone that must be passed through on every climber’s attempt on Mount Everest.
"Camp 4 sits on a plateau resembling a moonscape. You are at the edge of the atmosphere and the sky owns a strange, dark blue colour. It is surely the closest you can get to space on earth.
Only fear remains on everyone's face. People don’t talk a lot. Resting in your tent, feeling weak already, you try to get some sleep as night falls outside. In a couple of hours, you will start to put on your gear for the final part of the adventure – the summit push.
The wall towards the summit is steep and dark, you are in the Death Zone and you can´t help thinking that within the next 48 hours, there is a very real risk that you might not survive."Source.
So Sarah, how are you going to navigate the Death Zone in HERE BE DRAGONS?
In our last blog post we looked at Ellie’s darkest hour (which is part of the second turning point) and how that foreshadowed the third and most important turning point in the story – the climax.
How I looked forward to that! The climax of the story – when it would all be told, all be sorted and I could get a whole day without worrying about how to rescue Ellie! I think writing is a delicious kind of masochistic torture. As a writer you go through every crisis your protagonist goes through – in a parallel reality of course. And as Ellie was trapped in the Dragons’ den so was I trapped in a deep hole in which I could see no light at the end of the tunnel. How I longed to be able to pull a writerly trick like – Ooow and then she woke up and it was all a dream! I wanted so badly to save Ellie and yet I knew she had to save herself – gosh – so many lessons in that one!
After all, I thought Lewis Carol got away with it in ALICE IN WONDERLAND – why not me?
The Greeks did it with Deus ex Machina as I pointed out in my last blog – and if they did – couldn’t I?? Pleeeease – just this once dear readers?
I heard the answer immediately: Nah! Not! No! Never!
So I battled on, hoping that Ellie would come up with a solution.
And did she, Sarah?
It’s strange but she did. I think that if you trust your characters enough, trust their story – that the answers are there inside it – you just have to wait – let the story mature and then one morning you start writing and it happens, simple as a pimple!
Now of course, in HERE BE DRAGONS, I can't give away the entire plot because that would be a spoiler, but what I can do is show you an excerpt from the mind-frame of my heroine during her Act Three dilemma’s when everything is hanging – one wrong move: you lose…. the things that she brings to mind that help her to get real, help her build up her mental resilience and strength to face that Shadow of the Valley of Death – her own particular Death Zone in Act 3 – and ACT (with the right move, of course).
Because in the end she must DO something and that one action must turn the tide of events, reverse her luck… if she is to succeed in her goal.
Here’s the excerpt:
"I saw what would happen: the mountain would collapse on Henry, and he would be pinned beneath it… Henry wrestled, but he was towed nearer to where the white dragon could drag Snowdon down on him. I drew in my breath. I closed my eyes. I screamed out, ‘NO,’ so loudly it left my throat rasping. George tried to turn my face towards his. He murmured: ‘Easy, Ellie, easy.’ Roughly, I pulled away. On an impulse, I shot forward, jumped out from the alcove and stood exposed for a split second. Then my brain kicked into action. They were fighting over me, weren’t they? So if I fled, if I ran towards the cave mouth, if the dragon thought I was escaping … I must make him believe I’d get away, make him chose between burying Henry and losing me. So I ran. ‘No,’ screamed George. But I broke free. ‘NO!’ screamed Henry."
And in that one action, she achieves her goal! (Though there is another twist – I have to tell you.)
What other things did you have to consider when writing Act 3, Sarah?
Well, I had to have a setting that had resonance at that point and throughout the story, I had to have all the main players on stage. I had to be sure each one of them got their just rewards and I also had to stay true to the mythology of the mountain. No easy task. And, of course, I had to include lashings of tension, action, emotion and the equivalent of the Shootout at OK Coral!
Also not to forget, I am writing a trilogy, which for me is a totally exciting and scary task! So I not only had to finish Book One: HERE BE DRAGONS properly, so that it stood alone as a complete story – but I had to seed in enough foreshadowing strands that could be picked up in book two – so the second book, HERE BE WITCHES, could get off to a flying start and build upon strands that have already been embedded in book one!
So at this point in Act 3, it was really important for me to start thinking about what was going to happen in books 2 and 3!! And that is quite interesting, because you never know if a publisher is going to actually pick up the whole trilogy or whether they're just going to go for book one and wait and see how that does, before going for the others…so you have to write book one as a kind of stand alone story, and not leave the strands for the rest of the trilogy hanging – but yet, they have to be there – so it's quite a task to get through the Death Zone in any story, let alone the start of a trilogy.
I'm very lucky that Vertebrate, after they'd read HERE BE DRAGONS, and agreed to publish it, also wanted to commission the whole of THE SNOWDONIA CHRONICLES trilogy, so all the hard work that I put into book one – all those foreshadowing things could then be relied upon to create story for books two and three – thank you Vertebrate, you are the greatest!
So are you going to give us a taster of how the story will develop?
Well… um… I think I already did give you a tiny li’l taste… At the very end of HERE BE DRAGONS, fast forward two months and in the Epilogue there’s a hint of things to come... Here’s the excerpt…
"I think it was as I broke out of the cloud bank above the valleys that I turned to look up towards Garnedd Ugain. I think. I couldn’t be sure. Everywhere was thick with morning mist, but through the dawn, standing in the vapour, on that place we call Lover’s Leap, was a figure, a shape blurred by the distance, blurred by the sunrise. I’m sure I saw a figure. There in front of Garnedd Ugain on the very rim of the great knife edge, way above Llanberis Pass. That dangerous place that Mum and I call the Devil’s Bridge. There he was, the figure of a young man poised on the edge of the abyss. I rubbed my eyes. Was it really? Maybe just a trick of the light? A memory? Rays from the risen sun dazzled me. By the time I’d looked again, new banks of mist had swirled down. My heart started pounding. I peered through the mist again. Nothing. Maybe. But then this is Snowdon. Yr Wyddfa. The great Snow Den of the Dragons Here anything can happen..."
But if you want more watch out for my next and last blog post on Notes from the Slush Pile!
Thank you all so much for following my Book Blog Tour! Thank you so much, Once Upon a Bookcase for having me :)
Thank you, Vertebrate, my awesome publishers :)
XXX Sarah
Mwahaha: The only thing I haven’t blogged on in how I wrote HERE BE DRAGONS is the denouement, the settling of accounts in a satisfactory way either for good or for bad, the summiting of the mountain and descent to the other side – watch out for my last and final blog on HERE BE DRAGONS – coming soon!!
Oh and if you loved these blogs and the story of Ellie don’t forget to Click HERE to vote for Here Be Dragons in The People’s Book Prize!
TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING A COPY OF HERE BE DRAGONS, ANSWER THIS QUESTION: WHO IS ELLIE’S BEST FRIEND? THE ANSWER CAN BE FOUND HERE.
EMAIL YOUR ANSWER TO INFO@V-PUBLISHING.CO.UK AND ONE WINNER WILL BE PICKED AT RANDOM EACH WEEK OF SARAH’S BLOG TOUR.
Thank you, Sarah, for such a great blog post! As I said above, come back to Once Upon a Bookcase at 1pm, for a Here Be Dragons A Novel Cover Up post to see how the cover was designed!
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway (eProof) - Oliver's absence split us wide open, dividing our neighborhood along a fault line strong enough to cause an earthquake. An earthquake would have been better. At least during an earthquake, you understand why you're shaking.
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. But now Oliver is back, and he's not the skinny boy-next-door that used to be Emmy's best friend. Now he's the boy who got kidnapped. A stranger - a totally hot stranger! - with a whole history that Emmy knows nothing about.
But is their story still meant to be? Or are they like the pieces of two different puzzles - impossible to fit together? From Goodreads. I was really looking forward to reading Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway. It sounded so good, and I loved Benway's other contemporary romance, Audrey, Wait! But I'm sad to say I was pretty disappointed with this one.
Born on the same day, living next door to each other, Emmy and Oliver were always going to be friends, for always. But when Oliver's dad kidnaps him, it changes everything for everyone. For ten long years there is no word as to where Oliver is, how he is, if he'll ever be coming back. His disappearance affected everyone; Emmy and her group of friends, Drew and Caro who just want their friend back, Oliver's mother Maureen, who has been unable to stop searching, and Emmy's own parents, who have become extremely overprotective as a result. But when Oliver does finally return, everyone is so glad, but doesn't realise just how difficult getting back to "normal" things are going to be. Oliver is ten years older now, he's not the same boy, and he's deeply affected by what happened to him, and no-one is who he remembers. People grew up and changed in his absence, and he doesn't feel like he fits in. Emmy tries to befriend him again, and bring some normal to his life, but falling for your long lost best friend when he's just returned home could complicate things.
I had such high hopes for this book! But unfortunately, it just didn't really do it for me. I found Caro and Drew - Caro who has five older brothers and sisters and parents who don't seem to care, and Drew who's gay, whose parents say they accept and love him as he is, but he doesn't really feel it - much more interesting characters than I did Emmy and Oliver. There's no real reason for it, I just didn't get emotionally involved in their story. Which is mad, because Oliver was abducted! By his dad! And now his back and nothing is the same and he's not coping well! I was interested in the moments when Oliver was honest about how he felt about the whole situation, but it just wasn't as huge as I was expecting it to be. I just didn't care that much, to be honest.
And the romance... I don't think I really felt it either. But that could just be because the story didn't affect me emotionally at all. Within the story there were both major highs and major lows, but my emotional state while reading stayed a pretty constant neutral, neither sad, excited, happy, not even bored. Just nothing. And so the romance fell kind of flat for me. I didn't really believe it. I just wasn't moved by the romance, the abduction, the story as a whole.
I really don't have much else to say. It wasn't a bad story. I didn't hate it. It was amusing in places, both Emmy and her parents come out with funny lines at moments. But I wasn't really bothered at any point. I'm sure a lot of other people would love it, but it just didn't work for me, sadly.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Book via NetGalley for the eProof.
Buy from:
Published: 16th July 2015 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books Robin Benway's Website
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (eProof) - Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world. So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years. But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddie, tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her. Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window, and suddenly, a door opens. But does Maddie dare to step outside her comfort zone?
Everything, Everything is about the thrill and heartbreak that happens when we break out of our shell to do crazy, sometimes death-defying things for love. From Goodreads. I was first drawn to Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon's beautiful cover, and then hugely intrigued by the blurb. A romance against the odds, who wouldn't fall in love with this premise? Everything, Everything turned out to be a different novel than I expected, but a fairly sweet one nonetheless.
Madeline has Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), which means she is allergic to everything - or anything, as it's too difficult to work out exactly all the things that could make Maddie ill. So she has spent the majority of her life inside her sterile, clean home where the air is filtered and recycled constantly. If she were to step outside the safe confines of her home, there's a high likelihood she would die. Maddie is fine with this, she has her online schooling, she has her books, and she has her close relationship with her mum - she has everything she needs, and has no major desire to leave her house. Sure, it would be nice if she was well and could leave, but she can't, and that's ok. Until Olly moves in next door, a gorgeous boy who wants to get to know the girl behind the window. When he writes down and shows her his email address, Maddie's world changes. Now there's something on the outside she wants to get to, but there's no way she can.
There are some things about this novel that I want to talk about, and to do so I'll have to spoil some major parts of the book, so a significant part of this review will be hidden. But lets talk non-spoilers before then. I loved how diverse this book is, and the serious topics covered, too! Maddie is bi-racial; half African-American and half Japanese-American, Olly has an abusive, alcoholic father, and Everything, Everything discusses serious illness in SCID and mental illness, too. I think we have to applaud Yoon for making these elements part of the characters' lives. Although there seems to be a lot going on, it's not heavy on the "issues". The focus of the story is on the romance between Maddie and Olly, when Maddie can't really be a part of Olly's world because of her illness (more on this later), so the other topics and issues are either smaller parts of the story, or just identities that don't define the characters, at least not too much for the most part.
I loved the conflict for the romance between Maddie and Olly. Most of their contact is through email and IMs. I love the inital contact between them, before Olly shows her his email, when he tells the "story" of the life of a Bundt cake, that sits on his windowsill with googly eyes stuck on, that cannot be destroyed. He breaks the ice by trying to destroy the cake each day, and it's really cute and funny. (I have to say, it did make me smile, though thinking about it, making jokes about a suicidal cake probably wasn't wise. Suicide isn't a joke.) And soon the chatting online becomes very strict meetings orchestrated by Maddie's nurse, Carla. No touching is allowed, they must be on opposite sides of the room, Olly can only visit for 15 minutes, and must undergo the freezing decontamination process before hand. Despite the distance between them, the tension is palpable; right there, on the other side of the room is a seriously good looking boy, who obviously finds her extremely attractive too, and staying away from each other is not what either of them has on their minds. The inevitable happens, and they touch. Nothing major at first, just hands being held, but the affect it has on Maddie is unbelievable. Up until this point, the only people who have touched Maddie in years are her mother and her nurse Carla. The only other person who's ever visited her is one of her tutors. The description of what these small, innocent touches do to Maddie are exquisite, because they're not that innocent. Olly's touch could kill her, and they would like a little more, but there's the fear. And it's all so new to Maddie. It's maddening and torturous, but wonderful.
However, I didn't really believe the love between the two. It felt more to me like they really fancied each other, with huge amounts of sexual tension, but I didn't feel the love. They obviously cared for each other a great deal, but I didn't feel their relationship developed enough for me to believe they were in love with each other. Which is sad, because that love is pivotal to Maddie. pivotal to the story, the thing that changes everything. But I didn't believe it. They're relatioship was sweet, sure, but, for me, it just wasn't love.
There's also a major flaw to the story. There's a crucial part of the story where Everything, Everything felt like a story than like something that could be true. Considering Maddie's condition, it felt really farfetched because... What? I just really can't imagine how it would happen, how Maddie would do something so terribly risky - even if I did believe the love, it was just so irresponsible and dangerous. I had moments of, "I can't believe this is happening! How is this happening? What is going on? What is wrong with Maddie?"
I'm going to elaborate on this now, as part of the spoilers. A few things will be discussed here, you've been warned. Don't click the button if you don't want the story spoilt for you.
So it turned out that Maddie doesn't actually have SCID. Her mum, who is a doctor, had trouble coping with the death of her husband and son when Maddie was only five months old, and as Maddie was a sickly child, convinced herself she had SCID - despite a number of other doctors saying otherwise (more on this further down). I have to say I worked this out about half way through, but doing so didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.
The crucial moment I mention above - by which I'm referring to when Maddie and Olly run off to Hawaii: despite already having a theory that Maddie didn't actually have SCID, Maddie herself doesn't know this yet. So, although I thought she would be fine, she didn't yet have the assurance that she could be fine to be in the world, eventually, and so her actions were just completely inconceivable to me. I cannot fathom how this even got past = the editing process really. Maddie is 18, not 14, she's practically an adult, and doing something so dangerous is just unbelievable! I just can't comprehend how anyone could believe she'd take such a complete leave of her wits. Major, major flaw of this story, no matter what you think of the story as a whole.
I know people have some major issues with this book, and I can understand them, but at the same time, I liked where this story went. I shall explain. As I understand it, most people have a problem with the fact Maddie is a bad representation of a disabled person, because she isn't actually disabled, that her dibilitating illness - that she doesn't have - is used only as a conflict to the romance, a storm to be weathered to get through to sunnier days, when everything is fine and hunkydory. I get that, I really do. It's true, there really is no denying it, and I'm not going to. Especially considering the point I made above about Maddie running off to Hawaii. But I do think this story is a valid one.
Hear me out: I do believe this book was published at the wrong time. I think we should have had far more novels published with positive representations of disabled people before a book like this was published, because it is such an unfair portrayal, and disabled people deserve to see themselves represented in the books they read, they don't deserve to have one of the few there are have a character who turns out to able-bodied after all. But, I think - and I could be wrong, so please do correct me if I am - had this book been published at a time when there were more positive representations of diabled people, Everything, Everything wouldn't be as problematic. Because, despite the flaws, this is a story that as a whole is believable, I can see this happening. I'm sure I've seen TV programmes along similar lines. I think having a story about a teen who has been locked up by a parent, a parent who has lied to them for most of their life in order to "protect" them is a fair story to have told. This is my opinion. The timing was off, but I don't think that makes the story necessarily a bad one. Feel free to disagree.
Everything, Everything is a flawed novel, but it's an interesting one, and the romance is sweet if not a believable love story - to me at least. It's definitely one that has got people talking. I do think it's worth a read, even if just to understand what everyone is talking about. It's got people talking about and highlighting an important topic, and for that, even if you were to hate it, it has it's purpose. Through not being the best novel, it does some good.
Thank you to Corgi Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.
Over the six years that I've been blogging, I've seen things evolve. New bloggers, new features, new ways of blogging.
As vlogging in general has become more popular, the way readers communicate our reviews to potential readers has moved forward into booktubing. As booktubing has progressed, it's been wonderful to see this new way of getting our thoughts about books across to people, and reaching a wider audience.
There are so many bloggers I know who have started to incorporate videos into their blogs, or have created group booktube channels, like Bookish Brits, and it's got me thinking about where things will lead. At the moment, booktubers and book bloggers exist in harmony. Booktubers have become so popular that publishers' publicity campaigns also include ways of getting booktubers involved as well as bloggers, which is fantastic - we share the same passion, and we should share in the wonderful perks that publicists give us. But at the same time, it has me worrying about my place in this community. I have experimented with creating videos before, but I discovered it's just not for me. I am a much better writer than I am a speaker, there's something about writing that has me expressing myself much more coherently and eloquently than I do verbally. On top of that, I'm just not interested in the process of creating a video; the preparation before hand, the filming of the video, and the editing afterwards. I have no idea where to start, and I'm not particularly interested in finding out.
At the same time, I'm not a big fan of booktubing. I have a lot of admiration and respect for booktubers and their creativity and skills in making their videos, but I'm generally not that interested in watching said videos. There are a few that may catch my eye due to subject matter, but otherwise... I find reading similar content much more to my liking than watching it. I can read a post in a couple of minutes, I'd rather not watch a 10 minute video. And really, they just don't appeal to me on the whole. This is just me, though, and I know I'm in the minority when it comes to not liking vlogs, which is obvious from their popularity.
But will booktubing over take book blogging? Will booktubing become so popular that book blogging will begin to fade into the background, with fewer and fewer bloggers. Despite knowing that booktubing isn't for me, I do have this fear that if I don't transition over or at least incorporate videos into my blog, I'll get left behind. I have an uneasy feeling that book blogging might become "so last year", and there will no longer really be a place for me. Don't get me wrong, I'll keep doing what I'm doing, and won't give in to the pressure I'm putting on myself to be a part of this big, shiny new thing when it's not my bag, but I'm worried about becoming an unheard voice, or a voice that no longer matters - not because what I say will no longer have any relevance, but because I didn't "move with the times", that Once Upon a Bookcase becomes "outdated".
It's time for you to have your say. What do you think of booktubing in general? Have you ever considered booktubing? Are you a blogger turned booktuber, or do you incorporate videos into your blog, and which do you prefer? Are you a booktuber who has never been a blogger, and if so, what turned you on to booktubing over blogging? Do you think book bloggers and tubers will continue to exist happily alongside each other? Or do you also worry that booktubing might eventually push blogging into the background? Do you ever worry that you will eventually become an unheard voice for other reasons? Let me know in the comments!
Night Owls by Jenn Bennett (eProof) - Feeling alive is always worth the risk.
Meeting Jack on the Owl—San Francisco's night bus—turns Beatrix's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive...and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists.
But Jack is hiding a piece of himself. On midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is. From Goodreads. Look at that cover! The cover is what drew me to Night Owls by Jenn Bennett when I first heard about it, though the description didn't do as much for me. I liked the sound of the romance, but not the graffiti or what sounded to me like a possible dangerous side to Jack. Then I read Cait of Paper Fury's rave review, and I was sold. I shouldn't have doubted, this book is amazing!
Beatrix is an artist, an artist whose interest lies in anatomy. Her dream is to become a medical artist, creating the diagrams of the organs of the body for medical textbooks. It's after a meeting that doesn't happen with a doctor from the hospital about being able to sketch the dissected cadavers that she meets Jack. Jack is charismatic and unbelievably good looking, and the attraction between him and Bex is immediate. Jack can't seem to stay away from her, but when Bex figures out he's the wanted felon that's been spraying gold graffiti across the city, she wonders if she really wants to get mixed up with a criminal. But there's more to Jack and his art than just vandalism. He has a past he's been affected by, and Bex might just be the only one who can bring joy back to his life.
Night Owls - or The Anatomical Shape of a Heart as it's called in the US - is such an incredible story! The chemistry between Bex and Jack is electric, and their flirting is full of sexual tension. There's a lot of back and forth between the two, but their relationship is a slow burner. Despite all the flirting and the chemistry, it's a while before anything happens between the two of them. Not only is the anticipation wonderful, but it also gives the two a chance to get to know each other. Too often I read about characters who are suddenly in love without there seeming to be anything for them to base their feelings on, but that's not the case with Bex and Jack. Their attraction leads to a friendship with the possibility of more, and it's during that time, as they learn about who the other is, that their feelings develop, and it's really quite beautiful.
I have to say I think I know more about Jack than I do about Bex, and Bex narrates the story. Other than her love of anatomical art - which was so awesome to read about, so different! - and her love of putting her hair in various kinds of plaits, I don't know much else. I know about her living arrangements, her family, her past, but not much about her as a person. But Jack! He's such an amazing guy, with his retro-rockabilly style, his confidence, the cockiness he puts on for a joke, and his honesty and openness. Oh, I loved him! The love between the two feels like genuine, real love. Jack does have penchant for making slightly cheesy declarations, but he actually means them, and is so genuine in that moment, you almost don't notice the cheese! It's so heartwarming! And he is just adorable! And despite not knowing much about Bex, we know an awful lot about how she feels for Jack, and the two of them together are just perfect, that I can overlook it.
Night Owls is very sex positive. With the flirting and the sexual tension, you might think there would be more sex in the book than there is. But even so, what we do see is wonderful. Firstly, there's a friend of Jack's, Sierra, who is perfectly happy to have no strings sex with who she chooses. There is a little sex-shaming for it from some of the other girls in the books, and although it's obviously not great to read, it's mostly because she's having sex with the guys they like, rather than because they don't think what she's doing is right. But Sierra is completely happy with what she's doing and has no problem. She's a minor character, so I'm not entirely sure if she knows what the girls say about her, but she comes across as someone who wouldn't care anyway. She's had some problems in her life, and there's the hint that her sexuality is because of that, but again, I don't think so. Sierra doesn't seem to me to be after attention and this is the only way she knows how. To me, it more seems like she enjoys sex and is happy to have it with who she likes if they want to, too. The inclusion of her character was to create some minor conflict, but I think she's a wonderful example of a girl owning her sexuality. She's brilliant.
Then there's Jack and Bex. I have read quite a number of YA novels that have been quite candid about sex, but I think Night Owls might be the first one where the characters have a conversation about it. Jack basically says, "Let's sit down and talk about sex." He's serious, and he's grown up about it. He has his reasons, but I just think it's so responsible of him even without those reasons. It's not so much a conversation about contraception - though talk of condoms does come up in the book a few times - but more about enjoyment. A "What does and doesn't work for you?" conversation. Jack is not a guy who wants to go in blind and hope for the best, he wants to make sure his girl will enjoy herself just as much as him. I really, really like this guy! And when it comes to them actually having sex, it's not completely perfect. There are awkward moments, things they find don't quite work, and experimentation. For them, it's not just about their own orgasm, but about the other person too - they're having sex together, with each other. Maybe there are some blips and some missteps, but they're not selfish. And this is so wonderful to see!
As well as being a book about romance, about art, and one that's sex positive, it's also diverse. There are also characters in this book who are gay or have mental illnesses. Although Night Owls isn't necessarily strictly about being gay or having a mental illness, these aren't tiny parts of the story, as they're not tiny parts of the characters. The focus is on Bex and Jack, but these other characters get their chance in the spotlight too. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but I love what Night Owls does for these characters, and for diversity.
Night Owls is quite simply just a wonderful novel! I absolutely loved it, and I know I'll be recommending it to everyone. I am really, really looking forward to reading more by Bennett in the future, because Night Owls is just gem of a book!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.
Buy from:
Published: 13th August 2015 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Book Jenn Bennett's Website
Today, I'm honoured to have YA author Holly Bodger stopping by Once Upon a Bookcase to talk about her novel 5 to 1 and feminism.
Can you tell us what led you to write such a feminist dystopia, over a general dystopia?
I honestly didn’t set out to write a dystopian novel at all. I wanted to write about the effects of gender selection and felt I needed to set the book slightly in the future in order to exaggerate these effects. While some of the elements of my imagined future are found in the average dystopian novel (i.e., a controlling government, a walled society), I built my world this way because that was how I specifically envisioned the society would evolve and not because I was trying to satisfy any rules of the dystopian novel.
As for the feminist angle, I’m pretty sure I came out of the womb a feminist. It’s one of the first words I use to describe myself, so it colors everything I do. That, of course, is probably why I was drawn to the idea of writing a novel about gender selection in the first place.
Why did you choose to set 5 to 1 in India?
5 TO 1 was inspired by a journal article I read about the consequences of gender selection in China and other Asian countries (including India). I chose India because I’ve always been fascinated by the country and its customs. Having said that, one of the reasons I set the novel in a fictional country was because I also wanted to incorporate elements from China, such as the one-child policy and the walled society.
Koyanagar is a very matriarchal society, the opposite of how we're living now, but 5 to 1 shows that it's also very flawed and unfair world to live in; that equality is the only real option.
I could have set 5 TO 1 in the present day, however I felt like that had been done. Girls have .been mistreated for centuries, and while most people know this is a problem, that knowledge does not appear to be enough to instigate change.
At the surface level, I thought reversing the roles might show the problems of gender inequality in a different light since it is the boys who are at risk (and the world, in general, values its boys more than its girls; otherwise, we wouldn’t have this problem in the first place!) On a deeper level, I wanted to show that an imbalance of power is a problem for everyone. To me, this is the key message of feminism.
The dystopian society you have created feels like a very scary, very possible future, yet it's set only 39 years from now! Do you think gender inequality is something that is going to get worse very quickly, and if so, what do you think we can we do to stop it?
I’m pleased to see many countries taking this issue seriously. For example, the “Love Your Daughters” campaign in my novel is based on China’s “Care for Girls” campaign. China has also made changes to their one-child policy, allowing some families to have multiple children.
While changes such as these may help the situation, I’m concerned that they may not attack the root of the problem, which is the belief that boys are somehow better. As long as this belief exists in the hearts of both women and men on this planet, girls will continue to be mistreated.
What do you feel it means to be a feminist in 2015?
I don’t think the essence of feminism has changed. Its mandate has always been to achieve equality between the sexes, and that is as true now as it was a hundred years ago. Having said that, I think feminists’ challenges have changed significantly. In the early twentieth century, the suffragettes chained themselves to railings and even starved themselves in jail, all so they could get the vote. Only a few decades ago, women were still fighting to be accepted to certain colleges or to be eligible for certain jobs.
The teen girls of today’s Western society are unlikely to face these kinds of obstacles. Unfortunately, they will have to deal with many, less overt, patriarchal micro-repressions. Scholarships (especially for sports) are smaller for girls than for boys. When it comes to entering the job market, the average female still makes about three-quarters of the average male. In a way, these inequalities may be more difficult to battle because they are hidden behind closed doors.
How do you feel YA is doing at the moment when it comes to highlighting feminist issues? Are there any you would recommend?
I think YA novels are doing quite well at keeping things equal between the sexes. We have many leading female characters who display their strength physically (such as Katniss Everdeen or June Iparis [from Marie Lu's Legend Series]). What we seem to need more of are the girls who own their own destinies without taking on traditional male roles, and without having to step on other girls to do it.
I recommend Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series to every tween I know because I think it’s a perfect example of strong girls who can be who they want to be while still supporting each other. This support is especially important as I firmly believe that we will never convince men to respect our gender if we don’t respect it ourselves.
Thank you, Holly, for taking the time to answer my questions! Such a great discussion! Be sure to check out my rave review of 5 to 1, and then go read the book - it's amazing!
Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.
Happy endings never last…
Years ago, they freed a dragon from the glaciers on Aslevjal. Then they parted ways, the Fool returning to far-off Clerres, while Fitz finally claimed a wife, a family, and a home of his own.
Now, betrayed by his own people and broken by torment, the Fool has made his way back to the Six Duchies. But as Fitz attempts to heal his old friend in Buckkeep Castle, his young daughter Bee is abducted from Withywoods by pale and mysterious raiders who leave ruin and confusion in their wake.
Fitz must find a way to rescue his beloved Bee. At the same time it is the Fool’s fiercest wish to return to Clerres with the best assassin he has ever known, to gain vengeance and justice.
Can Fitz bear to take up the tools of his old trade again, even to avenge his dearest friend and save his child? From Goodreads. As I said in my review of Fool's Assassin, I was unable to wait the whole year until the paperback of Fool's Quest was released to read this book, so I borrowed the hardback. I'm partly glad I did, but at the same time, I now have to wait a year for the third, and it's going to be so hard! Fool's Quest was brilliant!
While Fitz rushed through a standing stone to take the Fool to Buckkeep to be healed, raiders attacked his home and kidnapped his daughter, Bee, and Lady Shun, a woman under his protection. Away from home, believing Bee safe under the care of Lord FitzVigilant and Lady Shun, despite not fully trusting them, his concern for the Fool deepen. Tortured to the point of being unrecognisable by his own people, the Fool is nothing like his old self. Fearful and in so much pain, the Fool's is slowly dying. But the Servants of Clerres are out for the Fool's Unexpected Son, heard of in prophecies, and the Fool is adamant that the Servants must be stopped before they find him, and pleads with Fitz to journey back with him to kill every single last one of them. But when the news of Bee and Shun's abduction reaches Buckkeep, Fitz's only thought is to find his daughter, and kill those who took her.
I've been struggling to write this review for a while now. Quite a few of the major events of the book are spoilery, but as big as the book is, there's quite a lot of time where not a huge amount happens. It's only a little before halfway through that Fitz even hears about Bee, and it's quite a while after until there's any clue as to where they might be. We get a few chapters from Bee's perspective, though fewer than we did in Fool's Assassin, and with the kidnappers is a young man who has a magic similar to the skill that can make people not notice them, almost like they're invisible, so it's a long time before there's any idea as to where they could be. So a large part of the story is Fitz and the Fool together at Buckkeep, Fitz learning about the Fool's story and what happened to him, and the Fool trying to get better.
Saying this, it's still absolutely riveting reading, even though it feels like not a huge amount happens for a fair while. It's a hugely emotional story, in lots of ways, and there are some fantastic revelations. There was a moment towards the beginning of the book where I was so emotional because of how happy I was. Something good for Fitz, something truly wonderful, and I was so happy there were tears in my eyes - it was brilliant!
I could be wrong, but there was a point in the novel where I felt quite sure this might be the last trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings books, or at the very least, the last for Fitz and the Fool. There are moments that are similar to those we saw in the Farseer Trilogy, the very first trilogy, and it almost felt like things have come full circle. They were, themselves, bittersweet moments, small as they were, but really quite important, especially for Fitz.
Fool's Quest is also a book that shows us just how much time has moved on since the Rain Wild Chronicles. Without giving away too much, we got to briefly see some familiar faces from the Rain Wilds, and although it was just a couple of moments, it was wonderful to revisit them, and see how their lives had moved on. I'm hoping there's the possibility of seeing a few more in the final book in the trilogy, Assassin's Fate (ominous title!), but I don't know. I do think there will be some threads from all series that will tie up together, though, in some way. These aren't so much hints, but just a feeling I have, that the next book might be the last in this world, and I'm really quite sad about it. Whether it is or not, I have a strong feeling Assassin's Fate is going to be extremely emotional, and probably quite sad.
A wonderful book, with an unbelievable cliffhanger ending! I cannot wait for Assassin's Fate, and all that will be revealed in that final book!
I knew we had something special as soon as I started reading Jenn Bennett’s artsy, cool, YA novel, Night Owls. It follows the story of Jack and Beatrix who meet on the Owl – San Francisco’s night bus. Both protagonists are artists, though wildly different ones: Bex is fascinated by anatomy and wants to be a medical illustrator, while Jack is a street artist, spray-painting giant gold words across the city’s landmarks. When they meet, their worlds explode in the best possible way – and although they’re on a journey that neither of them is supposed to be, they might just end up exactly where they need to go.
All of the Above by James Dawson (review copy) - When sixteen-year-old Toria Grand arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl that Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, the bassist in a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria, but then there's Polly ... love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles. From Goodreads.
After all, I thought Lewis Carol got away with it in ALICE IN WONDERLAND – why not me?
Oh and if you loved these blogs and the story of Ellie don’t forget to Click 
I’m pleased to see many countries taking this issue seriously. For example, the “Love Your Daughters” campaign in my novel is based on China’s “Care for Girls” campaign. China has also made changes to their one-child policy, allowing some families to have multiple children. 
Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb -