Thoroughly Enjoyable YA Fairytale by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon
(A Review)

 

As a lover of fairy tales, this book did not disappoint.  I absolutely loved it and was thoroughly engrossed throughout the entire book. 

Set in the fictional kingdom of Eathesbury, Azalea and her twelve sisters are forced into a year of mourning - cut off from the outside world after the death of their mother, the queen, during childbirth.  While their mother was a compassionate woman full of love and laughter, their father, the king, is a man of few words and even fewer displays of affection.  Feeling abandoned as he pushes them away in his own misery and leaves them alone as he fights in a war with an allied kingdom, they try to find some beauty and small enjoyment during their year of imprisonment with the castle. 

As the oldest and at the bequest of her mother before her death, it falls to Azalea to take care of the rest of the girls.  In an effort to keep them happy, she attempts to involve them in dance, which has been their favorite past-time and at which Azalea excels.  Unfortunately, during mourning, dancing is not allowed and the girls’ dancing slippers are taken from them.  Suffering from feelings of depression and rejection, the girls are delighted when they find a magical secret passage, which leads them into a world full of music and dancing. 

A handsome man, known only as the Keeper, has been trapped in this magical realm and every night, creates an enchanting place for them to dance to their hearts’ content.  Unfortunately, the Keeper may not be all that he seems.  As time goes on, Azalea begins to realize that there is maliciousness behind his good looks and she finds herself making promises that she may be unable to keep.  What started out as a beautiful escape from a bleak reality, turns into a dangerous game.

This novel contains all elements of a classic, captivating fairytale.  It has a beautiful heroine who must make a moral decision.  There is the presence of a chillingly evil villain who manipulates the girls’ feelings and encourages their disobedience to suit his own needs.  It is simultaneously haunting and beautiful.  It teaches a lesson in morality and emphasizes the importance of family, love, and compassion.  A girl of any age will find herself drawn into the story.  Oh, and as with any good fairytale, there is also some romance mixed in with the suspense. 

Definitely a good read!  I highly recommend it!

Author’s Website:

http://www.harperteen.com/authors/37209/Heather_Dixon/index.aspx

A YA Novel with Trendy, Modern Superheroes!

Solid by Shelley Workinger

This novel is a fast-paced, modern sci-fi novel with a quick-witted, sassy heroine.  It is definitely a fun read, especially for middle grade and young adult readers. 

Clio (Calliope) Kaid has just arrived at a summer camp for 17-year-olds who were found to have been part of a mad scientist’s government experiment.  The government has discovered that one of its scientists was experimenting on pregnant women by giving them what they thought were prenatal vitamins, but was really a drug to alter the baby’s DNA.  Clio is one of those babies, all grown up, and the camp is created to uncover the results of the scientist’s work.  And believe me, it’s pretty cool.  Think “comic book hero.”

Thanks to the drugs administered to their mothers as they were developing, these teenagers possess certain superhuman abilities.  Upon arrival, they are quickly divided into ability groups.  Everything from extraordinary athletic ability to invisibility. 

Clio is placed into one of these groups (and I won’t give away which one) where she creates friendships with some of the other campers and, of course, develops a crush on a cute fellow camper. 

While she has finally found a place where she fits in, Clio begins to notice that something is not right.  Someone in the camp is not as interested in helping the teenagers as they are in harnessing their power.  With the help of her new superhuman friends, Clio investigates and faces potential danger.

As a character, Clio is clever.  She’s a bit of a smart aleck, at least her thoughts are sharp and witty (as this novel is presented in first person narrative), and she keeps the book moving with her humor and reflections.  I only wish that she would say more of her incredibly funny insights out loud to her friends.  It almost seems as if this part of her personality is kept from her friends, because she is supposedly shy and somewhat clumsy and reserved – yet her thoughts are anything but. 

Besides this slight contradiction, the characters are enjoyable and each very unique.   I’m reminded of some of my favorite comic book heroes.  Clio and her group are the newest, trendiest group of superheroes. 

This novel is a fun mix of reality and science fiction.  It is presented in a way that makes the situation seem plausible, which is essential for good sci-fi, and the characters will appeal to every young person.  They are funny and relatable.  This book is a great way to introduce someone to science fiction.  It is light and enjoyable and not overly complex.  It also has drama, action, and a bit of romance. 

Solid is the first book in the series.  Settling has just been released at the beginning of this month on Amazon.com.  They are running a promotion for the month of July.  If you buy Settling, you can get the ebook of Solid for free!  Both books are available in print AND ebook version.   

Read and enjoy!

Author’s websites:

http://thesolidseries.com

http://facebook.com/solidseries

http://twitter.com/SWorkinger

http://bookfare.blogspot.com

Purchase the books here:

http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Workinger/e/B003VRNPCE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Sorry for the Delay in Posts . . .

I have been sick for the past week and haven't been able to get on my computer or do any reading, but I'm feeling better and ready to write!  Thank you for your patience!

Some Websites with Great Summer Activity Ideas for Kids

1.     Kaboose – Disney’s online family magazine – full of great information and ideas:  http://holidays.kaboose.com/summer/

2.     Creative Kids at Home – This site has a page dedicated specifically to summer activities, but also has links to arts and crafts and other general activities:  http://www.creativekidsathome.com/summerkidsactivities.html

3.     Frugal Dad: Making Frugal Cool Again – Not only does this dad offer financial advice, he gives a list of two weeks worth of activities to keep those kids busy:  http://frugaldad.com/2009/05/25/fun-summer-activities-for-kids/

4.     MailJust4Me Playground – This site offers a variety of activities and links to other resources:  http://mailjust4me.com/play/summer1.htm

5.     Activity TV – This site shows video clips of various summer activities (you may have to sit through some advertising, but it’s fun to see the ideas in action):  http://www.activitytv.com/summer-activities-for-kids

These are just some resources, but there are so many more.  I just wanted to get some links down in one location for easier browsing.  So check ‘em out and enjoy.  Have a great summer!

Happy 4th of July!

My hero.  Thanks for fighting for our country, baby!

And Happy Birthday to my awesome mama!

New Online YA Fiction Magazine is Accepting Submissions

Over the years, YA author Hannah Goodman has struggled to find a publisher for both her novels and short pieces of YA fiction.  Not one to sit back and accept rejection, she self-published two young adult novels and won the Writer’s DigestSelf-Publishing Award in 2004 for My Sister’s Wedding.  Her current move to create a market for her work and the work of other YA fiction writers was to develop and launch Sucker Literary Magazine.

Sucker is an online magazine for purely YA fiction.  Goodman’s dream of creating a place for YA authors, like herself, a venue to showcase their work began in May and she is accepting submissions for the publication and plans to begin with two publications per year, moving into one per month as the magazine gains momentum.

What a wonderful idea and opportunity for YA writers seeking an audience!

Here is the magazine’s website with information about the magazine and submission guidelines:

http://suckerliterarymagazine.wordpress.com/

Here is an article about Ms. Goodman and the magazine from Publisher’s Weekly:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/47825-new-lit-mag-to-showcase-emerging-ya-writers.html

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Movie News: Award-winning Actor buys right to classic YA novel

This week Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges and producer Nikki Silver bought rights to produce the film adaptation of the classic dystopian novel, The Giver, by Lois Lowry. 

Lately, everything that Bridges seems to touch turns to gold – for example, his Western blockbuster True Grit (2010), award-winning performance in Crazy Heart (2009), and the smash hit Iron Man (2008), in which he played the villain.  Throughout his career, Bridges has been nominated for and received numerous awards for his acting, which makes the prospect of him starring in The Giver as the “Giver” so exciting. 

Movie adaptations often fall short of the original works and with a novel that has resonated with so many people in the last decade, it is crucial to honor that work and keep its integrity.  With the acting talents of Bridges and a well-written script by Vadim Perelman (who wrote, directed, and produced the screen adaptation of House of Sand and Fog), this film has the makings of a quality film and will hopefully be a credit to the original novel.  I am definitely looking forward to it!

For more information, check out the following article from Variety:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118039198