My name is Sally, and I'm completely addicted to stories- whether it be through books, films or television series.
I'm not a teenager but I love reading YA books and my current favourite genres are dystopian, magic, paranormal or fantasy, with some contemporary and historical. But I also read urban fantasy books, and sci-fi (or pretty much anything if you tell me it's good!). However, I do believe that no story is whole without a good romance plot in it, because (to quote Stephenie Meyer here) "love is the best part of any story".
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I'd like to welcome YA author Lisa Voisin to the blog today to talk about her book The Watcher, and she is also kindly giving away copies of the book and a gorgeous winged necklace to lucky winners. (print copies available to US/CANADA/UK readers and ebook copies INTERNATIONAL)
About the Book:
Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.
Can he face her without falling again?
Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.
When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.
In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?
1. Can you describe The Watcher in 5 words or less?
Angel sins redeemed by love.
2. How long have you been working on The Watcher, and how did the idea come about?
I started working on The Watcher in April 2009, but the story itself started three years before that, with an idea about a boy who woke up one day to discover he was an angel. However, I couldn't get his voice right, so I felt it was best to pair him with a human girl who was the only one who could see what he really did and tell his story from her point of view.
3. Which of your characters is your favourite and why? Who is the most fun to write?
Michael is my favourite character, because he's been with me the longest, and I can empathize with him. But I have to admit, Damiel was the most fun to write. It made me think of famous actors who say they have the most fun playing villains.
4. If your book was being made into a movie who would you envision in the leading roles?
Though I didn't write the characters in The Watcher with actors in mind, I'd love to see a young Henry Cavill as Michael (perhaps a shorter haired version of himself in the movie Tristan and Isolde), and Mia I picture as being like Emilia Clarke, but with her original hair colour.
Henry Cavill
Emilia Clarke
(Source: Pictures from imdb.com)
5. Have you always wanted to be a writer? Do you have any special places or routines to write or can you write anywhere?
I've wanted to be a writer since high school, where I spent more time writing stories than focusing on homework. I enjoy writing at home or in a local cafe.
6. Have there ever been any books that you've read and thought "I wish I'd written that"?
Oh! There have been so many it's hard to count! Most recently, I'd have to say Anna and the French Kiss, because it was absolutely delightful.
7. Final silly question- if you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
I'd love to be able to smite demons with a single touch. I'm a big fan of smiting. I even love the word, 'smite'. But I suppose that would mean I'd have to actually be around demons, which might not be so much fun.
Lisa Voisin and Inkspell Publishing are giving away print (US/Canada/UK) and ebook (INT) copies of The Watcher as well as this lovely angel wing necklace.
Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.
Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.
Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.
There has been a deluge of dystopian YA fiction lately, and although I still LOVE it and want to read more- sometimes these worlds and stories all start to blend together in my head. However, Crewel is a completely unique take on a fantasy futuristic world, and so different from anything else, that it really stands out.
It is based on the idea that the world around the characters is woven and created by a group of women called Spinsters, who have developed the unique power of "weaving" the world around them. Everything can be controlled on the looms from the amount of rainfall, to the growth of trees and plants, and if an area shows signs of rebellion- it can be destroyed with one rip.
For the first quarter of the book or so I was a bit confused and baffled as I struggled to get my head around the concepts in the book. The world building was sometimes a little bit complex and you need to be paying attention to understand it, but that complexity and depth of description also meant that it felt very impressive and very convincing. The whole atmosphere of the book begins to feel more dangerous and menacing as we begin to discover more about the Spinsters and their power along with main character Adelice.
Adelice has been raised in a quiet and inconspicuous sector of Arras, living a poor but happy life with her parents and her sister. Her mother had been aware of Adelice's power from an early age, and had been trying to teach Adelice to conceal it, so that when it came time to be tested- she wouldn't have to join the Spinsters. But Adelice's power is exceptionally strong, and she finds that she can weave time and matter easily- even without the loom.
I really enjoyed discovering this exceptional world along with Adelice, as she gets deeper and deeper into the heart of the power of this corrupt and dangerous world, and learns more about the truth of the Spinsters. She is a very determined and head-strong girl, and not afraid to stand up to her superior Maela when she sees something she thinks is wrong, although she is sometimes a little naive because of her sheltered upbringing.
Some of the characters seem pretty evil- the kind of bad guys who believe that they are doing what is right and good, but there is a brilliant cast of a range of different characters. One of my favourite characters is gruff servant Jost and his story, and the friendship and attraction that gradually develops between him and Adelice.
This story is imaginative and thrilling. There are subplots of love and betrayal, and I liked that you could never guess which direction the story was going to take next. Beautifully written, multi-layered and completely surprising- a must read for fans of sci-fi or dystopia.
-------------------------------------------------------- Alternate cover:
I way prefer this cover- it's so pretty and eye-catching, and I think it better matches the story and the ideas behind weaving and the threads of the world.
Synopsis from Goodreads: Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.
But her reincarnation, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI-agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.
From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.
WOW!
Loved this- exciting, powerful and cleverly brilliant.
Wow, this book was so good! Unravelling is an absolutely fantastic book that I can only describe as an intense and exciting sci-fi thriller. This had so many unexpected twists and turns that it always shocked me, and always felt like the novel was something new and different.
Janelle's father works for the FBI, and she and her friend Alex are always trying to find out what he is working on, and to offer up theories. When her father's team finds a weaponised device that appears to be counting down, and Janelle has a mysterious near death experience, it originally seems to be linked.
The countdown throughout the book (for the first half of the book we don't know what exactly it is counting down to) gives the story a constant element of tension and paciness. It is always thrilling, and there is always something happening, and some new revelation.
I loved how there was so many different things going on. There are so many different threads of the story- different mysteries, and flashbacks to the past, and I loved how they were all cleverly interconnected as the book went on.
Janelle has had to deal with a lot- her mother's depression, looking after her younger brother, and helping out her dad, all while working hard at school, and working a part time job, and yet she is such a strong character- feisty and smart, and I loved her stubborness and how she tackled each problem head-on. She doesn't seem to let anyone get her down. If there is someone at school who she doesn't like, doesn't agree with, or doesn't respect, she just doesn't pay them any attention. She has her close friends and her family and that's all she needs.
Ben is a character that seems to change and grow as we learn more about him. He is initially described as one of the school's loner pot-heads, that Janelle has never really spoken to, but as his version of events and truth about him starts to come out, he is actually one of the best characters I've ever read. I can't say more about him without giving spoilers, but his stuggle and his guilt for his actions in the past have brought him down very low. He has always kept an eye on Janelle, and looked out for her, even when she wasn't aware of it, and is just a wonderful "rough around the edges" diamond with a good heart.
This story is never what you expect- just when you think you have a theory, it'll turn around and completely surprise you. I loved the love story, the X-Files style investigations, the paranormal twist, and the tension. The ending was both romantic and tragic, and had me in floods of tears- I loved it! If you want a tense sci-fi mystery with an emotional tug- this is the one!
Synopsis from Goodreads: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.
Book 1 in the Blood of Eden Series
I LOVED The Immortal Rules so much. I love it when a book gets me so completely hooked when I'm reading it, that I just HAVE to know what happens next! The story is an adventure with different stages and parts to it, so that it always felt new and exciting. It has everything I love in a book- a strong female lead, a sweet forbidden romance, action, adventure, and emotion.
Just when you think that vampires in fiction have been done to death (no pun intended there)- along comes something new and fresh that blows everything else out of the water. I knew from reading the Iron Fey series that Julie Kagawa is an amazing writer, whose depth of detail in her stories really gives the books that extra something, but she has done it again in The Immortal Rules with phenomenal world building- creating a futuristic setting that is dark, terrifying and believable, and characters that are so well created as to make them real and make you really care about them.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this book and distinct stages to Allison's journey. I loved reading about her struggle to survive as a human in a vampire infested world, her transformation into a vampire, and her time on her own in the wilderness before she joins up with a travelling band of humans. I thought Allison was so brilliantly written, that I felt so much for her in her darkest times. So is both brave and strong and capable, but also endearingly vulnerable at times, and needs the support of others around her.
The latter half of the book is all about her struggle to cling on to the remnants of her humanity. She doesn't want to hurt people or to turn into the monsters she has always hated. The question is whether she can live among the humans without them discovering what she is and believing her evil. But when they have a common enemy, they can work together well.
My favourite part of the book is when Allison is travelling through the woods with the humans. They are going the same way so it makes sense for Allison to travel with them- but she has to be constantly on her guard that they don't notice that she isn't like them. And Zeke (I love him- he is so sweet, and wants to look after everyone else all the time) can't understand why she keeps him and everyone else at arms length. I also loved bitchy Ruth, and the children who innocently adore Allison.
There are plenty of memorable characters in this story. Most intriguing is Kanin, the vampire who turned Allison- who is so secretive and mysterious that even when she spends months with him she still knows nothing about him or where he came from. He is better than most of the other vampires, who have no conscience at all, but there is definitely another story to tell there and I hope it is revealed in the next book.
This is a dark dystopian novel with an exciting new vampire twist, fanastic characters that I fell in love with, and an exciting pacy plotline. No review of this is going to do this book justice. It wasn't what I was expecting- it was better. Trust me, this is brilliant, it will surprise you, and you should read it!
This is currently set to be a 3 part series.
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for my review copy
She thought there was something wrong with her. She was right. Finley Jayne has known for quite some time that she isn’t ‘normal,’ but when she beats up the son of her employer and is forced to flee, she stumbles into a world where there are bigger freaks than her. They take her in, treat her like family and demand her trust. How can Finley trust them when she can’t trust herself? And why is she drawn to the powerful Griffin as well as the dangerous Jack? She has to get herself under control before she gets into trouble she can’t get out of.
Griffin King is one of the most powerful men in Britain but he couldn’t save his best friend from almost dying. He is determined to save Finley and help her become the person he knows she can be, but there’s evil afoot in London. Machines have attacked humans under the orders of a nefarious criminal called The Machinist. He has sworn to protect his country against such a threat, but he’s never faced any foe like this. However, when he discovers The Machinist’s connection to his past, Griffin vows to end the villain once and for all — but he’ll need the help of all his friends, including the beautiful Finley Jayne – the girl in the steel corset.
This book is so good! It's like a steampunk X-Men with action, drama, romance, weird technology, and a creepy super-villain called The Machinist! I love it when I'm reading a book and it suddenly hits me- this is really good and I'm really enjoying it.
Within the acknowledgments at the end of her book, Kady Cross describes her original desire to write The Girl in the Steel Corset as "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets teen X-Men." There's really no better way to describe this novel than that- it really comes across as a band of people with something that makes each of them different from the average person. What I loved was the camaraderie and the sense of family between them all.
Finley has a kind of Jekyll and Hyde type problem. When she is threatened or upset her darker self takes over, and she has the strength of a prizewinning boxer. Finley is the perfect kind of lead character because she is so feisty, and such a strong independent character, but she also has a very endearing vulnerability about her.
When she is fired from her job after knocking out her sleazy boss with one punch she is found by Griffin- a duke who works for Queen Victoria manipulating a newly discovered substance found deep underground. Griffin again is such a perfect character to read about because he has this innate need to try and look after everybody, and he is very sweet. Griffin has a secret power as well, but despite all his wealth and power he has no snobbery about him at all. The whole background of the story, was so cool, with an element of magic about it.
I also really enjoyed the developing relationships between the main characters. Griffin and Finley just like each other and there are no complications and no dancing around each other denying that they do. But I also adored lovable rogue Jack Dandy, who is also attracted to Finley, and who has a dangerous reputation, but is also a total gentleman, and such a mysterious character.
This book is so much fun. I love the band of oddball characters, and the whole world of the book- with airships floating above Victorian London, and all the cool clockwork technology and gadgetry that they have, created by their kooky inventor friend Emily. This story has adventure, excitement, laughs and romance. It is so unique- and I loved it!
This is due to be published in the UK by Mira books in June this year. Look out for it!
Sequel:
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. I'm looking forward to reading this.
Synopsis from Goodreads: Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to recreate herself in any form - a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother's new husband, Lord Terayama, or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama's kitchens, or Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to capture the heart of a prince - and determined to use his power to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even love.
Shadows on the Moon is so beautiful- just mystical, magical and emotional. It is original and fun and I absolutely loved the story, the characters and the romance...
When I was reading this novel I was so completely immersed in this world- and I want to live there! The book is very loosely based in feudal Japan, and it works so well- making the world feel exotic and mystical. I loved the oriental setting and the different customs, and despite it's historical setting and the feeling of other-worldliness I still completely connected with the characters and their lives. I really enjoyed reading about the carriages, the kimonos, tea, and dancing, and it made a really nice change. It is beautifully written and so vivid- this is a compelling adventure that really focuses on the rollercoaster of emotional turmoil of the characters- Suzume's feelings of grief and betrayal, and her burgeoning attraction to a foreign explorer.
Suzume is a shadow weaver, which means that she can manipulate the space around her to alter her appearance at will. It is what allows her to escape when the soldiers come to her house and kill her father and her cousin. Initially her powers are useful to her to hide her scars, or to plaster a false congenial smile on her face, when really she is seething with anger. Ultimately, she decides to use her ability to hide from her father's murderer whilst spying on him, and to plot to exact revenge on the people who murdered her family and destroyed her life. Two great characters in this novel are Suzume's teachers Youta and Akiva, people who believe in her, befriend her, and encourage her at different points in her life. Both of these characters, despite being so different from each other, are needed to support and drive Suzume, encouraging her in her powers, and making her feel less alone.
Suzume's journey is fraught and tragic, but as she not only develops her powers over time, she also transforms from a naive and helpless girl into a self-determined and independent young woman. Although sometimes I wanted to shake her for her bad choices, Suzume is a great strong-willed character, but she becomes obsessed with one sole idea, and refuses to let go of the past and see the potential future right in front of her. In her struggle to work toward her revenge (and at times just to survive) Suzume changes her identity and alternately spends time as a lady, disguised as a kitchen drudge, and finally as a courtesan.
As a shadow weaver himself, Otieno can see through Suzume's illusions and recognise her anywhere. I loved to see the relationship develop between these two over time, and see how a friendship built on trust gradually developed into something more. He is the only person who really gets her. Otieno is such a great character because in contrast to the way Suzume has been brought up where everyone is formal and stiff, he shows all his emotions in his expression, and freely laughs and jokes about, and accepts everyone at face value- regardless of their social standing. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and is just the perfect blend of loyal, good and dangerous. I found myself rooting for this couple through all their struggles and separations, and just hoping that they got a happy ending.
I'm not sure how many times now I've said this story is beautiful, but I'm going to say it again- this story really is beautiful, and manages to feel sweet and moving, despite dealing with themes of death and vengeance. It is a book that I could happily read again and again for the setting, the magic, the endearing characters, and the lyrical writing style.
Shadows on the Moon was published in the UK by Walker books in July 2011, and is due to be published in the US by Candlewick Press in April 2012.
To read more reviews and to read the synopsis of the book check out the Goodreads page.
1.How long have you been working on The Promise, how did the idea come about?
I worked on the book for about a year. I call it my little Post-It Note idea. I was driving home from work and listening to Theory of A Dead Man’s Not Meant to Be. I passed this little community called New Salem and the image of a girl sitting beside a gravestone popped into my head. I couldn’t shake it so when I got home, I jotted it down on a yellow sticky and stuck it on the wall beside my computer. Over the next few days, I kept jotting down ideas and before I knew it I had a complete outline of a book on a wall of yellow, purple, and pink.
2.The Promise is about a small, close-knit town of witches who cast spells using the five elements. How hard was it to get the world of witches and spells right, and all the rules and mythology of this world, and make it seem real? Did anything ever change during the writing of the book, or has it all stayed as you originally planned?
Oh my goodness, it changed so much over the course of a year. I was lucky enough to be pointed to an online writing group by Susie Townsend of Fine Print Literary - www.thenextbigwriter.com. Those people on there are brutal, but they were the best help I could have ever asked for. They were always brutally honest, never hesitated to tear my work to shreds if something didn't work, and were the first ones to shout when I got it right. I have made some wonderful friends there and they are a holy terror when it comes to fixing my syntax...lol.
I wanted to create a world where magic was commonplace at least amongst the people of the town while keeping the real world as much involved as I could. That part was the hardest, taking something as fantastical as spellcrafing and grounding it into reality. I did a lot of research. I can still remember going into the local library and asking if they had any books on witchcraft and witchcraft initiation ceremonies. The little lady behind the desk was seventy if she was a day. She looked at me like I'd just sprouted horns and asked where the sacrificial dagger was...lol. She told me in a very quiet voice, no. Suffice to say, I relied on books I could purchase after that. She still gives me odd looks when I go in there.
For me, the magic had to be believeable. I worked hard to get it right and hopefully I have. We'll see as more people read it and let me know.
3.I love the idea of being able to control the elements- Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Spirit. CJ can warm herself up if she's too cold, or cool down if she's too hot- very handy! She uses Spirit to help heal her friends. What would you most like to be able to cast spells for? Will CJ be able to control her powers and do more in book 2?
I'm a bit grounded, but I have a huge imagination. I think Earth would be my Element. It's everchanging, but essentially stays the same. I'm always changing, but my basic personality is essentially the same: nice, but a huge flirt.
CJ will learn to control her powers more as she gets deeper and deeper into the books. She is the coven leader for the Circle she must find to face the darkness coming. That much power is very heady. The real question is will she be able to handle all the power she has to unlock and control it or will it control her?
4.CJ and Kay are both very confident girls. Are any of the characters in The Promise based on anyone you know in real life?
I grew up in a very disfunctional family, but I was lucky enough to have the guidance of my aunt who taught me to be strong, no matter how hard life is. She was my life raft in some very murky waters and she taught me how to be the rock that anchors the raft. So, I would say she is very much a part of both Cassie and Kay. Her strength and confidence is where I found my own and she is who I think of when I think of strong characters.
5.Some of the story involves looking back into the past at the Salem Witch Trials. Did you have to do a lot of historical research for these scenes?
I have always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and have read every book known to man on them. So, yes, my research was quite extensive as I've been reading about them for the better part of 15 years.
6.Ethan is the tall, dark and handsome stranger in town. Was it fun writing the scenes between CJ and Ethan?
How can it not have been fun to write about Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous? He is CJ's own personal M&M. They are so funny and sweet and you find yourself hoping and praying he doesn't betray her. You'll laugh, you'll blush yourself silly, you'll put down the book at certain times when you are embarrassed for her. It makes you remember those first few days of a crush and you get to relive all those emotions through CJ.
One of our teens that read it, emailed me when she'd finished reading it that at one point she actually threw the book across the room and then ran to pick it up because she just had to know what happened. That is probably the best compliment I have ever recieved on the book. CJ and Ethan inspired that level of emotion in a girl that read it in one sitting. I am grateful my little sticky note novel could inspire those kinds of emotions in people. If I can make one person feel something, then I've done my job as a writer and entertained you.
7.If your book was being made into a movie who would you envision in the leading roles?
That's an easy one, the same people rambling around in my head as I wrote. I'm a visual writer and as I watch a ton of movies, my mind just picks people out and that's who I see as I write; a movie playing in my head.
Cassie: Emma Roberts
Ethan: Jake Abel
Kay: Phoebe Tonkin
Jeff: Matt Lanter
8.Have there ever been any books that you've read and thought "I wish I'd written that"?
All the time. The most recent one is Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I've had an idea similar to it and when I read it, I thought to myself, huh. That was perfect for what I wanted to do, but I must say she did it so much better than I could have...lol. I love that book.
9.Can you write anywhere or do you have a special place/ routine where you have to write?
My dad tells me I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I used to show him these nonsense scribbles and tell him my crazy stories of what they meant. I tend to write anywhere, anytime. I am still fond of my sticky notes. If I'm at work and an idea pops into my head, it goes down onto a sticky note. If I'm home, I stop what I'm doing and scribble things down.
I do try to spend at least one hour a day writing in the same place. Outside on my back porch where its quiet. At least until my cat comes out and the birds take to teasing him by swooping down and then soaring up just as he jumps to catch them. He makes this insane warble and his entire mouth quivers. I laugh myself silly every time I see it.
10.What's next in store for CJ, Kay, Jeff and the others in book 2 of the Coven series?
CJ meets Melinda in book 2, titled The Oath. Melinda's element is Earth and she is the next member of the Circle that CJ must form to fight the evil that is coming. Melinda's sister killed herself and Melinda discovers she was driven to do it by a group of so called witches. Her goal: revenge. It is a much darker book than The Promise, but there is just as much romance and blushing involved in The Oath as there was in The Promise. Jeff continues to warm our hearts and even I find myself rooting for him as I write. Ethan is just simply delicious and you melt when you read the scenes between him and Cassie as always.
Thankyou so much for answering all my questions, and for talking to me about your book and about writing!
Synopsis from Goodreads: What happens when a robot designed to be a boy’s ideal “companion” develops a will of her own?
David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world.
I loved the premise of this book when I first read it. It actually seems like it could be a very real possibilty in the not too distant distant future, in a world where some people can have hundreds of facebook friends and be very outspoken on online forums, but be very isolated and withdrawn in real life. More and more people seem to struggle with the basics of face-to-face conversation, and have no clue how to talk to people, what to say, and it's not uncommon to meet someone new who can't even make eye contact with you.
I think I liked the idea of this story, better than the execution of it. There are a lot of points in the book that are just skipped over, and we never really get to genuinely know any the characters. David didn't seem to be very disassociated to me, he is just a jerk- and likewise there is nothing wrong with Charlie either, he is very sweet and very capable of conversation and asking a girl on a date, it's just that he is very shy, and lacks confidence. I also thought it was quite disturbing that a lot of the other boys with companion dolls were taking them to backstreet mechanics to get the electric shocker removed, and nobody seemed to think that this was wrong or did anything about it. The only character that I did like was Rose, the "companion doll", who started to develop a real personality and sense of humour all on her own, while not really helping the boys to mature at all. She has to adapt to everything that is unfamiliar to her and in struggling to cope she also starts to form her own opinions and make her own choices.
Overall the whole book felt kind of rushed and the ending was extremely unsatisfying. A lot was still unexplained. I felt that this book was trying to convey a parody on modern society, and deliver a moral message but that it kind of missed the mark.
Here is the Youtube promo video from Candlewick Press:
This is the UK book trailer for The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson- A fantastic book, read my review of it here.
I personally hate the music in it- it is far too jaunty and strange and doesn't really capture the spirit of the book at all, but the rest of the trailer gives some idea as to the subject of the book.
I really like the quotes given in the separate US version of the book trailer- view here if you're interested.
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6. Have there ever been any books that you've read and thought "I wish I'd written that"?
