YA Book Review and Giveaway - RUSH (The Game: Book 1) by Eve Silver

This book went everywhere this week!

Eve Silver's new YA book, Rush, is perhaps one of the most appropriately named books I have ever read. From page one, the action is high, the suspense is thick and the mystery is unfolding. The story eggs you on to keep turning pages no matter what else you may have planned to do for the day.

In Rush Silver introduces us to a unique multi-ethnic protagonist, Miki Jones, who is thrust into a scifi universe while she is still trying to deal with the loss of her mother. Quickly, her alternate reality becomes more tangible than what she previously considered her "real life." It is difficult for me to write about this book without revealing spoilers along the way, but I will say that Miki, along with a team of teens also "pulled" from their reality, has been tasked with saving humanity from an alien invasion. The reasons why these particular teens have been pulled, the alien race that threatens humanity's destruction and the nature of the battles are all freshly unique to Silver's universe and, I think, will have wide appeal to both boys and girls.

In addition to the thrill of the action throughout the story, Silver is masterful in capturing a budding young romance. The last time I think I felt so much longing for a first kiss to happen was with my own! I love that, in this YA novel, the build up to that moment was so vividly expressed throughout the pages. It was a perfect reflection of teen voice.

My Review

If it isn't already abundantly clear, I highly recommend this book. On Goodreads, I gave it the full five stars without reservation. For readers who enjoyed the Hunger Games, but who are ready to leave dystopian worlds behind, this is your next new read. The story combines scifi, gaming and romance as seamlessly as it lives in the world of most adolescents today.

GET YOUR COPY OF RUSH

Rush will be released on June 11, 2013 (next Tuesday, so there are a couple of options for you to be among the first to read this book:

• Go to a bookstore but, more specifically, if you have an indie bookstore near you, then go there and befriend your bookseller!
• Order it online while still supporting the independent bookstores by using Indiebound to make your order.
• WIN A FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPY FROM ME! As much as I love this book, I am willing to part with it to spread the love. If you want to enter to possibly win my autographed copy of Rush by Eve Silver, then enter unsing the RAFFLECOPTER widget below before Friday, June 7, 2013:

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YA Book Review and Giveaway - Skinny by Donna Cooner

When I heard about Skinny by Donna Cooner in the YA Editor's Buzz Panel at this year's Book Expo America, I knew it was one book I just had to get my hands on. Not only did this book sound like it was going going to be an enjoyable read, I felt that it might also turn out to be an important one.

Skinny is the debut novel of Donna Cooner and it will be released in October 2012. Aimee Friedman, the book's editor, described the book as one that "could change lives," that was written in an "incredible voice," that is "haunted," but also has "dazzle." She claimed that this "novel is both timely and timeless," with "rich characters" throughout.Does it sound like too much for one book to handle? I promise you, it is not.

Summary 

The novel is told in first person from the perspective of Ever Davies, a 15 year old girl, who is over 300 pounds and is haunted by a voice she has named "Skinny." Skinny tells Ever everything others are thinking about her, constantly calling her fat and unlovable in any number of cruel ways. The whispers of Skinny are enough to silence her beautiful singing voice which she knows is her great talent.

When embarrassment and frustration reaches its peak, Ever goes through gastric bypass surgery in order to live the life of her dreams. Ever's journey towards happiness is not solved magically overnight with this surgery. As readers, we are swept up in the challenges of Ever's day to day: what to eat, how to exercise, how to get her dream boy to notice her, how to behave in the new social scene around her and how to deal with the fact that the surgery did not silence Skinny.

My Review

I loved this book. I believe we all have a "Skinny" inside of us. Maybe our Skinny doesn't whisper to us about our weight or looks; maybe her chant is about our competence at work or school, or how (un)athletic we are. (My voice should probably be called "Sickly" since she's always talking about how my health is holding me back from everything - honestly, she needs to shut up!) With this singular truth, Ever's story hits home from page one - and for those readers who are struggling with their weight that impact will be tenfold.  Donna Cooner's writing in Skinny's lines is so steeped in reality that they deliver the stings only one's inside voice can.

Cooner's skills did not stop with Skinny's script. All of the characters in this novel come vividly to life. Ever is surrounded by a fairly large cast of characters of varying importance to the unfolding story; each and every one of these characters were given a rich description and persona. I never once found myself confusing one character for another. In fact, right now, days later, I can recall character names, personalities, and even styles from characters as important as the two boys in Ever's life - her best friend Rat and her dream guy Jackson - to those background characters like Gigi, a girl in the drama program and Wolfgang, a guy her step-sister had a crush on.

I have to agree with the book's editor when she claimed that this book has the ability to change lives. I believe, presented to the right person at the right time, Skinny can make all the difference in the world. For anyone who is insecure, particularly those young adults in the social high school scene, count Skinny as one of your must reads this Fall. This Fall won't be about fighting against the Capitol, the Dark Arts, or any other outside demons; with our new heroine, Ever Davies, YA readers will be learning to fight the most important battle of all: the one against their internal insecurities.

ARC Giveaway

A book this good has to be shared. Let's get the buzz going before it's big release this Fall! I have an Uncorrected Proof Advanced Reader Copy that I received at the 2012 Book Expo America that I'm looking to GIVE TO YOU! I'm opening this Giveaway up to the world - yep, that's right, International - so, don't let the borders bind you: use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for your chance to win. 
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30+ "Urgent" Matters That Keep Me From My Writing

Do you know who I am? I am the maniac that likes to work under pressure. I am the one who rarely finishes anything early, not merely because I have procrastinated doing it, but because every other thing in life seemed exceedingly urgent.

Now, my definition of "urgent matters" and your definition of urgent matters may differ wildly. Here are some things that, depending on the circumstance, could be deemed as an urgent matter:

1. BBCAmerica is showing an episode of Doctor Who I have only seen once before.
2. I told myself I was going to write a particular post for my blog.
3. There is a conversation going on on Twitter that I believe I can contribute to.
4. There is a book next to me, in my bag or on my nightstand that I have not yet finished.
5. My dog is looking at me.
6. I haven't looked at my gecko in a little while.
7. I require chocolate.
8. I forgot to take my medicine.
9. Tonight is the opening night of some movie.
10. My brother is on the phone.
11. I've decided today is going to be mega-clean-up day.
12. I've decided today is going to be the day where I teach myself about some new social media tool I know next to nothing about.
13. The neighbors found a dog roaming around the neighborhood and I've decided I am going to "hang on to it" until we figure out who the psycho dog belongs to (that was last Friday).
14. I'm going to research how to find bachelor mockingbirds some girlfriends so they don't have to chirp all night long outside our bedroom.
15. I'm going to figure out how to actually use my slow cooker.
16. I'm going to put all of life on hold to go to a ginormous book expo and simply forget that I am no where near healthy enough to do such a thing!
17. BBCAmerica is showing an episode of Doctor Who I have seen many times before.
18. Oh... wait a second... BBC America is showing Battlestar Galactica after Doctor Who and this happens every weekday from 4pm through 6pm?! Reschedule dinner time, this is extremely  urgent!!
19. Facebook needs an update.
20. Facebook has 20+ messages waiting for me.
21. I must check my e-mail. 
22. I must read more blogs.
23. I must go back and read blogs that I started reading a long time ago.
24. I must figure out a better way to read blogs.
25. Very urgent! Check in on foursquare! Don't let that guy steal your one and only mayorship again!
26. Feed the dogs. 
27. Is it garbage day? If so, get everything out of the house!! If not, ignore everything and wait for garbage day.
28. I bet those weeds are growing back in the backyard... Get outside.
29. Qdoba opened up right up the block! MUST go try it!
30. Mother-in-law invites us for dinner. Never saying no to that!
31. I'm feeling pretty weak. I should probably do some more bicep curls with that large salsa jar.
32. Husband is lingering near the laundry... better get some of that done.
33. I must watch all the YouTube channels I am subscribed to, otherwise, why bother to subscribe?
34. I'll convert my china cabinet into a bookcase (sure Mom and Dad are both flipping in their graves over that one!).
35. I will engage the telemarketer, survey person, or whoever else randomly calls my house (particularly if they ask for one or both of my deceased parents) in a long winded conversation.
36. I will give my gecko a bath.
37. What I really need to do is write a really long list of all of the things that keep me from revising and editing my novel!

There are more, I am sure, but, for now, each of these things has kept me, in some way shape or form, from completing my novel. Since Camp NaNoWriMo and JuNoWriMo started at the beginning of this month, I told myself I would use this month to work on it, however, this has not happened. Every day, the "urgent matters" (and yes, some of them are actually pretty valid, like my health kicking my @$$) keep creeping up and stealing my time. Every night I go to bed asking myself Why didn't I write today? Then I got this tweet today:

@riverand How's the writing going?
— Susan Sipal (@HP4Writers) June 13, 2012

In the instant I read it, I thought, Oh no... I have no excuse! You see, Susan and I trade tweets maybe every month or so. I recall her asking me the same question last time we tweeted and I remember having big plans... As I started to write back, I stumbled upon my solution:

It's getting overwhelmed by blogging & reading.I'm going to have to give myself a deadlineRT @hp4writers: @riverand How's the writing going?
— Nicole Rivera (@riverand) June 13, 2012

A deadline. So simple, even if it is completely made up and has nothing behind it but my word. Because, as I said at the beginning of this post: I am the maniac that likes to work under pressure. Unfortunately, in this writing life, right now, there is no one to apply that pressure but me! Susan's response?

@riverand Without deadlines, I'd get nothing done - even if the deadline is an artificial one that I've set.
— Susan Sipal (@HP4Writers) June 13, 2012

So glad I'm not alone...

Image Source

The deadline is set. Are you ready? My obscure date is August 17, 2012. On that day I will be done with my revisions and editing. I think that means I'll be done with beta readers, too. I want to be able to jump into the rejection pool (query time) by this Fall. I have set up a countdown on my iGoogle homepage to remind me every time I open up my computer (adding that pressure!), it looks like this:

 

I have 65 days. Is it enough? I. have. no. idea. But this is the only way I am going to find out, right?

Here's what I need from you guys:

• Support, cheerleading, etc.
• A good butt kicking every now and again.
• A simple "@riverand How's the writing going? #deadline" tweet, to keep me accountable (or embarrassed!)
• Volunteer beta readers for a contemporary YA novel. I'm looking for more critique over grammar/spell check - if you think you might want in, let me know!

For now, I'll just have to protect myself...

see more Failbook

 

BOOK REVIEW -Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

I have always had an affinity for books about stranded protagonists. When I was in elementary school, my father brought home an abridged copy of Robinson Crusoe for me and I was enthralled. After that, I read The Island of the Blue Dolphins with such a reader's joy that I started to daydream about being whisked away to a quiet island of my own. In high school, when we read The Lord of the Flies my passion for this fend for yourself and live off your wits type of literature seemed to be unparalleled. And then, as an adult, when I read Life of Pi and found my protagonist floating in the sea with a tiger as a companion, I was, once again, at the peak of my reading fulfillment.

It got me thinking... what other books like this have I missed? When I started asking around, one title seemed to resurface again and again. It was Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Many were surprised I hadn't heard of it before given my affinity for this type of book, and even more were surprised I hadn't read it. I had put it on my infinite "to-read" list and had all but forgotten it when I stumbled upon the audiobook in my library.

This is how I finally came to read Hatchet, a book that surely would have fit in with a life long pattern of reading about lonely main characters.

In Hatchet we meet Brian, a teenager who is dealing with the recent divorce of his parents, just as he is taking a single-engine plane ride to stay with his father. The plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness leaving Brian to fend for himself with nothing but the hatchet his mother gave him attached to his belt.

From the beginning of this book I was torn about how I felt about it, but, to be honest with you, I think that had more to do with the audio production than the story itself. The particular edition of audiobook I had was produced in the nineties and it definitely sounded dated to me from the onset. How could this be? you may wonder. Well, for one, there was the music. This drove me absolutely crazy. It seemed that every time something dramatic or emotional happened to Brian, or if he thought of something that made him melancholy, some music would play in the background. I suppose this was to help set the mood. However, in my opinion, that is what the writing is for. The music actually had the complete opposite affect on me: I cracked up laughing every time it would play. I felt as though it was mocking the action of the story rather than complementing it.  After a while, though, I did get used to it. I was never quite comfortable with it, but I didn't burst into hysterics each time it played.

Once I trained myself to listen beyond the music and sound effects, I found Gary Paulsen's story and writing on the other end. And, in that, I found exactly the type of story I was looking for. Brian, only 13 years old, had his own difficulties in his life in dealing with his parents' divorce and his mother's "secret," but throughout his struggle to survive he learned to put all of those things in perspective and, in turn, appreciate that which he did have.

After finishing this book, I found out that Brian's story continues in other adventures. I am tempted to continue the journey with him as he ventures back into the wilderness, but I am unsure whether I will use an audiobook option for the next read.

If you haven't already read Hatchet and you are a fan of novels which throw young protagonists into the wilds of nature to fend for themselves, then Hatchet, a Newbery Honor book, will be a fun read for you. If you are, on the other hand, looking for a fast-paced, dialogue-packed read, then I think you already know that a story about one boy in the woods just isn't going to cut it.

What are your opinions about sound effects and music in an audiobook? When/where does it belong? Does it help you in the reading to capture the mood?

Cinder Author Marissa Meyer Shares Her Book Love Story

Last month I had the extreme pleasure of stumbling upon a book that took me on a journey to a new land with cyborgs, androids, royalty, the threat of an alien take over and the terror of a plague. It was a Cinderella story in a whole new wardrobe and it was called Cinder. When I finished the book and logged it into my Goodreads Reading Challenge I  serendipitously found the author, Marissa Meyer there and wrote her a message thanking her for her wonderful novel. Due to my insatiable curiosity about such things, I also took that opportunity to ask Ms. Meyer about her first book love. What follows is her gracious response to my query.

It's nearly impossible for me to pinpoint my first true book love, as my childhood memories blur together with too many book loves to count. Was it Black Beauty, which my mother read to my brother and I as we curled beside her on the bed? Or The Giver, which changed the way I looked at the world, and taught me how magnificent it is that books have that power? Or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I read over and over again while dreaming of the brilliance of a candied wonderland? Or was it Charlotte's Web? The Little House on the Prairie? My little book of fairy tales?

It's truly impossible to determine which came first, but after much deliberation, I will make an attempt to choose the Book Love that, more than any other, changed the course of my life. Because they made me want to become a writer.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein.

The complete set was a birthday present from my Uncle, who knew my love of books and no doubt saw a dreamer-fantasy girl in the making. I couldn't have been older than 9 or 10, and it would take me a few months to pick up the books (intimidating in their bigness) and dive into them. My birthday is in February and I saved them until summer vacation.

I remember going on a camping trip in my grandparent's RV that summer, along with my brother and cousin. We were at a beautiful northwest campsite with grand fir trees and a clear blue lake and potential adventures down every trail... but all I wanted to do was curl up inside the RV and read. I wanted to be in Middle Earth, questing beside hobbits and elves and wizards. The magic of the One Ring entranced me almost as much as it did Bilbo and Frodo. I couldn't put them down.

After that, I would spend years dreaming up magical quests and fantasy worlds, imagining myself a princess or a sorcerer or a thief, filling my head with prophecies of greatness and dangerous missions.

Eventually, when I was a teenager, I would start to write those dreams down. And though my first attempted novels were little more than LotR spin-offs (really, we all have to start somewhere), eventually my imagination would begin reaching into other times and places. This overactive imagination finally resulted in my first novel, CINDER, which is futuristic science fiction, of all things.

But no matter where my muse takes me, the love I have for high fantasy has never waned, and my appreciation for Tolkein's masterpiece lingers to this day. I did re-read the books in college and loved them just as much, and of course attended the midnight releases of all three movies... in costume. You can bet I'll be doing the same when The Hobbit comes out this December.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings made me a life-long fan of magic and fantasy, a life-long dreamer, and a life-long book lover. They can also be credited, at least partly, with making me a life-long writer, and for that I will bestow upon them the title of my first true Book Love.

Tolkien strikes again! I wonder if he realized what an enormous legacy he left us all with his creation of Middle Earth. I would like to thank Marissa Meyer again for her wonderful answer to my question and I would like to invite you all to jump on the Lunar Chronicles bandwagon with me - if you haven't read Cinder: Book One in The Lunar Chronicles yet, then snap it up so we can anxiously await the arrival of book two!

Also, if you would like to share you're own story of book love, I think I speak for everyone who reads Rivera Runs Through It when I say, we'd love to read it, so e-mail me at BlogWithNV@gmail.com so we can make it happen!

Little Brother [YA Book Review]

Thank Goodness the Timing Was Right

Just over ten years ago I was teaching in a school right across the water from the World Trade Center when our world changed forever. My brother was overseas in the Marines, my mother was home alone and I stood before classroom of students who didn't know if their parents made it to work that morning and whether or not they should be happy if they did.

I was scared. I was angry. And I was comforted by the enormous military planes that flew literally next to my classroom window. As I drove home from work on roads filled with military vehicles I didn't, for one moment, worry about my privacy, my rights or my freedom. I didn't consider the trade-off for security, however, when it became apparent that security = less privacy, I didn't argue.

I wasn't a bad guy. I had nothing to worry about. I was on the same side as the security force. Those who were questioned deserved it for some reason.

That was then... I don't agree with those beliefs any more. I don't know what changed my mind, or when I began to see the light, but I know if I had read this book before coming to this epiphany, I would have hated it. I think I would have been furious. I wonder if this book alone would have been nough to change my mind.

The Synopsis

Our protagonist, Marcus Yallow, is a high school student with some amazing computer skills. He does not just surf the Internet, he creates the waves. He is well versed in alternate reality gaming (live and/or virtual), cryptography, hacking, working around a system's software and building his own hardware. His closest friends can do the same. This is how they "play."

The story begins, simply enough, with Marcus and his friends cutting out of school to get a jump on the latest clue in their ARG (alternate reality game) in one of the seedier parts of San Francisco. They are armed to the tee with techie gear to help them with the game when all of a sudden an explosion rocks their world. San Francisco was attacked by terrorists and everyone in the city is in a panic. As Marcus and his friends try to make their way home, they are picked up by the Department of Homeland Security.

Marcus, who has a history of being uncooperative with authority figures, is suspected to be a terrorist and treated as such. Little Brother is the story of how one American teenager, with the intelligence and skills to do so, took on the DHS along with an entire underground movement to show them how flawed their security system was.

My Review

The title of Little Brother is a nice tip of the hat to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four and I argue that this book is just as haunting as the Orwellian classic, particularly if you live in America. I found the book fascinating from page one. Marcus, or w1n5t0n as he was known in the beginning of the story, is an intriguing character - he begins as a kid just looking to have a good time until circumstance turns him into a political activist. His ability to transform his skills once useful in his gaming and hobbies into the tools needed on the cutting edge of homeland security is fascinating. This book is full of suspense, espionage, politics, techie-talk, math and somewhere, in between all of the drama, is the incredible coming of age story of a kid in California that had to grow up way too fast.

There were so many points in my reading where I longed to be in my classroom again! Cory Doctorow does an amazing job of describing some fairly complex mathematics topics that I would love to share with students. The real-life applications of the concepts taught in the seemingly intangible world of mathematics seemed to jump off the page as Marcus teaches us about the intricacies of code, the problems with a test being only 99 percent accurate, and just living in a world of playing against probabilities all beg to be shared with high school students who can't see where mathematics could possibly come to life. In addition to the mathematics alive and well within these pages was the the overwhelming need for this book to be used in either an American History or Political Science class! There are a number of debates in Marcus's classes that simply beg the reader to put down their books for just a moment to engage others in a discussion about the Bill of Rights, the founding fathers and what it truly means to be an American.

I highly recommend this book. I dare to go so far as to say it is a must read for young adults. Marcus and his friends find ways to make a difference in their world without violence, without threats, without terror. This is not to say that they are free from danger. The book is exciting and thrilling, but also inspiring. I think it is an important book for those who may feel left out of the political discussion because our system deems them too young to vote.

Afterwords

I have to add one note about the Afterwords in this book. At first, when I saw that there was an Epilogue and multiple Afterwords I couldn't stop laughing. I thought the book would never end! However, when I read them I found them to be incredibly informative and useful. Each afterword was written by another "expert" in one of the fields addressed in the book. There was also a recommended reading section for anyone who's interest was piqued and wished to learn more about the worlds of security, cryptography, and even hacking. The value in each of these sections was that each of these topics were explained in a way so that the reader could understand their legitimacy. I found each of the afterwords valuable and a perfect end to a book full of thousands of new personal curiosities.

Have you read Little Brother?

Do you see computer hacking as a bad thing or a person's right to explore their own software/hardware?

Do you ever feel like "Big Brother" is watching over you?

This book was read and reviewed as part of my YA Read-a-Thon. This December I am reading as many real-life YA novels as I can in one month's time! Join in, check out the list of books that were recommended to me HERE. Or check into my YA Read-A-Thon Store to buy the books from Amazon.com.

Marcelo in the Real World [YA Book Review]

Let's Start At the Beginning

I've been approaching this YA Read-A-Thon that I'm doing in the month of December quite strangely. I asked for recommendations of realistic, or real-life, young adult novels and I have taken those recommendations blindly. I take the title and author given to me by strangers on the Internet, search out the book, pick it up and start reading. With each book I have absolutely no idea what I am about to read when I open the first pages. So far, it has turned out to be a pleasant experience, and rather exciting!

This has shown me the incredible importance of voice and first lines/paragraphs of a book. In Marcelo in the Real World I knew, by the third sentence that Marcelo was not a typical teenager like the protagonist of my previous read, Looking for Alaska. I think Francisco X. Stork should be applauded for this! Here are the first three sentences so you can see what I mean:

"Marcelo, are you ready?"
I lift up my thumb. It means that I am ready.

Did you catch it? It means that I am ready. Such a simple statement, but within it carries a bit of the story of Marcelo. Marcelo is someone who thinks that a "thumbs up" needs explaining. Now... what kind of kid would think that?

Of course, as the sentences continue we get more and more clues about the things Marcelo feels he needs to explain to us and the things that are said to him, but I am fascinated by the fact that even if I stopped right here, at the third sentence, and I thought about it I would already have some pretty good ideas about who Marcelo is.

But I digress...

Who Is Marcelo?

 Marcelo Sandoval is a junior in high school who is on the autism spectrum. Marcelo explains it in the following way,

From a medical perspective, the closest description of my condition is Asperger's syndrome. But I don't have many of the characteristics that other people with Asperger's syndrome have, so that term is not exactly accurate. (page 55)

Arturo, Marcelo's father, believes Marcelo is more than capable of functioning in the "real world" given the opportunity. On the other hand, Marcelo has been enrolled in a special school his entire life and doesn't want to leave.

A deal is struck. Arturo says that Marcelo can choose at the end of the summer whether or not he will go back to his special school in the Fall for his senior year, or attend a public high school for his senior year in high school if and only if he agrees to work in his law firm in the mail room and abide by the rules of the "real world" for the entire summer. Marcelo, who was looking forward to working with the horses at his school over the summer, is heart-broken and resistant to the idea, however, he decides the deal is fair as long as he can pick his own school no matter what happens over the summer.

The novel takes us through Marcelo's entire summer adventure in a first person perspective that shed's a light on Arturo's law firm that the "real world" oftentimes misses. Throughout the novel, as Marcelo asks questions to try to gain a greater understanding of the rules of the real world, he often leaves the real world with questions of its own. For this reason, Marcelo makes an impact almost everywhere he goes whether he realizes it or not. This is a coming of age story, but, surprisingly, it also has a bit of a mystery in it as well.

My Review

Marcelo is an amazing protagonist. His voice, while often characterized in our "real world" as special-needs, is portrayed in this novel as a perspective of child-like clarity. Right and wrong, and trust in fellow humans, have not been blurred by the compromises of age, experience or competition. At first, this seems like a weakness that will surely bring Marcelo down in the nitty-gritty world of a highly competitive law firm, but, in time, it serves as a pure lens through which to survey the world as it is. I was left wondering should Marcelo be learning the rules of the real world, or should we, in the "real world", be adapting to his rules?

Beyond Marcelo, there is a cast of characters serving various purposes in Marcelo's world - we have a love interest, a villain (I actually put down the book at one point and yelled, "This guy is such a scumbag!"), the villain's father, Marcelo's family, Marcelo's religious mentor (Marcelo is very interested in religion), a lawyer who seems to be a genuine "good guy" and a mysterious girl that Marcelo feels compelled to save. I was surprised by the depth of this book. As I kept reading further and further and the plot kept getting deeper and deeper I was amazed by all the story within.

This was an excellent read. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in coming of age stories and particularly anyone who has family members, friends, classmates, or students on the autism spectrum. Having finished the book more than a week ago, I can honestly say I miss Marcelo. He made me think different, and there are so many times in this life where that is the greatest gift of all.

Have you read Marcelo in the Real World?

If so, what was your perspective?

For those of you who know someone on the autism spectrum, what have you learned from them lately?

Who/what make you "think different"?

This book was read and reviewed as part of my YA Read-a-Thon. This December I am reading as many real-life YA novels as I can in one month's time! Join in, check out the list of books that were recommended to me HERE. Or check into my YA Read-A-Thon Store to buy the books from Amazon.com.

Looking for Alaska [YA Book Review]

How I Found Looking for Alaska
 
I asked people for their favorites. I asked for what they deemed the best in current realistic young adult fiction.

One name kept creeping up: John Green, and paired with that name was, more often than not, his novel Looking for Alaska.

I put the name on my mental list. I planned on picking it up at the library when I made my trip on Friday. However, on Thursday, when Christmas shopping at Marshall's, I found it on the check out line. I couldn't believe it.

I decided I would treat myself to this one Christmas gift and start my YA Read-a-Thon one day earlier than I thought.

It didn't take long for me to understand why so many people provided this book  as one of their favorites.

My Summary
 
We meet Miles Halter, a soon-to-be junior in high school, sitting in his Florida living room waiting for his "school friends" to bid him good-bye as he readies for a dramatic shift in life; he is leaving for a boarding school in Alabama. Miles, an intelligent and well-read teen obsessed with "last lines," knows what his parents seem unable to admit - there will be no going away party, Miles does not have "school friends" that would invest that much time to come say good-bye.

This is part of the reason Miles has asked to go to boarding school. He is on a quest for what he calls "the Great Perhaps" as inspired by François Rabelais's last words ("I go to seek a Great Perhaps."). Miles doesn't want to wait until he dies to seek "the Great Perhaps" so he, instead, asks if he can attend the boarding school his father attended as a teen, Culiver Creek Boarding School.

As readers, we are taken on Miles's coming-of-age journey where he finds not only a "Great Perhaps," but also friendship, love, and himself, in a world so unlike the one he came from that he has no choice but to learn from nearly every single experience, person and class. In stark contrast to his Florida life, Miles, nicknamed "Pudge," finds himself in a close-knit groups of friends that share all facets of life with him. One of the friends Miles is especially taken with is Alaska Young, the girl in Culiver Creek that every guy wants, but realizes is too much to handle. Miles finds himself enraptured, in love and, as readers, we are captivated along with him.

As the group grows ever closer and the Miles/Alaska relationship grows more complicated, the entire school is given a shock that shakes even the headmaster to his core. Miles is left questioning who he has become, the importance of his studies, his "Great Perhaps," his love of Alaska and motivations of all of his new friends. It is this portion of the book that John Green entitles "after" which leads us to an extremely poignant conclusion that leaves readers reflecting on their one time invincibility, their unavoidable mortality and the beauty of forgiveness.

My Review

This was the first John Green book I have ever read. I was impressed by his fluidity with the language. By the time I had completed the novel's first paragraph, I was in awe about how much I could say about Miles already. Green conveyed character not only through descriptions, situations and dialogue, but also through an extremely strong voice.With this skill he breathed rich, diversified characteristics into the entire world of Looking for Alaska.

Add me to the throngs who will recommend -- no push -- anyone who asks, to read Looking for Alaska. I imagine some parents might be concerned with some of the topics that are brought to life within these pages, such as school-wide pranks and mischief, underage drinking and smoking, and sexual content, however, I feel, for one, that it is precisely these types of "kids behaving badly" activities that lift up Looking for Alaska to a point where one can honestly say, "Yep. That's exactly what kids - even smart ones - would be doing in a situation like this!" I think when your young adult chooses this book to read, it would be important to remember that he/she is a young adult, not a young child and, before YA books became all the rage, children in the YA age group often found their way to adult novels.

 Have you read Looking for Alaska (or any other John Green books)? 

What's your opinion?

How do you feel about subjects such as underage drinking and sexual content finding their way into YA novels?

What's your favorite coming-of-age novel? 

 This book was read and reviewed as part of my YA Read-a-Thon. This December I am reading as many real-life YA novels as I can in one month's time! Join in, check out the list of books that were recommended to me HERE. Or check into my YA Read-A-Thon Store to buy the books from Amazon.com.

December's Challenge: My YA Read-A-Thon

My Motivation
 
Last month I took on a challenge to write. I still can't believe I accomplished it. I wrote the first draft of a young adult novel. After finishing such a large endeavor, most authors advise stepping away from the work for at least three weeks before attempting to reread and/or edit the piece. It is my plan to return to my work in January, giving myself a full month of time and space between the writing and the editing.

It was an easy enough decision to make, however, as the end of November came closer and closer, the idea of not writing that story any more seemed closer to impossible. I decided I would have to come up with some thing else to occupy my mind (in addition to holiday preparations that are simply not distracting enough when you are as broke as I am!) so I would NOT be tempted to reopen my novel's file!

What I'm Doing 

I decided to do some very enjoyable research - I devised My YA Read-A-Thon! For the entire month of December I am reading as many real-life/coming of age young adult novels as I can (I have not set a number, because I do not know, realistically, what I am capable of at this point). For this particular venture I am not interested in Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal or any type of YA novel that is not what is considered "realistic." If you are wondering why, the answer is simple - my novel is a realistic YA novel, so I am looking to focus on that particular portion of the YA world.

How Will I Pick My Books

I made this decision in the last week of November. At the same time, I started requesting recommendations all over the virtual world - twitter, Reddit, Google+ - and have received a bunch of recommendations, but I am still looking for more. I am looking for the best real-life YA novels out there - your favorites, your recommendations, the ones that made you go hmm. I'm looking for the books I may have missed out on during my non reading times, during my recovery. I am working purely off of recommendations from others, and, after four days (and two books) on this journey, it has been amazing.

The List So Far

These are the books that have been recommended to me so far, in no particular order. If a series was recommended, I simply wrote down the first book in the series (because I have a serious problem with jumping into the middle of things!) Otherwise, if any MG (middle grade) books were recommended, I did not put them here, but will probably look into them at a later date!

• Green, John Looking for Alaska [read: my review]
  
• Stork X. Francisco Marcelo in the Real World [read: my review]
• Kelley, Tara Harmonic Feedback
• Han, Jenny The Summer I Turned Pretty
• Nelson, Jandy The Sky is Everywhere
• McCafferty, Megan Sloppy Firsts
• Ockler, Sarah Twenty Boy Summer
• Hopkins, Ellen Crank [read]
• Doctorow, Cory Little Brother [read]
• Hoban, Julia Willow
• Perkins, Stephanie Anna and the French Kiss
• Portman, Frank King Dork
• Phillips, Gillian Crossing the Line
• Anderson, Laurie Halse Speak [previously read]
  
• Morgan, Nicola Wasted
• David, Keren When I Was Joe
• Asher, Jay 13 Reasons Why [previously read]
• Brooks, Kevin Lucas

I am in a battle with my library (not really, but I'm internally disappointed with them) over the lack of availability of many of these books. I am creating a mega-hold list so the books can be shipped over here so I can pick them up, but eventually, I will get my hands on them. There are also a couple of recommendations here that I have already read and would recommend myself, but, for the most part, these are new to me which is very exciting!   

What This Means for Rivera Runs Through It...

Due to this challenge, you should expect a bunch of book reviews coming at you this month! I'm working on Looking for Alaska and Marcelo in the Real World as we speak, as they are my first two completed reads so far, so expect them  at some point this week! Along with, who knows what else (I have to select and start reading my third book already!). Also, I would love to hear from you if you have read any of these books or if you have any others you would like me to add to my list! (Some of the above might not make it to my library in December, so I might need replacements.)

If You Want to Follow Along

I suppose there are two ways to follow along all of my madness beyond just waiting around for posts here on the the blog. One is on twitter - I have been tweeting about my readings using the hashtag #myYAReadAThon. The other, of course, is to befriend me on Goodreads - a site I have been involved with for the longest time and KNOW I am still not using to its fullest capacity!

Whichever you choose, I hope we can share some great book fun this month!

I put all of the books in one Amazon store called "My YA Read-A-Thon" which can be accessed here on Rivera Runs Through It, or as a stand alone store. Either way, it's a pretty good resource for reviews and, if you want to buy one of the books I would truly appreciate your patronage to amazon through those sites!

Happy Reading!!

My November with NaNoWriMo

I know you were probably expecting a post about Halloween. A couple of weeks ago, I would have thought the same thing, but then I learned about NaNoWriMo and my life changed in an instant.

What is NaNoWriMo??

Simply put NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. It takes place from November 1st - November 30th of each year and is open to anyone who wants to take the leap. The leap being that in that space of time you write 50,000 words of a novel.


I was sitting in my doctor's office waiting room when I read all about it. I was just sitting there... I was just waiting and when I saw the description I thought, "This is EXACTLY what I've been waiting for!"

I signed up right then and there using my iPhone and felt an excitement in my bones I haven't felt in a long, long time.

That was eleven days ago.

24 hours from now I will be feverishly typing away just like I am now, except not for this blog.

I hope my hands can take it!!

OH NO! What Does This Mean for Rivera Runs Through It?!

Readers, you should not worry! Rivera Runs Through It is going to flow along just like normal (except that I might be light on posts during Thanksgiving week). Tomorrow you will get your What if prompt (one that I'm pretty excited about, in fact), Wednesday will give you yet another excerpt from my Reading Journals and by the end of this week you will know all my secrets about how to see Broadway shows for next to nothing!

The week after that will continue with our regular bloggy goodness as usual! The only thing that I think I might be a little light on this month will be my participation in the Write on Edge writing prompts for the obvious reason that I will be devoting all types of creative writing juices to my novel (OK... that sounds crazy to me! Awesome, but completely nuts!).

If Everything Is Going to Be Fine, Why Mention It At All?

Two days ago I received my first official e-mail from the NaNoWriMo group which laid out a sketch of what the month of November will look like. Here's what they had on the agenda for this week:

Warn your friends, family, neighbors, and pets about the upcoming challenge. The more people who know what you're working on, the more accountable you'll feel and the likelier you are to hit the 50,000-word goal. (And the family hamster will be a lot more understanding when you don't refresh his chlorophyll chips as regularly.)

So I'm warning you and I'm asking for your support.

Are There Any Cheerleaders Out There?

I am going to have to write 1,667 words per day for every single day of November if I want to make it. While I am all amped to do this right now, I am quite certain I will be hitting all types of walls during the month, so any words of encouragement either through e-mail, twitter, or on Facebook would be greatly appreciated. I'm pretty sure I can do this, but I'm not sure I can do it alone!

The Burning Question: What I'm Writing About

I really love my Sasquatch notebooks :)

In the last eleven days of planning I went through a number of outlines, characters, story ideas and scenarios until one finally stuck. It was funny, I thought it would be a struggle all the way through, but once I found the right idea for me right now things just started flowing - no, flooding - into my brain. The characters came to life, the story began to unravel itself into major plot points in my Sasquatch notebook.

I've had a really hard time writing a synopsis (mostly because I haven't written the novel yet!!!), but let's give it a go again...

I'm writing a YA (Young Adult) novel. This should come of no surprise to those of you who remember I am recently home from a 12 year stint as a high school Math Teacher. I know YA. I lived YA. I also happen to love reading YA novels myself.


In high school I always kept a diary. I also always used to write notes to my friends. I just wondered what if I wrote notes to someone I didn't even know... The working title for this novel is is Dear 302 inspired by the fact that a girl, Rachel, with locker number 302, keeps getting mysterious notes addressed in such a manner by the end of each day from an enigmatic character named "B." B doesn't know Rachel and Rachel, who just wants to fit in in her first year of high school, has no idea what's going on!

I don't want to say much more for fear of telling you the whole story before the details are even hashed out, but that's your teaser for the day! I hope it's enough to intrigue you for now!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?

If so, are you a newbie like me?

Do you have questions about Dear 302? Post them! They may inspire me to take a new plot turn, or be something that is already addressed!

What other types of Internet Challenges have you participated in?