Between The Lines

...Me! Me!! ME!!!

I'm Prodhi...you can call me Prod.
I'm a YA reader/reviewer/ other than that, I'm a nutcase gone awry. Yes, I'm insane so to speak:) I'd say I'm a girl next door, but I'm much better off without a Pinocchio nose, thank you very much. I'm a pretty fun chica, I guess. I also realize that this About Me section doesn't do the three dimensions of my character justice. Or four. Or five. Or six. Oh shooh!

...Contact moi, Lovelies.

Bloggers and readers, if you have anything to say to me, here: prodhi@live.com. YA authors who would like me to review their books, I'll be more than honoured. Contact me at the same address.

...Book I'm reading now

Not Like You by Deborah Davis

...Blogposts Past

...Blogroll

...Followers

...WordBox

Friday, April 16, 2010

WorDissection: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Did I like it? Totally did.
You'll love it if you liked: Tamora Pierce novels, The Chronicles of Narnia series
Aura: Somewhere between intense and light. There is some nail biting tension buildup, though.
Read If: You want a convincing fantasy that still contains elements of reality
Main Character: Meghan Chase, 16-year old female
Themes: Supernatural abilities, Kingdoms at war, Kinship, Family bonding, Star-crossed love
Plot: 9/10. Convincing.
Narration: 8.5/10. Quite impressive.
Characterization: 8.5/10.
Overall: 8.5/10
Did I get bored anywhere? Nope.
Did any part confuse me? Not at all. It was a smooth read.
Line/ Page Skippability: 1.5/5. Not much really, just the overly descriptive parts.
Writing Style: Average sentences, Informal
Uniqueness: 8.5/10
Predictability: 3.5/10.
Imagery: 4.5/5. The scenes seem to be playing right before me.
Cover: 8.5/10.
Ending: Aye, there’s a sequel!
Reading priority: Must Read
Reading duration: Slow readers: A week. Fast readers: 5.5 hours.
Synopsis:
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

WordVore Prod’s Review:
Two things that this book changed about me:
1.) My skepticism about Harlequin Teen
2.) My distaste in fantasy
I swear, fantasy was never my element. However, I loved this book so much that midsentence, even I was surprised! I absolutely loved how the plot was light (not too crammed up) yet interesting. It was like a delicious diet cola (which I have yet to find literally). The story was very streamlined and flowed smoothly. Usage of words was articulate and striking. Descriptions were astoundingly beautiful; however, at times I felt were a little long-drawn and redundant.
Meghan’s character was…unique. Not unique as in Lady-Gaga-Lil-Wayne-hybrid-unique, but it had a very distinctive, individualistic quality about it. You could relate to her but at the same time you could recognize her as an individual person. I would have loved a little more insight into Ash’s character, since I feel it would be a great character to read about. Portrayal was relationships was intricate and true to life, but heartwrenching. Meghan’s love for her stepbrother was so real it jumped out of the pages. I also liked how the concept “No one is perfect” is played upon, e.g. Meghan’s former parents having an imperfect relationship despite her rose-coloured illusions. Puck was the most amusing, adorable “friend” character one could create.
Meghan and Ash had marvelous chemistry. Their kiss rocked my socks off with the subtle fireworks and spontaneity. I’ll just end it at that.
The Iron King was so well-characterized in such a short time that it’s unbelievable. His chilly yet weirdly appealing character is something I couldn’t get over.
The only thing that slightly irked me was that the characters were just a tad bit repetitive at times. It’s not too distractive, thankfully, but I feel their dialogues could have been a little less cyclical.
Overall, a great book to read. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out!

Labels: Fantasy, Julie Kagawa, The Iron King, WorDissection

WordVore Prod
2 comments

Tête-à-Tête with author of A Blue So Dark, Holly Schindler

Holy scheibe. What is /wrong/ with me?
I am so, so sorry I have been absent from blogging for so long. Between the sudden stress of school, French classes, community service, guitar classes and IGCSE external courses, I was fumbling with time management, and I apologize. Now I feel I'm more smart with my time, and I've suddenly experienced a huge boost in stamina.
Anyways, I'm back. For real. And I want to start with an amazing interview with the author of A Blue So Dark, Holly Schindler. Trust me when I say that the book looks compelling to the nth degree.
Read on, and enjoy:)

Tell us something about yourself: likes, dislikes, favorite color, even why you think the chicken crossed the road…

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. ALWAYS. When I got my master’s degree, I decided to chuck the whole notion of a real full-time real job in favor of chasing a writing career. I’m ECSTATIC to now have three books in development! My debut, a YA titled A BLUE SO DARK, is due out from Flux in May. PLAYING HURT, my second YA (that’s a tentative title) is due out from Flux in ‘11, and FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS (again, a tentative title) is my first adult novel, due out from Blooming Tree Press in ’11.

…I’m also a lifelong Missouri girl. I don’t really think there’s a much prettier place than the Ozarks…Even when she’s being cruel in the winter, unleashing ice storms and feet of snow, she’s pretty…The perfect place to write, I think…

A BLUE SO DARK sounds so rich and enticingly intense. Tell us more about it.

A BLUE SO DARK is an edgy, literary YA novel that tackles madness, the nature of creativity, and the healing power of art. Here’s a brief synopsis:

Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura Ambrose struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frightening similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

How did you come up with the plot? Do you feel that the story is based off your life in any way?

I’ve always loved to draw…took as many art courses in high school as I did English courses. Trust me—there are FAR better artists than I am. But I’m fascinated by creativity—why some people explode with ideas, and others stare at a sketchbook for hours and get nothin’.

In A BLUE SO DARK, I got a chance to explore some ideas about where creativity might spring from. For Aura, creativity and madness are inextricably linked. And there’s no denying many artists have been both creative and mad…so her fears really do give readers something to chew on.

Rapid fire round! Blue or red?

You kiddin’? Blue, of course! It’s the color of my very best broken-in writing jeans, of my favorite pair of glasses (I’m extremely nearsighted), and of my favorite book cover. (Is it crazy to be in love with the cover of your own book?)

What would be on Aura’s top 10 most played songs?

I LOVE this question! Buuuuut….I’m going to break the rules a bit, and just give you just the #1…

The novel includes a few references to some classic artists—Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel…most notably, Pink Floyd. If I were to give you just one song that I think kind of tells Aura and her mother’s story, I’d have to say, “Wish You Were Here.” Google the lyrics, and you’ll see what I mean.

Three words to describe yourself and three words to describe A BLUE SO DARK.

Me: I’m a writer. MAN, it feels SO good to say that. A real writer. With more than one book in development!

A BLUE SO DARK: Does art cripple? That’s the central question that Aura has to answer. Will art free her, give her a much-needed outlet, or will it completely cripple her, bring on the same mental illness that her mother has struggled with for so many years?

Oh my GOD. PINK FLOYD. I'm in love with the book already.

Labels: A Blue So Dark, Holly Schindler, Tête-à-Tête

WordVore Prod
1 comments