Thousand Words: review

Title: Thousand Words
Author: Jennifer Brown
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 stars
Release Date:
May 21, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown
Age Group: YA
Source: ARC provided by the publisher

Living in the digital age is fantastic--we use smartphones and computers to get information and stay in touch, and to share in a way that wasn't possible not too long ago. But the speed and efficiency at which news travels can be a huge drawback when you've made a mistake--or when someone decides to use your information against you.

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown is somewhat of a modern cautionary tale. Ashleigh is caught up in a sexting scandal when, in a moment of weakness, she sends a naked photo of herself to her boyfriend Kaleb. When the two of them go through an ugly break-up, her ex decides to circulate the photo to his friends. She's mortified, especially since her father is the school superintendent and she feels guilty on top of feeling embarrassed.

The blurb made me a little wary, because it sounds as though the book could be After School Special-ish or too neat in the way things wrap up, especially in mentioning a boy who (of course!) didn't look at the circulated photo. But it's good to find that this story was told in a non-preachy, non-sensationalist way: Ashleigh's relationship with her friends and parents is well-portrayed, the parents' concern for the bigger picture was realistic, the developing friendship with Mack is slow to unfold and solid (and thank heaven, there's no forced romance), and I really liked that there weren't any neat and tidy ends, particularly in Ashleigh's interactions with Kaleb. And I loved Mack's twist on the "A picture tells a thousand words" phrase.

What I didn't realize going into this story was that teenagers who send naked photos of themselves can actually be charged with distributing child pornography. Ashleigh is already humiliated by her ex-boyfriend's actions, but now she also has community service to fulfill. While I'm all for educating kids who find themselves in this position, I agree with this blog post; such charges seem like further punishment for something these kids will already have to live with for the rest of their lives.

There are a few things that I think could have made the story stronger: the shifting timelines were sometimes confusing to me, and I wish the book had spent more time talking about the emotional effect this would have on someone at the center of the storm. Victims of this behavior don't just experience embarrassment, they can suffer devastating long term damage from a momentary lapse in judgment.  But the author's note at the end provides interesting background to her drive in writing the story, and I especially appreciate her comments that "One bad decision does not an identity make" and "how we handle the fallout is what matters most." I couldn't agree with those statements more.

"That's the thing," I said. "He didn't apologize. Not really. He said he was sorry for how things turned out, and he talked about how bad it's been for him, but he never really said anything specific, you know?" And I realized that was probably what bothered me about my meeting with Kaleb the most. You could have plugged that apology into pretty much any situation and it would have worked. It was as good as saying nothing at all." 

The takeaway from this book is this: our actions have consequences, and so do our words. As our world becomes increasingly more plugged in, Thousand Words comes along at just the right moment in our culture. I cannot imagine a more timely and relevant topic of discussion for YA readers.

This review also appears on GoodReads. An advance copy was provided by the publisher. 

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Further Reading:

Here are a few articles that readers might find illuminating. While Thousand Words doesn't focus on circumstances as extreme as some of those featured below, the first article provides sobering insights into how highlight how easy--and common--it is for kids and teens to engage in questionable behavior. The second shows the destructive, lasting effects on kids who have been victimized. The third features a woman who went through a similar sexting scandal to the one described in this book.

Through His Webcam, A Boy Joins a Sordid Online World 

The Price of a Stolen Childhood: How Much Can Restitution Help Victims of Child Pornography?

A Victim Speaks: Standing Up to a Revenge Porn Tormentor

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What Are Your Thoughts?

Have any of you experienced or witnessed a scandal like the one described in this book? Are you interested in reading this? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Spirit: Tour Kick-off with Secrets of the Elemental Series + Giveaway!

Let's be honest here. I'm a big fan of the the Merrick boys--so the idea of a story about Hunter, the guy who who is always fighting with them, didn't initially catch my attention, particularly after Gabriel's awesome story in Spark. But man, did this third installment in the Elemental series knock my socks off!

There is lots of action (of ALL kinds, hee hee) and lots of unexpected emotion. Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer is fantastic PNR/UF, written with the kind of intensity, energy, thought, and originality that's so often lacking in in those genres. I'm in total shock over how ballsy this book is in terms of unconventional plot and character development, particular in Hunter's story arc with the mysterious Kate, a girl who has her own agenda--but still can't stop herself from getting her heart involved. You'll find yourself a fan of Hunter's as soon as you start to get to know him better, and I really hope we get to see more of his story down the road.

We're so pleased to be kicking off the official blog tour we're hosting for this book today with a special guest post from the author. Brigid's sharing fun facts about the series that she's never revealed before! Lean in closer, friends, because this is pretty juicy stuff. And you may never look at those titles the same way again.

~ Wendy

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Five Secrets of The Elemental Series 

by Brigid Kemmerer

1) Character Names

Hunter’s name wasn’t always Hunter. Originally, his name was Garrett. That wasn’t a problem until I started writing Spark, book two in the series, and (mild spoiler) he became friends with Gabriel Merrick. I would write these scenes with Gabriel and Garrett and the names were just too visually similar, so I knew I had to make a change. I went through a lot of names before settling on Hunter, but now I couldn’t think of him any other way. Other possibilities included Salem, Sam, and Cal.

Hunter’s not the only one to go through a name change, either. Kate Sullivan was originally Emma Blue, but I already had a Becca and a Calla. Silver was originally Winter, and there were several names in between.

Honestly, it’s a miracle I haven’t changed my kids’ names yet.

2) Character Relationships

In Spirit, Kate is a Guide-in-Training, sent with Silver to destroy the Merricks. She and Silver have a very … violent relationship. It wasn’t always that way. In an early draft, Kate and Silver had a very romantic relationship. In fact, in the first chapter, they were in bed together. She was going to be quite promiscuous and too much for Hunter to handle. But as I kept writing, she kept fighting me. She didn’t want to be in bed with Silver. I struggled with her character for a good long while before I realized what the problem was. When I went back and put her and Silver into more of an antagonistic relationship, everything clicked into place.

3) Ambulance Stories

There’s a scene where Hannah (Michael Merrick’s girlfriend) is talking to Hunter on the back porch. Hannah is a firefighter/EMT, and she’s telling Hunter ambulance stories. All the events she shares with Hunter are true rescue stories that I heard from my local fire chief when I was interviewing him for Spark.

4) Dirty Titles

Originally, the title of the first book in the series (Chris and Becca’s book) was Elemental. (Which ended up being the title of Michael’s novella, to make it more confusing.) Book two, about Gabriel’s relationship with fire, was going to be called Incendiary. After a lot of discussion, we decided those titles didn’t quite capture the essence of the series, and we wanted something to tie them all together. My friends, being my friends, kept coming up with dirty titles, which made me laugh, but didn’t really help. (Moist, anyone?) But then my editor, who also edits erotica titles, said, “If these books were erotica, it would be so much easier. The first three books could be Wet, Hot, and Hard.” (We also had numerous giggles every time we referred to “Hunter’s stones.”)

5) Foreshadowing Nick

Now that Breathless is out (and based on the summary, it’s not spoiling anything to say that he’s struggling with an attraction to a boy), I’ve been getting a lot of feedback about his character. Some people have said, “I knew it, I saw it coming.” Some people have said, “Wow, that came out of nowhere!” So the question always is, “Did I plan to make Nick gay?”

Yes. And no.

When I first wrote Storm, I had an inkling about it. It was definitely in the back of my head, and it was always Nick. I wasn’t thinking, “I should make one of these guys gay.” It was always him. I just didn’t know if I could pull it off. But then a friend (who is gay) asked me if I’d consider making Nick a gay character. Even though it was in the back of my head, I was initially resistant to the idea. I was scared, honestly. I wasn’t worried about backlash or anything like that. I didn’t want to do it wrong, you know what I mean? But I had a third novella under contract, and I knew I wanted to write it from Nick’s point of view. I sat down to write, and I put a guy in front of him, wanting to see what would happen. Well, Adam happened, and he’s one of my favorite characters to introduce to the series.

My editor had no idea I was taking Nick’s character in that direction. Turned out, she loved it. (And I got the chance to write two more books for the series. Nick’s book, which I just finished, will be out January 2014. The working title is Secret.)

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About the Author

Brigid Kemmerer started writing in high school, and her first real “novel” was about four vampire brothers causing a ruckus in the suburbs. Those four brothers are the same boys living in the pages of The Elemental Series, so Brigid likes to say she’s had four teenage boys taking up space in her head for the last seventeen years!

Spirit, the latest book in the series, will be released in stores and online on May 28, 2013. Connect with Brigid on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and GoodReads.

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Stupendous Giveaways!

Thanks to Brigid, Kensington Teen, and Allen and Unwin, we have amazing prizes to give away as part of this blog tour:

-- 10 copies of Spirit for each official tour stop
-- 2 grand prizes consisting of all three books in the Elementals series
-- a special contest where you can vote for Brigid to write a short story about your favorite Elementals guy!

To win the books, all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us what you like best about this series, and to fill out the Rafflecopter form. To vote for your favorite guy, just vote with the widget below, and Brigid will post the winning guy's story on her site!

The best part is, this contest is international, so fans all over the world will have a chance to win. Open to readers aged 18 and older, or 13 and older with parental permission. See complete rules on the entry form. Good luck!

A Conversation with Leigh Bardugo + Siege and Storm Giveaway!

Our readers know all three of us are big fans of the Grisha trilogy here at The Midnight Garden. If you read K's Siege and Storm review yesterday, you know you're in for a thrill of a ride when the book is released next month!    

We had the opportunity to sit down with author Leigh Bardugo recently to chat about her novels. Since the books are influenced by Russian culture, we thought it'd be fun to meet up for drinks at a vodka bar here in Los Angeles! 

Here's a recounting and paraphrased transcript of the highly giggly conversation below. 

 ~ Wendy and Tonya    

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A Conversation with Leigh Bardugo

Wendy: Peeps, I just want you to know that when Leigh breezed through the doorway, I nearly didn't recognize her because she did NOT show up in a fur hat with a jeweled walking stick.    

Leigh: It's funny, because logically, I know you don't look like a cartoon, but I was still surprised that you don't actually look like Wendy Darling.  

Wendy: I should have worn a blue dress and curls! Social media avatars can be so deceptive. I did wear my stag ring for you, though.

In between bites of duck pizza, crudites, and Moscow Mules, the three of us talked about Siege and Storm, as well as how Leigh's life has changed since she became an author.    

Wendy: Where were you when you first got the news that you'd hit the New York Times bestseller list for Shadow and Bone?    

Leigh: I was in Houston for a signing. I'd just gone to get my hair done and it was enormous. My editor called and asked if I was sitting down and I thought, "This is either going to be really good or really bad." It turned out to be really good and I pretty much broke down crying. So there I was with my giant hair, sitting on a bench at an outdoor mall, in 100 degree heat, freaking out all of the shoppers. My agent called and we cried. Then I rang up my mom and we cried some more.    

Wendy: Aww. I always say it's like being an Academy Award nominee--the words "New York Times Bestselling Author" will follow you around for life.  

Leigh: I remember flopping down on my bed in the hotel room and feeling completely serene, thinking, "This is all I need." And then I just had to laugh at myself. Even in that moment I knew it wouldn't last. All the doubt and anxiety would creep back in soon enough, so I did my best to enjoy it while I could.  

Tonya: It's unusual for a debut to hit the list. Was your experience writing book two different from book one?  

Leigh: I actually wrote S&S before S&B was released, which was a blessing since I didn't have any outside opinions to sway me. It was certainly a more intense experience since it was the first time I'd written a book on deadline.    

Wendy: Do you miss your old day job at all? In my former life, I worked with a lot of make-up artists and it's not always a fun job--you're always the first to arrive and the last to leave.  

 Leigh: Not a bit. laughs The hours are long, and you're always on someone else's schedule. I still love product and I still make my friends up for Halloween. It's almost as if, now that makeup isn't my job, I can enjoy it again. Oh, and I have occasionally wielded my brushes on my Fierce Reads tourmates. Sometimes I can't resist.  

 Wendy: Lucky ladies!

During our chat, we enjoyed martinis and appetizers during happy hour. The clientele was interesting to say the least, and at one point a very drunk man pulled up a chair and started chatting us up. (Wendy had no qualms about lying through her teeth and introducing herself as "Eloisa." 

We were pretty relieved when a hostess stopped by to invite us into the famed VodBox, which is a freezing cold room full of vodka where we all put on big faux fur coats and hats. Each of us tasted three different kinds of vodka before making our way back to the lounge and getting back to business.   

Tonya: You have a very passionate and vocal following on Twitter and Tumblr. What's your experience been like with your readers?    

Leigh: Just amazing. I don't understand where all of these talented, awesome people came from, but I'm so grateful for them. Some of the fanart and the graphics and the edits—so insane! And the coolest thing is when I find out that we have fandoms in common and we can all geek out together.  

We talked about a lot of books and pop culture at this point. Tonya and Leigh bonded over Game of Thrones and Kresley Cole, while Wendy offered up a recommendation for a paranormal romance with hot dragon sex. (Okay, so there was a lot vodka.)    

Wendy: Let's talk about Alina for a minute. I confess I put off reading the first book for awhile because I saw so many raves for the book, but I also had a few friends who thought she wasn't strong enough. But then I read it and I thought, "What are you talking about?" Not every girl has to start out full of self-confidence or knowing exactly what to do all the time. I love Alina's character's story arc, particularly the direction it takes in Siege and Storm. 

Leigh: Why thank you! I think it's fair to say that Alina has very little agency at the start of the Shadow and Bone. She's an orphan and a refugee and a member of the peasant class. She's never had the experience of power and she really wrestles with it. But I wanted to create a heroine who had to struggle to be strong, who had to grow into her power, and yeah, who made bad choices sometimes.   

Tonya: Just like real girls. The male characters get a lot of attention (deservedly so), but the female characters you write are also amazing.    

Wendy: Oh, Genya! I found her so intriguing in S&B but she just broke my heart in S&S.

Leigh: Her character arc is probably my favorite to write. She plays a bigger role in the third book...you'll have to wait and see.    

Wendy: Ugh, TEASE. I have threatened to wrestle that manuscript away from you, and I haven't given up on that idea.    

Tonya: I'm getting in your car when you drive over there.

*awkward silence*

Wendy: Um. Your world-building is so rich and evocative--as you know, I love how much thought went into all those details.    

Leigh: They're really fun to write. But sometimes I really just want to write a book where my character can go have a peanut butter sandwich.    

Tonya: Haha! That's hilarious, but I know what you mean.    

Wendy: And you're a singer too, right? I saw that you and your band used to play around LA a lot.    

Leigh: We aren't as active as we used to be since we're all doing different projects, but some of us got together to record a song I wrote for S&S called "Winter Prayer."    

Wendy: It's just lovely! I hope it makes it into the film's soundtrack. Omg, what if it's covered by Florence Welch for the credits? *flails*  

Leigh: I. Would. Die.    

Wendy: The movie is going to be awesome, especially with all the attention to detail you put into the books. You have a good team behind it with HeyDay Films since they produced Harry Potter--I mean, I'm not always crazy about the idea of book to film adaptations, but I think all the signs point at a fantastic one for yours.  

Tonya: Are you going to be touring for this book?  

Leigh: Yes! You can find a list of the cities I'll be visiting on my website. If you're in the LA area, you should definitely come out to the pre-launch party. Free champagne, Wendy, ahemhem. And I'll be announcing a few more appearances soon.    

Wendy: I don't know if I can find a Tsarpunk get-up in time, hah. Although I actually do have a fabulous furry hat and embroidered coat.

What can you tell us about Ruin And Rising, which will be out in 2014? Is there a FOURTH attractive man in it? I hope not, because I'm going to appear to be so fickle if I keep switching teams.  

Leigh: Actually... there is a new guy on the scene. I certainly find him attractive, but it's possible you'll just think he's crazy. Beyond that, it's almost impossible for me to talk about Ruin and Rising without giving away spoilers.    

Wendy: Well, damn. There goes my reputation. Thanks so much for meeting up with us, Leigh! It's been a pleasure.    

Tonya: We'll have to meet up again for Ruin and Rising!

Wendy: Only if I get those WendHond scenes.

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About the Author Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy, beginning with Shadow and Bone. Connect with her on her website, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and GoodReads.

Siege and Storm, the latest volume in her bestselling Grisha Trilogy, will be available online and in stores on June 4, 2013.    

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Win a Siege and Storm ARC! We hope our readers appreciate the supreme sacrifice we are making by offering up our ARC, especially since Leigh says very few of them were printed.

To enter, let us know your favorite thing about the Grisha Trilogy below (or why you're excited to read the book) and fill out the Rafflecopter form! Open to US and Canadian residents aged 18 and older, or 13 and older with parental permission. Complete rules are on the entry form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway    

Our thanks to the gracious Leigh Bardugo for meeting up with us for this interview, as well as to Henry Holt for providing the ARC for this giveaway.   

We're a site focused on book reviews for adults, but here's our disclaimer nonetheless: all of us are over 21 and do not encourage the reckless consumption of alcohol. Especially if you're discussing Sturmhond, because you'll want to remember all those delicious details.

Siege and Storm: review

Title: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Release Date:
June 4, 2013
Publisher:
Henry Holt and Co.
Age Group: YA
Source: ARC provided by the publisher

"The boy and the girl..." 

A beautiful beginning. Simple, intimate, yet with so much promise. I feel like this encapsulates the very vein of the book: a quiet story of the heart framed in blazing adventure.

Leigh Bardugo's Siege and Storm has been garnering praise, and when you read it, you will understand why. Bardugo is a storyteller. She moves words across the page effortlessly as if they have been her friends all her life. She creates imagery appealing to our senses; builds tension and fervor, panic and wonder. She knows how to express a scene, as though she has planted herself right in the middle of it and shows us exactly where and how to look. She does more than tell us, she makes us understand.

Which is crucial, as this second installment is, in many ways, as much a psychological journey as it is a physical one. It speaks of religion and the blinding influence it spreads to people desperate for something to believe in. It talks of war, a country torn and slowly degrading. We see and relate to the struggle of families and neighbors as they try to survive. We witness heroes rise and cowards fall as the clock strikes and a person must choose where they stand. The battle is not only on the field, because first you must fight to get yourself on the field. We see this in a number of characters. A privateer of questionable virtue yet with undeniable patriotism. A slave girl who defies despite fear and threat. A score of young men and women who understand the cost of war yet are still willing to fight.

Alina's own battle is just as harrowing. Alina has been tainted by the Darkling. She's marked. Her light is bound to his darkness. Her struggle is holding on to her good when, at the core, she feels evil, doomed, fated. The question is...can we turn against nature? We see Alina, over and again, choose the right thing, but oh, the Darkling is temptation. The promises oozing from his lips seduce and she is tempted. Worse still, we ourselves are convinced by him.

The Darkling. A complicated man. In my eyes, almost irredeemable. And yet. His intentions are sincere. And yet...

Bardugo makes it just as hard for us to let him go as it is for Alina. And as it is with Mal. The consideration between Mal and Alina is one of the most touching I've ever read. As Alina grows closer to reaching her potential as Sun Summoner, her ties with Mal is severed thread by thread. What she needs is the very thing tearing them apart. But they hold on and we hope on because the relationship is healthy and true. And, of course, it's romantic. [Swoon break]

Alina and the Darkling push and pull. Alina and Mal give and take. Herein lies another of Bardugo's  talents. These characters and their interactions are colourful and complex. They fail and succeed. They are honorable and sometimes selfish. Each one is instilled with a solid personality; flawed, authentic.

Other high points? The dialogue. High fantasy requires a certain formality in the language but oftentimes they sound saccharine and melodramatic. Never here. Her language flows. It is never awkward and always lovely. Bardugo uses a dictionary of "old words" like skiff and fetter, which I loved. I had to look up a heck of a lot of them but it was worth it. The atmosphere was tangible.

I must end here. If I don't stop myself now, I never will. Just know that Siege and Storm satisfies and justifies. Real things are at stake, real things are sacrificed. I think this delivers as much as any novel can deliver, whatever that may mean. All I know is that I was floored. My brain rates this a 4.5 because, yes, I am still left with question marks.

But the rest of me? A METEOR SHOWER OF STARS!

This review also appears on Goodreads. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.

Check back here tomorrow and read our exclusive interview with Leigh Bardugo!

Another opinion:  Wendy's Siege and Storm review

Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2): Cover Reveal and Giveaways!

Peeps. PEEPS! 

We are practically hopping with excitement over here, because today we're participating in the official cover reveal for Kinslayer, the hotly anticipated second book in Jay Kristoff's epic steampunk Asian fantasy series that began with Stormdancer.
 
The book won't be out until this fall, but we've already got the US and UK/overseas covers to show you now, along with a sweet ARC giveaway. Are you read for all the awesomeness? 

Ta-da!

Look how furious Buruu looks on the US cover! The author promised us there will be blood (heh), blood like a river, so judging by the marks on Yukiko's face, it seems that there will be some serious conflict up ahead. I love the jade green colors, too. AND THERE IS A DRAGON.

I quite like the overseas cover as well--it has a different feel to it, but it's just as arresting with the cool blues and misty whites of the waterfall contrasting with the bright yellow leaves. The brushstroke font and symbols are a nice touch as well.

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Win a Kinslayer ARC hot off the presses!

So what do you think of these covers, eh? Are you excited to read this book? Tell us in the comments below and fill out the Rafflecopter form, and you could win one of the very first available ARCs when they're printed this summer.