Contest: IN HONOR OF MOCKINGJAY

So, pretty much every YA reader out there knows what is happening August 24^th…MOCKINGJAY!! Finally,  we get to find out what happens. Did Peeta survive? What is the fabled District 13 like? Who will triumph—Katniss or The Capitol? (My money is on Katniss all the way!)

I haven’t met a single person who has not loved these books. They are fast paced, the stakes couldn’t be any higher, and they are full of characters we love and and villians we despise.  The Hunger Games series is an excellent example of what I was talking about a few blogs ago—great writing we can all aspire to!

So, now I need you guys to give me your opinions, so I have a way to pass these last antagonizing days until the book comes out!!

Answer any or all of the questions below and you’ll be automatically entered to win an awesome glow-the-dark Mockingjay sticker, four amazing buttons from the series and a free critique of your first chapter/5,000 words, query or synopsis!

Who will win Katniss in the end? Gale–the steadfast bestfriend who helped her survive or Peeta–the boy who has repeatedly risked his life to save hers?

The series is full of colorful, larger-than-life characters. Who is your favorite?

Who will get killed in this final book? (PLEASE NOT CINNA—if he even survived the last one. Sniff.)

Who would you cast as Katniss, Gale, Peeta and Haymitch?

Let me know guys—remember, all it takes is your opinion on any/all of the questions for a chance to win! Good luck everyone! Down below are pictures of your fabulous pins–I will post the picture of the sticker soon, I’m having a problem with my computer.  Lastly, here are a few links to reviews we’ve received for our critiques at CC. REVIEW ONE TWO THREE

I’m going to re-read my fave parts of Catching Fire now…

Why I Love Harry Potter

I want to go to Harry Potter World! I am desperate to see Hogwarts and the talking portraits and go into Hogsmeade to get my wand and a mug of butterbeer.  Since my daughter first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at the age of ten—she’s twenty now—and convinced me I had to read it I’ve been captivated by the books. JK Rowling managed to accomplish something few other authors ever have. Her characters affected the world in ways that people wouldn’t have dreamed possible. Who out there has heard of Wizard Rock? Can you imagine writing a book that inspired a whole genre of music? Or a giant amusement park?

As writers, we all strive to create characters that will have an impact on the world, so when we find a book like Harry Potter, we have to ask ourselves–what is it about those characters that inspire such fervent loyalty?

Harry himself is the reluctant hero—at theme we have seen repeatedly in great stories. He is loyal and brave and—most importantly—just a regular guy who often makes mistakes, despite   his wizard status. He has his gifts, but they aren’t so over the top that we can’t believe in them. He muddles through a lot, sometimes by the skin of his teeth (anyone remember the lake challenge during the tri-wizard tournament?) He needs his friends to survive-and his loyalty to them is his strongest quality.

Hermione and Ron are the perfect sidekicks, one smart, one funny, and both as fiercely loyal as Harry. Voldemort is an excellent villain who has a believable agenda. We have a smaller villain as well though, so the YA story isn’t overwhelmed by Voldemort. Malfoy is the perfect foil to Harry–and a character anyone who has ever attended school can relate to. Even the characters without as much page time, such as Luna Lovegood, Fred and George, Dobby, the horrible Dursleys— are all SO alive and layered.

The fantastic setting of the story plays a huge role as well. What child since hasn’t secretly hoped for his Hogwarts letter? Who among us Potterphiles has not wished for an invisibility cloak or longed to go have tea in Hagrid’s hut and see his latest monsters?

So, my challenge to all of you out there is this–Using the HP books or other books you’ve loved– pick out the traits that make a character impossible to walk away from.  Tell us about a world you are so immersed in that it becomes a real place to you.  Give us the aspects of a great story that draw you in and keep you reading. IE: Harry Potter–The underdog vs. the evil overlord and how he triumphs.

In other words, what are your favorite books –but, more importantly, why?

The Adults Who Read YA Choice Awards

So, I know I’m not technically a “teen” haha, but…I’m still very excited about the Teen Read Awards. With all the movie award shows it’s really nice to see some books being honored. So, I shot over to the site and went to cast my votes.

I found that I was disappointed in some of the nominees. I guess it’s going to be that way for everyone. But, I believe—as a writer and an adult– it’s more prevalent for me. I don’t know if I’ve learned to think too much like a writer and I can’t turn it off—but some of the books teens really like I’m only so-so on. A huge pet peeve is how many characters in YA fall in love for no reason. I especially don’t understand why all these immortal guys who have been around a billion ordinary girls fall for these ordinary girls with no explanation WHY. Anyone else have this problem?

I think the characters are a little boring or immature sometimes, or that the book doesn’t have a strong enough plot arc. Some of the newer trilogies seem like the first book is nothing but a set up for the next one. I also notice if the writer uses a lot of directional phrasing, clichés, adverbs etc…Sometimes I wish I could turn off the editor in me and just read the books. Haha.

As much as I LOVE YA I guess I am a little too old for some of it, because I know if I was a teenager I probably wouldn’t be asking the questions I ask, I’d probably just enjoy the book. Do any of you guys find that you have that problem?

So, given all of that, in honor of the Teen Readers Awards, we thought we could have our own awards here on Chimera Critiques. The nominees are carefully chosen books that are for teens and UP!

We’ll put up a five in each category and leave you guys to nominate a wild card for each category. Feel free to nominate books out of the paranormal realm—sorry, but that’s what we read, so that will have to be what we stick to. Oh, we also left out Harry Potter and The Twilight Books because we wanted to make room for other stuff—not because they aren’t great. In order to not have an over-abundance of material to choose from we’ve only listed books that were written in the last few years. So, without further ado:

THE ADULTS WHO READ TEEN BOOKS CHOICE AWARDS

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NOMINATION FOR BEST WRITING IN THE COMMENTS!

For anyone who is interested, here is why I made the choices for best writing: Feel Free to Skip this and Shoot Down to the Next Poll

The Mortal Instruments: Cassandra Clare is the queen of metaphors, and I just love how alive she makes the story come. Her plot arc through the series was awesome, with the characters learning lessons and changing as the story grew. She’s also absolutely hilarious and the throw away lines by Jace and Simon were some of the highlights of the book.

Shiver: Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is like poetry at points. Her prose is absolutely beautiful to read. Sam is the moody, poetic guy that actually has a reason to be moody and poetic. His fight to hang onto his humanity is what sets this book far apart from the rest of the werewolf/vampire crowd.

The Hunger Games: Fast Paced!! This book is the best example of pacing I’ve ever seen. You barely ever have a minute to catch your breath. The story hooks you immediately and never lets that hook waver for even a second. Katniss is a strong heroine, who is actually someone young girls can look up to and admire.

Beautiful Creatures: This book is so vibrant! It’s set in the deep south and I can almost feel the humidity dripping off the words. Even the side-characters are hilarious and animated. Literally everything about that book LEAPS off the page. I also loved the fact that it was written from a teenage boys POV. Despite being written by two different authors, the writing is completely seamless. This is absolutely one of the best YA books out there!

Going Bovine: This story twisted my brain when I read it. It was different than anything I’d ever read before and when I put it down I was like, “Wow! How did she come up with that?” The writing is hilarious and Libba Bray might as well be a teenager, because she has the voice of Cameron down perfectly. This is one of the most original, poignant, most well-written YA books I’ve ever read.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NOMINATION FOR BEST CONCEPT IN THE COMMENTS!

For anyone not familiar with the above story concepts:

The Hunger Games: Dystopian Fantasy that pits teenagers against each other in a death-trap filled arena, until only one is left standing.

The Body Finder: A young girl has the ability to sense dead bodies and uses it to stalk a serial killer.

Going Bovine: A disaffected teen catches Mad Cow disease and goes on an epic journey to find the cure with a punk rock angel as a guide. Keeping him company on his trip are a talking gnome and a hypochondriac dwarf.

Wake: Janie Hannigan is cursed with the ability to fall into anyone’s dream if they happen to go to sleep in the same room.

Before I Fall When Samantha is killed in a car crash she somehow wakes up the next morning and finds it’s the day of her death. Now she must relive that day seven times. It will keep repeating until she can figure out how to fix the mistakes she made that day and finally find peace.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NOMINATION FOR BEST MALE/FEMALE IN THE COMMENTS!

Last but not least, we need a BEST OVERALL READ. Rather than making any suggestions ourselves, we’re leaving this strictly up to our readers—you guys! The only rule is to please nominate books written in the last five years in order to avoid having too wide a range to choose from. We’ll need five nominations for this category and we’ll post the poll on Thurs. for people to vote. Feel free to nominate the same book somebody else does, that way we’ll know which ones people really love. Thurs. blog will also contain the wildcard polls–so be sure to swing by!
 

Whoever’s book nomination wins for best overall read will win a guaranteed critique of their first five-thousand words/query letter or synopsis—so get commenting!

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Tabitha and her four friends wear purity rings, a reminder of their promise to remain virgins until they are married. They make their vows when they are twelve and boys are boring. By the age of fifteen things are different. When one of the girls, Cara falls in love and breaks her promise, things change for the whole group.

Tabitha’s best friend, Morgan, sees things in black and white. She feels breaking a promise to God is an unforgivable sin. She turns her back on Cara. The other girls side with Morgan, leaving Tabitha split between her loyalty to Cara and her disappointment in the decision Cara made.

Pure is a novel about many things. Family differences. Friendship. Boys. Religion. But mostly it is about the promises we make as we grow up. Is the line between right and wrong drawn as clearly as it once seemed? Has it only blurred because things have become different in our own minds? Or does getting older change us, and therefore the things that are expected of us?

Terra Elan McCoy, the author, never falls into the trap of sounding too old, too young or too “hip.” She sounds like a teen, and the book stays true to things that are the most important during those years. The anguish of losing a friend. The apprehension and excitement of first love. The difficulty of staying true to your own beliefs in an ever changing world. Tabitha is a likable and strong character who is easy to root for as she struggles to find her own identity.

Where the novel could have easily become preachy, or focused entirely on religion, it never does. It also doesn’t make the mistake of allowing Cara to become pregnant. Too many books focus on that being the only repercussion of having sex.  Pure delves into the feelings and choices that come before making the decision to physically commit to someone, and how it can change our lives forever in unforeseen ways.

The ending stays true to the themes of the book, not allowing everything to be wrapped up in a nice neat package, but instead leaving Tabitha and  her friends a little older, a little wiser and a little closer to adulthood.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read. The themes of the book are addressed in a unique and interesting way. Although there is a lesson to be learned, it never becomes heavy or forced, but is interwoven the story in subtle way. It isn’t until you find PURE still on your mind months after reading it that you realize what an impact the book actually has. For anyone looking for a fun and entertaining read that will also make you think, go pick up a copy of PURE and enjoy!

Click HERE to read our interview with Terra Elan McVoy! Click HERE to view it on video

The sequel to Shiver is coming out! (Shiver is one of my favorite YA books of all time)

In Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love — the light and the dark, the warm and the cold — in a way you will never forget.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie’s blog.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Guest blog — Bioshock: Effective Storytelling in Interactive Media Part II

Read part I.

When you first enter Andrew Ryan’s undersea, would-be paradise of Rapture, you are greeted by a message: “No gods or kings, only man.” A lofty concept, one taken right from Ayn Rand’s concept of Objectivism. Men free from the binding morality of religion or the shackles of government. Is not a man entitled to the sweat from his brow? Rand believed that in life, one should pursue their own happiness and rational self-interests; she believed this was the only morality of life. This social system of pure laissez faire capitalism is a founding principle of Rapture.

But as we see when we delve into this twisted world, freedom of choice is not without its consequences. Even if you believe that free will exists, how much free will is too much? Without a controlling force, without some restrictions placed on business or the actions of the individual, exactly what have men done? Business interests thrive at the expense of common decency. Every last market tapped, regardless of the consequences to society (for example, you will find vending machines that sell all manner of weapons), and morality?

Did you harvest that little sister or did you rescue her? Every  time? Not only is Rapture chock full of self-interested people, but any notion of being “rational” or moral has long been forgotten. We find murder for the benefit of self is a common place occurrence. The mutilation of little girls is considered an acceptable practice, particularly for business needs. And even the watchmen who seem in control of all, prove themselves to be no more above the chain of deterministic consequence than anyone else (such as in the case of the fate of Andrew Ryan).

Rapture also has a villain. No it isn’t Dr. Steinman and his unauthorized plastic surgery heavily influenced by Picasso. It isn’t even Sander Cohen, known as The Artist, and his scenes made of mummified human corpses that are right out of some Norman Rockwell nightmare. No, this villain can’t be so easily killed. According to Andrew Ryan, it is anyone who is identified as a parasite. In this context, a parasite is anyone who leeches off of the work of another. In the real world, this would be anyone collecting benefits via welfare, unemployment, disability or any other social program that an enlightened society maintains to help the downtrodden.

Now a pretty solid case could be made against those that fall into the category of parasites. Why should those who work for what they have help those that don’t?  When you protect the “weak,” how long is it before they outnumber the strong? How can a society thrive when that happens?

However, those that make such claims aren’t interested in anything so noble as protecting society. They are usually only trying to protect themselves and their overflowing wallets. Nor can we call ourselves an enlightened society when we turn a blind eye towards those in need. But a line still must be set between helping those in need and true parasitical behavior, otherwise the parasite will bleed us all dry.

This argument is at the very core of modern political debate and is one of the many facets woven into the very fabric of the story. But it is done in such a way that you are never taken out of the story or reminded of a real world situation. Instead, you are presented with these moral issues upon which to ponder, if you are so inclined.

Finally, there is you, stuck in all of this. You’ve had a guide since your arrival. A man who goes by the name of Atlas. You never quite meet him, although you always seem only inches away from him. You see signs asking “Who is Atlas?” Can you trust him? You must decide how you will react; not only to Atlas, or Ryan, but to everything and everyone around you. Do you try to help where you can? Or do you only look out for yourself and become no better than the rest? Do you even really have a choice in the path you take? Any true free will? Or are you being manipulated and controlled by others? Why are you even here in Rapture? Surely your plane crash was no accident, but why and to what end? Perhaps this one event (your arrival) triggers a chain of events that cannot be stopped.

And what of the parasite? Andrew Ryan calls you one, citing that even the air you breathe is something provided by his labor. How much of Rand’s Objectivism is too far? These are the questions you will strive to answer, many of which you will have answered as you travel through all that Bioshock has to offer, but some are left for you to think upon long after the game has concluded.

So in the end, I put it to you: What more can you ask from any media, be it a book, a movie, or a video game, than to open the mind of the reader, viewer or player to new concepts, new thoughts and perhaps a way to refine, enhance or change their own life view? A game such as Bioshock is both thought provoking and entertaining. Most players won’t even realize that they are being taught all of these various concepts. But I imagine there is a segment of the player base that has gone on to explore these topics more fully, all because of a video game.

Guest blog — Bioshock: Effective Storytelling in Interactive Media Part I

Thrust forth from a previously obscure developer (2k Boston), Bioshock wove a story so complex and with such atmosphere – told as much through what you saw in the environment as what happened around you and to you – that there can be no doubt that gaming has arrived as a valid storytelling medium. Now with the release of a sequel, we can take a look back at the questions raised by the story that has made Bioshock such a phenomenon.

Would you kindly let me ask, do we have free will? I’m sure that you believe you are in control of your actions, but are you really? Perhaps events around you help guide you down a path that only makes it seem as if you have a choice. Maybe we live in a deterministic world where there is only one action that could possibly happen at any given point in time because of every other action leading up to it from the dawn of time to this very moment. Or maybe you are vaguely aware that you seem to be witnessing the actions you take more than actually making them happen.

This is a topic that has been a matter of philosophical debate for as long as such debates have existed. Authors and professors such as Dennett and Wegner have tried to bring together the various schools of thought into coherent arguments on the subject, but the debate continues. Bioshock has opened up this world of thought to people who had never before considered these topics. Even a few years ago, no one would have seriously considered that a video game could cover such heavy subject matter. Now, the field is wide open.

In the 1940′s, a man named Andrew Ryan had a vision: A perfect world free from the corruptions and influences imposed on society by religion and government. To create his paradise, he built his own city, a city at the bottom of the ocean. A city known as Rapture! No longer would the entrepreneur be held down by the weight of conventional morality. In Rapture, the only guiding force is the great chain of economic interests to which all are connected. All of the finest minds in the world were invited. It was to be a utopian society, set to a paragon of 1940′s art deco culture. Even the music is woven brilliantly into this world to act as much more than a mere soundtrack. It is everything you would expect from the era. Some of you might even remember your parents listening to these tunes.

It is now 1960 and it is here that you enter Rapture’s story. One minute you are flying in a plane over the ocean and the next minute you the only survivor of a crash. You find yourself in the ocean, by yourself, conveniently by this one landmark in what otherwise could have been a watery grave. I have to tell you, I am not a big believer in coincidence (of all the places your plane could crash..), and your experiences inside Rapture will do nothing to make you a believer, either.

Upon making it to land, you find that something has gone horribly wrong. Instead of utopia, you immediately find a nightmare. Nothing can quite prepare you for the first time you see a little girl (known as a “little sister”) mutilating a dead body. It doesn’t take you long to discover exactly what those little girls are looking for; what everyone wants. They crave something known as “Adam.” This miraculous substance allows for genetic modification. Want to shoot lightning from your fingers? No problem. Telekinesis? Sure. Mind control? You betcha. You can even shoot bees from your fingers. All of this is possible, thanks to Adam.

You also quickly discover that these little girls are targets. Everyone wants the Adam and they have it. This is where the Big Daddy’s come in. They are undersea walking tanks who wipe up the floor with anyone who tries to harm a little sister. It takes tremendous effort to down one of these goliaths, but when you do, you are faced with your first moral dilemma: The little sister is yours to do with as you please.

Do you harvest the Adam for yourself? Or do you save the little girl instead? For that matter, why do little sisters and big daddy’s even exist? Who made them and why?

Next week, we’ll dig deeper into the questions Bioshock raises from Ayn Rand’s influence to your role as Rapture’s villain.  This post is now available.

A Lesson in White Space

As a writer, I’m always looking for exciting ways to describe things. I get way too excited about metaphors. I strive to use more sensory words in my storytelling. I pick apart what other writers do to make their characters stand out and come alive. I especially enjoy long books, because when I find characters I care about, I want to spend as much time as I can with them.

Knowing all this about myself, I was surprised to fall in love with a writer who uses minimal word count, whose books were short enough for me to read in just a few hours. Her name is Lisa McMann and she is the best-selling author of the YA novels, “Wake” and “Fade.”

The main character of the stories, Janie, has the gift/curse of being able to fall into other people’s dreams. Janie cannot control this power. When she is in a room with someone who dreams, she is drawn into the dream with them. Meanwhile, her body slumps over, goes numb and sometimes spasms, almost as if she was having an epileptic seizure.

In the first book of the trilogy, “Wake” we get to know Janie. We watch how the dreams affect her life. We root for her as she struggles to control her ability. We clap our hands when she falls in love. (Always fun, especially in YA) This all makes for an intriguing plotline.

What drove me to post about these particular books is Lisa McMann’s talent for making each word in the story count. White space on the page fairly dances before your eyes. Because of that, the story flies by. Each word is integral to the plotline. Each sentence catapults you to the next event. It is so easy to read the staccato pacing that you are caught up in Janie’s life before you ever realize it’s happening.

The second book in the series, “Fade” is even more face-paced. I’ve read tons of books where the character is in imminent danger. It is a rare story that has my heart pounding and my hands shaking as I turn the pages. The climax of Fade managed just that, keeping me so wound up that, at points, I had to stop reading just to catch my breath.

The writing in these books taught me that, sometimes, the best thing you can do is let the action speak for itself.

If you want a fast read that will stick in your mind, I highly suggest these two novels.While I very much enjoyed “Wake” it is the subject matter of “Fade” that grabbed me. Lisa McMann took on a tough topic (sexual predators) in a way that taught a lesson without ever becoming preachy or moralistic. In fact, the message to young girls–be careful–was, like all the best lessons, just a natural extension of an excellent story.

J.C. Hutchins is in league with the Devil

No bogeyman could possibly be as terrifying as the Dark Man if he wasn’t.

When I started reading PERSONAL EFFECTS:  Dark Art, I thought I had it all figured out.  The Dark Man was supernatural, Zach (our art therapist protag) would discover this but of course no one would believe him, yadda yadda.  Instead, the suspense deepens throughout the book as Hutchins balances clues between supernatural and psychological demons, a tight-rope blurred by the book’s mix of fiction and reality.  I’m still not sure what the hell the Dark Man is and I’m probably safer not knowing.

The book’s multimedia experience sold me.  The cover includes a post-it note with the number for Zach’s voice mail and page one is a psychiatric evaluation from Brinkvale (aka The Brink…a mental hospital built underground.  Yikes.).  There are also scratched up photos, death certificates, credit cards, a NY ID etc.  I got the book for a friend who lives in NYC and now he wants to use the ID next time he gets carded!  “Think I could pass for Martin Grace?”

I enjoyed translating the braille but the artwork was most chilling. Reading along, I took the paper and did as the the characters did:  folded it to match up two symbols…. BAM, message smacked me in the face and I gasped.

Concepts often sell weak writing so I was wary at first.  But my heart raced through the book — if it wasn’t so damn scary I would have finished it in a night. I was dying to get to the end just so I could read it all over again.  The prose is as delectable as a four-course meal at The Melting Pot.  There are some spots where the pace would be more balanced if there was less backstory but the tangents are so quirky and fun, so very Zach, (and it is his journal) that I’d hate to see them go even for the sake of pacing.  I was reading the Breakout Novel Workbook around the same time and this was a great companion to show effective applications of Maass’ techniques, especially microtension.  Everything is meaningful.  Everything.

Hutchins’ metaphors are a writing workshop in and of themselves. I usually hate comparisons because they’re often awkward, ridiculous or cheesily poetic at the cost of the story but I was drinking his up. The protagonist describes his hyperactive brother as “pop rocks for the soul” and you hear how “the sound-scape of the city played kick-drum backbeat to our high, ragged breathing.” The unique specifics he chooses make the story leap off the page and down your throat.

If the characters don’t do it for you then you may find a few scenes overwrought, but I was right there with them every breath. It’s freaking brilliant. Zach’s “tribe” had me from his very first journal entry. I love his relationship with Rachel, it’s geek romance perfection yet still conflicted enough to stay interesting. Sometimes authors fall back on manufactured, empty conflicts like miscommunication. But the moment Zach and Rachel’s relationship is tested was heart-wrenching because it was so real.  They each had very valid reasons for their opposing choices.

In addition to being thoroughly three-dimensional, the characters are awesomely unique.  I mean, Lucas the parkour expert? But the traits aren’t just throwaway quirks, they relate to the plot.  Even their affectionate ” ‘dore you” slang is an integral clue.

I know I’m late to the Hutchins party.  He’s first known for building the Beta Clone Army around his 7th Son audio book (now in print).  His sincerity and kindness have earned him a fiercely loyal fanbase who take part in creative marketing missions.

While Personal Effects is not the social media phenomen of 7th Son, it overflows with the same kind of heart, that passion us starving artists bemoan is missing from Hollywood.  The clues make for a great communal experience and less than twelve hours after I posted my original review on my personal site, Hutchins went out of his way to find it and thank me.  It restores some of my faith in humanity that he was able to get published.

I’ve read many a back cover that claims a book is “gripping,” “pulse-pounding,” and a “fast-paced thrill ride.” PERSONAL EFFECTS by JC Hutchins actually delivers.  Buy it, love it, live it.

Review: James Scott Bell’s “Plot and Structure”