Young adult fiction, abbreviated as YA, is fiction aimed at a reading audience aged between thirteen and eighteen years old.
YA fiction is intended to bridge the gap between middle-grade fiction and adult fiction. It is more emotionally and thematically advanced than middle-grade fiction.
Characteristics of young adult fiction?
The characters are young adults in the same age group as the target audience;
The language and writing style are designed to be relatable to the target audience;
Common themes explored in YA novels are personal identity, self-discovery, and the transition to adulthood. Friendship, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality are frequent sub-themes;
YA novels often present dilemmas relating to the themes and sub-themes that face young adults; and
YA novels are generally fast paced, emotional, and end on an optimistic note.
A list of fantastic YA books
I have read all of the following YA books and recommend them highly:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
The Book Thief by markus Zusak
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. By Judy Blume
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A few excellent quotes from YA books
“His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” ― William Golding, Lord of the Flies
“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” ― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
I have written a YA novel, Through the Nethergate. It is intended to make young people think about technology, politics, extremism, and the potential threats they pose to peace and cohesiveness in our world. Of course, things have deteriorated significantly in the world since I published this book in 2018, so its messages still ring frighteningly true.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
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This segment of “Growing Bookworms” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
🌪️ Unleash the Storm of Suspense and Rebellion! 🌪️
Prepare yourself for a heart-pounding journey into a world of deception, determination, and daring courage in Silent Blue, the electrifying sequel to JD Steiner’s Wreckleaf series. The saga continues as the tempestuous aftermath of the Season’s explosive finale thrusts Nerissa John into a whirlwind of danger and discovery, where silence is no longer an option.
💥 Survival Against All Odds 💥
Awakening to a brutal reality after the gripping conclusion of the Season, Nerissa John finds herself ensnared in a web of captivity. The battle she thought was won has merely transformed into an even more treacherous struggle for survival. Witness as she evolves from a vulnerable captive to a fierce warrior, confronting manipulation, torture, and despair head-on.
🔍 Unmasking Shadows Beneath the Surface 🔍
Beneath the gilded surface of the opulent Panacea lies a labyrinth of dark secrets. Nerissa refuses to be silenced, determined to expose the truth that threatens to shatter the illusions of society’s elite. As the stakes grow higher, she races against time to unveil the corruption hidden behind the luxurious façade—even if it means sacrificing herself in the process.
Silent Blue, by JD Steiner is the sequel to the unique fantasy thriller novel, Wreckleaf. (See my review of Wreckleaf here.) The tale in Book 2 picks up where the Book 1 left off. Steiner has created a villian in Colonel William Banks to rival the worst of them in diabolical cruelty, but Narrisa won’t give up her quest to stop him, even when it seems all is lost. And Steiner has created a world in which it seems no one cares to stop him.
Even after destroying his laboratory compound, Banks manages to gain the upper hand and forces Narrissa to surrender to save her people, the Dulhuphemale, a hybrid breed that isn’t supposed to exist. Narrissa is a strong willed female Dulhuphemale, determined to uncover the truth, even it it means her own death. She rebels even as she cooperates, knowing that he holds the fate of her family, her people, in his hands. Along the way, she finds unexpected allies and learns she’s not alone, but by joining forces their lives are endangered as well. Filled with twists, turns and surprises, this YA fantasy is one you won’t want to put down.
You’ll be rooting for Narrissa all the way, in this delightful fantasy. I give Silent Blue five quills.
Her touch could save multitudes. But even with superhuman powers, will one high-school senior survive a battle with almighty deities?
Seventeen-year-old Hope wishes she could heal every wound. But after a heartbreaking ordeal during a hospital visit, her walk home turns into a fight for survival when she’s attacked by a two-tailed demon cat. And though she tries to shake off the incident, the sudden arrival of a pair of overly curious new classmates sets off the miracle-worker’s alarm bells.
Working hard to keep a low profile, she’s horrified when one of the handsome duo tricks her into mending his wounds after a schoolyard brawl. But when the two boys reveal their divine origins and her fated destiny, Hope plunges into a race to unlock her mystic potential before hellish forces turn them all to ashes.
As the veil between life and death unravels, can she claim her future and shield humanity?
The Healer is the action-packed first book in The Healer YA fantasy series. If you like empowered heroines, Asian gods, and romance that lasts through the ages, then you’ll love C. J. Anaya’s stunning coming-of-age tale.
Buy The Healer today to take a wild supernatural ride through history!
The Healer, by C.J. Anaya is a delightful Y.A. paranormal fantasy novel about Hope, a 17-year-old girl with healing abilities which is intricately woven into Japanese folklore. Hope would heal the entire world if she could, or would she?
On the one hand, Hope is an average teenaged girl, with average teenaged problems. But Hope has a side which she keeps secret, even from her best friend, Angie. Only she, her father, and the young leukemia patient whom she’s been trying to heal unsuccessfully and has built a friendship with. But when two students show up at her school, who seem to know of her healing abilities, things begin to get weird.
Hope finds herself strangely attracted to both Tie and Victor, although she doesn’t trust either. They are not your typical high school students. Only by discovering her true past, will Hope uncover the mysteries of her abilities and learn of the prophecy regarding her fate. When she does, she is faced with a decision. Is it really her destiny to save the world, or will Hope choose to follow her heart and chose her own fate?
A beautifully crafted coming of age story. I give The Healer five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
Lovers of the Night Angel trilogy and the Ember Blade will enjoy this dastardly tale of torn loyalties, a criminal empire, and a fallen hero.
Erion spends his days fighting Daemanon’s monsters and his nights skirting the line between criminal and victim. He’s stuck as a hired thug for the Crimson Fang—forced to pay his father’s debt as he tries to keep the Fang from discovering his younger brother’s potent Life Magic. When Erion kills the wrong man, he gives the Fang exactly what they need to bring him into their criminal ranks.
When a Guardian of Pelinon arrives to investigate a series of disappearances, Erion and his dodgy allies unearth the truth of the disappearances buried beneath layers of stone, secrets, and death.
Necromancers weave dark rites. Chaos erupts. For Erion, is there any good in being a hero if there’s no one left to save?
For lovers of Dungeons & Dragons and GameLit, this is a book from the sweeping epic fantasy world of Eldros Legacy.
Stone Whisper, by H.Y. Gregor is a young adult high fantasy adventure of the highest caliber. This story was crafted to provide tantalizing plot and subplot lines, skillfully woven into a complex tale of magic, monsters, and mayhem. Gregor offers interesting and complex characters, vivid discriptions, and an intriguing plot.
As Erion slays his way through monsters and hellhounds to discover who is behind the recent rash of disappearances of young peasant women, he uncovers a great evil happening right under the noses of all. But, he’s caught in clutches of the Crimson Fang, a criminal gang running rampant in the city, in order to clear his father’s debts, forced tol use his earth magic for their benefit. Torn between a need to keep his younger brother hidden until he can come up with asuccessful plan to get him away from the city, and his obligation to pay his father’s debt to the criminal Crimson Fang, and a realization that the evil must be stopped.
The adventure is high and the stakes are higher, and all is not as it seems. Stone Whisper is a thoroughly entertaining read. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house. When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger. With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family? A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
INSPIRED BY: The World Famous Corpus Christi Chronophage Clock, created by Dr. John C Taylor, OBE, and artist Anya Gallaccio’s Crystal Grotto, in Juniper Artland, Scotland.
Bloodstone is Book 1 in M.J. Mallon’s The Curse of Time series. I’m not sure what I expected when Ipicked up this book. I’m a sucker for time-travel stories, and the subject of time and parallel worlds perplex me, so I suppose I expected something along those lines given the claock on the cover and the series title. But that is not at all what this book is. But, Bloodstone may be just as enchanting.
This tale is a young adult novel dealing with the issues of a fifteen-year-old girl who has a very strange life. While her home life may be disfunctional, other parts of her life are magical in this delightful tale of magical realism. Things happen which may seem odd or unusual, but they seem to be everyday occurances in the fantastical world which Mallon has created.The result is a paranormal fantasy that deals with real adolecent issues like friends and boyfriends, peer pressure, depression, self-harm, and betrayal, in a manor that raises awareness, and still entertains.
Another unexpected touch the author offers up in this story is a syllabic poem as the heading of each chapter, which offers a hint to the events in the chapter to come. I found this to be a clever way to clue readers in and creative way to add to the magicalfeel of the story.
A refreshing surprise, Bloodstone captured my attention and my heart. I give it five quills.
After being moved against her will to New York City and losing her father in the span of a year, the aspiring screenwriter dreams of escaping back to small-town Ohio where she can attend college and go back to some version of normal-if only she could afford it.
Enter Hollywood teen heartthrob Rowan Adler, an overnight celebrity thanks to the viral streaming sensation in which he stars. Ever-reckless Rowan is bored, sheltered, and desperate to escape the limelight.
The lives of the two teenagers collide one fateful autumn night when Josie finds an escaped Rowan asleep in the middle of the greasy burger shack where she works, leading her to wonder: How much would this exclusive sell for?
What follows is an absurd, heartfelt, romantic twenty-four-hour descent into chaos. The unlikely pair slowly learn what it means to embrace the plot twists life throws their way and how sometimes, getting lost is the only way to find out what you really want.
That Wasn’t in the Script, by Sarah Ainsley is a delightful coming of age romance with enough turns and twists to keep the pages turning at a rapid rate. This story is about being young, and growing up, and self-discovery, and having fun doing it.
Josie is stuck in a rut. She doesn’t realize that her life is about to go off the rails when she decides to help out a boy who she thinks is her classmate. But in a few short hours, her life will change drastically as she follows Rowan, a reckless teenaged heartthrob through New York City on a quest intended to give her the future she longs for. As they go through a night filled with wild new experiences, she finds she doesn’t want to benefit from Rowan’s celebrity, but perhaps she wants something else even more.
A teenaged romance with a big dose of reality and just the right amount of humor. I give That Wasn’t in the Script five quills.
Ashali and the Blue Horseman, by Jordan Elizabeth is a superhero medley that is sure to please, although the protagonist may be more of a super-antihero. Ashali knows she has powers, which she has kept hidden, but when she meets the Blue Horseman, all of that changes and she finds herself on a hero’s journey, whether she wants to or not. Where do these powers come from? How did she come by them? These are the questions readers will find themselves asking, but fear not. By the end of the story, all questions are answered and then some.
What starts out as a simple date with a super-hunky guy, turns Ashali into becoming an unwitting target of the super crime syndicate, Ives. Will the powers she has taken such care to keep hidden be enough to keep her alive? And will the hunky, but hostile superhero be able to defeat Ives without her? And will she hook up with the superhero’s hot alter ego? … I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
Fun and entertaining. I give Ashali and the Blue Horseman four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
You don’t choose who you love, it just happens. Follow young Abbie Raymond as she traverses concentric rings of tragedy, hope and healing.
It’s Day 3 of the WordCrafter Hope for the Tarnished Book Blog Tour. Today, I’m pleased to bring you an interview with author Ann Chiappetta. Hope for the Tarnished is her debut novel and I get the feeling that she’s mighty proud of it, as she should be. This touching young adult novel sees a small girl grow into a young woman, in spite of the adversities life throws her way, and she is left with hope for a brighter future.
Let’s Meet Ann Chiappetta
Ann is an artist and often refers to her love of words as a natural compensation after losing her vision in 1993. Once a designer of acrylic displays and furniture, Ann trained her creative senses to flow over from the visual to the literary arts. Years later, she has become a poet and author, honing her talent in various mediums, including web content for nonprofits, regular bylines for online literary publications, poetry, anthologies and guest editing in online literary journals.
Ann possesses a master of science in Marriage and family therapy from Iona College and an undergraduate degree from the College of New Rochelle, both located in Westchester County, New York. A guide dog handler and advocate, Ann volunteers her time representing people with visual impairments and guide dog users on various National, State and local boards of directors. A consultant and guest presenter, Ann visits schools promoting awareness and equality for people with disabilities. She is the 2015 recipient of the WDOM Spirit of Independence award and the 2019 GDUI Lieberg-Metz award for excellence in writing.
Interview
Kaye: When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Ann: When I was a kid I would read a book and if it was a really good book, I would think about how they did it. My love of books grew with me and in seventh grade, after writing my first poem, the teacher said I could now call myself a poet. It was just a matter of time and education after that. I was always drawing, singing, dancing, imagining – it was a matter of creative discipline and eventually my talent emerged as I practiced.
Kaye: Is there anything unique or unusual about your writing process?
Annie: I do have one part of my creative process few authors utilize and that is text-to-speech technology on my computer because I am blind. I actually listen to the words as I type. I think it helps me craft stories and poems that also sound good when read aloud. I also tend to write down the bones, then return to the idea later after it has cooked a bit in the creative oven. I also use my dreams to write scenes and shorter pieces of fiction and poetry.
Kaye: What time of day do you prefer to do your writing? Why?
Annie: I like to write in the morning and sometimes catch an hour’s worth of editing work in the afternoons. I rarely write at night, that’s for reading, family and TV. I do record notes when I am out and need to recall something like overhearing a conversation or a feeling about something I’ve heard or explored. I will listen to the recording and then write a piece. The recording brings me back to the moment and strengthens the piece.
Kaye: Would you share the story of your own publishing journey?
Annie: I’ve been published for years in journals and even once in Reader’s Digest. Poetry was first, followed by nonfiction articles and a few bylines. I didn’t consider a book until 2015. My first book, Upwelling: Poems, was published in 2016. My Mom was my biggest fan and supporter of my talent and was a poet herself but did not let us read her work. After she died of cancer in 2015, I wanted to honor her memory and belief in me by finding a way to self-publish my poems. I had almost given up, losing faith that despite being blind and unable to use desktop publishing software because of my disability, I stumbled across DLD Books after reading another blind writer’s memoir. I emailed the address and Leonore Dvorkin wrote me back and the rest is self-publishing history. I dedicated my book to my Mom, Mary, and have since dedicated each book to her. Interestingly, as we went through her belongings, we found a poetry journal and I have some of her writing.
Kaye: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Annie: I read and listen to audio books with my husband. We like to cook and watch baseball and football together. I listen to music, from classical to pop tracks. Our adult daughter lives nearby and helps us out all the time. I record my poems and perform them for others. I volunteer my time in blindness organizations in my county as well as Nationally. I sit on local, State and National boards of directors representing artists who are blind, guide dogs as well as writers with disabilities. We have two dogs and three cats that keep us busy.
Kaye: Your new book is Hope for the Tarnished, a sweet Y.A. about a young girl who overcomes some very difficult life obstacles. What’s the most fun part of writing this novel? What’s the least fun part?
Annie: The most fun part about writing Hope for the Tarnished was developing the relationship between Abbie and Augie. I wanted their attraction to grow as they matured. The hardest part of the story was finding the right set of circumstances to separate them and then keep them apart. There was also times when writing the traumatic scenes were difficult and I needed breaks because I got all weepy or verklempt.
Kaye: Your book, Hope for the Tarnished, recently came out. Would you like to tell us a little about that?
Annie: It is my first novel and I was apprehensive about sending out into the world. The novel was released in March 2022, a great month and not just because it is my birthday month, 😉 It is my first hard cover book and also the first book to also be offered through the Library of Congress catalog. My sister, Cheryll, provided the book cover photo, which is the third cover she helped design. Marketing a book is the tough part and doesn’t always feel successful, especially in terms of sales. I tell myself it is the readers who make it better, the ones who take the time to tell me what they thought of the book, how it effected them and even the criticism is important to me, it helps me want to become a better writer. It’s hard to hear the negative feedback but in the end, good and bad helps me push ahead and want to achieve more.
Kaye: How did you decide on this title?
Annie: My editor, Leonore Dvorkin helped me by researching variations of the title. I picked Hope for the Tarnished mostly because it encapsulated the overall arch of the book and it didn’t generate an over-used title.
Kaye: What kind of research do you find yourself doing for this story?
Annie: I researched the book title to make sure it wasn’t over-used. I brought in my knowledge of boating but did have to research the cars and other vehicles being used in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I also had to research the clothing styles. I was very happy when I was able to weave in the 1977 premiere of Star Wars, 😊 That movie was a key component of what generated my love of science fiction and fantasy.
Kaye: What’s the hardest part of the story for you to write: beginning, middle or end?
Annie: The middle, what I refer to as the doldrums. I often get stuck even after the outline is completed. Sometimes I stay awake at night thinking, “what comes next?”.
Kaye: How much of the story do you know before the actual writing begins?
Annie: I know the main idea, sketch the outline, make brief plot notes, maybe even a brief character sketch or two is done prior to the first chapter. I used to be a writer of discovery and now I am an outliner and planner. I’ve found outlining or developing a short synopsis crafts the story better and helps me avoid over-writing scenes. I’d much rather add to something than remove it, though a novel ends up shifting in both directions as it is written and edited.
Kaye: What do you think is the single most important element in a story?
Annie: Characters. If I don’t develop an emotional response for them, I don’t feel even the best theme or plot will help me through the story — both as a reader and author of a story.
Kaye: Have you created any of your characters based on people who you know in real life?
Annie: Who hasn’t? 😊 Seriously, though, my characters are most often composites of people I’ve known or characters I’ve admired from other books or stories. I do like to develop characters with realism and imagination.
Kaye: What is something your readers would never guess about you?
Annie: I love to go fast, used to race street cars in California. I’ve ridden horses in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and love riding motorcycles.
Kaye: What time of day do you prefer to do your writing? Why?
Annie: I am a morning writer. I like to awaken and listen to the sounds around me, find the flavor of the day and let my mind determine what to work on. Sometimes it is a poem or a deeper discussion over email about a project, at other times it is prepping a script to record. Though I like the quiet of night, I am often too tired to write. I am not the kind of person to write in a coffee shop, I’d be the person in the corner of the library with the laptop instead.
I like to write early in the day when my mind is most agile. Sometimes I edit and finish tasks like a blog post or something simple but keep the creative work for the mornings.
Kaye: How much do you read? What do you like to read?
Annie: I am eclectic when it comes to answering this question. Genres include science fiction and fantasy, some horror and suspense, memoir, nonfiction, literary fiction collections and short stories and crossovers. I also listen to poetry selections but I am picky about the poets I read. I get through about fifty books a year, give or take.
Some of my favorite authors are Rudyard Kipling, Cormac McCarthy, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Brandon Sanderson, Larry Correa, Michael Connelly, John Irving, Kahlil Gibran, and I have read dozens of the books based on the Star Wars universe. I love to read poets Billy Collins, Joan Myles, Mary Oliver, Joy Harjo, Wallace Stevens, Langston Hughes, Wordsworth, William Blake, and many others.
Kaye: Which author, dead or alive, would you love to have lunch with?
Annie: Anne McCaffrey, author of the science fiction Dragon riders of Pern series.
Kaye: What is the one thing you hope to teach your children?
Annie: My kids are adults now. They both grew up while I progressed through my vision loss journey. I know this has helped them develop a high level of compassion for others and people with disabilities. I also know it was hard for my kids to cope with a Mom who is blind. We had tough moments and we got through it. Whenever I hear my daughter helped a neighbor or a Mom comment on how she helped someone, my heart is happy. I say to them that the world is a kind place if you believe it and be part of the kindness.
Kaye: What’s your favorite social media site for promotion? Why?
Annie: Face Book is my social media site of choice because it is robust and fairly easy to navigate.?
Kaye: What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Annie: In order to be a good writer, you need to be a better reader and keep reading — as much as possible and in as many genres and styles as possible — and this and practice will hopefully help you become a great writer.
If you are only joining us now for the first time, and would like to learn more about Ann or her novel, you can follow the rest of the tour and check out the posts from the first two blog stops on the tour:
Welcome to the WordCrafter Hope for the Tarnished Book Blog Tour. On this tour you’ll learn about a touching new young adult novel, Hope for the Tarnished, with guest posts by the author, Ann Chiappetta, as well as reviews and an interview. I hope to see you all at each tour stop. Here’s the tour schedule so you don’t have to miss any of the stops:
Day 1:Writing to be Read – Introduction and Review
Day 2: Patty’s World – Guest Post by Ann Chiappetta
Day 3:Writing to be Read – Interview with Ann Chiappetta
Day 4:Roberta Writes – Guest Post by Ann Chiappetta
Day 5:Zigler’s News – Guest Post by Ann Chiappetta and Review
About Hope for the Tarnished
Young Abbie struggles to cope with the traumatic experiences in her life. Ripped from everything familiar after her parents’ divorce, she is dropped into a strange neighborhood and is emotionally abandoned by her unstable mother. Abbie is caught up in the cruel nature of one sister’s addictions and often rescued by her other sister’s sense of familial responsibility and love.
The story takes place in the 1970s, revealing family secrets and the shift of cultural norms as Abbie leaves her doubts in the past, embracing a bright future.
My Review
Hope for the Tarnished, by Ann Chiappetta is a young adult novel about a young girl who triumphs over the adversities of life to find a chance for happiness as a young woman. It’s a story of tragedy and triumph. It’s a story of hope that will tug at your heartstrings.
Growing up as a latch-key kid, before it was ‘thing’, with a mentally unstable mother, who is indifferent to her daughters’ needs, and sister who is an addict, Abbey faces loss and tragedy head on. But as she grows into a young woman, love complicates her life and makes her doubt her own decisions. With time, social norms and personal situations change, making Abbey dare to hope for happiness once more.
A touching story of love and hope, with the message that nothing ever stays the same, Hope for the Tarnished leaves you with an overall good feeling. I rooted for Abbey all the way through.
When I picked up The Click of a Pebble to review for this tour, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cover was ellegant, yet a bit mysterious, which had a certain appeal for me, and the title doesn’t give anything away, although it does add to the sense of mystery. I wanted to know more about this story. Only after I’d begun to read, did I understand why the author, Barbara Spencer, had chosen that particular title, and why it was the perfect introduction to this touching coming of age story.
Known as swan-people for their ability to shape-shift not only into the swanlike form of the carinatae, but also the celeste, the winged shape of Zeus himself. The children of Zeus although peace-loving, have always been forced to live apart from humans, persecuted almost to extinction.
Three children survive the latest massacre: Yöst, Zande, the son of the Black and destined to be the clan’s next leader, and a small girl, Tatania, who insists on being called TaTa.
This is their story.
The Children of Zues trilogy, of which The Click of a Pebble is book 1, is a delightful coming of age fantasy, which I was soon emmersed in. It’s about the carinatae, or Swan People, decendents of Zues, who live among and pass themselves off as humans. When I started reading, I didn’t know what carinatae meant, or where this wonderful myth came from, but it didn’t take long for my curiosity to peak, and I wanted to know more.
The Children of Zues trilogy
So, I began to explore the internet to see what I could learn. Wikipedia defines carinatae as, “Carinatae is the group of all birds and their extinct relatives to possess a keel, or “carina”, on the underside of the breastbone used to anchor large flight muscles.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinatae). This makes sense, since swans are then carinatae. But, I still wasn’t familiar with this particular myth, so I set about brushing up on my Greek mythology. The only mytholgy I found that dealt with swans in any way, was the story of Zues and Leda, which seemed to fit in with Spencer’s story.
The Year the Swans Came
When visiting the author’s blog site,Two Sides to Every Story, I learned that this myth was indeed at the heart of TheChildren of Zues trilogy, which is a prequel to The Year the Swans Came. This information excited me, because what it means is that Barbara Spencer has created a new set of mythologies from the old myths that we are all familiar with. Wow! Isn’t it fabulous that as authors, we can actually do things like that? And Spencer has done an excellent job of pulling threads from the original myth and weaving them into a mythology all her own. Now that is what being an author is all about!
It is my pleasure to present the The Click of a Pebble Book Blog Tour this week. Our wonderful blog hosts have lined up a greast tour for us, with reviews on Patty’s World and Writing to be Read, and an author spotlight on This is My Truth Now, and hear from the author,, on Roberta Write’s, and finishing off the tour on Barbara Spencer’s blog site, Pictures from the Kitchen. I hope you will join us and follow the tour to learn more about Barbara Spencer and The Click of a Pebble.
