Book Review: All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 240
Received: Library
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she's stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf.

Told in the alternating voices of Alex and Thea, Adele Griffin's mesmerizing new novel is the story of a sibling rivalry on speed.

Review

A moment to fangirl

Gosh I love Adele Griffin's books. Not only is she a fantastic writer, but she always manages to make me break all my hard rules on what I like and don't like in a book (and I'm stubborn to a fault, so that's saying something!)

I mean, look, I really do NOT like issues books. At all. I have no sympathy for the characters and I'm usually bored by the super predictible plots. I also don't like characters who do certain immoral things, I have no patience for non-action-packed plots, and insta-love is not my cup of tea.

And, yes, all of those things are present here. But I'm gleefully ripping up all my rules (at least when it comes to Adele Griffin—hey, I'm not that flexible) because I LOVED this book!

What are you getting yourself into?

The chapters alternate between the two main characters, with Alex's sections written in third person and Thea's in first. I loved when Adele Griffin used this technique in her other sisters book Where I Want to Be and she uses it just as effectively here.

Not only does the tense switch help differentiate the speakers (though this isn't necessary considering Adele Griffin's books always score highly on the Who's Talking Test), but they almost functioned as another brilliant layer of character description. Alex's emotional distance and secrets were emphasized by the third person narration style, whereas Thea's internal corruption was put on stark display through the use of first person narration.

All You Never Wanted is a short book, but it is a book to be savored. Adele Griffin writes the kind of sentences I feel compelled to go back and reread because they just sound so good. The kind of sentences I'll read out loud because I like how they feel. The words come together in a way that's almost musical—words precisely chosen, sounds flowing and clashing up against one another, creating a beauty (and sometimes it's a horrific beauty) that stand all on their own.

Though, much as I SAY the book should be savored, it's not like I was able to. Reading All You Never Wanted was like putting a slice of chocoalte cake in front of me and saying, "Now make it last." Sure I might start out trying to ration it (only a bite here and there) but, yeah, I can't keep that up for long. Pretty soon I'd scarff that sucker down and there wouldn't be any cake left.

That's pretty much what I did with All You Never Wanted. I had grand plans to "Make it last" but it wasn't long before I was putting life on hold, eyes glued to the page and nothing short of death capable of tearing me away from finding out what would happen next to these troubled sisters. (Luckily, unlike chocolate cake, you can do a do-again with books by rereading them).

So I'm going to issue the Don't Make Plans warning. Seriously, don't even glance at the pages unless you're ready to commit. When I first got the book in the mail I thought I'd just take a peek. I was already in the middle of another book that I was enjoying and would be released soon, and All You Never Wanted wasn't coming out for almost three months. So I'd just take a peek.

Famous last words. My household is lucky I wasn't the one cooking dinner that night.

Also? Forget the blurb. It's not that it's inaccurate, but the book is so much more than that little blurb makes it seem.

Ok then, what IS it about?

Though it's short and it's contemporary (sorry, I always associate "contemporary" with "not much happening"), All You Never Wanted has a lot of stuff packed into a short amount of space.

On the surface, it's a book about two sisters thrown into a rich lifestyle after their mother's remarriage. One is struggling with an eating disorder, cause mysteriously unknown for a significant part of the book, and the other desperately trying to remake herself from a wallflower bookworm into an even more popular version of her sister.

It's about wealth and materialism. It's about jealousy, fear, anxiety, and control. It's about dating and parties, climbing the social ladder and the lies it takes to get there. It's about all these things, and more, but at it's core, All You Never Wanted is, I think, a book about family.

So often in YA, parents take on an absent role and the teen characters seem largely (and unrealistically) unaffected. All You Never Wanted has the same absent parents, but every single thing the girls grapple with stems from this absence. The lack of parental support, guidance, love, and involvement is the elephant in the room, and though it is never directly addressed, it drives the story nonetheless.

Not your typical issues book

All You Never Wanted is tense, provocative, unsettling, and deeply emotional. I felt for these girls and desperately needed to find out what was going to happen to them, even though I didn't actually like either of them.

And take note, I did say unsettling. There are a few scenes, though one stands out for me in particular (the confrontation with Thea right before she buys the dress), that are horrific to watch unfold but so brilliantly visceral. Adele Griffin does not shy away from or romanticize the problems these girls deal with. Their issues are on stark display, and is is as fascinating as it is disturbing.

Though I think that's why I liked this book more than the typical issue book. Usually issues books follow the same mold: cool main character with Very Bad issues that are usually glamorized or sugarcoated to make the main character look appealing to the reader and a neat, easy peasy fix at the end (usually complete with "I know it's a long road to recovery, but I'll make it" *fist pump*). I don't know whether I'm more annoyed by the eye-rolling lack of realism, the glorification of issues, or the predictability of the entire plot.

Thankfully, All You Never Wanted doesn't fall into any of the usual issues-book traps. Not only aren't the girls held up on the cool pedestal, but their issues aren't played out to the point of becoming a predictable stereotype.

The impetus of Alex's eating disorder is not revealed for a large part of the book, though it is hinted at in a way that led me down a total garden path. I thought I had it all figured out, and while I would have accepted that, it would have been disappointing in its Been There Done That predictability.

But holy cow, I should have never even let the tiniest bit of doubt enter my head. Adele Griffin's plots are predictable only in consistently defying predictability. I was straight up shocked when the secret was finally revealed, and that's a very good thing.

Also, note I said impetus, not cause, because I don't think that was the cause. I'd say her absent mother was far more the cause and The Event was just the avenue all of her feelings latched on to.

Also, the ending? Oh my gosh, it is perfect! Movement has definitely been made in the sense that both girls end the book at very different points than they began the book, but neither has a firm resolution or happy ending. Usually I don't like that sort of open-ended conclusion, but in the case of All You Never Wanted, I can't think of a better way to end the book.

Bottom line

Adele Griffin is the type of author where I've learned I need to ignore the blurbs on her books no matter how unappealing they may sound (contemporary?! Really??) and just go ahead and read them because I will LOVE them. They are brilliant, transcendant, powerful, and never fail to astound me. She's the type of author who is just so unbelievably good at creating characters that come alive off the page and sucking me into even the most unappealing plots that I need to just forget what I think I know about what I like and dislike and just READ her books.

This would make a fantastic book club pick.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about All You Never Wanted that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Tweet

Some books to mention

Shameless book pushing (ok, nudging)

Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown
Goodreads Page
Amazon Page

From Goodreads:

Jennie feels the tingling presence of something unnatural in the house now that Will is dead.

Her heart aches without him, and she still doesn't know how he really died. It seems that everywhere she turns, someone is hiding yet another clue. As Jennie seeks the truth, she finds herself drawn ever deeper into a series of tricks and lies, secrets and betrayals, and begins to wonder if she had every really known Will at all.

Do you remember the massive amounts of love I have for this book? So I couldn't not mention the release of the paperback. I'm totally in love with the new cover! It shows off Lisa Brown's illustrations so much better than the old cover.

The Stuttering Tattoo by Greg Logsted
Goodreads Page
Amazon Page

Product Description:

Steven Bishop is extraordinarily ordinary. He goes to school. He rides his motorcycle. He stutters. His best friend is a former Colombian cartel hit man turned cook/construction worker. You know, ordinary. All that changes the day Becky Moore walks into his classroom. Becky is dazzling, enigmatic.

One day Steven gives Becky a ride home on his motorcycle. There, they discover a severed arm, one of the fingers of which still has an unusual ring attached: a circle, in the middle of which is a heart, at the center of which is a bold number 37. While comforting Becky, Steven discovers a tattoo at the base of her neck: it is the same symbol. And so begins a thrilling descent into a world of crime and murder, a ride wilder than any Steven has taken before.

I haven't read any of Greg Logsted's books yet, but I adore his wife's books (that would be Lauren Baratz Logsted). The plot sounds exciting! What is up with that symbol??

Have you read either of these books? What were your thoughts?
Will you be adding either to your TBR?
Feel free to share links to your reviews in the comments!

Tweet

Author Interview: Lisa Brown + Giveaway (US/CA)

Please Welcome Lisa Brown!

Lisa Brown is the illustrator for the haunting historical fantasy book Picture the Dead. I gushed about the knockout combination of pictures and text in my Picture the Dead review. Back story snoop that I am, I couldn't help but ask Lisa about the inspiration and development of her illustrations in Picture the Dead. Check out her answers below!

 There are NO spoilers here!

Portfolio  | Tumblr | Twitter | Goodreads
Picture the Dead Tumblr | Picture the Dead site 

Jennie Lovell
Our heroine

Jennie Lovell, our indomitable heroine. I changed her hairstyle in later versions, after Adele described her hair as lush and curly. Her dress reminds me of the clothing in the "Sound of Music;" that is, made from old curtains.

William Pritchett
Jennie's fiance

William Pritchett. The epitome of "dashing." I'm fairly smitten with Will and his brother. Check out the wonderful Tumblr blog, http://mydaguerreotypeboyfriend.tumblr.com/, for more dead hotties.

Quincy Pritchett
Will's brother, a man with a secret

Quincy Pritchett, my absolute favorite. His original model is a bit too old for the part, so I regressed him to his teenaged self and removed his glasses. He gets even sexier, in my opinion, later on when he sports an eye patch. Arrrrrr!

Mavis
The maid, Jennie's confidant

Mavis, the little Irish maid. Her dress is much simpler than her employers', no pattern or stylishly puffed sleeves. Note how she looks a bit frightened.

Henry Pritchett
Jennie's passive uncle

Uncle Henry Pritchett. I drew him unaltered from his original photograph. Couldn't improve upon perfection. I am especially pleased with the pattern I found for the background, however. All of the "wallpaper" patterns are made from actual Victorian designs that I mostly discovered in clip art Dover books. http://store.doverpublications.com/

Clara Pritchett
Jennie's awful aunt

I honestly had trouble finding a model who was detestable enough to represent Clara in all her vile-ness. I was particularly keen to portray Adele’s incredible description of a “chin that wobbled like aspic.” Nobody during the Civil War era seemed to have such a chin. I tried concocting a composite from several existing portraits, but, in the end, I had to invent Clara out of whole cloth, sketching her out by hand. I gave her the requisite double chin, little girly ringlets, and an air of entitlement. Voila. Aunt Clara.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Lisa! 

Lisa was kind enough to give me a copy of one of my favorite pictures from Picture the Dead. The picture is from Jennie's scrapbook and is of the horrible Aunt Clara--but Jennie has scratched out her face!

I love how clearly Lisa captures all of Jennie's feelings of loathing and frustration for her aunt in that one simple image. And after reading about Aunt Clara, I can totally relate!

Which picture is your favorite? If you haven't read the book yet, which of these characters are you most curious about? 

*~Giveaway~*

I have a copy of Picture the Dead and a PtD t-shirt up for grabs! Both are modeled below (in a photo taken just for YOU!) by Lisa's co-author Adele Griffin (you already know how I feel about Adele).

Click here to enter!

Info for the giveaway:

• As always, you do NOT have to be a follower
• You must have a US/CA mailing address
• You must be 13 years of age or older
• One entry per person
• Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
• I will contact the winner through email and the winner will have 24 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen 
• The giveaway will close December 7th

Ruby has an interview and giveaway today with one of my favorite authors. Click here to join in on their conversation! 

Check out our Historical Fantasy Jubilee full schedule of events and giveaways!

Have you entered to win our prize pack giveaways?

Tweet

Spotlight List: Sisters

Sisters

I have a younger sister and I love her to pieces, so that may be the root of my love of sister books. My favorite sister stories are the type that show an endearing relationship that, while there may be realistic bumps and sister-fights, the strength of their relationship always shines through in the end.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Release Date: August 15, 2004
Publisher: Yearling
Pages: 272
Goodreads Page

I always describe this book like this: If Little Women and Anne of Green Gables had a baby of a book and set it in modern times, the result would be The Penderwicks. The sisters here have all the spunk of Anne with all the sisterly camraderie of the March household. I love the way they bicker and gripe--just like real sisters--but at the same time it's clear how much they love one another.

If you liked the family conventions and labels for Events in Heather Dixon's Entwined, then I think you'll love the sisterly relations and cute phrases (like OAP, which is "Oldest Available Penderwick") found in The Penderwicks.

My review of The Penderwicks

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 352
Goodreads Page

Set in a magical version of Regency England, Bewitching Season follows the delightful Leland sisters (and their adorable brother) as they practice magic, tangle with the queen, save their kidnapped governess, and fall in love.

It is the strength of their relationship that carries this story, as they team up together to solve the mystery. The way they tease and support one another adds levity and heart to this whimsical adventure of manners and mystery.

The Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn
Release Date: July 21, 2005
Publisher: Viking Children's Books
Pages: 256
Goodreads Page

I know the cover is pretty awful, but this is one case where you'd be very wrong to judge the book by its cover. I adore this book! It's a quieter tale, having none of the rapid-fire action I usually look for in a story. The focus is instead on the relationships between the characters, with the relationship between the sisters at the very heart of the tale.

I was completely absorbed in their relationship. Their triumphs and loves, sorrows and fears all impacted me as if these were my own sisters. The subtle ways the sisters showed they cared for one another--tender embraces in times of need, quiet understanding, and fierce protectiveness--touched my heart.

Where I Want to Be by Adele Griffin
Release Date: April 21, 2005
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 160
Goodreads Page

You could call this an "issues" book (and you know how I usually feel about issues books), but for me this book is much more about the relationship between the two sisters. Each sister is going through something totally different, but I was equally absorbed in both of their struggles.

I'm giving you the "Don't read this book in public" warning for tears of sadness. There might only be 160 pages to this book, but those are powerful pages. Each sister works her way through traumas filled with grief, confusion, anger, and, ultimately, acceptance.

My review of Where I Want to Be

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 288
Goodreads Page

This is a fairy tale retelling based on a French tale of the same name, reset here in a fictional historical India. The change of setting is beyond perfect, but one of my favorite parts of this story is the sister relationship.

Diribani is gifted with precious jewels that fall from her mouth as she speaks while her half-sister Tana is given snakes and toads. The sisters are parted early on as a result of their gifts, but their bond cannot be broken by distance. As Dribani travels far away from her home to a kingdom that follows a wildly different culture, her memory of Tana gives her strength in this foreign land. Tana's gift leads her on a path of exile, disease, and rebirth, but her relationship with Dribani guides her through.

My review of Toads and Diamonds.

Honorable Mention:
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 402
Goodreads Page

Ok, so Astrid and Phil are cousins, not sisters, but their relationship is so sisterly that I'm including Rampant as an honorable mention. Astrid's mother is in-freakin-sane, so Phil often steps into the "guiding older sister" role. Their relationship is fun and light, but it's also fiercely protective. I was so happy Astrid had someone like Phil looking out for her, especially with all the crazy unicorn killing going on.

What are some of your favorite books about sisters? Have you read any of these books? Feel free to add links to your reviews!

Want more books about sisters? Check out Alex's list at A Girl, Books and Other Things!

Want to see more Spotlight Lists?
Not Your Typical Vampire Book
Time Travel
More lists

Tweet

Spotlight List: Psychological Issues (Guest Posting for Psychtember!)

Psychological Issues

Normally I don't read issues books. I like happy books that make me smile and have things like bright pink covers and lots of sparkles. So issues books? Not really my thing.

But! Here are six issues books that even *I* think are well worth reading. So if you're like me and hearing "issues" is an automatic DO NOT WANT, then you might just want to check these titles out.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Release Date: October 18, 2010
Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 177
Goodreads Page

I had a few problems with this book, particularly with the development (or, rather, lack of development) with the fantasy aspects, but the realistic parts are top notch.

Jackie Morse Kessler's portrayal of the internal torment of anorexia was phenomenally real. If you ever want to know what it feels like to be anorexic on a mental and emotional level, then I highly recommend this book. I have never seen a more accurate and astonishing portrayal. Other sources may show the physical horrors, but no one (in my experience) has so thoroughly and accurately captured the psychological aspects of the disorder like Jackie Morse Kessler.

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 245
Goodreads Page

Usually when I talk about this book my recommendation is accompanied by fangirly squees and lots of hand-flapping and OMG JOHN AFTER!!!1.11! But there's more to this book than the white-hot sexiness that is Officer John After (though, really, isn't that enough to get you to pick up this book?)

Underneath all the sexual tension is an equally hard-hitting look at grief and fear. John experienced a loss prior to the events of the book, and he still has not properly dealt with that grief. Instead, he's squashed his dreams and thrown himself into work. And Meg? Well, I can't say much, but Meg's tough-girl attitude is a cover for a secret that, once revealed, made me sit back in shock as I reevaluated all of Meg's actions and thought about how I would react if I were in her shoes. Jennifer Echols' sensitive approach to grief and trauma make Going Too Far a book with surprising depth that has lingered with me long after I read it.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Release Date: 1959
Pages: 324
Goodreads Page

Journeying with Charlie--the test subject of a new drug designed to enhance IQ--as he goes from a man with a retardation level IQ to a super genius is a touching, fascinating, and heartbreaking experience. It is what occurs after this transformation, however, that really makes me sob. While focusing on intelligence, the concept of loss, explored here in many forms, is what sticks with me the most.

Flowers for Algernon is an intriguing look at intelligence and the way an individual's IQ affects both the way the individual relates to the world and the way the world relates to the individual. Narrated through Charlie's journal entries chronicling the experiment, I became hopelessly attached to Charlie and felt every bit of pain and joy he experienced.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Release Date: October 18, 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 288
Goodreads Page

Thirteen Reasons Why follows Hannah Baker as she explains the reasons why she decided to commit suicide (and keep in mind, she's kind of an unreliable narrator). Jay Asher walks a tightrope as he explores the ripple effects an individual's actions have on others and how, while these actions may affect us, our decisions are ultimately our own. 

Compulsively readable, this book should come with a warning not to read it in public. I was choking back the tears while reading it in a crowded waiting room. I haven't read a more touching book that explored suicide from the perspective of the person who committed it and the people in that person's life.

Where I Want to Be by Adele Griffin
Release Date: April 21, 2005
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 160
Goodreads Page

This is an extremely short book, but don't let the length fool you; Where I Want to Be is a complex, multifaceted emotional powerhouse. The perspective shifts from Jane, who struggles with mental illness, and her sister Lily who is not mentally ill.

Both sisters wormed their way into my heart with their profoundly real emotions. Jane's child-like approach to the world and her realization that she does not and cannot fit in broke my heart. Lily's guilt and frustration surrounding her sister was palatable and raw. On top of all of that, this is also a story about grief and how each of the characters approach the losses they have suffered.

The Wave by Tod Strasser
Release Date: October 1, 1981
Publisher: Laurel Leaf Books
Pages: 138
Goodreads Page

Honestly, I think this book is kind of awful. It's written in a style that's so dry and hokey. It screams "I'M A SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT" and reads like an eye-roll-inducing after-school special.

But if you can slog though the writing (luckily the book is extremely short), then I promise you'll be rewarded with a story that is a truly terrifying look at the way people can easily embrace fascist-like principles. What makes it even more poignant is that The Wave is a novelization of events that actually happened (the experiment was called The Third Wave).

First posted as a guest post. Click the button to see the original post.

Tweet

Spotlight List: Adele Griffin + Giveaways!! (repost)

Spotlight is a feature I do where I pick a topic or theme and then highlight some books that fall into that theme.

The very first Goodreads giveaway I won was for a book you may have heard me mention once or twice before: Tighter by Adele Griffin. I had never read any of Adele's books at that point, so I didn't know what to expect. Simply put, I was blown away. I've since read a few more of her books and each one has impacted me in a different way, but all have earned a place on my shelves. My whole experience has been one of those "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!!?" moments. So here is a Spotlight List dedicated solely to the awesomeness that is Adele Griffin.

I usually limit my Spotlight Lists to only five books, but Adele has written many more than five. Please check out her full bibliography on her Goodreads page!

Adele's website
Adele on Goodreads
Adele on Facebook
Adele on Twitter

Tighter
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages:  208
Goodreads Page

I had already read The Turn of the Screw, so I had an idea of where this modern retelling was going...or so I thought. Adele pays homage to the chilling original while putting a spin on the tale that is 100% her own. I have to say, as much as I appreciate the original, I love Adele's changes even more. Get ready for a wild ride and a story that will leave you wondering long after the last page has been turned.

Check out the brand new website for Tighter!
Check out my review of Tighter!
Check out my cover review of Tighter!
Check out Adele's guest post about Tighter!

The Julian Game
Release Date: August 26, 2010
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 200
Goodreads Page

I love a good mean girls book, but most of them are funny and never really dig too deep into the painful reality. Adele doesn't shy away from painful truths in this searing and objective look at cyberbullying, the permanence of the Internet age, and the adolescent experience. Don't expect a light, quirky read with this one. DO expect a story that will spark a multitude of discussions and leave you pondering the ramifications of the decisions we make.

Check out The Julian Game website!
Check out my review of The Julian Game!
Check out my cover review of The Julian Game!

Where I Want to Be
Release Date: April 21, 2005
Publisher: J. P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 160
Goodreads Page

You know those books that had such an impact on you that the sight of their cover alone is enough to send you hurtling back to those emotions? Where I Want to Be is one of those books for me. Not my genre, not my kind of book at all, and yet I still loved it. I was so touched by Adele's sensitive and brutally accurate portrayal of loving relationships thrown in turmoil.

Blogger's scheduling post feature always makes me eat my words and my review for WIWtB is one such experience. I had written my review weeks before it was scheduled to publish, and in my review I mentioned never having lost a grandparent I knew. Exactly one day before the review was scheduled to post, I did lose a grandparent. Talk about timing. Yet I am so thankful to have had the experience of reading WIWtB earlier because it has given me great strength and words of wisdom that I have carried with me through my recent losses.

Check out my review of Where I Want to Be!

Picture the Dead
Release Date: May 1, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages:  262
Goodreads Page

Spooky, spooky! I loved this twisted ghost story! Adele's amazing writing made these scenes jump right off the pages and her keen insight into people led to some really terrific characters. There's this one scene, ooh, and another, oh oh and another...wait, I can't tell you! You'll just have to read it to find out for yourself.

The pictures also perfectly complement the story. There is one in particular that I loved: A photo of Jennie's awful aunt that Jennie has taken a pen to and scratched out the image. I loved it! That one picture took everything Jennie and I both felt about her aunt and summed it up perfectly. Don't you know just the feeling of wanting to scribble over a hated person's visage? The fact that I laughed out loud and clapped my hands in joy when I saw that picture is a testament to how skillfully Adele has crafted this story and the people that inhabit it.

Check out this fantastic behind the scenes video!
Check out the Picture the Dead website!
Check out my review of Picture the Dead!

Amandine
Release Date: May 1, 2003
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages:  208
Goodreads Page

I haven't read Amandine yet, but I think this is the next Adele Griffin book I'll be reading. I've heard it's very polarizing and I'm curious (but pretty certain) to see which side I'll end up on. Here's the Goodreads description:

From the first moment of their meeting, Delia Blaine is fascinated by Amandine, who never fails to astonish with her bold, thrilling antics. As the games Amandine invents and the lies she tells become cruel and disturbing, Delia begins to fear her new friend. But breaking away from Amandine comes at a cost much greater than Delia ever could have imagined. . . .

Doesn't that sound thrilling and scary? Two things (of many) that Adele does brilliantly are characters and scary, and I have no doubt this will be another tensely emotional ride!

~Giveaways!~

I've said Adele is an amazing author, but you know, she's also a pretty awesome person, too. I mentioned that I had put in an order for one of her books to giveaway as part of this special week and she immediately offered to provide a few more copies for another giveaway! How sweet is she? So you now have two opportunities to win!

Closed

Please read the following information about the giveaways:

• You do NOT have to be a follower
• The giveaway for Tighter is open to US addresses only
• The giveaway for the two books of your choice is open to US/Canadian addresses only
• You must be 13 years of age or older to enter
• Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
• If an address is not provided, the winners will have 24 hours to reply to my email with their address before a new winner is chosen
• I will not keep your information, and only the winner's information will be shared with the author
• The giveaway will close May 31st. The winners will be announced June 3rd in the Recap post

*Two things to note: A few books are out of print, so please just double check availability before making your selection (pre-2001 publications may not be available). Also, just so you know--because we all know how important covers can be--I've been posting the new cover for Where I Want to Be, but this cover is not available until the Summer/Fall. Both covers do relate to the story though.

Tweet

Interview with Adele Griffin:Tighter's Cover Journey

It's HERE!!! 

It's here, it's here, it's here, 

IT'S HERE!!

Ahem, sorry about that! I'm just totally overjoyed that Tighter is released today! I don't have to fangirl all alone anymore because YOU can get your hands on a copy right now! So what are you waiting for? If you still need some convincing you can read my review.

In honor of Tighter's release, the stupendous Adele Griffin has written a guest post for all of you! Adele is a National Book Award finalist and has written a whole host of YA and MG novels in a wide variety of genres including contemporary fiction, historical fiction, ghost stories, vampires and witches. She is the queen of the "Tiny book that packs a punch" and has written some of the most memorable characters and chilling stories I've ever read. 

Yesterday I did a cover review for the finished version of Tighter, but today please welcome Adele as she takes you on a journey through some of the covers that were considered first.  

Jacket Journey with Adele Griffin

When it came time to discuss all the possible jackets in the image spectrum for my upcoming novel, Tighter, I knew exactly what I wanted.

Or at least I thought I did.

“Constriction,” I said to my editor, Joan Slattery. “This book is all about tension forced to its breaking point. Maybe wrists bound up, or the font in some kind of knotty rope. Whatever it is, it has to be really scary!”

Joan said she’d speak with the Powers around the editorial, design, and marketing table. Later that month, the first image that was delivered to my inbox was … not scary. In soft-lens focus, and a yellow and blue palette, it depicted a girl running up a staircase (this comp has since been used for another jacket in another publishing house, for another book to which the image seems far better suited). While I was unhappy, the ground I’d planned to hold so firm was now shifting beneath my feet. Was Tighter a gentle and more poignant read for others than for me?

Maybe they weren’t right, but maybe I wasn’t as right as I’d thought. So we decided to open the conversation to wilder possibilities. Another image was proposed, of two people in bed together—though one person seemed to be a figment. Red bed sheets and lots of skin. Very sexy. This image, too, got me thinking. Did people also see this as a racy, sexual book?

Now I wasn’t sure at all about those bound hands. The conversation continued. We knew what we didn’t want—stock images of lighthouses, for one. And windswept beaches, or any surf-and-turf landscape. We also gradually decided we weren’t into water, mirrors, or refracted light, or close-ups of girls’ faces—though some of these were quite haunting, none were quite “it.” We wanted an intimate sense of the main character’s delusion, but I’d come to understand that Jamie Atkinson’s spiral-down also needed a deft touch.

 

When I first downloaded the jacket that we ultimately selected, I liked it okay, but it wasn’t a thrill. A sepia, shadowy outline of a girl standing and staring through a scrim, touching it—yes, there was atmosphere, but maybe not enough. The magic happened, however, when the image was rotated sideways. Now the girl could not possibly be standing, her uplifted arms marking her ascent. On the horizontal, she is trapped, she is passive and, possibly, unreal. It made all the difference.

The journey to this jacket enthralled me, and reminded me that my own interpretation is not necessarily the definitive visual read. Bound hands and ropes would have been too harsh for what this story is—a suspenseful gothic, but nuanced, with romance and beaches and twisted bed sheets. When I see the final image, I’m also reminded of the importance of the process, and the value of the dialogue. And how glad I am that we didn’t go with a lighthouse.

~*~

Thank you so much for stopping by, Adele! Yikes, yes, after seeing that sexy bedroom photo I think bound hands might have given off the wrong impression! It's funny how something as simple as turning a photo on its side can create a completely different atmosphere. The first version of the final photo makes the girl look much more assured and like she's on solid footing. That subtle tweak of turning the picture has the effect of kicking the girl's feet out from under her and makes her much more vulnerable as a result.

And I'm so glad you didn't go with lighthouses, too!

What about you, readers? How did you like seeing the process of selecting a cover? What images would you have thought of based on the jacket description? Which cover do you like the best?  


Click here for more posts from Adele Griffin week!

Click here for a chance to win Tighter and more books by Adele Griffin!

 

Tweet

Cover Review: Tighter

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms where a beautiful cover is featured each week for all of us to admire. I am going to use my Cover Crazy posts as an opportunity to review a book cover I love or review any cover (even the ones I don't love) from a book I've read. This week's Cover Crazy is for:

Tighter by Adele Griffin

What a great cover for a ghost story! Unlike The House of Dead Maids, Tighter's cover accomplishes "spooky" without totally grossing me out. Instead I feel peril and an inescapable feeling of smothering.

I love how the image and the title complement one another. The title of the book is "Tighter" and immediately leads to questions of what is getting tighter? Who is doing the tightening? And who, exactly, is the recepient of this tightening?

The cover image only underscores these questions, while offering no answers. It is unclear whether the figure is trapped by the sheet and trying to get out...or if the sheet is preventing the figure from getting at you!

Have you ever laid on a bed, crawled under the sheets, and then looked through the sheets? That is what this image makes me think about. Like I am trapped under the sheets and some thing is trying to get at me! This feeling of being in bed means that I'm lying down. Lying down is such a vulnerable position, especially with something looming over you like that. This just makes the cover so much more frightening.

Or, is the figure the victim of the tightening--desperately struggling against the suffocating sheet? If that is the case, then it evokes all kinds of feelings of claustrophobia and suffocation. I feel like gasping for breath just looking at that cover!

The dual possibilities of the image reflect the confusion the reader goes through while reading the book. The reader is kept on their toes, constantly wondering if events are the result of a supernatural haunting or the drug-hazed mind of the unreliable narrator. The haziness of the image obscuring the nature of the figure is the final touch that makes the cover truly perfect for the story inside.

What do you think about this cover?
Do you like it? Dislike it?
Does it make you want to read the book?
 

Come back tomorrow to read a special guest post from Adele Griffin! Adele will be explaining how this cover was chosen and sharing some of the proposed covers and early concept pictures!

Click here for more posts from the Adele Griffin week!

Interested in covers?
Be sure to check out another Cover Crazy post by Gina from My Precious.    Click here for more of my cover reviews!

Tweet

Book Review: Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin

Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown
Release Date: May 1, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 262
Received: Library
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 
Goodreads Page

Summary

Product Description: 

A ghost will find his way home.
 
Jennie Lovell’s life is the very picture of love and loss. First she is orphaned and forced to live at the mercy of her stingy, indifferent relatives. Then her fiancé falls on the battlefield, leaving her heartbroken and alone. Jennie struggles to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, but is haunted by a mysterious figure that refuses to let her bury the past.

When Jennie forms an unlikely alliance with a spirit photographer, she begins to uncover secrets about the man she thought she loved. With her sanity on edge and her life in the balance, can Jennie expose the chilling truth before someone-or something-stops her?

Review

Love the pretty

This is a goooood book. Really. I wasn’t especially grabbed by the cover photo, but when I got the book through inter-library loan I was delighted by the heft and detail put into its construction. The publishers and illustrator Lisa Brown really went all out in designing a book that is visually attractive and replicates the feel of a scrapbook (something that plays an important role in the story). The combined package serves to create a reading experience rich in atmosphere that perfectly complements the spooky story inside. As an added bonus, the pictures contain clues and foreshadow the events to come.

Romance, historical fiction, Gothic fiction, ghost stories, and mysteries are all great genres, but you know what’s even better? When an author mixes them all together. And when that author is the amazing Adele Griffin, you have nothing short of pure awesomeness. Oh my gosh, I’m flailing, I’m dying, I’m clutching the book to my chest and swooning over how much I loved Picture the Dead!

Ok, here’s what you need to do

Get this book, go find a comfortable spot and tell everyone you know to leave you alone for the next few hours. I mean it. Threaten them if you have to. Bribe them with cookies. Whatever you do, make sure you’re left alone. (Except, maybe bring a dog with you. They'll sense if there's a ghost nearby--just ask Susan Hill). You want to let yourself become totally absorbed and transported into the story. For me, this is one of those books where the real world disappeared around me. The scenes! Scenes! Ah, they’re seared into my brain. The images created are just so tangible.  It was like I was a ghost in Jennie’s world, stuck in that delightful and infuriating position of observing and experiencing, but having absolutely no ability to affect anything.

If you’re brave, read it at night. If you’re a wimp like me, ha, good luck. Even daylight won’t save you because what makes this story so spooky is the constant state of confusion you’re kept in until the climax. Sure there could be plausible, non-supernatural explanations, but the supernatural explanations are just as possible. Whatever the cause, though, you’re so totally screwed because if the explanations aren’t supernatural, well, you just might find yourself wishing they were because the alternative is almost scarier.

Yikes!

The story is filled with twists and turns that kept me constantly guessing and gripping the edge of my seat in anticipation. I just wanted to reach into the book and start shaking the characters to tell me the truth already! But I never knew whose neck to wring…not that I would have believed a single one of them anyway.

Friend? Enemy? Ulterior motives and alternative explanations abound and all of the possible scenarios are equally convincing. I felt like I was in a choose your own adventure book where I was presented with numerous possible paths. Is there a ghost, or isn’t there? Which brother is good, and which is evil? Or are they both good, or are they both evil? Oh wow, there are even more questions but I can’t tell you without spoiling things. All of the threads come together in an explosive climax that left me positively giddy. I was clutching the book so tightly it’s a good thing I had a durable hardcover copy and I gasped so loudly that even my library patrons took note ("Ah, you must be at a good part!" "Yes, yes, now shush and leave me alone." I was a terrible employee that day).

These people!

From page one, my heart broke for Jennie, the narrator, but she’s a tricky one herself. She has a tendency to stretch the truth and steal, so I was often unsure as to how much I could trust her. Still, her exaggerations were amusing and actually made me like her more. I felt so connected with her over our shared hatred of her despicable aunt. Now that aunt was a woman I love to hate! She’s so awful I’m thinking she must be Dolores Umbridge’s long lost ancestor.

I felt so strongly about all of the characters. Even the minor ones drew out a reaction from me. I just want to have a sleepover party and gasp, gossip, and giggle about these people. It would go sort of like this:

 “Oh no she didn’t!”  *gasp*

“Oh no you didn’t?!”  *giggle* *gasp*

“Oh my gosh, you didn’t!” *shakes head*

“Oh my god he did!!” *claps hands excitedly*

“How dare he!?” *rage*

“You SO rocked!” *high five*

But it wasn’t a complete giggle fest either. There’s so much sadness and loss here. Usually when I think of grief I think of just a horrible blanket of mourning that smothers everything. The feeling is unbearable, but it is clear. The other side of death, however, is often confusion. Not every death is neat and concrete with tangible explanations we can grasp onto as an anchor in a sea of grief. These types of deaths can be messy and are almost crueler in the confusion and swirl of conflicting emotions they evoke. This yo-yoing torment is what poor Jennie experiences and it is both terribly sad and morbidly enthralling.

Bottom line

If you were in my library you’d be walking out with a copy in your hands whether you wanted to or not because I’d Book-Pusher it on you. If you like books like The Thirteenth Tale then read it. If you want a good ghost story (even if you’re a wimp like me) then read it. Even if you don’t like historical fiction, read it. The Civil War backdrop is perfect, but it serves to create atmosphere and doesn’t bog you down with historical details.

The chapters are short and even though the book has 262 pages, probably about half of them are pictures so you’ll fly through it. If I hadn’t returned my copy to the library I’d be so tempted to read it again. And when I get my very own copy, you can probably tell what shelf I’ll be putting it on, right? You guessed it:

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

This book satisfies the following challenges: 

• Gothic Reading Challenge
• YA Historical Fiction Challenge
• Wish I'd Read That Challenge
• Library Reading Challenge

Want to see me fangirl over Adele Griffin some more? 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews: 

Click here for more posts from the Adele Griffin week!

Tweet