Guest Review: The Lost Boy by Greg Ruth

Release Date: Aug. 27, 2013
Publisher: Graphix
Age Group: Graphic Novel
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 192
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Some mysteries are too dangerous to leave alone . . .

Nate's not happy about his family moving to a new house in a new town. After all, nobody asked him if he wanted to move in the first place. But when he discovers a tape recorder and note addressed to him under the floorboards of his bedroom, Nate is thrust into a dark mystery about a boy who went missing many, many years ago. Now, as strange happenings and weird creatures begin to track Nate, he must partner with Tabitha, a local girl, to find out what they want with him. But time is running out, for a powerful force is gathering strength in the woods at the edge of town, and before long Nate and Tabitha will be forced to confront a terrifying foe, and uncover the truth about the Lost Boy.

This graphic novel is a well done, slightly haunting childhood adventure; the intro is a fairly standard adolescent lead in about a boy moving to a new town, but the story wastes no time getting started and the mystery begins in earnest as Nate is drawn deep into the mystery behind the disappearance of Walter, the titular “Lost Boy” and the hidden machinations that lurk in the town’s shadows. Strange talking bugs, malevolent foliage and discarded toys begin appearing and give the story an uncanny atmosphere; replicating that feeling of childhood unease where the imagination offers just as much fear as comfort.

The back story unfolds through a series of flashbacks interspersed with the present; jumping between Nate’s present and Walter’s past, it can sometimes take a second to realize which time period the story is in as Nate and Walter appear similar. Each, however, have distinctive clothing that sets them apart and the narrative is tightly bound with the art so you are never lost for long.  

The main characters are the standard workhorses of young adult literature; Nate and Walter being alienated young boys who happen to be the two sides of the same coin while Tabitha is the typical plucky, tomboyish girl next door. Thankfully the dialog is fresh enough that the idea doesn’t feel tired and you are eager to find out where the story is taking these likeable, if not particularly noteworthy, kids. However my favorite characters were the supporting cast; between Haloran, Tom Button and the Baron, they tilt the story into the outskirts of Lovecraft country, and while town is never named, it could easily fit in some sleepy part of New England.

The art fits perfectly with the story, the stark black and white lending a melancholy vibe that compliments the writing. The style appears simple, but the craftsmanship and skill of the Ruth’s illustrations are evident as the emotion and mood of each scene come across crystal clear. The anthropomorphic presentations of creatures like grasshoppers and birds are drawn in a manner that definitely plays up the creep factor, presenting human traits and motivations that are more sinister or at least ambiguous than the usual Disneyesque fare. 

I found the story enjoyable and entertaining despite being marketed to a younger crowd as it was grounded in a tried and true structure that benefited from a (mostly) interesting cast and atmosphere that wrapped up a solid and well written narrative. The work also contains a variety of shout outs and subtle humor that give it an appeal to all ages, a picture of Vincent Price in the background is definitely noticeable and the quip about pigeons in the opening lines links to Walter’s last name, but also is indicative of how he is treated in the story, giving it a deeper significance than it first appears.  

The story is self contained and wraps up the immediate plot, but definitely has a sequel hook, I would definitely recommend this graphic novel  if you enjoy Lovecraft-lite or childhood adventures, you can’t go wrong with The Lost Boy.

The Dark Unwinding Blog Tour & Guest Post

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages.

Release Date: September 1, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Pre-order: Amazon / IndieBound / Barnes & Noble

Where to find Sharon... 

Website / Facebook

Twitter / Goodreads

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Magical Science

“We live in a fantastic age, Miss Tulman, at the edge of a time where nothing is beyond us, not the moon, or the stars or even life itself.”

                                                                      -Ben Aldridge, The Dark Unwinding

And at the very beginning of that fantastic age was clockwork, both useful, as in accurate timekeeping, and fanciful, like the pianoforte playing automaton that Uncle Tully creates in The Dark Unwinding. That automaton was based on one called “The Musician,” made by Jaquet-Droz, a Swiss clockmaker (more info here: http://bit.ly/9zhB6m). His automaton is not a music box, it actually plays the instrument, each finger pushing the key in perfect time, all while blinking, swaying, and even breathing. Another of his creations, called “The Writer” is considered to be an ancestor of the computer, as it can be “programmed” to write any message up to forty characters. Each of these machines is made of thousands of handmade parts and each is a feat of engineering unto itself.

But what sets Uncle Tully’s workshop apart are not the inventions that “come from someone else’s head,” as Uncle Tully would say, but the inventions that took the technology of the time into a completely new direction, a direction not historically discovered until much later in the century. Uncle Tully’s “magically” balancing boat, the enormous dragon that stands on a pencil point, and his clockwork fish are all inventions with working schematics (designed by my über-smart husband!) employing technology that went on to be used in the Hubble telescope, the navigation systems of airplanes, the iPhone and even the Wii. The secret of this technology is actually shown in the schematic drawing of the clockwork fish at the beginning of The Dark Unwinding (also drawn by my über-smart husband!) and can be seen…if one knows what to look for!

The Victorian age was a time of hope like no other, when we began to realize that life did not have to exist as it had always been. We could have light without fire, machines that acted like humans, cheat death by eliminating a microscopic germ, and we began the technological journey that eventually led us to space. Science must have seemed like magic to a Victorian. And when you think of wireless communication and nanotechnology, it’s clear that we’re still working toward the same sort of magic today.

Follow the Tour

August 26 - The Book Vortex

August 27 - Book Thoughts by Marielle

August 28 - Starting the Next Chapter

August 29 - Denim Jacket Librarian

August 30 - The Housework Can Wait

August 31 - The Compulsive Reader

September 1 - RELEASE DAY!

September 2 - Magnet 4 Books’ Reviews

September 3 - The Ninja Librarian

September 4 - A Reader of Fictions

September 5 - Wastepaper Prose

September 6 - Through the Looking Glass

September 7 - Katie’s Book Blog

September 8 - The Cozy Reader

September 9 -  Mission to Read

Waiting on Wednesday (21)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine 

that highlights eagerly anticipated books.

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The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Release Date: September 1, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic
Author Website: http://sharoncameronbooks.com/

Pre-order: Amazon / IndieBound / Barnes & Noble

A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

Why I can't wait?
Historical London, sweeping romance, steampunk-y goodness-- yes, please.

Interview: Paul Gagne on Audiobook Production

Paul Gagne, director of production for Scholastic Audio and Weston Woods Studios, has worked on nearly 300 audiobooks to date, including some pretty outstanding titles such as Beauty Queens, the Ghost Buddy series, The Eleventh Plague, The Scorpio Races, and The Raven Boys.  He's here today to help us celebrate June is Audiobook Month, tell all about what it takes to produce an audio book, and give away some audiobooks. 

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Explain the role of an audiobook producer in the production process.

The role of producer can vary a lot from one company to another.  As Executive Producer for Scholastic Audio, I am responsible for budgeting new titles, assigning titles to producer/directors, coordinating casting decisions taking into account input from the producer/director, the author, and on occasion the author’s editor, keeping up to date on the production process overall to make sure we’re staying on schedule and within budget, and on occasion taking a more hands-on role by attending recording sessions, co-directing talent and working with composers to create the intro/outro music used in our productions.  I have also directed several productions.


For Weston Woods I have been much more involved in a hands-on capacity, directing most of our recording sessions, working with composers, and sometimes doing some of the editing, mixing and mastering.  I started as a sound editor at Weston Woods in 1978, so I’ve had an extensive background in audio production.

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What elements have to come together in pre-production to make the recording of an audiobook possible? What has to be done prior to entering the studio? 

I think the most important single element in pre-production is finding the right voice for the story, someone who not only has the right sound and range of talent for whatever character voices might be required, but who can relate to and “get inside” the story, conveying its emotional nuances.  For both Weston Woods and Scholastic Audio, we usually consult with our authors for their input on the kind of “inner voice” they may have had in mind while writing the story, what they’d like to hear in the audiobook, and we try very hard to cast accordingly.  In an ideal situation, I think that half the job of directing a project is really casting the right voice, and with the right producer/director for a project — ideally, someone who can also relate to the book -- coaching the best possible performance out of the reader is something that just naturally falls into place.  Prior to entering the studio, both the director and narrator should have read the entire text.  Not only should they both have a sense of the overall arc of the story, but they should have done their homework in terms of knowing all of the characters’ personalities and what they require in terms of different character voices, and researched any unusual names or words for pronunciation.  The sessions go a lot smoother if everyone is well-prepared.

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Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse

US Cover

Release Date: July 1, 2011 (UK: March 1, 2010)
Publisher: Scholastic (UK: Chicken House)
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: UK Publisher
Pages: 256
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
"Wonder Twins" on the run--and running amok--in Vegas. Road Trip!

Paisley and Beau are boldface names again. Last time, paparazzi called them the "Wonder Twins," two kids found alone but alive in the woods of exotic New Jersey. Three days after their mom's death -- and before their dad's criminal misdeeds.

Flash-forward to now: Their so-called lives? Suck out loud: Hating on their cougarized, Botoxic grandma, they're totally clueless about the location of ex-con Daddy. Till they discover a stash of old letters. That's when they decide to jack the Pontiac and hit the road. Holding up donut shops in Sin City might seem extreme, but if they can just get their pretty bad faces back on TV -- or TMZ -- they might wrap up their whole gaga saga with an Oprah-worthy reunion already!

UK Cover

If there’s one thing I can tell you about C.J. Skuse, it’s that she knows how to bring the funny.  She did it with Rockoholic (which I freaking LOVED by the way) and she’s done it again with Pretty Bad Things.  I should say at this point that although Pretty Bad Things was published in the UK a couple of years ago, it wasn’t until last year that I actually got round to reading a copy of the book (when it launched in the US).   The story is definitely original and the writing is exceptional, mostly due to the strong voice of the characters.  There’s a TON of LOL humour, complex characters and with Las Vegas a setting?  This sounds like a winner to me. ;)

Let’s talk about “The Wonder Twins” Paisely and Beau who couldn’t be more different to one another if they tried.  Whilst Beau tries to be good and follow the rules, Paisley is the wild child of the two.  She’s just purposefully got herself expelled from her fifth boarding school so that she and Beau can go on a road trip to find their jailbird dad.  They thought that the years of radio silence meant he didn’t give a damn but in fact, their grandma has been hiding letters from him the entire time.  As a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, they set off on a road trip with a plan to hold up donut shops and get themselves on TV to let dear old dad know that they’re in town.   You can guarantee that hilarity ensues. 

I have to say that my favourite character and probably one of the strongest voices in the book is Paisley.  She is fearless, reckless and beyond blunt.  She says what she thinks and makes no apologies for it.  It may sound strange but I can’t help but admire her for that.  There’s something liberating in her behaviour and although it gets her into trouble most of the time, she’s just so damn cool.  

There’s no real romance in the book as it’s mostly about family relationships and I never thought I would say it, but the book is so entertaining that I really didn’t mind the lack of romance.  I’m not going to give away the plot for you but it’s definitely worth reading and I am putting C.J. Skuse on my automatic pre order list right now. 

The List by Siobhan Vivian

Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Push
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

The List definitely gives you plenty to think about.  Siobhan Vivian takes on the world of high school beauty politics in this complicated, slightly crowded, but often heart-breaking story.  This follows eight female students at Mount Washington High School during the week of Homecoming.  Traditionally, at the beginning of that week, a list is posted anonymously, cataloging the prettiest and ugliest girls in each grade.  The points of view shift between chapters, giving the reader a glimpse into each girl’s life leading up to the dance that Saturday.

The ugliest freshman is Danielle, a star swimmer with a boyfriend on the football team.  She takes the news understandably hard, but her boyfriend seems to take it harder.  He allows his popular friends to tease him about dating her and tease her about the “Dan the Man” nickname she’s earned.  Danielle is one of my favorites, because I think she handles a very tough situation very well, and she doesn’t let it keep her completely down.  The prettiest freshman is Abby, whose older sister had been one of the ugly girls on a previous year’s list.  She is actually pleased to be recognized and noticed, but her sister Fern shames her for caring about looks and popularity when she should be concentrating on school.  Their back-and-forth is typical for sisters of different social classes, and it plays out predictably.

The ugliest sophomore is Candace, chosen solely because she is ugly on the inside.  The prettiest sophomore is previously homeschooled Lauren, who is more naïve than a girl her age should ever be.  I ended up pitying both of them by the end, because neither girl has a clue how to deal with any of this.  Candace makes Regina George look pleasant at the beginning, but her attitude change in just a week is fairly remarkable.  And Lauren… well, she’s still got a lot to learn about public school and growing up.

My favorite journey comes in the form of ugliest junior and art student Sarah.  She wears her new “crown” proudly, scrawling “UGLY” across her forehead and refusing to shower for the entire week.  It’s disgusting, but at least it’s original and interesting to read.  Her chronicle makes your skin crawl in so many ways.  Her pretty counterpart, Bridget, is my least favorite.  She had lost some weight over the summer (by not eating), and she feels the pretty title validated her “diet” choice.  I think her struggle is an important message, but one that had been told before in a better way.

Finally, the most complex relationship comes from pretty senior Margo and the first ever 4-time ugly “champion” Jennifer.  Margo and Jennifer were best friends as children, but they had an epic falling out before high school.  Now, Margo’s friends feel sorry for Jennifer, but Margo doesn’t know what to think of the entire situation.  The origin of their fight is the second biggest mystery of the novel, following the identity of the listmaker.  One reveal is much more satisfying than the other, but I’ll leave that to you to figure out.

While The List is crowded with characters whose names don’t always stick, their stories Vivian’s readable style compel me to keep going.  The List is an intriguing and important read for anyone who thinks it’s easier on “the other side.”

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Point
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 288
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / Fountain Bookstore
Description: Goodreads
Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Take a Bow was a sweet little surprise. My only previous experience with Elizabeth Eulburg was last year’s Prom and Prejudice, the modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. While I didn’t think it was poorly written or uninteresting, I just didn’t really care for it (though, perhaps the fault lies not in the novel, but in my slightly prejudicial love of classic Lizzie and Darcy). It’s also been established that I am a fan of the arts, especially schools of the arts, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

Once again, I’m glad I did. Take a Bow is entertaining, enjoyable, realistic—an excellent way to spend an afternoon or weekend. It takes place at the fictional New York City High School of the Creative and Performing Arts (CPA for short), a school that prepares students for life in the performing arts world, though CPA seems to be missing out on most of the art school competitive freakouts you’ve seen before. We get four POVs from students during their senior year at CPA: former child actor Carter Harrison, future superstar in her own mind Sophie Jenkins, child composing prodigy Ethan Quinn, and the humble yet wickedly talented songwriter Emme Connelly. They each have clearly defined personal stories that interweave and connect. However, Emme creeps into all the other POVs more than the others (since she was Sophie’s childhood best friend, Carter’s newfound friend/motivator, and Ethan’s love interest). I think it works well since Emme was also a charming protagonist.

Carter & Sophie’s stories are not the deepest or most original, as a child actor questioning whether he wanted to continue and a cutthroat drama queen trying to glom her way to stardom, but each is focused enough to keep the reader’s attention. Carter’s struggle to leave his acting life behind and embrace his artistic side held my attention because I sincerely wanted him to succeed. I also liked Eulburg’s subtle touch of writing all dialogue in Carter’s POV as a script, as if he’d been an actor for so long that his thoughts were in script form. Sophie plays an excellent bad girl, only occasionally dipping into obvious evil mustache twirling. Her saving grace is that she’s featured just enough to not distract from more important stories.

Ethan’s tale essentially revolves around Emme- begging her to stand up to Sophie, staring in awe as she unleashed her inner Rock Goddess, struggling to reveal his true feelings. It is quite lovely to see Emme through the lens of Ethan, to truly appreciate how much she had grown and matured in their 4 years together. He makes mistakes, but it’s all to deal with his inner pain, of course! At least Emme deserves the treatment. She’s charismatic and humble, emerging from her shell in her last year at CPA. She takes tons of chances, and you cheer for her along the way. Plus, she & Ethan are in an awesome band with underdeveloped but delightful characters Jack and Ben. I love their interaction as the members of The Undertones, CPA’s own band of rockin’ misfits. They have an easy rapport, a dynamic that only exists between fellow bandmates. They also truly care about each other, which is clearly evident in the way they deal with Ethan’s “issues.”

If you’re in the mood for a quick little trip into the lighter side of life at a performing arts school, pick up Take a Bow.