The Secret Adventures of WriterGirl

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Still Alive by Jonathan Coulton and GLaDOS (for all you Portal fans out there).

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Hollow by Submersed.



The idea of Monday's Muse is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What I do is go to amazon, narrow it down to a YA field and type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of (and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

Scary Mary by S.A. Hunter.

Mary just wants to be left alone, but the cheerleaders, jocks, guidance counselors, and ghosts won't stop harrassing her. When a new boy starts school, he surprises Mary by befriending her. That's a rare thing for the school freak, but her unusual abilities put a rift in their budding friendship when Mary has to tell Cy that his home is haunted and not by Casper, the friendly ghost.




Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories by Roald Dahl.

Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected, Roald Dahl? Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he realtes in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology. "Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story," Dahl writes. "It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts." For this superbly disquieting collection, Dahl offers favorite tales by such masterful storytellers as E. F. Benson, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Rosemary Timperley, and Edith Wharton.




Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick.

It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.




A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone.

Fourteen-year-old Rene is a high school freshman living in a scary movie. He smells his left hand when nervous, cannot pick up a face-down coin, and will not move if the time adds up to thirteen. If he does, something terrible will happen to him or someone close to him. Rene tells his mom he is in between each of the groups at school, trying to find where he fits; but Rene does not fit with the Devilblackcoats, the Cutters, the Bigbulletholes, the Smartypants, or the Angels. He does not fit with anyone until he meets Giovanni. Giovanni tries to help Rene become cool, but they both end up in a jam when they run off to New York City after Rene's estranged father returns unexpectedly. The book is written in Rene's voice. Blackstone shows real insight into the thoughts of a teen with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Through his friendship with Gio and with the help and understanding of his mother, Rene eventually gains some control over his thoughts and actions, enough to be able to walk and talk and sleep in his own skin comfortably. Many teens will recognize someone they know in Rene and gain some understanding of the kid who does not fit in.--Deborah L. Dubois, VOYA.





The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?




We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Hands by Jewel.





Now it's my turn. I couldn't resist. Here is my entry for the 90 Second Newbery Festival, from the (utterly amazing and jaw-dropping fantastic) Newbery-Honor winning novel The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I don't think there are any big spoilers in it (I tried not to, at least). It is mostly filled with inside jokes but even so, if you haven't read it - don't click that button. I know it's tempting. Even more so now that I've said no. It calls to you, my preecciousssssss. But don't. This book is one that is too good to be spoiled. So just lift your hand from your mouse and scurry over to the library, and pick yourself up a copy. THEN come back and click. I can't promise it's amazing, but it sure was a lot of fun to make. :) Have a great weekend, everyone!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Ombra Mai Fu by Jackie Evancho.













Sometimes, it pays to be first.

Please please please email me (or, respond to the email I am about to send riiiigghhht... now). Because we truly do not want a fiasco like my last contest (here, here, here, here, here AND here). Hilarious, absurd, and so much fun to look back and laugh on now. :)







Thank you so much, everyone! You make it a joy to come back here.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): The Forest of the Deer God by Joe Hisaishi [Princess Mononoke soundtrack].



My reviews are a bit different than most. As an undercover superhero (ordinary girl extraordinaire), my purpose is to try and uncover hidden gems lost from the familiar radar. Because of this, I have set up some guidelines for myself (just like the pirate code). :)

I will focus on YA and Children's literature (with very rare exceptions).
I will not review any book that is one of the top 25,000 bestselling books (based on Amazon ranks).
I will try and aim for books 100,000 or larger.
I will review recent books or books of great merit (preferably both).

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Published: 2004
Publisher: Eos
Pages: 355
Current Amazon Rank: #342,586
Author's Website: Here
Want it? Find it here.



The First Line:

Sailing toward dawn, and I was perched atop the crow's nest, being the ship's eyes.



My Take:

Imagine if airships had become the dominant form of sky transport instead of planes (and were, how should we say, far less flammable) inside of an alternate history circa (roughly) 1920, add in a dash of high seas piracy and pursuit of scientific discovery, and you have one excellent story on your hands.

Matt Cruse, a cabin boy aboard the floating airship Aurora spots and saves a distressed hot air balloon with a dying old man inside. Before he dies, he speaks of a remarkable creature that could not possibly exist. One year later, a stalwart and headstrong young Kate de Vries comes aboard the Aurora looking for the very creature described in her grandfather's notes. A bond is formed because of their connection to her grandfather and he agrees to help her. They get a lot more than they bargained for in the process.


The characters are wonderful and alive. I loved the developing relationship between Kate and Matt. It felt so natural, but so did the characters themselves. Kate can be exasperating. The secondary characters have genuine depth and reality to them. And Matt is not perfect. In fact he has obvious fits of jealousy against someone who doesn't deserve his venom, but it only serves to make him relateable and real. And oh my goodness, the kissing scene. Heck. Yes. I was listening to this on audio first and this was the first time I skipped back so I could hear it again. But no, I am not telling you where it is. :)

The story is wonderful, the dialogue utterly organic and natural (it is probably one of his greatest strengths), fantastically paced especially once you get past the first couple of chapters, this story is exciting and the perfect blend of different. Adventure, discovery, high (high) seas pirate action, this hearkens back to the best kind of adventure books but is infinitely fresher and down to earth. So to speak. Highly recommend.




The Final Word: This is the best kind of modern Robert Louis Stevenson imaginable with action, adventure, and thrilling theatrics. Highly recommended for both boys and girls alike.








P.S I love the last line. It made me grin all kinds of silly. But don't you dare read it first, you last page cheaters! It will have no meaning for you if you don't read it start to finish.