Daily Dahl 9/29/13

The Daily Dahl -- MIDNIGHT EDITION
29 September, 2013

In honor of today's subject matter -- vampires -- today's edition is at the enchanted hour of twilight. 

Today's article comes from The Guardian and discusses the nature of YA Fiction for the Millennial generation. It doesn't take more than a trip to one's local book store to see that vampires and spells are dominating today's market. Julia Ecclashare writes her essay to explore this trend.

Article Title: Is There Life Beyond Vampires for Teenage Readers?
Originally written by Julia Ecclashare
published September 23, 2013
Found in The Guardian

My Thoughts:
Ecclashare makes the point that today's young adult fiction "keys into the anxieties of teen readers today" and that there may be no point for today's teens to read the must-read books of last generation. It seems dark fantasy is what teens want as it connects with their daily preoccupations and concerns. The market wants to deliver what teens are going to read and I admit this is an agreeable cause. Reading is a fundamental for learning and personal growth, so I support what it takes to get children and young adults to read. But should I wish the dystopian and dark fantasy cycle to end? Should anyone? Young adults need stimulating reads and while Twilight and The Hunger Games are great teen reads, their not entirely rich in content. These novels satiate the desires of teens and present complex issues for readers to live out and solve emotionally, but an abundance of this genre limits varied reading. There are plenty of rich novels being published consistently, so why does it seem like the vampires are the continued crowd pleasers? Maybe I'm wrong, but trends speak. And what's more, "research in the US indicates that 55% of YA fiction is read by over 18s," writes Ecclashare. This is another interesting trend. Why do myself and other adults follow the YA trends? What makes this trend so wildly contagious? Is it the sexy vampire? The romance in spite of death? Not new trends certainly, but being manipulated and spread throughout the YA novel culture. The results of this trend are mass production of both good and bad literature in the dystopian and paranormal genres. The trick is sorting out the good literature and adding a little variety to one's reading diet. By all means, I believe teens can read and enjoy Twilight and its counterparts, but it is my opinion that a healthy reader explores the richness of other genres and sub-genres. 

Citation:
Ecclashare, Julia. "Is There Life beyond Vampires for Teenage        Readers?" The Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
 
 

Review: Slam by Nick Hornby

Slam by Nick Hornby

Pages:304 pages
Publisher:Putnam Publishing Group
Source:My landlady's bookshelf
Buy:Amazon - BN - Book Depository

Goodreads Description: 
For 16-year-old Sam, life is about to get extremely complicated. He and his girlfriend—make that ex-girlfriend— Alicia have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble. Sam is suddenly forced to grow up and struggle with the familiar fears and inclinations that haunt us all.

Nick Hornby’s poignant and witty novel shows a rare and impressive understanding of human relationships and what it really means to be a man.

My Review: 

Have you ever read a book that tells you its ending before it happens? Nick Hornby's "Slam" did just that. Now, before I mislead you, I should say that I really enjoyed this book. It was an excellent and compelling read! The story is about Sam, who impregnates his girlfriend, Alicia. 16-year-old Sam is about to be a father. The thing I loved about this story is that it wasn't plot-driven. Sam gets "flashed" to the future a couple times and in both instances the reader knows exactly what is coming. The flashes into the future, while they give away key plot points are a unique gesture on Hornby's part to make a literary statement. Hornby's novel "Slam" isn't written with high energy action sequences to move the reader along, but instead critical thought on the development of the child and his progress into adulthood. It is often a bit frightening knowing the thoughts of young Sam. He's a teenage boy with difficult choices to make and the joy of the novel is reading how Sam solves his problems. Sam isn't a hero in many ways; as a reader, I found myself defending both Sam and Alicia - a real dilemma in my own mind. The beauty of this book is the simple characters who are faced with life-changing decisions. Of course, Hornby's book isn't without its bouts of humor. "Slam" is a wonderfully written book told from the mind of a teenage boy. It's a great read for anyone, but I really loved the fact that it was written from the perspective of a boy because the world can always use more quality, life-changing books for teen boys. All I can say is "read this book!"

I give "Slam" by Nick Hornby 5 out of 5 foxes for its emphasis on character and relationships, along with unique plot forms that engage the reader's interest through fulfillment of prediction. The predictability of the plot doesn't make the story boring, rather it's quite humorous and thought-provoking.

Review: The Turbatus Bones by Jack Speight (Bone of Evil)

**Before I get on to the review, I would like to briefly, yet officially announce that I am back to the blogging world. I arrived home from England a few weeks ago and will be sharing more and varied book reviews for you all! Now, on to the less boring stuff. **

The Turbatus Bones #1 Bone of Evil By Jack Speight

Pages: 306

Publisher: Createspace

Series: Book #1

Source: received from author

Buy: Amazon - BN - Book Depository

Goodreads Description:
 

There are four Turbatus Bones: HEALING, LIGHT, FORTUNE, and EVIL. Together, they give the power to travel through space and time. Apart, they can heal, reveal, destine, or doom anyone foolish enough to pick them up. And they are currently scattered across the fierce and fantastical realm of Tarkan.

When young orphan Jackson Walker discovers it is in his power to reunite the bones and find his parents, the quest begins. What Jackson doesn't anticipate is that the bones desperately want to be found by seemingly anyone except himself. When one of the bones falls into the hands of the cruelest man in all of Tarkan, the tyrant Mal, it will take all of Jackson's courage and cunning to retrieve it.

Luckily for Jackson, he is far from alone in his quest. His world is filled with quirky characters: Seven the oversized dog, Radio Flyer the undersized dragon, Jinda the distinctly disfigured herbalist, and the feisty and gorgeous serving-girl, Claire. All of whom are caught, with Jackson, in the perfect realm for fantasy - a world quaking with the turbulence of war, romance, and magic. Written as the first installment of The Turbatus Bones series, The Bone of Evil is ultimately as much about adventure as it is about finding a place in this world (or the next).

My Review:

First of all, this is a review I intended to write months ago. So apologies to anyone who had been waiting to see this review. If that wasn't you, then ignore this and pretend that I'm a good, timely person who reviewed this book on schedule.

I began reading this book and was immediately impressed. The book was fast-paced like every adventure ought to be, and the short chapters really added to the appeal of this book as a quest novel. You can't really go wrong with a crotchety old woman with several missing appendages and an over-sized St. Bernard who speaks and never bathes. I loved that this book has two young boys as protagonists. I had a difficult time at first imagining Jackson and Ome as children-sized. When it comes to the "hero on a journey" character, I tend to picture a brawny young man with emerging intellect, yet a large amount of innocence. Speight's characters break this literary habit; it made for a very refreshing read. Jackson, the young bonemaster, has a likeable courage, but a curious and dark intelligence that makes the boy seem less of a boy and more of a young soldier. And, were back to the 'ol "hero on a quest." Jackson was a very curious character to me and I enjoyed reading his emotions slowly unfold. I look forward to learning more about Jackson in the upcoming novels. "The Turbatus Bones" has a various and unique cast. I thought the each character was compelling and well-rounded, and each served a part of the plot, which really tied the whole story together.

The plot of the story was one of the most unique I have read in some time. I don't read too much Science Fiction, but I can't recall any stories about bones being gathered to help people travel to new world, especially none that take "payment." It was very interesting. And the book climaxed smoothly, everything came together. When the book was finished, my heart was pounding and my fingers were itching to turn just one more page. Good thing there is a sequel!

I give this a four out of five foxes for its fast-paced reading and its ability to engage reader curiosity. The plot was thick and the characters substantial. Speight really did quite a marvelous job on this book. It's a great read middle grade to teen reading.

Check out the Spotlight and author interview I did with Speight earlier.