OZYA Archives - Page 15 of 20

Book Review: The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub

May 19, 2016

The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub

Pages: 304
Publish date: March 1st 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
ISBN: 0732296854
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Five teenagers. Five lives. One final year.

The school captain: Ryan has it all … or at least he did, until an accident snatched his dreams away. How will he rebuild his life and what does the future hold for him now?

The newcomer: Charlie’s just moved interstate and she’s determined not to fit in. She’s just biding her time until Year 12 is over and she can head back to her real life and her real friends …

The loner: At school, nobody really notices Matty. But at home, Matty is everything. He’s been single-handedly holding things together since his mum’s breakdown, and he’s never felt so alone.

The popular girl: Well, the popular girl’s best friend … cool by association. Tammi’s always bowed to peer pressure, but when the expectations become too much to handle, will she finally stand up for herself?

The politician’s daughter: Gillian’s dad is one of the most recognisable people in the state and she’s learning the hard way that life in the spotlight comes at a very heavy price.

Five unlikely teammates thrust together against their will. Can they find a way to make their final year a memorable one or will their differences tear their world apart?

The Yearbook Committee:

I’ve wanted to read a Sarah Ayoub book for quite a while now, I had seen Hate is Such a Strong Word so many times, but just never bought it. But when I interviewed Sarah Ayoub for my #LoveOZYA feature, I knew I had to read at least 1 of her books. So I picked up The Yearbook Committee and let me tell you, I loved it.

The Yearbook Committee follows five very different students as they come together to complete the yearbook for the end of year 12. This book is full of friendships, breakdowns, romance, family and everything else. It is such an intense book, that I could not put it down.

Ryan was quite interesting – he is the guy that everyone knows, but isn’t a dickhead. I enjoyed when we were reading about him. He has this standard for himself and when everything falls apart – he just doesn’t know how to deal with it.

Charlie has just moved to the school, and just does not want to be there. Charlie was intriguing and I was always looking forward to reading her chapter.

Matty, just broke my heart. I want to be his best friend and hug him all the time. He holds all this stuff in and I wanted to scream at him to do what is right for him. Matty has such a kind heart.

Tammi is someone who’s perception on things, is manipulated because of who she is friends with. The way that she reacts to things, the way that she talks is all because she wants to stay friends with the popular girl. The peer pressure that she feels is intense and sometimes frightening.

Then we have Gillian, she is the politician’s daughter and always in the spotlight, but it’s not easy to be there, especially if you want to be your own person.

All these characters and the friendships they build and break is quite interesting. they are so different from each other, yet so alike. The dynamic between them all was fascinating and intriguing.

This book can get relatively intense at times, but I enjoyed, it shows that life isn’t all rainbows especially in your last year of school.

I loved that this book had so many different types of relationships. From family to friendships to romance, it was all there. Some were strong and some did just not work. There were friendship fall outs and new friendships and I loved it. Basically The Yearbook Committee was real and raw.

We are able to see in The Yearbook Committee that teens are flawed too, and everything doesn’t work out to how you planned it to be. We witness insecurities, heartbreak and everything that comes along with your final year of school, and being a teen in general.

It deals with teens and stereotyping. How we should not be defined by that stereotype and we can be anyone that we want. We are not just some label. I love this because anyone can connect to this, they can see themselves or how they treated others and fix it.

I loved the compelling writing of Sarah Ayoub, it captivating and you are drawn in from the start, you connect to each character one of or another and you want to know their story, you want them to get through the year and go out into the world.

Overall, The Yearbook Committee is enchanting, you will be torn apart and put together over and over again. You will be taken on a ride with 5 students in their class year of high school – so be prepared.

Have you read The Yearbook Committee? Did you love it as much as I did? Are you going to read it or any other Sarah Ayoub books? Let’s Chat.

#LoveOzYA Interview: Kylie Fornasier

May 13, 2016

I love Aussie YA. I love reading books from authors that live in the same country as me, that know things that people out of Australia might be so confused about. I love how sometimes they can incorporate this into their book and it is fabulous.

So in saying that, I have decided to start a new feature on Angel Reads spotlighting Australian YA Authors. Each Friday for the next couple of months, I am going to interview an OZYA Author. I thought it would be a fun way to share my love for Australian Young Adult authors with not only fellow Aussies, but everyone around the world. I want more Australian YA books to be read, because they are amazing.

First week I interview Sarah Ayoub, then Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, then Shivaun Plozza, and Gabrielle Tozer, And last week Jay Kristoff. This week we have Kylie Fornasier the young adult author of Masquerade (Penguin Teen, 2014) and The Things I Didn’t Say (Penguin Random House,2016).

Hi Kylie, welcome to Angel Reads. First can you introduce yourself to everyone? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hey guys! Important things first: I love Pretty Little Liars and The 100, though I’m not up to the episode that has a lot of people angry at the show; I am currently obsessed with Peck’s cheddar flavoured rice biscuits, like I go through a pack every few days; and I’m not quite sure if I’m using punctuation currently here, that’s why I have an editor! I live in the Hawkesbury which is west-ish of Sydney. It’s definitely not the “country”, like some people think, though I do have four chickens.

Other things you should probably know about me is that I write books for children and young adults. In 2014, my young adult novel, Masquerade was published by Penguin Books Australia. It’s Gossip Girl meets Downton Abbey set in 18^th century Venice. And my newest YA book, The Things I Didn’t Say, is being published by Penguin Random House this May. It’s the love story of the girl who doesn’t speak and the boy everyone talks about.

What has your writing journey been like? When did you start? Why?

It’s been a bit like the Rainbow Road level in Mario Kart. If you’re not familiar with Mario Kart, it’s this level:

It’s been amazing and exhilarating and like nothing I could’ve imagined. Most of all, an absolute roller coaster! I started writing in my teens and got published in my early twenties. I didn’t study writing and my day job (teaching) doesn’t have a lot to do with books. But writing is what I’ve wanted to do since my teens. When you think about getting published, you think that the hardest part is going to be writing the book or getting the publishing contract but for me, they were the easier parts. Navigating the world of being a published writer, the incredible highs and the lows have been the more difficult part for me. But it’s the whole experience of the writing journey that’s shaped who I am and the books I write.

What was the process of getting your first book published?

The first book I had contracted for publication was actually a children’s picture book (The Prince who Shrank). My story came to the attention of an editor who attended one of my writers’ group meetings and from there I was offered a publishing contract. Joining a writers’ group was the best thing I could’ve done. You meet people with the same interests and develop friendships, you get feedback on your work, you learn to give feedback and improve your editing skills, you develop networks and opportunities. If you are an aspiring writer and not already part of one, join a writers’ group!

Was it different when getting your subsequent books published?

My next book that was contracted was a children’s chapter book (The Ugg Boot War), which was found in the slush pile. Following that, my first young adult novel, Masquerade, came to the attention of an editor from Penguin Books at the Sutherland Shire Writers’ Festival during a paid publishing consultation. From that I got a full manuscript request and from that a publishing deal. My newest young adult novel that is released in May, The Things I Didn’t Say, was probably the most straight forward book to get published. I sent the first draft to my editor and publisher who I’d worked on with Masquerade and waited to hear if they liked it and wanted to publish it – they did. The writing, editing and publishing process was much different with this book, though. Because it had been contracted from a terrible, shocking first draft there was a lot of work to do on it in an incredibly shorter timeframe.

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?

Oh gosh, I can only pick some?! Ok, my recent favs are Yellow by Megan Jacobson, Frankie by Shivaun Plozza and The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis. They will always and forever be my #YASquad2016. I also will never stop raving about The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta and anything by Amie Kaufman. Oh, and Spark and Stray by honorary OZYA author, Rachael Craw.

I have read both of her books and you can read my reviews of Masquerade and The Things I Didn’t Say and I lets just say I love them. You can find Kylie at @KylieFornasier on twitter, kyliefornasier.com and add her books on your goodreads.

The Thing’s I Didn’t Say by Kylie Fornasier

Pages: 320
Publish date: May 2nd 2016
Publisher: Penguin Teen Australia
ISBN: 9780143573630
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

I hate the label Selective Mutism – as if I choose not to speak, like a child who refuses to eat broccoli. I’ve used up every dandelion wish since I was ten wishing for the power to speak whenever I want to. I’m starting to wonder if there are enough dandelions.

After losing her best friend that night, Piper Rhodes changes schools, determined that her final year will be different. She will be different. Then she meets West: school captain, star soccer player, the boy everyone talks about. Despite her fear of losing everything all over again, Piper falls in love – and West with her – without Piper ever speaking one word to him. But will it last?

***

Thank you Kylie for joining me at Angel Reads. That is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Kylie and her books? I was lucky enough to meet Kylie a couple of months ago at the #YASquad2016 and she is so lovely.

Come back next week for some more Aussie fun. If you want to know more about the #LoveOZYA movement check out the website for all the details.

#LoveOzYA Interview: Jay Kristoff

May 6, 2016

First week I interview Sarah Ayoub, then Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, then Shivaun Plozza and last weeks guest being Gabrielle Tozer. This week we have none other than Jay Kristoff!

Jay is the author of The Lotus War Series (Pan MacMillian Aus, 2012), The Nevernight Chronicle triology (Harper Voyager, 2016), LIFEL1K3 (2018) and co author of The Illuminae Files (Allen and Unwin, 2015) and the Andromeda Cycle (2018).

Hi Jay, and welcome to Angel Reads. First can you introduce yourself to everyone? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Jay. I’m the co-author of Illuminae, and author of The Lotus War and the upcoming Nevernight (aug 2016) and LIFEL1K3 (mid 2016). No, I do not sleep.

What has your writing journey been like? Where did you start? Why?

The trajectory has been wild one, but the journey itself is pretty stock. I wrote a book. Cold queried agents. Got rejected a lot. I wrote another book. Cold queried agents. Got an agent. Got a book deal. And that was it. So there was no secret handshake or magic moment or sacrifices to the Old Ones, just lots of writing and rejection. That’s par for the course in publishing. Rejection is good for the soul.

I started trying to get published about 2010. I’d always written for fun, but never imagined it might actually amount to anything. It was a hobby that, through a lot of work, became a paying gig. So, long, slightly uncomfortable hugs of thanks to everyone who buys my books!

What was the process of getting your first book published?

Well, after I signed with my agent, there was a round of internal edits, and then we went out on sub. Luckily, we had several houses interested, so the book went to auction. I wrote about the process here.

Stormdance was odd in that I signed a simultaneous deal with a US and UK publishing house. Which meant I had two editors, two rounds of copy edits, two rounds of proofing. I didn’t know better at the time, but this was kind of insane and I’d never do it again.

First book is a very steep learning curve. You’re a babe in the woods in so many respects. All you can do is trust your agent and write the best book you can. Jack Daniels helps. LOTS of Jack Daniels.

Was it different when getting your proceeding books published?

Definitely. Every book is a learning experience. I knew far more about publishing and marketing and the industry itself when Illuminae started gearing up for publication. So, I was far more intimately involved from a production standpoint as well as the actual writing. You’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in previous books, so you know what to ask for and what to aim for. Plus, you understand how much of a factor luck is in any book’s success, so you can relax a little (or get more uptight, depending on your personality.)

Again, Jack Daniels helps.

What was the difference between getting your books published here in Australia and internationally?

Australia tends to get a lot of its properties in conjunction with UK houses. So, on the Lotus War, Tor UK bought the rights and PanMac in Aus were part of that deal. Similarly, with Nevernight Harper Voyager in the UK bought the rights, so Harper here will be publishing the series in the ANZ market.

Illuminae was slightly different, in that Amie had such a great experience with Allen & Unwin on Starbound, she wanted them to get first slice. So we negotiated a separate deal from the UK. A&U are fantastic – couldn’t be happier with the work they’ve done on Illuminae.

Australia tends to take its cues from larger markets – the US has much larger budgets and a much larger population, so typically, Australian publishers will try to leverage that overseas buzz into their efforts here. Which makes perfect sense. We’re crafty little buggers down here, and Australian publishers do an incredible job with what is typically very scarce resources.

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?

Ellie Marney’s Every series is simply brill – Ellie is auto-buy for me. Anything by Garth Nix, although I’ll always have a soft spot for Shade’s Children. Justine Larbalestier’s new book, My Sister Rosa is wonderfully chilling. The Starbound series by my co-author Amie Kaufman and her other partner in crime Meg Spooner is fantastic. I’ve just started reading Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson and even though I suspect I am so NOT the target market, I’m loving it. Very bright, very funny.

You can find Jay at @misterkristoff on twitter, jaykristoff.com and add his books to your goodreads.

Nevernight

Pages: 400
Publish date: August 11th 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager
ISBN: 0008180016
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

***

Thank you Jay for joining me at Angel Reads. That is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Jay and his books? I have seen Jay talk and have met him a couple of times now and he is quite the nice guy.

Come back next week for some more Aussie fun. If you want to know more about the #LoveOZYA movement check out the website for all the details.