Rose Foster Archives - Angel Reads

OZ YA Books I Read in 2016

Jan 8, 2017

Reading more Australian young adult books is something that I strived to do more of this year. And I think that I did pretty good. I wish I was able to read some more, but they will be getting added to next year’s list.

Along with the #LoveOZYA movement, I think that Aussie YA has been read more around the world this year. I’ve seen bloggers reading and loving books from Australia authors and wanting to read more.

This year I also did my #LoveOZYA Author Interview. Where I interviewed Australian young adult authors about their books, writing life and what it’s like to be an author from Australia.

I decided today I will talk about all the OZ YA books that I read that year. From the good to the bad. Most of these books were published in 2016, but there are some that are earlier.

Frankie by Shivaun Plozza: It’s a story of heartbreak, belonging, finding yourself and what it is to be a family. It captures Melbourne as Melbourne from the language to the setting. Frankie brings to light that sometimes when you think that you are alone, you are not. And all that you need to do is let them in. Full Review

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman: Now I didn’t love this one as much as everyone else. But I did enjoy reading it. I struggle reading science fiction – so I was glad just to get through it.

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley: A poignant, beautiful story. With fleshed out characters, gorgeous writing and a concept that is for every book lover. It’s about love, friendship, family and grief. You are taken on a journey through up’s and down’s and pulled into pieces. Full Review

Disruption by Jessica Shirvington: With enthralling characters, an engrossing world and a plot that just keeps you right there in the action. Disruption is a must read for everyone that loves YA and beyond.

Corruption by Jessica Shirvington: Just as enthralling as the first novel. Corruption keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Industry by Rose Foster: The world was intriguing, protagonist interesting and the story pulled me right in. The Industry shows us that we need to try and be strong in hard times. Even when you think everything is impossible. Full Review

Breathing Under Water by Sophie Hardcastle: An emotional rollercoaster of a story. You are on a ride of grief and how it affects people differently, family and how at times you have to stick together, and friendship and how it can break when everything falls apart. | Full Review

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil: Ventures in friendship, first love, family and what it is like to keep everything bottled in. It shows that sometimes love needs to start off as a friendship and that the bonds of friends are not always broken – even if there is some turbulence on the way. Full Review

When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah: The younger generations need to know that sometimes the government and media lie and manipulate the sense of asylum seekers. They need to know that most of these people are not illegal or jumping the queue, they are just simply people looking for freedom, safety and peace. It’s an important story to write and share. Full Review

The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub: 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. Full Review

The Things I Didn’t Say by Kylie Fornasier: A gorgeous novel that breaks you down. It pulls at your heart and slowly rips it. With beautiful writing and a slow burning romance that starts off quick, but takes it’s time | Full Review
The Protected by Claire Zorn: The Protected is a beautiful, heartbreaking novel that tales a story of a girl who not only has to deal with her sister dying. But memory lose, her family breaking down and the torment of school.

Lisette’s Paris Notebook by Catherine Bateson: I didn’t love this book. It had potential, but it just wasn’t for me |

Summer Skin by Kirsty Eager: Is not for the faint hearted, be prepared for a sexy, slow-burning love full of passion and secrets. Summer Skin deals not only with young men taking advantage of women but how women can act differently to it. It shows us that people hide behind fronts not only to keep themselves safe but others as well. Summer Skin is full of empowering young women that take a stand.

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier: Is a terrifying, fantastic read that will mess with your mind. Be prepared for a book that has many twists and turns that you have no idea what hit you, My Sister Rosa reminds us that sometimes a smile and looking pretty doesn’t mean that the person is not a psychopath. Nevertheless, Larbalestier also reminds us that you not always like your family.

What I Saw by Beck Nicholas: Shows us that sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest thing, that sometimes family isn’t everything and the importance of how a king hit can not only hurt the Victim but everyone else around them.

What OZ YA books did you read this year? Did are share any of the same? What was your favourite, less favourite? What are you looking forward to next year? Let’s Chat!

#LoveOzYA Interview: Rose Foster

Jul 22, 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 I decided to created a feature where I interview Australian Young Adult authors about their craft, journey and some interesting facts. I thought it was a fun way of everyone around the world to get to know these authors and maybe make them want to pick up their books. And that is what I am aiming to do, spread the word about #LoveOZYA and get everyone reading it.

So far on #LoveOzYA Interviews, I have had Sarah Ayoub, Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, Shivaun Plozza and Gabrielle Tozer. Then Jay Kristoff and Kylie Fornasier, followed by A.J Betts, Megan Jacobson then Christopher Currie, Steph Bowe, Tim Sinclair and Meg Caddy. And the last two books on Angel Reads I had Lynette Noni and Sophie Hardcastle.

This week I have Rose Foster, author of The Industry (2012, Harper Collins) and The Estate (2016).

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

I was born in Brisbane though I’ve lived in Melbourne all my life. I enjoy writing a combination of long form fiction and screenplays. I love the Melbourne writer community; I’m extremely grateful to be part of it. If you intend to be a writer, make friends with them. You won’t regret it.

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

My writing journey has been pretty focused. Being a child is hard and being a teenager is harder. Nowadays, being in your twenties isn’t easy either. These are the times when stories and avenues of escape are essential, be it in the form of books, TV shows, movies, games, comics, music, anything. I took my strength and comfort from stories when I was younger. I took a lot from the writers and artists I loved and at some point felt like I wanted to give. I’m incredibly proud to write for young people; I think it’s an important job. For me, writing YA means endeavouring to create recognisable characters for readers to draw comfort and strength from, and unrecognisable settings and situations for readers to escape into. Whether I achieve that or not is something else but the intention is there.

What was the process of getting your first book published?

The first book began as a conversation without dialogue tags between two people imprisoned together in the same cell. The criminal underworld of The Industry was built bit-by-bit over the years. I worked on the story and plot for the series as a whole to ensure I knew where I wanted to go before drafting the first book. I took the manuscript to my high school and appealed to the year seven and eight students there.

Some of them were very kind in reading The Industry and offering very astute and valuable feedback. YA first and foremost must be about writing for the intended audience and I wanted to see how that audience received it. After adding in changes I found an agent and soon after I was talking with a wonderful publisher in Melbourne.

No matter how determined you might be to become a writer, you still feel very underprepared when publication comes around.

Was it different when getting your subsequent books published?

The two experiences couldn’t be more different. I became very unwell after The Industry was published. I’d managed to write The Estate but it wasn’t the book I’d planned it to be. My publishers knew that and released me from the contract to focus on my health. It was difficult to come to terms with losing my contract and I felt ashamed of disappointing those who had enjoyed The Industry.

I’d worked toward publishing the series for a very long time and it all fell away before the job was done. I didn’t think it would take so long to recover, but now that I have I’ve rewritten The Estate, hopefully to the standard the readers of The Industry expect. That being said, there’s a lot I would change about The Industry now too if I could, but there’s nothing to be done about that.

Without the might of a publisher behind it The Estate will be published as an ebook. The process is very self-driven this time around, just a few wonderful publicity/design helpers and me. I hope those who enjoyed The Industry forgive me for the long wait and enjoy The Estate.

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

I have many but there’s one I revisited a few weeks ago and it just killed me all over again in all the best ways. Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein. Hating Alison Ashley was my favourite Australian book as a kid and it’s my favourite Australian book as an adult. It’s slightly more middle grade than it is YA but it’s the Aussie book that has stayed with me most over the years. I adored the humour, the characters and the shambles of a school. I loved the age-appropriate insights on class and the geographical integrity Klein gave Baringa East. It felt like the realest of Aussie suburbs, one I could picture and navigate easily.

Erica Yurken lives her life terrified she’s not good enough and offsets that by pretending, with great conviction, that she’s better than everyone else. She has big dreams about becoming a beautiful, elegant actress and there’s a quiet desperation underpinning the story that she might not achieve those dreams. She realises at the end-of-term school camp — with such high-octane and heart-warming drama on Klein’s part —that she won’t ever be what she’s always believed she should be. Instead, she’s told she has talent as a writer, something reinforced brilliantly by her new friend Alison, and she realises very quickly that she’s actually thrilled with that, and thrilled with her family, her school, her whole life. Hating Alison Ashley made me laugh as a kid and it made me cry as an adult.

Thank you Rose for joining us here at Angel Reads. You can find Rose on twitter at @_rosefoster_ or at @industrybooks. You can also add her books to your goodreads. I also review The Industry, this week – I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The Industry by Rose Foster

Pages: 312
Publish date: March 20th 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0732293308
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Kirra Hayward is an ordinary sixteen year old – smarter than most, but otherwise completely anonymous. When she stumbles across an unusual puzzle on the internet and manages to solve it, she has no idea of what she’s letting herself in for. Kidnapped by a shadowy organisation known only as The Industry, Kirra soon discovers how valuable her code-breaking skills are. And when she stubbornly refuses to help them, they decide to break her … by any means at their disposal. Kirra knows that to protect herself, she must trust no one, not even her fellow prisoner, Milo. But as time goes by she realises he might be the only person she can rely on …

***

Thank you Rose for joining me at Angel Reads and sharing your journey. Have you her books? Did you like them? Are you going to read them?

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. Also if you have any Australian YA authors that you would like to see me interview, just let me know and I can see what I can do.

Book Review: The Industry by Rose Foster

Jul 20, 2016

The Industry by Rose Foster

Pages: 312
Publish date: March 20th 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0732293308
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

The Industry:

I received of The Industry by Rose Foster from the author in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I hadn’t really heard about the The Industry before I started to look into #LoveOZYA authors. I saw the cover, but it never caught my eye and I don’t know why – as soon as I read the synopsis I knew that I had to pick it up. It sounded like there were things I liked, and overall I did enjoy it.

The Industry follows protagonist Kirra as she cracks a code, is taken captive, tortured and has to fight for her life. We are taken on a journey through pain, heartbreak, and the possibility of dying.

Kirra is an interesting protagonist; I never loved her but, at the same time I never hated her. I admired her for her determination, she wants to stay alive, she will go through pain, she won’t give in.

Kirra almost never wined and I loved that – she was put into a situation that is so horrible and she didn’t act like her life was ending, she stayed strong and tried to stay alive. My heart broke for her at times, I just wanted wrap her up in my arms and hug her.

However, I didn’t feel that she had enough character development; yes there was some, but I wanted more. I was craving more.

I enjoyed the world that Foster builds in The Industry, it’s quite intriguing. At times I was confused with all the names and organisations, but I just slipped over it and it was all good.

I liked this idea of an underground of sorts, but to do with coding and technology. It was quite different from something that I had read before, and to why Kirra is one of the few that can crack this code. I do wish there was some more world building – as I feel it lacked at times.

I truly enjoyed the writing style of Rose Foster in The Industry. The emotions that she evokes through Kirra was spot on. Pulling me into the novel even more because of this. I wanted to know how Kirra was going to survive and not just physically, but mentally as well. I hope that we see more of this in the following novel.

In The Industry we get to see how Kirra is feeling during her captivity, how she reacts, how she curls into herself and now I want more.

Milo…I cannot say too much about this because it will spoil the book, but I knew! I knew and I still let myself fall.

It kept me on my seat throughout the whole book, I had no idea what was going to happen next. Who was going to die, run, survive, and appear. I didn’t know what to expect and I loved that. Feeling like you are going on a ride with the protagonist was pretty awesome.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Industry and cannot wait to read more. The world was intriguing, protagonist interesting and the story pulled me right in. The Industry shows us that we need to try and be strong in hard times, even when you think everything is impossible.