FluxNow Blog

Reviews

Let's start off the week with a round of reviews, shall we? The Edge of the Forest online magazine was kind enough to render opinions on a number of Flux books this month--in fact they had so much YA to review they did a special feature in addition to their regular YA reviews.

Some highlights:

Band Geek Love by Josie Bloss: "[Ellie's] not the most sympathetic of narrators, but when four years worth of drama catches up with her, Ellie's insecurities as she negotiates the new world of emotions are pathetic and realistic. Anyone who has tried to control what other people think of them will recognize the flailing and freaking out that Ellie does as she realizes that the world is what it is, and she's not in control of anything."

Or Not by Brian Mandabach: "Though Brian Mandabach creates in Cassie a character very unlike the average middle school student, the voice is real. Sarcastic, self-righteous, and idealistic, Cassie struggles with becoming, and also with being brighter than everyone else and despising them—and herself—for various reasons."

Everything You Want by Barbara Shoup: "Barbara Shoup has written an angsty, funny, poignant novel about confusion and heartache and...life. Read it. Even if you don't win Lotto Cash afterwards, you'll be richer for it."

Snapshots by Paul Buchanan: "Beautifully told in a quiet "snapshots" of the present in the past, this novel is a haunting collage of a friendship, a love and an inconceivable, inconsolable loss. Without resorting to melodrama or a massive climactic scene, this is also a novel about gathering what is broken, and learning to survive what has gone."

Do check out the whole publication (and don't miss Barbara Shoup's interview with Peter Cameron) and sign up to receive notification of new issues.

Another good review for THE SHAPE OF WATER

Reading Rants, the review blog associated with Finding Wonderland recently reviewed Anne Spollen's The Shape of Water. And they liked it.

"A dark, quiet descent into one girl's private watery grave, The Shape of Water, takes a collage of losses and everyday aggravation and turns them into a surprising poignant hope that eventually, even the darkest water clears, and those who drown in the sea of grief can also remember how to swim and find their way back to solid land."

And, if you're familiar with VerlaKay.com, you might want to check out the little rejection story Anne posted. It must be rather sweet in light of the recent glowing reviews.

Books for the Teen Age

For 79 years the New York Public Library has been publishing a list of "Books for the Teen Age." It's a list so old and venerable that it predates the radical fusion of "teen" and "age" into a single word (I have a sinking suspicion I made this joke last year). Actually, the published product is really cool and worth seeking out (they send a copy to every library in the country). From the NYPL's release:

"This year's edition features spicy teen book reviews, snappy author interviews with questions submitted by teens, and of course, cover art by a local teen inspired by technology of the moment."

Anyway, Flux is very proud to have three titles included this year:

Starcrossed by Mark Schreiber

The Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz

Hoops of Steel by John Foley

Congratulations one and all!

A star for THE SHAPE OF WATER

Anne Spollen's stunning, subtle debut, The Shape of Water, has earned a starred review in Kirkus. You can read the full review at barnesandnoble.com but here's the gist:

"Spollen interweaves elemental, evocative images of what is formless and boundless-water, air, grief, death-with what is solid and limited-earth, objects, human love and forgiveness. This enchanting novel starts quietly, draws the reader in and weaves a seductive spell that holds until the last page."

This is Flux's first starred review, so double yippee!

Author the Year!

According to the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, Simone Elkeles is the Illinois author of the year. Congratulations Simone! It's unclear to me whether this means she beat Barack Obama, but regardless, she's clearly awesome. She'll be giving an address at the association's annual conference this fall. 400 English teachers aren't going to know what hit them.

(The best part of this is that Simone is so driven that I wouldn't put it past her to move to Wisconsin now so she can win there next year.)