Tag Archives: book reviews

The book reviews that really matter

write-a-reviewWhen your hot-off-the-press book is released into the world there’s a trembly period of time when you obsess over how its audience is going to receive it. There’s a lot to be learned by reading the professional reviews but when someone from your targeted audience writes and tells you that your book touched them in some way… well, that’s all that really matters. After receiving the following review I knew that the time spent writing and editing this book was worth it. It was also a reminder to go back to my old practise of reviewing the books I love.

Oh Shelley Shelley Shelley!

I barely know what to say besides thank you for writing Dancing in the Rain. Wow.  I have JUST finished your book. I laughed, I shrieked, and I most definitely bawled my eyes out. You wrote such a beautiful, emotional, truthful, heart wrenchingly wonderful follow up (to Dancing Naked.) I could not have ask for anything more.
 
I will be honest, there were parts that were incredibly emotional for me to read. So much of my own life’s experiences could connect with this story. I found myself looking back over my own life and my adoption and how that got me to where I am. And who I am. So many of the questions Brenna had for Kia, I too once had about my own “other” life. I could honestly talk about this for hours. I am just so happy and thankful for this book. I think it has really hit a spot for me and I know I will hold it dear forever.
 

I just wanted to share my thoughts and feelings about your wonderful book with you. Thank you, Shelley.  (shared with permission)

And thank you, Christy Brain!

Thank you School Library Journal…

Book reviews… for this lovely review of Allegra!

…” but the intensity of creating music and the increasing time she spends alone with Mr. Rocchelli start to make everyone, including Allegra herself, wonder if there could be something more to their relationship. The musical creations – whether through a rock-band jam session, playing a classical harp, or composing with a digital program – are described with loving detail but a light touch, appealing to both veteran musicians and neophytes, who will relish this opportunity to better appreciate the power of music. Allegra’s artistic pursuits – and intense commitment – will resonate particularly with equally passionate teens, while her social anxiety and strained home life might be familiar, albeit painfully so, to a broader audience.”


Where’d You Go Bernadette

Where'd You Go Bernadette2This novel falls into the category of books-I-wish-I’d-written-myself. Clever and funny it is told through a wide mix of emails, letters, documents and more – my favourite kind of story-telling. The characters are all eclectic and fun. The plot twists are brilliant and I think I was smiling the entire time I was reading. I especially liked how the author poked fun at Canadians and people of the Pacific Northwest  in general, especially those of us living in suburbs. An unexpected spin-off from reading this book is that I now have to put the Antarctic closer to the top of my list of places I want to visit, possibly right under the Galapagos Islands and Borneo. Who would have guessed?

The First Review for Allegra is in…

Book reviews…. and it’s pretty good!

Excerpts from Quill & Quire, April 2013…

“Allegra’s anxiousness and love of dance (and, as the book progresses, music) feed into each other, resulting in a character who might have little in common with the average teen, but is deeply sympathetic and interesting. As an examination of mental health troubles, the book is a sophisticated and subtle anomaly in a genre that often places emphasis on the ‘issues’ first and characters second.”

“Hrdlitschka’s prose is clean and clear as she balances Allegra’s school and home life, which includes the dancer’s complicated relationship with her musician parents. Avoiding the one-dimensional depictions often foisted on older generations in YA, Allegra’s mother and father are fully realized, flawed, and believable.”

“You can’t hear the music, but you can feel it in this fresh, engrossing story.”

Phew!!

On Pins and Needles

pins-and-needles-purple-cushionI once sat on a panel of authors and we were fielding questions from an audience of teenagers. One of the questions was, “What is the hardest thing about being a writer?” My immediate response was “Rejection Letters”, but when the writer to my left said “Bad Reviews” I quickly retracted my answer to agree with hers. Continue reading →

My heroes

What Happened to IvyOver the weekend I read two young adult novels that tackled extremely difficult topics and yet both authors handled the themes brilliantly. I truly admire these two writers for taking on these subjects. It wouldn’t have been easy.

The first book was What Happened to Ivy by Kathy Stinson where she explores ‘mercy-killing’ and the implications of it. She shows the many different ways of looking at the ‘accidental’ death of a girl with multiple disabilities.

The second one was My Book of Life By Angel by Martine Leavitt which looks at child/teen prostitution on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside during the days of Robert Pickton. My Book of Life

Both books deal with grim subjects but are told beautifully and with compassion. They ask the reader to reflect on the dilemmas the characters face, and perhaps see those situations in a new light. They are the kind of books I try to write myself, books that explore those ‘grey’ areas and try to make sense of an aspect of human behaviour that at first glance appears senseless .

These two authors inspire me to dig deep in my own writing, and to not shy away from the ‘tough stuff’. They are my heroes.