Review: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Title: What I Thought Was True
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Dial/Penguin
Pub. Date: April 15, 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Rec. Age Level: 14+

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Gwen's summer begins like any other: pulling any and all shifts at her father's restaurant, playing third wheel to her best friends, a couple with no qualms about PDA, and taking care of her little brother. She never expects it to be the summer where everything changes... the summer where everything she's always believed to be true becomes muddled and the future that once seemed both inevitable and comforting suddenly shifts. Gwen takes on a caregiver position with an lively older woman, finding herself in difficult and often uncomfortable situations that test her beliefs about right and wrong and her place in the world. And, no matter how hard she tries to avoid him, Gwen finds her path constantly crossing with that of Cassidy Somers, a boy she finds herself trusting against her better judgement.

Huntley Fitzpatrick earned much deserved praise with her debut, My Life Next Door, a novel that became one of my favorite contemporary YA novels before I'd even finished reading it. So, unsurprisingly, What I Thought Was True has landed squarely on my list of favorites as well. 

I quickly fell in love with the characters and struggles within What I Thought Was True. There are many important themes touched on in this novel, but the lessons about finding who you are and what you believe in, even, and especially, in the face of lies, gossip, and misinterpretation, are what carry this novel and make it a must read for teens and adults alike. 

Aaaand the swoonworthy romance doesn't hurt this book's must-read status one bit!

Review: The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

Title: The Museum of Intangible Things
Author: Wendy Wunder
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Pub. Date: April 8, 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Rec. Age Level: 14+

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Hannah and Zoe haven't been given much in life, except each other, and they don't have anything particularly wonderful waiting in their future. Unless you count enrolling at the local community college, which they don't. The only worthwhile tie the girls have to the New Jersey town they grew is Zoe's autistic brother, who relies on Zoe and Hannah to help him navigate the world and all the intangible things within it he struggles to understand. 

After climbing out of a dark depression, Zoe bounds into mania, declaring that Hannah might not have the best grip on the intangibles either. Hoping to recover the real Zoe in the midst of her cycles of depression and mania, Hannah agrees to ditch New Jersey and embark on a cross country road trip in search of those difficult to understand but absolutely essential intangibles: Loyalty. Envy. Obligation. Dreams. Disappointment. Fear. Negligence. Coping. Elation. Lust. Nature. Freedom. Heartbreak. Insouciance. Audacity. Gluttony. Belief. God. Karma. Knowing what you want (there is probably a French word for it). Saying Yes. Destiny. Truth. Devotion. Forgiveness. Life. Happiness (ever after).

The Museum of Intangible Things is, at its core, a love story. Not the typical romantic love story (though there is one of those within its pages as well), but the story of the strong and enduring love between two girls who have always been and always will be there for one another. True best friends with a wild streak... Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie. Wendy Wunder gives readers an unforgettable story of two girls who take to the road and commit the occasional crime in an epic quest to ensure the others' happiness.

Review: The Lonesome Young by Lucy Connors

Title: The Lonesome Young
Author: Lucy Connors
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Pub. Date: April 8, 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Rec. Age Level: 14+

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Victoria Whitfield is just returning home when a meth lab explodes. Mickey Rhodale's older brother is just returning home as well... from jail. Both teens are pulled to the scene of the explosion, where they meet by chance. A relationship between good girl Victoria and bad boy Mickey should never work, but, for better or worse, the two are pulled towards one another. But there's more than just class and status against the Victoria and Mickey: their families have hated one another for decades and the feud is no where near dead. Will blood or love prevail in this story of starcrossed love?

Okay, I admit it, it was the cover that first drew me to THE LONESOME YOUNG. It shows bad boy Mickey with Victoria in his arms. I was itching for a good romance and Simone Elkeles blurb made me hopeful that Connors' YA debut would fulfill this craving. Unfortunately, the romance in THE LONESOME YOUNG was just too... predictable? contrived? boring? It just didn't make my heart speed up or leave me with a goofy smile on my face. In fact, I would have been much happier with this novel if there was less romance and more of a focus on the action and family drama.

In addition to a comparison to Romeo and Juliet, THE LONESOME YOUNG has been pitched as Justified for YA readers, which also pulled me in. And I definitely saw - and approved of - the similarities. There's drugs, guns, crazy drug-running families headed by scary women, corrupt cops... I loved this side of the novel! Which is why I was disappointed each time it was brushed over for more Victoria and Mickey and their agonizingly ridiculous should-we-or-shouldn't-we fights. I think it's fairly obvious that our starcrossed lovers are going to be together, no matter the consequences, so the back and forth got pretty frustrating (and pointless) after the second time.

Overall, not a horrible novel, but lacking the depth it could have had. There was so much potential here, but the romance squashed it!

Giveaway: Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

Penguin has kindly provided a finished copy of UNDER THE EGG for one lucky winner at The Hiding Spot! 

UNDER THE EGG is one of those books that I can't stop talking about ... and recommending to everyone who I think might be even the least bit interested in it. It's a MG mystery that ties together history and contemporary events... a lot like The Monument Men and The DaVinci Code, but for younger readers.

Check out my review of UNDER THE EGG here and my interview with the author, Laura Marx Fitzgerald, here, THEN fill out the form below to win a copy! Comment on my review and interview to receive extra chances to win!

More about the book:

 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler meets Chasing Vermeer in this clever middle grade debut.

When Theodora Tenpenny spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting, she discovers what seems to be an old Renaissance masterpiece underneath. That’s great news for Theo, who’s struggling to hang onto her family’s two-hundred-year-old townhouse and support her unstable mother on her grandfather’s legacy of $463. There’s just one problem: Theo’s grandfather was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she worries the painting may be stolen.

With the help of some unusual new friends, Theo's search for answers takes her all around Manhattan, and introduces her to a side of the city—and her grandfather—that she never knew. To solve the mystery, she'll have to abandon her hard-won self-reliance and build a community, one serendipitous friendship at a time.

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Review: Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

Title: Under the Egg
Author: Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Publisher: Penguin
Pub. Date: March 18, 2014
Genre: Middle Grade
Rec. Age Level: 8-12

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Renaissance secrets, World War II tragedy, and present day drama build to an unforgettable crescendo in Laura Marx Fitzgerald’s middle grade debut starring Theodora Tenpenny, an intelligent, self-reliant girl who stumbles upon a mystery that spans decades, continents, and oceans. 

When Theodora, startled by an unexpected rodent, spills rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting, she discovers the unimaginable. Beneath the innocuous painting of an egg, Theodora finds what appears to be a Renaissance masterpiece. Excitement and worry war within Theodora; her grandfather’s sudden death left Theo and her mother with a mere $463 and a mysterious message to “look under the egg” to the Tenpenny name, which is not enough to keep their ramshackle house standing, nor to keep them in food for any length of time. Theo’s mother spends her days lost in mathematic formulas and theorems and is more Theo’s responsibility than guardian, so Theo is on her own. Perhaps this is the answer to the riddle of her grandfather’s last words… But Theo worries that the painting was not acquired through strictly legal channels. After all, her grandfather had access to priceless art as security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and why would he hide something that was rightfully his? 

Thus begins Theo’s search for the painting’s origins and the meaning of her grandfather’s last words. Secrets, some centuries old, some decades, some only a matter of weeks, days, and hours, come to light, forever changing the landscape of Theo’s and countless others’ lives. 

A sophisticated mystery featuring a resilient and intrepid protagonist, UNDER THE EGG is middle grade literature at its best.

Review: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Title: Grasshopper Jungle

Author: Andrew Smith

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile/Penguin

Pub. Date: February 11, 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Rec. Age Level: 14+

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Austin Szerba has enough to deal with without adding an unstoppable army of six-foot-tall praying mantises to the mix: he's conflicted about his sexuality, thinks about sex constantly, and struggles to find his place in his small, religious Midwestern town. A self-appointed historian, Austin chronicles the present and the past... He's devoted to telling the truth, no matter how messy, confusing, or  painful, so, with the likely end of the world approaching, it falls on Austin to find pull the threads of past and present together, recording seemingly random events that, together, lead to the rise of an army of hungry, horny unstoppable six-foot-tall praying mantises and the fall of man.

Grasshopper Jungle is many things: abrasive, real, shocking, entertaining, hopeful, funny, sad. I think though, most of all, it's truthful. Behind the giant praying mantises, scientific experiments, and weird underground cults, there are so many important, very real truths within its pages... Big truths about identity, love, life, sexuality, religion, and science. It's clear, just from the description, that what Andrew Smith has written won't be for every reader, but for some it will be just the book they've been waiting for... the book that changes everything.

As a Polish girl who grew up in a small, religious Midwestern town, Austin is in some ways my male equivalent. Though we have distinct differences, the fact that Austin and I have very similar origins intrigued me and allowed me to identify with this story in a memorable, emotional way. In ways, I wasn’t at all surprised by what happened within Grasshopper Jungle…  I mean, the end of the world being caused by prejudice, backwards thinking, man trying to play God, and judgment passed while clinging to religion doesn’t seem all that far-fetched to me.

While there are many things that I’d like to say about Grasshopper Jungle, it’s a hard book to write about… there are so many elements and so many big ideas that, to really write about it, I feel like I’d have to write pages and pages. So, instead, I’m going to tell you to go read it. Then have a friend read it. And then sit down and talk about it for hours because there’s plenty to talk about here… things that should be talked about. Sure, it looks like a simple story about horny, constantly hungry praying mantises (and teenage boys), but it’s also about life… the world… you and me and them and us. It’s about everything.

Review: The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

Title: The Sound of Letting Go
Author: Stasia Ward Kehoe
Publisher: Viking/Penguin
Pub. Date: February 6, 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Rec. Age Level: 14+

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From the outside, Daisy’s life looks normal. A talented musician and good student, her future is bright and promising, but, at home, things are tense and complicated. Daisy’s younger brother, Steven, is autistic and, despite their constant efforts, living with an autistic family member is proving much harder now that he’s reaching maturity. Steven can now easily overpower Daisy and her parents and helping a teenage boy who doesn’t know his own strength and often reacts physically and violently when stressed and overwhelmed is putting a strain on the entire family. When Daisy’s parents decide to place Steven in a specialized institution where they feel his needs and happiness will be better met, Daisy is shocked. Part of her is relieved, but she mostly feels guilt, sadness, and anger. How can her parents just send her brother away? How can he possibly be better off without the people that love him most? As Daisy struggles with her parents’ choice and tries to come to terms with her feelings, her confusion and conflicted emotions about her home life seep into her school and social life. The darkness inside her manifests itself in her wardrobe, makeup, and even her love life, as she falls Dave, an old friend turned bad boy. She begins neglecting her responsibilities and the things she loves, including her music and friends. It’s Cal, a new Irish exchange student, that won’t give up on the old Daisy and reminds her of the powerful magic of music, finally bringing her back to herself and acceptance.

I don’t read nearly enough verse novels, but every time I read a novel by Stasia Ward Kehoe, I’m kick myself for neglecting the format. I loved Kehoe’s first novel, Audition, but I think I might appreciate The Sound of Letting Go more. Kehoe did an incredible job giving a voice to those families who include a individual with autism. My cousin is autistic and I remember how difficult it was when my cousin reached Steven’s age; Kehoe’s portrayal is painfully honest.

I can’t imagine having to make the decision to send my child to an institution, as Daisy’s parents do, even if I knew that he would be more comfortable in that setting than at home. If I were in Daisy’s shoes, dealing with the guilt and sadness of sending my brother away, I think I would have reacted much the same way. Daisy’s entire life has been devoted to order and consistency, carefully regulated so not to cause Steven stress, so it makes sense that everything she knows would be thrown into chaos. I can’t help but see Steven was as a powerful magnet that keeps everything centered… without him everything in Daisy’s life is spinning out of control.

I highly recommend both of Stasia Ward Kehoe’s verse novels. If you’ve never read a verse novel before, Kehoe’s offer a great introduction, showing just how versatile and beautiful the format can be!

Q&A Session with Holly Schindler, author of The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky [Blog Tour]

Holly Schindler visits The Hiding Spot today to chat about her newest novel, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky! I fell in love with Holly's writing after reading her debut novel, A Blue So Dark, so I'm thrilled to have her on the blog today!

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Holly Schindler is the author of the YA novels A Blue So Dark, Playing Hurt, and the upcoming Feral. Her newest novel, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky is her middle grade debut.

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Did you have trouble writing any of your characters or specific scenes within the novel? Alternately, were any characters or scenes particularly easy to write? 

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY started out as a picture book, actually.  In that first draft, Auggie didn’t even have a name—we were just looking through her eyes as she described her Grampa Gus, a trash hauler who became a folk artist.  But the editors who saw the earliest version of that book all said the concept of folk art was just too advanced for the picture book audience.  The editors also indicated they felt the writing was strong; I was encouraged to turn the book into a middle grade novel.  Turning a 1,000-word story into a roughly 45,000-word novel wasn’t the easiest thing in the world.  The story was relatively small when it was a picture book—it was simply a description of Gus and his work.  To make it a novel, I had to invent secondary characters and subplots and figure out how the concept of folk art could become a series of events that built to a rising climax.

Has the title changed or stayed relatively the same as your novel journeyed towards publication?

Even though the book started out as a picture book, the original title was very similar.  The first title was THE JUNK-TION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY.  (It was actually the title it was acquired under at Penguin.)  It referred to a nickname Auggie’s house gets after decorating the yard and home with her own original folk art.  Penguin’s concern was that “Junk-tion” was tricky because it wasn’t an actual word, and only had meaning once you’d read the book.  We played with several different titles, but my editor, Nancy Conescu, missed the sound of the original title.  In the end, we opted to change the spelling of “Junk-tion.”

What book or author has most influenced you as a writer or in general?

Honestly, I work really hard at learning from each book I read.  EVERY author has their own talent, whether it’s realistic dialogue or fantastic plot twists or humor…I know how much work it is to sell a book, and I know how much work goes into a book once it’s acquired.  I ask myself why an agent wanted to rep the book, why an editor wanted to work on the book for eighteen months or so.  And I let each author teach me a thing or two as I read his or her work…

Many people dream of their ideal jobs while working somewhere less desirable to make ends meet, never realizing what great experience those jobs of necessity are for their future. What jobs did you have on your way to becoming a published author? Is there a certain work experience that has shaped your writing? 

I was really lucky; my mom encouraged me to stay home to devote full-time attention to my writing as soon as I graduated with my master’s.  But even though I didn’t have to seek full-time employment, I still wanted to pay my bills…So I started teaching music out of the house.  It was the perfect setup: I’d write all morning and into the early afternoon.  When kids got out of school, I started teaching lessons. 

I was shocked, though, at how similar those kids were to the kids I’d known in school!  They actually inspired me to try my hand at writing juvenile work (I’d only written adult work before that).  I never would have written for kids had I not taught those lessons.  (That just goes to show you how important it is to continue to have new experiences—you never know how it’s going to find its way into your work.

If you had to pick a favorite word, what would it be and why?

YES.  So much of the writing life is filled with “no”s—rejections from editors and agents, less-than-glowing online reviews, libraries that don’t feature your work, bookstores that turn you down for events…YES becomes a musical word!  (You also wind up appreciating the positive people and events in your life with an intensity that you might not have, had you not heard all those “no”s!)

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?

Writing certainly is a fabulous escape—you’re in complete control of the world on your page, which never happens in real life.  And music—I’m a total music junkie; it’s my favorite “reset” button…

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Learn more about Holly and her books here.
Check out the next tour stop here.

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