“My father says those who want power and get it live in terror of losing it. That’s why we have to give power to those who don’t want it.” _________________________________________________________________________ Divergent, the first book in the amazingly popular YA trilogy by Veronica Roth, spent months on bestseller lists and was voted "Favorite Book of 2011" in the … [Read more...]
Bitterblue: Kingdoms of Truth and Lies
Kristin Cashore's recently released Bitterblue, the sequel to Graceling, premiered at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller List. If early reviews and previous successes are any indication, the list of accolades will be impressive – and deservedly so. Ms. Kashore is a gifted writer who spends years honing her books, and it shows. THE BASIC PREMISE The story takes place … [Read more...]
Graceling: On Monsters and Grace
Publishers Weekly listed Graceling,the debut novel from Kristin Cashore, in its Best Book of the Year list in 2008. Since then, Cashore has published a sort-of prequel called FIre and a sequel titled Bitterblue. Here's Wikipedia's list of awards: Graceling was shortlisted for the ALA's William C. Morris YA Award, is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, was a Cybils finalist … [Read more...]
Zombies, Meth, and Games With Thrones
Two of the most popular current television shows are also two of the most grim: AMC's "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead." If you want to go for a really depressing TV trifecta, throw in "Game of Thrones," which is not yet as grim as it’s going to be. Trust me. All three of these stories come from brilliant people with amazing talent. (I saw Vince Gilligan of "Breaking … [Read more...]
"The Road": Morality and the Secular Apocalypse
The apocalypse as described in various religious traditions tends to reassert the sovereignty of the gods over the realm of morality. In the Christian tradition, for example, the second coming of Christ, in a final disambiguation of who is good and who is evil, will bring perfect justice to a fallen humanity. And in the Oresteia, a long string of violence and death results in … [Read more...]
Sins and Superheroes
Question: When is it acceptable for a young man to pretend to respect authority but not actually do so; get revenge on people who embarrass him; break promises just because he doesn't like them; believe himself to be smarter than everyone else; act as a vigilante instead of working within the system; sneak his girlfriend out against her parents' wishes; and steal the identity … [Read more...]
Deep Hunger and Dark Games
I'm a big fan of honesty in fiction. I don't want cookie-cutter personalities, saccharine love, or shallow stereotypes. I want the author to convince me to cheer for heroes and against villains - and I want to know why the heroes and villains are worthy of the label. I want grit and beauty, despair and hope, love and loss. If a story tells me what the world is like, I … [Read more...]