Surveying Stories: Separating Fears and Identifying Heart's Desires in T. Kingfisher's SUMMER IN ORCUS

1. Don't worry about things that you cannot fix. 2. Antelope women are not to be trusted. 3. You cannot change essential nature with magic.

In the stressful days of last summer, Ursula Vernon, through the pen of T. Kingfisher, started a twice-weekly fantasy serial about an eleven-year-old girl. It was not, she informed her Patreons, for middle graders, despite the title character's age.

In time, the series became the highlight of a rather lackluster few months, and patrons hugely supported a Kickstarter to have it printed in hardback with illustrations by Lauren "Luve" Henderson. I chose to wait for the bound book to arrive, instead of finishing the serial, and frequently wondered exactly what in the conclusion of the book would prove it wasn't for middle graders... would it be Baba Yaga, and her scary dual nature as cranky grandmother type and periodic sales person carnivore? Would it be tragic Donkeyskin, or the frog tree? Could it be the deceit of Antelope Women everywhere? Or, the warlike legacy of Zultan Houndbreaker and the Queen-in-Chains? No - as Tech Boy and I read the finished copy, I reconfirmed that these are deliciously scary and delightfully fanciful elements which are a hook, drawing the reader onward.

So, where might the problem lie? In the journey.

As we've discussed before, middle school is an immense time of change and pressure, and in Summer's case, her main adversary in her journey to maturation is not her peers - they barely cause a blip in Summer's mind. It is instead her mother who is her adversary, jealous of her personal thoughts, encroaching on her personal space, and unable to allow her daughter a moment's peace without her smothering hopes and terrors, all in the name of love. Like a too-small pot causing roots to be knotted and unable to take in sufficient nutrients, Summer's mother isn't allowing her to grow.

Very few contemporary middle grade novels tackle the grinding, long-term phenomenon of the parental bullying/emotionally diminishing parent and the caretaker child (maybe the last one I read was by Cynthia Ryland in the 90's). This subject seems limited to YA readership, but for many children fulfilling the complex needs of a damaged parent begins in elementary school and morphs into something burdensome and strange well before high school. Summer's needy, hyperprotective mother and the journey which Summer undertakes into another world to find a similar issue isn't something every middle grader will be able to relate to, but the way the novel is written, with excitement and danger and wry humor, I believe that plenty of tweens will relate well enough not to be bored by Summer's fear, or the lack of major battle scene. SUMMER IN ORCUS is an excellent older middle grade novel with familiar tropes and portal novel elements. Summer's quest was to find her heart's desire... and in her search, we discover the desire of the hearts of most of us. With all that being said,

Let's survey a story!

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When the witch Baba Yaga walks her house into the backyard, eleven-year-old Summer enters into a bargain for her heart’s desire. Her search will take her to the strange, surreal world of Orcus, where birds talk, women change their shape, and frogs sometimes grow on trees. But underneath the whimsy of Orcus lies a persistent darkness, and Summer finds herself hunted by the monstrous Houndbreaker, who serves the distant, mysterious Queen-in-Chains…

From the Hugo and Nebula award winning author of "Digger" and "Jackalope Wives" comes a story of adventure, betrayal, and heart's desire. T. Kingfisher, who writes for children as Ursula Vernon, weaves together a story of darkness, whimsy, hope and growing things, for all the adults still looking for a door to someplace else.

Baba Yaga is as ambiguous as she is terrifying. In Slavic folklore, she's almost seen as a trickster, at times being revered as a Crone of great wisdom and insight, and in other moments, an antagonistic threat parents use to frighten their children into submission. Baba Yaga might eat you. She might beat you about the head with her pestle. She might just pat you on the head, and go away. Really, you never know. The day Summer meets Baba Yaga is one of Baba's good days, according to the skull door knocker on her chicken-legged house...which speaks to anyone unwise enough to encounter Baba Yaga's door. Summer wisely checks the lay of the land via the skull - which proves to stand her in good stead later on.

Beginning a portal fantasy with the entrance of Baba Yaga is a clear signal to readers that chancy times are ahead - things could go perfectly well, and the story wind up with a significant HEA, or ... it could all go straight down the loo pretty much immediately, with lots of lumps and bruises from a well-wielded stone mortar. I loved that Baba Yaga both begins and ends this novel, which provides a perfectly satisfying story arc, and informs us that LIFE in the real world is just as chancy as a summer's day in Orcus... Baba Yaga introduces herself to Summer for the sole purpose, she says, of offering Summer her heart's desire. Summer doesn't go looking for this boon, nor does she ask for it, nor does she know what that could possibly be. And yet, when Baba Yaga offers you something... well, if you don't know if she'll suck your marrow or send you on your way, you take it... right? Or don't you? Summer's first lesson is quickly apparent, and repeats itself through the many traveling days, Be careful what you wish for.

Through the machinations of a lit candle and an opened door, Summer is plopped into another world without a map or much of a guide but a weasel in her pocket. Surprisingly, she does have instructions of a sort - three, guiding principles by which she must view life in Orcus... and possibly elsewhere. In the real world, we often encounter guiding principles framed by persons or institutions like churches, and if we're wise, we can understand and apply them. More often, in the high chaos and noise of the world we cannot and they're true things we remember after the fact, or which echo upon reading, but are soon forgotten. Summer mainly holds onto one of the rules, 1. Don't worry about things that you cannot fix. This serves her well both in Orcus and will when she's back home again.

As Summer is ostensibly in Orcus to locate her heart's desire, she is soon confused about why she has been sent to a land which has been once torn by war, and is now not quite healed and in so much need. How is it that human hearts are meant to find their truest voice in a world so filled with other things which are broken and leaking chaos and dying? With the addition of a nattily dressed gent called Reginald (of the Almondsgrove Hoopoes) and a splendid cottage wolf to their party, readers are reminded that the world isn't all bad, and that company along the road can make most things bearable.

The world is still broken, and grows darker - and this is where Kingfisher's novel may speak more to adults. Summer is still, in spite of everything, meant to be finding her heart's desire, as we often are called on to carry on with fixing things while on a personal level we're trying hard to shut out the noise and listen for ourselves. While it might be difficult for a tween to articulate, what we want, and who we want to be is at the beating centers of all of our hearts. The worst thing about having a mother like Summer's is that Summer cannot hear her own heart - she hears her mother's. She feels her mother's worries and frequent weeping fears. She bears her mother's burdens, and her grief. Summer has to deny her own self in favor of her mother, and it is a burden both unfair, unjust, and unwieldy. What Baba Yaga does for Summer in giving her Orcus, more than anything, is give her a time away from everything she has had to carry for so long, and lets her know that it has strengthened her enough to carry a cheese knife for someone else's sake. This resonated strongly with me.

This is where the magic lies -- in T. Kingfisher's book, and in all books which carry us away, in portal fantasy in particular, which allows us to believe that things could be different, if we opened the correct wardrobe, and in Orcus in specific, where Summer finally discovers that she can be all she thought she might be when she isn't bent double under an inheritance of anxiety and depression that isn't hers to own. Summer is, by Baba Yaga's observation, "dangerously ignorant," and it's not just of the world outside of her backgarden gate -- Summer is dangerously ignorant of herself. But, it's not wholly her fault - unless she refuses to do the work of looking within to know herself. This is subtly conveyed throughout the story - Summer makes several mistakes from sheer innocence, and it nearly costs her her life in the end - but after every flub, she learns to listen to herself, to hear, and to act on her own advice. At journey's end, you cannot imagine that Summer is still the same innocent, "sweet summer child," as it were. She Knows Things. She knows herself a little better. And that cannot help but change her, for the better.

In the larger world, family is imperfect - and entangled familial relationships often a burden, to be blunt. Our world is messy, dying, and packed full of the deceitful and unkind. And yet, the journey to find one's heart's desire can still be an adventure worth taking. The act of saving one tiny part of the dying world is still an action worth taking. One frog tree, alive and well, is worth all the bruises and terror, and deceptive antelope women in the world.

Afterward, when all has been said and done, Baba Yaga is there to grant you entrance back into the world from which you came - with its insults and burdens, and deceptions and degenerations. You are home. You may not have your cheese knife, but you can manage the battles in the real world, the battles between someone else's concerns, and the ones which concern you. And knowing that, more than anything, is the summation of any heart's desire, middle grader or adult.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of a Kickstarter purchase. You can find T. Kingfisher's SUMMER IN ORCUS in ebook form on Amazon, possibly in print via Sofawolf Press or as a freebie read on the Red Wombat Studio website. Enjoy.

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER by LEIGH BARDUGO

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of books I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is primarily to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: Diana knows, as her mother's daughter, that everything she does is going to have more weight. Her mother is the queen of the Amazons, and Diana has her place on Themyscira by accident of birth, rather than right of sisterhood as the other warriors there have earned. Diana knows that everyone believes her to be small and easily broken, the least of her tribe. She only wants her chance to prove herself -- which seems to come in the form of a plane crashing off the shore of their hidden island. Diana saves the human girl from the wreckage, but breaks Amazon law... and soon discovers she's made more of a lasting, horrific mistake than her little law-breaking led her to believe. Meanwhile, the human girl, Alia, was only on the plane - without her brother's permission - because since their parents' death, he NEVER let her go anywhere or do anything, ever. She just wanted to prove that she didn't need the Keralis name to protect her, and she could take a biology internship with strangers, and do just fine. But, no - a bomb on the plan changed those plans, and now she's stuck with a half-dressed supermodel type who was obviously raised in cult. She thinks Alia is some kind of violence magnet -- and she's trying to convince her that she needs to go to Greece to stop a world war.

The people chasing the two girls are not imaginary illusions from a cult, regardless of what Alia longs to believe. It is going to take nerves of steel to outwit their pursuers, survive betrayal, and make herself safe again... if she even survives. The only way to do this is to trust her shieldsisters and stand together.

Observations:

Sister in battle, I am shield and blade to you. As I breathe, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine."

Readers seeking representation of strong female friendships will find them in this book. Alia, Nim, and Diana do not always trust each other, nor believe in how the other sees them, but in and out of the face of danger, their interactions are both amusing and instructive in terms of sisterhood and how true friends should be.

Diana is inexperienced in terms of American society, but she isn't ignorant or naive, her people having studied men, nations outside their own, disease, weapons, religions and history for years before coming across examples of the real thing. Likewise, though she is uneducated in all things Greek mythology, Alia is able to inform herself by reading and study, which allows her to be prepared.

"It's a trap for us. Alia and I always have to be better. We always have to be a step ahead. But the stronger you get, the more you achieve, the more people want to make sure you know your place." He bumped the back of his head gently against the rock. "It's exhausting." - WARBRINGER, p. 272-3

Including Diana's friends as people of color in this novel allowed the author to make some interesting choices and parallels between the lives of superheroes and the lives of successful people, especially people of color. I found it intriguing that she often explored the limitations society puts on people of color and allowed Diana as a character to explore her own society's limitations as being matriarchal and female-exclusive, and how that allowed the Amazons to both identify - and misidentify - the mores of their culture and their world.

Conclusion: One of the strengths of this DC novelization of the iconic Wonder Woman backstory is that readers with little to no experience with the comic books, the cartoon, or 70's era TV show can still find their feet in the story. A place of entry for those unfamiliar with the Wonder Woman superhero universe, this fast-paced story is full of peril and humor, betrayal and determination, and shows the grounding and powerful force true friendship can be.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find WONDER WOMAN, WARBRINGER by Leigh Bardugo at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: LEIA PRINCESS OF ALDERAAN, by CLAUDIA GRAY

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of books I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: Leia is an atypical princess in that her life has been spent not at the mercy of nannies and waiting women but mostly with her parents, Breha and Bail Organa, who have taught her and helped her to develop interests and ways of thinking close to their own. This closeness has resulted in Leia noticing when the relationship between she and her parents gradually deteriorates. Suddenly her mother is a super-socialite, instead of being the kind of Queen who cares for her people. Suddenly her father is too busy to talk. As the distance between the once tight family grows, Leia is at first bewildered, then grieved, and finally resentful. She decides to get her parent's attention by excelling at her body, mind, and heart challenges, the traditional ceremonial challenges presented to an heir of Alderaan in order to earn the right to the throne. Leia figures that if she does something real using her body, mind and heart, they'll remember that she's a real person, and not a decorative object.

As it turns out, convincing her parents is not as easy as it seemed, and Leia goes to further and further lengths to prove herself to herself - to her classmates, and to her erstwhile parents. Meanwhile, the cold eye of the Empire is watching, as Leia flies closer to some disastrous political situations. Is the way to help to rebel against the powers that be, or is there anything else that a once decorative princess might do to help people? Leia figures there's only one way to find out.

Observations: Unlike many of the pop-culture tie-in books on the Cybils list this year, this one takes its canon entirely from a 70's era film, and not a WW2 era comic book series, thus making a space for a feminist ideal in which a young woman has agency, wit, and desire to do something with her privilege. It may give some readers a bit of a pinch in the heart to see a sketch of a young Carrie Fisher on the cover, but there will only ever be one Leia, because the film is, as always, the roots of the canon.

The author balances the headstrong and commanding rebel Leia from the Star Wars films with a wholly new character - filling in the echo of who that same person must have been at sixteen. Thus this Leia is written as impulsive, big-hearted, sensitive, and over-achieving. While she spends an inordinate amount of time pouting which seemed both remarkably "young" and out of character for a sixteen year old, and for a young lady who has been reared to the grace and dignity of a throne, the emotional tailspin the distance between them gives her reads as genuine.

Conclusion: Readers who are not hardcore Star Wars fans will be able to read this novel as a standalone and enjoy the story of a privileged, talented young girl with a big heart and an impulsive nature who makes mistakes and keeps trying to do something with who she is, for the betterment of all. Fans who are hardcore fans, having read all the books and the radio drama pre-Disney typically come down on either the love-or-hate side, but most fans agree that this novel is true to the canon. Fans of the film series only who come to this seeking the same enveloping Star Wars universe won't enjoy quite the same all-encompassing feel, but will find the roots of the epic stretching out and taking their place to support a galaxy-wide storyline.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find LEIA, PRINCESS OF ALDERAAN by Claudia Gray at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: HEART STONE by ELLE KATHARINE WHITE

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Spin-offs, sequels, retellings. Love it or hate it, there's never a moment when a Jane Austen novel isn't getting some play somewhere, whether with text messages, zombies, or space ships. Funnily, I don't recall who suggested this book (Book Smugglers? Smart B's?) and by the time I came to it in my TBR pile, I'd forgotten why it was suggested... I figured dragons? I was halfway through the book before I recognized it - I blame the sinus infection. If you enjoy novels of repressive Victorian society, manners, and mores; if you adore costume and courting ...if you love Our Jane, this one's for you.

Synopsis: Aliza's grief at the loss of her sister to the vicious talons of gryphons, underscores the reasons Lord Merybourne strained his slender resources to hire a troop of Riders to eradicate them. The farmers and craftspeople of Hart's Run have suffered bitter losses from the Tekari, the Oldkind which are enemies of mankind. Aliza's father's way of dealing with his grief is to immerse himself in Lord Merybourne's estates, and in their management, remaining a loving yet vague presence in the lives of his daughters. Aliza's mother's way of dealing with her grief is to get her children away from Merybourne Manor by any means necessary. The Bentaine purse doesn't stretch to sending all the girls away to finishing school and none of them show a particular bent to be apprenticed in any art, but they're girls, after all. They can marry out. Riders must have noble blood, and the ability to communicate with their Shani - or friends of mankind - Oldkind mounts - some of which are dragons - and their work pays them well and takes them far. Since they're already in Hart's Run to eradicate the nest of gryphons...

Aliza, and her older sister, Angelina, are both amused and troubled by their mother's single-mindedness in marrying off one of her daughters, but at least one of the Riders, Lord Brysney has caught Anjey's fancy. The other Riders are either indifferent or, in the case of the dragon-riding Daired Lord, horrible snobs. Aliza isn't too fussed about one distasteful man. She's a competent herbologist and healer, and there's always something going on in the garden, or with her hobgoblin friends who live there. There also was an Oldkind at Lord Merybourne's party, threatening someone... who? Brysney's sister, Lady Charis, whose loss of her wyvern mount causes her great grief, seems quite willing to be Aliza's friend... sometimes. As Anjey and Brysney become closer, it becomes clear that there is more to the Riders than meets the eye. But, all of the household drama pales in comparison to the earthquakes and oddities going on. The Tekari are rising -- something truly wicked is coming for Hart's Run... and there's nowhere to hide. The Shani, with their Riders are going to have to work their magic, supported by the commoners the Riders may have scorned for any of them to survive.

Observations: I was amused to see this book listed as an historical fantasy... and while I know that it is, and what that means, I also laugh since there's been no time in OUR history, anyway, that people have ridden dragons...! Despite sounding like its set in Victorian times, with the costumes, social stratification, and Lord-ing/Lady-ing, the decision to include green-haired hobgoblins did not extend to human author people of color in this non-noble farming and crafting community. As there were doubtless persons of Asian, South Asian and African ancestry in the Victorian England in which Austen set her original series, it is an unfortunate erasure.

The addition of dragons (and the odd wyvern and bearlike beoryn)to any Austen novel has the potential to enliven it! I won't say "improve," since Austen novels don't really need "improvement," per se. While an examination of the manners and mores of Victorian times doesn't necessarily translate into this fantasy retelling, the observant snark and humor of the narrative find their place in this novel. Aliza doesn't take her mother's machinations very seriously, nor does she suffer unduly from the dislike of the Daried lord. He's just a donkey's bum, no big deal. Mari, rather than being obnoxious, is simply introverted and much more amused by time to herself with a book than dressing and going into society - and the author makes clear that there's nothing wrong with it. Readers will appreciate Aliza's relationship with the lesser Oldkind, as it makes plain the kindness of her personality, that no Shani creature is too small for her consideration, and that muddy hems are a small price to pay for friendship. Her no nonsense dealings with the care of her sister during illness, and her bravery in turning down the offer to learn to kill more Tekari also speak to a girl who knows her own mind, and regardless of what others might believe she should be doing, or how they believe she should be reacting, she will go her own way.

Conclusion: You might indeed be well over Austen retellings, or find the original tale tedious and frustrating. And yes, Aliza's mother still needs a brisk slap, but at least the reasons for her behavior make much more sense this time, and you'll appreciate that Leyda is redeemed and doesn't have to live with her mistake for very long. This novel's brimstone of dragonfire and slash of wyvern's talons breathes adventure into a familiar story, making it more accessible to certain audiences. Magic, adventure, war, and romance, this is one to tuck into your bag to make airport delays something you don't even notice.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find HEART STONE by Ella Katharine White at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE WHITE ROAD OF THE MOON by RACHEL NEUMEIER

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Summer 'flu is the pits, the absolute pits, so I'm lucky that, along with my cough drops and wads of tissues, I have a stack of great books.

I was introduced to the work of Rachel Neumeier during the 2016 Cybils, where I was a first-round judge for YA speculative fiction. I was so impressed with her left-of-center tale of a hidden princess, and made a quiet note to myself to seek out more of her work. I was expecting a similar tone to this book, but the feel is entirely different. It starts quietly and then the plot thickens like a good stew. There's a lot going on, as in traditional high fantasy, a journey, a quest, a cast of characters to keep track of, but if you could come to grips with Patrick Rothfuss, Kristin Britain, Brian Sanderson, C.S. Lewis or Tolkien, you'll be in fine shape for this.

Synopsis: Meridy Turiyn was eleven when her mother took the White Road of the Moon into death, and now, at fifteen, her cold, practical Aunt Tarana has apprenticed her to a soap-making washerwoman and is happy to be rid of her. Meridy, with her dark hair and eyes, is the village outcast. Dark-eyed Southerners like Meridy can see the quick dead - ghosts who remained in the real, anchored to the living whose love or hatred keeps them close, and the small, fair and blue-eyed villagers are terrified of them. Perhaps worse, Meridy is educated. She's memorized the classic tales of the God, and poetry; her mind is stuffed with literature and art and all kinds of bits of history. Meridy has always wanted to travel, to see the world, to know, things which her practical aunt deems pointless, and her cousins mock as stupid. Staying in the tiny village where her mother is buried, where she is reviled and feared, was never going to be an option, but now that she's expected to be a washerwoman, it's impossible.

At the prompting of an storytelling ghost, Meridy leaves the tiny village and goes to seek her own way. When a ghost of a boy with a gorgeous ghost-dog directs her to an injured man, Meridy is prickly at their assumption that she can do anything for them, but she does what she can. It turns out to be just enough to embroil her in a mystery. The man and the boy need her for something - but neither will quite explain what, and Meridy doesn't have time to fuss with figuring it out. She's a girl alone on the road, and things are treacherous enough. But the mystery pursues her, putting her in the way of witch kings, ancient sorceries and a 200 year old injustice that is gathering momentum from the past. She's just an over-educated village girl with dark eyes and a tendency to collect ghosts. How is she supposed to save a kingdom?

Observations: This novel stays true to the trope of the "unexceptional loner with hidden depths." Meridy is full of unexpected depths -- really unexpected depths, but her lack of confidence and the chip on her shoulder at first hinder her from fulfilling her role in a game bigger than she can imagine, as forces from long-dead empires rise again. There are the equivalent of cryptic sages and romantically poetic knights -- and Meridy's irritation with the poetic speech and vague hints is a bit of fun. At one point she shrieks, "Can't you speak like a normal person?" Well... actually, no. Welcome to high fantasy, lovey.

High fantasy is not always terribly accessible; the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien are full of swords and sorcery, but also full of Arthurian Eurocentricism with its talk of white witches and impossibly ectomorphic fey in varying shades of blonde with violet eyes. While a reader doesn't require lookalike protagonists to enjoy a work, consistent erasure of diversity throughout the traditional high fantasy canon has created imaginary worlds which seem to murmur Whites Only. Many times nonwhite readers can feel unwelcome in high fantasy, but Neumeier invites readers to identify with the main character - a black haired, dark-skinned, dark-eyed Southerner. Slightly scrappy, not especially pretty, Meridy has wild dark curls and a vast education that I'd imagine might provoke people to exclaim, "Wow, you're so articulate! The assumption of her ignorance based on her class and coloring is just as insulting to Meridy as it is to those of us in the real world. In a subtle twist, it is only when Meridy sets aside her prickly pride and expectation of rejection and embraces her dark eyes and Southern heritage, it is only then that she can actually help anyone else.

I love the inclusion of faith in this novel. It is not a recognizable denominational faith, necessarily, but much of what Meridy accomplishes is based on faith - in herself, in the purposes of the God, and in those around her.

Conclusion: NB: This is a friendship novel, and does not contain romance.

This novel starts quietly and builds - as all quest/journey novels do. The scene is set very early in the book, with the rules of the world and its magical drawbacks in terms of ghosts, etc., and then, with those concerns taken care of, Meridy begins her evolution as a character Doing Things. Don't give up reading those quiet, detailed beginnings! Especially with this novel, you will be rewarded.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library, our greatest resource. You can find THE WHITE ROAD OF THE MOON by Rachel Neumeier at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMEWHERE, by JULIA DAY

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a big deal for a lot of young readers, but many, many, many others consider death a happier alternative than committing to the famous 19th century novel. Enter the modern day makeover. PROM & PREJUDICE, by Elizabeth Eulberg. PRIDE AND POPULARITY, by Jenni James. EPIC FAIL, by by Claire LaZebnik. Every few years it seems another remake pops up. This one has new elements in it - the prejudice isn't just about class, it also includes race. We're given to understand that of course, racism is wrong and bad, but there's no exploration of it in reality. Ultimately, readers will edge toward looking at preconceived notions about "rednecks," and "trailer trash," but the novel stops short of taking an actual in-depth look, or making a statement, choosing instead to focus on romance.

Synopsis: Eden is someone who can never let it die that her mother behaved badly with almost every man in the county, and then left she and her brother when they were tiny. Never mind that there were other people - namely, men - involved in those relationships - Eden feels tarred with the same brush, her shapely body a shame to be covered in giant flannel shirts and huge jeans. Never mind that she has a stepmother now, and has for years, who has been a faithful part of her family. Nope - Eden lives in shame, and her only hope of removing the stain of her embarrassing beginnings is to remove herself from their small town. The path out - high grades, eyes-on-the-prize, full scholarship, somewhere. A few kids stand in the way - namely Ash Gupta, a gorgeous hunk of guy who is one of the wealthiest in their community. We're told from a bystander's comments that teachers are trying to get them to work together and lower the tone of competitive hostility between them. Eden doesn't really see a point to that -- there are only so many scholarships, and while Ash's parents could send him anywhere, Eden's father doesn't even want her to go - anywhere. The scholarship is all she's got. Being forced to work with Ash allows Eden to see a side to him that she didn't know existed, while Ash is surprised at this more dimensional Eden. While she's softening toward the world in general, Ash wants to be first in the door to find out more. Unfortunately, Ash's father is the owner of one of the major industries in their town. Eden's dad once worked for him - before he was laid off. On the other side of the fence, everyone knows about Eden's mother being the town tart... A scholarship, a friendship and a relationship are on the line - and if Eden leaves everything familiar to truly reach for what she wants - and misses - what's left? The possibilities are endless.

Observations: While I enjoyed being allowed to feel that this retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE was a novel with a story arc I didn't know, none of the characters stayed into fully-dimensional people all the time. At times, I was disappointed; I wanted to like each of the characters, but they occasionally seemed like a collection of broadly sketched "types." There's the sassy-mouthed and borderline hostile redneck girl - who is titled as "Christian" despite ever darkening the door of the church, praying, or engaging any religious ritual outside attending a funeral to support a friend. Christian is erroneously conflated with White. There was so much we could have dug into with Eden - her body shame is just one meaty topic among others, but the novel never went there.

Then there's the Guptas. As a family who owns a business in a Southern state, there's a lot that isn't said about them - about the prejudices they face, about the rigidity of the class structure within their community. We are told that they're Hindu, but never see that part of their lives, or much of the Guptas lives at all, except that Ash and his friends seem to walk in lockstep. Was Ash ostracized or heckled because of his race? Have the Guptas faced anything? Too much is left unsaid so when we're told that the Guptas reject Eden as girlfriend material, it doesn't resonate. Eden, however, is primed for their distaste, and the narrative rolls on.

As the character with the tertiary storyline, Munday is the socially errant home-schooled kid (a trope which I wish would just die). Of course, Mundy is also smart and good-looking once you get past the bizarre behavior. It's almost like the girl who just removes her glasses and is suddenly a sex-bomb. This is another trope which I wish would die. Mundy is such an honest, great-hearted girl that it's unfortunate to see her through these filters.

Ash doesn't actually change throughout the narrative. He's grade-conscious, class-conscious, and too conscious of how his friends saw things, far too easily embarrassed by this girl he purports to ardently admire, and overly wary of the baggage of her being of a lower socioeconomic rung than he. Despite all of this, and the obstacles both assume will be in their way, things get hot and heavy pretty fast, all the way to the intensity of speaking "I love yous" out loud. And then, at the first sign of dismay - boom, they're over. Though this novel purports to be about star-crossed, wrong-sides-of-the-tracks friends-to-lovers, nothing is really challenged - not class consciousness, not ethnic insularity, and not the neutered racism depicted. Eden's father and Eden's nemesis say nasty things, but Southern racism in small, rural towns is known to be at times fairly overt and hostile. This doesn't show up in the novel, nor is there a reason given for this relative truce. Nothing is thought through, challenged or changed in their lives or in their community by Eden and Ash's relationship. The answer to a reticence from a few people to a mixed race relationship? Mainly, keep kissing. Love will conquer all.

Conclusion: Fans of the original may feel they've found a new intensely romantic couple to cheer for, and those looking for a sweet friendship between a stepmother and stepdaughter can find that here. Readers looking for an actual straightforward exploration of a relationship tripped up by prejudice within communities in the South and how socioeconomic inequities would affect a biracial couple will need to look elsewhere.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After September 6, 2016, you can find THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMEWHERE by Julia Day at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE RAVEN AND THE REINDEER by T. Kingfisher

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Synopsis: This book was my Valentine's gift to myself.

Once upon a time in Hans Christian Andersonland, an evil troll creates a mirror which reflects things as they are not. Facing beauty, it regardless shows ugliness. On a lark, taking the mirror up to heaven to make fools of the angels (!) the mirror somehow falls to the earth and breaks. Mirror shards get into people's hearts, and freezes their affections. Then they can no longer see beauty, good, or happiness in anything. One summer a boy becomes cold and mean and horrible to his dearest friend, and only finds beauty in the perfection of snowflakes. Instead of backhanding him as he so richly deserves, she rightly fears that he has got a mirror-shard in his heart and, pitying him, determines that she should somehow do something to help him.

As winter draws on, the boy meets a woman in a fur coat in the market, and she takes him away, finding him cold enough for her wintry tastes. His friend, desperately loyal, goes after him into the deep North of winter, because she is wise and good and true. She is delayed and diverted by the whipping winds of Winter, but has help from the people of the North, including a robber girl, a great black crow, and a reindeer. The girl saves her friend from the Queen of the Snow with prayers and miracles, and a little help from her friends, and all's well that ends well; it's summertime again. The End.

Anderson wrote "The Snow Queen" in 1844, and this somewhat convoluted and bizarre original story has spawned myriad rewrites and imitators from CS Lewis' White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia to the more recent "Frozen" and "The Huntsman" films. I kinda hate the mythos; winter can be trying enough without imagining it being the fault of an evil troll or an woman of great beauty who heartlessly freezes humans, but having someone to actively hate also sometimes helps.

Observations: T. Kingfisher's version of this story is wonderful, for myriad reasons. Gerda is clearly good and honest and true, but she's also kind of ridiculous, as she is filled with determination and nothing more. The narrative lets you know up front that sometimes that's the worst thing a girl can be, because life takes advantage of people who believe that determination is all that they need, and not, like, actual skill or preparation or OTHER PEOPLE'S HELP - life will eat you in one gulp, if you're that silly. And, Gerda gets eaten for awhile, and it's not all terrible or evil, what happens, -- it's worse, it's well-meaning which is very bad indeed. Which just goes to show you: sometimes the very worst thing is not at all what you feared.

Kai, the Kidnapped, meanwhile... well, Kai is... you just want to slap his little perfect blonde head 'til he rolls down a hill. He's sappy and dreadful. Hans Christian Anderson made him out to be eminently desirable and save-able, the scope and reason for Gerda even being in the story is to Save Kai. He is not, however, very worth saving; he is a mean little ice-eyed weasel, with apologies to weasels. Gerta loves him, so you make allowances... however, the droll narrative voice gives the reader the information that Mr. Anderson didn't bother with -- that sometimes loving someone not worth your effort is a joyless drudge, and very, very hard. This takes the story from the realm of fable or fairytale, right out into the real.

In another realistic twist, Gerda and Kai don't suit. At all. I mean, that's obvious to you and me right out the gate, but Mr. Anderson would have twisted the story around so somehow self-sacrificing Gerda would somehow deserve Kai, for all her sins. Kingfisher obviously thinks she's suffered enough. Gerda is meant for someone else entirely, and it's a bit of a surprise at first - for her too - but then it seems to make sense. The reindeer is selfless -- but selflessness usually means sacrifice, and most times, sacrifice is not pretty. The crow is... well, a crow. It wants eyeballs, really. And to give out sassy backtalk and bad advice. And, it's responsible for Gerda getting in more trouble - and getting more help - than she expects, and it's a much more fun character here than in the original.

Conclusion:T. Kingfisher, in the person of Ursula Vernon writing for adults, has so far only published her fairytales as ebooks, but at least one has been picked up by publishers to appear in print, so if you're a paper-book person, don't lose hope - this one will likely also make the cut because it's original and funny. Meanwhile, this is another winner of a story, has positive LGBTQ content, realistic information about the indigenous peoples of Scandinavia, and reprises the valuable - and not-often-expressed theme that some boys are not worth spending one's time and life running after. I really like how many Kingfisher fairytales underscore this truth in droll and amusing ways. The author continues to depict the world as it is, rather than as some lovely and well-meaning but otherwise completely bizarre Swedish story states that it should be.

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I purchased my copy of this book because Kingfisher Fairytales are for me an auto-buy. You can find THE RAVEN AND THE REINDEER by T.Kingfisher at an online e-tailer near you!

TURNING PAGES: HARRISON SQUARED by DARYL GREGORY

I guess you know I'm not a "real" old-school Science Fiction person - "real" Science Fiction people can make it through H.P. Lovecraft. I can't. I've tried. It's not his labyrinthine sentence structure and 19th century word choices - I've read a lot of 19th century British and American lit; I can deal with that. It's just that I find his intense, twisted, and morbid work a little hysterical, gruelingly dark, and at the end of the day, I don't find that style of dramatic, gimmicky horror compelling. I get bored. What I like are books with a hint of Lovecraftian style -- novels that leaven Lovecraft's weighty Gothic sensibilities with just enough quirk to let us know it doesn't take itself too seriously. This novel is one of the best examples of the Lovecraftian I've read - and one of the few with a young adult protagonist. While not technically marketed to YA perhaps, I think this crosses over beautifully and am calling it early - this one needs to be a Cybils nominee.

Summary: Harrison Harrison - H², as his mother calls him - is the fifth male of that name in his family - H²5. Harrison the Fourth was killed in the accident that lost H²5 his leg when he was just a toddler and their boat overturned somewhere on the California coast, and from that accident, Harrison remembers... tentacles. And rings of pointy teeth. That's entirely wrong, of course. A piece of metal practically sheered off Harrison's leg, there aren't any toothy, tentacled monsters in California, regardless of what he remembers...and regardless of the lingering terror of water which it seems will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Aside from an irascible grandfather and an incredibly flighty aunt, most of H²'s family is in Brazil and his mother is all he has left. When she's in Absentminded Professor Mode, which is most of the time lately, he fends for himself, which is why he's come along to Massachusetts on her latest research venture. Harrison and his mother are trucking across country to the grim little Northeast coastal village of Dunnsmouth, because there have been sightings of something ginormous in the water - possibly a giant squid. Dr. Harrison's just going to set out buoys at certain GPS coordinates, buoys which will ping back information to the computers at the research center in San Diego. Only, Harrison isn't feeling like Dunnsmouth is an entirely healthy place. The kids in the junior class all look the same - pale with dark hair, like an extensive cult of sun-avoiding vampire zombies. The teachers are another lot of weirdies, the villagers scuttle about bearded and gloomy like something out of Melville or The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and some weird half-fish dude - no, seriously, he was slimy and he had gills - stole Harrison's comic book. Exactly WHAT is going on in this freaky little town? And, why does his stump hurt here all the time? When Harrison's mother vanishes - the mysterious little town turns deadly. All Harrison wants is some straight answers and his mother back, - NOW - but it will take heart, determination, and the team of total misfits he's gathered to help him.

You KNOW you want to read an excerpt, so here, have one.

MORE BONUS HARRISON CONTENT! A FREE Harrison Squared choose-your-own-adventure game!! Try not to kill him before you read the book, though...

Peaks: The obvious WEiRdNeSS in this novel just sells it for me, from the tentacle-festooned cover onward. It spools out from the first scenes like a fisherman's line, hooks the reader, and drags them seamlessly beneath waves of odd. Strange, strange people - with descriptions that liken them to sea life - descriptions of the grayish little town with its clammy weather, depressing architecture and utterly bizarre school. I loved this dry humor, the references to Dr. Harrison's Terena ancestry and H²5's biracial Presbyterian-Terena ancestry (according to Harrison, “like 'eggshell' and 'ivory,' 'Presbyterian' is a particular shade of pale”) being cause for concern in the very white, very backwards village - an oppositional poke to H.P. Lovecraft's blindly virulent racism - and how in general racists become a little joke poked at repeatedly. It's interesting how Harrison's fatal flaw - a rotten temper - works for him and against him. He's truly a take charge of things in his own life, and makes them work kind of character.

Harrison's voice is confiding, snarky and bewildered by turns. He's slightly delusional in the beginning of the novel, but unlike many YA heroes, he's never self-deceiving. I love him as a character because he KNOWS there's stuff going down in Dunnsmouth, and he's not afraid to look at it and find out. Also, because he's hilarious. To wit: "Mom once said Selma wasn't a woman but an ad in a women's magazine: glossy, two-dimensional and smelling like a perfume insert." Snark! The zingers are a great deal of fun, even the dumb science jokes and the manga references. Each chapter begins with a piece of Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which is another lovely thing that will make readers feel smart - especially if you were a reader assigned this for school and never enjoyed it before - you will now! All together, this novel is sheer enjoyment.

Valleys: This is only a valley to ME, but this book is actually a prequel to an adult novel, WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE. If we all buy this book, maybe we can talk the author into writing more for YA? It's worth a shot, isn't it? This novel has a messy ending - no shiny bluebirds flying around the HEA, but a grimly determined monster hunter, having been tried in the fire, stands ready to use the power of science to make things right... which is a good thing, since evil never sleeps... Frankly, I want more of KID Harrison, not adult Jameson Jameson, who is apparently Harrison under a pseudonym. This also makes me want to pick up WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE, which I can't guarantee is a YA crossover but will undoubtedly be interesting!

Conclusion: You know I am a wuss about horror, yet I cannot properly convey to you the charm of this book, which is ...kinda horror. Just pick up a copy. This is a great book for anyone who loves adventure and horror-lite, and is a quick, engaging read that will leave you craving more.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of Tor. After March 24th you can find HARRISON SQUARED by Daryl Gregory at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

TURNING PAGES: Grim, An Anthology edited by Christine Johnson

Oh, happy day! It's anthology time! This one from Harlequin Teen just last month, and the list of authors is shiny, award-winning, and long: Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Julie Kagawa, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Kimberly Derting, Myra McEntire, Malinda Lo, Sarah Rees-Brennan, Jackson Pearce, Christine Johnson, Jeri Smith Ready, Shaun David Hutchinson, Saundra Mitchell, Sonia Gensler, Tessa Gratton, and Jon Skrovan. Based on the classic fairy tales from the bros Grimm, these are re-imagined and in most ways, reinvigorated with new life. Some you'll have seen before -- if you were a Merry Sisters of Fate fan, you'll have seen an earlier incarnation of Tessa Gratton's story BEAST/BEAST, and a few stories are merely retellings, but for the most part, this is a strong collection that will make you want to go back to your old fairy tales and see those familiar stories with fresh eyes. The cover isn't anything to get excited about, but it does the job - brings to mind both a family tree, and a family crest - and gives the cover a "you already know these guys" familiarity vibe.

There's no really good way to do a review of the anthology as a whole - so, here's just a little story-talk highlighting my favorites:

We're INUNDATED with fairytale retellings - Malinda Lo's take on Cinderella, Jackson Pearce's twist on Little Red's wolves. Some of the least popular and most avoided tales are the ones which sparked my interest. I have a particular and appalling interest just now in Bluebeard, so I was thrilled - in a horrified fashion, like watching an accident - to read Saundra Mitchell's "Thinner Than Water," based on the Grimm story of Donkeyskin. This one is a DOOZY. There is the death of a mother, the asphyxiation of innocence, a delusional, crazy father, and a complicit counselor - and the sinister rejection of almost an entire kingdom. Almost. And then, the death of a horse, instead of a donkey, which just put the perfectly awful mafia shine on the whole thing. I haven't yet read any of Mitchell's VESPERTINE novels, but seeing this writing - bold-faced, inevitable horror, but with a razor-honed conclusion - not so inevitable, but deeply, chillingly satisfying - I want to.

Two phrases stick with me from this story, "You are not alone," and "There are worse things than death..." Indeed. But, even when your soul's been battered, there's nothing worth giving away your life for - so stand up, pick up your horse head, and take what belongs to you - in this case, revenge, and a kingdom. Long live the flippin' Queen.

Rachel Hawkins' "The Key" is a spooky little tidbit -- and could have been enlarged into a longer story. It is based, I believe, on the story of Bluebeard -- because in that tale, he gives all of his wives the key to his secret, and they none of them can stop themselves from using it -- and finding out everything they didn't want to know. I sometimes find myself dying to know What Happened Next when I read short stories -- and in a way, that's the nicest kind of wistfulness. In this case, the heroine's Mom is psychic - so we kinda know what happens, even if we don't know details. I can only hope this character reappears somewhere in Rachel's work -- and figures out how to handle her own psychic gifts. I like that she questions the shame she's feeling, and knows that shame hasn't any place in relationships which are supposed to be built on love.

"The Brothers Piggett" by Julie Kagawa is a funny one -- "The Three Little Pigs," re-imagined in a totally new way -- what if the pigs were all boys? And the wolf was a girl? As Sara Lewis Holmes will tell you, pigs are vicious - and they'll do anything for their fellow pigs. I want her to read this one very much.

"Sharper Than A Serpent's Tongue," by Christine Johnson was also a favorite - and the title spins off of the proverb, "Sharper than a serpent's tooth is a thankless child." In this story, there are two girls, one who is Upstanding And Good and the town favorite, well-placed to be smart enough to rise above her mother's drunkenness and poverty, and Dina, the Other Daughter who is a smart-mouthed artist who people agree is No Better Than She Should Be. The first daughter chooses to keep a secret that she should scream to the world -- and in return for her secret, is given something that ties her even more tightly to the worst things in her life. A really unusual - and disturbing - take on the Grimm tale, "Diamonds and Toads."

"The Twelfth Girl" by Malinda Lo was a tough read. I'm not a huge fan of the rich-boarding school-we-all-wanted-to-be-part-of-their-clique tale, because honestly? I would AVOIDAVOIDAVOID those people like they'd been sprayed with ebola and dog poop. However, the tough heroine in this novel doesn't PUT up with people telling her what to do. She's first told by a palmist to avoid these girls? Nope - she seeks them out. Then the girls finally take her in as one of the twelve who live in their swank dorm, and warn her not to ask questions, and to do what she's told -- nope. When she breaks the curse that binds them, she finds that -- nope. Nobody's grateful to her, either. This one is a disturbing little commentary on the teaspoon shallow pool of wealth and fame and partying.

Jeri Smith-Ready's "Figment" is a poignant sideways retelling of "Puss and Boots" which itself was a story intended to remind listeners of the importance of being grateful for the "little people" and the luck which got you where you ended up. It took me awhile to figure out which story this came from, because Puss - especially after the Shrek films - took on the same status as Puck, practically -- you expect scheming and tricks, but there weren't any. Not sure if I agree with the personality change, but this is a compelling story nonetheless.

Do we not always love Sarah Rees Brennan? YES, WE ALWAYS DO. Do we want to stand near her and bask in her greatness? WHY, YES, WE DO. Even though she made us snort-take with this story, "Beauty and The Chad."

I mentioned Tessa Gratton's Beast/Beast story -- where two creatures determined that they could live together, regardless of their beastliness, regardless of the height of the wall enclosing them, regardless of scars, uneven gaits, and ugliness. That's a better love story than most get, and as much of Gratton's work is, it is eerie and poignant and meaningful and beautiful. Meanwhile, Sarah's retelling is all those high and upstanding things, but also completely ridiculous -- and comes with added BroSpeak(TM). Here, the Beast has a name - Chad. And, Dude, it's hurtful not to use it. And, Chad feels like the witch overreacted, this whole Beast issue is his to solve, and he'd really rather the candlestick not do games or tricks with their fellow candlesticks -- he'd be much happier to be the castle's Guest if everything would stop moving around in such a creepy fashion.

Meanwhile, Beauty isn't really beautiful - and The Chad calls her Dude. This story contains heroism, but of the self-righteous kind, lectures, freakishly animate soup tureens, and a healthy dose of Not Taking Itself Seriously. Thank you, Sarah. Again.

Claudia Gray's "A Real Boy" is so Asimov it made me happy. It's Asimov with Mature Content, though. And ol' Isaac would have been pissed, as he wasn't a huge fan of women writing SFF anyway. Nevertheless, even though The Three Laws aren't quoted, this is AI up my alley, and I could see this being made into a whole book, which made me really happy, as I haven't read much Claudia Gray before now. Another author to discover!

There were only a few stories in this collection which I didn't finish at all, and there are more great tales unmentioned - Jackson Pearce's "Sell Out" is a bit sobering, but also intriguing. While everyone's taste in short fiction differs, for me, this book has enough good in it that I think it's one you'll want to pick up. A great tuck-in-the-bag book for waits between doctor visits and gym team try-outs, this book is like a little portal to a very odd world, and will keep you well entertained.

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FTC: This book courtesy of Harlequin Teen, no money exchanged hands, nor were any bribes made for a review.

You can find GRIM: An Anthology edited by Christine Johnson online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages: The Night Swimmers, by Betsy Byars

Everyone from Forbes Magazine to individual authors are selling the "thar's gold in them there backlists!" schtick. But, is there really? Are book which were first published in the seventies or eighties best kept there? A book which goes out of print goes out for a reason, does it not?

Yes. And, then again, no.

With the advent of online bookstores, finding a book which you'd loved as a kid is easier than ever. Making a backlist available in this way is a great idea. It might have the unfortunate side effect, however, of making us wonder about the popularity effect of a book - would a book you loved as a kid stand up to today's readers? Do the award winners of yesteryear automatically become today's crowd-pleasers? Maybe not. For example...

Reader Gut Reaction:

THE NIGHT SWIMMERS is a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, a 1981 American Book Award winner, a Parents' Choice Award, a Child Study Children's Book Committee: Children's Book of the Year award winner, an IRA-CBC Children's Choice, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. (NOT a National Book Award winner; the ABA is a whole 'nother award.) So, on one hand, that's a lot of acclaim. Clearly, there's something enduring here... but I am of the opinion that the "something enduring" is not necessarily for kids, not with this book. Please be clear: this is a good book! The writing is clear, the plotting is true, the inner mind is precise. However, THE NIGHT SWIMMERS is also a candidate for a crossover book - I suspect it ought to be read by undergraduate social work majors rather than middle graders.

The author has a very keen and perceptive eye toward motivations and reasons, the way primary school kids think, and exposes the vulnerabilities of these children in a single parent family in a way that is both heartbreaking and eerily bloodless. There's a sense of "it is what it is," a weary resignation, and a great deal of super-mature reasoning on the part of the main character. The bird's eye yet distant point of view endows the piece with such an isolated feeling that this is not an early reader or MG novel most kids would enjoy, and yet... it's a clear snapshot of the late seventies-early eighties with no nostalgia, and I think the plot could well be played out in countless homes, in various ways, today.

Concerning Character: Retta is thrust into sibling leadership at the death of her mother. When their father moves them to a new town to revitalize his flagging country music career, Retta's concerned for her siblings' reputation in their new town. She wants to give them so much - new experiences, the right clothes, the right knowledge - so she marches them out, in the middle of the night, to a neighbor's pool, for swimming excursions. In her mind, she's being a good mother by giving them these experiences.

Retta's siblings by turns resent and adore her, but when this story begins, their mother has been dead for two years, and resentment is rapidly taking over adoration. Their father, a honky-tonk lounge singer who works nights, is a self-absorbed peacock of a man with few redeeming characteristics. He remains unavailable in hopes that problems will solve themselves. He honestly does not SEE his children - at all. He sees himself. His loss. His life. His dreams. Three children - no mother - and though he loves them, in apparently the deepest way his very crowded and shallow heart can muster, they have no real father, either. A sister who thinks she's responsible for her little Clearly, these guys are in trouble.

Retta is bossy - and quite an officious little bustling busybody. She is, as a sibling, both perfectly caricatured, and perfectly unlikable. Yet, most of the story is told through her desperate eyes. She sees the world through the lens of her television, and often acts in ways in which TV mothers act - because she has no other role model. This loss is neither particularly saddening nor sharp, but is deeply pervasive within the plot. Retta does what she does and acts as she acts because this is how TV mothers act, and God knows, she and her siblings need a mother - any kind of mother. She clings grimly and pathetically to the role, giving them peanut butter sandwiches, pinches, shakes, and scolds... and she's doing the best that she can. When the elder of her two younger brothers finds a new friend to hang out with, and invites their youngest brother along, she feels her tiny empire crumbling - and her family further falling apart. Desperate to keep "parental" failure at bay, one night she follows her brother to meet his new friend - leaving their dreamy youngest brother unsupervised. It quickly becomes apparent that Retta is not a mother - and that someone must shoulder that responsibility for her family, before it's too late.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Kid/teen survival novels with siblings, like Adele Griffin's RAINY SEASON, Heather Quarles' A DOOR NEAR HERE, and the first three books of the Dicey Tillerman cycle - HOMECOMING; DICEY'S SONG; A SOLITARY BLUE by Cynthia Voight

Cover Chatter: This was a critically acclaimed book, and so there are many 80's covers to love.

The first cover was done in the style we can only call Early Depression. I mean, seriously? I know 1983 was a rough year - Regan was president, after all - but I think the children needlessly suffered the brunt of that adult malaise. Sheesh, book designers. Just... sheesh.

Early Depression gave way to Paperback Depression; the first Dell paperback at least gives us a better depiction of children, with an accurate portrayal of Ray cuddling Retta, and Johnny off to the side. 12-year-old Retta looks far older than she should, but we can blame that on the muted colors.

The cover most familiar to the rest of us will of course have been put out by Scholastic. The red edging and accurate artistic rendering makes me want to get out a magnifying glass and look for the tiny, tiny book symbol... that it looks like the children are swimming in broad daylight is an unfortunate side-effect of their enthused - and wonderful - use of color.

Probably the best depiction is this later - early 90's? - cover which focuses more on the boys than on Retta - which is interesting. Though the story's point of view briefly visits each child, Johnny is the least talkative, and rarely commands the narrative. Retta as both sitting stiffly upright, in the "in charge" position and far from the fun speaks to her real position in the family.

The final cover is the ebook version, which is the most stylish from a graphic design perspective, but also somewhat confusing, as it has a very adult air about it. A reader not familiar with the author might see three bathing suits and expect something entirely different.

Authorial Asides: The title was what drew me to this novel, and it also was what came first to the author, who came up with the idea from a friend's concern that the nights they weren't home, that neighbor children were coming over and swimming. While her friend no doubt continued worrying about drowning and liability insurance, Betsy Byars likely tuned her out, mentally caressing her precious title, and wondering how to plot the four thousand sentences needed to create her book...

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FTC: This novel was courtesy of the author and Open Road Media. You can find tons of Byars backlisted titles now in ebook form, and you can buy THE NIGHT SWIMMERS at any library, online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

TURNING PAGES/WCOB: The Changeling, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

- Know all the Questions, but not the Answers -
Look for the Different instead of the Same -
Never Walk when there's room for Running -
- Don't do anything that can't be a Game."

The Never Grown-Up Spell, from The Changeling

I have a lot of respect for Open Road Media. Once upon a time, one of its co-founders was the CEO of HarperCollins, so it's not as if the company is unfamiliar with "traditional" publishing. But, they understand that part of the road in ahead in publishing will be through the medium of digital media. And, it is through Open Road that many authors are getting in the gate, taking a chance on first publications, or publishing their backlists and getting them back into the hands of new readers. Zilpha Keatley Snyder is responsible for THE HEADLESS CUPID, THE VELVET ROOM, and THE EGYPT GAME and hordes of other interesting and unique series, and I'm excited to review her book, which was first published in 1970.

It's often a strange experience to read YA lit written before I was born. I compare characters, plotline, and story arcs. I realize that a lot of what was published back then would be difficult to get published for the first time now. I'm not sure how I feel about that... or what it says about the childhood reading choices of kids who are kids now, and not in the eighties and nineties when I was much younger.

I have a feeling there's entirely too much to say on that topic! However - I simply will celebrate the eclectic, varied, and unusual stories I grew up with, be glad that LIBRARIES are at the forefront of holding on to author backlists, and that this digital age is digging up some gems to put into the hands of a new generation and a new style of readership. Here's to ferreting out a few more awesome overlooked books to share.

Reader Gut Reaction: I had two gut reactions, one, this book is told almost entirely in flashback. Nowadays? There's no way that an editor would be happy about three quarters of a YA book being told in flashback. Two, this book would be perfectly appropriate for young middle grade readers. Despite the fact that the beginning of the novel is when one of the main characters is a high school sophomore, the amount of time the flashback spends in grade school means that a lot would resonate.

Concerning Character: Martha is shy, plump, and babyish. She is the well loved and completely misunderstood youngest child of the well-meaning Abbott family. Not a take-charge extrovert like the rest, bookish Martha lacks confidence in herself, and spends much of life in floods of tears.

Ivy is underfed, large-eyed, and raggedly clothed; one of those piss-poor Carson kids, whose low class family usually has one or another members in Juvie or in jail. How she and Ivy become friends is through the magic of elementary school - and a shared love of their imaginary friends. How they remain friends through years of time, very different families, and a frowning community is something of a miracle.

Together, the two make an unbeatable team. They find magic in their make-believe, and that magic fuels their world.

But, sometimes, the worlds of our imagination bump up against The Real World, with painful results.

Is it survivable? Yes. But, is it easy? Never.

Recommended for Fans Of...: S.E. Hinton's THE OUTSIDERS, in its commentary on the individual and society, THE UNSEEN, by Zilpah Keatley Snyder, for its out-of-place-in-my-family main character, Jerry Spinelli's STARGIRL, for the quirky and unusual Ivy, THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, by Susan Patron, and just about anything by Madeleine L'Engle, Cynthia Voight's early books, and Judy Blume's middle grade gems.

Themes & Things: Many of ZK Snyder's books are about families - ordinary folk who have jobs, who endure school, and who navigate the usual bits of growing up through sports, games, and the long unfettered days of summer. Snyder focuses on the sometimes quirky individuals who make up those groups. Characters are either not in step with their communities, as in Martha and Ivy's case, or apt to engage in hugely imaginative games which others might not get into, like in THE EGYPT GAME, or THE WITCHES OF WORM. The novels usually also feature characters on the cusp of adulthood, and feeling the usual twinges and pains of growing - twinges which sometimes cause them to do things which are questionable or cruel - witness both witness minor character Kelly's angry obsession with Ivy, or Jessica in THE WITCHES OF WORM blaming her unkind behavior on her cat. Snyders books seem to feature a lot of inner mind and times when the character holes up and tries to figure out the world - which is how a lot of my adolescence was spent, anyway. Despite the fact that this book is pretty dated in years, the timestamp of the seventies is trimmed neatly from the text. I still think it skews younger than YA, just based on the sort of flashbacks from ages 7 - 16, it's a book that would work well as a read-aloud for younger middle graders, and a "on my own" type of read for older middle graders, and more sensitive YA readers.

Cover Chatter: Well, this was barely the seventies. You know there will be COVERS...

First, I have to say it: the watercolored cover was probably a mistake. The style seems meant to be amateurish, and while it does hark back to the book, where the girls were one day painted by a woman whose name was Mrs. Smith, it is neither exactly the painting that Mrs. Smith did, nor an accurate representation of the girls - something I'm a stickler for. It was a lovely image that probably... shouldn't have been attempted.

The more generic aquamarine cover is nice enough, and once you discern the face in the leaves, it makes more sense that it is a depiction of Ivy. The color says 1980's pretty loudly. ☺

The dark cover with the title in blue, and Ivy dancing before the tree in her yellow dress once ties back to the story, but sometimes the depiction of someone who is supposed to be different or look counterculture can be too specific, and feed the imagination where it would better be to allow a picture to develop all its own. Ivy never looked nutty with her dancing to my mind - just free. Here, she looks like she's been caught up in a tornado that might leave her in Oz.

I love the Dell cover. Just. Love. It. It's solely for the purposes of familiarity, but these were the covers of my childhood, with those photo-realistic drawings that always went along with some happening in the book. I also really like the most modern cover, which is the first one depicted. The girls in the woods - themselves in silhouette, but their clasped hands, telling the story of a friendship that through distance and misunderstandings, survived.

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You can find THE CHANGELING by Zilpha Keatley Snyder at your local library, or at an independent e-retailer, and possibly even in some pretty special brick-and-mortar indie bookstores near you!

CYBILS F/SF: FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS, by Diana Peterfreund

I'd mentioned already being leery of Book Reboots, and how I wasn't sure if I could read another version of Jane Eyre. Well, never fear, it's time now for another Austen reboot!

Wait, wait - don't go. There are no zombies. NONE! Instead, this novel treads perilously close to sacred ground - my favorite book of all time of the Jane Austen panoply is PERSUASION, and this is a reboot of that very treasured story.

To be clear, Jane Austen set the gold standard in Romantic era fiction for me. NOTHING will ever be as good as the original PERSUASION. However, this novel is gold in its own postmodern way.

Reader Gut Reaction: This is not a retelling - it's an Austen tribute. If you keep that in mind, the novel works much, much better.

This is straightforward science fiction, a futurist world in which, as a result of The Reduction, a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong, there is an automatic servant-class, and everyone who survived otherwise are Luddites. There is a rigid compliance with what is assumed as "God's will," and natural law to keep them safe from more massive die-offs and retardation - no technology. No new discoveries. Even something as simple as cross-breeding plants for a stronger yield is anathema. Luddites ... and servants. An entire class of people are lifetime servants, as a result of The Reduction; they seem to suffer from mental challenges. Some of their children, however, do not. Post-Reductionists want to live and breathe and be real citizens, not second-class people. But, they can't do it on Eliot's father's land...

Concerning Character: Eliot North could be thought of as a girl who has everything - except she's not. She's the girl who does everything, to keep the servants on her father's land fed and cared for. He - and Eliot's spoiled older sister - wants to live large on the money the estate makes, but has zero interest in doing the work and good stewardship that it takes to make it. Eliot steps in time and again to save things - and her father resents her in a childish fashion. He hurts her through hurting the servants, and tries to control her - when he isn't ignoring her entirely. (In an otherwise nuanced and subtle novel, their relationship is the one false note for me - I found myself asking for more "whys" behind his behavior.)

Malakai Wentforth - a clever, self-educated boy is a Post-Reductionist, a second generation non-Luddite who was Eliot's childhood friend and love. He went away to seek his fortune, for there's nothing left on the North's estate for him. When he asks Eliot to go with him, she refuses. It breaks her heart to stay away from him, to choose to keep cleaning up her father's messes, but to Eliot's mind, to whom much is given, much is required. Her genetics are pure. Her mental acuity is sharp. Her responsibilities, therefore, are much greater. She refuses to live her life solely for herself, as do her father and sister - which is a positive and strong-minded, mature choice. After nearly five years, Eliot is terrified that Kai's dead. She actually mourns him as if he IS dead. But, now, he's back. Brilliant and accomplished and different - and utterly hateful toward Eliot, Malakai's return is the worst and the best day of Eliot's life.

Peterfreund adds a touch of Brontë to this novel's hero that I don't think Austen ever did. Kai is a right butthead at times, prickly and quick to temper, moreso than Frederick Wentworth ever was - and I'm not sure his behavior should have been accepted without a confrontation. Eliot is just as passive as her predecessor, Anne, but for very different reasons, but she makes abrupt decisions, especially at the conclusion of the novel, which came across as impetuous, which some readers object to, but which was, I think, deliberate. There is immense care taken with the narrative, and with the story, showing Peterfreund's love of the original story as well. She subtly twists the new tale into a tribute which doesn't cleave too closely to the original, yet has much of its charm.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Novels of the romantic era, such as Jane Austen's PERSUASION, Star-crossed romances like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and novels wherein the lowly hero scores the high-class heroine.

Themes & Thoughts: Because Eliot doesn't fit in with the wealthy Luddites in her society, she finds her home among the servant-class. One of her friends is a Reduced girl who is simple and sweet, and Eliot adores her. The adoration is difficult - though the girl sometimes tells what she shouldn't and sees and mimics what she should not, Eliot kind of has to love her. They were born the same day. She's the last link to her childhood, and Kai. The emotions and drawbacks and rewards of loving a differently-abled person is one of the things I wish the novel had taken more time to explore. We don't often run across a lot of teen differently-abled characters in YA now, especially not in SFF, where everyone in the brave new world is brilliant.

Speaking of brilliant, there are a few ethical questions in this Luddite society I wish could have been covered more thoroughly. I know the point of the novel was romance, but the worldbuilding really intrigued, and I'd love to see another novel in the same universe that digs in deeper to the world, caste systems, class, and the fabulous genetic advances that had been made - and which ruined the world....

This book has so, so much good going on with it, that it's easy to be forgiving of the moments which were not delved into as deeply as I might have liked! It's only one book - I think if I wrote it my way, it would be three...! Which leads to the question, is this a single volume, like PERSUASION? It appears that the answer is yes, which is killing a lot of people, but be of good cheer: there's a bonus novel prequel on Diana Peterfreund's website, at least.

Cover Chatter: At first I wondered if I had imagined that Kai was described as quite fair with specifically arresting eyes, and Eliot was plain and dark, but no -- I reread. Eliot has long dark hair, and brownish tan - or, in the winter - sallow skin. She's kind of a farm girl, and does the farmer tan. What I didn't know is that apparently some people consider this cover to be white-washed. I don't read it that way. I love the stars and galaxies which appear through the character's dress, and I think the cover is gorgeous. I don't recall Eliot really ever wearing that awesome of a dress, but even farm girls have a yen to dress up every once in awhile.

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FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher, unsolicited review.

A novel both exasperating and endearing, you can find FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS by Diana Peterfreund at an independent bookstore near you!