This post is under Lock[e] and Key...

...Just kidding! This post is about Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft! See what I did there? This is probably the quickest I've gotten into the book I'm discussing. What snappy progress right?Naturally I'm going to derail myself and talk about something else first. I started writing this post March 14th. It is now April 3rd. Why did it take me so long? Well... when I started I realized I was days away from Spring Break so why not write this post as I relax in the sun that was promised. What actually happened? I got sick and all motivation to do anything but nap went away. Once I was feeling a litter better, I was away on a mini vacation and had no interest in thinking.

I had grand dreams my friends, of intense but joyful reading over the break, resulting in some of the best posts I've ever written. I was so deluded. Anyways I'm back now and half a month later here is: Your Favourite Prompt from a Past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge! I chose to go back to a Graphic Novel and look at a series I read a while ago but never finished. I ended up re-reading the entire thing, but this post will still be about the first volume.

I am also super excited to know that Netflix will be making the series into a television adaptation...much like they did with Umbrella Academy.

Okay so what to say about Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill (Writer) and Gabriel Rodriguez (Artist)? For one, it is extremely imaginative and if you like eerie fantasy then the concept the two have created will work well for you. It definitely feels a little Sandman-ish but definitely isn't a copy or anything...there are just similar tones and moods. The novel is also dark, in that it begins with a murder and offscreen rape, and there are themes of alcoholism, guilt, family relationships, survivor's remorse, depression, etc.

So it's a lot to get through but the world is great: There is a mansion that has a secret. The secret is a set of keys that can unlock unbelievable things like your mind, or a door that lets you travel as a ghost, a door that changes your gender, a beast key that turns you into an animal, a shadow key that lets you control shadows, and so on. The big key is the Omega key that will open the black door...the house's second secret. Deep in the underground caves near the house there is a black door that is locked tight. Behind it are the "Children of Leng", soulless demons, who are compelled to want to leave and possess a human. The keys are actually made of these demons: When a demon escapes the door but doesn't have a human host it turns into something called "whispering iron". A metal that speaks to what it can be under the right lock/key smith.

So I just did some heavy summarizing but haven't got to the characters! They are:

Main Characters: The Locke Siblings!
Duncan, Kinsy, and Bode Locke. Duncan is the oldest and feels responsible for the death of his father.
Kinsy is the middle child, and experiencing grief and fright (most likely PTSD) she wishes she didn't have fear.
Bode is the youngest and the most innocent of the three and thus the keys are drawn to him. He finds the first few keys, and usually stumbles upon any new ones.

Secondary characters:
Nina Locke (Mom): Suffering from depression she self-medicates with alcohol
Zack Wells: Friend of Duncan's

I don't want to go to much into the graphic novel because I'm lazy and it's a dense read. This is a book that makes sure you're paying attention: To the words, the expressions, the magic. Art and text work beautifully to represent an engaging story that deals with a lot of issues surrounding loss, identity, and family. Ultimately this is a book about family and the struggles a family can go through.

It is heavy, and it doesn't pretend it's not. This is not a graphic novel for people who are expecting Narnia type magic. There is death, there are scenes of violence, but there are also scenes of fun. I hope Netflix can do it justice.

Don't know what you heard 'bout Angie, but she's a badass, writing T H U G !

Hello readers!
How have we all been? I have been surviving the white wasteland of snow that has has been hitting Vancouver on and off for a month now. I want Spring! I'm not asking for a lot... I don't need lots of heat, or a rainbow of flowers, just maybe some brightness and a warm breeze or two! I am not a snow fan: I can admire it from indoors as it gently falls, or on the mountain should I choose to partake in wintery activities, but then I want it gone. However, shoutout to those two snow days! The snow wasn't so bad when I got to stay home and enjoy it from indoors...and not at work! Furthermore my dog is also not a fan of the frozen sky tears. This is particularly annoying for me, because she won't go to the bathroom if there is a chance her highness will touch snow. This means I often have to dig her a little path, to a section of yard that's also been cleared for her, by me, for her to go out. If not, she will hold it and pretend she's gone...until she does go...on the carpet. 

Thanks Dog. 

 That's where I've been at, but not all bad...As I write this, I have 4 days to go (not including today) until Spring Break! Woooohhhh!!! But to full circle, today, it's meant to snow. Oh Snow, the hate I have to give! Boom! Look at that phrasing to segue into the title of the book I'm talking about today:
Angie Thomas' award winning The Hate U Give!

This book. If you haven't read it, you should. It, deservedly, took the YA genre by storm when it came out. It is powerful, topical, and thoughtful. I don't want to spoil this book, because I want as many people as possible to read it, or watch the 2018 film adaptation...then read it! This book does not actually fit into the Popsugar Challenge Prompts, but as Black History Month ended, I felt the need to re-read it. The issues in the novel, are still very much present today, if anything they might be worse as the world sees rises in dictatorships and right-wing politics. The Hate U Give is about race relations, justice, and speaking up. Starr Carter, our protagonist, lives in two worlds: Her predominantly white, and affluent, prep school and her mostly black, and poor neighbourhood. She talks about her two distinct personalities that come out to navigate each world. Until one day, she is caught in a tragedy that bridges her realms.

I found this book relatable, and think many POC will agree: I know Starr's struggle. I've been Starr navigating two cultures, and been made fun of for it: I've been hit with every version of brown on the outside, "white" on the inside food analogies people have to offer. I've gotten coconut, burnt marshmellow (my favourite for originality), oreo, etc. all because my general personality didn't seem cultural enough for my Indian peers. However, the thing about being "white-washed" is you're still never "white". (For the record, I never thought of myself as "white-washed" or "white" on the inside, I just had different likes and interests from others that didn't fit a stereotypical mold of "brownness". My Punjabi might not be great, but put on some bhangra and see who's singing along and dancing her heart out. Its me.)

See, relatable story. Many POC also know how it feels to be racially profiled (from varying degrees of harmless to harmful): I am sound passing. What I mean by that, is that when I speak, I do so with a Canadian accent. I am treated differently than those who do not have a Canadian accent, despite still being brown. However, I have had people speak to me slowly, assuming I wouldn't understand. Their slowness also comes with an annoyed gruffness (seriously, like 8/10 times! I'm sorry I'm making you do your job, oh wait! No I'm not! Do your fucking job) however that all changes when I respond in very polite, pointed, "unaccented" english. Then I am welcomed. Starr comments on how her language, word choices, and articulation change depending where she is. She explains she has been taught to do so for safety. This is a real thing. Language is powerful, and a sign of belonging. We've actually had two movies come out recently with this idea: BlacKKKlansman (Spike Lee!!!) and Sorry to Bother You  that touch on the benefits and inclusion of "sound passing".

I'm going to rewind a bit on the talking slowly: This only works if the person you are speaking to actually understands english, but is new to it and needs it slowed down for full comprehension (This is a good thing, they are learning and building fluency! Like me with french! Go slow, I'm with you, go too fast, you've lost me) and you're slower out of respect and understanding, not racist assumptions. Please people, do not get louder and slower when it is clear the person you are speaking to does NOT speak any of the language. They will not magically learn!You just look like a dick and a little threatening. Especially don't do this in a place that isn't English speaking. Your privilege shows, and it ain't pretty (Plus the venn diagram of people annoyed a non-english speaking place doesn't speak english, and people who get angry at others for not "learning the language", is almost a full circle).

If you haven't noticed, this book has brought out some personal stories. This is what makes it so strong: It is a universal tale for those who have experienced bigotry, but it is also a way for those who haven't (or at least think they haven't-we have all been judged unfairly based on stereotypes at least once! Right?!) to empathize and (try to) understand. We navigate the world through Starr, who is old enough to know certain realities (She was given "the talk" at 12, no, not that one...the one where your parents tell you how to respond to cops so you don't get beaten or worse), but not old enough to understand all the nuances of them. As she discovers her voice, we do to.

I'm going to leave aside the political bits for a second to mention that Starr is a teenager and she is written like one. She is smart, funny, and aware of the relationships she has with others and herself. Angie Thomas does a beautiful job of writing relationship and describing feelings. Not just the internal ones we have, but the external ones of a place, a gesture, a moment. This book is heavy, but there is tons of hope and care and love and community. It has humour, sorrow, gain and loss, and tons of heart.

I'm not going to say too much more, because honestly, I never meant to say this much! Read the book. Watch out for snow. And have a great day!

One of us is... reading lots of YA! (And in the same book?)

Oh Readers!!! Hi!
I read a book. It was good too, if very predictable.
I don't really know what to say about it to be perfectly honest. This is going to be a most unsatisfying post. Well, here we go!

I read a book told from multiple character POVs this past week, and it was also a debut novel (Another Twofer because I'm a possible cheater)! I read it in a day, because it was interesting enough and not a challenging read. The book is another from the Surrey Teens Read 2019 List! It wasn't the highest on my list, but it was the one the library had available first! Now, I know the way I seem to be writing about this book conveys a flazéda attitude, but I promise I liked the book...as I was reading it! I sped through it, and really wanted to get to the end to see how it resolves itself. It just seems post-reading, I don't feel as strongly about it as I thought I would. 

So flazéda, am I even awake?

I just realized, I still haven't mentioned the book I read! I could edit this post and include the title earlier, but I'd rather just admit I write these posts on the fly with very little pre-planning and carry on! (This doesn't mean I don't give them my full attention: I try my best to make them entertaining and informative/worth discussing-not saying I always succeed, but I always try!) It's very, highly edited, stream of consciousness. Jass? Get on with the title! Woah! Is that you subconscious?

My brain just giving up

The book was was One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, her first novel, and it was a very successful debut novel at that!

My first impression after finishing the book was that it felt very Thirteen Reasons Why. Not that their plot is similar in the details, but just in general: They both deal with a teen death, and secrets being revealed slowly of those who first appear to be one dimensional characters. They both touch on issues of identity, bullying, pressure, family relations, and the complexities and hierarchies of teenaged/high school life. The key difference is, One of Us is Lying is a murder mystery: Five students walk into detention, but only four walk out. The victim? The creator and publisher of a gossip app, who has made a lot of enemies with the information he spreads. The suspects? The Brain, the Princess, the Athlete, and the Criminal. One of them must have done it, as they are seemingly the only ones with the opportunity, but they all claim they're innocent. 

The book actually references the film and labels the characters appropriately

The premise is very good, and the book works really well as a multiple POV story. We get inside each of the characters' heads and learn how they feel, what they're thinking, and the secrets they are keeping. This book borrows bits from other popular teen franchises, but not in  a way that seems like it was "stolen". For example the app is a (more) mean-spirited Gossip Girl type situation. The plot feels similar to 13 Reasons (as mentioned previously), and of course the direct Breakfast Club reference. There is a little bit of a To All the Boys I've Loved Before taste regarding the main romantic subplot, and a few more samplings that I can't quite remember right now. The thing is, it does all work together, and again, doesn't feel plagiarized or taken from. It's just a solid blend of what has become some genre tropes of certain YA.  The problem is...I predicted the whole thing just a few chapters in: I knew who the murderer was, I knew what the "big and dark" secrets being kept were, and I more or less knew how things would turn out. Luckily the book doesn't try to leave you hanging on the secrets, it tells those fairly quickly, but they were pretty obvious. I imagine if you couldn't predict the book, it would be an amazing read that sticks with you. 

The other reason I find this book lacklustre afterwards is that, some of the characters (even with their secrets revealed and internal life shown) are still pretty standard now. The shock wasn't great, and I actually found myself skimming quickly through two of the characters' POV chapters, because I didn't care about them. I already know these characters and how they function from many times before. 

Why I read this book so fast then? I wanted to see if I was right. That was a main reason, but also the author wrote well. The book felt like teenagers, for the most part, and the way the pieces fall into place were cleverly done. I definitely recommend this book to teenagers, as I think they will find a character or two to relate to. It's also an engaging book, and the kids who have read it, agree. Remember, Surrey Teens Read, are chosen with specific criteria, so no surprise students like them! What is a surprise, is why this hasn't been adapted for film/television yet! (I would prefer television, I think more could be done  with content in multiple episodes than 2 hours straight).

And...

Catch you later!

Samantha MacLeod Stops By: An Author Interview

Hello dear readers!

Welcome to my 'Super Special Samantha MacLeod Issue'. Where I, your humble blog host, will interview author Samantha MacLeod on her book The Wolf's Lover!

So lets get right into it, shall we?

Jass: Thanks so much for joining me on my wee blog Samantha! I'm super excited to talk to you about your book, The Wolf's Lover. First of all, are you a pantser or  a planner? Or little bit of both?

Samantha: I’m a total pantser! I never know what’s going to happen in my book until it’s over. Sometimes this is really fun and exciting. Sometimes it’s terrifying!

Jass: I totally agree! I'm a pantser and I'm always both a little nervous and a little revved up at the same time. I wish I were a little more of a plotter sometimes, but I think I'm addicted to the pantser rush at this point! So I have to say, I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy, and am thrilled you happen to be writing it: Your book is a romance urban fantasy, what drew you to this genre?

Samantha: I’ve always been a huge fan of the fantasy genre in all its many incantations, from Tolkien to magic realism. And, to be honest, I have a really hard time writing a “normal” story with no fantastical elements. Even if I’m trying to tackle a difficult theme, like grief or depression or overcoming your past, I’m always thinking, “Yes… but what if I add a dragon?”

Jass: That is an excellent 'But what if'! I think many things could be improved with a dragon or two! Besides what is "normal" anyways right? I'm so glad you like to add a little fantasy (and dragons) into your work, because I love reading it! Speaking of your work...Lets get to the details, what is your book, and what can readers expect from it?

Samantha: My book, The Wolf’s Lover, is an urban fantasy set in Yellowstone. It’s about wildlife biologist Karen McDonald and what happens when the wolf she tranquilizes turns into a man. Along the way, there are lots of forays into Norse mythology, a bit of the end of the world, and (of course) a dragon.

Oh, and it’s free until 2/15! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jass: Everyone got that right? It's free until the end of the week! I repeat FREE until the end of the week! Dear readers please take advantage of this! I'm definitely intrigued by your combining of norse mythology into your story- That pantheon gets into all sorts of strange to play with! So, with so much to draw from, and tons of possible elements to mix, what was your process in writing this book?

Samantha: I’m usually working on several projects at once. When one project gets overwhelming, I tend to start something new to keep from going nuts. I began The Wolf’s Lover when I was finishing my first novel, The Trickster’s Lover.

Then we moved from Buffalo, New York to Maine. My writing took a backseat to a bunch of real life concerns, and I almost didn’t finish this particular book. If it weren’t for my husband telling me it really was a solid story, I don’t think I ever would have pushed it out into the world.

Jass: Oh wow! Well I'm so glad you got that encouragement, because now it is in the world for others to enjoy! It can be hard balancing life and writing as it is, I can't imagine a big move on top of that! I'm glad you were able to overcome that challenge, was that the most challenging aspect? or were there other things? 

Samantha: For this particular book, the very end was a total mystery up until the day I wrote it. That really terrified me. The hardest part about being a pantser, for me at least, is that sometimes you’re not sure if you can actually pull this one off.

The end of the book did eventually come together. You’d think that might keep me from panicking about writing the next book, but so far, that hasn’t been my experience!

Jass: I have that same fear when I'm writing my plays: Will this finish? Will this make sense? Is this actually a story people care about? The self-doubt is real! But lets forget about the struggles, what brought you the most joy from writing this book? Were there any favourite moments you'd like readers to watch out for? Or favourite characters you enjoyed writing?

Samantha: Oh, there are so many things I loved about writing this book!

I lived in Bozeman, Montana for seven years, and it was just delightful to pull on my experiences to capture that part of the world. Yellowstone National Park is one my my favorite characters in The Wolf’s Lover. I also loved being able to write a book about a successful, independent, female scientist.

And I stole Karen’s graduate students, Zeke and Colin, straight from real life. They were two of my best friends when I lived in Bozeman. I probably owe them both an apology!

Jass: That's amazing! I'm so glad you were able to put things you love and experienced into the book. I know as a reader, I enjoy something more when I can tell the writer was fully into what they were doing. It's like their pleasure, of writing, goes straight into the reader via the book. I suspect it probably has something to do with, when you love something, you want to work on it and put in that detail and connection...or I'm just talking out of nowhere! I have a tendency to blather on! Well Samantha, we've talked about struggles, and successes, so lets talk about surprises! What was the biggest surprise when writing this book? 

Samantha: One of my favorite characters in the book ended up being Karen’s ex-husband, Barry f’ing Richardson. He starts off as such a caricature but, when Karen is desperate, Barry is there to help.

It was important to me to give as realistic a portrayal of divorce as I possibly could. When you have a serious relationship with a person, I think your connection to them remains, even if the relationship ends. Ideally, that means you’d still band together to stop the end of the world, even if you didn’t make a great team as husband and wife. (See? I add fantasy to everything. I can’t stop myself!)

Jass: I love that! I can already tell from how you surprised yourself, and what you wanted to convey, that Barry is a developed character, not just an 'ex' cliche. Which is wonderful, because I personally get tired of the "bitchy ex-wife" or "douchey ex-husband" trope. Some people split amicably because they still like each other, but don't fit together in a certain type of relationship, and neither is the "bad" person.  I also love that the stakes are as high as saving the world. I mean if something is going to make you put your differences aside, I hope this is it! Also, what a sell to read this book! Who doesn't want to read about the fate of the world and how it (hopefully) survives? But because we don't want to give away spoilers (get the book!), lets switch gears to what happened post writing: What was it like publishing your book? Challenges? Successes? Etc.

Samantha: This book came out a year ago, February of 2018. It was my second independently published novel, and readers really liked it. Tina Williams of A Reader’s Review Blog named it one of her top books of 2018, which is such an honor. To celebrate the first anniversary of its publication, I thought I’d offer The Wolf’s Lover for free for a week.

Jass: What a lovely thing to do! Congratulations on the anniversary of your book, and I hope it continues to be successful. I can tell you put a lot of heart into it, and plus it has a dragon! Thank you again for talking about your novel with me! Before we say adieu, do you have any advice for people who want to write in this genre, or in general?

Samantha: Some of the best writing advice I’ve ever read comes from Stephen King, and I’d say it’s doubly true in the romance and fantasy fields. Don’t be ashamed of what you write. I spent thirteen years not writing anything because I was ashamed that none of my ideas were serious or literary. I’m much happier now that I’ve given myself permission to write books with gods and dragons.

And you know what? People like to read books with gods and dragons. :)

Jass: Yes they do! Or at least I do, and in case you haven't heard...Jass Reads Books! One more time, thank you so much Samantha MacLeod for agreeing to this interview. I super appreciate it, and I believe my readers do to! Please dear readers get her book (and it's companion The Trickster's Lover). The book has everything: Fantasy, gods, dragons, shifters, and science! All things great!

Find Samantha's book at:

Amazon US Canada UK
And to learn more about Samantha and her books visit here.

For more interviews, check out my post with the wonderful Jessica Jarman and Bronwyn Green here!

A Puzzling Novel

Welcome back dear readers! I can't believe it's February already! Can you believe how January flew? Neither can I, because January was two fast weeks, and then two incredibly slow weeks. It's like the buzz of New Year's lasts for a bit, and them BAM! Mid-January hits, and you've already broken your resolutions (but hopefully not, you can do it!), it's way colder than December, and everything goes back to normal...but it's too normal after so much cultural excitement. Even if you don't celebrate, it's everywhere (Woo commercialism!) so it's hard to escape the energy. Then along comes February with it's short month, and here we are!

So long resolutions, it's been fun.

If you remember last blog post, I didn't know what I was going to be reading for this post beforehand. This left me searching for a book, so I decided to choose a category that the books on my pile don't fit into. I figured since I didn't know what to tackle, I might as well check something off that I would have to search for later anyways! Dear Readers, I present to you your first twofer category! The book I read crossed off not one, but TWO! challenges!!! Since there doesn't seem to be any rules about doubling up, I'm allowing myself this: Show some love for a book revolving around a puzzle or game, AND a book featuring an amateur detective.

And what novel fits into these two challenges you may be asking? Well let me tell you! It was A Clue for the Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall!

So I'm going to be super honest, I liked the book enough, but there's a reason it took some time to get this post out there...and it's that every time I put the book down, it took me some time to pick it up again. Don't get me wrong, it reads fast: It's got quick pacing, short chapters, and there is some action in each little bit. I just didn't feel that burning desire to finish it asap. That being said, I think I would probably watch the crap out of it, if it was a Sunday afternoon TV show.

The novel stars two women: Cora Felton, and her niece Sherry Carter. Cora is a little old lady with an alcohol problem that loves mysteries. She is known as the puzzle lady, as she has a crossword puzzle that is printed in various newspapers across the (American) nation. The catch though, is she is terrible at crossword puzzles and it's actually her niece who creates them. Why? Because of marketability. Sherry is young (I got the impression she's early 20s) and wasn't taken seriously when she tried to sell her crosswords, but Cora is photogenic and appears a kindly old woman. I guess it's not hard to believe she would sit at home pouring over puzzles. Funnily enough, she is the one who is regularly out late at the bar. I liked this aspect of the novel as it subtly demonstrated glass ceilings people face. Sherry is perceived as "can't be smart because she's an attractive young woman", so she doesn't get any jobs. However, her same work is instantly picked up locally, and then nationally, when it is branded differently from a different source.

You tell them Tina!

Sherry and Cora have recently moved into a new, small, town from New York, so Sherry could escape her abusive ex-husband. I was worried when this part came up in the book, but it was handled decently. Sherry suffers genuine PTSD throughout the novel, while struggling to be "rational and logical" about her feelings. She is terrified of her ex discovering where she moved to, and this actually plays a large role in the novel. Not that she has this anxiety, that's just accepted, but rather why the murder needs to be solved without placing attention on her aunt, and by extension her. It creates an obstacle, without diminishing the character as just a one note "battered woman", like many crime procedurals do.

Wait, did I say solve and murder? I sure did, because this novel is a murder mystery! The reason Cora is brought in, is to help solve it with her crossword expertise. The cops find a clue in the victim's pocket, and it looks like the description of a crossword clue. They realize they have the "Puzzle Lady" living amongst them, so why not use her expertise. Cora dismisses the clue as nothing, partly because she believes it's nothing and partly because she hates crosswords! She is excited to solve a murder though, as she loves mysteries. So she gets herself involved, and  does figure it all out (Spoilers!).

I am shocked!

What do I want to talk about with this book? The obsession with women's murders. There is some sick perversion with dwelling over the death of (young) women. Particularly if they are attractive, and mostly when they are also "white". This struck out in this book, because yes, the two victims are pretty women, and also because me reading this coincided with Netflix's "Ted Bundy" documentary release. Which seriously, f@#$ Ted Bundy. There are some great articles on how there is this flocking to stories about brutalized victims (like this one here). The sicker, the more coverage. This book is aware of this as one character actually remarks, "If it was a rape it would have been different, but a runaway who got hit on the head..." This is in response to the first murder victim, after being identified, has people lose interest in her story because she was an outsider who was only bludgeoned to death! This is not sensational enough to tell stories! How sick is that?

Me reading too much truth

I mean seriously, lets think about this: A murder in a small town where nothing happens, becomes less interesting in a few days because it wasn't sexual and more sadistic in nature. I'm just going to leave this post with the question "Why?"

Join me next blog post for a special edition: I will be interviewing an author about their new book!
Until next time!

This is a very beautiful cover but I forget what I read! JK...you'll get the joke if you keep reading!

Hello Dear Readers!
I am so excited you are all here! Can you believe it's already January 21st? Another week, and another post! I'm feeling really good about this month: 3 posts in 3 weeks! This is a new record and high for me. I think the key difference, besides motivation levels, this time around, is having a giant stack of "to-reads" already. I just pick one that matches a challenge, and BOOM! Success! Which is particularly incredible for me, because I am not a multi-tasker. I give too much attention to the thing I'm working on, and pretty much blank out everything else. This is really a two-birds in one stone thing for me, even though it's not technically multitasking...because I can't do that! It drives my sister crazy! If I'm reading an article and she wants to talk to me? I hear nothing of what she just said, except maybe a handful of words. Anyways...that's enough about me! We are here for books, not my inability to function in life!

This week I'm reading a book that is on the Surrey Teen Reads list. Surrey, for those readers not from around my parts, (I see you, and I love you!) is a city in British Columbia, considered a part of the
"(Vancouver) Lower Mainland". It is also the city (district) where I teach. Surrey Teen Reads is a literacy program put on by the district's librarians to not only encourage reading, but showcase diversity and issues that affect contemporary society.
In their own words:

The Surrey Teens Read program offers Surrey secondary students exposure to a suite of ten to fifteen exceptional contemporary titles, selected by secondary educators.  Every reasonable effort is made to select titles which appeal to a wide range of readers; which explore ethnic, cultural and other perspectives respectfully and inclusively; and which provide thoughtful and engaging content, reflecting young adult interests. (Surrey Teens Read)

Image Information Here

It's a great program, and there is a lot of consideration done by a volunteer community of teacher-librarians on what gets selected. They often read about 80-100 books and pare it down to 10-15 on some strict criteria. I am going through this year's list, because I want to be able to encourage students to read the books. I also want to be able to engage with those students who already have read a few. It is therefore lucky for me, that today's book comes off this list and fulfills: a book with a plant in the title or on the cover. 

Dear readers, I present to you: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron.

So what was the first thing I thought of when I read this book? To be honest? The Hunger Games. There were so many similarities that I was annoyed with the introduction, where we meet our protagonist, Nadia the Dyer's Daughter, hiding because she has broken the rules and may be caught.
How did she break the rules? She went over the wall that surrounds her town, to explore and gather food for her family. You know, the way Katniss sneaks out to hunt for food for her family!
What happens next for Nadia? She thinks she might be caught because a braid becomes loose, and ends up in plain view of the town's council member she's hiding from. Fancy braid-based hairstyle? Where have I heard that from?

Wait, what am I reading again?

Okay, I know braids are a popular and common hairstyle for many people. I know Lady Mockingjay was not the first one to wear them. However, sometimes a genre series becomes so popular, it unwittingly creates tropes for later authors, on a subliminal level, to draw from. I don't think Cameron realized the similarity in hair to Katniss Everdeen. I think she genuinely thought my tough female rebel character will need something practical, something strong, something that says, "I'm not like the others"... I know elaborate braids! And that's the key difference between two characters with braids for hair, and one character playing homage. Katniss didn't just have an elaborate braid, it was a part of her, as a symbol. The hair was defining. When Cameron made the choice to make Nadia's braids (semi) defining, rather than just a hairstyle, she set herself up for comparison.

But we are not done there...
Katniss had a mom who due to trauma, was an ineffectual caretaker for her and her sister, forcing Katniss to step in.
Nadia has a mom, due to some trauma we do not know yet, is also an ineffectual, and suicidal (ooh twist!) caretaker for her and her sisters.
One of Nadia's sister's, is younger, sassy, and incredibly sweet. She's the only person Nadia lets touch her, and can make her laugh. Otherwise Nadia is silent and keeps to herself. She also has an anger problem.

There is a teasing, attractive, boy named Gray. This is far too close to Gale for my liking.
Remember how Katniss remembers Peeta from a moment they had as children? Well Nadia has her own moment with Gray, which in an interesting twist he doesn't remember. (We're going to get to that soon, but I really had to get the HG comparisons off my chest) However even the twist is parallel to Katniss and Peeta, because Katniss assumes Peeta has forgotten.

Now, friends, you might think this book is one big remake under a different cover, but it is not! My annoyance quickly faded away as I delved more into the book and its world. It is just unfortunate that the beginning starts off too similar for my liking.

The world: Nadia lives in a world without technology, last names, and escape. Canaan is a town enclosed by a large wall, where every twelve years everyone forgets everything they know. No one knows why this "forgetting" happens, but it has been recorded in the "first book". Also included is the direction to write everything you do in a day in a journal, kept with you at all times. This is a person's book: Their memories, career, family, basically identity. This is what helps you relearn everything after a forgetting. Nadia has a book, but it's not hers. Her former father stole her proper one and gave her a new one. She's not supposed to know this, but Nadia can remember.

This book has a really good premise. What do you do when everyone forgets everything, but you don't? Nadia is silent because she is haunted by what she saw the days before the forgetting. Where everyone knows they are getting a fresh start, so why not do terrible things? No one will know or remember. This is one of the big plusses of the books. As you read on, character traits are explained implicitly and explicitly. You understand why they are the way they are. This is big for me, because I often feel like a lot of dystopic YA books have decided that they must have unlikeable (although this part may be unintentional) "tough" characters, with attitudes... but often there's no reason why they would behave like this. This is the whole reason I couldn't get through The Divergent series. There was no real reason for the that series' protagonist to be as she was, making me bored with her, and confused with why I should care. Not in this book! You get it. This extends to the antagonist (who I will not give away), you know why they are seemingly cold, uncaring, and devoid of empathy/compassion. I want to go into the parts that make the antagonist well written, but it will give too much away. If you want to hear my thoughts on it, because you've already read the book, or don't mind spoilers, leave a comment and I will get back to you!

This book also has incredible suspense building. There were lazzis (To borrow from Commedia dell'arte, because I'm a theatre person) that had my heart start to pulse loudly. I could feel it in my stomach, and then boom. Cameron is incredibly good at ending a chapter. She knows exactly where to leave a reader after her build-up to end the arc, but make you want to read more. This is a HUGE SKILL!

ALSO! Omgsh folks! Omgsh! Words matter, and this book KNOWS THAT! There is literally a section where Nadia figures something out by analyzing text. She realizes based on the pronouns used, that the person who created the first book, must also be a person that remembers. And I'm all sitting their like:

You analyze those words and make those inferences!

Now, if you can't tell, I did enjoy this book. It started off slow for me, but definitely picked up as I continued. That being said, it does suffer a little from YA-itis. There is a classic "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" moment... because what strong, smart, young lady protagonist can exist without also being the most beautiful?

There is a scene where Nadia's younger sister, Genivee, basically says their older sister is jealous of Nadia because Lilia  (her older sister) may be pretty, but people stop to stare at Nadia. This was a total...

There it is.

I mean in the larger context, it's given as one of the reason's her older sister hates her, but that makes it worse. Your sister hates you in part because you're more attractive than her? The main reason is Lilia doesn't think Nadia is their sister. She doesn't look like the rest of the family, and Lilia doesn't remember waking up with her in the room with everyone else after the forgetting. It's good tension, because it's heartbreaking and strengthens Nadia's resolve to find a way to make everyone remember. Lilia's arc is actually really impressive as one of the side plots. I was happy with how it resolves, if not for how it starts (a theme with this book for me).

On top of stopping people in the streets, Nadia is also pale as pale can be! I hate this definition of "I can't be pretty because I'm too white" representation, because we as readers already know...yeah that's part of your delicate, moon-glowing, beauty. So it reinforces whiteness as most desirable. For a person of colour such as myself? It rings the colonialism and colourism bell like there's a stampede of cows, who were just told where hamburgers come from.

Luckily, this book subverts the YA love triangle to semi make up for this. There is a third boy Eshan, who we think is in love with Nadia, but she never reciprocates. So it's one-sided! Not a triangle! Except it is! You see, she misread his intentions...he's in love with Gray! What!!!! A nice switch up.

There is a big reveal in this book that I don't want to give away, so I'm going to end this post by saying: Read the book! It's very good. It's interesting, and the characters I first thought unlikable, grew on me quickly. The things I thought would make me dislike the book, were flipped in interesting ways soon after. It's got a sequel, and I will definitely be reading it, although, full disclosure: Our two main characters were not the ones I found the most interesting, but maybe like the rest of this book, they'll grow on me more with time!

Join me next time dear readers for...I have no idea yet! It's a mystery! Stay tuned! And as always, thanks for reading. <3