The End of the World is Bigger than Love | Davina Bell #AWW

I recently read an interview with Ann Patchett where see was asked about hard it was to scrap a piece of writing that wasn't working and to start again. The interviewer thought it might almost be like a little death to let go a hard-won piece of writing, but Patchett was more pragmatic. Her reply was that writing was like baking a cake. Sometimes you burnt the cake and had to make it again. But before you did, you could cut open the burnt cake and still eat the warm, gooey, soft bits in the middle that weren't burnt.

With that in mind, I jettisoned the over-cooked post I had been labouring over for a couple of weeks for this book. It was a relief to let it go.

I enjoyed The End of the World is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell so much, that my desire to write a response that did it justice, had got all messy and complicated with too many ingredients. If you promise to read on, I promise no more cooking metaphors!

This young adult novel will not suit everybody's tastes.

Lots of readers do not like dual narratives, so be warned, this book is narrated by twins, Summer and Winter.

Our two protagonists are also unreliable narrators, another love/hate device for many readers. Personally, I loved the mixed messages we were getting from Summer and Winter throughout the book. Who was telling the truth? Who wasn't? And why?

The story also jumps time and place fairly regularly as the girls remember all sorts of stuff about their childhood from their current position, stranded on a deserted island, without their father, after the world has gone to shit rather suddenly and dramatically. And rather presciently given current Covid-19 events.

This is a story about memories, feelings, thinking and relationships, therefore, not at all suitable for those seeking adventure and action.

Then there's the mix of cyber-terrorism, eco-dystopian, speculative fiction and coming-of-age themes with a whiff of romance that might put some readers off. This rather unconventional mix, however, worked beautifully for me. Even the ambiguous ending wasn't enough to deter me from my glowing, gushing feelings for this book.

Finally, Summer is pretty verbose. She uses lots of words instead of just a few and her energy levels and enthusiasm for everything is pretty high. In fact, she comes across as one of those rather annoying teenage girls who talks very loudly, very fast and thinks that everyone wants to know every little thing about her, and they want to know it right now! In real life, this would annoy me no end, but here, I found Summer to be rather endearing. 

Perhaps it was all the books.

Both Summer and Winter are great readers, thanks to the library left to them by their mother. Their list of desert island books was truly impressive. Why did they never try to leave the island for two years?  I say the books! 

Why would you need the rest of the big bad climate-mess world and the deadly greying, when you could read and reread books like Anne of Green Gables, The Diary of a Young Girl, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Outsiders, The Secret Garden, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to name just a few.

This book may not be for you, and that's okay, but for those of you like me, who love to fall headlong into a bookish world of words and ideas, uncertainty and mystery with two strong characters, then this is the book to dive into. 

Love can sometimes feel like the end of the world, and the end of the world may be bigger than love, but if you have to face down the end of the world as you know it, then it's much better to do so with love by your side.

Obviously, my time with Summer has affected me more than I thought!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and it's not an easy book to describe, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Summer and Winter, even when I wanted to shake them or give them a good piece of my mind! Being a teenager is not an easy thing. Books like this remind of us how awkward and uncertain and fearless this time can be and can also make us grateful for how short a period of time this phase actually is in the scheme of a whole life, even though it doesn't feel like that at the time.

Favourite Quote:

We live on a blue planet that circles around a ball of fire next to a moon that moves the sea, and you don’t believe in miracles?

Davina Bell has had an interesting career trajectory. From working in publishing/editing to writing award-winning picture books for children and primary school aged kids, and now, The End of the World is Bigger than Love.

Facts:

• Our Australian Girl: Alice Stories
• The Underwater Fancy Dress Parade (illustrator Allison Colpoys)
• Birthday Baby (with Jane Godwin and illustrated by Freya Blackwood)
• Hattie Helps Out (with Jane Godwin and illustrated by Freya Blackwood)
• Oh, Albert! (illustrator Sara Acton)
• Under the Love Umbrella (illustrator Allison Colpoys)
• Lemonade Jones (with Karen Blair)
• The Corner Park Clubhouse series
• Baby Day (with Jane Godwin and illustrated by Freya Blackwood)
• All the Ways to Be Smart (illustrator Allison Colpoys)
• All the Factors of Why I Love Tractors (illustrator Jennie Lovlie)

Book 4 of 20 Books of Summer Winter

Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein

Speculative fiction is not usually my cup of tea, but I had heard interesting things about this debut author and his book of short stories.

This is part of the rave book blurb from goodreads -

AN EXTRAORDINARILY RESONANT AND PROPHETIC COLLECTION OF SPECULATIVE SHORT FICTION FOR OUR TECH-SAVVY ERA BY DEBUT AUTHOR ALEXANDER WEINSTEIN.

Children of the New World introduces readers to a near-future world of social media implants, memory manufacturers, dangerously immersive virtual reality games, and alarmingly intuitive robots. Many of these characters live in a utopian future of instant connection and technological gratification that belies an unbridgeable human distance, while others inhabit a post-collapse landscape made primitive by disaster, which they must work to rebuild as we once did millennia ago.

Children of the New World grapples with our unease in this modern world and how our ever-growing dependence on new technologies has changed the shape of our society. Alexander Weinstein is a visionary new voice in speculative fiction for all of us who are fascinated by and terrified of what we might find on the horizon.

Could the book possibly live up to its hype?

Yes.
Yes it can.

I don't normally read this genre, so perhaps there are lots of books like this out there. Therefore this may be nothing new or remarkable. But for a speculative fiction novice, I found these stories extraordinary, startling and original.

The longer stories in the second half of the book worked best with the title story creating a very eerie and sombre mood as the joys and woes of having a data family in the 'New World' are explored. In fact, it was all of the stories that featured family life in the near future that had the most resonance for me. The impact on the children and their various possible reactions were the human element in this book full of new technologies and social media gone viral.

I enjoyed the little references that crossed over between some of the stories that provided a sense of a coherent, consistent world view.

If you're not sure if this book is for you, try out Saying Goodbye to Yang, Children of the New World, Migration, The Pyramid of the Ass, Openness or Ice Age. They're the ones that have continued to haunt me.

Special by Georgia Blain

In Special, Georgia Blain imagines a world not too far removed from what is possible now.

A world before 'The Breakdown'.
A world where data is the new currency and where genetic modification is the norm. For some.
For everything has a price. Even our individual identity.
Especially our individual identity.

A world where being special isn't all its cracked up to be.

Special pays literary homage to Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale, even down to the ambiguous future-looking end.
Special didn't induce that overwhelming feeling of fury and fear like A Handmaid's Tale did when I first read it as a young woman.
Perhaps I've became more jaded as I've got older?
Or maybe it was the strong feminist messages that Atwood conveyed that captured my imagination?

Blain's protagonists are female, but the message is not necessarily a feminist one. Her futuristic genetically modified world affects everyone - male, female, young and old. The issues are ones of humanity.

What makes us unique? The effects of nature versus nurture - or in this case, genetics versus environment.

The Lotto Girls are genetically designed with the best possible characteristics on offer. They are given the best possible living conditions and education. They are expected to fulfil their promise.

The premise of Special is fascinating because it feels so possible, so close to the path we seem to be on. Datastreaming rules this new world. It's a constant distraction as well as a way of keeping tabs on everyone. Without your mobie and your datafile, you have no access to food, work or shelter. To be datawiped and sent to Recorp or PureAqua is considered the worse thing that can happen to you.

Which sounds just like our house when the wi-fi crashes!

Special is an April release through Random House Australia.

This post is part of my Australian Women Writers challenge.
#LoveOzYA

Reboot by Amy Tintera

I can't tell you how sceptical I was about this book.

I'm so over teen/YA dystopian stories trying to grab onto the coattails of The Hunger Games. I was disappointed with The 5th Wave, although my husband quite enjoyed it. I therefore took my ARC of Reboot along to my stepson's soccer game with very little joy in my heart.

If not for a very exciting and close game of football, I may have gone close to finishing this book in one sitting. It captured my attention right from the start and kept me hooked all the way through (although the ending was a little soft).

I've been trying to work out why my experiences with Reboot and The 5th Wave were so different.

The writing style appeals to me a little more in Reboot, but it's not that different to The 5th Wave really. I think Tintera writes the female voice far better than Yancey did. They both have strong female characters, but Wren is far more believable and likeable than Cassie.
Perhaps it's the dialogue that reads better in Reboot, or maybe it's the romance that dances around on the sidelines? Do I simply gravitate towards books with more romance rather than more action?

I read The 5th Wave pre-Bali holiday and Reboot post-Bali holiday - could timing and mood be the difference? My husband doesn't think I gave The 5th Wave enough time to grab me before I started skimming it, but I never once felt like skimming ahead in Reboot.

Perhaps it's nothing more mysterious than that magical connection some books and some authors create with some of their readers!

I'll be curious to see how both these books go once they hit the shelves.

Reboot has some mild sexual references and fight scenes.

Reboot is a May release in Australia through Allen and Unwin.

P.S. three weeks later...my husband has now read Reboot and felt it was the better book of the two. We think the relationship between Wren and 22 was one of the key reasons for the books appeal.

A Hero For Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

I've been skimming through quite a lot of uninspiring teen new releases at the moment for work. I was in need of a pick-me-up, so I turned to Book 2 of DiTerlizzi's Wondla series.

I had been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the first book, The Search for Wondla.

And book 2 is no different.

I'm still surprised by how much I'm loving a science fiction fantasy story. Perhaps the success (or not) of a science fiction fantasy story lies in its ability to shine a light on our humanity.

Now that we know young Eva is actually living on Earth...an Earth that was detroyed hundreds of years ago and then eventually recolonised by a band of aliens as well as weird mutated creatures that kind of resemble current flora and fauna...the message is very strong (but not laboured).

Eva is a delight, as is her friend and travelling partner, Rovee.

Eva's strength of character and her humanity is tested throughout book 2. She is a wonderful female protaganist which may be one of the reasons why I enjoy this story so much.

The illustrations at the start of each chapter add so much to our understanding of what this new world and it's creatures looks like.

I highly recommend this series for mature 10+ readers. Don't be put off by the science fiction fantasy label; it is really an action drama series beautifully written and presented with lots of messages about belonging and identity.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

I approached Crewel with some trepidation and an "oh no, not another dystopian YA novel" attitude.

So I have to say up front that I loved this book from the first page.

I loved the whole weaving of time concept. It captured my imagination and drew me in. It felt original, new and exciting.

It was a little confusing trying to work out how the whole weaving of time thing worked though.
There was enough information to give you a 'feel' for it rather than a proper grasp on the concept.
I was okay with that.
I don't need to have everything spelled out for me and I could see this was going to be a series, so Albin has to leave some stuff for the other books!

There was a section in the final third of the book that slowed things down as the romance was being developed. There was also a very obvious ah-ha moment that we were all waiting for Adelice to work out for herself.

Despite these flaws, I found Crewel to be a rivetting read. I've been telling everyone about it and I can't wait for book 2 to come out.

Allen and Unwin have got themselves a winner with this one.

It's due for Australian publication in October. Keep an eye out for it...whichever cover they decide to go with - it's eye-catching.

The Killables by Gemma Malley

As I started this book I found myself asking the question, "how much dystopian YA fiction can one person read?"

As you know, I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Hunger Games' trilogy and many of the other dystopian novels to come out since then, but have we all had enough?

According to Gemma Malley we haven't!

And once I got into her book, I found myself agreeing with her after all.

The Killables is quite bleak and grey during the set-up. I was reminded of '1984' several times and how I felt when I read it (bleak and desperate).

The City that Evie lives in is very controlled, very restricted and joyless. It's a world where nobody can be trusted or believed.

It takes a while for the action to get going and for the reader to truly engage with the characters, but it does happen.

Malley has been successful in creating a future world that we wouldn't want to go to.

The second half of the book races along with lots of action, tension and a little romance. There is no OMG cliffhanger, but apparently this is the first book of a (you guessed it!) trilogy.

Parental alert: there is one extremely discrete sex scene - even I almost missed it!

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

It feels like a while since I gave a completely positive review for a YA book, but here it is!

The Hunt is the first book in a new series by Andrew Fukuda. It's strong, gripping and exciting from the word go.

'The world as we know it is populated by the dominant vampire people. Their over-hunting of humans (or hepers) over the years has resulted in a serious scarcity of new meat. As a result, the government organises a Hunt every decade or so. A small group of specially breed hepers are released into the wild for a select group of vampires to hunt down.

This time around 17-year old Gene is one of the lucky vampires selected to be apart of The Hunt. The only problem is, Gene is a heper too. A heper, who has up until now, kept a low profile & kept alive by pretending to be a vampire!

Initially I thought this was going to be another Hunger Games, but the Hunt doesn't go to plan and Fukuda throws in a few surprises and plot twists along the way to keep everyone guessing.

This is a May release - worth waiting for and worth looking out for.
In the meantime you can check our Fukuda's blog as he prepares to write book 2.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

This book has got me thinking about why it is that some books work and some books don't.

For me, this book doesn't work.
It falls flat, it feels contrived and cliched.
But then I read some of the other reviews out there and it's obvious that some of you like it.
So what is it? This magic thing that makes a book work?

The ingredients seemed sound - a striking cover, a dystopian story that alternates between the female and male perspective; the insider and outsider perspective. Lost parents, death of the best friend, on the run, heartless government, evil son of the president out to get youno matter what...you know the drill!

All these themes and techniques are successfully used in The Hunger Games, Birthmarked, Legend and Gone just to name a few.

Under the Never Sky failed to capture my attention, even though it was there to be captured. The dialogue felt forced, the characters seemed too obvious in the roles they were going to play. There were no surprises. Nothing new; nothing special. Except for the fabulous cover!

I won't be hanging out for the sequel.

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi

What a wonderful treat of a book.

Fantasy books usually sit low down on my pile of books to read -especially fantasy books with strange creatures and a language guide in the back!

I think my imagination is not active enough for fantasy books as I have trouble creating a world full of bizarre characters and landscapes out of mere words.
But in this case DiTerlizzi helped me along with loads of detailed illustrations and an interactive website. His cause (in gaining my interest) is furthered by the dystopian element to his story about Eva Nine - a lone female child brought up in an isolated sanctuary by a caring robot called 'Muthr'.

The sanctuary is disturbed and eventually destroyed by one of the many weird creatures in this story. Eva and Muthr gone on the run to find another sanctuary, making friends & enemies along the way. As the journey progresses we realise that they're not on some strange planet, but on Earth, in the far distant future.

I couldn't put this book down. I raced through it with delight and anticipation. The ending was a wonderful thrill...but now the long wait for book two!

DiTerlizzi also has an interesting blog.

Prized by Caragh O'Brien

I reviewed Birthmarked earlier in the year and was looking forward to book 2 in the trilogy.
I'm happy to report that Prized is even more enjoyable than the first.

Gaia has escaped the Enclave with her baby sister and is wandering the Wastelands. They're discovered almost starving by an Outrider of Sylum. He carries them to safety.
But as Gaia recovers her strength she realises that Sylum is very different to the Enclave. It has many new rules and laws which she must adjust to quickly and perhaps she is no better off than she was in the Enclave.

The story is gripping and absorbing. Gaia struggles with her conscience and authority throughout. She is strong, stubborn, savvy and fiercely independent. All great survival skills, but traits that can get in the way of having caring, open relationships!

I liked that O'Brien didn't spend the first chapter rehashing Birthmarked - she just got straight into the story and you had to catch up quick. It was tightly constructed with no waffling. O'Brien has created a world that feels real, dynamic and totally believable.

Highly recommended for those who love their dystopian futures mixed with a little romance!

Legend by Marie Lu

Happily this book brings us back onto familiar (and much-loved) territory!

A brand new dystopian trilogy to rival The Hunger Games.
I devoured it in 2 days - the last half was truly un-put-downable!

Marie Lu has created something special with this one.

At the start I wasn't sure about the dual narration. Switching back and forth from Day to June and back to Day again with different fonts and different colours usually puts me off (think 'One Day' by David Nicholls). But Lu pulls it off.

She has two characters that you become involved with very quickly, two characters that you care about, two stories that merge and contrast seamlessly.

I don't want to give too much of this story away as half the pleasure is allowing it to unfold as you read. But if you want to know more click here to see Marie Lu's webpage and you can follow her blog, or on facebook and twitter.

Published by Penguin and due in stores 1st December - put this on your 'to read list' now!

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

I loved the cover of Birthmarked as soon as I saw it - and in this case - you can judge a book by its cover!    

Gaia lives in a future world scarred by the climate changes caused by the previous peoples. A world where your future is decided by whether you live inside the walls of the enclave or outside it. Those on the inside lead a life of privilege and ease. Outside is poverty, sacrifice and hard-work.

Gaia lives on the outside. And one night she comes home from her work as a midwife to find that her parents have been taken away.

Gaia sets out to unravel the mystery of their disappearance. A journey that becomes more dangerous as she delves into things that  the people in power want to keep secret - at any cost. And of course there is the obligatory love interest just to keep things sweet!


I couldn't put this book down. Imagine my delight when I recently discovered that book 2 'Prized' is due out November 2011 and that O'Brien plans to write a third (check out the web link below).

If you loved 'Hunger Games', then you should enjoy this one too.

Caragh O'Brien's website

Catching Fire By Suzanne Collins

I came to this trilogy late which gave me the luxury of moving straight from 'The Hunger Games' into 'Catching Fire'. I was already haunted by Katniss and Peeta's story - book 2 simply added more fuel to the fire...and more haunting dreams!

The political intrigue is ramped up, the relationships deepen and became more complex and the twists and turns keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning.

Katniss does get a little annoying with her inability to see what's coming next. The naiveté technique that Collins uses to keep us all in the dark doesn't match Katniss' otherwise smart nature & use of cunning tactics to outwit her opponents. It's the only time a writerly device jumps up and down in front of you. The rest of the time you're completely sucked into the story, into the world, into the games.

These books have been the subject of much discussion and speculation in my family. They have invaded our dreams and completely captured our imaginations. We are waiting with baited breath for the final installment due later this year. 

Check out the many websites for Hunger Games, Mockingjay, Quarter Quell, Team Peeta - you can also follow them on twitter, youtube and facebook.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I put off reading this book for most of 2009. The blurb on the back was challenging - a reality TV show where all the teenagers had to kill each other off! I don't think so.

But then my stepson got the book for Christmas - he devoured it in 2 days. My husband read it in the post-Christmas eat/sleep-fest: he couldn't stop talking about it. Finally I had to see what all the fuss was about.

As my family where fighting over whose turn it was to read #2 of the trilogy, 'Catching Fire', I settled into 'The Hunger Games'. They lost me for 3 days.

Katniss and Peeta became members of my family. Section 12 and the tactics of the games crept into my dreams. Somehow their survival became linked to mine..., perhaps in my dreams I could influence what happened in this 'brave new world'? The line between reality and fantasy, real and impossible became blurred.

I haven't been haunted by a story like this for such a long time. It was wonderful!

Just in....the latest Trailer for the movie! Can't wait - it gives me goosebumps!

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

To begin with I was concerned that 'How I Live Now' was going to be little more than a mushy romance novel with a little sci-fi twist for teen girls. Thankfully I kept going and was proved wrong.
Yes, there is romance, love and some sex (very tame, but clearly sex). And there is a little sci-fi stuff with mind reading and telepathy.

But there is so much more...we have war and peace, friendship, belonging, courage and danger. We have a young girl - lost, angry, anorexic - who doesn't know who she is anymore, coming to England for the summer to stay with her cousins. But war breaks out and Daisy suddenly has to step up, get involved and take care of herself and her cousins. 

It's beautifully written and engaging. I went along for the ride and loved it.

For mature readers 15+

http://www.megrosoff.co.uk/bio.html

Shadow Web by N.M. Browne

Shadow Web takes you into a parallel universe where Germany has won World War 2.

Jess is just your normal teenage girl living in London, hanging out with her friends. But a chance meeting in Waterloo Station with her double (albiet a double dressed in rather old-fashioned clothes) sees Jess hurled into a weird new/old London.

Different rules apply and danger stalks every conversation and interaction Jess has in this strange world. Who can she trust? Who is on the 'right' side? What happened to the other Jessica? And how is she going to get back home to her mother?

I loved it.

For good readers 12+

http://www.nmbrowne.com/nmbrowne_books.html