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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Classic Double Challenge: January & February Links

My apologies for not getting a place for you to link up to your reviews/thoughts on any Classic Double Challenge books you might have read for January! But now, you can add them here and any that you talk about in February too. I've not managed to read anything for the challenge yet, but I'm planning to start very soon.

In case you missed it, I hosted the first annual (well, I hope it's annual) Retell Me a Story event on Jan 13-19. It was a lot of fun and some really great people were guest posters. Also, we talked about some favorite and some new and upcoming retellings. If you're still looking for ideas on what to read, definitely check out all the Retell Me a Story posts

And if you haven't signed up for the Classic Double Challenge yet, there's still time! Head over to the sign up page.

What books are you hoping to get started with this month?


If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication date: January 2013
Pages: 384
Source: ARC won in Lenore's Dystopian August
For: Fun
Series: Legend, Book 2

*Spoilers are inevitable for the first book, Legend*
June and Day have barely escaped LA and when they finally make it to Las Vegas, they must join with the patriots in order to survive. But the patriots have their own plans for them, plans that unfold when the electorate dies and his son, Anden, takes over. They must assassinate Anden in order to escape from the Republic and to get Day's brother back. But June isn't sure she can follow through with the plan after all.

Things I Liked:
This one had just as much cinematic action to keep me glued to the pages as Legend.  I loved watching Day and June try to figure out what is best for them and also for other people.  When I finished, pretty much the phrase that sums up how I felt was "I didn't see THAT coming!" and it was true throughout most of the book.  I really never figured anything out before it happened (though, there were obvious clues) and I was surprised each time something new was revealed.  Lu is a master of weaving the tale and keeping her secrets.  The ending was painful in the extreme and I was a tiny bit annoyed at the card she played, but I'm invested enough to see what happens in the next installment.


Things I Didn't Like:
As I mentioned, what happens at the very end almost seemed contrived to me, to keep the tension going into the next book.  But it didn't ruin the book for me.  Also, with so much going on sometimes I didn't feel connected to the characters.  But, I enjoyed watching June and Day try to figure out just what it was they felt for each other and why.  Interesting and entertaining from beginning to end.


Read-alikes:
Start with Legend by Marie Lu

The set up reminds me of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Starters by Lissa Price
Divergent series by Veronica Roth

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few here and there

mrg-factor: X
a bit steamy

v-factor: ->->->
plenty of action and fighting

Overall rating: ****

What future world from a book do you find the most realistic?  The most terrifying?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Monday, January 28, 2013

ALA Youth Media Awards 2013: Printz, Newbery, and the Like

So, it is an exciting day for folks in the youth and YA book field - we get to hear the ALA Youth Media Award winners announced!  I love to follow the announcements and read people's reactions (on twitter).  I managed to follow along while it happened and had a few reactions of my own.  Here's a list of the ones that I noticed.  For a full list, head to the ALA Youth Media Awards page.


Morris Award (for debut authors): Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
I've got this one checked out and waiting for me.  I've heard many good things, so I'm pretty excited.

Margaret A. Edwards Award (for significant contribution to YA lit): Tamora Pierce
I may have discovered her late (like, last year) but I've enjoyed all I've read of hers (Song of the Lioness and Trickster) and I know she's had a big impact on a lot of people.


Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Another I haven't read, but this one popped up on a LOT of lists.  And at least I'd heard of it :)


Printz Award: In Darkness Nick Lake
Honors: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, The White Bicycle by Beverly Brenna, Dodger by Terry Pratchett, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Way to go again, Printz, for picking something I hadn't heard of.  I had high hopes that my beloved Code Name Verity would take the prize, but an honor is ok too.  And it's the only one I've read of the bunch.  Ugh.


Newbery Award: One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Honors: Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steven Sheinkin, Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz, Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
I did a little better with this one than Printz, having actually read the winner.  I also just finished Splendors and Glooms, so that's two from the list!  Not much to brag about, but not too bad.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (for substantial contribution to children's lit):  Katherine Paterson
A great choice, I think.  She's got a number of fabulous books, including Bridge to Terabithia, The Great Gilly Hopkins, Jacob Have I Loved, and more recently The Flintheart.


Caldecott Medal: This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
I don't normally pay attention to this one as I've not read many picture books.  However, when this one took the prize, I had to say proudly - I've read it.  Thanks to Danielle, I got a glimpse of it before publication and found it just as lovely as the Caldecott committee did.  

My one notably overlooked book was Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  I couldn't believe it didn't even get a Schneider!  With all the talk (and it wasn't all just talk - this was a seriously good book), I was a bit flabbergasted not to see it show up anywhere.

What are your thoughts on the winners?  What book(s) do you wish had gotten some love?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Friday, January 25, 2013

Book Review: Son by Lois Lowry

Son by Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication date: October 2012
Pages: 400
Source: Purchased
For: Fun
Series: The Giver, Book 4

Claire didn't always live in her small community - she washed up on their shore years ago. She hasn't shared much of her past with anyone, but she still holds a burning desire to find her son - a boy that she gave birth to and wasn't supposed to even remember. She'll do the impossible to find him again, even facing a danger that few have attempted before.

Things I Liked:
I'm amazed at how beautifully Lowry wrapped up the stories in this series.  I love the societies she's imagined and the uniquely detailed and yet still not entirely clear way she's described them.  Despite the fact that thinking hard about how a world without color doesn't seem possible, it feels real.  Claire's journey was fascinating, watching the choices she makes and the things she discovers about herself and her society felt natural.  It's a testament to how well Lowry writes that a story without very much actual action can capture your attention so completely.  I never got bored, despite its rather slow-moving pace.  It's full of questions and thoughtful looks at our future and our choices.  Great ending to this quieter dystopian series.


Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, I'm not sure how much teens and kids will relate to a story about a mother who will do anything to find her lost child.  The feelings and motivations seem very much adult, despite Claire's very young age.  


Read-alikes:
Read The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger by Lois Lowry first

Reminded me of the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
not precisely described, but some action

Overall rating: ****

Which do you prefer - quieter, more thoughtful or action-packed dystopian literature?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Retell Me a Story Wrap-Up and Winners

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in Retell Me a Story, both guest posters and visitors! I had so much fun talking about retellings all week and I hope I can do another celebration next year.

Here's a list of all the fun stuff that happened last week in case you missed something:
- Welcome and giveaway post (giveaway closed),

- A guest post from Nikki of BookPairing on The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood,

- A list of new and upcoming retellings,

- A guest post from author Diane Zahler on fairy tale mixers,

- A review of one of Diane's fairy tale retellings, The Thirteenth Princess,

- A fun Robin Hood guest post by Suey of It's All About Books,

- A guest post by author Marissa Meyer on fairy tale scavenger hunts,

- A review of a fairy tale mash-up, Enchanted by Alethea Kontis,

- A guest post by Angie of Angieville on her favorite classic retellings

- A review of The Turning by Francine Prose, a retelling of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

- A guest post where author April Lindner answers my questions about her classic retellings

- A review of Catherine by April Lindner, a retelling of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

- A guest post from Jessica of Books: A True Story on taking fairy tales to new places

- A review of The Humming Room by Ellen Potter, a sort-of retelling of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett


And for those of you who participated in the giveaway, the two winners (who have been contacted by email) were:
1 - Emma @ Hopeful Happiness 
2 - Nikki @ BookPairing


Thanks again and I hope you all found some great new retellings to enjoy this year!  (If not, feel free to peruse the giant list of retellings I've compiled so far :)


If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Retell Me a Story Guest Post: Jessica from Books: A True Story

I'm pleased to welcome my last Retell Me a Story guest poster, Jessica who blogs at Books: A True Story. She can also be found on twitter, goodreadstumblr and Facebook. Thanks for joining us, Jessica!

Taking Fairy Tales Where They've Never Gone Before

I love fairy tales. Especially the Disney ones. I grew up on those. As a little girl, I'd whoosh from the back of the tub to the front to make a maximum wave of water (which usually ended up on the floor) while singing at the top of my lungs “Part of your woooooorrrrrld.” My mom would get mad and I'd explain that I was just being Ariel and flash my best innocent pouty face.

When I got older, I learned that most fairy tales are originally from The Grimm's Fairy Tales. Surely the Disney versions couldn't be that far from the original ones. Right?

Oh so wrong.

Take Rapunzel. I was no longer a kid when this movie came out (Ugh it's called Tangled but even my boys call it Rapunzel). I'm crying at the end thinking that Disney finally killed off a main character. But then magic saves him. Happily ever after the end.

Here's the Grimm version in a nutshell:

Mother Gothel banishes Rapunzel to the desert when she finds out Rapunzel has a lover and blinds Rapunzel's lover WITH THORNS (Side note: Why does Rapunzel's lover not have a name??). Blind lover wanders around for a few years before he happens to find Rapunzel and her two kids starving to death in the desert. The end.

That....is....a really depressing story.

So why do we love fairy tales so much? I can't help but wonder why people would tell these disturbing stories to their kids. Maybe there is some sort of benefit to traumatizing your kids that my kids are missing out on. Hm.

But here's why I love fairy tales – they have excellent conflict.

That's one of my favorite things about the Once Upon a Time TV show. It really embraces the conflict in fairy tales and in some cases kicks it up a notch. Little Red Riding Hood EATS her lover, anyone??

So if fairy tales have excellent conflict and story the way they are, why do so many people retell them?

I have no idea.

Personally, my favorite thing about retellings is how they update the setting and characters to make them more relatable and interesting. The best example I have of this is War of the Worlds. If you read the book, it's about a sci-fi alien invasion with everyone running away from the aliens with their horses and buggies. Which is really kind of sad when you think about it. The movie with Tom Cruise has a very similar plot, but they run away in SUVs instead. And they fight back with tanks. That's a little more relatable to me. Not that I've ever driven a tank, but I have driven an SUV.

So I am tipping my hat to all those amazing authors that take amazing fairy tales and make them modern and relatable to me. Let's take fairy tales where they've never gone before! Like space! Or Montana!

Where do you think fairy tales are headed?  Where do you want them to go?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Retell Me a Story Book Review: The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

It's the last day of Retell Me a Story fun! In case you've missed out on anything, check out all the previous posts:
-
Welcome and giveaway post,
- A guest post from Nikki of BookPairing on The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood,
- A list of new and upcoming retellings,
- A guest post from author Diane Zahler on fairy tale mixers,
- A review of one of Diane's fairy tale retellings, The Thirteenth Princess,
- A fun Robin Hood guest post by Suey of It's All About Books,
- A guest post by author Marissa Meyer on fairy tale scavenger hunts,
- A review of a fairy tale mash-up, Enchanted by Alethea Kontis,
- A guest post by Angie of Angieville on classic retellings
- A review of The Turning by Francine Prose, a retelling of The Turn of the Screw
- A guest post where author April Lindner answers my questions about classic retellings
- A review of Catherine by April Lindner, a retelling of Wuthering Heights
- A guest post from Jessica of Books: A True Story on taking fairy tales to new places

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: February 2012
Pages: 192
Source: ARC sent from publisher
For: Review

Roo has spent most of her life hiding - from the bad things her parents were doing. But when she suddenly finds herself orphaned and taken to live with an uncle she's never heard of, she begins to find that hiding isn't always the solution. In her strange and spooky new home, she secrets and places that will change her as much as she changes them.

Things I Liked:
I had a lot of fun thinking about the ways this one relates to The Secret Garden.  If I hadn't just reread that classic last year, I probably would have done it for my Classic Double Challenge this year.  I loved the way Roo's life was updated and modernized from Mary's (although I'm not sure "loved" is the best word for it, since her parents were drug dealers and got murdered).  It was just as rewarding to watch Roo come out of hiding and connect with people, like Violet and Jack as well as her cousin.  It managed to capture some of that sweetness, as well as some of the mysterious atmosphere of the unique setting, though this time it was an isolated island.  Fun and satisfying.

Things I Didn't Like:
I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a bit more.  It felt like most of the book was spent introducing Roo and all her problems, leaving the resolution and transformation of her cousin and the garden was very rushed.  The ending was neat and short and I wanted more of the magic and wonder I remember from the original.

Read-alikes:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
not exactly violence, but her before life was definitely not pretty

Overall rating: ***

What beloved childhood classic would you like to see updated?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Friday, January 18, 2013

Retell Me a Story Guest Post: April Lindner

I'm happy to welcome my next guest poster, April Lindner, who was gracious enough to answer some of my questions.  She's the author of Jane and Catherine, both fabulous retellings of Bronte sisters' works.  She can also be found on twitter and goodreads.  

What kind of research did you do on the original tale(s)?
I begin with books I already love, books I’ve read over and over, and then I steep myself in them some more. When I was writing Jane, I kept a copy of Jane Eyre beside my bed and read before I fell asleep it at night, or whenever I started to feel writer’s block coming on. I also drove around town with the audiobook in my CD player, just to absorb as much of the language and mood as possible.

While writing Catherine, I gave myself permission to roam a little more freely away from the source material—to absorb the characters and the mood, but not to worry so much about hitting all the major plot points. Though I reread Wuthering Heights before I started, while I was actually writing, I set the book aside. I did load Wuthering Heights on my iPod, though, and I listened to it at night while I drifted off to sleep. Considering how dark Bronte’s novel is, I’m a little surprised it didn’t give me nightmares.

How did you incorporate the original tale into your story?
Jane is a pretty faithful adaptation of Jane Eyre. There are so many moments in the original that I couldn’t imagine leaving out, so I found ways to work all my favorites in. By the time I set out to write Catherine, though, I wanted to experiment with going further afield from the original. Wuthering Heights, with its multiple narrators and multigenerational sweep, was in many ways much more challenging to retell.

Film adaptations of Wuthering Heights have tended to focus on the love story between Catherine and Heathcliff, and leave out the rest. I knew I didn’t want to go that route. I’ve always thought the second half of the story is as important as the first. When Heathcliff’s love for Catherine is thwarted, his pain and resentment cast a shadow over the lives of their children. The second half of the novel is really about how Catherine’s daughter finds her way out of that shadow, and I wanted to tell that story too. In my retelling, Catherine’s daughter’s name is Chelsea, and she gets a chance to speak.

How did you determine what elements of the original story to include in your story?
Some elements of Wuthering Heights would have been really hard to translate into the 21st century. For one thing, Catherine’s daughter marries both her first cousins—first one, then the other. For another, Catherine’s father picks up a stray orphan child from the streets of Liverpool and brings him home to raise among his own children—which nowadays would be considered kidnapping. I gave myself permission to step away from the more anachronistic parts of the plot and to concentrate on its more universal elements.

Also, one defining aspect of Wuthering Heights is the cruelty that propels much of the plot. I originally set out to recreate that intense violence, but I found myself constitutionally unable to pull it off. I’m basically a pretty sunny personality, and I found that a little cruelty and violence went a long way. Unlike in the original, in Catherine no children are abused and no puppies are killed.

Why did you choose to retell the original story?
I have an endless appetite for retellings. When I fall in love with a book, I want to revisit it again and again. One way of doing that is, of course, rereading. Another is watching film adaptations. But writing a retelling takes things to a whole different level. Not only do you get to revisit characters you bonded with; you get to interact with them—to play with them. In many ways, it’s the same impulse that leads people to write fan fiction, I think.

Why do you think we are so drawn to classic stories? What makes them stand the tests of time so well?
The stories we think of as classics are the ones that have stuck with us for centuries or, at least, decades. People still read those stories, despite the passage of time, because they say something crucial about what it means to be a human being, and they do so in language or imagery or archetypes that burn into our collective memories.

Did you like reading classics in high school?
Yes, I did. I even sometimes read classics that hadn’t been assigned. Does that make me a total geek? I hope not. I remember reading Romeo and Juliet in English class and all but swooning from the gorgeous romantic poetry of passages like this:

Give me my Romeo; and when he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.

Does it get any more romantic than that? I don’t think so!

What are some of your favorite classics?
I love everything by Jane Austen and E. M. Forster. (I’m currently working on a modernization of Forster’s A Room With a View, an all time favorite of mine.) I also adore George Eliot’s Middlemarch, and all of Shakespeare’s tragedies.

What are some of your favorite retellings?
Last summer I read Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, a ravishing retelling of Heart of Darkness. And the summer before that, I read and was blown away by On Beauty, Zadie Smith’s retelling of Howard’s End. But my favorite quasi-retelling of all time is probably Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca, which definitely draws elements from Jane Eyre. Some of my favorite retellings have been screen versions, films like Easy A and Clueless. And, while it’s not exactly a retelling, the British series Lost in Austen is a really fun riff on Pride and Prejudice.

Thanks for joining us, April!
(And don't forget to check out my review of Catherine and the giveaway that includes my ARC of Catherine)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Retell Me a Story Book Review: Catherine by April Lindner

Welcome to another day of Retell Me a Story fun!  In case you've missed out on anything so far, check out the previous posts:
- Welcome and giveaway post
- A guest post from Nikki of BookPairing on The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood, 
- A list of new and upcoming retellings
- A guest post from author Diane Zahler on fairy tale mixers,
- A review of one of Diane's fairy tale retellings, The Thirteenth Princess,
- A fun Robin Hood guest post by Suey of It's All About Books
- A guest post by author Marissa Meyer on fairy tale scavenger hunts,
- A review of a fairy tale mash-up, Enchanted by Alethea Kontis,
- A guest post by Angie of Angieville on classic retellings 
- A review of The Turning by Francine Prose, a retelling of The Turn of the Screw
- A guest post where author April Lindner answers my questions about classic retellings

Catherine by April Lindner
Publisher: Poppy
Publication date: January 2013
Pages: 320
Source: ARC from publisher
For: Review

Chelsea's always thought her mother, Catherine, was dead. Until she finds a letter from her that might mean she's still alive. So she sets out to find her and ends up at The Underground, a club run by the enigmatic Hence - a person who might just know where Catherine went.

Things I Liked: 
I think what I love about Lindner's retellings is that they take these delightful classics that we know and love (well, sometimes love) and fit them so perfectly into the present day. This book was so fascinating! It kept me reading and following along with Chelsea's journey all the way through. Even though I pretty much knew the story line and where things would go (well, there were some ending surprises) it was still so fun to follow along. I think lovers of music will once again find the musical references more interesting than this non-musical-savvy reader. All around, a very nice update. I love the touches of the original (at least the ones I remembered) that were here and there.  I liked that the story focused more on the second generation than on that all-consuming romance of Cathy and Heathcliff. Still, the two of them seemed to haunt the entire story, as they should.

Things I Didn't Like:
I'm not sure what kept me from loving it, but I just couldn't completely adore it. Perhaps it was the sort-of romance between Chelsea and Cooper. Or it was the rather neat ending, even though it was a bit disturbing along the way.  Or it could be that Wuthering Heights is just a weird, weird book and this retelling can't quite shake that weirdness. 

Read-alikes:
Reminds me of Jane by April Lindner
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor:!@
some, no f-bombs

mrg-factor: X
one or two parts, glossed over

v-factor: ->
just a bit of violence near the end

Overall rating: ****

So, I'm interested to know how fans of Wuthering Heights like this OR if haters of Wuthering Heights would want to read this update.  
(As a heads up, I've got my ARC of Catherine available in the Retell Me a Story giveaway!)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Retell Me a Story Guest Post: Angie from Angieville

I'm thrilled to welcome my next Retell Me a Story guest poster, Angie, the compelling blogger behind Angieville.  She can also be found on twitter, goodreads, tumblr and Facebook.  Thanks for joining us, Angie!
 
I am an unabashed (if somewhat outspoken) fan of retellings, which might explain why Melissa invited me to contribute a post to her fabulous week dedicated to retellings of all kinds. I was delighted to accept, as I find that I never run out of things to say when it comes to my favorite stories re-imagined  And since I am an equal opportunity retelling admirer, I decided to focus (this time) on my favorite classic retellings. Everyone loves a new take on an old fairy tale, but what about those literary masterpieces that have been read by legions of readers over the years and continue to inspire modern writers to picture them anew? They call them classics for a reason, which means they stand up to the test of time but also that the task of re-envisioning them is fraught with danger. Because those readers? They love these books very individually and for very specific reasons. It can be so easy for the whole shebang to go awry. But. It can also go so beautifully well. And while, admittedly, not all classics respond well to embellishment, there are certain stories, certain characters that I think will always be taken up and loved over again, folded into new shapes, and directed down new paths by talented, devoted authors. And when it happens, it's magic.

Each of these classics below have been retold numerous times, but here are six of my very favorites in case you're looking to revisit one of yours:


The Turn of the Screw
Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

I'm starting with this one because I think it's one of the more underrated retellings I've read in quite some time. My, how I loved this creepy, romantic version of Henry James' classic horror story. Main character Andie is strong and mouthy, and she protects those she loves. This one took me completely by surprise and has lingered with me ever since.

Hamlet
Ophelia by Lisa Klein

I don't know about you, but I've always rather felt Ophelia deserved another stab at her story. Klein gives it a great go in this version of Hamlet told from Ophelia's point of view. It just makes so much sense from her perspective. And don't worry, she gets every last thing she should have had but never got in the original. In wholly unexpected ways.

The Iliad 
Troy by Adele Geras

Who else prefers Hector to Achilles every single day of the week? It can't be just me. Geras' lovely vision has it all, from the personal, human woes of the citizens of the beleaguered city to the strangely grand affairs of the gods and goddesses who dip their fingers into the river of life.

Sherlock Holmes
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

This is the first in King's long-running Mary Russell series and it remains close to my heart for being everything I could have ever wanted in a Holmes tale, most particularly the fact that is told from a female point of view. It humanizes and entices at the same time as it stays doggedly true to the spirit of the original stoic detective series. 

Jane Eyre
Jane by April Lindner

Truth? I've read more Jane Eyre retellings than I care to count. Precious few live up to the excellence of the original. But this one wins no contest. It's quietly perfect as far as I'm concerned. I've read and reread it and I never grow tired of Lindner's loving update to one of my favorite stories ever. Reader, I loved it.

Persuasion
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Conversely, I have read very few retellings of Persuasion. Two at most. I think it's a bit of a tougher nut to crack in many ways. But Peterfreund's post-apocalyptic take is splendid. Taking its inspiration from Austen's tale, it proceeds to launch itself into the wild blue yonder on a course of its own setting. But in case you were wondering, the letters are still there. And they are breathtaking. Just as they should be.

And as far as classic retellings coming out in the near future, these are the three I'm looking forward to the most:

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
This retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel is a companion novel to For Darkness Shows the Stars and the Percy character is a girl. I am beside myself with wanting.

Catherine by April Lindner
Another companion novel (to Jane this time), this is Lindner's modern retelling of Wuthering Heights. Here's hoping for if not a modicum of a happy ending for someone, at least quiet slumbers for these sleepers.

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
I find it difficult to even talk about this retelling of A Tale of Two Cities without peeing my pants. I'm sorry, but I'm just that on the edge of my seat about the whole notion of its existence. This is my most beloved Dickens tale and I trust Ms. Rees Brennan explicitly.

What about you? Do you have a favorite classic retelling? And which ones do you long for someone to write?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Retell Me a Story Book Review: The Turning by Francine Prose

Welcome to another day of Retell Me a Story fun!  In case you've missed out on anything so far, check out the previous posts:
- Welcome and giveaway post
- A guest post from Nikki of BookPairing on The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood, 
- A list of new and upcoming retellings
- A guest post from author Diane Zahler on fairy tale mixers,
- A review of one of Diane's fairy tale retellings, The Thirteenth Princess,
- A fun Robin Hood guest post by Suey of It's All About Books
- A guest post by author Marissa Meyer on fairy tale scavenger hunts,
- A review of a fairy tale mash-up, Enchanted by Alethea Kontis,
- A guest post by Angie of Angieville on classic retellings

The Turning by Francine Prose
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: September 2012
Pages: 256
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
For: Review

When Jack takes what seems like the perfect summer job - hanging out with two kids for three months and getting paid a lot - he little expects what he gets. On a remote island with no phones, internet, or TV, he feels a bit isolated. And even if the kids are a bit strange, things aren't too bad. Until they are. He begins to see two people hanging around the island - two people who might actually be ghosts.

Things I Liked: 

This book definitely had the creepy, psychological factor going for it, right from the beginning! I loved how you got to see a sort of slow progression for Jack from little weird things happening to completely crazy stuff.  And I liked how we really believe they are happening, because it is in his first person voice. Until suddenly he seems to have gone off the deep end. It was a crazy weird book, and each page had just the right touch of creepy and disturbing. 

Things I Didn't Like:
I found the first person epistolary style didn't exactly fit well sometimes. I got annoyed at how sometimes he seemed to talk about things as if they were happening right then, other times past tense. It made for some awkward phrasing and distracted me from the story at times. Also, it seemed written just a little too plainly. I think some more subtlety would have really gone a long way. It's been a long time since I read The Turn of the Screw, but I think the classic has a lot more to it than this does. I better read it again :)


Read-alikes:
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Reminded me of Frost by Marianna Baer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few, not too many

mrg-factor: X
maybe a little implied

v-factor: ->
mostly psychological, but there are some rather disturbing parts

Overall rating: ***

What classic story are you hoping will get a retelling?

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