YA Book Queen

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

Book: Wildwing

Author: Emily Whitman

Release: September 21, 2010

Pages: 320

Source: Publicist

My Summary:

Adelaide "Addy" has grown up only knowing the life her mother has, a life full of hard work and serving others. So when the spunky girl gets stuck being a maid in Mr. Greenwood's home, she's not too thrilled because not only is she missing out on her opportunity to play the queen in her school play, she's not allowed to even continue school.

But then Addy discovers a lift in the middle of a room Mr. Greenwood always keeps locked. When she steps inside, she accidentally presses a button and is whisked back in time. People mistake her for Lady Matilda there, and Addy isn't too keen on correcting them. In this century, everyone treats her like a queen. Life could be absolutely perfect for Addy here.

But then she meets Will, and suddenly everything gets a bit more complicated. Now, Addy has to decide: Stay and live a life of luxury, but a life that she can't agree with, or try to find her way back to a life she was dying to escape from only weeks before?

Review: Wildwing is filled with lively scenes, exceptional characters, and a protagonist that really grows throughout the story.

Addy starts off seeming a bit immature, with some spunk and sass to her personality as well (thankfully, because it made her all the more interesting). But hey, you can't blame the girl for acting her age. Growing up 1913, Addy is a bastard daughter, living in poverty and she's bullied consistently by the richer girls, so it's easy to sympathize. When she lands herself in the past, it was humorous to be just as clueless with her as to the normal customs in 1240. Her mistakes were refreshing, and her growth throughout the story was wonderful to follow.

Life seems to jump off the pages and Whitman makes Wildwing rich with enough detail without it being overbearing. The falcons, the history, the characters, the story...I loved every second of diving into history with Addy. If you're a fan of historical YA, then you'll probably thoroughly enjoy Wildwing.

Highlights: The characters were all so very unique from one another. I loved Mr. Greenwood and would have enjoyed more of him; Will was wonderful as well; Sir Hugh was vulgar and almost vile (well, to me anyway). But the falcons, they fascinated me so much. Whitman pulls off scenery and characters so flawlessly in Wildwing, it's easy to lose yourself in her words and the story. I really enjoyed the time travel method as well, it was a bit different than what I usually read.

Lowlights: I wasn't too fond of the ending (not that it's bad, but a bit obvious), but I guess it works out the way it should.

Rating:

Monday, October 4, 2010

Interview: Sarah Beth Durst - Enchanted Ivy

Quick! Describe Enchanted Ivy in 7 words or less!

Magic at Princeton.

Wow, I think that was the most succinct yet intriguing answer I've ever gotten for that question!

How about a bit more of description of Enchanted Ivy?

Enchanted Ivy is about getting into college. You know, taking the campus tour, talking to the gargoyles, flirting with the were-tigers, riding the dragons... While visiting the campus of Princeton University, 16-year-old Lily discovers a secret gate to a magical realm and must race against time to save herself, her world, and any hope she has of college admission.

What inspired this novel?

First idea I had was were-tigers at Princeton. I pictured them prowling around the campus at night. I liked this idea, due to the inherent awesomeness of were-tigers, and I started to think about WHY there would be were-tigers at Princeton (aside from the fact that the mascot is a tiger). Were they hunting? Were they guarding something? Where did they come from? This grew into the concept of a hidden alternate Princeton where magic permeates the atmosphere, rendering the magic world and our world incompatible. Beings from the magic world cannot survive long in our world, and vice versa. This, of course, leads to much adventure...

So you meet a talking gargoyle...what's the first thing you say?

AHHHHH!!!!!

And then after that, I'd most likely gush like a fangirl and tell the gargoyle how delighted I am to meet him, how much it means to me to meet someone magical, how I've always wanted to discover magic in the real world and how important I think it is to retain a sense of wonder and to be prepared to believe six impossible things before breakfast... At that point, the gargoyle would most likely give me his autograph to shut me up and then return to acting like stone, sorry that he'd ever spoken up in the first place.

Awesome answer! I think I'd have a similar first reaction regarding the "AHHHH!!!" part ;)

If you could spend the day as any character in any story, what character and story would you choose?

I'd choose to be Beauty in Robin McKinley's Beauty, a retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. In that novel, she eats delicious meals, strolls through glorious gardens, and has access to a library that contains books that haven't even been written yet. Plus nothing really horrible happens. If I were stuck inside, for instance, the Hunger Games trilogy, I'd survive approximately one paragraph.

What are you working on right now?

Just turned in the manuscript for a new top sekrit project! I'll be announcing details soon on my blog, but it will be out in fall 2011 and I'm VERY excited about it. It was ridiculously fun to write.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

And thank you for answering my questions, Sarah!

Enchanted Ivy comes out in just little more than a week (October 12th!), so be sure to keep an eye out for it! I know I'll be looking out for it, especially after Sarah's description (talking gargoyles, flirting with were-tigers, riding dragons, a magical realm?? I'm so there)