This post includes a super exciting giveaway at the end, but don't just skip down to the end to enter. All right, skip right down to the end to enter, but come right back to read what I have to say about Atlantia.
First of all, I had never read a book by Ally Condie before, although I had certainly heard of her, and I knew her books. But they came out at a time that I was a little worn out with dystopian books, so I just hadn't gotten around to reading them yet. Even though I hadn't read the Matched series, I still knew I should grab the chance when Penguin offered me an Advanced Reader's Copy of Atlantia. I had been seeing advance publicity, and I was excited to read something so popular before it came out.
I was sucked into the world of Atlantia right away, and barely came up to breathe. Rio and her twin sister Bay have been raised by their mother, Oceana, Below, in Atlantia. Below is the privileged place to live - when it was created deep under the ocean, families Above sent one member down to survive. The rest of the family remained Above, exposed to terrible pollution. The people Above provide all the food; the people Below provide all the ore out of their underwater mines.
The balance has been kept between Above and Below. One child in each family must stay Below; all those who choose the Above select a life of sacrifice. They also have no contact with the Below. As soon as they make their choice, they are whisked away, without even a chance to say goodbye to their family Below. Rio has always dreamt of going Above. For her, the life of sacrifice and lack of contact are a trade-off for the experiences of air and land. And she has always known that her sister Bay will stay Below with their mother.
But not long before the ceremony where Bay and Rio will announce their choice, their mother dies. In an odd turn of events, she died on her sister Maire's doorstep, and there is no real reason Oceana should have died. Oceana had very little contact with her sister, Maire, so it is especially odd that she died there, as if she was going to tell Maire something. Maire is a siren, and sirens are treated very carefully in Atlantia. They are believed to be a miracle, but their voices are so commanding and seductive. Like the sirens of mythology, people must beware of them. The sirens must report to the Council as children, and are used for the Council's work. Because of their seductive singing, the Minister must prove themselves strong enough to resist the sirens and their call. Maire has always been stronger than the other sirens, and is more of a wild card. There are fewer and fewer sirens in Atlantia. And Rio holds a secret that only two other people know - that she is a siren too.
The twists start coming early on in this novel. Within the first chapter, everything Rio has ever known or believed about her twin, Bay, is challenged and turned upside down. While Rio is reeling from this stunning knowledge, the only family she has left is Maire. Knowing that Maire is a powerful siren, and knowing that Oceana never told Maire about Rio's power, Rio is faced with another decision - can she trust Maire with her secret?
I couldn't stop reading this novel. I read it on the Kindle app, and found it much easier to lose track of how much I've read when there aren't any page numbers. Condie's writing was magical too. It sets a tone from the first page. You are with Rio as she discovers the true Atlantia. She begins to see Atlantia with clear eyes, but they are also eyes clouded with the pain of losing her mother, confusion around her sister and Bay's secrets, and full of the struggle to be herself, even though she must hide her voice.
There is so much to talk about in this book. I found Condie's world-building fascinating. Below was created with so many details that are tiny in themselves, but add up to a complete world. For instance, there are mines in the water surrounding Atlantia, to keep people from trying to escape from the Below. Atlantia itself was built sort of in the shape of an octopus, with the temple in the middle, and tentacles cascading outwards. I don't want to talk about anything that might be a spoiler, so I won't say more about Atlantia. But one thing I thought was important was the humanity of everyone we encounter in Atlantia. No one (not even the sirens) has fish gills to breathe, or a mermaid tail. They breathe air pumped into Atlantia, and experience life in much the same way the rest of us do. If Atlantia wasn't underwater, it might seem a little like an indoor mall. The evil in this book comes from other humans, not from creatures of the deep.
And there are powerful themes woven throughout this book - family, especially (and obviously) the way sisters interact, truth, power, and control. The themes are developed delicately, and you truly experience everything through Rio's eyes as she struggles with who she must become. I really loved this book, and I encourage you all to read it.
If you'd like to read it for yourself, I have an amazing opportunity to win a copy signed by Ally Condie herself! Penguin Teen has ever so graciously allowed me to give away a copy. I can't wait to see who wins! Use the Rafflecopter link here to enter and good luck! The giveaway ends on November 14th, and I will notify the winner by email.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Atlantia. Ally Condie. Penguin, 2014.
sent by the publisher for review
I have been a huge Jenny Han fan since The Summer I Turned Pretty came out in 2009. You shouldn't be surprised by that information, since I just reviewed Burn for Burn and Fire with Fire here and I already said how excited I was to read Ashes for Ashes. So I shrieked out loud when I walked out my front door one morning, and discovered a package from Simon & Schuster. The padded envelope contained the ARC of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, along with a notebook and pen. I love getting publishing swag, and the fact that it was Jenny Han swag just made it that much better. I started reading right away (with the Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson duet stuck in my head, unfortunately). I saved my review to post once the book was published. Now the book is out so you can all run out and get it. It is also a great choice to kick off my contribution for #weneeddiversebooks within the 48 Hour Book Challenge, so I am thrilled to be talking about it tonight.
Lara Jean Song is a romantic at heart. She is the middle sister - there is an older sister, Margot, and a younger sister, Kitty. Their doctor father has raised them alone since their mother died when Lara Jean was ten. The sisters are sometimes called "the Song girls" - their mother (who was Korean)'s last name was Song, and "we all have Song for our middle name, and we look more Song than Covey anyway, more Korean than white." (p. 9) Margot grew up quickly when their mom died, and runs the household most of the time. Their father is an OB/GYN, and is unpredictable in his schedule, so the girls rely on each other. Lara Jean and Kitty are used to Margot caring for them and keeping their lives organized. Now Margot is going abroad to Scotland for college, and Lara Jean already misses her tremendously. On the other hand, she is also determined to show Margot how successfully the rest of the family can survive when she's gone. Right before Margot leaves, she breaks up with her boyfriend, Josh. Lara Jean has spent lots of time with Margot and Josh (he is their neighbor too). While she doesn't understand why Margot broke up with Josh, she has kept a secret for a long time. Lara Jean has always been in love with Josh too.
Lara Jean has a ritual for ending her crushes on guys - she writes them one last letter. "They're not love letters in the strictest sense of the word. My letters are for when I don't want to be in love anymore. They're for good-bye. Because after I write my letter, I'm no longer consumed by my all-consuming love....If love is like a possession, maybe my letters are like my exorcisms. My letters set me free. Or at least they are supposed to." (unpaged) She has kept these letters in a hatbox, and there are five of them, the latest one to Josh. So in the first week of school, Lara Jean is shocked when one of the popular crowd, Peter Kavinsky, tells her he wants to talk to her. He says a letter was mailed to his house. She can't figure out how this might have happened, and Lara Jean is mortified. Because if Peter got his, then Josh did too. And that means he knows how she feels about him still. Even though he has belonged to Margot all along.
When Josh tries to talk to Lara Jean about the letter, she panics. She sees Peter (who has just broken up with his girlfriend Gen) in the hall, and runs up and kisses him, in an effort to convince Josh that she doesn't like him at all. Afterwards, Pete and Lara Jean decide to fake a relationship to make both Gen and Josh jealous. It seems to be working. At the same time, Josh is trying to figure out where he fits, both at school and in the Covey family, without Margot there. And he's considering Lara Jean with new eyes, now that he knows that she liked him too.
While this book is created with some of my favorites subjects in mind - school and romance, it also has a strong sense of family and sisterhood, something I relate to very much. You know I see the sister relationship in Frances and Gloria these days. I've also written here about my relationship with my own sister previously. My relationship with my sister is one of the most important things in my life, and it is quite often the lens through which I see myself.
This is also true of Lara Jean. She always sees herself in relation to Margot, and Margot is a typical oldest sister. On top of that Margot feels very responsible for her sisters, and takes care of most things for Kitty and Lara Jean. The first time Lara Jean drives after Margot leaves for Scotland, she admits that her directional skills are under-developedc: "I've never had to know how to get to the mall, because Margot always drove us there. But now I have to do better, because I'm responsible for driving Kitty around." (p.33) That is a perfect middle sister quote if I've ever heard one. At the beginning of the novel, Lara Jean is bookended by her two sisters. I've described Margot, and Kitty is demanding, slightly devious, and a little spoiled. Kitty is cute, Margot is smart. There is nothing about Lara Jean that makes her stand out from her sisters when Margot leaves. She doesn't actually want to stand out - Lara Jean is perfectly content to be one of "the Song girls".
When Margot goes away to college, all three sisters are forced to rethink their relationships to each other, rethink the definitions they comfortably fell into in the past few years. For instance, Lara Jean and Margot have always babied Kitty and taken care of her every need. "After Mommy died, we all had to realign ourselves. Everybody had new roles. Margot and I were no longer locked in battle, because we both understood that Kitty was ours to take care of now." (p. 338-9) But with Margot gone, Lara Jean begins teaching Kitty some of the chores she had done with Margot previously. They had always just done them, and shielded Kitty from having to do any chores. Kitty becomes more independent as Lara Jean begins doing more with Peter and his friends, and it is a good thing.
Even from Scotland, Margot has been protecting her sisters. She doesn't want them to know how unsure she is in her new environment, how lost and homesick she feels. When Margot arrives home for Christmas break, Lara Jean realizes how much things have changed: "Is this how people lose touch? I didn't think that could happen with sisters. Maybe with other people, but never with us. Before Margot left, I knew what she was thinking without having to ask; I knew everything about her. Not anymore." (p. 294) This really resonated with me. I, too, went away to college, although not as far. But I know how it feels to see the change in your family from the outside and not be able to find your comfortable place in your family again when you return. You've changed. They've changed. Margot finally says to Lara Jean "'But then I left, and it's like you didn't need me as much as I thought.' Her voice breaks. 'You were fine without me.'" (p. 344) I have been in Margot's shoes and I know how she feels. But what I hadn't considered was Lara Jean's perspective as the younger sister. Lara Jean retorts "'Only because you taught me everything!'" (p. 344) It is a watershed moment for the girls as they see their relationship anew.
I haven't talked much about the romance at the heart of this book, which is unusual for me. But I will say this - I did love the romance here. I was surprised at how much I rooted for Lara Jean and wanted her to realize the potential of what she might have as her relationships change. She's never seen herself outside of her sisters before, and she has something to offer. To me, this book is so much more about the sisters and how they change, but it is a fun look at romance too.
These sisters can weather anything together, and I love their friendship. It was a great moment in my life when my sister and I became friends besides being sisters, and the Song girls need each other's friendship even more than they realize. Jenny Han has scored another winner.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Jenny Han. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014.
ARC sent to me by the publisher for review
I didn't intend to go two months without a blog post. I'm sure no one ever does. I started to write this post two months ago, got stuck, and stopped. Then life got in the way. So if you are still reading, THANK YOU. I promise I have a backlog of great books to review, along with some other exciting things! 2014 is going to be my year.
I'm not sure what spurred me to request The Big Wet Balloon from TOON Books. I suspect that I requested it because Liniers is a famous Argentinian cartoonist, and I was curious to see how his work translated to English. I also knew that it had to be a terrific book, as TOON Books has amazing and innovative taste. I was not disappointed.
The book begins with a little girl waking up her baby sister, announcing boisterously that it is SATURDAY! The day is full of opportunities - they can have a picnic! They can pick flowers! It doesn't matter what they do because today (or TA-DAY as the younger sister pipes up from her crib) is full of choices and chances for fun. That is, until they go to the window and see the rain pouring down. But Matilda (the older sister) knows that a rainy day can still be fun "We just have to dress for it." (p. 9). Her relentless cheer and enthusiasm gets Clemmie (the younger of the two) onto the porch, but no farther.
Matilda, always the wise one, informs Clemmie "You have to TRY things, Clemmie. If you TRY something, you'll see that you LIKE it." (p. 14). Clemmie still won't budge until Matilda bounds off into the rain without her. Then she finally works up her courage and takes a risk, venturing out into the rain where the sisters do spend a fun-filled day. They have made the most of their Saturday. Even better, Matilda promises "Tomorrow is Sunday...and Sundays are FUN too!" (p. 30).
I know you've all read about my little girls, Frances and Gloria. They are wonderful sisters, mostly playing together, experiencing things together, learning about the world together. They are a pair, and while they both give each other the freedom to play by themselves (sometimes Gloria's preference), or with other friends (Frances' preference), they are rarely divided. Frances and Gloria are 18 months apart, which seems like nothing now. When they were a toddler and an infant, they seemed very different, and there didn't seem to be much hope of them ever being interested in each other. But as I write this, they are both in their beds, reading books aloud and sharing them. Don't worry, while it sounds idyllic, I'm sure a fight will start up soon!
But everything I ever learned about being a sister, I learned from the best. My own sister, Katie, is 20 months younger than me. We have (almost) always been close. I treasure my sister, and our relationship helps me keep Frances and Gloria's highs and lows in perspective. I know that sometimes they will be incredibly annoyed with each other, possibly for weeks on end, and then suddenly it will dissipate and they will be close again. My relationship with Katie growing up was almost the opposite of Matilda and Clemmie's. My sister is far more extroverted and daring than I am. I have always been content to let her lead the way in everything. There are family stories about how I never tried to get out of my crib until Katie did it first. I vividly remember cringing when Katie (who was then 8) rode her bike for the first time. I grumbled because while I had a new pink Huffy bike at that point (I was 10), I had had no interest in trying something new. I knew now that she had been successful, I would have to figure it out, and fast. She has always smoothed the way for me - with friends, with new activities, in our lives. And she continues to be my best friend and show me the way all these years later.
In this story, it is the older sister, Matilda, who shows the way. She begins the book, instantly awake and alert. Matilda sees the potential in a Saturday and guides Clemmie into excitement. "This is how you wake up on Saturday...HOOORAAYY! HOOOORAAAY! FOR ALL DAY TODAY IS SAAAATURDAAAAY!" (p. 2). This is all said with her arms thrust above her head, in excitement and delight. When Clemmie is worried about the rain, Matilda soothes her fears of getting wet "We just have to dress for it." (p. 9). Matilda fearlessly leads the way, dashing out to dance in the rain. But sometimes Matilda's impulsive excitement hurts her younger sister. The title balloon belongs to Clemmie. Matilda decides to send it to the rainbow, because the rainbow needs something colorful. It devastates Clemmie. But like any good big sister, Matilda tries to make it right in the end.
One of the things I like best about this book (which by the way was named the Best Early Reader by Parents Magazine) was how appealing it was to everyone in our house. I saw it as Liniers' love letter to a moment in his own daughters' lives (and friendship). I watched the tenderness in how closely he observed their interaction. This story depicts one of those moments that all parents treasure. But both Frances and Gloria requested and read this book over and over again. They loved the humor in the girls' relationship, as well as both relating to the sisters and their feelings. Frances and Gloria share a room, just like Matilda and Clemmie do, which makes concocting adventures together very easy.
Liniers' illustrative style also makes this book fun to read. The colors are perfect - sometimes muddy and gray as the rain comes down, bright pure pastels in the girls' room and after the rain subsides. Matilda and Clemmie have small eyes and button noses, and it is most often their mouths that carry their expressions. There are grins, grimaces and outstretched tongues. It is a fun book to look at, as the girls' emotions are readily apparent - and Matilda's enthusiasm is matchless. Liniers has even created a scrapbook feel to the pages with rain spatters across some of the panels, just as if the book had been outside on the porch with Clemmie.
The final thing I love about this book is that it is simple. There is nothing fancy about this particular Saturday - there isn't a gadget or a piece of technology to be seen. It's two little girls engaging with the outdoors and using their imaginations. While Matilda and Clemmie's parents (we assume) wait safely out of our line of vision, the girls are free to explore their yard and the storm.
One of the things I have always loved best about TOON Books is their assessment of quality and the way they help parents and teachers introduce comics to new readers. The Big Wet Balloon is a level 2 book, which TOON defines as being between 300-600 words, using short sentences, and a story arc with few characters in a small world. This is a perfect level 2 book, as with initial guidance, eventually both Frances and Gloria could read it unassisted. There are also guidelines to reading comics with kids in the back of the book. One of my favorite recommendations is "Use your finger to show your place in the text, but keep it at the bottom of the speaking character so it doesn't hide
the very important facial expressions." I think this shows the difference between using picture books or traditional early readers with your children and these comic books. Facial expressions help add so much to the text, and TOON is smart to point it out to readers who may not be familiar with this style of reading. Another recommendation is to talk with your reader about pacing and how the panels can indicate pacing of the story This isn't something we've talked about before with Frances and Gloria, but we definitely will!
TOON Books also provides lots of literacy resources on their website. We received a poster about the questions kids should ask while they read (which I will be sharing with Frances' school librarian). It includes questions about the main idea (what is this story about?) and is this story fiction or nonfiction? This poster is another example of how hard TOON Books works to promote literacy through comics.
The Big Wet Balloon is a charming story that we can't get enough of. It celebrates weekends and sisters - two things that are dear to our hearts! I can't wait to read more of Liniers' work.
The Big Wet Balloon. Liniers. TOON Books, 2013.
sent by publisher for review consideration.
