A book with GLOWing Potential

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

Thanks to the lovely folks over at Goodreads, I scored a copy of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan in their First Reads contest. I had seen Glow floating around on other blogs and such, but had not actually bought it. The premise sounded interesting so figured "what the hell" and entered. I think I actually entered First Reads a couple of times for this book, but whatev...

This was an awesome little diddy! When other reviews say this book takes off with a bang, they ain't kidding. Right out of the gate Miss Amy has you by the jugular and you keep going. You think, "Oh, I will wait until the pace settles before I start dinner." Yeah, right. Call a pizza, 'cause you are not so much making dinner. HA!

The thing that got me right off the bat was the scene. The whole story takes place on one or two spaceships bound for New Earth. One would think there might be problems here with world building, but alas...no. Now I have to sheepishly admit that I'm kind of a Sci-Fi nerd. A big Star Wars fan, loved the Alien movies, Pandorum, Event Horizon, yada yada yada...you see where this is going. I LOVE Sci-Fi thrillers. Something about being stuck in space in a metal box is just plain scary.

But I digress...

Amy builds a wonderful world on the Empyrean and the New Horizon. You obviously cannot see how large these ships are or how intricate the engineering, but Amy gives you a phenomenal picture. Between the orchards, the animals, the people, and the farms, you get a great sense of how BIG these ships are. And even though she does not describe with fine detail, Amy creates the greatest picture of the ship in your head. I was amazed. One could certainly get lost in the details of describing something you've never seen, but Miss Amy does it well.

Like I said, the action is non-stop. Waverly goes through hell as does Kieran and Seth. At points you feel sorry for all of them, but you want them to keep fighting. The tension never seems to cease, and just when you think it's starting to...BAM something goes wrong.

I really enjoyed the characters as well. Waverly is sort of your girl next door. She is the semi-reluctant hero. The only reason she does what she does is, well, she's the oldest so it's expected of her. All of the younger girls look to her as an elder of sorts so she feels obligated to step up to the plate.

Seth. This boy is the brooding nobody. He's wicked smart, but has a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Everest. Seth kind of 'loses it' and I'm hoping he gets a chance to redeem himself in the next installment because I really like him. He doesn't back down, doesn't take no for an answer, but he has some "daddy issues" to work through.

Kieran. I'm on the fence with Kieran. The token golden boy. The prodigal son. Kieran is the guy who has everything going for him; he's smart, he's talented, he's got the girl, he's the Captain's favorite... He has it all. When things go from bad to worse (and then worse still), Kieran is given the chance to walk the walk. At first that 'walk' is more like a drunken stagger, but he is starting to get his legs under him.

My only real beef with Glow came toward the end and I thought I might have to put it down. It started to get preachy for me. Now, I have nothing against those folks who are the church-going type, I'm just not one of them. I'm not a big religious book reader so when I saw a sort of preachy feel develop I groaned (a lot) but pushed through.

And I'm glad I did.

What started off sounding like "if you don't believe in God and don't worship Him and give Him thanks for everything in your life, you are an evil and contemptuous person" turned out to be more twisted than I had originally thought. Me likely this. *evil grin*

So in the end, I really enjoyed Glow and am definitely looking forward to Spark, the next installment to the Sky Chasers series. I would like to see if Waverly has it in her to be a leader, if Seth can truly love, and if Kieran will, well, get his head out of his butt...

Did Glow rock my world? Not the fall-out-of-bed kind, but a solid 6.5

CITY OF LOST SOULS Just...wow

If you read YA chances are you read, or have read, Cassandra Clare. If you have not... Well, I have nothing to say other than... WTH!! You need to!

I know there will be a million and one reviews of City of Lost Souls out there, so I decided to do something different here. The last thing you need is yet another review of a book from a series that is not only a best seller, from a fab author who rocks our socks, but is also in the makings of a movie! The Mortal Instruments is one of my all time favorites series and I am here to tell you why. Why I rave about these books to anyone who will listen, and others who just tolerate my ramblings with near patience.

In short, these books have everything!

Raising an eyebrow? Questioning my sanity? Allow me to explain.

Now I'm no literary expert, but I know what I like. When my friend Rachel first introduced me to TMI, her words were something like "not too much on the romance, but they were pretty good." But Rachel is a BIG romance fan. She said it had lots of demons, vampires, fae, and other stuff. This alone made me take City of Bones home. Oh, and she said the main guy, Jace, was pretty hot. That helped too. *wink*

As far as I'm concerned, Cassandra Clare is a master crafts...uh...woman for story telling. She wraps you around her little finger and takes you for a wild, crazy, heartbreaking ride. And you enjoy every minute of it. There is action, adventure, love, lust, friendships, enemies, characters you love, characters you hate, characters you LOVE to HATE, plot twists that leave you breathless, worlds so believable you look over your own shoulder...the whole tamale people!

My gateway drug to Fantasy Fiction was The Lord of the Rings. A tough read for a beginner I s'pose, but I was HOOKED. After that I got completely immersed in The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (may he rest in peace). Another fantasy fave was the Forgotten Realms books from R.A. Salvatore.

Miss Cassie, for me, is on the lines of these books. Her worlds are so thought out it's spooky. Every time I read one of her books I'm amazed at the detail she incorporates. The politics of Shadowhunter lives, the relations between Shadowhunter and Downworlder, and the history of the Nephilim race fascinates me.

But she doesn't stop there. The plotting involved in Cassie's books leaves my head spinning. It makes the writer in me BEG (and I mean beg to the point of delirium) to be a fly in the room as she plots a book. The characters' lives twist in and out of each other so much I'm left in awe.

This is particularly noticeable with City of Lost Souls.

I'm sure there were references to previous Shadowhunters in the first four TMI books, but I don't recall them offhand. While reading COLS, however, Cassie makes several references to her prequel series, The Infernal Devices (Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince). Having read these books recently, they stuck out like a hobo clown at an Amish wedding. I can't help but wonder if Cassie plans her books this way or if they just happen naturally, like magic, like slow churned vanilla ice cream and hot brownies, like peanut butter and chocolate...

I got so freakin' giddy reading COLS it was really kind of pathetic. My writer side totally geeked out with how intertwined the plots are between the books. You don't have to read one series to understand the other, since they both give the necessary background, but why would you not WANT to read both? And the connections are subtle too, which is awesome, so those readers who have read both series don't feel like they're being pulled out of one story and into another. From a passing glance that catches an odd angel pendant with gears and such for wings, a mysterious Silent Brother, Zachariah, and quick references to a lost love with dark hair and blue eyes... I just cannot help the fangirl in me!!!!

It really is books like The Mortal Instrument series, and the Infernal Devices, that inspire me to write. The deep seeded worlds of Shadowhunter life, or Middle Earth, or Menzobarrenzan make me want to create such rich worlds of my own. Horribly conflicted characters like Jace Lightwood, Will Herondale, Boromir, Frodo Baggins, and Drizzt Do'Urden inspire me to reach the ultimate conflicts with my own characters. To push them to their limits. To find what makes them break. And what will bring them back together again.

This is not to say other books don't inspire me to write, and write well. There are just books you enjoy, and then there are books that take you to that place. That place, that space, between a totally happy voracious reader, and the other realm that gives you the drive to BE a part of that world. To create that feeling in the pit of the belly for others that you feel reading your favorite books. To make your readers want to WOOT out loud, to cry openly, to get so mad at a character you consider for a nanosecond throwing the book across the room, to fall in love, and to get so lost in a world it FEELS real...

That is what Cassandra Clare does for me. That is why I love her books. She is the whole package. I love her books, I love her worlds, I love her characters, but I also love the way she inspires the writer in me.

What about you? Who inspires YOU to write your pants off?

"Waiting on" Wednesday: Protecting Truth

As you all know, Breaking the Spine hosts this here meme and I am soooo excited to participate for the very first time. That's right, lil ole me has her first "Waiting on" meme.



And what has drug me tooth and nail from the depths of non-bookish bore? Well, let me tell you...

If you have not had the pleasure, please let me introduce you to the lovely Michelle Warren!

She is the beautiful genius behind Wander Dust, the first installment to The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy. If you missed it, you can catch my rave and a half about Wander Dust here. I LOOOOOVED this book. To make things even sweeter, Michelle is quite possibly the coolest chica out there. Like Myra McEntire and Jeri Smith-Ready cool. Yeah, I know, that's a whole lot of cool.

This special meme day for me is to announce that the second installment is finally....FINALLY...coming to itchy fingers like mine very, very soon. So hold on to your hats y'all 'cause Protecting Truth, Book Two of The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy, is something worth 'waiting on.'

                             And check out this beautiful cover!!!!

           Yum. Did I mention Miss Michelle is a fantastic artist too? She is.

To make sure I bite my nails to nubs (kidding...sort of), Michelle has not released the summary for Protecting Truth, but I wouldn't need it. I am so on board anyway. Wander Dust was a fantastic read and the characters were fun and heartbreaking at the same time. I need to know what happens to Sera! I need to know more about Bishop! Okay, let me just have a moment here...Bishop...mmmm. Alright, I'm back. I need to know about the uber mysterious brother! Sera's mom! The Grungy Gang! The Academy! Oi, the list goes on!

To get you all caught up in time for the next awesomesauce installment, you can get Wander Dust over at our friends at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. If you order the super convenient e-book from Amazon by May 31st, you can get it for a STEAL of a price!

                        How much more awesome do you need?

Seriously, y'all, do yourself a favor and get your copy of Wander Dust now so you can get the delish dish before Protecting Truth's book birthday. If you love adventure, if you love magic, if you love hook-line-sinker plots of non-stop action, if you love courageous gals, if you love loyal guys (swoon!), you will want to be a Wanderer too!

To hook up with Michelle Warren directly, please check out the official website. You can also catch the lovely Michelle cruising the Twittersphere as well as Goodreads. Michelle is also an active Facebook-er so be sure to Like her page so you can get up-to-date info on releases, all things bookish, or just some juicy gossip. *grin*

As a farewell, I will leave you with the mouthwateringly awesome book trailer for Wander Dust. Enjoy!

Supportively Supportive Support

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about support. The kind of support that ‘creative’s,’ such as myself, need to keep plugging along when the evil voice of self-defacement buzzes in our brains. I don’t like that voice. And I’d be willing to bet that many others are in agreement with me.

Now, I’m not sure, as I’m far from an expert, but I think, generally speaking, creative’s constantly seek approval. They need justification, a nod of encouragement, high fives, or “atta boy” cheers to feel…good about what they do. But I think that’s just part of being a creative, whether your outlet is writing, painting, crafting, cooking, or any other activity where you ‘create.’ Since there’s no black or white with creative things, we have to rely on the opinion of others to know if it’s…good.

It sounds insecure, I know, but it’s the truth. You can be a bad ass cook, the kind the likes of Emeril Lagasse or Bobby Flay or Paula Deen bow down to, but if your bunt cake tastes like poo… Well, no one is going to think you’re a good cook. See where I’m going with this? Same with writing or painting or photography, etc. If no one likes it, then A) nobody will buy it and B) you will lack the street cred for anything in the future.

So we creative folk need a support system for those lonely nights (or days since you might be a day person) when that evil voice in our head tells us we are poo, we have nothing, we will be nothing, give it up kid! Those brave souls who stand in our corner with mighty fists of encouragement, who listen to every random rambling about your latest musing, who will give you their honest opinion and then take you for ice cream (because ice cream and chocolate heal wounded egos, for real) are heroes for the creative mind. We need you!

I got to thinking about my own support system. My own wee cheering section.

I started life as a closet artist. Throughout school, a sketch pad and pencil was my BFF. You know that quiet girl in class who sort of blended in with the classroom decor? Yeah, that was me. And I say closet artist because I was not that overly artsy kid either. Sure, my fingertips probably had more lead pencil stains than the average teen, but I wasn’t the obvious artsy kid (no green hair or splattered coveralls). And I was terribly insecure about my art.

My journal was another outlet. All through high school, I religiously documented the angst of my life. Somewhere around my freshman/sophomore year the poetry started. Several poems were born, pretty much all free form as I was not one to follow the rules (this caused trouble in art class too, my lack of rules). Rules shmoolz!

I never considered myself a writer, though. In fact, the thought sort of terrified me. At the end of my junior year, my English teacher, Mrs. Eubanks, asked me to apply for the AP English class. I declined and have come to regret that decision. Hindsight is 20/20…

But Mrs. Eubanks was my first nugget of a writing support system. My art support system consisted of family, but I always felt they were too biased for the job. My mother could draw stick figures with the best of them. My grandmother was a phenomenal painter, though I rarely saw her (more 20/20 hindsight stuff).

My early support system was far from huge. And now I understand why. I didn’t share.

Since putting on my first pair of “I’m a writer” panties, I have met so many people who are uber supportive. But that is only because I have learned to get out from behind my notepad and expose myself. Not that way, you goof, now stop. But you have to get your work out there to reap the benefits of a support system. And other writers are a great support system.

The Authoress, over at Miss Snark’s First Victim blog, had a wonderful post on this. And she’s right! I don’t know why writers are so supportive of each other, but they are. Trying to improve your craft? Yup, they will point you to one or two or fifty websites, blogs, books, forums, guides, fairy godmothers that will steer you in the right direction. Need exposure? Yup, they got that baby on lock too! Between book bloggers and Twitter and Facebook, Pinterest, or any other social platform, they help each other get the word out. How many times have you seen a published author feature another author as a ‘guest post’ on their blog/website? Yup, me too!

Point is, I am so very thankful for the folks I’ve met that have been supportive of my budding writer self. My family is great, my non-writer friends back me as best they can, and my crazy (in a fabulous way) Aunt M will wave the flag, light the fireworks, ring the bell, toss the confetti, and sucker-punch anyone who dares to bring me down. I’m only sort of kidding about the sucker-punch part… *wink*

Some of my writerly friends are already in the game, but they still send out words of encouragement. This is huge! Then others are in various stages of their own budding writer selves. Between the different meme’s, critique partners, and random blog posts or referrals, we all sort of band together. Writing contest? Secret Agent submission? Query Kick-a-rounds? Need a beta reader? Yup, we are all there to offer to read, to crit, to suggest, to commend, and to celebrate the victories (big and small) on the meandering road to publication.

I wouldn’t trade any of y’all for anything. Not for all the cookie dough ice cream and peanut butter cups I could eat. It would be tough, but I would abstain in honor of my support system. Cuz that’s how I roll y’all! I can only hope that for all the encouragement, high-fives (virtual and for-really-tho), constructive feedback, ‘go get ‘em, tiger’s you’ve bestowed upon me, that I have managed to do the same for you.

Now let’s go get some ice cream!

INSURGENT: Faction before blood...Wa-bam!

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.



I have to admit, I got sort of caught up in the Insurgent madness. I had read Divergent, by the lovely and insanely talented Veronica Roth, and really loved the concept of the book. Insurgent was on my pre-order list and then the Twittersphere took off… I “Liked” the Divergent page on Facebook and did the little aptitude test to see what faction I would be in. Though I honestly think I would be Divergent (read possible ADHD or some-such), the dooflotchy told me I was Dauntless. Okay, I will take that. Dauntless fits, with a peppering of Amity and Erudite.

When Insurgent finally arrived, I was so super excited. I had to find out what Tris was going to do and how Four would help her. I had so many questions at the end of Divergent and now I would get some answers. And I did! Well, kind of.

Insurgent takes you deeper into the cluster-fudge that is known as Chicago (once upon a time). The factions are crumbling, whether they will admit it or not, and nobody is safe from anyone. Betrayal is the soup du jour sidled up next to that manipulation sandwich you’re eating. Friendships are not what they once were, family can (and will) be your worst enemy, trust is non-existent, loyalties are tested, and love will be a casualty of war if you’re not careful. In short…a rollercoaster of a book.

In the last several days, I have seen several reviews talking of large plot holes. Granted, I do have questions regarding some of the avenues taken in Insurgent, but I am patient enough to keep them to myself until the next book. There has been mention of Tris’ shoulder and how she never seemed to heal… Do you have any idea how long it takes for a gunshot wound to heal? A long freakin’ time. We are talking in months here people, so yeah, I bet Tris still has probs with a hole in her shoulder, possible cracked or shattered bone, torn muscle and tendons… A long time peeps. The pace of Insurgent suggests that a lot of the action happens over several days to a couple weeks and that is not enough time to heal from a GSW. Jus sayin.

Let’s get to the characters.

Tris. Our girl is having issues. Some reviewers had issues with her whining in Insurgent. Meh. I don’t really see it that way. Sure, she is kind of a broken record over the horrible things she has done, but she is not superwoman. She is Tris. Yeah, she chose Dauntless, but Tris is Tris. She is not Marlene or Lynn or even Tori! She is Tris, an Abnegation girl who has killed people who meant something to her. If you have a problem with her erratic sort of ‘woe is me’ demeanor, then I urge you to look up PTSD. Here, I will help you. Anything look familiar? But Tris is in hell, quite literally. She is hanging on by a thread through most of the book and is struggling with who she is, what she is becoming, and all the demons that haunt her thoughts.

Four. Our beloved Tobias. He’s not in much better shape than Tris. In Divergent, Four was this pillar of strength that was always riding Tris’ ass getting her to push harder. That part of Four is still there, kinda, but he has his own demons to keep at bay. You know those four fears he has? Yeah, those? Well, he has to face one in Insurgent. In real life, not the fear landscape, and to say it rocks his world is an understatement. Some have commented that Four has lost his edge, that he is not the same guy in Insurgent. True enough, but neither would you be if one of the four things you feared (and probably the most fearsome) became suddenly very real, very live and in color. It would change who you are. But he is coming into his own and I feel an even stronger Tobias in the making...

For me, Insurgent was very much like what a second book should be. It’s crazy, there are more questions, sometimes the pace is erratic, you can feel the build-up like being wrapped in a wool sweater during sweltering Tennessee summers, and by the end you are slightly breathless and exhausted. I like this…a lot. I tells me that Book 3 will be a great close for an already great series. The final act brings us all in and ties up all the craziness we get in Book 2.

I thoroughly enjoy the world that Veronica Roth has built with Divergent and now Insurgent. It’s gritty and messy and full of conflict. Now if I only have the patience to wait for Book 3 and not bite my nails to nubs. Slim at best…

Did Insurgent rock my world? Hells to the YEAH! 8.OH Baaaaby!

I want an Avalon Archer of my own

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and without her memory. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery until she met a boy with a familiar voice named Gabriel Archer. Intrigued by his voice, Scarlet immerses herself in Gabriel's life only to stumble upon a secret he's kept hidden from her: His brother. Once Scarlet meets Tristan Archer her life becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. Why does Gabriel seem so familiar? Why is she so attracted to Tristan? And why are both brothers convinced she's been cursed to die? Scarlet doesn't have the answers...but the Archer brothers do.

Anew from the lovely Chelsea Fine is one of those reads that I really didn't hear much about. There were some mutterings on Twitter and I had seen the book cover here and there, but not a huge upheaval like some other books. The story blurb sounded interested to me so I when I won Anew from Blaire Kensley I was super stoked!

First off, I know when dealing with books published independently, or out of smaller firms, you can run into more errors in the printing. Well, at least that's what I have noticed. Errors happen, then we get over it, but I saw a LOT of errors in Anew and it became sort of distracting. Lots of places where there were extra words, a couple places where there was a (,,,) instead of a (...), and then I thought I had a mild stroke before I realized my copy had two Chapter 50s.

Now that I got that off my chest, I adored Anew. The story behind the Archer bothers and Scarlet was really interesting. I still don't think Miss Chelsea has given all the juicy details there. But that's what I like! Give me something to think about until the next installment comes around! Not that Tristan Archer doesn't fill that void or anything...oi...more on that later.

The POV was interesting too! We get inside each of the characters heads throughout Anew. For anyone who knows me, I looooove me some boy POV.

The triangle between Gabe, Tristan and Scarlet is AWESOME! I kind of had an idea of where it was going, but was still pleased. Talk about sticky and juicy and complicated! It makes my inner drama queen giggle with glee. Let me just say that if you enjoy triangles like the super awesome Jem, Tessa, and Will triangle, you will enjoy this one. Anew's triangle is sort of a "lite" version, but still...yum.

Miss Chelsea's characters... Okay, let me start with Scarlet. This chick has been through a lot. She wakes up in a forest in the middle of nowhere and literally has to rebuild some semblance of a life. No friends, no family, no background, no memory, nada! With the help of a cooky, but lovable, best friend and a guardian whom I think has some major secrets of her own, Scarlet finds a small family to love. Scarlet is believable, if sort of timid still. I get the feeling she has an inner bad-ass tucked away, but I will just have to wait and see.

Gabriel is the super sweet, always trying to do the right thing, bring you flowers on your birthday sort of guy. He is hot, caring, and will love you forever...literally. He is super patient with Scarlet and does his damndest to make sure she is okay.

Tristan... Boy oh boy do I lust -- I mean LOVE me some Tristan. He is hot, sure, but Tristan has that extra bit of something that just makes you wanna get crazy. Where Gabe is sweetly hot, Tristan is dangerously hot. He will do what it takes to save Scarlet, even if it may not turn out so well for him. He has that 'all in' mentality that makes you think he's either certifiably insane, or beyond caring.

All through Anew, Miss Chelsea is building us up to something. Once we find out how Scarlet ended up the way she is, the wheels start turning and you start begging for more. The pace of Anew is steady and does not drag on nor does it carry you off too quickly. I also really liked the subtlety of the romance. For the most part, Anew is very sweetly romantic, with nothing too scorching. BUT! Then Miss Chelsea will throw in a line that gets your heart rate up. Here, let me give you an example. Nothing too spoilery...and quite possibly my favorite line in the book.

From my man Tristan's POV:
"'Um....' She bit her bottom lip and every nerve in his body wanted to go over and bite it right along with her."

So now you need to go out and get Anew so you can reread this line over and over until you have the thing memorized....like I do. *grin* Seriously had to fan myself. But Miss Chelsea does this throughout the whole book. Something normal something normal something normal BAM! super hot line! Something normal something normal. Love it.

Definitely looking forward to Awry this summer...yum.

Did Anew rock my world? A solid 6.5 baby.

Why YA?

Ultimately I came across this article through Shera over at Book Whispers. She introduced me to Joel Stein. I know there has been some...okay...LOTS of buzz over his article regarding adults reading YA. I also know that I am far from the first person to say something about it. As much as I hate to admit it, Mr. Stein got me thinking...

Why do I read YA? Why do I LOVE to read YA? 

Stein is right. There's loads of lit out there geared toward adults like me. So why do I find myself gravitating toward a 'lower reading level?' 

Hi. My name is Deena, and I am a voracious reader of young adult novels, despite being thirty...mumble something grumble...years old.

There. I said it. It's out in the open. Am I ashamed of being way (and I mean waaaayyy) past my formidable teen years and reading tales staring teens? Nope. Not in the least.

Why?

This is what has been bouncing around my head like a pinball machine on crack. The easy answer? Because I like it. Love it even.

Definition of pastime: An activity that occupies one's spare time pleasantly. (ref)

Some synonyms: entertainment, leisure, hobby, relaxation, recreation, distraction, amusement, diversion. (ref)

Yes, I read YA as a pastime, a hobby. I do it because I enjoy it. It makes me happy. I was not aware I should approach my reading material as if I were preparing my thesis.

Do I feel less educated because I read a 'tween' book? No. Do I feel like my IQ dropped because, as Stein puts it, KidLit "doesn't have the depth of language and character as literature written for people who have stopped physically growing?" Absolutely not.

I have read "big girl" books and enjoyed them, but I love the potency of YA the most. Anyone who writes for a YA audience knows there is immense competition there. Not just because there are oodles of authors (and more new authors every day), but because the teen audience is a hard one to grab. Traditionally, teens don't have the attention span for a lengthy novel that takes its time getting to the point. You have to open with a kick to the sternum, grab with a right hook, and keep the them reading with as many groin kicks, uppercuts, and elbows to the solar plexus as possible. There's no time for dilly-dally in YA Lit.

YA, especially the upper teen side, is also full of 'first time' experiences. Everything is 'more' from the perspective of a teen because they've never been through it. I liken YA reads to baby rattlesnakes. Did I just lose you? Here, let me explain. A baby rattlesnake doesn't know how much venom to release that first strike so they often give it their all. Teen experiences are much like this.

That first love was all consuming when it began and soul crushing when it ended because their 'all' was given. That first time behind the wheel of a car often had more acceleration than necessary. That first kiss, that first time sneaking out of the house, that first game after making the team or cheer squad, and that first final passed were all so much bigger and powerful because they were a 'first' and, quite possibly, an all encompassing and dramatic event.

As adults, we dim down experiences because we've 'been there/ done that.' I find adult novels to be sort of the same way. The experiences are somewhat dulled down with familiarity. It doesn't make them less engaging, really, but they don't have that punch I like. Not like YA.

The characters in YA are not any less complex than adult novels either. I would venture to say they are more complex because they are written in worlds of 'firsts.' They might not be stressing over extra marital affairs, or unpaid bills, or an abusive spouse, but they have issues and stresses that are just as powerful in their world. And because there's no previous experience to base their feelings on, it is that much more powerful to read.

Maybe I am re-living life vicariously through YA novels. Who cares? With the hum-drum of regular life, sometimes we need that moment to relive, or remember, what it was like to take on something new and scary. It gets the adrenaline pumping and reboots the brain. We may even be able to take that 'jump with both feet' attitude and apply it to our very grown up lives. 

Am I offended by Mr. Stein's lack of respect for adults who read YA? That if he were to see me with Hunger Games in my lap, he would think less of me? No. Actually, I feel sorry for the man. He has obviously given up on his inner-child. He has cast aside that which allows us to create, to dream, to inspire: an imagination.

Now I may never get engaged in front of Cinderella's castle, but I will bounce on my toes in line for Space Mountain. I may not be a huge Justin Bieber fan, but I will crank up the volume when One Direction comes on the radio. Stein says this behavior is embarrassing. Personally, I think it's more embarrassing to be so obtuse, narrow-minded, and one dimensional.

Yes, I am an adult. I have a full-time job in the 'big girl' world that demands me to be professional and precise. I have a mortgage to pay, a small son to raise, and I have paid off my car. I have a degree and half hour commute. I have read Dan Brown, David Baldacci, Robin Cook, and Danielle Steel. But I fell in love with Jeri Smith-Ready, Becca Fitzpatrick, Cassandra Clare, and Jennifer Armentrout.

I am an adult and I love YA Lit. I love its passion, its power, its vigor and 'roooaaarrrr...I shall overcome' sort of essence. If Stein thinks this makes me less of an adult, he is entitled to his opinion. It will not make me second guess my next book purchase. If Mr. Stein sat next to me on my next flight to NYC for the SCBWI Conference, and curled a disgusted lip at the latest Mortal Instruments installment in my hand, I would proudly flip him the bird and tell him to "suck it" in the most adult manner possible.