On the Fence Review

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing a sweet contemporary romance novel called The Distance Between Us by Kasie West, so I was really excited this year to find her next book On the Fence in my mailbox to review this year. It was every bit as good as The Distance Between Us, in fact, I would maybe even go so far as to say I enjoyed it more. Check out my review below.

On the Fence by Kasie West
Gr 8 Up--West crafts a beautiful story that will hook lovers of contemporary teen romance. Ever since her mom died, Charlie, a 16-year-old tomboy who loves all things sports, spends most of her time playing pick-up games with her three brothers and next-door neighbor Braden. But when Charlie's dad makes her get a job to pay off a speeding ticket, she lands a job at a clothing store where she must model make-up and be more feminine than she's ever cared to be. Soon she's in over her head with lies--lying to her dad, her boss, and a cute boy who's never seen the tomboy side of her. The only thing that saves her are her late night fence chats with Braden, who she is slowly beginning to fall in love with but can't risk losing. This tale is eloquently written and goes deeper than most teen romances dare to go. For fans of Susane Colasanti and Stephanie Perkins.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC

Those Pesky Summaries

So you've finished off the latest revision of your manuscript, and have decided it's time to try sending it out. "That's great," you might think. And the excitement might even last for a few hours. But then, when it's time to proof your query letter and make sure that summary is absolutely perfect, the excitement starts to wear off. There's so much pressure put on the summary you write for your book. (Although much of it may be self-inflicted.) I still don't know if the summary is perfect, but I think I'm getting close to something, so I've decided to post it and see what some of you may have to say about it. Feel free to leave any suggestions/comments in the comments box at the bottom. I'd love to hear from you!

Summary of Desiderium:

At any given time there is exactly one Desiderium walking the Earth. And no matter what anyone might think they saw, that person absolutely cannot be seventeen-year-old Rhiley Winters. No way. The Desiderium, after all, has the power to make her strongest desires a reality—literally. The last one wished for a baby with every fiber of her being, and minutes later a screaming infant appeared out of thin air. And that’s nothing like what just happened to Rhiley in history class. Not even close.

But let’s just say Rhiley was the Desiderium (hypothetically speaking, of course). She would be the reason no one on this planet is allowed to feel desire. Plus there’s the tiny detail of finding herself at the top of every government’s most wanted list. After all, there’s no telling what kind of havoc she could wreak on society with her newfound ability. And if they do execute her (which would be highly unnecessary because she’s definitely not the Desiderium), as soon as she dies the ability would be passed on to someone else, and Rhiley would be nothing but a black mark in history books for generations to come.

So, really, the fact that she just wished for more time and time is now literally frozen around her doesn’t mean anything. And the fact that the hot new student witnessed everything doesn’t matter. Because there has to be another explanation. Her life depends on it.

Lost Girl Found Review

Here's my latest review for SLJ. It was a starred review, and a really good book, so check it out if you get the chance.

School Library Journal (04/01/2014):
Gr 8 Up--This poignant and gripping story follows Poni, a young girl growing up in a Sudanese village. The emotional tale depicts the challenges of Poni's everyday life before the war. Against all odds, she must find a way to stay in school, deflect any young boy's attention, and fight for her life to survive malaria. But then the war comes, and everything changes. After her entire village is wiped out following an airstrike and her family is presumed dead, she must flee Sudan with a group of refugees to the safety of a refugee camp far away. Many die along the way, but Poni survives the long journey. Once she gets there, she discovers the horrors going on at the refugee camp and must escape. After she's free, a nun in Nairobi offers her shelter, the continuing education the teen has been longing for, and, ultimately, help getting to America, the land of opportunity. This book does an excellent job of evoking strong emotions from readers through its graphic depictions of life in war-torn Africa. Many are familiar with the Lost Boys of Sudan, but these authors set out to tell the stories of the Lost Girls of Sudan, and have succeeded with flying colors. This short, quickly paced narrative will stay with readers for the rest of their lives.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.