Giveaway *(you) set me on fire* by Mariko Tamaki

(you) set me on fire by Mariko Tamaki

Mariko Tamaki’s earlier graphic novel, Skim, (about an adolescent girl struggling with her sexuality) was beautifully written and handled with honesty and sensitivity. Her new novel, (you) set me on fire, has a lot of the same insight.

Allison Lee is seventeen and starting college in the fall. She’s had a rough senior year in high school: she’s set herself on fire twice (accidentally) and been in love once, and the wounds are still fresh. College, she imagines, is the perfect setting to start again. And things seem to be going along as planned until Allison meets a rebellious girl named Shar and her world goes dramarama.

You’ve probably heard people say that life after high school is really just a rehash of the same old dramas. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that high school social structure is a super-concentrated slice of life. However you look at it, it’s fair to say that the teenage years are a goldmine of dramatic possibility for novelists, and Mariko Tamaki takes advantage of this in the best way possible. (you) set me on fire is reminiscent of the John Green at his best. 

-Erica  

I really hope this has something to do with the story...

Working at a bookstore, it's great fun to see the books that people special order. Often they are bestsellers from years back; sometimes they are obscure or hard to find titles; and, occasionally, they are kids titles that make me nostalgic.

And, every once in a while, they have terrifying covers like the one to the right.

I've never read any Trixie Belden books, but I think if I owned this one as a kid, I would have hidden it in the attic. Why is Trixie wearing a severed head on her hand like a puppet? I always suspected Nancy Drew had a bit of a dark side, but Trixie, you're, like, twelve years old! In all seriousness though, I probably would have read the book just to figure out what the heck was going on. I am always fascinated by book cover art. I'm particularily interested in the differences between the US/Canadian/UK versions of books. Or when a book wins a medal and they change the cover to supposedly appeal to the masses. Case in point: Shannon Hale books. The original cover (illustrated one) for Princess Academy is so much more representative of the story,  in my opinion. What do you think?   

 -Erica

Sassy Mag Lives

Back in the late 80s, a friend lent me her copy of a yet-unheard-of-by-me teen magazine called Sassy. As I flipped through it's glossy, colourful pages I could almost feel my 13-year-old mind collapsing under the weight of all of my subverted expectation.

Sassy, for those who've never read it (and it's long defunct), was like a big, bad, sarcastic older sister to all the other goody-goody teen mags (Seventeen, I'm looking at you). Sassy introduced me to bands and musicians  like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, and Liz Phair, and frequently published candid articles about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll.

But the very thing that made Sassy so great, eventually led to the magazine's demise. A group of angry mothers killed Sassy. Not happy with the magazine's content ("How dare you try and inspire our daughters to be independent-minded, informed young women!"), the mothers started an advertising boycott. They wrote to all of Sassy's major advertising clients and asked them to boycott the publication. And, as you can imagine, it didn't take long for things to go south.

Sassy folded in 1996, and, since then, my heart has longed for another magazine to come along and fill it's stylish combat boots. Bust has been a worthy seatwarmer for a few years now, but it's more of a young women's (20+) Sassy and lacks some of the tongue-in-cheek charm of it's predecessor, though it definitely is a topnotch magazine.

Anyway, let's skip to the happy ending. Through a recent article in Bust magazine, I discovered that 16-year -old fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, with the help of a few others including Jane Pratt (!) and Ira Glass (!), have created an online magazine called Rookie that effectively blows my mind. It's everything Sassy was and more. Tavi, thanks for loving Sassy even though you were not born before the last issue rolled. You have made my world a better place.

And...just to send me right over the edge of happiness, Rookie has a book coming out this fall. It's a collection of the best of the magazine's first year.

-Erica

In Defence of Romance

Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey is the story of Elyse: a seventeen-year-old employee of Goodman’s Gifts and Stationery with a beyond-her-years jaded attitude towards romantic love, and a passionate dislike for Valentine’s Day and all of its associations. After a particularly bad breakup the year before, Elyse just wants to make it through Valentine’s Day with her head down and her spirits relatively unscathed.

Enter Patrick, Elyse’s next door neighbour, secret admirer, and indomitable flirt. Elyse tries her darnedest to deflect his advances, but gradually begins to realize that Patrick may really be the good guy that he seems to be. As in “what you see is what you get,” and “yes, there really are good guys out there.” Remember Darcy from Pride and Prejudice? Good guy, just some trouble with sharing his feelings. Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything is another good example. He’s cool enough without you, but you’re still worth his time. Patrick Verona from Ten Things I Hate about You turns out all right in the end. And Cyrano de Bergerac has all the right words, if not the confidence to speak them himself.

So, see? Nice guys are all over the place if you look closely enough. The bad boy fantasy makes it all too easy for women to excuse bad behaviour and settle for being treated like they don’t deserve more. Rhymes with Cupid is a sweet, good-natured romance that made me smile on more than one occasion. The story is a classic and the writing is witty and smart, to boot. Read Rhymes with Cupid this Valentine’s Day and indulge all of your good guy fantasies. Lloyd Dobler would approve.

-Erica

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars...

John Green, with misplaced manuscript

Sixteen-year-old Hazel Grace has stage four cancer that is spreading to her lungs. Thanks to a hopeful new trial drug, the growth of her cancer has been halted for a time. At a cancer support group meeting to help her deal with her depression,  Hazel meets Augustus Waters, a handsome, charming young man whose own cancer prognosis looks better than Hazel’s. Hazel is drawn to Augustus' sense of humour, unique worldview and thorough grasp of irony and metaphor. Augustus has a weird habit of dangling an unlit cigarette between his lips, but later explains: “It's a metaphor, see. You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing.” Hazel’s relationship with Augustus and their shared love of a book called An Imperial Affliction by a reclusive Dutch writer named Peter van Houten take them along an unusual path of self-discovery.

Beautifully written and filled with humour, The Fault in Our Stars is also one of the most highly anticipated Young Adult titles this year. And it’s no wonder. It’s author, John Green, has almost two million followers on Twitter (http://twitter.com/realjohngreen) and a whole community of nerdy fans at vlogbrothers (http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers) , a collection of video journals that are a back and forth correspondence with his brother Hank. The videologs are caffeine-fuelled musings on just about everything worth talking about. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Green’s fans are of the die-hard variety, regularly posting encouraging comments on his website like “I can’t wait to receive my signed, pre-ordered copy of your new book so I can lick your signature!” OK, maybe no one actually said that, but you get the idea.

The new book does NOT disappoint. The plot and topic of this new book was a closely-guarded secret with Green and his publishers for a while, so I had no idea what this one was about. John Green could sell his shopping lists on ebay and make a fortune so it almost seemed like what he chose to write about was irrelevant. But here’s the kicker: The Fault in Our Stars is about one of the single most difficult topics around: childhood cancer. In a lesser writer’s hands, this would be the kind of book I would diligently avoid; however, this is why it’s not a problem:

1)      John Green’s previous (and award-winning) book Looking for Alaska deals with death in a sensitive, intelligent, and even, at times, humorous way.

2)      Green writes teenage dialogue good enough to make Joss Whedon (Buffy) and Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) sit up and take notice.

3)     The Fault in Our Stars is filled with lots of literary references and poetry. I love that Green never assumes that his audience is stupid.

The Fault in Our Stars will be a feast for existing John Green fans, and--for new readers--a great introduction to a young adult writer at the top of his game.

-Erica

*Wonderstruck* giveaway!

From Brian Selznick, the creator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the Caldecott Medal winner, comes another breathtaking tour de force. Set fifty years apart, two independent stories — Ben's told in words and Rose's in pictures — weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. 


Ever since his mom died, Ben feels lost. At home with her father, Rose feels alone. 
He is searching for someone, but he is not sure who. 
She is searching for something, but she is not sure what. 
When Ben finds a mysterious clue hidden in his mom's room, 
When a tempting opportunity presents itself to Rose, 
 Both children risk everything to find what's missing. 


 With over 460 pages of original drawings and playing with the form he invented in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful, Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
 

Win a copy of *Goliath* by Scott Westerfeld!

An Interview with Goliath Author Scott Westerfeld!

I LOVE all things steampunk. And I LOVE anything by Scott Westerfeld. So when I laid my hands on Leviathan, the first of his steampunk-inspired, totally amazing series in the fall of 2009, I was smitten. Behemoth came out next, and this fall the conclusion to the series arrived in our little bookstore to much fanfare (mostly from me). Scoot over here to see my review of Goliath to get a feel of what this series is all about.

The good folks at Simon and Schuster Canada set me up with an interview with Scott Westerfeld and his thoughtful answers are reproduced below. It seems much more steampunk to use last names only so Scott is "Mr. Westerfeld", and I will be, um... "Mrs. Sommerfield -Smith" (oh, why not?) So, as they say, tie up your dirigible and stay awhile!

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: You’ve done an amazing job of creating a fascinating alternate WWI history in the Leviathan series. You create some great “what if” scenarios and divisions (Clankers vs. Darwinists, boys vs. girls (!)). In your afterword to Leviathan you mention that “the nature of steampunk is blending future and past” and that your series “is as much about possible futures as alternate pasts.” Could you elaborate on this?

Mr. Westerfeld: Steampunk is about messing with history, Victorian history in particular. It's about bringing a flame-thrower to a tea party, while still wearing an appropriate silk cravat. So it's not just a mix of future and past, but of refinement and mayhem.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: Why did you decide to give these novels a steampunk aesthetic? Where did you first encounter steampunk?

Mr. Westerfeld: My first steampunk experience was at Disney World. I was about eight years old, and went on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride. Something about a nuclear submarine with a pipe organ and baroque stylings really clicked with me. It's that strange mix of technologies and time periods that make certain people love steampunk.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: I’ve noticed steampunk appearing more and more in literature, but also movies and television. Neil Gaiman recently wrote an episode of Doctor Who that had a decidedly steampunk feel. Are there any TV shows with a steampunk look/philosophy that have drawn your attention?

Mr. Westerfeld: I think the movie world (and more recently TV) likes the look and feel of steampunk, but doesn't know what to do with its broader themes yet. Steampunk is about rewriting history, in effect, pushing back the constraints that society placed on people because of their gender or beliefs or who their parents were. And there has yet to be a TV version of steampunk that addresses that larger project. I will admit that I grew up with The Wild, Wild West, however, and that I desperately wanted my own personal gizmo-filled train car.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: In addition to your extremely successful YA series’ you’ve written five science fiction novels for adults. Why did you decide to write for young adults? What are the particular merits of writing for this audience?

Mr. Westerfeld: Teenagers are voracious readers, they send more and better fan mail, and they aren't as limited in their genre choices as adults. But I think the coolest thing about them is how engaged with language they are. At any given moment, more teenagers than adults are studying a foreign language, writing poetry, memorizing song lyrics, and making up slang. Teens are still acquiring language to some extent, and thus they take more joy and interest in the way novels play with words. As a writer who likes to generate slang and other kinds of neologisms, I find them a much more engaged and exciting audience with which to communicate.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: Keith Thompson’s illustrations in the three novels are stunning. I love it when books are illustrated with black and white illustrations. At any time did you and Keith Thompson work together to come up with a “look” for the illustrations, or were writing and illustrating two separate endeavours?

Mr. Westerfeld: I would send Keith first drafts of three or four chapters at a time, and he would respond very quickly with sketches, so we were bouncing back and forth from the beginning. Often I would rewrite based on his illustrations, because I soon found that he was a better engineer than me, and sometimes a better researcher as well. So at times I would be quite general, "Something's going to chase in them in a couple of chapters. Could you draw something fast?" and then let my writing follow his art.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: The internet, do you love it or hate it? Does it help or hinder you as a writer? Are there benefits and/or pitfalls to having a presence online while being an active writer?

Mr. Westerfeld: I think being in touch with readers is a great experience. Teens are wonderfully frank about what they like and dislike in my fiction, which is a really great kind of feedback to get. But the best thing about the internet is the way that teens engage each other, forming communities of readers. And these communities spread outward from the books to the wider world, as with the Harry Potter Alliance and its charitable works. A love of books has always been a way for like-minded people to find each other, and the internet has only made that project more vast and wonderful.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: Your series, Uglies, has a brilliant new sci-fi take on that old (teenage) chestnut: “Be yourself”. In Leviathan, Deryn disguises herself as a boy to join the British Air Force and must be careful not to let her secret slip. I like the fact that you’ve drawn Deryn as an independent, strong-willed young woman, but she’s also not without insecurities and prejudices. What is so unique about this time in a child’s life when they are coming-of-age, and why is it such a fascinating theme to write (and read!) about?

Mr. Westerfeld: I agree that the theme of teenage fiction is Identity. Young people are still figuring out who they are, after all. (Everyone is, really, but teenagers are better at admitting it.) Because the teenage years are filled with epic firsts—first love, first betrayal, first true loss—it's a tremendously dramatic time to write about.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: I like the way the adults in this novel, particularly Dr. Nora Barlow, seem to be positive influences on Deryn and Alek. Was this a conscious choice?

Mr. Westerfeld:I think Barlow and Volger have both positive and negative aspects. They provide a lot of good advice to their young charges, but their overall worldview is one of conflict and competition. Deryn and Alek, on the other hand, are learning the importance of working together across lines of ideology and class. So it's up to my younger characters to separate the good from the bad when it comes to their elders' example and counsel.

Mrs. Sommerfield-Smith: And do you categorize, if you could categorize your books at all, as speculative fiction? If so, what are the freedoms of writing in this genre? Are there any limitations? If not, what sets your books outside the categorization of speculative fiction?

Mr. Westerfeld: I'm lucky in writing for young adults, in that my books don't get categorized as much. I've written science fiction, fantasy, contemporary realism, and now steampunk, and yet all my books can sit happily together in the teen section of the bookstore. And that's all us writers can really ask for, that our books be findable! All the rest of it is for the critics to worry about.

Book Clubbing: *Incarceron* by Catherine Fisher with Bronwyn!

Mandy and her fellow blogger and friend Kiirstin have had a lot of fun "Book Clubbing" on this blog. No, I don't mean violently attacking books with blunt objects (I can already imagine a librarian-led protest rally in response to this), but rather chatting, book-club style, about books they love.

My coworker and friend Bronwyn and I decided to do the latter with the book Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Bronwyn's read both of the books in the series, Incarceron and Sapphique, so she's supplied me with a little teaser for each:

Incarceron:

In a world thousands of years from now, where everyone lives as though it was still the 17th century, there exists an elaborate prison. Incarceron is so vast that it contains more than cells: metal forests, forgotten cities, vast wilderness, and fog-filled never-ending ravines. Instead of stars at night, the prisoners are followed by glowing red dots, the eyes of the prison that follow their every move. Seventeen-year-old Finn has no memory but believes that he was born outside of Incarceron. He finds a crystal key which allows him to communicate with Claudia. She not only lives outside, she is also the daughter of Incarceron's warden. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

Sapphique:

Without giving too much away, Finn and Claudia are outside together. Finn has discovered that this other world is not what he had hoped for. He must obey rules of protocol and etiquette. His friends are still stuck in Incarceron and he feels that he has abandoned them. They are searching for a magical glove, rumoured to give them the power to escape and join Finn. As the prison prepares to battle, so to does the Outside. The dynamic ending to this book will take your breath away!

***

Bronwyn: Hi Erica!

Erica: Hi Bronwyn!

Bronwyn: How are you doing? Did you get a chance to finish Incarceron?

Erica: Yes. Andrew and I were travelling home from Hamilton yesterday night

and I read a couple of chapters by flashlight. Don't worry, I wasn't the one driving! But,

point being, this book is THAT suspenseful. I couldn't wait to get home to read it.

Bronwyn: I felt the same way. I couldn't wait to finish the book and then I couldn't

wait to read the sequel, Sapphique!

Erica: You recommended that I read this book. What attracted you in the first

place? Why did you pick if off the shelf?

Bronwyn: Well first of all the beautiful cover of that key drew me in. I know as

booksellers we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I do it all the time.

Then I was really drawn in by this unique idea that Catherine Fisher created in her

book, about a kingdom 3000 years in the future that dresses and acts like they

are living in Versailles and has a prison that is a whole other world that is really an

experiment gone wrong.

Bronwyn: I was also fascinated by the amazing array of gadgets that they use

in the kingdom, things like skin wands to not look old.

Erica: I know! The cover totally drew me in too! You know how much I love anything

steampunk. I opened the front cover and there are a whack of awesome quotes:

"...a steampunk tour de force; ...a gripping futuristic fantasy", etc. So the beautiful

cover and the reviews inside really sold me on this book. The setting (3000 years in

the future, but living as if they are in the 17th century) is very steampunk,

and I found this idea fascinating. The idea that the world is controlled by imposing the

ideals of a former era is brilliant.

Erica: And gadgets! The skin wands reminded me of the the work that Cinna

the stylist did on Katniss in The Hunger Games.

Bronwyn: I also found the main characters -- Finn in the jail and Claudia on "earth" –

very well rounded. I found myself cheering for them and also sometimes a little scared

of them or disappointed in the decisions that they made. I like when an author does that,

when their characters are not superheroes or perfect wonder-beings.

Erica: Yeah, I agree. These characters are well constructed. I liked that Fisher uses the

trope of the princess that is betrothed to an odious prince, and yet Claudia is not the

standard damsel in distress.

Erica: I was also really impressed with the way that Fisher developed the Prison as a

CHARACTER in the novel. The idea of a sentient prison reminded me a bit of the computer

(HAL 9000) in the movie 2001. I think it`s such a scary premise: a prison that is all seeing,

all-knowing and that is responsible for the life and death of its inmates.

Bronwyn: Certainly, Claudia is a woman who knows her own mind and is determined to

get her way. I think she was very empowered, especially because she had been mostly raised

by this master tutor who gave her education, ethics, but mostly taught her how to think

and question the world around her. I have not seen 2001, but I am familiar with the premise.

Sometimes I wonder about that, here we are surrounded by gadgets that we depend on.

Are they all-seeing? Anyways that's a bit too Big Brother. But the books are really built on

that Big Brother premise. And even though in Claudia's world they claim that they are "free",

in fact they are not, there are silent eyes and ears listening to the citizens at all times.

In Incarceron it's obvious when these red eyes are following you wherever you go.

Erica: True. Both Claudia and Finn are each imprisoned in their own way. You could even

argue that Finn's imprisonment is less sinister, because it's right out there. Everyone KNOWS

that Big Brother is watching, so to speak. So I`ve been poking around online and I noticed

that the rights to this book have been optioned and a movie is due out in 2013.

Taylor Lautner and Emma Watson are set to star as Finn and Claudia. What do you think

of this?

Bronwyn: OOOOO that sounds amazing! As I was reading both books I was trying to

figure out how it could be made into a movie because both worlds are so complex, especially

the prison. Incarceron just felt it had all of these layers of worlds contained within it. The

metallic forest that Finn and his group walk through to try and escape the prison, really was

so beautiful, I pictured an enchanted world and then all of a sudden the prison lights go on

and you remember that this is really a jail. A strange (and dare I say wondrous) jail?

Erica: I think that they'll definitely make beautiful movies. The setting is so visually rich

and detailed. The cinematographer's going to have a party. OK. So if the Twilight franchise

has Team Jacob and Team Edward, I propose that there will be a Team Finn vs. Team Jared.

Am I alone in having a bit of a crush on Jared? Tall, dark, handsome Sapient/tutor that

he is?

Bronwyn: I think I would probably be on Team Finn... He definitely seems a "rebel with a

cause". But I can see how Jared is a beguiling character. The second book in the series,

at the very end Jared surprises me, and seems to have a very large character shift.

Bronwyn: Are you planning on reading the second book?

Erica: Definitely. I'm hoping maybe my Jared/Claudia fantasy will be realized in

Sapphique? Haa, just kidding. Too pedagogically inappropriate. No spoilers please.

I just Googled Jared/Incareron/fanfic and the author R.J. Anderson has a series of

fanfiction based on Incarceron.

Bronwyn: Interesting. I am not familiar with fanfiction. What is that?

Erica: It's when fans of a novel or a particular character in a novel take that character

and create their own story and publish it online.It's kind of an outlet for fans to expand

on a story or take characters in a different direction. It’s like a DIY way to make your

favourite stories last longer!

Erica: Here's the link for the R. J. Anderson fanfiction:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6795502/1/Th...

Goliath!

Goliath is the conclusion to the Young Adult trilogy, Leviathan. I whipped through the first two books in this series, Leviathan and Behemoth, so you can imagine how excited I was when I received an advance copy of Goliath.

The Leviathan trilogy is a steampunk-inspired alternate history of World War I. The series’ main characters are Alek, heir-in hiding to the Austrian throne and son of the murdered Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Princess Sophie, and Deryn Sharp, a young girl from London who dreams of being part of the British Air Service. Deryn sneaks her way in to the service by pretending to be a boy and by calling herself Dylan Sharp. In Westerfeld’s version of WWI, there are two main opposing factions: the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Clankers are countries, such as Germany and Austria-Hungary, that use steam-driven iron machines for warfare. The Darwinists use altered animals as their weaponry. Darwinists countries include Britain, France and Japan.

The three novels follow Alek and Deryn’s adventures aboard the airship Leviathan, a huge vehicle made out of a whale and an intricate ecosystem unto itself. On top of some thrilling combat with huge steampunk iron machines and some daring escapes, lies a budding romance between Alek and Deryn that builds throughout the series. Admittedly, the feelings are a little one-sided in the first two novels. As Deryn is disguised as a boy, admitting her feelings for Alek would be like admitting that her whole existence as a soldier has been a lie.

And if all this still doesn’t sell you on what a thrilling series this is, Keith Thompson’s black and white illustrations throughout the book are fantastically intricate depictions of the huge beasties and clankers. I found myself flipping ahead in each book to look at the next illustration, despite the major spoilers!

Behemoth and the entire Leviathan trilogy will appeal to teenagers and adults alike, especially history buffs and steampunk enthusiasts. A great series for teen boys who are reluctant readers, too.

-Erica

Win a copy of *The Vinyl Princess* 'zine by Yvonne Prinz!

So imagine, if you will, my girlish squeal of delight when, one morning, my boss handed me a package addressed to Edge of Seventeen. Mail! Yay!

The return address said Yvonne Prinz. "Hmm. Who's that? ," I thought. Then it dawned on me. Yvonne Prinz: author of the incredibly cool novel The Vinyl Princess, co-founder of the indie record store Amoeba Music ,blogger and 'zine author! Inside the package was a bunch of copies of her 'zine and a bunch of VP buttons. I have three of each to give away, so be sure to enter your name below to get one.

Mandy put me on to The Vinyl Princess last year and after I read the novel, I think Mandy's review of the book perfectly captures my feelings for this book. See Mandy's enthusiastic review of The Vinyl Princess here. And her further musings here.

The 'zine that I'm giving away is like a love letter to music: vintage vinyl reviews, top ten lists, a comic strip and more.

****

Edge of Seventeen is Back!

After a bit of an extended vacation, Edge of Seventeen is back! Mandy has offered me the enormously thrilling responsibility of taking care of this baby for a while. So, I've already written a few blog posts but I suppose it's never too late for official introductions. My name is Erica and I work at Words Worth Books in Waterloo. I love reading kids and YA books and I have a special interest in anything with a steampunk aesthetic. I hope that you'll enjoy my posts. Mandy will continue to post reviews once in a while, in between running a world-class local independent bookstore. In order to accomplish all of this, Mandy will give up sleep.

So, in honour of Mandy and the love for YA that we both share, I thought I'd share with you a little Q&A, to get right back to the heart of why it's so much fun to blog about Young Adult fiction.

Erica: Hi Mandy!
Mandy: Hi!!!

Mandy and Erica, blog-size.

Erica: What are you reading right now?
Mandy: The new Michael Ondaatje. It's okay.
Erica: I know that you have a very special place in your heart for teen fiction, especially dystopian fiction. Is there anything that you've read lately that's wowed you, or anything that you are anticipating?
Mandy: I'm anticipating reading the new Kenneth Oppel and the new Maureen Johnson, for sure. Recently I finished the new Eileen Cook book, I think it's out in January. (I'd have to look up all the titles hahaha)
Erica: What is it about Young Adult fiction that draws you to this genre? The hot boys? 
Mandy: Hahahahahaha! The only guys I find hot in YA are the Weasley twins.
Erica: No!

Weasely Weasleys

Mandy: Yes!! And both of 'em!  For awhile when I was reading more YA, I loved it because there was such a huge community dedicated to it. And I had started reading the blog Bookshelves of Doom http://bookshelvesofdoom.blogs.com/ , and I loved her review style. She got me on to so much and I just went with it. And then a lovely librarian friend was also locally blogging about teen books and I was hooked.
Erica: When you mention the YA community, what do you mean? Readers, bloggers, authors?
Mandy: Mostly bloggers, but also publishers. There was all this new buzz about the teen genre and I wanted to be part of it.
Erica: There are LOTS of blogs on the web, and lots of YA book blogs, to boot. What sets Edge of Seventeen apart from the rest, in your opinion?
Mandy: Actually I think EOS is pretty standard in terms of a book blog. BUT I think with your renewed interest in maintaining it, and your injecting it with Steampunk goodness, it'll really become something.
Erica: I don't think the blog is or has ever been standard! Your sheer enthusiasm and amazing author interviews made me a loyal blog reader.
Mandy: Every blog should have some unique focus to it, in partnership with being a straightforward teen book review blog. Pick a passion and incorporate it into your blog and you'll stand out. I never really did that.
Erica: I endeavor to take the awesomeness that you started and continue it.
Mandy: Ha ha ha, you'll make it great.
Erica: Anne of Green Gables was the book that made me into a reader. It has a strong female character, which is something that I still love in YA books. Was there a book like this for you?
Mandy: One of the books that made me into a reader was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I loved it. It was also the beginning of my love for Sci-Fi. But I can't remember my first book, per se.
Erica: You've interviewed quite a few fantastic authors on your blog. Which one would you most like to take out for dinner? What would you chat about over coffee and dessert?
Mandy: I'd love to have dinner with Bernard Beckett just because I have a crush on him. It's possible that I wouldn't have much to say to him except "Genesis was amazing...." I might have more to say to Meg Rosoff though, just about anticipating how a story is developed. I'm in awe of How I Live Now. All of the elements of the story and the way she builds it up, it's remarkable.
Erica: You're remarkable. Thanks for creating such a fantastic blog and thanks for chatting with me.
Mandy: Anytime!!