Spotlight | Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Crash landing via tornado into a childhood nightmare, Amy Gumm finds the lime-lit, sparkling city of Oz a far cry from its former over-the- rainbow glory. The culprit? That bitch from Kansas: Dorothy Gale. Power-hungry and invincible, Dorothy has turned everything on its head. Now, the Scarecrow conducts inhumane experiments on the winged monkeys, the Tin Woodman is a trained killer, and the Lion is a deranged monster out for blood.

Upon arriving, Amy is immediately inducted into The Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, a group of not-so-wicked witches that are determined to rid their land of Dorothy. Now, Amy will have to show more gumption than was ever necessary in her Kansas trailer park life. When everyone has ulterior motives and no one is whom they seem, it's not easy to know what to do next. But one thing's for sure: Dorothy must die.

Get the story started with the prequel novella No Place Like Oz.

Danielle Paige is a graduate of Columbia University. Before turning to young adult literature, she worked in the television industry where she received a Writers Guild of America award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. She currently lives in New York City.

Arriving just in time for the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and already slated to become a CW show produced by Heroes creator Tim Kring, DOROTHY MUST DIE is available now.

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.

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Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

After exhausting my brain reading Trying Not To Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity by Edward Slingerland (March 4, 2014), I was ready for a light, easy read. I certainly never would have guessed that such a fun read as Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron would touch on some of the same concepts I had just waded through.

I love reading a book that can be enjoyed on many levels and Man Made Boy certainly fit the bill. When I started reading I just wanted something fun that I could enjoy on the surface. The story of the son of the Monster (Victor Frankenstein's of course) and the Bride leaving his sheltered life and attempting to have a normal life among humans was a great story. The characters were interesting and enjoyable to get to know. Boy's adventures were fast paced and his struggles never felt artificial. The variety of mythological monsters was impressive, especially without a vampire in sight.

What most impressed me about Man Made Boy though was that the reader is able to go deeper into issues of freedom, creator and creation, independence, family, perception, and technology if the reader chooses. While all of these topics are addressed in the book, the reader is given the choice of how much to explore them. The main storyline is never overcome by the issues being touched upon. Rather the heavier topics are used simply to support the lighter surface story.

As I had just finished a heavy non-fiction book, I filtered Man Made Boy through all that I had learned about spontaneity, flow, and ancient Chinese spiritual schools of thought. I noticed when Boy seemed to be in his most efficient state (usually while writing computer code) and when his interactions were most difficult (when dealing with humans, girls, or unfamiliar situations). It turned out that this young adult fiction book about a society of monsters hiding in plain sight was the example I needed understand the dry, academic writings of Trying Not To Try.

I would highly recommend Man Made Boy to anyone looking for a fun, coming of age monster story that will leave you much to think about when you finish.

Amazon affiliate links are used within this post.

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Abandon Series by Meg Cabot

One of the problems I've encountered with having a book review blog and accepting books for review is that books that I've obtained in other ways (mainly purchased or won from giveaways on other blogs) get buried at the bottom of the "to read" pile. This was certainly the case for Abandon by Meg Cabot. The book was published in 2011 and I won a copy from a blogger giveaway so long ago that I cannot remember who I got it from. The only advantage to finding books like this hidden on the bookshelf is that the trilogy is now complete and I was able to read the books one right after another with no painful wait in between.

Meg Cabot references the mythology of the Persephone in this modern tale of Pierce Oliviera, who nearly drown when she was fifteen, and John Hayden, the lord of the Underworld who falls in love with her.

I admit that I had some difficulty getting in to Abandon. I wanted to love the story but at seventeen Pierce seemed immature and naive. Combine her innocent outrage and John's lack of communication skills ("I thought you knew!" was his favorite excuse) and I was rolling my eyes at each bump in their relationship road. The good news for me was that the story and supporting characters were strong enough to keep me reading and I could see the relationship evolving as the characters learned more of each other's secrets. That was enough to keep me reading the series.

The second book in the trilogy, Underworld, is again filled with miscommunication and misinformation. Now stuck in the Underworld, Pierce must convince John it is worth the exposure to the Furies for her to return and try to help her friends and family. The more Pierce learns about the threats from supernaturals and mortals, she realizes how much of what she thought she understood about the world is incorrect or incomplete. In trying to do the right thing both Pierce and John stumble in to more danger. This book is a solid transition between Abandon and Awaken.

The final book of the trilogy, Awaken, was the strongest part of the story for me. Pierce and John finally stop fighting each other and start working as a team. While there are still missteps on both sides, John and Pierce are more aware of how their actions affect the larger group and realize that the well-being of all needs to be considered. Will their efforts be enough to stave off the Furies and restore the balance before the worlds collide and destroy each other?

Overall the Abandon trilogy isn't my favorite series by Meg Cabot but the books were a quick read and the story kept my interest.

Find more books by Meg Cabot on Amazon
Amazon affiliate links are used within this post.

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Wax by Phil Duncan

Yancey Muncey is dead. Or, he was. Raised from the grave by the shadowy figure of Dr. Blankenship, Yancey is now back in high school, hanging out with his best friend, and working up the nerve to ask the girl of his dreams to the upcoming Halloween carnival.

But not everything is the same as it was before: Yancey’s eyes are yellow, his skin is blue, and he’s indestructible. As if that weren’t bad enough, Dr. Blankenship has made it his life’s mission to hunt Yancey down. Because the only reason Yancey is alive again is to help the good doctor destroy his rival.

An average boy with a new lease on an extraordinary life, Yancey must battle high-trained security and high school bullies in his quest to get back to normal. What’s the worst that can happen after all? He’s already dead.

Buy an author-signed hardcover of Wax
or grab the Kindle version of Wax

From the Strangest Places

by Phil Duncan

Let’s begin with a quick hypothetical:

Propelled by a dangerous nosey streak that often lands him in trouble, a man logs onto his girlfriend’s browser and begins casually perusing her Internet history. To his dismay, he finds bytes upon bytes of information on serial killers, the war crimes of the Peloponnesian war, and instructions for assembling a nineteenth century blunderbuss. His eyes glaze over, snot pools on his trembling upper lip, as he reads on: sustainable unicorn ranching techniques, the mating rituals of banana slugs, the pH ratio of Coca Cola. Finally, he reaches for the phone to alert the authorities when he stumbles upon a website, unapologetically entitled How to Murder Your Boyfriend in Seven Easy Steps. As he is just about to dial 9-1-1, the door of the office swings open and his girlfriend enters the room.

Though this sounds like the opening to a perfectly mediocre true crime tale, the girlfriend is far from being a felon-in-waiting or prime candidate for a straightjacket. The more likely explanation is that she is a writer; and her boyfriend just learned the consequences of snooping around in the typical schizophrenic browsing history of one who sets pen to paper. As writers, we find inspiration in just about everything -- which is why we’re often taken aback when asked by someone “so what inspired this book?” The answer is never easy, as we pull inspiration from our daily lives, our research, and from other books, films, and media. While my novel Wax is a very loose remix of Shelly’s Frankenstein, there are flecks of everything from Franny and Zooey to the “The Simpsons” to the regenerative capabilities of octopi found within its pages.

Inspiration strikes from the strangest places and it is the job of a writer to always be open to it, whether watching a French film from the ‘60s, reading a comic book, or – yes -- logging into online murderer message boards. No matter what genre or form her writing takes, the successful writer should never narrow her interests in regards to what inspires her research and, ultimately, her creative output. The more encompassing the radar, the more information the writer will receive. She may never process but a fraction of this information -- but that one character note, that one scene description, that one piece of detailed minutiae -- may be the element that ultimately determines the success of the piece.

So dirty up that browser history, but for your nosey partner’s peace of mind, consider cleaning it up once in awhile.

About the author:

Phil Duncan is the author of Wax, a young-adult novel published by RainTown Press, as well as of various short fiction published both in print and online.

Phil is a graduate of Goddard College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program and the University of Washington’s English program. He is a former Jacob K. Javits Fellow and recently served as a Creator-in-Residence at the Tokyo Wonder Site-Aoyama in Tokyo, Japan. He currently lives in Portland, OR.

Connect with Phil: Goodreads * Twitter * Website

Amazon Affiliate links are used within this post and I will earn a small percent from any purchases made using these links.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

Fern by Amy Richie

Summer is coming and you need start putting together your reading list.

Young adult paranormal fantasy author Amy Richie hopes you will pick up her Blood Vine series.

She's offering a Prize Pack to one lucky reader, which includes a signed paperback copy of Fern.

Join Amy Richie for a Twitter Party

May 10 at 11 am eastern

Use the hashtag #Fern

Connect with the author: website  *  Facebook

“It’s strange how fast life changes. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a council man hands you six werewolves to take care of.”

Willow and her pack had barely settled into their new town when the council shows up again. Only this time it’s to ask for their help - to save Gage. How can Willow refuse?

Suddenly, Willow is thrust into a world of childhood nightmares. The Ancient City. But it isn’t at all what she thought it would be. In fact, Willow soon realizes that not many things are what she thought they would be and she has to figure out for herself which things are worth fighting for.

Buy the book at Amazon.

Haven't started the series yet? Buy the first book, Willow, on Amazon.

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A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by Anchor Group Publishing. Giveaway is sponsored by the author.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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Wildflowers by Schledia Benefield

Fairytale vs. Reality

(The Life of an Author)

Thank you, Angela, for inviting me to share with you and your readers.

Aspiring authors often have a fantasy view of writing novels. They are born with creativeness and gifted with a beautiful way of expressing their language. Words just seem to flow through their fingertips. They dream of writing bestselling books and seeing their stories made into movies, so they start with an idea, they mold it, form it, and create their babies. They spend months (sometimes years) spilling their hearts through their pens. Once they’ve finished, they breathe a sigh of relief. They feel elation. They’ve done it! They’ve created a masterpiece that a big publishing house will pay them big bucks to print. BUT have they actually finished?

A vast majority of readers and even non-readers seem to have the same fantasy idea of what life is like for an author. What they don’t understand is that after spending hours creating a character map (being careful in choosing appropriate names and descriptions), after hours of writing an overview, after hours writing a chapter outline with a brief summary of what takes place within each chapter, and after months and months of writing, rewriting, cutting scenes, changing scenes, embellishing the writing style, and proofreading for grammatical errors, they are actually nowhere near finished. Having completed all they have thus far is indeed a great accomplishment, yet there is so much more to being an author than actually writing a book.

Once an author has completed their manuscript, they must begin searching for an agent and/or publisher. This entails research and attending writers’ conferences to meet agents and editors. After creating a list of potential agents and publishers, the author must write personalized query letters to each of them and pitch their book. They must also write a synopsis of their work. Writing a great query and a good synopsis can be even more difficult than writing the story itself.

After an agent agrees to represent the author, the author waits while he/she tries to sell it to a publisher. Some small publishing houses will accept direct submissions from the author, so it is possible to bypass seeking an agent. Once a publisher decides to pick up an author’s work, the editing process begins AGAIN. I can only speak from here on out from a small press stance since I am not published by a big publishing house. The publishing company will have an editor to read the manuscript for content. At this point the editor will makes notes of any content that seems wrong, doesn’t make sense, timeline issues, believability, and so on. They will suggest adding, deleting, and rewriting anything they feel will improve the marketability of the story. After these changes are made, the author resubmits the manuscript, and the same editor will either suggest more changes or okay the manuscript.

Once all content revisions are made, the manuscript is sent to another editor for the purpose of line editing. This editor looks for grammatical issues within the story. The author then receives the manuscript back with all the corrections he/she needs to make, and then resubmits after executing proper changes. The editor does another read through, and if all is well, they are ready to take it to the galleys and create a cover. Then the author gets to see an example of the completed work, cover included. He or she breathes a sigh of relief feeling that he/she has finally done it! BUT it is not over yet. There is still more to being an author than writing a book, editing a book, and having a great cover!

Then comes the marketing, which can be just as time consuming as the writing process. There are multiple guest posts to write, multiple interviews to be scheduled, many questions to answer, book signings to attend, and speaking engagements to prepare for. Being published through a small press means the author has to do a large amount of the footwork. Big publishers will do more marketing for the author, but in today’s economy they do less than they used to do and expect their authors to do more than in the past. This phase lasts several months and can continue on even longer. So, as you can see, there is much more to being an author than simply writing a book.

Readers who love romance novels will be pleased to know that this week from March 25-31, the Kindle version of Wildflowers will be on sale for 99 cents!

About the Book:

Have you ever feared what may be hiding deep within you?

Darkness often skulks in the blood of unsuspecting victims, but Aster McGrath is acutely aware of the violence coursing through his veins. After all, he is the son of a murderer, and everyone in the town of Bayville, Mississippi says he will end up just like his father.

When Susan Blackman moves into town, Aster has already embraced his brutal nature, but her gentle spirit draws him in and slowly melts the icy exterior of his heart. Taming his savagery, she professes her love, but will the good within him be able to overcome the evil lurking deep inside? Or will the fiend break free of its fetters and seek blood?

Buy Wildflowers at Amazon

About the Author:

Schledia Benefield is the author of Plain Jane, Pretty Boy, and Wildflowers. She attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College but chose to be a stay-at-home mom for many years. She devoted eight years of her life to working with youth as a youth minister and has been invited to speak in a rehab to hurting and wounded women, giving them hope for a better future. She was the Keynote Speaker for Division 14 of the Key Club International’s divisional rally.

Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Schledia holds a sense of pride in her southern heritage. She presently lives in Big Point, Mississippi with her husband and four of her five children. On top of writing novels, she writes youth and children’s church curriculum, and she works as a substitute teacher at East Central Middle School. In her spare time, she reads, sews, and spends time with her family.

Connect with Schledia: Blog * Twitter * Goodreads

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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Today's Feature: Wildflowers by Schledia Benefield

From the author of Plain Jane comes a new young adult novel
by Schledia Benefield

Have you ever feared what may be hiding deep within you?

Darkness often skulks in the blood of unsuspecting victims, but Aster McGrath is acutely aware of the violence coursing through his veins. After all, he is the son of a murderer, and everyone in the town of Bayville, Mississippi says he will end up just like his father.

When Susan Blackman moves into town, Aster has already embraced his brutal nature, but her gentle spirit draws him in and slowly melts the icy exterior of his heart. Taming his savagery, she professes her love, but will the good within him be able to overcome the evil lurking deep inside? Or will the fiend break free of its fetters and seek blood?

Fans of Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember will fall in love with the young love, tough choices, sacrifice and redemption found within the pages of WILDFLOWERS.

Buy it TODAY in ebook & paperback at Amazon

About the Author:

Schledia Benefield is the author of Plain Jane, Pretty Boy, and her soon to be released novel, Wildflowers. She attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College but chose to be a stay-at-home mom for many years. She devoted eight years of her life to working with youth as a youth minister and has been invited to speak in a rehab to hurting and wounded women, giving them hope for a better future. She was the Keynote Speaker for Division 14 of the Key Club International’s divisional rally.

Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Schledia holds a sense of pride in her southern heritage. She presently lives in Big Point, Mississippi with her husband and four of her five children. On top of writing novels, she writes youth and children’s church curriculum, and she works as a substitute teacher at East Central Middle School. In her spare time, she reads, sews, and spends time with her family.

Connect with Schledia Benefield: Blog * Twitter

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Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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Guardians Inc.: The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain (Guest Post)

Today some of the characters from Guardians Inc.: The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain are chatting it up on the blog as part of an online tour run by GWR Publicity. Be sure to check out the other tour stops throughout the month. Keep reading to find out how you could win a $75 Amazon Gift Card.

 About the Book:

A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.

Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology.

Through their guidance technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we've driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance.

To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future and to unlock the future they need a cypher.

Purchase from Amazon: eBook (free at time of posting) or Paperback

Purchase from Barnes & Noble (eBook also free at time of posting)

Purchase the second book in the series Guardians Inc.: Thundersword from Amazon: eBook or Paperback 

Guardians Inc.: The Cypher Interview

M: Hello everyone! M here! I’ve been let out from my usual Blogspace Cage and allowed by Clicker to conduct an interview with Cypher Thomas Byrne, in the wonderful –Library Girl Reads- Thank you very much, Angela, it’s quite nice of you to have us…So, Thomas, you are the newest member of Guardians Inc. right?

Thomas: Correct. I’ve been here for about nine months.

M: Most of the people that work inside Guardians Inc. are born into it, ushered by their family members, like I did. How does feel to learn that we exist?

Thomas: I’m still figuring it out. I mean, doors that open anywhere in the world, Elven Kingdoms in California, Trolls, Faeries… the Fauns. It’s really unexpected to find that everything you hear about as Mythology and Fairy tales is real and that most of them are out to get us.

M: I know, my boss, Clicker is a dwarf, and he has quite a temper…Have you met him?

Thomas: I’ve heard of him, but I haven’t met him yet.

M: You’re lucky… anyway, you work primarily in Pervagus Library. How do you like it?

Thomas: Well, I actually work in a station outside the Library. My station was the largest library I’d ever seen until I saw the actual Pervagus Library.

M: I’ve been to your station; I always thought that it was Pervagus Library.

Thomas: No, (raspberries) The actual library holds a copy of everything written since the year 200 or so, every book, every note, every email…in paper and electronic format. It is quite something.

M: Must be large.

Thomas: Imagine a football stadium, just… uhm, bigger, filled with books floor to ceiling and that extends as far as the eye can see. And inside a room in the Mansion! The first time I saw it, it blew my mind away, and the books! Jules Verne wrote five more novels about the Nautilus and Captain Nemo. There are no lost books… it has them all. It’s quite Magical!

Bolswaithe: It’s actually not Magic but a singularity created in the topology of the space time continuum by…

Thomas: Bolswaithe! Just leave it at that. Magic, we’re not Physicists here!

M: Uhm…For those that can’t see us. That was Bolswaithe, Head butler of Pervagus Mansion and Thomas’ cook. Thomas whole team is actually waiting on the side, I tried to interview them, but they declined.

Tony: You didn’t ask me!

Elise(whispering): Nobody wants to hear what you say.

Tony: What?... Oh I see…They asked you and you told them that none of us... You’re very nasty, Princess…

Elise: (whispering again): and you’re interrupting the interview…shut up…

Tony(mumbles something to Elise.) : Oh! I’m sorry…. Carry on. (Continues mumbling to Elise)

M: Uhm, Okay… so in my notes here it says that…Yes, Bolswaithe? You can lower your hand.

Bolswaithe: I am not his cook. I do cook for him and the others, but I am not officially his cook.

(Long Pause)

M: Okay, Bolswaithe, I’m sorry. I must have read my notes wrong… So, Thomas, Uhm… You are a Cypher. How does it feel to have that kind of power?

Thomas: Power? Pffft!

M: It is a power isn’t it?

Thomas: As powers go, it’s kind of lame… I mean it’s not like I can fly or throw magic spells, Heck! I can only translate and decode anything, and only written things. I’m like a language dictionary with legs!

(Longer pause.)

M: Really?…That’s it? Because my notes say that Cyphers are like the cornerstone of Guardians Inc. I mean, Da Vinci, Helen of Troy, Galileo, Marco Polo…

Thomas: Which one of them threw magic spells or flew like Superman?

M: Well, if you put it that way…

Thomas: Really lame…kinda like…

Elise (whispering): Interviews?

Thomas: (Subdued Snickers)

(Even longer pause)

M: Ooookay, so next question would be about ….Yes Tony?

Tony: I just want to say, for the record, that I’ll be very happy to do an interview.

Elise(whispering): Jeez….

M: Well, thank yo…

Tony: Anytime. Anywhere.

M: Thank you Tony, I’ll certainly take it in….

Tony: And that you’re not lame at all…Just saying it from the heart.

M: THANK! You… Tony... So. Time for one more question, uhm… Thomas, when you found out that your grandfather had been… ?! …Where’d he go? Where’d everybody go?

Tony: Oh! They had a thing to do with Mrs. Pianova. You know… Cypher business… BUT… I’m still here so you can just shoot away!

M: Yeaaaaah, unfortunately I came prepared for Thomas and, uhm, we’ve surpassed our allotted time AND word count, so we’ll do it another time.

Tony: I’m ready now…

M: I’ll call you, Tony don’t worry… uhm… Well. That’s a wrap! And…

Tony (whispering): Tony@guardiansinc.com! Drop me a line and I’ll send you a pic!

M(whispering): This is not a matching service man, we’re guests here…

Tony (whispering): Not mine! From the Book of Beasts or something…

M(whispering): Just…just keep quiet okay?… WELL! Thank you for having us Blogger-readerettes! I hope that we can see you again real soon!

This is M from the Guardians Incorporated Control room signing off!

(Longest pause ever)

Tony(Whispering): Do, I still get my interview?

About the Author:

Julian Rosado-Machain has enjoyed pizza in three continents, BA in Graphic Design, worked building armored vehicles, handcrafted alebrijes, owned a restaurant and swears that he has seen at least one ghost.

A Mexico City native he now lives in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.

Guardians Inc. The Cypher is the first book in a series that describes the creatures and powers that live in the world within our world.

Connect with Julian: Website * Facebook * Guardians Inc. Blog

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Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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Watch Now: Lucas Trent 3: Grand Theft Magic by Richard Blunt

About the Book:

After a field trip suddenly turns into a near catastrophe Lucas and the others shift into high gear to avenge their injured friend. But when an unexpected foe arrives at the scene they quickly find themselves in a life or death situation that not even their extraordinary skills can solve. Realizing that they have bitten off more than they can chew Lucas desperately starts looking for trustworthy allies, just to find out once again that things are never as easy as they appear at first.

Can they survive the battles at hand? Will they be able to tell friend from foe? Or will the epic quest they have stumbled into be too much for them to handle?

Follow Lucas Trent and his friends through an action-paced story of mysteries, secrets and deceptions and find out…

Lucas Trent 3: Grand Theft Magic is available in eBook, paperback, or hardcover. (affiliate links).

About the Author:

Publishing under a pen name to keep his personal life separate from his writing life, Richard Blunt was raised in the heart of Europe, in a nation where English is not the native language. Like his heroes, Richard blunt is nothing more than a shadow – a specter that whispers a story for everyone to hear.

His latest book is Lucas Trent 3: Grand Theft Magic.

You can visit his website at http://www.lucastrent.com/ and his blog at http://richardblunt.blogspot.com/.

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Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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Pleng's Song by Patrick Maher (Review)

Title: Pleng's Song
Author: Patrick Maher
Publication Date: April 2012 (2nd edition)
Publisher: booksmango
Age Group: Young Readers (as stated by author)
Source: Author for review (paperback)
Available Formats: eBook

Pleng is a girl in Thailand who in some ways has everything. She goes to a prestigious private school, lives in a nice house with a cook and driver, and has access to technology like an iPhone and laptop. On the other hand, her parents are entirely absent leaving Pleng to face disastrous floods on her own. Pleng's Song is the story of a girl forced to grow up and face reality through a series of harsh adventures.

Pleng's Song is fast-paced and easily read in a day. The author accurately captures the voice and attitude of a privileged adolescent girl. While Pleng is not an easy character to like at the beginning of the book, it quickly becomes clear that her story is more complex than that of a spoiled brat. The adults in Pleng's life tend to be cruel, absent, or both. I think kids could identify with many of her feelings even if her situation is far more extreme than theirs.

As an adult, I am clearly not in the target audience for this book and I wonder if the adult perspective leads me to be a bit more critical of the plot. I found parts of the story to be unrealistic in nature although they were related in a very realistic fashion. Pleng becomes famous after she is lost in the floods that ravage Thailand but why is she famous when so many others were lost as well? One simple line relates that her parents had called for a nation-wide search to find her but why would they do that when they had deceived and abandoned her for the majority of her life? Even when she is found and brought to safety, her parents do not show affection for her or make any attempt to apologize for the past.

I also wonder at Pleng's ability to survive on her own especially following a head injury. After a life filled with maids, drivers, private school, and technology it is hard to believe that she would suddenly develop the skills and knowledge necessary to survive in and out of the water for that long.

Despite these plot questions I enjoyed Pleng's Song a great deal. I think this book could be a great way to introduce children to another culture and to show the impact that natural disasters can have on a family and community.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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