Gothic Revival: Gothic Literature Gets a Young Adult Makeover

 

2013 is shaping up to be the year of the Gothic Revival. And I, for one, couldn't be happier. I have always been drawn to the Gothic stories of the 19th century: Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, The Fall of the House of Usher, and of course, Jane Eyre. While Gothics are known for their extremes in drama--overwrought heroines, Byronic heroes, turbulent weather, eerie settings--they also have a psychological complexity that makes them more than just high-brow horror. Unlike pure horror stories, the thrills and chills in a Gothic tale usually serve as a vehicle for the protagonist's transformation, which often comes at a cost. Jane Eyre excepted, not one of the above novels ends happily. These stories teach that knowledge comes at a price, and that there's a thin line between passion and madness. Like dystopians (another hot genre right now), Gothic novels reveal our deepest fears. But unlike dystopians which exploit fears very much based in our reality (economic collapse, environmental catastrophe, totalitarian takeover), the Gothic novel taps into more primal fears: ghosts, madmen, hell hounds, things that go bump in the night. *shivers*

 

Here are a few YA Gothic novels coming down the pipeline in 2013:

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd: inspired by H.G. Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau with a touch of romance.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke: a "dreamy, twisted romance" set on a crumbling seaside estate.

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey: based on Edgar Allan Poe's haunting poem "Annabel Lee," this is bound to be spooky and romantic!

Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell: about a haunted lighthouse with a cursed keeper who collects souls.

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson: a retelling of the Bluebeard legend; I've actually read this one already, and it's wonderful!

Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin: a YA revamp of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. Sign me up!

The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler: murder, spiritualism and seances in Cambridge, England!
 

Don't these look fun?! Did I miss any upcoming Gothics? I'm always looking for great reading recommendations!

My Top 5 YA Books of 2011

This is a Top 5 list I did for The Nightstand blog, but seeing as it’s almost the end of the year, I thought I’d repost it here. This was an exciting year for YA, full of controversy, innovation, and reinvention. Angels and mermaids charged into the paranormal fray, contemporaries made their mark in the wake of Stephanie Perkins's delightful Anna and Lola, and dystopians of all shapes and sizes took the literary world by storm. Here are my stand-out choices for 2011:

5. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

What a wonderful end to a wonderful trilogy. It took me a while to warm up to Belly and her agonizing love triangle, but by the third book, I was completely caught up in the angst, the dizzying romance, and the pitch-perfect voice of this entire series. I was sad to see summer end.

4. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Oh, Sophie, you make me laugh, and your potential suitors make me swoon. Hawkins manipulated my emotions so masterfully that I’m completely torn between Archer and Cal—the true sign of a well-executed love triangle. The storyline is so engaging and the dialogue so sparkling that I defy you to read it in more than one sitting. Pure fun from beginning to end.

3. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly really threw me. I was growing tired of paranormals with their impossibly beautiful love interests, and then came Unearthly with a completely new angel mythology wrapped up in an engaging contemporary package. Clara seemed so real to me, flawed and lovable, and the Wyoming setting was so original and grounded that the paranormal elements never stretched credibility. And then there's Tucker. Where have all the cowboys gone? Wyoming, apparently. An excellent start to a new series.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

This book was probably THE phenomenon of 2011. And it totally lived up to the hype. Compulsively readable, complex, and full of wicked twists and turns, this was a dystopian with bite. I loved that Tris was no Mary Sue; she’s feisty, proud, and stubborn with a pretty big chip on her shoulder. But she's also brave and selfless. And Four—what to say about Four? Strong, sexy, and brooding, he makes Tris earn his respect. Possibly my favorite love interest of 2011.

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Beautifully written, haunting, and original, Daughter of Smoke and Bone blew me away. While the higher fantasy of the last section lost me a little, for most of the book, I was completely swept up in Taylor’s prose and in the world she created. The lush descriptions of Prague had me itching to wander medieval streets and linger in dark cafes. The Marrakesh scenes are so vivid I could practically taste the dust in my mouth. And the forbidden romance between Karou and Akiva is full of such crackling tension and aching sweetness you don't want the book to end. Simply gorgeous writing and brilliant storytelling.

What was your favorite read of 2011?

Wuthering Heights-Inspired Fashion? Yes, Please!

So I was very excited when I stumbled upon this excerpt on the Brontë blog:

“At Paris Fashion Week last month for so many of the Spring/Summer 2012 shows, designers, from Christian Dior to John Galliano, filled the runways with looks seemingly inspired by ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the classic Gothic novel. Though Heathcliff was nowhere to be found, there was certainly a statement made with sweeping black gowns in lace and chiffon. Paired with a loose updo, chandelier earrings, and a bold red lip surely added finishing touches to this look.” (Alexandra Morales)

Despite saying “Heathcliff was nowhere to be found,” I think this photo captures the arrogance and rugged allure of Heathcliff, if he ever consented to wear a skirt…

As I browsed through the photos from the spring preview, many of the fashions seemed to be a hybrid of romantic, flowy silhouettes with sleeker, geometric designs, sort of Wuthering Heights meets The Matrix. This got me thinking about popular culture, particularly about how new trends are often formed at the intersection of old ones.

Even though I am rarely on the cutting edge of anything, trends fascinate me. They give credence to the Jung’s theory of the “collective subconscious,” the idea that we are all subtly influenced by broad archetypes that give shape and substance to our lives. We can’t help but be swayed by the myriad influences around us, and we are constantly absorbing them, adapting them, and reconstituting them into different forms in our never-ending pursuit of the new. 

Take the recent popularity of retellings, whether they be fairy tales, myths, or literary classics. Does anyone find it odd that two different TV networks are touting brand new shows that feature darkly spun fairy tales? (Once Upon a Time on ABC and Grimm on NBC.) Or how about the dozen or so young adult books released this year in which ancient myths collide with contemporary settings? (Starcrossed, Abandon, The Goddess Test)

 

Now, it seems we can add the Gothic novel to the mix. My YA retelling of Jane Eyre releases in April 2012, about a year after April Lindner’s Jane and the Cary Fukanaga movie version made their mark, and a few months before Tina Connolly’s Ironskin (a steampunk Jane Eyre with fairies) takes the world by storm. 2012 will also see the publication of April Lindner’s Catherine, a retelling of Wuthering Heights, as well as Andrea Arnold’s interpretation of Wuthering Heights for the big screen, rumored to be even darker and grittier than the book.  Apparently, it's hip to be Brontë. I leave you with this kick-ass video to feed the Brontë-mania. Enjoy!

 

YA Giveaway Winners!

Here are the winners of my impromptu Labor Day giveaway:

Paranormalcy--Angel C

A Need So Beautiful--Audris

Timeless--Patricia

Shade--Thuy (aka Fishgirl)

Moonglass--Yan

I will email the winners for their addresses. Thanks all for entering. Stop back for more news, posts, and giveaways in the upcoming months!

YA Books up for Grabs!

This week was all about starting over—cleaning up after Hurricane Irene, heading back to school after a summer spent writing, and thinking about all the changes this year will bring. And with change comes both excitement and stress. One of the ways I deal with stress is by trying to streamline my life, so this past week I gathered up a number of used books to send out to a library struck down by Irene. If you're looking to donate some of your own books, please check out Kate Messner's blog post below about an Adirondack library that lost almost everything to the floods. They are especially in need of children's picture books.

http://kmessner.livejournal.com/207580.html?style=mine&nc=20#


Although the bulk of my books will go to charity, I have a few recent releases that I wanted to give away here on my blog! All you have to do is comment below with your first choice. If more than one person requests a title, I will select a winner at random.

Here are the titles (and by the way, they were all great reads!):

Suzanne Young’s A Need so Beautiful

Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade

Jessi Kirby’s Moonglass

Alexandra Monir’s Timeless

Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy

If any of the titles aren't requested, I'll send them on to the library. Unfortunately due to shipping costs, I can only mail within the US. Please request by Tuesday, 9/6. Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend, and happy reading!

Trilogy Trauma

 

A friend of mine recently noticed that I’d been describing my upcoming book as “the first in a planned trilogy,” so she asked me, “How does one plan a trilogy?” Funny question…

First off, I will admit that I wrote A BREATH OF EYRE as “a stand-alone novel with series potential.” That basically means that while the first book leaves some plot threads unresolved, the story is self-contained with no cliffhangers. However, when I finished writing the book and began thinking about what my next project would be, I realized I hadn’t let go of those characters yet. They were still knocking around in my head, begging for their story to be continued. After all, my protagonist, Emma, is only 16 at the end of the first book, in which she “travels” into her favorite novel, Jane Eyre. I started wondering how Emma’s love of escaping into books might both cause her problems and continue her growth as a character over the next two years of high school.

And thus, “series potential” was born! I quickly wrote up a brief synopsis for two more books that would continue Emma’s literary adventures, choosing The Scarlet Letter and The Phantom of the Opera as the books Emma would travel into in the sequels. My agent sent the first book out on submission to publishers with synopses of the sequels attached, and the trilogy sold to Kensington/KTeen last November!

Since I hadn’t written a word of the sequel back then, I always referred to A BREATH OF EYRE as the first in a “planned trilogy,” as planning was all I had done to that point. Now, I am about twenty thousand words into the sequel, and I’m beginning to realize sequels are particularly nasty beasts. Here are a few reasons why:

1.     A sequel should have the same “feel” as the first book, but it should be significantly different to offer readers a new reading experience.

2.     New characters should be introduced, but you must also continue to focus on the characters from the first book.

3.     Resolve most story threads from book one, but introduce a boatload of new conflicts to drive the third book.

4.     Your protagonist must continue the character growth initiated in the first book, but leave some room for growth in the final installment.

5.     Try not to let your sequel fall into “sagging middle book” syndrome. Keep the energy and action high!

Phew! I don’t know how J.K. Rowling did all this over SEVEN books! (Possibly because she’s a genius?)

While I am definitely in the writing stages of the sequel now, I find I am still planning as I go, taking a look back at events from the first book, analyzing character motivations, anticipating major plot points that will happen in the third book, and trying to incorporate all of this into my outline for the second book, tentatively called A TOUCH OF SCARLET. For anyone who had to endure reading The Scarlet Letter in high school, you’ll probably remember that underneath Hawthorne’s laborious prose is a pretty gripping story about sex and sin and shame, but also about pride. I hope it promises to be a fun adventure for both my characters and for me!

YA clichés

Since the young adult fiction market began to boom, certain conventions have woven their way into the fabric of YA literature, for better or for worse. Some of these elements are not unique to YA, just perhaps exploited or overused since the break-out success of franchises like Twilight and The Hunger Games. But now, readers might grumble or groan when they hear that a new book incorporates a love triangle or any other once-effective but now-trite plot device. This can make it difficult for a YA author to navigate the already treacherous terrain of plotting a first draft, because now she must also avoid these deadly pitfalls, even when they might seem integral or organic to the plot. It’s almost impossible to avoid them all, particularly if you are basing your story on an archetype like the hero’s journey. I suppose the trick is to avoid making one of these devices feel clichéd by investing it with a new twist or by writing so artfully that your audience never even realizes that you’re using a common trope.

Here are some of the more egregious offenses I’ve heard people rail against lately:

1.     the love triangle

2.     an impossibly beautiful paranormal love interest

3.     absentee parents

4.     the wise-cracking best friend

5.     the blonde mean girl
6. the love interest who initially acts like a jerk

Gah! (Guilty on some counts, here…) YA author Joelle Anthony has a much more comprehensive list that’s actually quite funny. But I’m curious, which YA clichés irritate you the most? Are there any that are so overused you won’t even pick up a book that incorporates them? For fun, take the quiz at the top right corner of my blog or comment below. Which YA cliché must go?

Best Reads of 2010

I read a lot of Young Adult books this year because: 1) I’m trying to get inspired to write the next book in my YA Gothic Revival trilogy; and 2) I’ve been enjoying YA more than adult literature lately. Only two of my favorite titles this year were adult fiction. The YA books I’ve loved have been plot-driven, romantic, emotional, and extremely well written. The line between adult and young adult literature has been blurring of late, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing! Here are my top 8 picks for 2010:

1. Matched by Allie Condie—great dystopian novel about a society in which adolescents are matched with their future spouses, and all life decisions are strictly controlled by “The Society” until one girl decides to question the life that’s been chosen for her. Beautifully written and compelling. The first in a trilogy.

2. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron—quiet, introspective novel about a disaffected teen coming to terms with his depression; reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye with wonderful writing and a smart, ironic sense of humor.

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver—YA novel about a young girl who gets into a car accident and must relive her last day over and over again until she figures out where she went wrong—the book was plugged as Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, but that doesn’t do it justice. The writing is beautiful, and the storyline is an emotional roller coaster. The protagonist is unlikable at first, but she goes on a journey of self-discovery and takes the reader with her.

4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins—I was hesitant to select this as one of my top reads in 2010, only because I was disappointed with some of the ways Collins wraps up the loose ends of this amazing series. While reading the book, I couldn’t do anything else; it has the same level of tension and suspense as the previous books, but I felt the characters regressed a bit in this one, and some rushed scenes toward the climax made me feel even more disconnected from the characters. Even though my emotional response wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be, the book was still a brilliant feat of storytelling.

5. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen—escapist women’s fiction about some broken souls in a small town who use a bit of magic to heal each other. Magical realism with a dash of romance. Sweet and ethereal, like cotton candy. (And isn't that cover gorgeous?)

6. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey—a smart spoof on the vampire novel, but one that actually has strong writing and characterizations; Jessica is a sympathetic and plucky narrator, and the vampire hero, Lucius, is extremely funny and sexy. There is a free sequel of sorts on the author’s website: http://www.bethfantaskey.com/.

7. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand—an unexpected YA find about a girl who is part angel and must discover her purpose on earth, which puts her between two very appealing but different love interests. Beautiful descriptions of Wyoming scenery, a likeable heroine, and a fast-paced and romantic plot. The first in a trilogy. (I read this on NetGalley, but it officially comes out January 4. I think you’ll be hearing a lot more about this book in the near future.)

8. Little Bee by Chris Cleave—the most serious and literary of my choices; told in the dual perspectives of a young African refugee named Little Bee and the middle class woman whose life is forever changed by a chance encounter with Little Bee and her sister; a very surprising, disturbing, and emotional book. Great book club selection.

Happy New Year, everyone, and happy reading in 2011!