”The story of how I ended up with the Chokey Card Tarot Consultancy can be told in four detentions, three notes sent home, two bad report cards, and one Tuesday afternoon that ended with me locked in a cupboard.” Written by Irish author, journalist (and podcaster!) Caroline O’Donoghue, All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1), is a standout young adult urban fantasy novel. When we meet our protagonist and narrator, sixteen year old Maeve Chambers, she has just received an in-school suspension due to throwing a shoe at her teacher. As readers learn, Maeve ”merely hit the board next” to her teacher, she didn’t hurt or hit Mr. Bernard; but she gets these waves of ”frustration and rage” that spark out in uncontrollable, unpredictable waves. As punishment, Maeve is asked to clean The Chokey- “a long deep cupboard” in her private school’s dark, dank, and somewhat dilapidated basement. It is there, when cleaning out The Chokey that Maeve unearths a strangely mesmerizing pack of tarot cards. Never one for tarot before, Maeve is immediately drawn to them, studying the illustrations, their meanings- even going so far as to take the cards home, visit a divination shop, and learn as much as she can about these fantastical cards. What is more, Maeve begins to excel at tarot: so much so that she begins giving out readings (under the administration’s radar) to classmates. After having had a public and dreadful falling out with her best friend Lily O’Callaghan the previous year, Maeve – never popular, never with the in-crowd- has simply existed, coasting along with a few folks. Now, with the help and attention of gorgeous theatre student Fiona, Maeve’s eerily accurate fortunes are in demand. However, when her former best friend Lily confronts Maeve in class for a public tarot reading, venomous, ugly words are exchanged between Maeve and Lily The day after the public incident, Lily O’Callaghan disappears and suspicious eyes turn to Maeve. What begins as an immediately compelling read surrounding drama and loss between ex-friends, school politics and hierarchy and the struggles of a teen adrift then cracks open into a deeply fascinating exploration and dive into first love, the supernatural (and potential magical gifts), gender identity, as well as a fight against a terrifying rise in homophobia and bigotry. Beginning to end, All Our Hidden Gifts is a strongly written, engrossing read- comedic, potent, and magical. A longer teasing out and explanation at the book’s end regarding certain supernatural components and one character’s fate would have been welcome, but in all, O’Donoghue presents a wonderfully atmospheric, layered story of humour, heartache, and intensity; full of beautifully drawn characters in Maeve, her big sister Joanne, and in the main supporting characters Fiona and Roe. Readers can look forward to more adventures with Maeve Chambers in The Gifts That Bind Us, set to release in North America in June of 2022! All Our Hidden Gifts extra credits: Cover art by Lisa Sterle; illustrations by Stefanie Caponie.

“‘I want to be scared,’ said Evie to the shopkeeper. ‘I think you will find what you are looking for,’ said the shopkeeper. Evie looked, and she look, until she finally saw it.” In the fantastically illustrated chapter book Evie and the Truth About Witches by John Martz, a young child named Evie is on the lookout for something that will truly scare her. While perusing in a bookshop, Evie finds what she thinks is the perfect answer: a book called The Truth About Witches. The kindly shopkeeper in the store tells Evie she has made ”an interesting choice” with her book pick, and that she must make a promise “to never…ever…read the last page out loud”. Evie doesn’t appear to pay much attention to the shopkeeper’s oddly adamant request! Instead, Evie waits until late that evening ”after the rest of her family [falls] asleep” to begin her new book. Stories about potions, spells, scary witchcraft and even scarier witches keep Evie up late and she manages to make it to the very, very end of the book! It is then that Evie remembers the shopkeeper’s request that she keep her promise to never dare read aloud the book’s last page. But does Evie heed the advice? I won’t give away much more here, as that would spoil this delightfully spooky (and yes, genuinely scary!) illustrated read. John Martz, an art director who you may also recognize as the author and illustrator of A Cat Named Tim and the illustrator of the wonderful picture book How to Give Your Cat a Bath (by Nicola Winstanley), offers readers of various ages an enticing, thrilling romp, with a memorable knockout of a reveal and ending. The limited colours of the illustrations- with red as the standout against a greyscale palette- adds to the spooky, perfectly uncanny tone of the book. Evie and the Truth About Witches is terrific pick for readers on the lookout for a short and eerie read for the season (or anytime!), and for those who enjoy the work of authors and illustrators such as Bethan Woollvin, Sam Streed, Edward Gorey, Jon Scieszka, or Laura Amy Schlitz.

I received a copy of All Our Hidden Gifts courtesy of Walker Books US/Penguin Random House Canada and Evie and the Truth About Witches courtesy of Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.

With affectionate comparisons having been made to Meg Cabot’s blockbuster series The Princess Diaries, Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians series, as well as to Dennie Gordon’s film What A Girl Wants, Emiko Jean’s Tokyo After After (Tokyo Ever After #1) is a lively and fresh thrown-into-the-royal-spotlight contemporary young adult title. Izumi ‘Izzy’ Tanaka has never quite felt at home in her hometown of Mount Shasta, California. As a Japanese-American in a predominantly white town and raised by her single mom (a respected, Harvard-educated professor), Izumi often wondered about the missing parts of her life and her self. And mostly, about her father- someone her mother has never been keen to speak much about or reveal details about. The last few months before her graduation from high school however, the desire and need to know about her father and her Japanese family history grows to a bursting point. Aided by the research and help of her trio of best friends- and by a sneak into her mother’s few mementos- Izumi finds out that her birth father is none other than the Crown Prince of Japan (or, as her friends also refer to him, the Asian George Clooney). Izumi’s life is fundamentally, forever altered. In breakneck pace, Izzy- Crown Princess Izumi- soon finds herself at the airport, ready to say goodbye to her mom and spend two weeks in Japan, getting to know her father. And the rest of the Imperial House of Japan. And everything else that this new, seemingly fairytale twist will bring. What Izumi discovers when she lands in Japan- and not only gets to know her father but also an incredibly dense, almost impenetrable new way of conduct and expectations- are reeling waves of emotions and experiences. As life in this new spotlight and new country begins and swiftly takes off, Izzy navigates some dicey family bonds as well as a serious attraction to the handsome young man assigned to protect her life. Tokyo Ever After is a lovely blend of romance, familial relationships and dynamics, as well as a fascinating dive into the Imperial Family and its inner mechanics. At times, it feels as though the novel teeters a bit- almost taking on too many topics, subplots and tonal shifts- arguably leaving the most captivating elements (that of Izzy’s relationship to the spotlight and crown, her father and mother, and barriers with love interest Akio)- unattended for bursts of time. All in all, however, Tokyo Ever After is a delight; seriously engaging and heartfelt. Izzy is a fascinating, evolving character- chameleon-like and constantly surprising- and it will be a treat to read more of her adventures in a planned second Tokyo Ever After!

Now here’s a quick look at some other YA fiction, YA graphic novels, and adult fiction I’ve read an enjoyed! In no particular order here they are: Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera; Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne; Skim by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki; The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity, illustrated by Christopher J. Baldwin; the very funny, sharp and thrilling Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano; the wonderfully romantic, sweet, and captivating Get A Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert; the stunningly written, deeply felt Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson; the completely swoon-worthy, glorious historical romance Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women #1) by Evie Dunmore; the twisty and surprising Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; and last but not least, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, extraordinarily beautiful Pride & Prejudice story from Mary Bennet’s vantage point.

I received a copy of Tokyo Ever After title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. All titles featured have been published and are currently available.

I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both. I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel…unsafe.

It’s the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone’s going through changes—but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can’t stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

You may recognize the name of author and illustrator Mike Curator as the creator of the beloved Little Elliot series of picture books, as well as Worm Loves Worm (written by J.J. Austrian). Flamer is not only the debut graphic novel (and YA debut) of Curato’s, but also a title that has been on the receiving end of tremendous acclaim and multiple starred reviews since its fall release. An incredibly powerful, wrenching, beautiful graphic novel that draws on aspects of Curato’s own experiences growing up, Flamer is not to be missed.

Spending the summer at Boy Scouts Camp, fourteen-year-old Aiden Navarro is walking multiple tightropes. Harassed due his being biracial, sensitive about his weight, and troubled by consistent, pressing thoughts and questions about his sexuality (amongst a group of teens and environment where homophobia and homophobic aggressions are depicted as the norm), Aiden feels intense pressure. And confusion. And self-disgust. While attempting to appear ‘normal’- I.e. heterosexual- for his own sanity, and for the benefit of his Scouts troop, Aiden can’t help but think about, wonder about, and dream about his most reliable Scout friend Elias. But…being gay is unacceptable…isn’t it? Aiden can’t be…isn’t gay, right? He can’t be gay if his religion dictates it a sin, right? …So why can’t his thinking about Elias just stop?

A starred review from Booklist noted that Flamer is exemplary in its ‘nuanced’, ‘visual storytelling’, and I wholeheartedly agree. The graphic novel is predominantly in black and white, with unmissable red, orange, fiery tones reserved for the most emotional, combustible moments and scenes. Characters and dialogue are illustrated by thicker defined charcoal-like lines. The rawness of Aiden – his expressions, his drifts into memory and fantasy, his confrontations (with himself and with others), his immediate thoughts, and lengthier dialogues are at the center of the story here.

A story that tells of hatred, of internalized homophobia, of rampant external homophobia, of religious confusion and reckoning, as well as contemplation of death, Flamer is never easy, but it is necessary. It should also be stressed and noted, readers, that Flamer is ultimately a story of finding hope, self-acceptance, and possibility. Sure to affect and long linger in the minds of readers, Flamer is a superb graphic novel. Extras: For more on Flamer, take the time to read this post by Mike Curato. You can also download a discussion guide available via the author-illustrator’s website

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

A notable YA fantasy graphic novel with a tremendous amount of heart, surprise, and depth, Kat Leyh‘s Snapdragon has been on the receiving end of some stellar reviews. Opening on a dog rescue mission featuring the titular character Snapdragon (also known as Snap), readers are fast taken into a dynamic and eerie world rich with family history and maybe-magic. Middle schooler Snap- animal-lover, caring, curious, and outspoken- finds herself in the company of an older lady (and a supposed witch!) named Jacks, after needing Jacks’ urgent help to save orphaned newborn possums. While in Jacks’ company, Snap not only learns to care for the baby animals, but also takes a interest in helping Jacks with selling the cleaned and complete skeletons of found roadkill. Jacks and Snapdragon form a bond tethered by seeds of respect, which slowly grows when Snap learns about Jacks’ incredibly-lived life, her heartaches, her ties to Snap’s own family history, and yes- the fact that Jacks’ just might, in fact, be a real witch with real powers. Woven within the beautifully detailed and multi-layered story are elements involving Snap’s new and quick-to-grow friendship with schoolmate Lu, as well as Snap’s steady anchor of a relationship with her mom. There are numerous components at play in Snapdragon, and Leyh teases everything out and back together rather gorgeously leading to an ending that readers will likely cheer about. An affecting story, compelling from opening to end, Snapdragon is unusual, wondrous, and feels altogether rooted in and by love. Readers who have enjoyed graphic novels from creators such as Molly Ostertag, Tillie Walden, Jen Wang, or Katie O’Neill, might especially devour and love Snapdragon.

Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood is the latest from award-winning graphic novel memoirist Lucy Knisley. After having read the excellent Something New and Kid Gloves back-to-back last year, I could not wait to read and see the latest from Knisley. This collection of cartoons from Knisley features the comic artist’s brand of unvarnished honesty and humour readers have come to know and adore from previous works; this time, however, the subject sharing focus with Lucy is her baby boy (who goes by Pal in the cartoons). If you’ve ever read Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott’s early Baby Blues comic strips collections, or Teresa Wong’s Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression, Go to Sleep (I Miss You) manages to brilliantly walk in and out and among the two: with the humour, sweetness, and the giggles of the former, and with the exploration of the deeply complex corners of motherhood of the latter. From the miracle of only-once-during-the-night wakes, to the intense highs and lows of breastfeeding, from adorable “noisy little milk breaths”, to Knisley’s ingenious inventions for babies, and the pure joy of baby laughs, Go to Sleep (I Miss You) is a real dive into everything new for parents. The contradictions inherent in parenting, the guilt that Knisley feels as a working mom, the unreal throw ups, the unending cycle of pacifier spitting, the milestone of molars, rolling over, and traveling with baby- those are also all there in the pages. There are of course numerous books and cartoons about new parenthood and new motherhood out there- and I’ve read my fair share of them!- so it is worth noting that in Knisley’s hand- with her inimitable artistic style, presentation and voice- her adventures and discoveries with little Pal read as contemporary and comforting (and very funny). Readers already familiar with Knisley’s work, and perhaps those who were riveted by Kid Gloves might be especially interested in reading Go to Sleep (I Miss You); likewise, those new to Lucy Knisley’s work and are looking for thoughtful, raw, and genuinely funny book about new and early parenthood might also find much to enjoy and love here.

Happy reading to you all (and please stay home and safe this long weekend!)

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.

Welcome to a very special spotlight post, readers! In an all-new interview, I have the absolute pleasure and privilege of getting to talk to Canadian author Jacqueline Firkins, whose debut, the young adult nove Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things, was recently released.

Jacqueline Firkins is not only an author, but also a costume designer and faculty member at the University of British Columbia. I had the great fortune of meeting Jacqueline months ago during a publishing event; I was so taken in with Jacqueline’s presentation at the event that I reached out to Raincoast Books and Jacqueline in the hopes that I could speak to Jacqueline further… and here we are! In the interview, we talk debut novels, Jane Austen, adaptations, writing love triangles, design, pop culture and more! Tremendous thank you to Jacqueline and to Raincoast Books for their respective time and generosity. I hope you all enjoy!

Firstly, congratulations on your wonderful debut YA novel! For readers unfamiliar with Hearts, Strings, and Unbreakable Things, could you please tell us a little background about your novel and how you approached crafting a contemporary adaptation of a classic?
Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. The story centers around a love triangle between a shy girl, the guy she’s loved since childhood, and a charming rake who sets out to make her fall for him, initially for the challenge but soon because he really cares. The seed for writing a retelling was planted when a friend and I were discussing Jane Austen heroines. My friend had recently re-read Mansfield Park and was frustrated with the passivity of Fanny Price after enjoying Austen’s feistier and more outspoken heroines. But I’d remembered relating to Fanny more than to Elizabeth Bennet or Emma Woodhouse. So I went back and re-read Mansfield. I recalled why I loved its heroine. She was like me. I wasn’t feisty and outspoken either. I preferred a book to a party, and I always had a crush on a guy who didn’t notice me. Or more than one guy. So I started thinking about how I could bring that character into a contemporary world, allowing more readers access to a heroine I was grateful to find when I most needed her, during my teenage years.

Pride and Prejudice is arguably the most popular of Austen’s novels, with readers finding so much to relate to in Elizabeth Bennet and in her and Mr. Darcy’s dynamic. Why do you think Mansfield Park has not held the same spotlight? What story elements of Mansfield Park and what main characteristics of protagonist Fanny Price have been the biggest draw for you- and what do you think readers find most compelling about the story?
Darcy and Elizabeth have real sparks on the page. They’re both outspoken, bold, and witty. They reach for what they want. Fanny Price (Austen’s parallel to my Edie Price) is much more passive. She likes gardens. A lot. She’s reactive, so while things happen to her, she makes very little happen, herself. She’s also rather judgmental. The romance is also a tricky one. In P&P, the moment we meet Darcy, we know Lizzie’s met her man. By the end of the book, he’s turned his entire world upside down to help her family and save her sister from social ruin. Everyone in the book drools over how rich and handsome he is, yet he’s too good for anyone he meets. These are still appealing factors in modern love interests. The market bears this out. Hot, rich, almost unavailable men who dote on heroines are still incredibly prevalent in modern romances. Unlike Darcy, the primary love interest in Mansfield wants to be a clergyman. He’s not surrounded by girls who want to marry him or who chatter on about how good looking he is. He’s a younger son, so he won’t inherit. Also, he spends the entire book captivated by another woman, and only in the last two pages of the novel does he decide he prefers Fanny after all. It’s not even a particularly emotional scene. Frankly, the story is at its most dynamic when one or more of the Crawfords is on the page.

I still think Fanny deserves a revisit, namely because we have so many brave and feisty heroines in YA lit right now, and so many retellings of P&P. They’re fabulous, but I think quiet, complicated girls deserve representation in love stories, too. I love that Fanny’s socially awkward and shy, and that she carries around this unrequited crush she can’t seem to shed even when it drives her nuts. It all seems so relatable to me. Also, I love the love triangle Austen structured. In all of her other works, there’s an obvious central pairing. Mansfield was the only one I read where I thought, oh, wait, this could go another direction entirely. Since I’m adapting, I can go as far as I want with that. I loved the challenge of balancing out two love interests so there isn’t an obvious ending. It’s dynamic, and allows me to really draw out what the heroine most values.

The love triangle in Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is not only thoughtfully written, but it is also one where either love interest could be a perfect fit for the protagonist! How difficult was it writing two equally dynamic, equally irresistible yet disparate love interests knowing that one would have to be left behind? Did you ever waver in your initial decision of who Edie would eventually end up with?
Perfect follow up to the above—and I’ll try to answer it without too many spoilers! This was the hardest part of writing Hearts, Strings, and it took several rounds of revisions. One of the challenges is that what we enjoy as a romantic fantasy isn’t always what we’d gravitate to in reality, so, in general, on the page, a rake has a draw that a nice guy lacks, especially if he’s more actively pursuing the heroine and the other guy’s more conflicted. This meant recalibrating their appeal. Both guys needed characteristics that attract the heroine, but they had to be really different characteristics in order to test her value system and her growth over the course of the novel. Also, the crisis of a story is often most interesting when a difficult decision is faced, when a protagonist has to sacrifice something in order to get what they want. This meant that no matter which guy Edie ended up with, she needed a genuine sense of loss about the other. At one point during editing, I had a talk with my editor about taking the ending in the other direction, and I know readers have opinions about this, but the current end feels right for the central character arc as written. I did, however, strategically position the characters for an after-the-ever-after. So if reader interest were to develop, I could revisit the triangle and re-test it with new variables. (And without worrying what Jane would think!)

Did you ever think about adapting another one of Austen’s novels for your young adult debut, and if so, which one(s)?
I haven’t considered this, namely because there are so many Austen adaptations already. We have countless P&Ps, S&Ss, Emmas, and Persuasions. Northanger Abbey hasn’t been done as often, but the story feels more set in its time than the others. I adapted Mansfield because I was drawn to that specific story and that specific heroine. That said, I’d love to adapt something by Elizabeth Gaskell, or one of Charlotte Bronte’s lesser known works, or a Thomas Hardy novel for a modern audience. All have fabulously complicated relationships at their centers, and characters that are still relatable in a modern day setting.

Not only are you an author, you are also a costume designer as well as full-time faculty at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Theatre & Film! Could you tell readers about some of your costume design projects? Do you have a favourite era of fashion you like to design for?

I remember updating my design resume about ten years ago and realizing I’d designed over a hundred shows. Many designers have done more, but the number indicated how much of my life I’d spent telling stories and defining characters with other artists. My last costume design was for Oedipus Rex at the Court Theatre in Chicago, a place I love working since I’ve built relationships with many of the artists. Oedipus is one of the first plays I ever read so returning to it felt like a real benchmark. Many of the challenges in designing and writing are the same. I have to figure out the rules of the world, and who the people are. I think about colour symbolism, class, race, gender, and thematic overtones. With Oedipus, for example, the production drew parallels between Ancient Thebes and the Great Migration, which was truly fascinating to research. We tried to create a world that could be Ancient Greece, or today, or entirely in Oedipus’ mind.

I don’t know that I have a favourite period to design. One of the joys of getting to work on so many productions is that every job is new and different. The challenges keep me alert and engaged. I get excited about all of it. I love the delicacy of the 1930s but also the structure of the 1880s. No matter the era, the design questions are similar. Who is this person? What do they choose to show the world? What do they choose to hide? What resources do they have available to them to achieve that? What obstacles intervene?
Images of Oedipus can be found here:
https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/1995-1996-season/oedipus-rex/gallery/production-photos/

Regarding your work as a faculty member at UBC, could you talk a little bit about your research project Fashioning Cancer?

I came to UBC from Chicago, where I was immersed in freelance theatre work. When I started teaching at UBC, I needed to reframe some of my creative activity into what might more formally be called research, though it all links together. I got funding from the Peter Wall Institute to work with Dr. Christian Naus—a microbiologist who was also on the fulltime faculty—to transform his microscopic images of cancer cells into full-scale fashion that we then auctioned off to fundraise for cancer research. The project was inspired by discussions around how women with cancer felt about the pink ribbon and its lack of reflection of the disease—how cancer felt, what it did to the body, what it represented physically and emotionally. So I set about making gowns that reflected the biological imagery but also addressed what the women I talked to expressed about how they felt and how they wanted to feel when battling the disease.
Images of the slides and the gowns can be found here:
http://archive.theatre.ubc.ca/fashioning_cancer/collection.html

On your website, readers can find a very funny and clever series you have created called The Fine Art of Modern Dating, where you have taken classic paintings and added commentaries about contemporary/modern dating. Tell us about this project! How did it come about, and are you still working on the series?

I love that you found this! I started this project when I was setting up my social media accounts after selling Hearts, Strings and trying to create an online presence. I’m a bit daft with social media and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing in these public venues. I hide from cameras. I keep most of my personal life to myself. I don’t photograph pie. My instinct is rarely “Hey, I should share this with strangers!” So I tried to think of ways to connect to my rom-com writing, ways that were reflective of my voice and point of view. The comic series was one way to do that. It didn’t get much response, so I eventually stopped and put the images on my website instead. I may return to the idea at some point, or something like it. I do love juxtaposing the modern against the classic, and finding ways to gently poke at society. So maybe . . .
Images of the series can be found here:
https://jacquelinefirkins.com/other-projects/fine-art-of-modern-dating.html

What are some of your favourite book-to-__ adaptions? This can be a classic book to a contemporary novel; book to film; book to TV adaptation; book to graphic novel, etc.
I could write pages and pages on this since I’ve always been fascinated by adaptation. A few faves: I love both Clueless and Bridget Jones’ Diary for their sharp updates of Austen. Ten Things I Hate About You was a great revamp of Taming of the Shrew—an innately difficult piece to stage with its blatant sexism, but the film handled this well. For more straightforward adaptations, I’ve watched the BBC North and South more times than I can count. I’ll also watch any adaptation of Jane Eyre, for sheer curiosity of what each team does with the three part structure and how much they do or don’t romanticise the central relationship when some really bad s**t is going down at Thornfield.

What books or pop culture are you most looking forward to in 2020- this can be in any genre of books, TV, podcast, film, theatre, music, etc.!
I’m thrilled that the second season of Sex Education just released, though I’m so bad at keeping up with television I’m still watching Gilmore Girls episodes. In theatre, here in Vancouver we’re in the middle of the PuSh festival so there’s loads of great international mixed-media art all over the city. For books, some members of my debut community have sophomore releases, including Laura Taylor Namey, Samantha Hastings, and Astrid Scholte. I’ll be grabbing those, though I’m still trying to catch up on 2019 releases!

If you are able to speak to this, could you please tell readers about projects you are currently working on?
I have lots of things brewing. What reaches readers will depend on interest from editors. I have two other YA rom-coms drafted that aren’t adaptations (one of which centers around a costume designer), a middle grade magical realism piece, a YA contemporary that’s darker and more serious than the rom-coms, and a Victorian-set retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale, told alternately from his and her points of view. Hopefully within all of that, something strikes a chord with an editor and carries on into further development. I’ll keep designing costumes as I get asked and as the projects fit into my schedule, but I can’t just open a laptop and go to it like I can with the writing. So we’ll see! In the meantime I’ll keep making book-themed dresses that I give away on Instagram or through booksellers and events.

Where’s the best place for people to keep up with you on social media?
Website: https://jacquelinefirkins.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JFkillsdarlings
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jfkillsdarlings/

Thank you so much, Jacqueline, this has been such a delight!

For more information on Hearts, String, and Other Breakable Things you can take a look here on the author’s site and here as well.

I reviewed Hearts, Strings, and Unbreakable Things for Quill & Quire prior to the arrangement of this interview. All opinions and comments regarding the review are my own and were in no way impacted by the interview. Thank you to author Jacqueline Firkins for her generosity and time, and to Raincoast Books.

Hello lovely readers! In case you are wondering whether the headliner is, in fact, true…IT IS! I had the tremendous and thrilling- and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity- to meet Rainbow Rowell, the New York Times bestselling author of hits such as Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, Carry On, and more! 

Thanks to a generous prize draw courtesy of Raincoast Books and the author, I had a chance to interview Rainbow Rowell before a special author event featuring Rainbow and acclaimed graphic novelist (and Pumpkinheads illustrator!) Faith Erin Hicks took place. Rainbow and Faith were doing an author event on behalf of their graphic novel collaboration Pumpkinheads, which released in August of this year. Rainbow also welcomed the publication of Wayward Son, book two in the Simon Snow series, in late September of this year.

After opening with a congratulations to Rainbow on the release of both Pumpkinheads and Wayward Son, I had to mention that my first introduction to Rainbow’s work was, in fact, her debut novel Attachments -a novel I love very dearly- and one that Rainbow called a ‘sleeper’.

Onto the questions we go, and I hope you all enjoy! 

I would like to extend a mighty thank you to Rainbow Rowell for her time and consideration of my questions, as well as to the kind folks at Raincoast Books for organizing this wonderful opportunity. It was such a fabulous, fun- and happily surreal- experience!

Tillie Walden, the Eisner and Ignatz Award-winner graphic novelist behind Spinning and On a Sunbeam returns with the unsettling and memorable young adult graphic novel Are You Listening?. Described as a ‘magical realistic adventure’, Walden’s graphic novel is a riveting and peculiar blend of the real and the phantasmal. Teenager Beatrice ‘Bea’ and Lou, who is in her late twenties, bump into each other by turn of fate at a small convenience store. Recalling Bea from her time helping Bea’s mom, Lou, who is setting out on a road trip across West Texas to visit a relative, discovers that Bea is escaping. Leaving town and leaving her family. For good. While Lou offers Bea some safety by providing her with a relatively warm and enclosed way to travel, it turns out that there are dark, creeping, and horrifying things and memories that Lou can’t protect Bea from. During their road trip, which is by turns tense, fraught, disturbing and bizarre (featuring a sought-after cat named Diamond and an ominous, shadowing troupe of authorities), readers hear not only about Bea’s trauma, but also about Lou’s. Are You Listening? is as gripping and taut as it is a slow, mind-melding strange burn; one which opens dialogue on sexual assault, grief, and different kinds of trauma. A piece from Adrienne Rich’s “Itinerary” opens the graphic novel, and is an ideal epigraph that ties the wild and heartbreaking journey of Are You Listening?. Walden’s text is at once terse and quiet, often trusting in silences, glances, and head turns. Reveals crucial to Lou’s and Bea’s individual stories are almost hidden until a shake of dialogue jars the reader; this may perhaps try the reader’s patience, but I found the timing of the key dialogues and significant moments to work well. Walden’s artwork is its distinctly dream-like, windswept, propulsive self; the darker-toned palette, favouring moody blues, purples, maroons, and shots of amber feels a natural fit for the story (note: the ARC offers initial pages in full-colour). Fans of Tillie Walden’s previously published titles, and readers who are partial to the writing of authors such as Laurie Halse Anderson (particularly the graphic novel adaptation of Speak, with artist Emily Carroll), A.S. King, or Mariko Tamaki, might especially appreciate Walden’s latest unputdownable graphic novel.

Graphic novelist, cartoonist and painter Odyr (Guadalupe, co-authored with Angelica Freitas) takes on the mammoth and arguably intimidating task of both adapting and illustrating George Orwell‘s esteemed classic fable Animal Farm. Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel is faithful to Orwell’s original text, allowing readers who are completely new or familiar with the novella to experience the strength and urgency of Orwell’s words- in a brilliantly parsed and presented version. Before their death, a pig named Old Major encourages the animals of “The Manor Farm” to stand against their human owners. To break free of the tyranny and constantly performed labour to “the worthless, parasitical human beings”. To live so that, among other “commandments”, “all animals are equal” on the farm. However, when two pigs named Napoleon and Snowball, the assumed “leaders” of the newly named “Animal Farm”, begin to show signs of a frayed partnership, Animal Farm begins to fracture and decline. The final bombshell is the takeover of the farm by Napoleon, the soon-to-be completely despotic, violent, duplicitous, tyrannical ruler of the other animals. Odyr’s watercolour art is perfectly reflective of the fable: moody, direct, unfettered, and not shy of presenting the coldness of reality, cruelty and gore (both human and animal). The primarily pastoral setting of Animal Farm works in tandem with Odyr’s almost Impressionist-like illustrative style; the representations of the scenery, animals, and the humans works in that the artwork appears classical and significant, yet still somehow contemporary. Tremendously enthralling, Odyr’s considered, clear yet looser format and style of presenting Orwell’s text and art captures the essence and essentials of the political satire. In all, Odyr’s graphic novel adaptation rings as contemporaneous and alarming, and offers a vivid and visceral look at Animal Farm. Readers interested in (re)exploring Orwell’s classic, educators interested in sharing a different format of the novella (and perhaps a more readable or accessible form for some students), or those interested in arresting graphic novel adaptations, might be especially intrigued and taken with Odyr’s marvelous work here.

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks, color by Sarah Stern
Source: Hardcopy courtesy of Raincoast Books. Thank you!
Publication: August 27, 2019 by First Second
Book Description:

In Pumpkinheads, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell and Eisner Award-winning artist Faith Erin Hicks have teamed up to create this tender and hilarious story about two irresistible teens discovering what it means to leave behind a place – and a person – with no regrets.

Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1. But this Halloween is different – Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan : What if – instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut – they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .What if their last shift was an adventure?

“Josiah Templeton, you are a timid little bunny rabbit who has spent three years hiding down in that Succotash Hut from any hope of romance.”
“I wouldn’t say “hiding”-”
“Fortunately, bunny boy, your best friend is looking out for you…”

Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell (Attachments, Carry On) teams up with acclaimed Canadian artist and YA author Faith Erin Hicks (The Nameless City, Comics Will Break Your Heart) for the marvelously funny and adorable YA graphic novel Pumpkinheads.

When high school seniors and ‘seasonal’ friends Deja and Josiah face their final night- ever!- working their fall job at a popular pumpkin patch, a last minute change in plans alters the course of the friends’ lives. As the gorgeous, friendly and very funny Deja tries to help her cute and somewhat reserved friend Josie finally connect with a girl he’s been pining over for years, what should be a short excursion turns into an epic, unforgettable, by turns bittersweet and life-changing epic journey. By turns funny, exciting, and gorgeously endearing, Pumpkinheads is a cozy, witty, and warm delight of a graphic novel.

Rainbow Rowell seems in top form here in terms of storytelling and dialogue: the story is tight and smooth, pulling the reader in from the get-go and never letting up, while the banter between Josie and Deja is Amy Sherman-Palladino-level crisp, sharp and funny. The illustrations by Faith Erin Hicks are superb here (what a brilliant match for Rowell’s story!), while the rich, saturated pumpkin hues (color done by Sarah Stern) add to the toasty, nostalgic fall feeling. Even with so much vibrancy in colour and activity, though, the reader is magnetically to Deja’s and Josie’s beautifully appealing and demonstrative faces. The lead characters (as well as supporting) convey every manner of emotions and feelings…so much is said by glances, looks, grins, and blushes! It should also be noted that while there is indeed a possible-love-story-in-the-making happening over the course of Pumpkinheads, there is also an amazing running visual gag of an escaped goat terrifying pumpkin patch patrons. It is a zany and wonderful touch that speaks to Rowell and Hicks’ abilities to fuse different levels of lightness and comedy.

Cozy, sweet, laugh out loud funny; an altogether perfect blend of adventure and love story, Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks present a stellar graphic novel here with Pumpkinheads.  For contemporary graphic novel enthusiasts, for readers who clamour for anything by Rainbow Rowell, for fans of Faith Erin Hicks’ illustrative style, and for anyone who adores everything deeply steeped in the deliciousness of fall, Pumpkinheads is for you. (I also wonder (and hope) whether we may see another seasonally-tinged collaboration from the two in the future!)

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

One (1) winner receives:

One (1) paperback copy of Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks.

Giveaway open to Canada and US. The giveaway will be open from September 13, 2019 to September 25, 2019. The winning entry will be randomly drawn via Rafflecopter, and the winner will have 48 hours to get in touch with me via email, Twitter, or Facebook confirming their CAN or US mailing address or another entry will be drawn.

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Good luck!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. Book prize has been provided courtesy of Raincoast Books.

When Walt Whitman fan Jonathan Hopkirk and football player Adam “Kurl” Kurlansky are partnered together in a weekly pen pal assignment, they don’t expect to get much out of it. With each letter, however, the two are led deeper into a friendship that eventually grows into love. But faced with homophobia, bullying, and devastating family secrets, Jonathan and Kurl must struggle to hold on to their relationship—and each other.

This gripping, gorgeously written novel celebrates love and life with engaging characters and stunning language, making it perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, Nina LaCour, and David Levithan.

Canadian writer and professor Sarah Henstra won the Governor General’s Literary Award in fiction for The Red Word and made her debut with the young adult historical novel Mad Miss Mimic. Henstra makes a return here to young adult fiction with her highly-praised contemporary novel We Contain Multitudes.

“Maybe it is always like this. We are granted these tiny windows of time, these small pockets of space, where nothing else intrudes. Maybe that’s all we can ever hope to get, together. And maybe, just, maybe, it will be enough.”

Written entirely via letters, We Contain Multitudes details the inextricable bond and relationship that is formed between Jonathan “Jo” Hopkirk and Adam “Kurl” Kurlansky after they are assigned as writing partners for a high school pen pal project. At the onset, both Jonathan and Kurl are curious about their pairing: what will Kurl- a seemingly gruff, intimidating senior and football player- and Jonathan- a quiet, often bullied sophomore, with an unquenchable passion for Walt Whitman- write about in their letters? Even though Kurl notes in an early letter to Jonathan not to get his hopes up about their writing continuing, it soon turns out that Jonathan and Kurl have their entire live and life stories to not only share, but also to build up, tear apart, and change forever.

“So I think this is the thing, Jo. This is why I can’t agree with your life-begins-after-high-school-so-just-wait-it-out philosophy…It’s that now-right now, right this second- is the only actual time we’re alive. I mean our minds can live in the past or worry about the future but our bodies are only alive and feeling things right here, right now.”

As the writing back and forth between Kurl and Jo takes off, the scope and intensity of their letter contents changes. No longer strangers to one another at school, Jonathan and Kurl have now “met”; they start to know private, personal and hidden things about the other person and they begin to notice each other… to really see each other at school. The two begin to connect, first in hallways, between classes, and when Kurl comes to save Jonathan, who is openly gay, from hateful, spewing, homophobic bullies. Their connection deepens and their back-and-forth writing soon expands to cover their time spent together outside of school and with their respective families. At a few aching, aching, pivotal moments, Jonathan and Kurl shift their relationship to one that becomes something so much more; one of desire, of intensity, of sexual exploration, and of love. While the core of We Contain Multitudes falls on the relationship and love between Kurl and Jonathan, Henstra simultaneously manages multiple plot lines involving deceased parents, trauma, grief, substance abuse, PTSD, familial abuse, toxic masculinity, and rampant homophobia. At times, it is lot to unpack and the mass of topics threatens to overwhelm and divert, especially towards the last third of the novel as more betrayal and violence occur, and the promise of an unbroken, uninterrupted love between the two young men seems impossible. There is, however, a beam of hope and light- flickering as it may be at times- that does win out; a cautious hope for and belief in some kind of contented, perhaps even happy, future for our unforgettable protagonists.

A captivating and heartrending epistolary novel, We Contain Multitudes is a strong YA offering, steered beautifully by Henstra’s lyrical writing, so fluid and romantic yet impeccable and precise. Readers who have enjoyed the work of authors such as Nina LaCour, Jeff Zentner, Abdi Nazemian, or YA novels such as Meredith Russo’s Birthday, might especially find themselves enraptured by Kurl and Jonathan’s story.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

Shout Out (Comics Anthology) by Andrew Wheeler (Editor), Joamette Gil and BC Holmes (Assistant Editors), Forward by Nalo Hopkinson
Source: Hardcopy courtesy of TO Comix Press. Thank you!
Publication: May 1, 2019 by TO Comix Press
Blurb:

Join us on the adventures of young demon hunters, star-crossed Viking lovers, and cyberpunk street artists as we invite you into new worlds where brave heroes with diverse queer identities demonstrate the strength of their hearts and the power of their dreams!

Find your place alongside ace necromancers, glamorous jazz musicians, fey outsiders, friendly monsters, and a superhero still finding his way out of the phone booth.

Spotlighting the work of diverse voices, this collection includes Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine), Kelly & Nichole Matthews (Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy), Killian Ng​​ (Legend of Korra: Turf Wars), and many others.

Our stories have heroes who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, and asexual, from creators who share those identities.

Description:
Shout Out is an anthology of comics tales for queer readers aged 13-17, created by queer creative teams, and starring queer-identified teenage protagonists. The November 2018 Kickstarter campaign was supported by 1,100 backers, and raised 162% of it’s funding goal!

Inspiration:
Growing up queer can be a very lonely experience. It can be difficult to find other people like you in the real world, and it can be just as difficult to see yourself represented in fictional worlds — especially when queer stories are often treated as unsuitable for younger readers.

With Shout Out, we invited queer writers and artists from around the world to tell the genre stories that they wish they had grown up with; stories of romance, adventure, and friendship, with young queer heroes at their heart. We want future generations of young queer readers to know that they can be heroes too, and that their stories deserve to be told.

With a tremendous and far-ranging roster of authors and artists, the Shout Out comics anthology is an exceptional read. Featuring “eighteen LGBTQ2SIA+ stories crafted by award-winning international creators”, this momentous aimed-for-teens-and-up anthology includes stories by Killian Ng, Kelly and Nichole Matthews, Joamette Gil, Sunny Ôchumuk, Shaina Lu, Derrick Chow, Elodie Chen, and more phenomenal writers and artists. Shout Out contains a glorious mix of genre stories- everything from romance, horror, historical, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. As mentioned in the ‘Inspiration’ notes above, all of the stories in the collection feature diverse queer heroes and supporting characters: notably, the kinds of stories that were not available or accessible to the contributing artists and writers while they themselves were growing up.

With eighteen stories in Shout Out- all so very different!- there really is something for every reader, no matter your genre preference. (And if you’re like me, you may take to and enjoy all the genres on offer!). While solid all around, there were some particular story stand outs for me in this collection, and include (in no particular order): Amaranthine, How to Summon a Demon, Curio, Fifteen Minutes or Less, The Fisher and the Jeweler, Show Me Your Teeth, Sunlight, Three’s a Charm, Love in the Cloud, and Shine So Bright. Overall, the stories in Shout Out move from strength to strength- a testament to just how strong, vibrant, unique, and profusely talented all of the contributing authors and artists are. Uplifting, funny, romantic, surprising, and everything in-between, Shout Out is a gorgeous and noteworthy collection with needed- necessary- voices, characters and stories.

Guest Post from Marie Anello, writer of the Shout Out story ‘Fifteen Minutes or Less’

I was thirteen when a copy of Rumiko Takahashi’s Ranma ½ was placed in my hands. I remember the inarticulate thrill I felt reading a comic where a cocky main character who had zany martial arts adventures also shifted gender seamlessly. And I absolutely adored Akane, the feisty, capable girl who fell in love with that main character (not to mention my first exposure to the Bisexual Bob haircut). But I also look back at that time and remember that no matter what preteen fantasies took root in my brain, Ranma ½ was never meant to be read as a story about queerness. It was not interested in reflecting my experience, nor were those characters made with a kid like me in mind. As someone who didn’t come out until well into adulthood, I sometimes wonder if things would’ve been different if I’d had stories that actually reflected who I was. Would I have been more accepting of myself, more open to even the idea of being bisexual, if the media I consumed had been made specifically and empathetically for a young queer person still exploring their identity?

So when I saw the call for submissions for Shout Out, my first thought was: This is what I’d needed back then. I think I still needed it. My partner and I had been collaborating on comics for several years but had never submitted anything to an anthology, and we wanted a chance to work on something new. When we got the news that we’d been accepted (on Pride Weekend no less) I was ecstatic! I was also terrified. After all, I was being tasked with writing something explicitly for queer teens that would actually be read by them. I wanted to tell a story that affirmed queerness for those teens while also completely normalizing it. I wanted to tell a story that was funny and exciting and romantic, somehow all crammed into ten pages!!!

What I wrote was a story about two teenagers who love and support each other, while also performing sick martial arts stunts on a hover-scooter. I wrote the feisty, capable, bisexual action star I had so desperately wanted to be when I was a child. I will always be grateful to TO Comix Press and Shout Out for giving Hospitality Jones her first stage where she could shine. I hope that the young people who read this amazing collection, as well as adults, see the myriad ways that queer people can be heroes at the center of their own amazing adventures. I hope they keep going and discover the multitude of amazing stories by queer creators that are being told right now.

And most of all, I want all the kids out there who don’t have a name yet for what they’re feeling to see these stories, and maybe see the path to a future they never could have imagined.

Marie is a professional writer and actress based in New York. Her credits include comic recommendations and artist spotlights for The Absolute and book reviews for IndieReader.

Bonus! If you go to the TO Comics Press site for Shout Out and scroll until you hit ‘Read Inside‘, you can pore over TWO full comics found in Shout Out (two which I adored!), including Amaranthine by Joamette Gil, Nichole and Kelly Matthews, and How To Summon a Demon by CJ Walker.

I received a copy of Shout Out courtesy of TO Comix Press in exchange for an honest review and for the purposes of this post. All opinions and comments are my own. Thank you to Steven Andrews at TO Comix Press and Marie Anello for organizing the featured guest post.