Sunday, June 24, 2012

Life's Rich Tapestry

by Anna Campbell

I'm venturing on Trish Milburn territory today. Trish does wonderful reviews here on the 10th of every month in Teen Menu, telling us about the latest and greatest in young adult fiction.

A good friend recommended WARPED by Maurissa Guibord. Wow, I'm so glad she did. And it seems I'm not alone in my admiration for this new author - WARPED is up for two RITA awards this year as best young adult romance and best first book of 2011. Pretty darn impressive.

And the book is pretty darn impressive. I just couldn't put it down. Which is a pity as I was visiting said friend at the time and she was sort of hoping to get a bit of conversation from her guest and not just, "Leave me alone, I'm reading!!!! Oh, and, yes, you can make me another cup of tea. And were any of those Ferrero Rochers left?" I wonder if she'll ever ask me back to visit!

Tessa Brody is a teen trying to come to terms with her artist mother's death in a car accident and her father's grief. When her father, a wonderful shambolic character, who owns a used book store in Maine, buys a job lot at an auction, an old tapestry of a unicorn included in the box draws Tessa in a way she can't explain. Little does she know (don't you love books where it's little that the heroine knows?) that this chance occurrence will lure her into danger and adventure and a quest to restore the balance of the world. Not to mention into the arms of gorgeous 16th-century earl's son, William de Chaucy, who is one of the more charming heroes I've read in a while.

In his own time, Will is a bit of a misfit, destined to go into the church or the army but too curious about his world to fit easily into either career. When he visits the 21st century, Will is enchanted by everything he sees. Shades of the lovely hero of A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR by Jude Deveraux if any of you have read that classic.

It's hard to describe this book without giving too much away. One of the great pleasures of reading it is the surprising directions it takes. There's Norse Mythology, reincarnation, time travel, some beautifully done historical scenes, paranormal elements, a really complex and interesting baddie, a "save the world by tomorrow or you'll REALLY regret it" plot, deep emotional resonance with some moving scenes of reconciliation. It's funny too - Tessa's date with the high school hottie will have you snickering like a loon. Well, I snickered like a loon, you'll probably snicker like a sane person!

The romance is touching and sweet and packs a surprising emotional wallop. Tessa is a great heroine - brave, resourceful, wry, self-aware and daring. You'll have gathered Will is a darling and a real knight in shining armor too. The characters around Tessa are beautifully realized from her father who's gradually and painfully trying to make his way back to life after his wife's death to Tessa's madcap bohemian friend Opal.

This is a wonderful, clever, fun read. As beautifully wrought as a medieval tapestry! Highly recommended even if you don't usually veer toward YA.

So do you read YA? Any recommendations? Are you a time travel fan? I love them but I don't see so many around now. Pity! Have you read any of the other RITA finalists this year? Any thoughts?

27 comments:

  1. Sounds fantastic, Anna. I haven't read any YA for a while but there's so many great books coming out lately I think it's going to have to happen. And time travel is always fun. Especially when it's well done!

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    1. Kylie, this one really blew me away. Beautifully done. I think it would appeal to you!

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  2. WARPED does look wonderful. I have not read a time travel book for ages!!

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    1. Mary, I love time travel books - remember fondly some of the early Karen Marie Moning books which bristled with time travelling Highlanders! Time travel is only a small part of this one - there are so many wonderful elements. Definitely recommended!

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  3. i'm not sure if i ever read YA.. is percy jackson series a YA or not? but time travel? i just recently read son of morning by linda howard. i recommend this one if you haven't read it

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    1. Sienny, what a coincidence! I'm reviewing Son of the Morning here in August. Just re-read it. Isn't it great? So glad you like it too. I haven't read the Percy Jackson books but I'm pretty sure they're classed as YA.

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    2. oh yeah, i loved it! a friend of mine suggested that one to me and i'm glad i read it. have you read jude deveraux's a knight in shining armor? it's also a time-travel, and quite a funny one too.

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    3. Sienna, love A Knight in Shining Armour. I actually think it's a candidate for a review here too. Love the hero of that book!

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  4. You've sold me, Anna! All you had to do was liken the hero to Nicholas from AKISA and I'm there! This sounds wonderful; perfect for both me and the book loving teens I'm traveling with. I posted a pic on Facebook yesterday of three of them in their beach chairs with their noses buried in books. :)

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    1. Hey, PJ, how cool you've got teens to recommend it to. And you'll love it too. Actually AKISA is a good candidate for a review here. I must try and find my old copy.

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  5. Forgot to say...

    Love time travel! Have all my favs on my keeper shelf so I can revisit them.

    Have read several Rita books. Would not have to pick the winner!

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    1. PJ, I must say I'm cheering on Christina Brooke's wonderful HEIRESS IN LOVE! We've got space for another RITA in the Romance Bandits lair! ;-)

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  6. What a fabulous review! After reading it, how could anyone not want to read WARPED? I know I do. I enjoy YA and it's great to know what appeals to young people today. After the success of "The Hunger Games," I think we will be seeing more and more YA themes in books and movies. I'm anxious to read WARPED to see if I think it may be destined to be a movie some day. It sounds as though it might.

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    1. Connie, I hadn't thought about it as a movie. But you're so right! It's really visual and I think the baddie could be played by someone like Michelle Pfeiffer or Julia Roberts who make wonderful villains these days. Hope you love Warped as much as I did!

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  7. I've read YA since my own distant YA days. I find that there's always lots of exciting writing going on in the genre. My most recent discovery is Tammara Webber. I read Good for You, the story of a do-gooder, good-girl heroine and a bad-boy, movie-heartthrob hero--only it's more complex and layered than that sounds--after it was recommended by a GoodReads friend, and liked it so much that I bought the rest of the series and Easy.

    I've read 35 of this year's Rita finalists, but my reads are heavily concentrated in four categories: historicals, Regency historical, contemporary, and romantic elements. There are many I haven't read. I made a note to try Warped. It sounds great, Anna.

    I'm not a huge fan of time travel generally, but the ones I like tend to be keepers and rereads. I recently read and loved--and reviewed here--Overseas by Beatriz Williams. The contemporary/WW I era setting was wonderful.

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    1. Hey, Janga, thanks for the recommendations. I actually hadn't heard about Tammara W! Book sounds great. I love seeing the list of RITA noms every year - there's usually at least a few authors who have gone under my radar and as you know, I love to discover great writers who are new to me if not to romance writing. I think you'd really like Warped!

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  8. Anna, I'm sold! I really enjoy a well written YA, and when there's time travel involved, I'm there! And what a lovely cover, as well. Yes, I'll be searching for this one ASAP! :-)

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    1. Isn't that cover beautiful, Gannon? So rich and beautiful and full of light and dark - a bit like the book, really. I'm so glad I discovered this book - it's the sort of thing that could have easily gone under my radar.

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  9. What a gorgeous cover and sounds like something I would enjoy. The last time travel that I read was A Garden in the Rain by Lynn Kurland - loved it. And The Hunger Games was the last YA - also loved it.

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    1. Catslady, I haven't read The Hunger Games. Must say I haven't really explored the dystopian stuff much. So much good stuff out there at the moment - hard to keep up with it all. Lynn Kurland does lovely time travels, doesn't she? I just recently re-read Son of the Morning which is a GREAT time travel and one I intend to review here in August.

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  10. Sounds wonderful, Anna! I'll bump this to the top of my TBR pile. I've heard whispers about time travels making a comeback. I've had a soft spot for them ever since seeing Back to the Future and Peggy Sue Got Married for the first time. )

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    1. Vanessa, I'm an old time travel lover too. Love Somewhere in Time too! Thanks for swinging by.

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  11. Oh, Anna, this one sounds like one I would love to read! I love time-travel when it's a contemporary person that goes back in time, instead of vice versa. I will have to check this one out. Thanks for the heads up!

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  12. Andrea, I thought this book was really outstanding. Well worth a look!

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  13. Thanks, Dishies and everyone who swung around today. So glad I've alerted you to this great new book. Happy reading! See you next month!

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  14. Anna, I'm so glad you enjoyed 'Warped' and yes, I'll even have you back to visit one day.

    I thought this was a brilliant book - fun but emotionally real and definitely intriguing. A YA that someone who doesn't read a lot of YA books could definitely lose themself in!

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  15. Annie, I remember how you picked it up and devoured it in one sitting. Definitely a recommendation. Thanks so much for lending it to me. I actually don't think I would have known about it otherwise and it's such a great book.

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