Stranger the Reader

Beautiful People, hosted by Sky @ Further Up and Further In and Cait @ Paper Fury, is an awesome monthly linkup to help writers get to know their character. In honor of Valentine's Day, this month's linkup is all about couples.

I'm excited about this month's questions because I'm a massive shipper. Like, I ship ALL the things. As a reader, I love the emotional, sugary, cute romances instead of the super sexy ships, and I'm pretty much the same as a writer. I think it's important that relationships, especially YA relationships, portray something else besides OHMAHGAWDSOSEXY. My current project, A Sky for Dreamers, has the best couple ever, Percy and Polaris.

Percy (left) and Polaris (right)

How and why did they meet?

So, Percy first meets Polaris in a dream. Yeah, Percy has the ability to flicker through other people's dreams, but he usually stays in his own head. Polaris also has this ability and pops up in Percy's dream one night. He is literally Percy's dream guy.

What were their first impressions of each other?

Percy thought Polaris was a bit of a (charming) weirdo. He was mostly just fascinated to meet someone else with his ability.

Polaris thought Percy was super cute tbh. A bit awkward, but he figured Percy was just really shy.

How would they prove their love for each other?

Percy is not really the type of person to openly display his affection, so just him opening up and sharing his feelings is sign that he really loves and trusts Polaris. He would probably do small things too: spending time, making dream gifts, going to Polaris' concerts, generally supporting Polaris' interests.

Polaris is more of a show off and loves doing things for the people he cares about. He's not standoffish like Percy, but he does like to keep a safe emotional distance from others. He's the type who only gets ridiculously affectionate towards his significant other: absurd gifts, obnoxious couple t-shirts (#TeamPercy), thirty million couple pictures on Instagram.

What would be an ideal date?

Eating some burgers and going to an indie concert in town. Afterwards, they would come back home to play video games or watch a movie.

Is there something they emphatically disagree on?

Percy does not find Monty Python humorous. Polaris has tried to explain it to him a million times, but Percy refuses to get it. They've agreed to never bring it up.

List 5 “food quirks” they know about each other. (Ex: how they take their coffee, if they’re allergic to something, etc….and feel free to mention other non-food quirks!)

What Percy knows about Polaris:

Avocados for life. Polaris puts them on anything and everything. If Percy isn't sure what Polaris wants to eat, avocados are a safe bet.
Polaris is allergic to chocolate. He wasn't before, then puberty struck and chocolate made him break out into hives.
Polaris isn't a big fan of meat. He still eats it, but he doesn't see it as a staple for every meal.
Polaris really hates having the window open, Even if it's sweltering/freezing, he keeps it shut.
Polaris doesn't like coffee.

What Polaris knows about Percy:

If Percy could, he would only eat Chinese takeout. It's his favorite comfort food.
He really loves chocolate. It sucks for him that Polaris is extremely allergic.
Honey mustard goes great on everything.
He doesn't actually like it, but his family used to eat fried chicken and waffles for Valentine's day, so that's his go-to meal for the holiday.
He likes eating dream-food a lot. Especially dream-Chinese food.

What’s one thing they know about each other that no one else does?

Besides the dreaming thing?

What Percy knows about Polaris: Polaris is really insecure when it comes to his twin brother. His twin is literally an Adonis and everyone loves him-girls, teachers, strangers. Polaris thinks he's the ugly, unwanted twin.

What Polaris knows about Percy: Percy pretends it's funny and acts like he's not bothered, but he's actually really hurt over the fact that his little brother despises him. When he was younger, Percy really wanted a little brother to bond with, and he's sad that didn't happen.

What’s one thing that they keep a secret from each other?

Polaris: Polaris hasn't told Percy that he was there when his little brother drowned. He just told him he drowned.

Percy: Percy keeps his racial identity crisis a secret. For some reason, he feels like Polaris wouldn't understand because he's always know he was white.

How would their lives be different without each other?

Percy would 100% still be insecure and afraid of opening up. He would also never know that other people have his ability.

Polaris would still hide all of his feelings under a happy facade. He would continue to think that he isn't as great as his brother and that he would be alone forever.

Where do they each see this relationship going?

When the story ends, they're still unsure, though they would like to make it work. I'd like to think that once they hit the cute puppy phase, so believe obviously going to be together forever.

Your turn

I'd love to hear about your fictional couples! If you're not a writer, tell me about your favorite OTP.

Author: Adam Silvera

Published: January 17, 2017

Publisher: Soho Teen

Genre: YA, GLBT, Contemporary

When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.
To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.
If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

"Our situation is like some rigged card game, and the hand the universe laid out for us is made entirely of jesters; we're some cosmic joke. But maybe we don't have to fold so easily. Maybe we can keep playing the game and make kings of ourselves, in spite of it all."

This is my first Adam Silvera novel and it blew me away. History Is All You Left Me is a heartbreaking novel about grief, OCD, and coming to terms with the past. The writing is A+. Silvera has a distinct and poignant style that is incredibly addicting. I enjoyed the elegance of the style while appreciating Griffin's voice. He actually sounds like a real teenager, which is very different from what many middle-aged YA writers think teens sound like.

The story centers around Griffin, his ex-boyfriend, Theo, and Theo's current boyfriend, Jackson. The only problem is, Theo's dead, and Griffin is still very much in love with him. This becomes even more complicated because Jackson comes around for the funeral and Griffin can't help the jealousy that arises. Griffin is also dealing with OCD that becomes increasingly overwhelming as the story unfolds. As Griffin tries to put together a life that doesn't involve Theo, he finds himself unwilling to let go.

I loved loved loved Griffin.

At the beginning of the story, he is depressed and broken. His life is shattered and though everyone tries to help and understand him, he doesn't feel like they truly get it. To top it off, he has to help his dead ex-boyfriend's boyfriend deal with his grief. To get through this, Griffin addresses Theo's spirit during the Today sections as though he were truly alive. It was painful read the sections where Griffin started to doubt if Theo was really watching him because you could sense his panic at being left alone. Although Griffin was jealous, selfish, and sometimes hurtful, I felt he wanted to be a good person.

Theo was cute too. I liked reading the History sections about his romance with Griffin, but it also made the book 30,000 times sadder. I could see why Griffin and Jackson were so in love with him because he had a way of making everyone around him feel important. Silvera manages to make him a complex character despite already being dead.

I think I was a little cold towards Jackson at the beginning. I found myself on Team Griffin and just wanted him to go away, but I quickly realized the point of the story wasn't to be Team Anyone. Jackson is complex, and I think he was a great addition to the story.

The format of the book surprised me in a good way. I expected it to be in a standard linear fashion, but, thankfully, Silvera switches things up by revealing the story through chapters set in the past (History) and the present (today). It was hard to read the History sections and see Griffin so in love and happy while knowing that it wasn't going to last.

But this book is important.

There are so many reasons why this book is important for readers of a variety different backgrounds:

Positive gay and bi representation. I'm excited to see a novel featuring gay and bi characters in prominent roles that is not about coming out/battling homophobia. Not to say that those aren't important concepts, but it's frustrating as a queer reader to only read books about homophobia and self-hatred. It's incredibly empowering to read about gay characters who are from a positive and loving environment. I hope to continue to see this trend where characters are GLBT and they are accepted.
Realistic portrayal of grief. I like that Silvera allows his characters to feel sadness. It always seems like people have unrealistic expectations of characters moving on from traumatic events.
Griffin makes mistakes, and that's okay. Griffin is sweet and adorable, but he makes many mistakes throughout the novel that hurt the people around him. I think it's nice seeing a main character who isn't perfect but learns and grows.
Teens love and have sex and their feelings aren't belittled. Griffin and Theo fall in love and the adults around them take it seriously. Griffin's parents are 100% supportive and even buy condoms for him (hilarious).

The OCD representation was great. I cannot speak from experience because I don't have a history of OCD or mental illness, but I think Silvera's depiction of OCD was true to his experiences. Griffin's OCD is a constant presence in the narrative and we get to see how it affects his life. Silvera is careful that it makes an appearance even when it wasn't apparent through the narrative. For example, when Griffin is making lists in his head or repeating a phrase, it is always in even numbers. This portrayal is masterful and was an enlightening experience.

To sum it up, this book was very beautiful and very very heartbreaking. Go for the cute, stay for the tears.

Rating

So, er, I wasn't actually tagged for this, so I guess it's more like thievery. BUT I can't help that Cait @ Paper Fury made it look so cute.

A little backstory on my history with hot beverages: I hate tea! Maybe it's because I didn't grow up drinking it, but I can't get over how bitter it tastes. No matter what I do, I take a sip of tea and the taste of armpit ends up lingering in the back of my throat. Yeck. Coffee used to be the same way, but then I went to college and discovered this magical thing called creamer. I enjoy having a bit of coffee with my creamer now.

Black: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.

I won't deny that the writing in this is gorgeous, but for some reason I cannot make it past the fourth chapter. I've started this twice and gave up both times around the same point. Yet, most of the people I know rave about this book.

Peppermint Mocha: Name a book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year.

Usually it's around the holidays when people start becoming Scrooges. And what better time to whip out the ultimate Christmas classic?

Hot Chocolate: What is your favorite children’s book?

PHENOMENAL book. I've yet to read anything as creative, humorous, and educational as this.

Double Shot of Espresso: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Mostly because I had no idea what the bleep was going on. Then I reached the last fifty pages and went, "EEHHHH?" and speed read to the end.

Starbucks: Name a book you see everywhere.

I feel like TFiOS has become the basic book of the reading world.

That Hipster Coffee Shop: Give a book by an indie author a shout-out.

I just did a review on this one (check it out) and it's SO adorable. I wish more people would read it so that I could have fangirling buddies.

Oops! I accidentally got decaf: Name a book you were expecting more from.

The Perfect Blend: Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying.

First things first: I want that dress. Gimme.

Okay, this book series gave me so many feels. The characters are friggin' perfect and flawed and tragic and you just want to give them creepy back hugs to make it all better. I would have preferred an ending that didn't completely destroy my soul, but really, there wasn't any other way it could have ended,

Green Tea: Name a book or series that’s quietly beautiful.

Gah, this is one of my all time favorite books. It's so eerie, yet beautiful with fantastical and wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey ideas.

Chai Tea: Name a book or series that makes you dream of far-off places.

I love fantasies based on other countries and I want to visit this mythical version of Russia. One of these days, I'll figure out away.

Earl Grey: Name your favorite classic.

I'll forever be in love with the story of the boy who never grew up. So in love that I might be planning a sci-fi Peter Pan retelling.

I tag

Alyssa @ The Devil Orders Take Out, Rae @ The Wallflower, and Briana @ Briana Mae Morgan

. . . and whoever else wants to join in!

Twitter Bites:

@AnahSpiers attempts to steal the #CoffeeTag and dumps hot coffee in her lap. http://bit.ly/1FfaVal (Click to Tweet)

I think at this point, we all know why diversity is important. I don't think there's a hotter topic in the publishing world right now, and that's kind of awesome. But while reading and writing diversity is awesome, another way to be a good diversity advocate is to be aware of how you review diverse books.

More often than not, there is a lot of microaggression in reviews of diverse books. For those of you who don't know, microaggressions, as used by Columbia professor Derald Sue, are, “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color.” In other words, it's when you say things that are meant as a compliment or as an innocent question, but instead come across as insulting and hurtful toward the group you are speaking too. Microaggressions are things like:

"What are you?"

"You're pretty for a black girl."

"Can you teach me how to twerk?"

"Can you read these Asian characters?"

"So did your parents come here illegally?"

"I know you're gay, but have you ever had real sex?"

I hope those sounded jerky to you guys, because they're just a small taste of what marginalized folk have to deal with on a daily basis. Things like this are so commonplace that they manage to dodge the asshole-barometer because people truly think they've said nothing wrong.

In the book blogging world, I've noticed some microaggressions frequently popping up when reviewing diverse books. For example, when people say that diversity needs to be "justified:"

If you need diversity to be justified. You are saying that anyone who isn't white, cis, abled, straight, etc. Must justify their existence.
— Jeanne (@fangirlJeanne) May 19, 2015

Ouch. I know, I know, you didn't mean it that way, but that's how it honestly comes out.

Other reviews commend books for not be "issue" books, or making diverse characters relatable to the everyday reader. Some are angry that there is too much diversity and feel as though an agenda is being pushed on them. *cringe*

So I thought, how should I approach this topic for a blog post? Making a lecture-style post on how people should review seemed to be the wrong approach, and people get touchy when you tell them how to blog.

Luckily, @fangirlJeanne created two lovely hashtags #White4thesakeofWhite and #Straight4thesakeof Straight to show the ridiculousness of microaggressive attitude towards diversity.

In the spirit of the hashtag, I'm going to review some non-diverse books the same way I've seen diverse books reviewed. I kid you not, some of these examples are things I've seen, word for word.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

"I'm not racist, but it seems a little implausible to have two white leads in a futuristic Chicago."

"Diversity is great, but I did feel like the heterosexual romance was a bit contrived."

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"At some points, it felt like there were too many issues (c'mon, the characters were white, straight, AND middle-class???), but overall I think the author did a good job of making sure this rose above the standard issue book."

Tempest by Julie Cross

"To be honest, I felt like all of the white culture in this book was hard to relate to. The author could have toned it down a bit to make sure readers didn't get overwhelmed."

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

"Okay, there is not one, but THREE instances of straight romance. I'm not saying that straights don't exist, but I find it hard to believe that Marguerite is conveniently running into so many straights in this book. They don't even make up that much of the population."

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

"I think readers will be surprised to discover that this book depicts a predominantly able-bodied society. It's a little hard to take seriously, but I guess that's why it's fiction and not reality."

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"I liked all the characters, but Cinder seemed to be the token white girl. Was there really a reason she needed to be white?"

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

"Did this author follow the diversity checklist? I mean the character's already a white female, but then the author had to add that she was heterosexual, her best friend is a white guy, and she's in love with this another white guy? Yes, diversity is good, but you're telling me that there is only one gay couple in all of New York? Please."

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

"Honestly, this book is an example of political correctness gone wrong. It depicted straight relationship as COMPLETELY NORMAL. I'm mean, there's nothing wrong with including a straight or two in a story, but you're saying that everything was just peachy and no one was disgusted by it? I found that to be a very idealistic depiction of straights in society."

So what do you think? Have you noticed any microaggressions in book reviews? Are you guilty of a few yourself (it's okay, we can't all be perfect like Thranduil)? What do you think of the hashtags?

Twitter-sized sass:

Are we microaggressive in our book reviews? @AnahSpiers creates sassy reviews to find out http://bit.ly/1Fbft2b (click to tweet)

Author: Erin Claiborne
Published: November 11th, 2014
Publisher: Big Bang Press
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Queer

Sixteen year-old Ewan Mao knows one thing for certain: according to prophecy, it's his destiny to kill the evil tyrant whose dark reign has terrorized Britain. Although he's just a normal boy, deep down Ewan is confident that he has exactly what it takes to be a hero. But when Ewan's big moment comes, he freezes. His best friend, the clever and talented Oliver Abrams, defeats the villain for him, and Ewan's bright future crumbles before his eyes.

Five years later, Oliver has a job as an Unusual in the government's Serious Magical Crimes Agency, the life he and Ewan always dreamed of. But a routine investigation leads him and his partner, Sophie Stuart, to uncover a dangerous and powerful cult... one that seems to have drawn his former best friend into a plot to end the world.

A deftly plotted, hysterically funny take on Chosen One narratives, A Hero at the End of the World expertly walks the fine line between satire and sincerity. Its sensitive depiction of a broken friendship and wry take-down of unfairly great expectations will appeal to all readers of modern fantasy.

First Line: Five years later, Ewan Mao sort of, kind of, accidentally became evil.

A Hero at the End of the World is the Harry Potter ending we really deserved. Not that sugary, "All was well," stuff J.K. Rowling tried to feed us. AHEW (I'm not going to apologize for that acronym) is the version of Harry Potter where Ron (or Neville) killed Voldemort instead, and Harry faded into jealous obscurity.

AHEW is about these idiots + Sophie who accidentally bring about the end of the world. There's Ewan Mao, our obvious Harry Potter replica, who kind of failed at being the chosen one and now works in a rundown coffee shop that sells crappy drinks. Oliver, a stand in for Ron (but you can also imagine Neville), who steals Ewan's chosen one status at the last minute and becomes a huge douche canoe. Archibald Gardner Hobbes (call him Archie), our substitute Draco, who's a part of a magical cult that sounds suspiciously like Scientology. And finally, Sophie, who is Hermione, but a lot sassier.

The characters are really what made this book. Not to say that the plot sucked, but I think it was overshadowed by Claiborne's witty and humorous characters. I loved the fact that Ewan, our sarcastic narrator, was a loser. Not a fake loser who just needs to believe in himself, but an actual loser. Ewan sucks at everything from magic to school to people to life. The bloke's a bit pathetic really. But instead of coming across as irritating, I actually came to care for the niffler. I loved his periodic worries about being tempted by evil:

"Wait one bloody minute," said Ewan. He snatched his hand back. "Are you evil?"
"I'm not drinking evil beer," Ewan protested. He looked at the glass for a moment. "Well, maybe half."

I liked Oliver less, but, as I said before, douche canoe. I almost lost control of my eyes due to the number of times they rolled in my head during his sections.

Archie was another one of my favorites. He's good-looking and spoiled rotten, and he knows it. As someone who used to be deep into the HP fanfic community, Archie is fanon Draco to a T, without the leather pants.

"Of course I don't pay taxes, I'm rich," Archie sniffed.

His crush on Ewan was adorable, and I loved their interactions. Although they were both crushing on each other, Ewan was largely oblivious to Archie's feelings, which made for many comical scenes. I love that their relationship was portrayed as natural, and that there weren't any hangups on them being gay.

The overall diversity in this story was great. A fantasy story where neither of the leads are white and a homosexual pairing is the main relationship of the book? Hell yeah.

Of course, I did have a few issues with the book, mainly the writing. It wasn't horrible, but I definitely think it needed to go through one final round of editing, preferably from a different editor, because I found many typos and mistakes throughout the story. Nothing too bad, but some of them were confusing upon first glance, until you realized that "his" was supposed to be "is." Also, holy dialogue tag! If you noticed from some of the lines I posted, there are tons of dialogue tag like, sniffed, proclaimed, snapped, protested, declared, replied, etc. A lot of the dialogue is followed by non-speaking verbs instead of proper tags. For example, "Alright," he winked." Maybe it's just me, but I get upset when I see things like this, but other readers will probably not be bothered.

Much of the book hinges on the assumption that you've read Harry Potter before, but I think it could still be enjoyable to you non-Harry Potter reading heathens. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll get a kick out of all of the references (Mount Unpleasant anyone?) and giggle over the way the characters subvert standard chosen one tropes and the delicious evil:

"What happened to Sergio?" Archie asked, frowning. "Was he fired?"
"It did involve fire, yes," Louise answered without taking her eyes off Ewan.

Verdict

*No Fresh Princes were harmed in the making of this review*

So, have you read any books that were parodies of other popular books? What did you think of them?

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How and why did they meet?

What were their first impressions of each other?

How would they prove their love for each other?

What would be an ideal date?

Is there something they emphatically disagree on?

List 5 “food quirks” they know about each other. (Ex: how they take their coffee, if they’re allergic to something, etc….and feel free to mention other non-food quirks!)

What’s one thing they know about each other that no one else does?

What’s one thing that they keep a secret from each other?

How would their lives be different without each other?

Where do they each see this relationship going?

Your turn

I loved loved loved Griffin.

But this book is important.

Rating

Verdict

Bonus: Here's some pics of the collector's edition.

1. Do they know both their biological parents? Why/why not?

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?

3. What’s their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?

5. Do they get on with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?

6. If they had to describe their parental figure(s) in one word, what would it be?

7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life?

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?

10. What’s their favourite memory with their parental figure(s)?

Well, that's it for this edition of beautiful people? What do you think of Blake's parents? Are you uncomfortable with her hot dad? Are YOU joining the Camp NaNoWriMo madness?

Black: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.

Peppermint Mocha: Name a book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year.

Hot Chocolate: What is your favorite children’s book?

Double Shot of Espresso: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Starbucks: Name a book you see everywhere.

That Hipster Coffee Shop: Give a book by an indie author a shout-out.

Oops! I accidentally got decaf: Name a book you were expecting more from.

The Perfect Blend: Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying.

Green Tea: Name a book or series that’s quietly beautiful.

Chai Tea: Name a book or series that makes you dream of far-off places.

Earl Grey: Name your favorite classic.

I tag

. . . and whoever else wants to join in!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Tempest by Julie Cross

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

So what do you think? Have you noticed any microaggressions in book reviews? Are you guilty of a few yourself (it's okay, we can't all be perfect like Thranduil)? What do you think of the hashtags?

"Wait one bloody minute," said Ewan. He snatched his hand back. "Are you evil?" "I'm not drinking evil beer," Ewan protested. He looked at the glass for a moment. "Well, maybe half."

"Of course I don't pay taxes, I'm rich," Archie sniffed.

"What happened to Sergio?" Archie asked, frowning. "Was he fired?" "It did involve fire, yes," Louise answered without taking her eyes off Ewan.

Verdict

So, have you read any books that were parodies of other popular books? What did you think of them?

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"Wait one bloody minute," said Ewan. He snatched his hand back. "Are you evil?"
"I'm not drinking evil beer," Ewan protested. He looked at the glass for a moment. "Well, maybe half."

"What happened to Sergio?" Archie asked, frowning. "Was he fired?"
"It did involve fire, yes," Louise answered without taking her eyes off Ewan.