of a copy of WRITING FOR DUMMIES
and a copy of WRITING & SELLING THE YA NOVEL is...
Natasha M. Heck!!!
Congrats Natasha! Email me - muchlanguage (at) gmail (dot) com, with your address.
Today's review:
I started this book at 7.30 am, while waiting on the bus to Tiny School. I went to school, taught, got a cold, took medicine, slept, went to movie night with my friends, and still, the book was such a page-turner that I was wrapping it up at midnight.
In an attempt for the review not to be a total fan-girl gush, I'm going to review it in music!
One of the coolest things about the story is that it takes place over one night only. (Jennifer Hudson)
Another thing is the representation of gays in the novel. I am not a champion for a gay rights by any stretch of the imagination, but I hate feeling like every "issue" person in novels has to be struggling with that issue. All Blacks are in turmoil over the fact that they're black. All Asians are struggling with being Asian. Gays are fighting not to be gay or to be accepted. You can't just be Black/Asian/Gay and cool with it. You can't just be like, "This is who I am!" (Jessica Andrews)
Music is so interwoven with this story that it's a theme, a setting, almost a character. The two main characters meet on account of music, and they have music in common. (Rihanna)
Both Nick and Norah's ex's have roles to play in the tale. And both their previous relationships were dysfunctional for different reasons. And both Nick and Norah struggle to come to terms with that.
A personal pet peeve of mine is the prevalence of books which deal with topics through the same lens as the topic. The language of a love story must be beautiful. If a story is about death, it has to be a tearjerker. But this novel is set in the punk-rock/queer core NYC music scene- not exactly a setting that makes you think of wedding marches and honeymoons. I love the juxtaposition of these two things, because you don't have to be a sappy, romantic (like me- lol) to fall in love. Sad stories happen in happy places and vice versa. It's like Singing in the Rain. (Gene Kelly.)
This weeks rules:
Open til 11.59 EST
Open internationally
To win, tell me, what single night (or day) most changed your life?
Good luck!
