Nyxen's Review of "Through Her Eyes"

Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
379 Pages
HarperTeen 2011

EVERY GHOST HAS A STORY TO TELL...

The last place Tansy Piper wants to move to is Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere. But once there, she's immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old house, a place that has a disturbing history. Yet it's the strange artifacts she finds in the cellar-a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal-that have the most chilling impact on her.

Soon Tansy finds herself lured into the mind and world of the mysterious, troubled Henry, who once lived in the very same house. Through the lens of her camera, Tansy enters a surreal black-and-white world, only to find her life and Henry's linked by fate and the artifacts she found. But the more time Tansy sends in the past, the more her present world starts to fade away-and Tansy is in danger of losing touch with her own life forever.

First off, I just want to thank Teen Book Scene for letting me be apart of a blog tour where I got to be able to read this book.

This book really captivated me from the beginning. I remember trying to read in school or just wishing the school day would be over just so I can read it. I loved the fact that Tansy was a photographer. That made me relate to her just a bit. To me, though, she just seemed a little bit too average. Henry was very dark and brooding. Whenever I read about him I always shivered. It was just interesting reading about Henry.

The storyline was absolutely amazing. I just seemed to really enjoy it for some reason. It wasn't different but for some reason it worked. Jennifer Archer did a great job writing this. Not only that, but the poems! The poems were just something to die for. I knew how Tansy felt when reading the poems. I sometimes felt they were also meant for me. I think it was just an "in the moment" type of thing.

The paranormal aspect was also very beautiful. The way Tansy saw the past was pretty awesome. It made me wish I was her sometimes. I also loved that Archer brought up the fact that Tansy could be going crazy. I honestly thought that's how it would have all ended, with her going to a hospital for mental illness. But I did like the ending, it was bittersweet, a very good way to end it. And I'll be honest, I did get teary-eyed..but I shall not say why. You'll just have to read it.

I rate this Four Stars.

Through Her Eyes Blog Tour - Jennifer Archer Interview

Next stop on the "Through Her Eyes" Tour!

Today we have an interview with the lovely Jennifer Archer. Her book, "Through Her Eyes" is something amazing!


1. How did you come up with the title?

The title evolved with the book. By that, I mean that the book had several
different titles before we chose Through Her Eyes. Originally, it was Picture
This, but after an extensive rewrite, I decided to change it to Luminosity because
I thought that was a better fit for the story’s darker tone. When my agent was
about to begin shopping the book around, she admitted that she didn’t like the
title, so we brainstormed a bit and ended up selling Through Her Eyes to Harper
Teen with the title Click. After the sale, my editor pointed out that a movie had
recently premiered with the same name, so we made a list of possible options for
yet another title and gave it to the team at Harper. They wisely choose Through
Her Eyes.

2. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

My main goal when writing a story is to entertain my readers; I hope that the book
is fun to read and hard to put down. However, Through Her Eyes does touch on
the importance of truth, learning to embrace change and differences in others,
and moving on with life after a loss, so if Through Her Eyes challenges readers to
think about those issues, I would be very humbled by that.

3. How much of the book is realistic?

I can relate to Tansy. I grew up moving frequently, so I know what it is like to
leave old friends behind and to try to fit-in at a new school. I wasn’t exactly
like Tansy, though – she is braver than I was as a teenager. Still, I’m sure her
character sprang to life in my mind at least in part due to my own childhood
experiences.

All of my stories are a mixture of truth and imagination. I live in Amarillo, a town
of around 175,000 in the Texas panhandle, which is surrounded by many smaller
towns. I visited several of these small communities to get a sense of what the
fictional town of Cedar Canyon might be like. I also researched life in the 1930s
so that Henry’s world would be as realistic as possible.

4. What books have influenced you most?

The Pink Motel was my favorite book during elementary school, and it very well
might be the source of my lifelong fascination with beaches and the ocean. A
Wrinkle in Time taught me that well written, compelling fiction can stretch the
mind, making confusing subjects more interesting and accessible. Escape from
Warsaw and To Kill a Mockingbird exemplified how powerful and life-changing
a well-told story can be. The Great Gatsby brought me an understanding of
symbolism and imagery, and illustrated that if handled deftly, those elements add
depth of meaning to a story. Rebecca proved that tone and atmosphere can set
a desired mood and stir a reader’s emotions. Go Ask Alice showed me how one
person’s story and words can impact another person’s choices.

5. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Long before I ever published a book, I took creative writing classes from two
romance writers: DeWanna Pace, and NYTimes bestselling author Jodi Thomas.
Both of these talented women went on to become my friends, as well as my
teachers. I’ve learned a lot about the craft of writing from them and consider
them mentors. I’ve also learned so much from my friend Kimberly Willis Holt,
who won the National Book Award for Children’s Literature for her novel When
Zachary Beaver Came to Town. And every day, I continue to learn and grow as
a writer with the help of my incredible critique partners, author Mary Schramski,
NYTimes Bestselling author Linda Castillo, and soon-to-be-published authors
Marcy McKay, Anita Howard, and April Redmon.

6. What book are you reading now?

I am reading The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver with my book club.

7. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I can think of several, but will name just a few for the sake of space! Sophie
Jordan isn’t new – she has written romance novels for years and is a New York
Times bestselling author. However, she is new to teen fiction, and when I read
her YA novel Firelight that came out in September, 2010, I was hooked. I’ve also
become a fan of Lauren Oliver, who wrote Before I Fall and Delirium. And a
somewhat new author, Rebecca Stead, wowed me with her John Newbery Award-
winning novel, When You Reach Me.

The Other Side of Life - Blog Tour

I'm not back but I do have some tour promises i need to fulfill.

Today I have Jess C. Scott, author of The Other Side of Life, on the blog! :D Let's all welcome her!

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Music is a huge influence and inspiration to me! Here is a list of songs that I associate
with The Other Side of Life [Book #1 in the (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy].

Songs that influenced the book:

1. The Chemical Brothers – Three Little Birdies Down Beats (for the cyberpunk/
futuristic/magical texture / when they’re about to travel on the elves’ train network)

2. Maidens of the Celtic Harp (for the Celtic/Elven charm! While Nin and Anya are
having a meal in the elves’ underground abode)

3. Linkin Park – The Catalyst (for the ‘emotional’ components)

4. Nine Inch Nails – That’s What I Get (during a nihilistic moment where Anya ponders
on why life is always cruel to idealistic dreamers)

5. Johann Strauss II – The Blue Danube (a famous classical waltz, when Anya and Nin
have a dance together)

Other songs I listened to while writing:

6. Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero (the album brings to mind a futuristic dystopia, which
mostly goes in line with a cyberpunk theme)

7. Vivaldi – Autumn Allegro (from ‘The Four Seasons’—good for tension, and a prompt
towards action)

8. Kevin MacLeod – Darkness is Coming (I used this song for the book’s trailer @ http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YiT3bLQIyg)

9. Michael Jackson – They Don’t Care About Us (great song by MJ)

10. Se7en – Digital Bounce (a ‘hi-tech’, upbeat kind of song by a very talented Korean
popstar. Features in Anya’s playlist, briefly mentioned in one chapter)

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Author Bio:

Jess identifies herself as an author/artist/non-conformist. Her literary work has appeared
in a diverse range of publications, such as Word Riot, ITCH Magazine, and The Battered
Suitcase. She is currently working on several multiple-genre-crossing projects, including
her trilogy featuring cyberpunk elves.

Website: www.jessINK.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jesscscott
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jesscscott
Blip.fm (music playlist): www.blip.fm/jesscscott

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There you have it! Hope you all enjoyed it and have a great day!

Tell Us We're Home Blog Tour - Marina Budhos Guest Post

Even though I said there was supposed to be a hiatus, this post was scheduled way before that thought crossed my mind. So here is a guest post from the lovely Marina, author of Tell Us We're Home. :D

Enjoy!

Which character was your favorite to write and why (and how you developed them) and which do you relate to more?


That’s a hard one to answer, since I grew to like all three, very much, and think that there’s a bit of me in all three. However, let’s put it this way: Lola was a blast, insofar as she just pounced on to the page, and never left. Her energy, her voice, was right there, from the get go. I wrote her material the fastest, which seemed apt for her. I always knew she would be obsessed with history, and had a fast mouth. I knew she'd land in trouble somehow, but I wasn't exactly sure how. My favorite scenes to write were later, when she really crashes and is in the therapist’s office and her moxie boldness isn’t serving her anymore.

But I will say it was Maria who began as the most distant and truly grew on me. Her pining for Tash, her accompanying her mother on job interviews, her slow political awakening, felt wonderful to write. I loved writing the scene where she sees Tash's house and encounters his parents--that felt very natural to me, and perhaps drew on my own sense of outsideness. I also just enjoyed figuring out where she would take herself, what kinds of new and sometimes painful insights she learned along the way.

Jaya always began as the main character, and so in a sense, you could say she was whom I was closest, or most intimate with. I felt as if I knew her, knew the way she saw the world, and how she felt, especially about her mother. Writing her was about tunneling inwards, understanding her inner landscape, the imagery of her past, which was so vivid to her.




Thanks for stopping by, Marina. :D Hope you enjoyed this last (not for long) post.

Back to hiatus-ness(?).

There shouldn't be a title (HIATUS)

*Sigh*
I'm a horrible, horrible girl. :O

I haven't posted in a week and it's been so hard to try and schedule posts. I haven't been interacting with any other bloggers and I miss that. It's the beginning of my second term at high school, 10th grade, and everything is so hectic.

Right now, I'm supposed to be doing an essay but I'm writing this. And I don't mind but I need to write that essay. School has been taking over my life and everything else in between. I guess what I'm trying to say is this blog is going on a short hiatus. It might be two weeks, it might be a month. ):

I just need to wrap my head around everything and not worry about this blog and all my followers.

I'll be back soon, don't worry! And when I do, there will be a post everyday. (Hopefully.)

Don't be mad at me. I hope you'll forgive me.

Nyxen's Review of "Dash & Lily's Book of Dares"

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
260 Pages
Knopf Books 2010

I've left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please.

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disasterous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers persuing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

This was such an amazing read! Let me tell you a funny story. I read this books at the end of 2010. It wasn't until I got towards the end of the book that I realized we (the book and I) were coinciding with eachother. I mean to say that I was in the same time as them. I read the last chapter, Chapter twenty, the same day it took place, December 31st.

I really enjoyed that. I felt powerful. Well, Dash & Lily were an extremely cute yet awkward couple. They reminded me of my friends. Rachel and David have such powerful chemistry when it comes to writing. Everything about their writing just speaks to me.

The plot was wellwritten and the characters were very well rounded. I sort of wish there was a sequel to this book, wanting to see how their story progresses.

I'm not sure what else to say because I loved it so much that I don't know what how to put it into words.

Either way I recommend this book. You'll love it! It's not your average, typical love story. GET IT.

I rate this Five Stars

Nyxen's In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at the The Story Siren. :D

I don't have a picturenor video but I was supposed to have a video. I uploaded to youtube and then something happened.

I got Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?