Review: The Namesake by Steven Parlato (ARC)

The Namesake by Steven Parlato
Merit Press, 256 pages
US Release Date: January 18, 2013
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher, for review - thank you Leyane and Merit!

While he may be the smartest boy at St. Sebatian's Academy, Evan has no idea why the father he's named for committed suicide. A searching story of a boy's too-early coming of age

The Namesake begins when Evan is asked to "write about what he knows" for college essays, by teachers sure that such a gifted artist will get a full scholarship. What Evan knows is not as much as what he doesn't know, however. He doesn't know why his father chose to hang himself on Easter morning while he and his mother were at church, and what the secrets of a small town can tell him about his father . . . and himself. Hoping to finally uncover the truth, Evan and his best friend, Alexis, dig into the town's past only to discover it's dark roots . . . and that some secrets are best kept hidden.
-------------------summary provided by the Publisher

Notable Quote

Sorrow is cumulative.

The Namesake was another one of those books that took me surprise - and I'm still in debates about if it was ultimately a good thing or not. I suppose I could have connected some of the dots underlying the summary, but I don't think I would be the only one not to put it together earlier.

I'm not going to say it outright, but the truth of what is going on...it was a tough subject to read about, simply because it's one of those things that you feel is never really real. It's on the news all the time (unfortunately), but that's all it is: news stories. They're so horrific and evil that your brain refuses to accept them as true, even though you know deep down they are. So to read about it was a bit...horrific, too. Right in the middle I started to wonder if I should really continue, but I'm glad I did.

Once I did figure out what happened to Evan's father (which was pretty early on), I actually became much more frustrated with Evan because he was so slow on the uptake. There were so many obvious moments after that, and I just wanted to shove Evan and tell him to get there faster. It was excruciating slogging through random dream sequences or weird hallucination-like daydreams just to get to the point, and I definitely skimmed some of those pages. Even though it's already a small page count, it felt too long for the plot. Though of course, do know that I read an ARC and I'm sure there are definite changes in the final version that more than likely alleviate this issue!

The story itself is rather gripping, especially once Evan discovers the journal and you're allowed to read the father's own words. The mystery is wrapped up fairly well, and though once it begins to take shape you immediately know, it's still pretty brilliant the way it's mapped out and the sequence of reveals. There was one little part to the storyline that I thought was a bit unnecessary, but it's thankfully a small portion - and the characters it brought about were so fantastic that I didn't mind it too much.

One of the best things about this novel were the secondary characters. Each of them were so clear and unique - especially Zio Joe and the Italian family - that I thoroughly enjoyed every time there were scenes with them. Alexis was a little over the top, but she balanced out Evan well and offered a great comic relief to very heavy issues. And even though I can't stand Father Fran...he's crafted well. Too well, because it makes me see red just to see his name again!

The tone of the novel is an interesting part for me - most of the time, I loved it. Evan's got this great defeatist humor that mixes really well with his curiosity and cynicism, and it paints a picture very well. But there are small moments where it didn't fit well with the content of the book, where it didn't quite fit with a scene or a feeling. And I know you can't shift tones in a book, but somehow I think a better balance could have been achieved. Still, a good 80% of the novel has a great take on the events and I found myself enjoying it.

I'm having a hard time wrapping up the review, mostly because I'm still a little lost how I feel about the whole book. There are certainly parts I really loved, ones that made it worthwhile to read this - I don't regret picking it up, and I do think there are a lot of appeals to it. But for me personally, there were so may tiny misses, too - and I can't ignore those, either.

2.5 Stars

[Guest Post] Steven Parlato, author of The Namesake!

The Namesake by Steven Parlato
Merit Press, 256 pages

While he may be the smartest boy at St. Sebatian's Academy, Evan has no idea why the father he's named for committed suicide. A searching story of a boy's too-early coming of age

The Namesake begins when Evan is asked to "write about what he knows" for college essays, by teachers sure that such a gifted artist will get a full scholarship. What Evan knows is not as much as what he doesn't know, however. He doesn't know why his father chose to hang himself on Easter morning while he and his mother were at church, and what the secrets of a small town can tell him about his father . . . and himself. Hoping to finally uncover the truth, Evan and his best friend, Alexis, dig into the town's past only to discover it's dark roots . . . and that some secrets are best kept hidden.
-------------------summary provided by the Publisher

Happy Release Day to The Namesake and Steven Parlato!

Released by the new YA imprint Merit Press, trust me when I say The Namesake is intense and mysterious and you will not want to sent it down the moment you realize what Evan is uncovering. Please enjoy the guest post below from the author, and make sure to check out The Namesake!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | IndieBound

Life Lessons from The Namesake

By Steven Parlato,

Author of The Namesake (Merit Press)

As a poet, I tend to be leery of explanations; often that perfect last line is my desperate attempt to guarantee the reader gets it, that the message is clear. In such cases, I hear the voice of my dear friend and teacher, Edwina Trentham, advising me to "Trust the poem." Almost always, that perfect last line gets cut. So discussing the life lessons of my novel, The Namesake, is a challenge. I'll mostly leave it up to my characters to dole out the lessons, trusting my readers to find those they need most, learning them alongside the main character, Evan Galloway.

Still, without dictating meaning, I can say The Namesake, to me anyway, is a novel of faith, forgiveness, and love. While religion, Catholicism specifically, plays an important role in the story, faith takes a broader meaning. Faith -- in self and in relationships, as well as in God -- drives the plot. Ultimately, although he questions, Evan realizes that, without faith, life at its core is empty.

Another colossal lesson Evan learns from his doomed father is that forgiveness, that most precious gift, is supremely difficult to grant oneself. The scene where Father Brendan discusses forgiveness and love was a very poignant one for me to write. It's probably the closest I get to an overt message, and it still has the power to make me emotional when I read it. Maybe that's because it's a hard-won lesson for me as well.

Without seeming like I'm channeling Celine Dion, I have to say The Namesake is also about the power of love. Evan finds, through its loss and through what remains, just how essential love is to existence. He also recognizes that where there is love, there is, inevitably, unimaginable pain. Significantly, he comes to realize that this coexistence of love and loss is symbiotic. As Evan puts it toward the end of the book, ". . . the bad stuff seems important in a new way. Like part of the recipe: the bitter lemon that makes the coconut sweeter." One of my working titles for the novel was actually The Sweet Bitter, but perhaps I was being both too vague and too obvious.

Personally, writing The Namesake has taught me lessons of faith, of persistence, and of trust. There were many stumbling blocks along the road to publication, yet I knew I owed it to these characters to tell their story. There were moments of great doubt that I could do justice to the book, and I often battled that loud inner voice telling me this story didn't matter. I found affirmation in the faith of others: my wife, Janet; supportive family members; good, honest friends. They believed when I didn't. And I found strength in Evan -- he's just so freaking persistent -- to continue, even at the lowest points. I came to trust that the story was there, that it needed to be told, and that I was, in fact, the only one who could tell it. The Namesake took me to some pretty dark and unexpected places, but with faith, I uncovered truly important lessons about writing, about life -- and about myself. Now it's time for you, reader, to find lessons of your own. Feel free to share them with me.

© 2012 Steven Parlato, author of The Namesake

Steven Parlato, author of The Namesake, is a writer, illustrator, and an English professor. His poetry has been featured in Borderlands, Freshwater, Connecticut River Review, Peregrine, and Pirene's Fountain, and he is the winner of the 2011 Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature. He lives with his family, and is at work on his next novel.

For more information please visit http://stevenparlato.com and http://www.adamsmedia.com/merit-press-books and follow the author on Facebook

Review: Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
Merit Press, 256 Pages
US Release Date: December 18, 2012 (today! Buy your copy today!)
Format: Print ARC
Source: Publisher, for review. Thank you Merit!

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

The peculiar thing about courage is that you ca more readily summon it forth when something (or someone?) you love is at stake.

Has anyone ever seen the movie She's the Man, with Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes? Let it be known that that is one of my favourite movies OF ALL TIME. I love it. It's hilarious and so perfectly a spoof on Twelfth Night by Shakespeare.

Tempestuous is just like that (though obviously a farce on The Tempest): funny and awesome and a little bit ridiculous but wholly enjoyable. I laughed out loud for real at a lot of parts.

I read The Tempest in my second year of college (a whoooooole long eon ago, in 2006), and while I remember enjoying it, it was not even close to being a favourite Shakespeare of mine; subsequently, the story is fuzzy at best in my memory. While reading this book, a lot of it came back to me, but not enough for me to claim that I can compare them with any justice. Tempestuous felt reminiscent, but not like a retelling for me. Not a judgment, just a statement.

Here's where the judgment is: maybe I'm simply not up on farces, but Tempestuous felt just a little too over the top for me. I get books that are lark and spirited takes, but this one had a lot of moments where I rolled my eyes. They're all fun, but it started to cross over into not being believable. Miranda is quick and witty, but it's just a little too convenient or well-thought out when it's supposed to be on the fly or in a high-pressure situation. Maybe that won't bother other people, but I find it distracting when I'm constantly shaking my head and thinking "that wouldn't happen." The writing itself fit that tone really well; which for me was way over-the-top, throwing around big words and fancy alliteratives. Oddly though, I kind of appreciated that the writing fit the mood of the book - even though it bugged me overall, it would have been far less of a novel if they were to oppose one another.

What's the most telling thing to me is that I read this book November 18, but I'm not writing the review until mid-December - and truthfully? I don't remember a lot of it. I remember my feelings as I was reading, but not many of the details or finer parts of the novel. I know I liked Caleb and thought he was a great match for Miranda's antics and superiority. I remember loving little Ariel, the second-in-command. She was so much fun and so bubbly that I felt like she was bouncing right off the page at me. But even now as I picked up the book to skim, I found myself going "oh yeah! that happened!"

It sounds like I'm being only negative, I know. But I think it just wasn't a great fit for me. The one thing that I did really love though is the creativity! Retellings of stories, and one as lofty as Shakespeare, are always so difficult. But Tempestuous was fun and totally lived up to it being a modern-day version! All the different schemes Kim and Amy cooked up for Miranda to enact were hilarious and unique; even the original reason why Miranda was put into "fast food servitude" was creative. I can definitely say that I've never read anything quite like this book, and that is a very, very good thing.

3 stars

Review: The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab
Merit Press, 272 Pages
Expected US Release Date: December 18, 2012
Format: Print ARC
Source: Publisher for review. Thanks Merit!

Ariel's birthday weekend looks to be the event of the season, with a private concert by rock star Hudson Winters on the grounds of her family's east coast estate, and all of Ariel's elite prep school friends in attendance. The only person who's dreading the party is Sera, Ariel's former best friend, whose father is forcing her to go. Sera has been the school pariah since she betrayed Ariel, and she now avoids Ariel and their former friends. Thrown together, Ariel and Sera can agree on one thing: this could be one very long night.

They have no idea just how right they are.

Only moments after the concert begins and the lights go down, thugs open fire on parents and schoolmates alike, in a plot against Ariel's father that quickly spins out of control. As the entire party is taken hostage, the girls are forced apart. Ariel escapes into the hidden tunnels in the family mansion, where she and Sera played as children. Only Sera, who forges an unlikely alliance with Hudson Winters, knows where her friend could be. As the industrial terrorist plot unravels and the death toll climbs, Ariel and Sera must recall the sisterhood that once sustained them as they try to save themselves and each other on the longest night of their lives.
-------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

...but now I look it over, just in case there's anything in there that could cause damage. But books aren't dangerous enough, not unless you sit down and read some of them.

I don't know what exactly I was expecting when I went into this book, but it was nothing like I ever thought it would be! And that's a good thing, trust me. There is so much suspense and heart-stopping moments that I was tearing through the pages wondering what was going to happen and who was going to make it out alive.

I am going to get the bads out of the way though - more so I can quickly get it over with, but also so I can get to the goods! I'm not a fan of the title. I find it reminiscent of Anne Frank (and it is nothing like that), and I don't find it to be representative of the great content within this. I'm also a bit torn about the actual writing - there were several moments I found myself stopping and re-reading, because there was something a bit off about the flow. A lot of the elements felt a bit contrived or convenient, and I even have a note where it says "interesting, but feels forced. Not smooth." Lastly, I hated the drama between Sera and the classmates; while I can understand why what Sera did would make her a social pariah, I struggle to believe it would make her classmates hate her so much they'd flat sell her out to the Agents keeping them hostage and shooting people on whims. It was just a bit of a stretch, and I didn't like it.

But moving along!

As weird and horrible and gross as this sounds (and I swear I'm not a violent person), one of my favourite things was how fast the bodies piled up here! YA never really has much death in it - at least not meaningless deaths. Usually a death is a main point, a catalyst to a story or emotion or journey. Not so in The Girl in the Wall - people are droppin' like FLIES, and just because the head Agent (who they call The Executioner) feels like it. Sure he uses it to make a point too, but there are bullets everywhere, and frankly: it's kinda cool to see that in a YA novel*. And I don't mean to say The Executioner is killing people just to kill - there is a purpose to each person he shoots - but I like that the author is unafraid of using murder and bullets in a story. It's a whole new element of keeping reader's on their toes, and it actually made me care for the characters more! When they could die at any moment the page turns, it just flips your compassion switch to on.

I liked the boys in this novel a lot, which is kinda funny since it revolves around two girls and their friendship. Even so, the guys are very worthy secondary characters. Hudson is every bit the caring rocker boy we all want to have and want to love, and I like that he was actually someone to which I could relate. Nico was also someone we want to fall in love with, very knight in shining armor - some of which was cheesy, but what he does for Ariel far outweighs any of the eye-rolling I might have done towards him. And what happens to him in the end? I won't give it away but...oh goodness. OH. GOODNESS. Even the smaller male characters (all the good ones, not The Agents) were done really well, each very distinct and very, very human.

Actually "human" is a good way to put this novel - while of course I've never actually been in this situation (saying prayers of gratitude right now...), what each character feels and how they each react feels very real to me. There's a lot of variation to the emotions in each person, and there was a lot of care and consideration into those details - something I appreciated very much. That was actually probably the reason I was so invested in the story: it feels like I'm watching a real news story, that this was actually happening somewhere.

Oddly, Sera and Ariel didn't affect me much. That's not to say they're bad characters, not at all; for some reason, they just never resonated with me. Of course I care what happens to them, and I like that there is still an innate trust and care between them no matter the recent drama. But they were more characters to watch for me, rather than people to feel for.

The Girl in the Wall was a bit up and down for me, but the ups are SO far up that I'm glad to have read it!

3.5 Stars

*just so we're clear: bullets, guns, death? NOT ACTUALLY COOL.