Over on our YouTube channel, we made a video where we give recommendations based on books you might have already read! Check out our recommendations!
How To: Write a YA Dystopian Novel
You will need:
- Female protagonist
That’s not to say that you can’t have a male protagonist who’s equally as amazing – The Maze Runner, for example, has a male protagonist (in fact 99% of the characters are male) – but kick-ass female protagonists seem to be the most popular in YA fiction. Look at Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior! Celebrated as literary heroes! The gender of your main character shouldn’t really change its reception, but undoubtedly there has been a trend of braid-wearing K-A females, and they definitely act as strong, independent role-models.
- Contain the area
You know, with some kind of fence, steel wall, ocean perhaps? It’s tension building, and means you can explore the characters in a limited space. Also, it means there’s always going to be the question – and therefore motivation for your protagonist – of ‘what’s out there?’
- Answer the question
Is it an organisation of people that have built this society as part of a genetic experiment? Okay, so this one is turning into a big cliché, and you can see why. It perfectly answers the question, and means that the series can progress from focusing on the baddies inside the contained area, to the baddies on this outside. Maybe it’s a baron waste-land, or maybe it’s magic! Maybe it’s aliens or maybe it’s a drop-off that leads to an entirely new world? What about a portal to another dimension? The possibilities are endless as long as you have some imagination. Just be aware that the ‘your life is a lie because it’s all been an experiment’ thing is starting to loose impact.
- Categorise the society
By wealth, or personality, skill set or generation. Again, pretty much everything has been done, but nothing says dystopian society more than societal boundaries!
- Take down the Government/ the equivalent system
Girl vs. Government is becoming its own strand of dystopian fiction and its popularity in YA has sky-rocketed. Surely the logical step after getting out of the contained area is trying to break down the boundaries established in step 4. You didn’t spend all that time creating a complex government system with an awesome acronym to not have your protagonist tear it to shreds! I feel this is mostly done to show that the voiceless have an incredible amount of power when they come together, and it reassures everyone that tyrannical overlords are always destroyed. What I always wonder is: what happens next, after the government is taken down? Maybe that’s something you could explore in book three.
Extras that you might want to consider:
- Why not add a love triangle, everyone’s favourite relationship dynamic (!) Although your setting may be futuristic, it’s important to have grounded characters that go through human experiences that readers can relate too. Now, the love triangle is pretty difficult to relate to, but there are plenty of other contemporary tropes that you could explore in your dystopian setting.
- Adult figures! So teens are the ones that destroy the government, but you’ll need a lot of complex adult characters to make this a successful series. And, wait for it, your character will have parents, maybe include them!
- Communication is key. I think readers are pretty fed up with communication barriers, so good communication skills should be necessary.
Disclaimer: I have not (yet) written a best-selling dystopian series, and not all of my points are to be taken seriously – *cough* satire *cough* – but I’ve read a lot of YA dystopian fiction, so I’ve picked out some of the key features that have varying success rates. If you have any other suggestions of dystopian clichés/tropes, feel free to leave them in the comments!
Other How Tos:
How To: Write a John Green Novel
Heart Full Of Books 1st Year Anniversary!
Today marks the anniversary of our first post on ‘Heart Full of Books’. It was a review of ‘Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac’ by Gabrielle Zevin for Bee, and a review of ‘Fearsome Dreamer’ by Laure Eve, for me.
I can’t believe that it’s been a year since we started this book blog! Before May 2014, we’d just thought of blogs as a place to document travelling adventures or lifestyle posts about candles and hairspray. Our YouTube channel had been created a year earlier, but had only become active in October 2013. Now, it’s great to have two completely different platforms on which we can share our thoughts and opinions, gaining feedback from lovely viewers like yourselves!
Writing this blog is definitely one of the best things we could have done. I love that we’ve created a portfolio of over 100 reviews, as coherently writing what I think of a book I’ve read is probably my favourite part of the reading process. People can read what I thought of a book, and perhaps I’ll have read it differently to anyone else.
That’s what’s so lovely about writing a blog. It’s so personal, but can be part of a great community! I have found so many likeminded people through blogging and making videos and that’s truly something I treasure. If you’re thinking of creating a blog, but are maybe feeling a bit hesitant about the whole thing, I couldn’t recommend it more. Even if you’re blogging about jigsaw puzzles and dog walking, there is an audience out there who want to read what you have to say.
Since December 2014, we’ve definitely been taking our blog more seriously. When we first started, we were posting a few times a month and hadn’t really found the best reviewing style that we have today. As soon as we started Blogmas, we realised we wanted to try and post something every day, and would panic at five o’clock in the afternoon if nothing had been posted!
So, our goals for our blog from now on are:
- Continue to post as much as possible – we do review every book we read, after all, but don’t feel as much pressure to write something every day; exams are coming up!
- Write more recommendations – share our favourite books, and books that aren’t being championed enough!
- Post more non-reviews – perhaps more anecdotes and smaller features, like ‘Cover Comparisons’ because they’re truly fun to write!
We hope ‘Heart Full Of Books’ will continue to grow and can’t wait for another! blogging year!
Misleading Blurbs
Isn’t it the worst when you pick up a book that you’re really excited about reading because the blurb made it sound absolutely amazing, and when you finish the book, the book didn’t live up to the blurb’s awesomeness?
It’s like someone wrote the blurb, only to realise the alien-robot battle that was promised didn’t make the final cut, but decided to leave it in there anyway!
On the other hand, has anyone ever tried to write a blurb, either for a book you love or for something you’re writing yourself? It’s super hard. Trying to make everything sound awesome or mysterious is difficult, especially when the blurb and the title is all the reader has access to in the five minutes it takes for them to decide if they want to buy it on not.
The one thing I’m really bad at is giving a synopsis of a book. Here’s what it’s like if I try explaining ‘Fearsome Dreamer’:
“So, there’s this girl and she’s an apprentice witch living in this medieval town and then she goes to this boarding school and has some weird dreams and there’s no such thing as Europe and..”
My friend is completely confused, and I haven’t even told her about the angsty romance, or the monster in the castle, or the virtual reality.
I guess the moral of this story is: I shouldn’t be employed to write blurbs, because when I try and explain a story, it comes out more as a blur rather than a blurb.
Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 418
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’ is the perfect example of a ‘Bee Book’. She read it first and really enjoyed it, even though there were no faeries involved. So, I was tentative to try it out – our taste in books doesn’t differ that much, but this has been sat on Bee’s shelf for so long, I kind of forgot I could read it.
Bee never knew how to describe it to me, and now I totally understand why. A lot happens in DOSAB, that it’s hard to categorise it by genre. It literally fits no conventions, and I think that’s what’s made it so successful!
Continue reading “Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor”
Review: The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan
The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Published by: Usbourne
Pages: 410
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Oh gosh. How do I describe this book? It’s basically an alternate universe Beautiful Creatures where Emily Asher and Savannah Snow have the powers. Do not give materialistic girls powers. It’s not a good mix. Just no. I was so disappointed with this book! The beginning was so intriguing, and I was really hyped to get sucked into this world. But then it took a completely different turn! Basically, the insta-love was unbearable, the characters unlikeable and the plot totally predictable.
Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Mira INK
Pages: 496
Format: ARC E-Book
Rating: ★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
After really enjoying Pushing the Limits, I was really excited to read Katie McGarry’s next companion series, as her characters are really well developed. However, Nowhere But Here didn’t really reach my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it was a really interesting read as I hadn’t read anything about Motorcycle clubs before, but I’d say this book would be more appealing to an NA audience.
Continue reading “Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry”
Review: Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Medical (?)
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 336
Format: ARC E-Book
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
I’ll start this review by saying that ‘Extraordinary Means’ has become one of my new favourite books, and is the best book of 2015, I’ve read so far. Good. I think that pretty much sums up the review!
Robyn Schneider classifies this book as a ‘young adult medical narrative’ in her author’s note. I guess this makes it similar to other books of the genre, such as ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. But, whereas John Green’s novel has slightly glittery edges (made shiny by tears), ‘Extraordinary Means’ is grittier. It was humorous without being pretentious. It was realistic without glorifying disease. And, yes, there were a few extended metaphors, but it wouldn’t be a YA book without them.
So why did I like it so much? Well….
Continue reading “Review: Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider”
Liebster Award 2 & 3!
We were nominated for another two Leibster Awards, by Danissa the Reader, and WrittenWordWorlds – thank you so much girls for the nominations! We’ve already made a post about the Leibster Award but here are the questions we were asked to answer!
- What was the last YA contemporary you read?
Bee: Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Maddie: The Princess Diaries: Princess in Training by Meg Cabot - What book have you most recently stopped reading before you made it to the end and not bothered to pick it back up again?
Bee: Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton
Maddie: Normally, Bee and I always finish the books we’re reading, even if we don’t think they’re too great, because it makes for an interesting review! - Which book do you connect with the most?
Bee & Maddie: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. It’s about twins, who enjoy fandoms and creative writing, so we’re very similar to Cath! - What book or series do you want to become a movie the most?
Bee: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – the setting would be absolutely beautiful!
Maddie: Cinder by Marissa Meyer – I think it would make a great TV show, with all the different perspectives in the later books, like a sci-fi Once Upon A Time! - What is the book or series that you’ve read the most times?
Bee: Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Maddie: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - What is the book you’ve cried the most over?
Bee: So many. Perhaps it deserves its own post? I’ll go with Destined, the last in the Wings series.
Maddie: I cried a lot at The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak - Do you have any books signed by the author and if so, what books are they?
Bee & Maddie: We got to meet Maria V Snyder in March, so we have the Poison Study series signed, and we’re going to a Sarah J Maas signing this month, so hopefully, Throne of Glass too!
Maddie: I bought a copy of ‘Serpent’s Shadow’ by Rick Riordan with a signature. That’s pretty cool (and unread!) - Have you ever met any authors?
See above! - In your opinion, what is the most underrated or under-appreciated book or series?
Bee: Clearwater Crossing by Laura Peyton Roberts, which meant so much to the both of us when we read it over the course of 2013, but I barely ever hear anything about the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, which is blurbed by Marie Lu, so has to be good!
Maddie: The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. Everyone overlooks the Egyptians. Just because Carter isn’t Percy, doesn’t mean the books aren’t worth reading! - What’s your thoughts on slightly damaged/visibly read books? Do you like your books to be in pristine condition or do you think books with dog-eared corners or bended spines feel more loved?
Bee & Maddie: We used to be really picky about the condition of our books, but since we started buying books from charity shops or ‘new and used’ books, we don’t care so much anymore! It’s a great way to save money, and it’s the content that matters, not the condition! - What is the book you’ve been wanting to read for the longest amount of time but haven’t gotten around to reading yet?
Bee: Angelfall by Susan Ee. It was one of the first books I bought on my Kindle in 2012, and still haven’t read. And, since the third book is coming out soon, I really need to get on top of this series.
Maddie: Panic by Lauren Oliver. I love the Delirium series, and bought ‘Panic’ soon after I finished the trilogy, but so far, it’s just gathering pixellated dust on my Kindle.
- What book brought you in to the world of reading?
Bee & Maddie: We did a blog post on our YA Origin Story! - If you could merge two books with different authors together, which would it be and why?
Bee & Maddie: Check out our Book Combo Tag over on our BookTube channel! - What is the song that you usually listen to while reading a book?
Bee & Maddie: We don’t really listen to music while we read, but sometimes we’ll have our Kindles read to us, and we’ll knit. - Who is/are your favorite author/s and why?
Bee: Morgan Matson – many, many reasons. It’s mostly due to the perfection of her character development, and the romances being so realistically constructed.
Maddie: Rick Riordan, because Percy Jackson, and Marissa Meyer, because fairy tale retellings. - What is your favorite book genre?
Bee: Fantasy
Maddie: Fairy Tale - Which book character made a huge life changing impact on you?
Bee & Maddie: Any geeky girl who embraces her intelligence! We did a video on our Top 5 Geek Girls of YA too! - If you’re gonna write a story, which genre would it be?
Bee: Something with fairies/ a love-hate relationship/ five teens finding something.
Maddie: Something with spies/ a boarding school/ magical powers. - What food/beverage do you usually have while reading?
Bee: Ummmm….water is my poison, and some sort of chocolatey thing. At the moment it’s left over Easter goodies.
Maddie: Cereal. Yum. - What do you do when you’re not reading or blogging?
Bee & Maddie: Our lives are voids without those things. But, we did do a post on it. - What or who inspired you to start a book blog?
Bee & Maddie: Ourselves! We started with our YouTube channel, and wanted a place where we could write more in-depth reviews! - If you could tell you favorite book character something, what would it be?
Bee: Marry Roger, to Amy Curry
Maddie: At least I like you, to Lena from Delirium.
Review: From A Distant Star by Karen McQuestion
From A Distant Star by Karen McQuestion
Genre: Alien, Contemporary, Adventure
Published by: Amazon
Pages: ??
Format: ARC E-Book
Rating: ★★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
After seeing that this book is part of the contemporary-alien genre, I was excited. I love reading genres I’m not very familiar with; it means I can enjoy the book on a different level, without having a lot to compare it to!
‘From A Distant Star’ was definitely a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the genre, or is interested in a slightly strange road trip story. Continue reading “Review: From A Distant Star by Karen McQuestion”
Heart Full of Books 