Heartbreaking, Raw and just Pure Perfection // REVIEW: Light Filters In: Poems by Caroline Kaufman

Title: Light Filters In: Poems
Author: Caroline Kaufman
Publication Date: May 22nd 2018
Publisher: HarperCollins
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: HarperCollins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: it’s okay if some thingsare always out of reach.if you could carry all the starsin the palm of your hand,they wouldn’t behalf as breathtaking
In the vein of poetry collections like Milk and Honey and Adultolescence , this compilation of short, powerful poems from teen Instagram sensation @poeticpoison perfectly captures the human experience.  
In Light Filters In, Caroline Kaufman—known as @poeticpoison—does what she does best: reflects our own experiences back at us and makes us feel less alone, one exquisite and insightful piece at a time. She writes about giving up too much of yourself to someone else, not fitting in, endlessly Googling “how to be happy,” and ultimately figuring out who you are.
This hardcover collection features completely new material plus some fan favorites from Caroline's account. Filled with haunting, spare pieces of original art, Light Filters In will thrill existing fans and newcomers alike.

This collection of poems by Caroline Kaufman blew me away.

I didn’t know what to expect, going in. Over the last few months, I’ve been gravitating towards poetry more and more. My Instagram feed is essentially filled with these beautiful words put together by such talented individuals, and I’m honestly in awe of it all.

I started reading this collection on a particularly low day, and I connected with it ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. Kaufman’s words started coming alive on the page and they resonated deep within me. The pain, the hope, the injustice, the happiness, the love, and the self-love that rose off the page with a few words broke my heart and healed it again and, honestly, reading Light Filters In was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced.

It took me well over a week to get through this book as I took one poem at a time and read it slowly, letting it all soak in. I found a little piece of myself in the words that created these poems, in the annotations I made in the margins, and in the words I found myself having to spill (write) out, like deep dark secrets, in the empty spaces between one poem and the next.

I felt, I cried, I smiled, I hurt and I FELT.

I finished this book just last night. I had over 50 pages left to go when I picked it up at 11, and the next time, I looked up, it was past 1am, there were tears in my eyes, and I’d just read the acknowledgements section of this collection of raw, real poetry.

I’ve had so many people I know ask if they could borrow my copy of this book, but I’ve had to say no. I usually don’t, especially with people I know, but for some reason, Light Filters In, and the pain I spilt into it has become a part of me I’m not ready to share just yet.

Would I tell you to dive into this book? Without a doubt. It’s the most wonderful, raw and heart-breaking piece of literature I’ve ever read. It’s this candid, painful and hopeful journal filled with poems that are all about flaws and imperfect life, and it just made it pure perfection to me.

I’d give it more stars than I can count, if that was an option. Go and get your hands on it.

Caroline Kaufman—known as @poeticpoison on Instagram—began writing poetry when she was thirteen years old as a means of coping with her depression. A year later, she started posting it online, and what started as a personal way to combat mental illness eventually became an account with hundreds of thousands of followers across social media.

Who are some of your favourite modern poets?

I would absolutely LOVE some new poets I NEED to follow recommendations!

 

COVER REVEAL: Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon + GIVEAWAY!

HELLO ALL OF YOU LOVELY BOOK PEOPLE!

I am so so SO pleased to exclusively reveal the cover for one of my FAVOURITE books of the year, Mel Darbon's debut novel, Rosie Loves Jack. It's a gorgeous, wondrous, MUST read book told from the viewpoint of this brave girl with Down's syndrome, and how she tackles the world and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. 

Which is why I jumped up in excitement when Usborne asked me if I would like to reveal the cover, because YES! This book is something ALL TEENAGERS and ALL ADULTS need to read because it handles SUCH AN IMPORTANT topic in such a wonderful way. 

So, scroll down to read a note from Mel Darbon herself, get a FIRST look at the cover and ALSO, ENTER A GIVEAWAY FOR ONE OF THE FIRST FINISHED COPIES EVER! (Open International)

If you would like, here is a link to my review of Rosie Loves Jack!

Two years ago I walked into the Usborne offices to talk about my novel Rosie Loves Jack and realised immediately that I’d found the right home for my story. The team embraced my character Rosie, who has Down’s syndrome, and my objective to give a voice to someone who deserves to be represented in the pages of a book. Everyone at Usborne supported my intention that we should focus on a person’s abilities and not their disability.

I loved writing Rosie’s voice and aimed to accurately represent the world of someone with Down’s syndrome and what they have to deal with on a daily basis. The challenge was to never lose sight that Rosie is sixteen years old and I wanted to demonstrate the universal nature of her teenage life as she fights for her independence. She must navigate her way through difficult times to reach the boy she loves.

The super-talented Will Steele has perfectly captured the heart of the book with his cover design for Rosie Loves Jack. I am excited by his striking and contemporary interpretation, which reflects that this is a novel that, despite its darker elements, is essentially a love story. I am delighted that Rosie Loves Jack is coming out in September.

Without further ado, please find below the GORGEOUS COVER that I INSTANTLY fell in love with!

Isn't IT SIMPLY WONDERFUL? I'd absolutely love to hear your thoughts down in the comments on what you think of it!

The lovely humans at Usborne have put up one GORGEOUS EARLY FINISHED COPY OF THIS absolutely must read book. Enter below!

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A Wondrous, IMPORTANT, Must-Read Book // ARC Review: Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon

Title: Rosie Loves Jack
Author: Mel Darbon
Publication Date: September 6th 2018
Publisher: Usbourne Publishing
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Usbourne (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon UK || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones

Blurb Description: Rosie loves Jack. Jack loves Rosie. So when they're split up, Rosie will do anything to find the boy who makes the sun shine in her head. Even run away from home. Even cross London and travel to Brighton alone, though the trains are cancelled and the snow is falling. Even though any girl might find that hard, let alone a girl with Down's syndrome. See the world through new eyes in this one-in-a-million story about fighting for the freedoms that we often take for granted: independence, tolerance and love.

Rosie Loves Jack is a WONDROUS debut novel, told from the point of view of a girl who has Down’s syndrome as she navigates the world by herself for the first time.

I have nothing bad to say about this book, so please be aware that this review consists entirely of me gushing about the perfection that is Rosie Loves Jack.

This book, you guys. THIS BOOK. It felt like such a privilege to read it early because it was SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN and it made me laugh and happy cry and ugly cry because it was poignant and real and delivered the author’s message with such stunning clarity – that whether someone who has Downs' or any other illnesses, at the end of the day, we’re all the same; human with feelings and love and needs and I LOVED IT SO MUCH.

Rosie, our narrator, was courageous, independent and managed to capture my whole heart in just a few pages. She was smart, steadfast in what she wanted and looking at the world through her eyes was a beautiful, altering experience.

THINGS I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:

1.       ROSIE (obviously)

2.       The kindness of random strangers everywhere. This was such an important element of the book to me because while it showed that there are some truly scary people out there, even someone you’ve never met before can be the kindest. Rosie’s story was filled with these souls and it really filled by heart to see them in this story.

3.       The WONDERFUL representation: I hope this goes without staying, but Mel Darbon’s portrayal of a girl with Down’s felt stunningly real and a privilege to read and it honestly helped open my eyes to a little bit of what someone who has Downs' is going through.

4.       I do wish we saw more of Jack and Rosie together in this book in real time, not in Rosie’s memories or through the letters Jack wrote. It would have helped me root for their relationship more whereas I was just rooting for Rosie’s happiness and didn’t really know Jack enough to care as deeply for him.

Like I promised, this review contains only me gushing about this book.

It’s just that Rosie Loves Jack is such SUCH an IMPORTANT read for children and teens everywhere because it talks about how:

a) People that may seem different aren’t really that different and

b) That kindness and empathy are SO IMPORTANT.

Go pre-order this book. IT’S NOT ONE YOU SHOULD MISS. 5 Stars.

Mel Darbon spent a large part of her childhood inventing stories to keep her autistic brother happy on car journeys. She won’t mention the time spent with him standing by level crossings waiting for the InterCity 125 to go past as she wouldn’t want to be labelled a train spotter. 

Life took her in many different directions working as a theatre designer, a freelance artist, teaching young adults with learning disabilities and running creative workshops for teenage mums, young offenders and toddlers (though not all together).

Mel now writes young adult novels and is a recent graduate of Bath Spa’s MA in Writing For Young People, where she found a channel to give voice to young people who otherwise might not be heard.

Have you had the chance to read this book? What did you think?

Something Truly Special // ARC Review: A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen

Title: A Taxonomy of Love
Author: Rachael Allen
Publication Date: January 9th 2018
Publisher: Amulet Books
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Abrams Chronicle Books (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: The moment Spencer meets Hope the summer before seventh grade, it’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.
Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system of taxonomy. He wants to identify and classify their relationship, but in the end, he finds that life doesn’t always fit into easy-to-manage boxes, and it’s this messy complexity that makes life so rich and beautiful.

A HUGE YES FOR #DiverseBooks with GREAT MENTAL HEALTH REP, because we need that SO SO MUCH. These diverse books that show me the world from the eyes of someone diagnosed with any kind of mental illness is enlightening because it helps putting myself in someone else’s shoes, understand whatever little I can and be a kind person to everyone out there.

Books about mental health have taught me more that I can say, and when I read that this book was about Tourette’s syndrome, a mental illness I know almost nothing about, I knew I HAD to read it.

A huge thank you to Abrams & Chronicle Books for sending me an ARC of this beautiful book and I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS:

1.       A Taxonomy of Love was a hilarious, brilliant, diverse book that was also a coming of age love story between neighbours and best friends and it was EVERYTHING.

2.       I loved how Tourette’s was explained from Spencer’s point of view. It was such an important part of the book, looking at his disease from his own point of view as he and people around him came to terms with it and AT THE SAME TIME, I love that the disease wasn’t all there was to the plot or to Spencer. This book was about a teenage boy with Tourette’s and both sides of the equation were balanced PERFECTLY.

3.       The taxonomies in this book were some of the CUTEST things I’ve ever seen. From the one about who merits a second look in high school to the Greatest Villains of All Time, I loved each and every single one of them.

4.       A Taxonomy of Love is mostly told from Spencer’s point of view but has the occasional switch to Spencer’s neighbour, Hope’s point of view. These switched are told through letters, diary entries and texts to Hope’s older sister, Janie.

5.       Which brings me to how I’M STILL NOT SURE HOW I FELT ABOUT HOPE. She was hurting and broken but she also wasn’t a very good friend to Spencer. She also had the Manic Pixie Dream Girl vibe going which is one of my least favourite tropes in literature and while I fell for Spencer FAST, I struggled to connect with Hope.

6.       This book is told over the course of six years – thirteen to nineteen, also known as the precarious teens, and I loved seeing how every single person grew, changed and matured over those six years.

A Taxonomy of Love is a brilliant, touchingly funny coming of age love story about a boy with Tourette’s learning to live and love.

Rachael Allen is a mad scientist by day and YA writer by night. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two children, and dire wolf. She loves homemade peach ice cream, having adventures all over the world, and stories that make her feel like she's been poured inside another person.Author of A TAXONOMY OF LOVE (Abrams/Amulet, January, 2018), The Revenge Playbook, and 17 First Kisses. Represented by Susan Hawk of The Bent Agency.

What are some of the BEST book on Mental Health that you've read?

What are some literary tropes that you absolutely HATE?

Have you read A Taxonomy of Love? What did you think of it?

 

Mental Health + Instagram + Friendship // REVIEW: How To Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat

Title: How To Disappear
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Publication Date: August 15th 2017
Publisher: Harper Teen
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Flipkart || Snapdeal || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Vicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.
So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious. Instantly, she begins to get followers, so she adds herself to more photos from all over the world with all types of people. And as Vicurious’s online followers multiply, Vicky realizes she can make a whole life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she finds online, the clearer it becomes that there are a lot of people out there who feel like her— #alone and #ignored in real life.
To help them, and herself, Vicky must find the courage to face her fear of being “seen,” because only then can she stop living vicariously and truly bring the magic of Vicurious to life.
In this beautiful and illuminating narrative, Sharon Huss Roat shines a light on our love of social media and how sometimes being the person you think you want to be isn’t as great as being the person you truly are.

I have highly mixed thoughts about this book. While I loved it and I just wanted to get inside and give our main character, Vicki Decker, a hug I also felt like the ending gave the impression that mental illness like Social Anxiety was curable with the right friends and boyfriend, and it ISN’T.

So while the book was EASY and FUN to read and had a lot of important messages, I feel like the most important message of ALL – awareness and understanding of Social Anxiety - was glossed over and I CAN ONLY WISH IT WASN’T.

I’ve been holding onto this GORGEOUS hardcover that Harper Collins sent me and I just wanted to shout out a HUGE thank you their way for giving me the chance to read this book.

Let’s break down what I loved and what I didn’t:

THINGS I LOVED:

1.       VICURIOUS AND ALL IT STOOD FOR: We live in an Instagram age. You probably have an Instagram account (or two, or three), discuss in GREAT DETAIL what someone else posts on theirs. Instagram is Huge. Vicurious is out protagonist, Vicky Decker’s Instagram account where she photoshops a girl with purple and orange hair into the most ridiculous photos. And while Vicurious initially started off as something else, it turned into a safe spot for anyone feeling alone in the world to be seen, and I loved it.

2.       THE ACTUALLY NICE HIGH SCHOOL PEOPLE: If you watch an American movie, TV show or read a book set in a US high school, you’ll know that the “Mean Girls” are almost always prominently featured or at the very least, mentioned twice. Which was why How To Disappear made for SUCH a welcome CHANGE with genuinely nice popular people, all portrayed as people who had problems regardless of how ‘perfect’ their lives looked on the outside.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE ALL THAT MUCH:

1.       THE ‘CURABILITY’ OF SOCIAL ANXIETY: While it wasn’t mentioned in those exact terms, as I reached the end of the book, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something CURABLE in the way social anxiety was being portrayed with Vicki suddenly having all her friends and her trouble saying ‘hi’ to someone in the hallways VANISHED. It seemed like an unrealistic portrayal and I WISH IT WASN’T SO.

2.       WHAT ARE BEST FRIENDS, REALLY? Honestly, if a book claims that one character and another are best friends, I expect that bond to be something REAL. I’ve had two best friends for the better part of my entire life and friendships mean something to me, and this book totally ruined that for me. If you’ve seen me on Twitter, I’m always talking about how much I miss the best friend that left home and well, How to Disappear had the worst kind of best friendship. All it took was ONE SINGLE (horrible) comment and then their whole friendship disintegrated and IT MADE NO SENSE TO ME AT ALL, because FRIENDSHIP DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY.

While there were SO MANY good things about How to Disappear, including some great characters and using social media in an actually positive way, it could also have been SO MUCH BETTER. 3 stars. 

Sharon Huss Roat grew up in Lancaster County, Pa., and now lives in Delaware with her husband and two children. She is the author of HarperTeen novels BETWEEN THE NOTES (June 2015) and HOW TO DISAPPEAR (August 2017). Visit her online at www.sharonroat.com, on Twitter @sharonwrote, or Instagram @sharonhussroat.

What are some of the best books on mental health that you've read?

Have you had the chance to read How to Disappear? What did you think of it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

It's Intense (AND THE HYPE IS REAL) // REVIEW: Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Title: Turtles All The Way Down
Author: John Green
Publication Date: October 10th 2017
Publisher: Penguin Books
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Vivek Tejuja and Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || The Book Depository || Wordery || Flipkart || Snapdeal || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.   Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.  In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

“The way he talked about thoughts was the way I experienced them – not as a choice but a destiny. Not a catalogue of my consciousness, but a refutation of it.”

When you flip open a new book by an author you’ve read multiple books from before, it’s only natural to compare the books and figure out where this new one stands on your list.

Which I think was a mistake because Turtles All The Way Down is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and when you do read it, you’ll fully understand what I’m talking about.

Turtles All The Way Down was ABSOLUTELY EXCEPTIONAL and INTENSE and reading it was a journey that everyone should take. Turtles All The Way Down was a harrowing depiction of life from a teenager who suffers from mental illness and it was astoundingly well done.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       I have missed John Green’s writing. Nobody else writes like him, with shrewd observations, quirk, sass and dialogue that will make you think. It’s been forever since I experienced his writing, but waiting all these years for Turtles All The Way Down was worth it. I’ve never seen mental illness represented better.

 

2.       AZA WAS A BRILLIANT CHARACTER. I LOVE her name and the story behind it but I loved the girl the name belonged to too. I realised mid-way through the book that even though the whole thing was told from her own point of view, she barely spoke at all. This book is told mostly through her thoughts and her illness. She was extremely intelligent and flawed and me describing her doesn’t do justice to her character at all.

3.       The OCD/ Anxiety rep is INTENSE. And it felt so real and palpable to me. There was this one particular scene where Aza’s ‘rational’ brain and her illness are battling it out against each other and I had to put the book down after because John Green and Aza make you FEEL and I needed a breather.

4.       I think one of my big problems and the reason that this book wasn’t a five star for me is the pretentiousness of the characters, specifically the best friend Daisy. I’m ALL for pretentious characters but why does EACH AND EVERY CHARACTER HAVE TO BE PRETENTIONS/ MANIC PIXIE DREAM-Y? Daisy was… obnoxious. And RUDE and honestly, AN ASSHOLE. AND RUDE AND HORRIBLE and she *SPOILER* wrote fanfic about her best friend who had a debilitating mental illness by calling her ‘useless’ and an idiot and it HURT ME PHYSICALLY THAT SHE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HOW. I wanted to strangle her because she was NOT A GOOD FRIEND AT ALL. STOP.

5.       I’m not 100% sure how I felt about the romance between Davis and Aza. I LOVED them as individual characters and I loved their interactions but it was a little too flawless for two teenagers. I loved them and I also… didn’t? I’m a confusing person, I know.

All in all, this book is real and brilliant and intense and it talks about who we are, who are thoughts belong to and it will make you FEEL. This book makes you understand mental illness in such an intimate and personal manner and I have, once again, been left in awe of John Green’s masterful writing. 4 stars. 

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.

In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on the Nerdfighters website, or a direct link here.

What's your favourite John Green book?

What are some of your favourite book on mental health?

Have you read Turtles All The Way Down? What did you think of it?

BLOG TOUR: Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows - Interview & Giveaway

Hi Everyone, and welcome to my stop on the Before She Ignites Book Nerd Addict Blog Tour. When I heard from the QUEEN, Jodi Meadows, herself that I would be one of the lucky souls to get my hands on an ARC of the first book of her BEAUTIFUL new series, I freaked out for at least two days in pure excitement.


You can read my review of Before She Ignites here, but basically this book is EVERYTHING with DRAGONS and MENTAL HEALTH IN YA FANTASY BOOKS and just TOTALLY GORGEOUS TO LOOK AT. Read a little about the book and then my lovely interview with Jodi and DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY (and visit the other tour stops!)

*****

Title: Before She Ignites
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: September 12th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/3 of the Fallen Isles
Buy Links: US Amazon || UK Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Book Depository ||

Synopsis: BeforeMira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland. But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.AfterThen Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect. No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

1. Creating the world a fantasy novel is set in is just as important as the characters in it. Could you give your readers a brief history of the Fallen Isles and their Fallen Gods?

Jodi: That is a big question! I have lots and lots of history for the Fallen Isles and the world of Noore, most which won’t make it onto the story.

The quick version is that there was a planet called Noore, and gods that lived in the heavens. One day, for unknown reasons, seven of those gods crashed down into the ocean. (Lots of people died.) Those gods are called the Fallen Gods, while those who remained in the heavens are the Upper Gods.  

2. There are various dragon species in Before She Ignites. Could you give us their species names and a small description about each of them?

Jodi: There are way too many species of dragons to list here! We’d never move on to the next question, haha! But the main species of dragon that’s in the book is the Drakontos raptus, a small hunting dragon. While they aren’t domesticated, they can be taught, like a ferret or a bird of prey.

In the book, LaLa and Crystal are the main two representatives of this species, and they’re honestly pretty silly creatures. (Don’t tell them that, though. Dragons like to think they are dignified.)

3. If you were a Drakon Warrior, which of the above species would you choose to ride and what would you name your dragon?

Jodi: Frankly, I’d be a terrible Drakon Warrior. I am an inside person. But if I had to be one and I somehow survived the training, I would like to ride a Drakontos rex. They’re very large dragons, and I feel like if I were to slip, there’d be a lot of dragon for me to catch myself on before I fell to my death.

I might name it Sandblaster. Not for any specific reason. It’s just the first thing that came to my mind.

So sorry, Sandblaster.

4. Noorestones play a very important role in Before She Ignites. For readers who haven't read the book yet, do share one fact about noorestones that you know will intrigue them!

Jodi: Noorestones are crystals mined from inside the earth. When sunlight touches them, an inner fire is activated and they begin to glow. Since they’re plentiful, they’re an inexpensive (and pretty) source of light for everyone in the Fallen Isles.

5. Mira Minkoba is an atypical YA heroine as she struggles with her self worth and panic attacks. If you could give one piece of advice to Mira what would it be?

Jodi: I would ask her to believe in herself. That’s hard for all of us, I know. But I would remind Mira that she is strong--stronger than she knows--and she can endure.

6. Everyone talks about the challenges a debut author faces as their first book or series goes out into the world. The Fallen Isles trilogy will be your third series coming out into the world. What changes as each new book comes out and what parts remain the same?

Jodi: When my first book came out, I sort of felt like the world would shift on release day. That my life would be forever altered. And in a way, it has, because people can buy my books now. But overall, the day felt rather anticlimactic.

Now, I know what to expect, which is a relief, but I think there’s always a fear of losing people. Writers always hope to grow their audience, and the last thing they want is to disappoint existing readers.

7. What can you tell us about books two and three in the Fallen Isles trilogy? Might there be some badass dragon riding in on of them?

Jodi: I think reader will kill me if there isn’t badass dragon riding, and I want to live to write more books.

Thank you, Sarah, from the book blog The YA Book Traveler for designing the beautiful images and for creating the amazing book trailer which we can't stop watching! We can't appreciate you enough.

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Monday 9/4 -TheLifeofABookNerdAddict - Guest Post

Monday 9/4 - TalesofTheRavenousreader- Creative Post

Tuesday 9/5 - BooksAndPrejudice - Review

Wednesday 9/6 - EaterofBooks - Interview

Thursday 9/7 - ForTheSakeofReading - Review

Friday 9/8 - ABackwardsStory- Guest Post

Monday 9/11 -MaryHadALittleBookBlog -Guest Post

Monday 9/11 - thatartsyreadergirl.com -Review

Tuesday 9/12 - TheYABookTraveler -Review

Wednesday 9/13 - AThousandWordsAMillionBooks - Interview

Thursday 9/14 - BookCrush- Creative Post

Friday 9/15 - TheReaderAndTheChef- Review

Monday 9/18 - YAandWine - Review

Tuesday 9/19 - TakeMeAwayToAGreatRead - Creative Post

Wednesday 9/20 - AphonicSarah - Interview

Thursday 9/21 - TheKindredReader - Review

Friday 9/22 - ReadWriteLove28 - Excerpt

Friday 9/22 - LoveIsNotATriangle - Guest Post

wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy, the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology, and the FALLEN ISLES Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and a coauthor of MY LADY JANE (HarperTeen). Visit her at Website: www.jodimeadows.com

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