Meanwhile, back to our scheduled programming. Following is a guest post written by the amazing and talented Jennifer Hubbard, author of THE SECRET YEAR, which I got to read an ARC of and can comfortably say it's great: beautiful writing, and truly does evoke this Outsiders meets Romeo & Juliet thing we keep hearing. It's out now; here's a link to buy it! And here's Jenn:
The topic of “fish out of water” is interesting because there are so many characters in The Secret Year who use labels on themselves and each other, who say that certain people only “belong” in one part of town. And yet, individual characters keep breaking out of those boxes as people do in real life. The fish keep flying out of the water.
In The Secret Year, the dividing line is based on socioeconomic classes, but in other places it could play out along racial, ethnic, or religious differences. The main characters—Colt and Julia—actually use their respective labels to enhance their own secret relationship. Defying expectations, stomping all over the boundary that is supposed to divide them, excites them. They even play up that dividing line, joking about it, needling each other over it, exaggerating its importance. And yet it affects them more deeply in ways they don’t understand and don’t fully acknowledge. Several times, they find the ground slipping from beneath them when they’re suddenly confronted with what they believe about themselves and each other. Colt has to face a lot of his own self-deceptions: about his emotional involvement with Julia, about how secrecy affects relationships, and about the ways he is and isn’t a fish out of water.
Thanks, Jenn!
To enter to win (see above for the prize description), please comment here and for extra entries let me know that you've linked this contest, or Twittered it, or bought a local billboard along the freeway, or whatever. (If you did that last one, you get a hundred million entries, wow.) If you comment here and at the first post, that's two entries, remember. So comment here too!
And only enter if you're 13 or older and in Canada or the US, please. Also, I should probably mention there's some naughty words in THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1, so if that kind of thing is likely to upset you, please don't enter. Thanks!
Comments
17 Responses to “THE SECRET YEAR, and a chance to win”
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I can appreciate naughty words!
January 11, 2010 at 10:32 AMAnd Jenn, I've seen the cover to The Secret Year all over. It is great to hear more about the book. Sounds fantastic.
I love that description of the book Outsiders meets Romeo & Juliet - pretty much sold on wanting to read it!
January 11, 2010 at 4:52 PMAmber
:O Bleeding Violet has been added?! Oh my. This is amazing.
January 11, 2010 at 4:53 PMAnd naughty words are good. Haha.
I tweeted: here
I'm so excited to read this book :)
January 11, 2010 at 5:14 PMI saw this one in the Book store really excited to read it :)
January 11, 2010 at 5:45 PMcant wait to read this
January 11, 2010 at 6:42 PMYeah, I'm okay with naughty words. Heh.
January 11, 2010 at 7:11 PMshari579 [at] hotmail[dot]com
Great books!
January 11, 2010 at 7:37 PMI loved The Secret Year. May Jenn's book take off like. . .like. . .oh, fine. Like sliced bread, damn it!
January 11, 2010 at 8:07 PMI soooo want to read this one! Enter me please :)
January 11, 2010 at 10:17 PMfoltzsfantasticbooks at gmail.com
Please enter me!
January 11, 2010 at 10:58 PMI liked on my sidebar: www.yabliss.com
yabliss AT gmail DOT com
The Secret Year looks like a great book.
January 12, 2010 at 1:40 AMTweeted: http://twitter.com/Jullysay/statuses/7661826135
jen4777[at]hotmail.com
Great contest! Please enter me!
January 12, 2010 at 9:55 AMjpetroroy at gmail dot com
Please enter me :) I am more than 13 years old! lol
January 12, 2010 at 10:34 AMtweeted:
http://twitter.com/rubyreads/status/7674334994
rubs.escalona [at] gmail.com
I am reading The Secret Year right now and I love it so far. Thanks for featuring Jennifer here. =]
January 14, 2010 at 5:54 PMAlso, once again thanks for the great giveaway.
katieb206@gmail.com
I can't wait to read The Secret Year and The Absolute Value of -1!
January 31, 2010 at 8:43 PMPlease enter me :)
kghobbs@gmail.com
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/kghobbs/statuses/8479492097
Looks like must reads! Thanks!
February 27, 2010 at 1:38 PMKarla
kduff@oelwein.k12.ia.us
www.spottoread.blogspot.com
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