Ah... the misunderstood villain. The guy who murders and steals and blows things up because he had a rough childhood. It's becoming a bit of a cliche these days. Can horrible life circumstances change personalities and behaviors? Sure. Every writer knows that your villain must have a backstory of some sort, because a guy who... Continue Reading →
In July of 2000, The Onion magazine released a fake satirical article about the Harry Potter series leading to a rise in Satanism among children. Unfortunately, some people thought it was real, leading to a small wildfire of panic and condemnation toward J.K. Rowling. It was a simple mistake -- but people believed it. Many... Continue Reading →
There's just something about the hero-against-the-world -- and I'm not the only one who feels that way. I heard it discussed on SASF -- Stories are Soul Food -- to whom I owe the credit for this term, 'hero-against-the-world.' Immeadiately the 'ooh, that could be an article' light lit up inside my head. Our culture... Continue Reading →
What is The Wingfeather Saga about? Redemption? Family? Responsibility? Good vs Evil? Loss? Hope? What is The Cloak of the Light about? Spiritual warfare? Love? Sacrifice? The existence of God? Persistence? What is The Lord of the Rings about? Friendship? Courage? Deception? Mercy? Justice? Allegory? I am basically asking, what are the themes of each... Continue Reading →
This book is one of my personal favorites. Granted, I've said that about every book I've reviewed so far. But why wouldn't I share great stuff with you? Let's start at the beginning. What's this book about? Aidan Thomas is miserable. Within two weeks, Aidan’s life is completely uprooted as his parents move the family... Continue Reading →
I come before you to make the case that we need more platonic relationships in fiction, especially YA. *Ehem.* Practically every mainstream YA book out there has some sort of romantic relationship. Why? Because the teen years are when romance and sex are common -- at least in this day and age. However, I was... Continue Reading →
