Title: The Waking: Dreams of the Dead
Author: Thomas Randall
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:
High school junior Kara and her English teacher father are undertaking a life altering endeavor — mourning the death of her mother the two are packing up and moving across the world to Japan. A dream they’d been preparing for since prior to the loss the twosome decide that just such a change might assist in alleviating some of their pain.

What they don’t think of is the fact that death is everywhere.  Once in Japan the two learn quickly how they can’t escape the long and numerous tentacles death unfurls.

With a combination of nerves and excitement Kara starts school doing her best to observe local custom and propriety.  Having researched, prepared and practiced the behavioral skills necessary to adapt she is quite adept in her attempts to fit in.  As one would expect she is shunned by many students but is, however, taken under the wings of several others who quickly befriend her.

Quick to learn her arrival falls under the shadow of a young student’s demise Kara becomes uneasy with the fact that she’s started having odd nightmares.  Even more disconcerting is the fact that these nightmares are of strange creatures and death; nightmares that feel much more like premonitions than some less than lighthearted hallucination.  As if it is possible to be further distressing she is faced with the knowledge that her classmates begin to mysteriously have these dreams as well.  Kara’s emotions already heightened she is torn between toughing it out in Japan or running for the safety of home in the States.

Unsure if she can stand any more she finds herself challenged by not only her own behavior but that of her classmates as well.  Exemplified most significantly and terrifyingly by the reality that some of these same students start dying.  Losing sleep, losing classmates and fearing the loss of her own life Kara determines to set out to reverse whatever otherworldly events are turning her life (and the lives of those around her) upside down.

Opinion:
The Waking is a beautifully written piece of young adult literature that showcases Randall’s passion for the culture of Japan.  It is just this passion and adoration that allows him to create a world that is steeped in mystery and folklore. It is this aspect of the story that drew me in first and most.  Avidly reading through the references to Japanese geography and culture made the book more intriguing and thought provoking.  Most importantly, I believe that focus also provided the feeling of a darker undertone that facilitated the more supernatural elements of the story.

While there was a decided concentration on the supernatural I did not feel as though it was overwhelming or implausible.  Many times with themes of this nature a reader must suspend reality and just go with flow.  In the case of The Waking I knew deep down that these elements were not what I would encounter in my life but the fact that Japanese folklore surrounded it gave it an air of realism that kept it from being campy or completely absurd.

The central story surrounding the murder of Akane was not particularly unique but I found it interesting regardless.  It was a typical whodunit and though some elements (which I won’t give away here) initially appeared predictable many times there were small fluctuations that made me question whether I was wrong about my impressions.  In the end I was not entirely surprised by the revelation of who the perpetrator was but I also don’t believe that was the main focus of the story anyway.

An element of the story that I appreciated immensely was the father daughter relationship between Kara and Rob.  I found the shared sadness between them palpable but not at all overwhelming.  That each wanted to be the caretaker for the other as they continued to adjust to life without her mother was both realistic and endearing.  I appreciated that Kara respected her father’s position at the school but was still able to be a rebellious teenager in some respects.  There wasn’t any absenteeism on his part leaving Kara to fight against the supernatural alone. He was a wonderful support to her and she in return for him.

In the end, I found this an interesting, compelling and enjoyable book that I would encourage those interested in culture, mystery, and the supernatural to pick up.  I’d also say that The Waking is a good starter book for those who are unsure of any of those themes.

[This review is part of a blog tour arranged by Bildungsroman]
[Review copy of book provided via publisher]

Cause I totally do, and because one challenge isn’t enough to fill my need for books in this category I’m going to hop on board and participate in another.  Heck if the world is gonna end I might as well enjoy reading while it’s happening right?

The very lovely Darren from Bart’s Bookshelf is hosting a fantabulous challenge wherein I’ll be reading four different titles of a dystopian nature.  Oh and did I mention it’s YA specific?  Y to the A y’all!!  Like I wasn’t in for it before….but the fact that it’s all about the young adult literature to boot?  Yea, totally on board. Count me in. Sign me up.

Speaking of signing up here are the specific deets:

The YA Dystopian Reading Challenge runs from October 15 through December 31, 2009.  In it I’m going to read the following four titles:

1.  The Dead of Night (Tomorrow Series book #2)- John Marsden
2.  The Dead and the Gone – Susan Beth Pfeffer
3.  The Knife of Never Letting Go – Patrick Ness
4.  Uglies – Scott Westerfeld

I’m totally jazzed for this!  All of you should join because not only is it going to be fun with a capital F but the books in this genre are some of the best I’ve read.  Hunger Games and Catching Fire anyone?

‘Nuff said!

** 10/9/09 – Update

I guess that wasn’t enough said!  I’m also going to join Books on the Nightstand for their DystopYA Challenge by tagging on three more books to my reading list.  This challenge is similar to the above only I have from October 5 – December 31, 2009.

The books I’m going to read for this challenge are:

1.  Candor – Pam Bachorz
2.  The Maze Runner – James Dashner
3.  A Killing Frost (Book #3 in Tomorrow Series) – John Marsden

No problem right?  You betcha!!

I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming author Robert Hicks as a guest on Galleysmith today. His novel A Separate Country landed in book stores this month and he shares with us the foundation on which this story was built.  Welcome Robert.

Why This Book?

Living in Franklin, Tennessee, I grew intrigued by how the Civil War Battle of Franklin forever transformed the lives of those who had been caught up in its whirlwind.  The story of General John Bell Hood, living as he did in post-War New Orleans, seemed particularly compelling as means to understand what the Battle of Franklin meant.

After all, most of those whose lives were forever changed by that battle didn’t stay in Franklin, but had made their way back to families and farms and hometowns across America. And of those who left, who better wore the effects of Franklin than this man who spent the rest of his life trying to explain and excuse those five bloodiest of hours?

Was Hood nothing more than the two-dimensional, drugged-up, drunken, petty, revengeful commander that some modern historians believe him to be? Was there more to his story than all the unfounded allegations, assumptions, and rumors – most of which, it seemed to me, to be little more than revisionist history born in the years before the Civil War Centennial?

Besides my curiosity about Hood, I’ve had a lifetime connection with New Orleans. Growing up, New Orleans held sway in so many family tales and stories – so that, walking into Galatoire’s that first time, seemed like a homecoming – the wallpaper and smells were all so familiar.
For well over one hundred and fifty years, my family has always returned to New Orleans, as I now come back, again and again.  I was there for a bachelor party in early fall of 2005, but never imagined the effects and havoc that would come a week later, with Katrina.

Returning to the city three months after Katrina, nothing I had seen on TV or print, nothing I had heard from friends or acquaintances, could prepare me for what I found. Making my way through this city I thought I knew so well, I felt I was walking through a world that seemed far more like descriptions I had read of Phnom Penh after the Khmer Rouge than my New Orleans. I knew then that this book had to be set there, and that New Orleans would be as much a character of this story as its setting.

Did it really all begin with the Army Corp of Engineers and the most recent batch of inept and self-serving politicians? As I began to learn about New Orleans, researching far beyond my family’s and my own experiences, a far richer, deeper story came to life. These men and women, so distant and removed through time and circumstances, began to emerge with hopes and dreams much like mine.

Fortunately, through the work and passion of so many in New Orleans, the city has survived and is moving forward. The scars that made it seem like Phnom Penh are, now, healing with time. But they will remain scars forever.

This is my homage to New Orleans – to those folks who stayed and have labored and have moved forward – and to General John Bell Hood and his extraordinary wife, Anna Marie.

I hope this novel will lead us into a better understanding of this place I love, and of the folks who came before us.
As I read and researched and lived through this story, it seemed more and more possible to discard the myths that now surround the “historical” Hood, and to begin again to understand the importance of the Battle of Franklin as Union historians did – both for what happened there, and for what didn’t happen there. The Battle of Franklin was far more than the lunacy of a drugged-up, pain-racked, revengeful commander, and I hope some of this comes out in the pages of A Separate Country.

—-

Thank you Robert my readers and I appreciate having more insight into A Seperate Country.

Congratulations on another month past challengers!

October moves us into the third month here with the Harry Potter Reading Challenge and with it comes a brand spanking new Mister Linky to submit your challenge posts with. When you post a review, discussion, or anything at all having to do with the HPRC make sure you hop on over here and submit it so all the challengers can visit!

I’d also like to turn your attention to a generous giveaway currently being run by Park Avenue Princess.  Until October 16th she has a giveaway of a box set of the Harry Potter book open.  If you’re interested in participating hop on over and sign yourself up.

How are we all doing on the challenge?

It’s been a busy couple of weeks here at Galleysmith.  I’m painfully behind on sharing news, reading/commenting on everyone’s blog postings, and just being a general presence around the community.  I apologize for that.

I figure I can do a bit of a drive by here with a Sunday Salon for you all!  Well maybe not so much a drive by as much as a full on road trip but really that’s what this is for right?

Buckle up her we go….

National Book Festival
I didn’t get a chance to write up a summary of my experience at The National and Baltimore book festivals last week.  Needless to say it was a whirlwind of a weekend with loads of food, lots of books, and fabulous company in the form of book bloggers near and far.

You can get the gist of our activities through wonderful posts by Meg, Jill, Amy, Rebecca, Trish, and Heather.  Fabulocity reigned supreme and I was so very excited for the best part of the whole shabang — finally meeting blogging friends face to face.

BEA 2010 or bust!!

Kidlitosphere Conference
I’m still super stunned about being asked to co-lead a session on building a better blog at the upcoming 2009 Kidlitosphere Conference.  I’m excited, anticipatory, nervous and just all around giddy about being able to not only meet more wonderful bloggers but also to have the opportunity to share what knowledge I may have on the subject of being a new blogger and my efforts to make my blog a more enjoyable experience for readers.

As mentioned, the topic I’ll be presenting on (with the amazing Pam of Mother Reader) will be building a better blog. Without going into too much detail I’m hoping to focus a bit of my energy on audience engagement, design, purpose and some other technical/marketing tidbits.  I’m still open to suggestions so if there is anything you think might be good to shine a light on I’d be thrilled to have your thoughts on it. Just comment here and I’ll be sure to add it to my list.

Lastly, and most importantly, this is an event about blogging and while the title indicates it’s for Kidlit/YA bloggers there is certainly plenty of room for all.  Registration is still open and the participant list continues to grow.  It’s a great opportunity to learn and meet cool new people so if you’re interested don’t hesitate to read about it and register.

Cybils
Nominations are open for the 2009 Cybils Awards.  What are the Cybils you ask?  They are awards the celebrate and honor kitlit, middle-grade and YA books.  Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, picture books….you name it, if it focuses on young readers they are acknowledging it.  I’ve taken the opportunity to nominate a YA book and strongly encourage you all to check it out and nominate as well.

Impending Changes at Galleysmith
I’ve been contemplating a few blog related things lately and have made some decisions surrounding the purpose and focus of Galleysmith that I’d like to share with you all.

It’s no secret (if you read my blog or listen to me on Twitter anyway) that I’ve been gravitating more towards YA fiction as a my genre of choice.  As a result you’ll start to see some changes around here in relation to that.  Most significantly, I’ll be making some design/organizational changes to the blog to make things stand out more and help people navigate better through content.  Also, I’ll be creating more features surrounding the genre than I currently have.

I do want to make it clear that I’m not going whole hog into exclusivity at this point I want everyone to know that I’ll continue to read and review other genres as something strikes my fancy.  I’m also going to continue with non-YA/MG features like the Literary Road Trip, Inside the Bloggers Studio and such.  The changes I’m making won’t be so drastic that what is currently attractive to my readers will be supplanted or be made inferior or taken away entirely.  I’ll just be changing some design features and adding content to allow for better co-existance.

New Features
As part of the aforementioned changes I’m starting a couple of new features”

First I’m working on one (currently unnamed) in which I’ll be reading and reviewing YA/MG books that haven’t gotten a lot of attention around the blogosphere.  In listening to conversations on the subject of popularity and saturation as well as having tremendously enjoyed my experience with the Nerds Heart YA Tournament (whose goal was to bring such books to people’s attention) I thought this might be a really fun and exciting addition to my blog.

Now all I need to do is think of a name for the feature.  As you all know I’m notoriously bad at that so if you have any ideas let me know!

Oh and I’ll obviously still be reviewing the latest and greatest too so no worries there!

I’m also going to start up a new feature called “A Few of My Favorite Things”.  This awesome nugget is inspired by the BBAW weekly post where participants were asked to talk about their favorite blogs.  As you all know I felt pretty guilty about not being able to shine a light on everyone so now I’m going to take the opportunity to do just that.  I’ve got my feed reader organized so that I can just assign a number to each blog and then use random.org to pick which blog to focus on.  That way I’m not inadvertently giving the perception of preference (since I love you all!) or favoritism.

Keep an eye out for both of these to start pretty soon.

Challenges, Challenges Everywhere Challenges
Another part of my efforts to engage the reading community is devising and launching two new challenges.  One will focus on YA/MG/Kidlit by way of the Cybils; the other will be a more general non genre specific challenge about good boys vs. bad boys.  The latter is an idea I got as a result of a feature that Debbie at Debbie’s World of Books has been running on her blog.

Details are forth coming in the next week or so once I get all my ducks in a row. So keep an eye out for that.

Literary League
I’ve dropped the ball on League the past couple of weeks.  I’ve been remiss in publicizing as much as I should be.  I can make the requisite excuses about work and being incognito for about a week with the Book Fest but they would be just that….excuses.

We had our first Skype chat scheduled for today at 4pm EST but because there hasn’t been enough traction on it we’re going to delay to encourage more awareness about it.  What I’d love to hear from you all is what day and time do you think works best?  Keeping in mind we’ve got multiple time zones and such to work with is there some time that works better than others?

There you have it all!  How is that for an update?  Happy Sunday and have a great week.