The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer talks about Sea of Monsters.
(I have no idea where the dumb Canadian accents came from. It was the kid’s idea, I swear!)
I love the part at 1:50. He’s not too enthusiastic, is he?
4:17 funny descriptions of explosions. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. 🙂
Mono
Posted in Book/Movie Review
Tagged Monsters, Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Rick Riordan, Sea monster
Sorry, he has been such a big hit I couldn’t resist giving him his own logo.
So, without further ado, I give you the Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer with his take on Lightening Thief
Take it away Dude!
The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer Returns!
Yay! I finally tied him down bribed him convinced the MMGR to do another review. Here we are with Wolves of the Beyond. Uncut, and uninterrupted…. well, maybe a little interruption, but too funny. I had to leave it in!!!!!
No Retakes!
When I was offered a free advance copy of The P.U.R.E. from its publisher, I almost passed. I am not a mystery fan. I prefer something with lots of action and explosions. But I figured, what the heck, it’s free.
So, I sat down one day and began reading what I expected to be a dull, boring drama.
Boy, was I in for a surprise.
Once again, I will use the Oreo Cookie Concept for reviewing: Start with the crunchy goodness, dig into the squishy bad, and then end on a crunchy good note.
This one was a little tricky for me.
.
To start, were there any explosions? No? Sorry, but she loses a cookie there. (Yeah, I know that’s not fair, but it’s my rating system. Get over it.)
What POV was it written in? First Person “I”. What? UGH! I hate first person! Lose another cookie.
Okay, let’s not worry… She is still in “I liked it” range with three cookies.
Claire Gillian did an amazing job intertwining the overall mystery plot with the “Girl falling for the guy at the office” plot. Not being a mystery fan, I actually gravitated more toward the romance aspect initially, but Ms. Gillian quickly sucked me in to her overall world of corporate Hell.
The best part about this book is the really defined main characters. I totally believed them, and living in a cubicle myself for the last twenty years, I can totally relate to the inter-office politics.
Personally, I believe the realism of the characterization comes from the excellent POV writing. I’m not a fan of first person because normally I find it confining. Not so here.
So, Ms. Gillian, I am giving you your cookie back for POV. This is probably the best First Person POV I have ever read. You are back up to four out of five cookies.
The creamy filling… the bad stuff
This is going to sound uber-critical of me, but I just couldn’t leave this section blank. After all, no one is perfect. I have to admit, that I really needed to rack my brain over faults in The P.U.R.E. So, after much more in-depth pondering than a normal person would do…here you have it:
There were a lot of characters in the office environment. I got confused with who was who. Even in the ending scenes, I wasn’t sure who was who. This didn’t really bother me, though, because frankly, it just didn’t matter at that point. (In a good way—I was so absorbed I didn’t even stop to think about it.) –not subtracting a cookie for this
This is something I feel like I need to mention, although it breaks my heart to do it. I caught a few typos. Ugh. Okay… remember I am looking for something bad to say, because this novel was so dern good… so there! I found three punctuation typos.
Since I had an advance copy, I let them know about the typos, hoping they could fix them. I don’t know if they did. The problem with a typo is that I stopped reading. I flipped my Kindle in all different directions to read it different ways to see if it was really a typo. This is a problem because I am no longer reading the story. I lost the scene. You never want your reader to stumble in the middle of a scene.
I need to subtract at least a bite out of a cookie for that. I will happily remove the bite if the typos are fixed in the next revise.
Ending on a crunchy good note:
Once in a while, an author surprises me by breaking the rules. I would like to give super-big kudos to Claire Gillian for not ignoring the subject of condoms. They are always used, and when the romantic leads didn’t have one, they didn’t have sex.
GOOD FOR YOU CLAIRE GILLIAN!!!!!
The two characters even had a conversation about STDs and birth control. For myself, having lost a cousin to a sexually transmitted disease, I have to nod in appreciation to the author. This is the first time I have read anything that didn’t ignore that detail/concern like it didn’t exist.
For this, Ms. Gillian, I am giving you an extra cookie just because. Thank you for being socially conscious, while keeping it romantic and real. This totally makes up for the lack of explosions. (And I have to admit there was a high action scene that I thoroughly enjoyed that made up for it a little as well.)
Final cookie count? Four and three-quarters of a cookie, and I will happily make it a five cookie review if the typos are fixed.
I was thinking this over, and wondering where I would place this novel on my “best of” scale. I cringe to say it since this is a mystery novel, but the P.U.R.E. firmly has a place in the top five novels I have ever read.
I highly recommend all authors to read The P.U.R.E. and concentrate on Claire Jillian’s characterization, and her voice. I have large chunks of text highlighted to go back and analyze to learn from how she presented it. The writing is crisp, clean, and easy to read. Not only will you be enjoying a great novel, but I think all authors could learn a lesson or two from her great writing style.
Am I now a mystery fan? No, not at all.
Would I buy another Claire Gillian novel? Yes, absolutely. I wouldn’t hesitate for a single second.
Buy The P.U.R.E. at Amazon.com
Buy The P.U.R.E. at Barnes and noble
Note: Barnes and Noble has it on sale for $11.46 in paperback right now. Digital is $4.99 on both sites.
Posted in Book/Movie Review
Tagged author, Book Review, Books, CLAIRE GILLIAN, Fiction, Gillian, Publishing, The P.U.R.E., the pure
I found out why The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer stopped doing reviews. He read “Fur Face” by Jon Gibbs, and really enjoyed it. However, he knew I wanted him to review it, but he was embarrassed to do one because he met the author at a recent book signing.
“Well, did you like the story?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
I got the lip… If you’re a parent, you know what that means.
He was just self-conscious about it because he was afraid of what he would look like in front of an author that he feels like he knows, even though his review would be positive.
Note to self: Introduce the MMGR to authors AFTER he has given the review.
Anyway… The MMGR’s review of Fur Face was:
(I’m paraphrasing from several conversations over the last several weeks)
It was really good. It was about this cat that can talk, who has to find a kid that can understand him to help him do what he has to do.
(Trying not to drop a spoiler there)
He mentioned an intricate plot that would be hard to describe. There was lots of funny stuff and action, and a big mystery about animals that had to be saved. (Right up his alley)
I didn’t get a star rating on Fur Face, but book two is on his list of “I gotta have it” books.
Now that we’re over that hurdle… The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer should be returning to the blogosphere very shortly. Yay!
Posted in Book/Movie Review
Tagged author, Book, Book signing, Fur Face, Jon Gibbs, Literature, middle grade book review, Review, writing
It’s been a while since I’ve done a movie review. Probably because everything has been “so so” and I couldn’t think of anything I learned from the movies I’ve seen.
This one was a bit different… because I didn’t like it. So, let’s discuss why…
Warning: I usually don’t do this, but there will be mild spoilers in this review. Don’t worry. I am not going to ask you to watch the movie anyway. It wasn’t worth it.
Alien Hunter: This is far to grand a title for this sleepy little movie. Even my husband pointed out that there was no “Alien Hunting” in it.
Was there an alien? Yes. Was there an explosion? Yes. Was there death and mayhem? Yes. If you know anything about me, this sounds like a perfect combination to keep me entertained. So why wasn’t I entertained?
Admittedly, about half an hour into the movie I fell asleep. (Not a good sign) When I woke up, I asked my husband what I missed and he said, “Nothing. They are still trying to get the stupid thing open.” I checked the clock. I’d been asleep for twenty minutes.
Now, when they got “The thing” opened, and people started to die, I just didn’t care. (Oooo, she’s callous) I am willing to admit that I did fall asleep for part of it, but I realized that I had no emotional attachment to any of the characters. They were in dire peril. So what? Even if I fell asleep, I did see enough that I should have cared. I didn’t.
Poor presentation and poor characterization. That was the crux of this movie’s problem.
Problem #2: The plot. These people have to die. It is made perfectly clear. Most of them are okay with this (with almost no emotional response… okay, really? Don’t you want to try to call your mother or something before they drop a nuclear bomb on you?)
As soon as you realize this, you think… okay, so why am I watching? Who am I rooting for? It’s not like they are going to try to escape.
Then, the “Bad guys” decide they are going to try to escape. Now, if they do escape, every living thing on Earth will die within two days. Wiped clean. Disappear. Done.
My husband and I thought the same thing. No one would try to escape, especially when they saw what would happen with their own eyes. It was just not believable.
What was even more unbelievable is the pseudo-happy ending that was really not even explained.
It was one of those times where you click off your television at midnight and wish you hadn’t wasted that precious sleeping time.
Characterization: We need to care about your characters. Make them real. Make them respond realistically. Even if they decide to do the right thing, and make the ultimate sacrifice, show some emotion.
Plot: Please… I mean, come on. Think it through. You can have a great idea (and yes, it was a great idea) but you need to follow it through to the end. You need to root for your characters. How can you root for characters when you know they are going to die? And they have to die?
And that ending? Even my husband shook his head.
I’ve actually found an “Alien-spaceship-explosion” flick that was worse than the second Transformers movie. I never thought I’d see the day.
Think through your plotlines, and don’t ruin a brilliant idea with a really weak finish.
No, it is not a little blue woman from Mars (although that would be totally cool, too.)
Today my humble little site is part of Fran Metzman’s promotional blog tour for the release of her short story collection: THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES.
Each of the twelve stories in Fran’s 
collection involves food as a means to fulfillment (If it were me, it would be a book all about chocolate) 🙂
Without further ado, let’s welcome the lovely and talented Fran Metzman!
Hello Fran, and welcome to “Learn from my Mistakes”
Fran: Hello everyone!
***Imagine Fran smiling and waving madly***
This site is dedicated to new and soon to be published authors. At the end of this interview, would you be willing to answer questions from inquiring minds?
Fran: Yes. I would be delighted.
Great! Keep that in mind, guys. Okay, let’s get started.
Fran, would you tell us about the first time you were published.
Fran: I consider this publication of THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES, as my first, as it is actually the first one published with only my own name. The other was co-written. In UGLY COOKIES and THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES, each story deals with relationship issues – a theme that has always intrigued me.
What part of relationships intrigues you so much?
Fran: We are all trying to find a level of satisfaction in relationships and it is common to feel cheated at some point in our lives. We yearn to fill emotional voids. I want to answer the question – how far will we go to find a relationship that answers deep-rooted needs?
As a writing teacher, what do you see as a re-occurring problem you need to “teach out” of new writers. What are the common mistakes they make?
Fran: I do encourage people to write from the heart, but all too often that is where they want to stop. In my opinion, it is vital to understand the structure of fiction writing because in today’s world of publishing whether it is non-fiction, memoir and even journalism, they are expecting the works to follow the form of fiction. Once a writer has that under his/her belt they have the option of experimenting. It’s like art – you must understand the structure of the body in order to sculpt or paint a figure before going on to other genres.
Can you explain that a little more? Do you mean “fitting into a set mold” or is there a certain structure that is undeniably necessary?
Fran: I don’t mean for anyone to be locked into a particular writing style. My undergraduate degree was from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia and I was a sculpture major. When we learned how to draw a person we did it step-by-step. First we did a skeleton then laid a clear sheet on top and did the muscles and sinews next. The final plastic sheet presented with skin, face, hands and toes. It was a process that enabled us to understand the structure of the body so that all parts were anatomically correct. Once we understood that, we could use that information to evolve into our own thing.
Interesting. How did this help to make you a better writer?
Fran: Figures differ but when the different body parts are out of scale it disturbs the visual rhythm the same way the written format may become unbalanced. For instance, if there is too much description that goes on for pages you will, in all probability, lose your reader unless you have presented such a strong, unique voice that we get lost in the work. That doesn’t happen often. Once you have an understanding of the structure, you can experiment.
Wow. Not too many of us have the experience of learning art in that way, and can relate that to our writing. Interesting insight. How do you think a new writer can get there, without sculpting in clay?
Fran: Write regularly on a set schedule even if it is only once a week. WRITE!
Tell us about your first novel “Ugly Cookies”.
Fran: I co-wrote UGLY COOKIES with Joy Stocke based loosely on several short stories that seriously involve parental/child relationships, romance and feminist ideals. It also has a sub-plot of prejudices toward the elderly, something that has become a hot topic nationally today.
What was your reaction when you first saw a “real” printed copy? What did you do?
Fran: Seeing that book in print thrilled me and made me incredulous at the same time. Was that my name on the cover? How could that have happened? It had a dream like quality to it. But that didn’t last long as we had to immediately get into the huge amount of work involved in publicity.
I’ve had a lot of discussions with people, and this is what they are most worried about… Promoting. What did you do to publicize?
Fran: It has changed so dramatically from the time my first novel was published about 10 years ago. Now it is VIRTUAL TOURS. Book chains and many independents have folded in the interim and fewer people attend live readings. We have generations who are constantly on computers, texting, googling, IPhoning, game playing, and connected tightly to screens for a myriad of reasons. The new way of publicizing is not easy for someone like myself who still prefers hard copies of books.
It’s okay, you’re doing fine. We bloggers are a friendly group. What’s been the hardest part about cyber-publicizing?
Fran: Today it’s all about being online for links, connections, websites, tags, Facebook, Twitter and the plethora of connections online. This consumes mammoth amounts of time as I worry when will I get back to writing.
Piff! Speaking to the choir, my friend! Let’s talk about some awards. “My Inheritance” was nominated for a Dzanc Books Award for Best of the Web. Was that a surprise? What do you think made it stand out from the others?
Fran: That story has always impacted me emotionally, but I was a bit surprised as there are so many mother/daughter stories out there. It is a sensitive subject and many women choose it as a topic. I hoped I had a somewhat different spin on it. I did know someone who went into therapy when her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. I didn’t know any details, just had this nugget. So the story is a total fiction. But as in all my stories, there is a seeking for redemption.
You just released “The Hungry Heart Stories”. Each short story in the collection relates to food in some way. Why did you choose food as a theme?
Fran: My own mother was a sensational cook and baker. It was a major way for her to express her love. When I came home from school the house was filled with the most delectable scents, oh those wonderful peach pies. There are a couple of downsides and one is that I was a chubby kid. The other was refusing food could be a serious problem in my house. I believe, my mother interpreted it as a rejection. So, I learned to eat every morsel put on my plate.
Tee Hee. It was the same way in my house, but since my Mom was raised during the Great Depression, it was more “There are children starving somewhere” rather than a rejection thing. Did this affect your eating habits as a grown-up? Personally, I cannot TOUCH beef stew, asparagus, or boiled spinach.
Fran: Indeed, I developed bad eating habits. If you eat every bit on your plate beyond the point where you are full, it is just unhealthy excess. For years I have had to be very careful to get that under control. It is a fight every day not to overeat or eat the wrong foods. For years I didn’t eat strawberries (I do now) because my mother insisted I eat her cake that had strawberries in it. I wasn’t hungry and I sat for two hours staring at it. Finally, I gobbled it up so I could go out and play.
I’m looking at the cover of THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES. 
There is a woman gazing into the distance. It feels like she is old to me, or maybe taking a step out of time. Also, there is no food to be seen. Is there some underlying symbolism there?
Fran: The woman on the cover was to represent women of all ages who are yearning to fill an emotional void in their lives. She looks into the distance, hoping to find some answers. That kind of void is threaded throughout the stories, but the protagonists are all pro-active in trying to backfill a hunger yet to be satisfied. Some go to the edge to fulfill what they perceive as the missing piece that once found will make their lives whole. But in seeking to resolve this lack of fulfillment – they might go to the edge.
After having been through the publishing process twice, what little snippet of advice would you give to soon to be published authors?
Fran: The publishing industry is, as everyone knows, very, very tough. This is where knowledge of fictional structure pays off. You have to submit a near perfect piece in order to get it published. The time is long gone when an author could say that something they wrote needs some work but publishers have editors for that. The industry has leaned down so that there are fewer editors and little time to do overhauls.
So, do you think everyone should look into a professional editor before they even submit a manuscript? Does that go for submitting to agents, too, or just publisher direct?
Fran: Yes, a near perfect manuscript is expected from agents and editors. Since an agent doesn’t make money until they sell the book, they are especially reluctant to spend time trying to make it pitch perfect for publishers. As for professional editors, that could be expensive. If you can afford it, I say go for it. Check the editor out as well to make sure they are good. If money is an issue, find a friend who is an educated reader for content and clarity. If they are grammarians or can edit well — even better. Workshopping with a group of writers is also very helpful.
Other than editing, do you have any other advice?
Fran: Not only does it have to be in excellent shape, the beginning has to be a grabber.
There you have it… words of wisdom from author Fran Metzman. Thanks for stopping by Fran!
I am now opening it up for questions. If you have a question for Fran, just post it in comments below.
Fran Metzman Author Bio
Award-winning author Fran Metzman is a graduate of the Moore College of Art and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to publishing numerous short stories and two novels, she also teaches writing at various local colleges and universities. Her blog “The Age of Reasonable Doubt” can be found at Wild River Review.
THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES
Wilderness House Press
ISBN 978 0 9827115 5 2
On Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/7xgqgsn
On Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/6pubq6c
Ugly Cookies: http://tinyurl.com/7tod2er
The Age of Reasonable Doubt: http://www.wildriverreview.com/metzman/
Wild River Review: http://www.wildriverreview.com/
“My Inheritance”: http://www.wildriverreview.com/FICTION/My-Inheritance/Fran-Metzman
Want more Fran? Visit these great sites, also hosting this tour with reviews and more interviews.
Monday, February 13th
“Welcome to Hell” by Glenn Walker
http://www.monsura.blogspot.com
Tuesday, February 14th
“Writing – Art – Metaphysics” by Shelley Szajner
http://shelleyszajner.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, February 15th
“BeccaButcher’s Blog” by Becca Butcherhttp://beccabutcher.wordpress.com/
Thursday, February 16th
“GilbertCuriosities” by Marie Gilbert
http://gilbertcuriosities.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 17th
“The Author-in-Training” by Mieke Zamora-Mackay
http://www.miekezmackay.com/
Saturday, February 18th
“A Reference of Writing Rants for Writers or “Learn from My Mistakes” by Jennifer M. Eaton
https://jennifermeaton.com/
Sunday, February 19th
“GilbertCuriosities” by Marie Gilberthttp://gilbertcuriosities.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 20th
“BeccaButcher’s Blog” by Becca Butcherhttp://beccabutcher.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, February 21st
“The Dream Between” by Robin Renee
http://dreambetween.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, February 22nd
“Literary Debauchery” by Krista Magrowski
https://kamagrowski.wordpress.com/
Thursday, February 23rd
Wrap up with Glenn Walker
http://www.monsura.blogspot.com
Posted in Author Advice, Book/Movie Review
Tagged Arts, Award, Fran, Fran Metzman, getting published, Hungry Heart Stories, Mars, Moore college of Art, novel, Online Writing, publish, Publishing, Short Stories, Short story, shortstory, University of Pennsylvania, Writers Resources, writing, Writing and Editing
The more I get into it, the more I think Social Networking is a really cool thing. You just never know who you are going to meet… and the best meetings tend to happen when you least expect it.
A lot of people hop on my blog. If I see a new person, I like to look them up to see who they are. Recently, I checked out someone who made a simple comment, and was cyber-zinged over to his website.
When I got there, I paused as I reviewed the cover of his novel “Once a Priest”. Then I clicked on his “about” page, and my jaw dropped.
This guy marched with Dr. Martin Luther King. I found that absolutely fascinating. The whole Civil Rights movement happened before I was born. It is history to me… Something to read about in text-books. But this guy actually LIVED IT.
I sent him an email and was pleasantly surprised when he responded, and we had the opportunity to cyber-chat for a little while.
Ed Griffin opened my eyes. This man not only marched for Civil Rights, he met Dr. Martin Luther King.
I am not sure what kind of picture the rest of you have of people marching for Civil Rights. My vision is sweeping black and white photographs taken from someone who stood on the outside… a reporter’s perspective.
I’ve heard about how bad it was in the 60’s, but it’s kind of like when your parents told you to eat your vegetables because there are children starving in Africa. I just couldn’t connect with it, because the whole idea seemed so foreign.
Hearing the perspective of someone who actually marched… Wow. This really hit home for me, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
Ed was nice enough to give me permission to give you a short excerpt from his novel “Once a Priest”.
I hope you are as numbed by his words as I was.
If you are interested in reading more you can pick up Ed’s novel for $2.99 on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. He has led a very interesting life, during a very turbulent time in the United States.
Take a step back into history with me…
with someone who actually lived it.
Excerpt from “Once a Priest”
I followed the news carefully for the next few days. Martin Luther King issued an appeal for Americans to come and join the march to Montgomery. I decided to go and I knocked on Father Blessenko’s door.
“Father,” I said when he answered the door, “I want permission to go to join the march in Selma. Dr. King has called for people to join him.”
“No,” he said. “This is a busy time of year. It’s Lent you know.” He started to close the door.
“Excuse me, Father, but I’m going. I will take vacation time to go to Selma.”
He shrugged and closed the door.
I called another priest, Father Tom Gallagher, a good friend. He and I flew down to Selma a few days later. At the Cleveland airport we were amazed to see about ten policemen go through the airport surrounding Doctor King. He had been in Cleveland giving a talk that night.
It’s difficult to imagine now, but Doctor King was not the revered figure he is to people today. Ten policemen protecting him was appropriate in 1965. People threatened to kill him. My mother said he was moving too fast.
On the plane, Tom and I were sitting about fifteen rows behind him. I turned to Tom. “Come on, let’s go talk to him.”
“I don’t know. He probably wants to rest.”
“Ah, come on. Let’s go.”
Tom and I stood and walked to the front of the plane. “Doctor King,” I said, “I just want to tell you that we really admire what you’re doing in the South. We’re on our way to join the march.”
“Wonderful, wonderful, ah… Fathers, I presume. Catholic?”
Tom shook his hand and introduced himself and then me.
“How are you Fathers getting to the march?”
This surprised me. I expected a statement about the importance of his efforts, but instead, he asked about our travel plans. I explained how we were going from Atlanta to Selma by air, but we hadn’t figured out how we’d get to the march.
“Here,” he said, and wrote something on a piece of paper. “The white cab companies in Selma won’t help you, but this company will. It’s owned by blacks. Use my name.”
We thanked him and wished him well.
“Well, God bless you, Fathers. I’m going to spend a little time with my family and I’ll rejoin the march tomorrow.”
We went back to our seats.
“Man, he’s just like an ordinary guy,” I said to Tom.
“Hardly ordinary,” Tom said.
“No, I mean, here he is leading a great march, a great effort for voting rights and the guy concerns himself about our travel plans.”
“Yeah,” Tom said, “he’s something.”
I couldn’t get over how he paid attention to us. For him, two more Catholic priests would be nothing special. Was this what made a great leader, attention to every little person?
When we arrived in Selma, we called the cab company Dr. King had given us and they took us across the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge where the marchers had been beaten. We drove along Route 80 a short distance, and then we saw the march ahead of us.
We paid the cab and started walking. It was around noon and we hadn’t eaten since the previous night, but we admired the marchers who had been on the road for three days already. Tom and I had no luggage, just our clerical suits and overcoats. The marchers were on one half of the road, with some traffic getting through on the other half. The weather was cold and windy and we were glad we had our coats. At every cross street there were National Guard soldiers with fixed bayonets on their rifles. I couldn’t believe that there had to be armed soldiers in my native country.
In front of us on the march, a group of black people and white people laughed and joked together. They all seemed to know each other. They told us they were from Dr. King’s organization, SCLC, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. They welcomed us to the march and shared some candy bars with us.
Behind us was a short old white man with a full head of white hair. He said he had marched in the thirties for jobs for people and now he was marching so that people could vote.
“Get back in the church, Reverend,” someone on the sidelines behind the guards shouted at Tom and me. “Nigger lovers die tonight,” they cried out.
The wind picked up and it started to rain. There was nothing we could do but walk on. The weather seemed to depress people’s spirits for a while, but then the SCLC group started singing. We sang We shall overcome, and If I had a hammer.
Almost as if the weather responded to singing, the rain stopped, the clouds broke and the sun came out. It got warmer, so we took off our coats and walked along. Cabs were pulling up to the march all afternoon and the crowd got bigger and bigger. The abuse from the sidelines increased too as we neared the city of Montgomery. Tough looking locals promised us death – “If you go to sleep tonight, Pastor, you won’t wake up.”
As evening came, the organizers told us that we would spend the night on the grounds of St. Jude’s mission. This was absolute irony for me, because the little mission box on our kitchen table when I was growing up had been for St. Jude’s in Montgomery, Alabama. The stated purpose on the box was to convert the Negro people to Catholicism. I am sure my mother never intended her mission money to be used to house a bunch of protestors.
That evening a rally was held at St. Jude’s, including singers Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Frankie Laine, Nina Simone, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter, Paul and Mary. It was a great concert and rally. I felt happy and fulfilled that night. I was with my people – these protestors, black and white, young and old, clergy and lay. The night felt like the high point of my life, more important to my identity than my ordination day.
When the rally was over most people slept outside, but the priests from St. Jude’s insisted that all priests were to sleep in a big roof filled with cots. Nuns from the march stayed in a separate room.
Around noon the next day we walked the remaining distance to the state capital. By now there were about twenty-five thousand people. Of course, Governor Wallace did not come out to greet us.
Dr. King gave a terrific speech that day, encouraging us to struggle on for voting rights. He promised that the struggle would not be long. I don’t know whether he had inside information, but a mere five months later President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
One part of Dr. King’s speech affected me deeply:
“Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding. We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the black man. That will be the day of man as man.”
Standing there in the sun that day, I felt that my life had reached an apex. Finally I was a Christian. I was working with this saint of a man, Doctor King. I was surrounded by other Christians who were fearless in their determination to bring justice to America.
It was hot, I hadn’t had a shower in days and I was hungry and tired. But I was happy.
The next morning Tom and I hired the black-owned taxi to drive us to the airport. The driver took the fast lane on the highway and stayed in that lane, even though other cars passed us on the right. I asked him why.
“Reverend,” he said, “a white woman got killed last night by the Klan. They drove up along side her and shot, just because she was a civil rights worker. All due respect, Reverend, but ain’t nobody pulling up along side me in this lane. It’s you Reverends who’s the target.”
I found out later that the woman, Viola Liuzzo, was from Michigan and the mother of five children.
As we flew back to Cleveland, Tom and I talked about what a significant experience it had been for both of us. Tom had called his pastor from Montgomery and the pastor told him that the people in the parish were praying for his safety. “We’re having a big reception for you, Tom, when you get home,” he said.
Tom’s pastor was Father Ed Jackman, the old friend of my dad’s, the man who could have become a baseball player. He certainly had done the right thing for Tom, getting the people to pray for his safety.
I wondered what awaited me.
Thank you so much Ed, for sharing your incredible story.
What do Young readers want in a novel? What makes a great novel for a middle grader? I figured since I know a kid who voraciously devours books, I’d just ask.
Eric just finished “The Genius Files Mission Impossible” by Dan Gutman
He couldn’t stop talking about it. Of course, when I turned the camera on, he composed himself and didn’t seem enthusiastic, but at least he gets his points across.
Apparently this is a recipe for success.
Thank you Eric!
Side note: My Thursday book review post was the least commented post I’ve had in a very long time. Although Gloria Richard said it was the best book review she’d ever seen (Thanks Gloria) it will probably be my last. It was a lot of work, and a lot of thought. If most of you aren’t into it, I will stick to my normal ranting.
I hope you found this one helpful, though. Who better to tell you what kids like than a kid!
Posted in Author Advice, Book/Movie Review
Tagged Arts, author, Book Review, Books, Boys Books, Children's, Dan Gutman, Genius Files Mission Impossible, Literature, What Kids read
I will never read another book the same as I used to. Every little thing that’s wrong JUMPS out at you when you become a serious Beta Reader. Have you ever noticed that?
Anyway, let’s chat about THRONE by Philip Tucker. I am going to use the general “Oreo Cookie” concept for reviewing this. Start with the crunchy goodness, dig into the squishy bad, and then end on a crunchy good note. Not actually hard to do on this one.
THRONE is one of those novels that starts you in the real world in someone’s everyday life, and then catapults you with a slingshot into a new world that you never knew existed.
THRONE takes you on an exciting and action packed journey in a very unique and eventful plotline with a very interesting premise. Throughout the first half, you know the two main characters are going to meet, but how… and “who is who” is a mystery until it practically happens.
And once they do meet… strap yourself in, because the rollercoaster is heading up the hill, and the ride is about to begin. (I can’t really tell you more without spoiling anything)
The five phases of my monotonous reading mind…. Everything falls into one category:
Before I dish out the creamy filling on this novel, let me point out that I really liked it a lot. Loved it? No, because of what I’m about to discuss, but I would definitely consider reading another of Philip Tucker’s novels. I just need to pay closer attention when I start reading. Let me explain…
Imagery
Part of the top of the Oreo cookie is the amazing imagery in this novel. I want to read some of it again because people have said that I use too little imagery in my writing. I want to study how the author did it. The good part was that I knew exactly what the scenes looked like. The reason why I am mentioning this in the “creamy filling” section is because the imagery went on for TOO LONG in almost every case.
I got a clear view of the scene, started skimming, and clicked my kindle three times to advance, and the character is still looking down the street. – Again personal preference. It was EXTREMELY well written, and I can learn a lot from this… it’s just too much for me personally.
Point of View Confusion
If you decide to read this novel (and yes, I would recommend it) Keep in mind that it is written in two very regimented Points of View. To be completely honest, I did not realize it was in two points of view until about 16% of the way through it.
The novel is written with one chapter in Maya’s POV, and then the next chapter in Maribel’s POV. Then it interchanges back and forth. For some reason, I did not pick up on this until 16% of the way in. I thought it was the same character. I thought one chapter was in the current time, and every other chapter was a flashback. Yes, they have two different names, but for some reason that didn’t click. Maybe it is because both names started with “MA” and one was older than the other. I’m not really sure what happened, but for some reason I just didn’t “get it”.
Sooo…. You can imagine my confusion. I was having trouble keeping track of what events happened to which character. If you read this, keep in mind that there are two POVs and you will have no problem.
When your dog starts talking to you
My third problem is talking animals. That is just personal preference. Watership Down, Charlotte’s Web, Secrets of NIMH, Homeward Bound…No problem… but I just don’t like animals talking to people. (Totally a personal preference—I realize that)
Reactions to suddenly talking animals: Place yourself in a city. You are running from something freaky. You hide in a building, and all of the sudden this fox pops up and starts talking to you…
I’m sorry. No matter what is going on, if a fox starts talking to me I am going to be FREAKED OUT. I didn’t buy the character’s reaction to this happening. She was too quick to be okay with this.
Unanticipated change in Characterization
Another thing that disappointed me was the sudden change in one of the main characters. Yes, it had to happen for the story to move forward, but after the detailed imagery and wonderful characterization throughout the novel, I felt a little cheated by this sudden change, and it seemed out of character to me. If someone acts in one way, and then has an extremely DRASTIC turn in characterization, I need to SEE IT COMING to buy it. Even after finishing the novel, I still don’t buy what happened right after the one character “changed”. When she did “what she did” only seconds after the “change” I was stunned, and not in a good way. She did remain in her “changed” state quite well after that, though. It was just that transition that didn’t seem believable to me. (Gosh, I wish I could explain that better-but I don’t want to drop any spoilers)
After all this happens, jump on to the rollercoaster for a huge, and I hate to use a “trendy word” – EPIC battle scene. This scene goes on FOREVER… and I mean that in a good way. I was not bored for a single second.
At one point I thought the battle was going to be over in a very cliché way, but “Oh no! It didn’t work!” Run everybody run! Get out of there! WHEW!
The pacing was excellent, and I didn’t see the resolution to the conflict before it was in the process of happening. Nicely done.
The close of the novel
The novel winded down and closed extremely quickly, in a slightly unexpected way, but very satisfying. (To pop back over to the creamy filling, I would have liked one more chapter in the other Main Character’s POV, because I don’t think her story really closed enough to my satisfaction)
I would have liked a little more of a wind down, but again… I realize that is personal preference. After being in the middle of that roller-coaster battle scene, I had a bit of that “whiplash” feeling when the high-speed coaster’s breaks hit the tracks. BOOM! Last page. It’s over. Get out. You’re done. A little too abrupt for me. Again—not going to subtract a cookie for this, since that’s just my preference.
I will give this novel four out of five Oreos. It loses one-half an Oreo each on two points… because I was confused to start… and it had too much imagery for my tastes. From me that is a glowing recommendation. I really liked it despite what bothered me about it.
This author is extremely talented and has a great writing style. Great story, great premise, very nice execution.
I would recommend this to any writer looking for an example of well-written imagery (I’d just suggest cutting your imagery a little slimmer if you want people like me to read it.)
I’d also recommend it for anyone that would like to experience a GREAT battle scene… and I mean that. You won’t just read it. You will experience it.
Good stuff.
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Jennifer M Eaton 