Our 'emotionally repressed narrator who sweeps you off your feet'

Saba's made it to the headlines! Well, to the Telegraph's online culture forum! 

See article: 

At last, girls are at the centre of the action in books and films

This article tackles the issue of gender representation as the heroic character in popular culture, through various types of media. For me, Saba is a near perfect representative of what should be the norm in literature and film: strong, independent women. Why has it taken the world so long to realise?

I recently stumbled across a video of similar subject that I just have to share in relation to this issue:

So let's hope that 2014 brings a better deal for girls. Especially our Saba as we near the release of Raging Star in May! Moira has page proofs starting on Friday, and the excitement is growing!

Look out for the Rebel Heart read-alongs which will be starting up again soon! 

~Ella

Try It Tuesday - Unwind Trilogy by Neal Shusterman

Unwind was released in 2007, and followed by Unwholly (book#2), Unstrung, which was a short story to accompany Unwind. Unsouled is scheduled to come out this October.

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.’ ~ Summary of Unwind (book#1) from Goodreads

Fans of Young Adult dystopia and science fiction, this is a must read! It’s an enthralling story with plenty of credible characters that you're likely not to forget, and apprehension at every corner. Neal’s writing is fantastic, with a plot well thought out and intricate. The book invokes a lot of issues, and mainly those bioethical (i.e. abortion/reproductive rights). This allows the reader to ponder over the controversial matters raised in this book, and form their own opinions. The ending of Unwind is a very emotional one, and it helped me know what my stance on the whole procedure of this so called unwinding was.

This link is to a short movie featuring the process of unwinding that I particularly enjoyed. I like the bit when the woman says ‘’sweetie, you don’t die. You just stop living.’’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=9snP4HuRsr4&feature=fvwp

This is a book I will always recommend, especially those looking for a stimulating fix. Go, read Unwind and Unwholly before October!

~Bushra

Try It Tuesday! - GONE series by Michael Grant

Welcome to our first ever Try It Tuesday where we aim to give you suggestions about new (or old!) books, films and music that might appeal to fans of the Dust Lands trilogy!

This week, as the last in the series is released, I present you with the incredible GONE series by Michael Grant!

'Suddenly there are no adults, no answers. What would you do? In the blink of an eye, the world changes. The adults vanish without a trace, and those left must do all they can to survive. But everyone's idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power ...Even kill. For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives ...What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too? It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are. A chilling portrayal of a world with no rules. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes.'