MINI-REVIEW: 40 NIGHTS by STEPHANIE PARENT

Series: Neima's Ark #2
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Self-Pub
Publication Date: 10/9/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 94
Source: Author
Rating: 4.5 stars

Neima, her family, and her grandfather Noah have found themselves trapped aboard an ark as a great flood destroys all life in the world. As their time aboard the ark lengthens, food begins to run out, wild animals grow restless, and family tensions become as much of a threat as the flood outside. In the second and final installment of Neima’s Ark, the stakes are higher, the conflicts are greater, and Neima finds herself facing a choice as impossible as the destruction all around her.

Forty Nights is a continuation of the story begun in Forty Days, and it’s recommended that you read Forty Days first for the best experience. Forty Nights does, however, contain a character guide to refresh readers’ memories. The Neima’s Ark series is a historical, feminist reimagining of the story of Noah’s Ark rather than a religiously oriented one, and the novels are best suited for readers who are comfortable with new interpretations of biblical stories.

Religion is a subject that both fascinates and terrifies me, like a lot of people. I can only think of one book that I can compare to the Neima's Ark series, a series that reimagines biblical times through a woman's point-of-view, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (I'm sure there are many more.) And while the series is set during one of the most iconic events of the Bible, the Great Flood, it is not really a religious story at all. From the standpoint of someone of who does have a religious background, it's thought-provoking. Even if you don't know the story or the details, it is a dangerous and exciting story.

I want to dedicate what's left of my review to praise author Stephanie Parent. Young Adult Historical, let alone a story set during biblical times, is not exactly the "It" trend now. It can't be easy to reimagine a story that is virtually timeless, but Parent did it, and she did a terrific job. Besides how well I think the story is done, I have to say that every single story of hers I've read has been pretty excellent. Her writing is nearly flawless, and always thoughtful.

If you are looking for something new, out of your comfort zone, and exciting, I do recommend the Neima's Ark series.


Favorite Quotes:

  Jorin sighs and wraps his arms tighter around me. "I don't know if this God truly exists. But I've had a lot of time to think, these past few days. And I think--I think that if he does exist, he must speak some distant, long-forgotten language that one man could never understand completely. Interpreting God's words must be like...like trying to make sense of the howl of a wolf, or the trumpeting of an elephant. The song of a bird."

The Neima's Ark Series

 

 

(covers lead to GoodReads)

 

 

My Review of 40 Days

 

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About the author
Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Connect with Stephanie at:
Blog  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads  |  Amazon

REVIEW: PRECIOUS THINGS by STEPHANIE PARENT

Series: Stand alone
Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Stephanie Parent
Publication Date: 6/4/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 200
Source: Received from author for review
Rating: 4 stars

Isabelle Andrews isn’t supposed to be here. She isn’t supposed to be a freshman at Hartford Community College, she isn't supposed to be living at home and working at her dad’s failing bakery, and she definitely isn’t supposed to be taking Intro to Electronic Music Production, a class that will get her nowhere toward her goal of an English Lit Ph.D. by age twenty-five. But when her dad’s latest business fiasco eats up her college fund, Hartford Community College is exactly where Isabelle finds herself—and thanks to her late enrollment, she doesn’t even get to choose her classes. Stuck with Electronic Music and way-too-easy English courses, Isabelle is determined to wallow in all the misery she feels entitled to.

But community college brings some unexpected benefits…like the fact that a certain overworked, over-scheduled Electronic Music professor hands over most of his duties to his teaching assistant. His tall, green-eyed, absolutely gorgeous teaching assistant. When TA Evan Strauss discovers Isabelle’s apathy toward electronic music—and, well, all music—he makes it his mission to convert her. The music Evan composes stirs something inside Isabelle, but she can’t get involved—after all, she’ll be transferring out as soon as possible.

Still, no matter how tightly Isabelle holds on to her misery, she finds it slipping away in the wake of all Hartford Community offers: new friendships, a surprisingly cool poetry professor, and most of all, Evan. But Evan’s dream of owning his own music studio is as impractical as Isabelle’s dad’s bakery, and when Evan makes a terrible decision, everything Isabelle has gained threatens to unravel. Soon Isabelle discovers that some of the most important lessons take place outside the classroom…and that in life, as in Evan’s favorite Depeche Mode song, the most precious things can be the hardest to hold on to.

 

"You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes well you just might find

You get what you need" 

   -The Rolling Stones

Isabelle Andrews isn't happy. She had plans for a prestigious university, but with no way to swing the cost, she's stuck at the local community college. To make matters worse, late enrollment leaves Isabelle attending classes she has no interest in, such as poetry and Electronic Music. But it's in these classes that she is challenged; by the Professor who sees her creative potential, challenged by the thought of making new friends, challenged by the Teacher's Assistant who looks at her like he can read her thoughts. It's here, in the last place Isabelle wanted to be, that she may find what she's always been looking for.

Now, about the guy... Evan is a Teacher's Assistant with a passion for music. He's handsome -obviously- but but is also a really good guy. There's no big mystery, no bad boy edge, no tragic past. Like Isabelle, Evan is just a typical college student, doing his best. The normality of the characters is something I truly appreciate about Precious Things. Isabelle isn't hiding a dark secret, she's not troubled or out of control. She's a girl who's trying to find her way. She's lived her life with one goal, to attend a prestigious university. She's been let down by her absent mother, and a bumbling, but well-meaning dad. Isabelle needs to find her voice.

In the midst of the soul searching, Isabelle starts to fall for Evan. With a guy as great a Evan, that's no surprise. They had some really, really steamy moments, but nothing too graphic at all. And though it is a romantic story, Precious Things isn't the story of a girl who wants to win the guy, or about the guy who will do anything to win his girl. What it is, is a story about a girl who just may find out that if she slows down and appreciates what's right in front of her, it may be exactly what she's been looking for all along. And if she just so happens to win a worthy guy along the way? BONUS.

This is the third book of Parent's that I've read, and by now I can say that I truly do enjoy her books and style. Her writing is inviting, her characters have depth, and her stories are thoughtful and charming.


Favorite Quote:

  "Yeah," Evan responds, "but have you done this on a bridge?" We've reached the midpoint of the miniature wooden structure, and he places one hand atop mine on the railing, the other against my shoulder, and leans in for what I'm expecting to be a kiss...
  But instead he nips my bottom lip, lightly, first on the left corner, and then the right. Then the top lip, with just the slightest bit more teeth, but still oh-so-gently, first on the left and then on the right. Finally he presses his closed lips softly against mine, and then, so quickly I barely have a chance to register the pressure, he pulls away.
  It's just about the sexiest.
  Fucking.
  Thing.
  I've ever experienced in my life.   ~ebook, 53%


  Words can be violent, can tear us apart; but it's the words we keep inside, the unspoken ones, that do the most damage of all.  ~ebook, 96%

Purchase Precious Things
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About the author:
Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Connect with Stephanie at:
Blog  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads  |  Amazon

BLOG TOUR: FORTY DAYS (NEIMA'S ARK #1) by STEPHANIE PARENT

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Forty Days Blog Tour.

The tour is being hosted by YA Bound. You can find the complete tour schedule here.
 

 

Series: Neima's Ark #1

Category/Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: 2/10/13

Format: ebook

Pages: 123

Source: Received from author for review

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

I feel as if Noah's Ark is one of the first stories I ever learned. It is ingrained in many of us from early childhood; a theme in baby nurseries, taught in the earliest of Bible classes. It's simply a story that always was. So, many months ago, when the author informed me about her upcoming story, about Noah's granddaughter, I was immediately intrigued. I know the subject should have seemed a bit out there, but having read Parent's gorgeous told story, Defy the Stars, I had complete faith in her.

Neima's Ark was pretty fantastic. I was absolutely fascinated by her reimagining of the tale of Noah's Ark, from his granddaughter Neima's point-of-view. For those who know the Bible story, we only know it through Noah, the man who heard God's voice, and did his bidding despite the ridicule he received. We didn't get the story of his family, who endured the scorn of their neighbors, who put their lives on hold to do a crazy man's bidding.

I love that Parent immerses the reader so deeply into the time and place of the story. The descriptive passages painted such a clear picture of what life must have been like at this time, and really one can only imagine. Her take on what Noah's family endured was beyond fascinating and completely imaginative. I am so, so proud that she wrote Neima's Ark, and cannot wait to read the conclusion of the story, Forty Nights.



Favorite Quote:

  He laughs again. "All right, I won't. But perhaps you can tell me--what does your grandfather plan to do with all these animals? Why has he built this great, smelly wooden thing that seems almost an animal itself?
  I think of all I could say: Noah is mad; or A voice in his head commanded him; or, A great flood is coming. Finally I settle on the truth:
  "I have absolutely no idea."  ~34%


  I'd swear the rain grows stronger as our mouths open, tongues meet, hands roam and clutch at each other's arms and shoulders and necks. Water swirls around us, slams into us from all sides, forcing us closer and closer together until our edges dissolve and we become one thing, one seeking, reaching, desiring being. The rain can go on forever, can pelt us like stones, break us to pieces. I don't care, so long as I can stay like this. ~ 96%

 Forty Days is on sale this week for $0.99. Get your copy at:

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About the author
Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Connect with Stephanie at:
Blog  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads  |  Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

{REVIEW and GIVEAWAY} DEFY THE STARS by STEPHANIE PARENT

Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Stephanie Parent
Publication Date: Aug. 1, 2012
Format: ebook (Kindle)
Pages: 325
Source: Received from author for review.

Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other…until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play’s theme of love at first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don’t always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed’s comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd—and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes—but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia’s and Reed’s families even farther apart…and Julia must decide whether she’s willing to give up everything for love.

Defy the Stars is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel’s combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and form that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare’s play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.
 

"...what could I have done?

Could I have changed this song, altered

this key? Or was this tragedy

already written, black notes

of music on the page,

a story in the stars? "

With it's stunning verse narrative and star-crossed lovers, Defy the Stars is a modern day Romeo and Juliet that will steal your heart.

I love books written in verse. I suppose I always have, but I didn't consciously realize that until I read Love and Leftovers late last year. So when the author asked me to review Defy the Stars, and mentioned it was written in free verse, I knew I had to read her story.

Defy the Stars was so stunning, so beautiful, that I'm at a loss here. I always take notes while reading books for review, but I couldn't bear to stop and write down my thoughts. The fact that I didn't stop tells you how deeply I was drawn into Reed and Julia's story. I didn't want to interrupt the flow of the story. The way the author staggered the lines set up such a dramatic effect. At times, a simple word, precisely placed on the page, had the effect of a bomb dropping on my heart.

Much like their inspiration, Reed and Julia are the ultimate star-crossed couple. Like Romeo and Juliet, familial ties conspire against them. Julia is a girl of privilege, content, but not quite happy. Her parents want the best for her, and are sometimes misguided in their attempts to lead Julia to what they deem best for her. But one crazy night, Julia gets to know the real Reed, not the boy who gets high, but the boy who is sensitive, kind, who loves to play guitar. He's a boy who has everything going against him: no parents, a drug dealing brother, a penchant for being numbed by drugs himself. Everything about them screams "wrong for each other". But the closer they become, they harder they fall for one another. Fate seems determined to bring the two together, altering their destinies forever.

From it's dark prologue through the stunning conclusion, Defy the Stars is a story that hit me so, so hard. I read with such an impending sense of doom, yet remained hopeful throughout. I was left sobbing, heart-broken. But ultimately, I'm happy I read Defy the Stars. Not many books can inspire such an emotional response. If you're a fan of stories written in verse, stories with characters you will love and cry for, a story that will hit you square in the heart, then I can't recommend Defy the Stars highly enough.

Favorite Quotes:

"Then, from what feels like a great distance,
I hear Reed say:

'I don't know if it's about love, so much, as
fate. Something bigger than Romeo and Juliet,
something greater than any two people,
pulled them to each other, entwined their
lives like...like a knot that no one could untangle.
They could no more change what happened than...
than stop a star from
falling.' " (23%)


"Now Reed lies on his back beside me,
one hand on mine, both of us breathing
hard, chests rising and falling. I look up
at the ceiling, and I swear, for a second it
dissolves --
-- I can see the night sky, the moon,
the stars spread out like a possibility
above us--
-- and I think:

Reed's the only high
I'll ever need." (88%)

You can purchase Defy the Stars at:
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Stephanie Parent is a YA author repped by Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major.
Connect with Stephanie Parent at:
her blog  |  Twitter  |  Amazon