The Structure of a Young Adult Thriller: L.E. Flynn’s Last Girl Lied To
Check out the video version of the essay! How do you know a book is good? For me, it’s when you love it so much that you’re not even jealous that the author is more…
What I Love about the First Page-ish of Mimi Jean Pamfiloff’s SMART TASS
1) I love the opening image, and I think it’s because of the power dynamic. The star quarterback has discernible power…but he’s on his knees in supplication. The reader wants to know why he has…
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What I Love about the First Page-ish of Liberty Kontranowski’s ALL ACCESS
1) The author wastes no time establishing the tone and attitude of the first person protagonist. Kallie is fun to be around, but she’s a little neurotic; both of these qualities bode well for a…
Read MoreWhat I Love about the First Page-ish of Angela Snyder’s SAVING AVERY
1) I love that the book opens on the opening of Avery’s whole saga with Mason. Who were the characters before they met? I guess we’ll find out, but this is a romance novel…we want…
What I Love about the First Page-ish of Dave Sinclair’s THE BARISTA’S GUIDE TO ESPIONAGE
1) What a great opening sentence. This is a spy novel, and the author builds tension by starting in medias res (in the middle of things) and by putting Eva in great danger. How will…
Read MoreWhat I Love about the First Page-ish of Lorin Grace’s MENDING FENCES WITH THE BILLIONAIRE
1) I’m not usually one of those writers who focus on “place in fiction,” but I love how the author uses the great details to make me FEEL as though I were on the prairie…
What I Love about the First Page-ish of Holly Kerr’s UNEXPECTING
1) I love stories and characters that feature a literal countdown…there’s just so much drama inherent in a situation when you know there’s a deadline. Casey is thirty-five and she has long feared being thirty-seven. …
Read MoreWhat I Love about the First Page-ish of Sarah Zolton Arthur’s MY FEARLESS FAKE FLING
1) The novel begins with a nice literal representation of the protagonist’s status quo. Kami is literally unable to make a leap of faith. She’s literally unable to trust others enough to accomplish a goal…to…
What I Love about the First Page-ish of K.L. Montgomery’s FAT GIRL
1) Inviting the reader to close the book is a risky gambit, but I love the way those sentences unite the reader and author. (For example, by acknowledging that most of the readers will be…
Read MoreWhat I Love about the First Page-ish of Bridget E. Baker’s FINDING SANTA
1) I love that Mary begins as a skeptic, but begins to believe in Santa as her friends are losing belief. As a child who must deal with…suboptimal parents, it’s easy to be torn between…
