The Best Reader: jennifer castle

The Beginning of After by Janenifer Castle
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 6th, 2011)
Hardcover: 432 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all, there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.
Review: I absolutely adored this book! It is raw, heartbreaking, and honest. Laurel goes through an unimaginable pain when her mother, father, and brother are all killed in a car accident. The girl who was only focused on nailing her SATs and getting into a good college is then forced to face a reality without her entire family.

Things are further complicated because a friend of the family, Mr. Kaufman, was driving the car and there is some mystery as to what exactly happened during the crash. Laurel can't seem to face her emotions and she finds herself looking for any distraction when her thoughts come to the surface. David, the son of Mr. Kaufman, seems to be the only one who breaks through the layers Laurel is hiding behind. His existence brings things back into focus for Laurel so she often tries to avoid him.

Laurel tries to go back to her normal life and even starts dating but nothing is the same. She sees her life as"before" the crash or"after". Janenifer Castle created a story that I would say is one of the best debut YA's I've ever read. Her story gets into the depth of teenage emotion and explores a reality that many people could never imagine. She did this flawlessly! I never questioned Laurel's actions because people deal with loss in different ways. Some hide behind a wall and pretend everything is okay.

Laurel was an outstanding character. She was strong and courageous even though she often fought herself to stay in control. She knew that David was the only one who could really grasp what she was going through. His mother died in the accident too and his father was in a coma. David was more open with his pain and I think it showed Laurel that it was okay to let someone in.

David is the bad boy but the accident sends him on a path very different from Laurel's. He wants away from normal life and away from the people who look at him with pity. Together Laurel and David were the perfect pair. Their interactions were not over the top. They never had to say much to each other to know what the other was feeling. Their anger gradually changes and they are able to see each other more clearly.

This story is not about action, drama, or a fabulous setting; it's about a girl coming to terms with a horrible tragedy. It's one of those books that you can't stop thinking about. I keep wondering what would happen to these characters next. Would they be happy or would they never let themselves feel that much again? Janenifer Castle truly created a masterpiece with this book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

The 2nd annual Authors are Rockstars tour has started! You can see the stops by going here.

I am lucky enough to feature Janenifer Castle. I adore her! I read her book The Beginning of After and was completely blown away. it was such an emotional story and I fell in love with Laurel and David. You can read my review of the book here.

Now, Janenifer has more awesomeness out in the wild! You Look Different in Real Life was released in June and Playing Keira (a novella) was released in May. I haven't had a chance to read these yet but I will be very very soon!

Today, as part of the rockstar tour, I have Janenifer here for an interview about her book You Look Different in Real Life. Don't miss the giveaway below for a signed copy of the book!

INTERVIEW WITH JaneNIFER CASTLE

What made you decide to write about teens involved in a movie of their lives?

I’ve always been fascinated by what happens to reality TV and documentary film subjects after the cameras go away. Do they live their lives differently, like someone’s always watching? Does the way they’re portrayed on screen change the way they see themselves in real life? The possibilities of character and story seemed so juicy, I couldn’t resist. Then I started thinking about how the rise of blogging and social media has allowed pretty much everyone to make themselves the “stars” of their own documentary. Every time we post a status, a photo, check in at a location… we’re building a narrative of our own lives. I think it’s scary-easy to share so much of ourselves, to think so obsessively about what we’re putting out there for the world to see, that we lose track of who we really are.

So the documentary film premise seemed like it was relevant on a couple different levels, and something I could really have fun with. After many years of working on THE BEGINNING OF AFTER, I needed some fun. I was ready to do something where nobody dies. That might have actually been the first note to myself about this book: “Dear Jane: Please don’t kill anyone.” You have to start somewhere.

2. What's one word you'd use to describe each character (Justine, Rory, Nate, Felix and Keira)?

I love you for this question, and also I hate you for this question. This was tough. But the good tough.
Justine: Lost
Rory: Found
Nate: Underestimated
Felix: Overlooked
Keira: Who?

3. With so many reality shows out these days, would you ever agree to have a portion of your life taped?

It’s funny, because while I was writing YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE, I spent an afternoon carrying around a small digital video camera, shooting everything that went on in my house. I just wanted the experience of choosing which moments to record and being conscious of this extra eye observing us. I only lasted a few hours, because it freaked me out that our family’s craziness, the absurd stuff that happens with me and my husband and my kids and my pets every day, was actually being saved for posterity. But maybe it would be cool to have strangers see this absurdity and say, “Yup, we are like this too. You’re normal, because there is no normal.” In the end, it would probably come down to whether or not I had to clean the house and put on something besides ripped sweatpants.

Do you have a favorite line from YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE?

Love/hate question! Again! I have many favorite lines, but most of them are in the later part of the book and might do some spoiling. I do have a soft spot for this early passage where Justine describes her connection to the others, because it’s generally how I feel about my own long-term friendships:
Sometimes I think of an invisible cord connecting Nate and Keira and Felix and Rory and
me. It’s made of something thin and deceptively powerful, like the stuff Spider-Man squirts out
of his wrists. Then I wonder who spun it. Was it Lance and Leslie? Was it everyone who’s ever
watched the Five At documentaries? Or maybe it was me. All I know is that it’s always there. It
stretches and winds but will never break.”

5. Can you share with us what you are currently working on?

With both THE BEGINNING OF AFTER and YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE, I loved writing the romantic storylines. Especially the kissing. Is there anything better than writing about kissing? Ah…

I’m sorry. Where was I? Oh yes. So my current project (which is still untitled, because I suck at titles) is a romance, pure and simple. It’s about what happens when a killer crush actually leads to something, and you have to navigate that intersection of fantasy and reality. It’s about figuring out what love actually is, when you don’t have any good examples in your life to base it on. And it’s got a cute guy who is amazing but not flawless, craveable but problematically complex, because “perfect” boys in YA lit really bug me. I’m hoping it will be done in time for an early 2015 release. Until then, I plan to squeeze out one or two digital short stories or novellas, like I did with PLAYING KEIRA. I like mixing up the long projects with shorter ones. It’s like creative snacking.

You Look Different in Real Life by Janenifer Castle
Published: HarperTeen (June 4th, 2013)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 355 pages
Summary:
For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they're real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There'd be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn't feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what's on film. They've all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else's eyes.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, You Look Different in Real Life is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what's personal and what's public aren't always clear.

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