It’s not surprising that wild Lily Odilon has disappeared, especially since “The Accident,” or what’s more commonly referred to in her small Idaho town as, “That One Time Lily Odilon and Some Other Juvenile Delinquents Broke into Lily’s step-Dad’s Dental Practice and Lily OD’d on Laughing Gas and Almost Died.” In this fast- and evenly paced YA debut, prime suspect Albert Morales, the new kid at high school and Lily’s boyfriend, races to find Lily at the last place she remembers feeling happy before her dangerous stepfather, who also happens to be golf buddies with the lead detective, reaches her. Three taut story lines — just before the disappearance, just after the disappearance and along Albert’s search — converge to reveal the truth behind Lily’s accident, her stepfather’s involvement, the evolution of Albert and Lily’s relationship and why Albert really needs to find this enigmatic and often selfish girl. Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns (2008), this noir thriller hooks readers with realistic dialogue, fully fleshed characters and plenty of twists. Terrific to the last, good page. (Thriller. YA)

Hooray for Sara! Kirkus has a tendency to be snarky in their reviews, so a rave like this is a notable event!

Scarlett Martin’s zany life gets, if possible, zanier in this second installment of the series. Her family’s struggling Manhattan hotel got a boost from the production of Hamlet it staged in Suite Scarlett (rev. 7/08), but now business is back to normal, leaving Scarlett to deal with the angst of a failed summer relationship and the insanity of her new boss, theatrical agent Amy Amberson. Her older brother, an aspiring actor, gets his first big break (but at what cost?); her older sister Lola has an identity crisis; and her younger sister, diabolically bad-tempered cancer survivor Marlene, is being worryingly…nice. Add Mrs. Amberson’s new client, a victim of stage-mothering, and said client’s irascible-yet-intriguing brother to the mix, and the hijinks reach a new high. Johnson skillfully balances the camp with warm family drama. In immediate, deadpan, to-the-point prose, she takes aim at the dark side of show business while continuing to develop the larger-than-life characters that are the heart of this series. The ending provides little actual resolution, especially to Scarlett’s romantic travails, but the process of getting there is so much fun that readers will likely just look forward even more to book three.

Gee, it certainly seems as if everyone is eagerly awaiting Book Three, huh?

Speaking of eagerly awaiting, I know I promised winners for my Pub Day contest today, but I decided to extend the contest by a WHOLE WEEK, to give you even more time to enter. Winner will be chosen next Wednesday, February 10th. Feel free to enter more than once!

In other news, though, Kirkus reviewed Maureen Johnson’s Scarlett Fever, and they loved it! I quote:

The sequel measures well above its predecessor in this hilarious follow-up to Suite Scarlett (2008), which first introduced the eccentric, New York-dwelling Martin family. Picking up just a few weeks later, Scarlett is still convincingly nursing a broken heart and being run ragged by her employer, Mrs. Amberson, who has ambitions of becoming an agent. [...] Readers will have to read the first to understand this one, and the decidedly cliffhanger conclusion will ensure they are left in fevered anticipation of the next.

Woot!

From the February issue of the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (which I’m pasting in its entirety since I can’t find it online elsewhere):

When his family moves to Noble’s Green, “The Safest Town on Earth,” to care for Daniel’s ailing grandmother, twelve-year-old Daniel is quite certain it is also the lamest town on Earth. That is, until he starts seeing the neighborhood kids perform some strange feats and he himself is saved from certain death by bully by his new friends’ superhuman speed and strength. Taken into the group’s confidence, Daniel learns that while the kids have seemingly unending talent now, they’ll all lose their abilities and any memory of their skills when they turn thirteen. Although as just a common dweeb he lacks any extraordinary powers, Daniel is convinced that he can save his friends from the horrific fate of normalcy, and he employs some serious detective skills to uncover the shadowy menace that robs the preteens of their abilities. Cody’s debut novel pays homage to the great Golden Age comics at every turn, from the kids’ various super skills to the maniacal bad guy driven by envy and greed. High-flying action aside, however, the heart of this story lies with Daniel, an Everykid faced with the very real obstacles offitting in, negotiating friendships with the opposite sex, and losing a loved one. His relationship with his dying grandmother is particularly poignant, and fortunately the author respects young readers enough to not provide a superhero fix but to realistically portray Daniel’s grief with both tenderness and restraint. The mystery surrounding the origins of the superpowers adds a bit of intrigue, giving this satisfjring and genre-blending read a broad appeal.

Also, Betsy Bird of Fuse #8 has posted a fantastic review — up now on Amazon, and I’ll add the link to her page when it’s updated. Here’s an excerpt:

[T]here’s a lot of room out there for good middle grade chapter books about kids with super duper abilities. “Powerless” by Matthew Cody definitely fills that void, and ends up being a fun and original story about a kid who has to keep others from ending up like himself. You know. Normal.[...]

The best thing about the book is that it doesn’t settle on being one kind of story. Sure, it’s about superheroes, but it’s also a mystery. Daniel’s hero isn’t the mysterious Johnny Noble who started all this superheroism, but Sherlock Holmes. So kids with a thing for flying and invisibility will like the book, and so will kids who just want a good whodunit. “Powerless” ends up being one of those unassuming little chapter books that may find itself getting a strong fanbase all thanks to having something for everyone. A hoot.

I hope to have even more good news to share about Matt and Powerless in the near future. Stay tuned!

Full disclosure: By my nature as a literary agent, I get a commission on sales of books by my clients, through any eventual royalties. My links to the Amazon pages of their titles also earns me a small fee, if you click through and buy a copy.

Bookshelves of Doom has a few words for Maureen Johnson. Namely:

ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME INTO A CRAZY PERSON? How could you leave me hanging like that? Seriously? The only thing that stopped my agonized “GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” from actually being verbalized was the fact that I was reading under the blankets with a flashlight, trying desperately not to wake my snoring husband. You, madame, are a monster. Also, I am way tired this morning. So thanks for that, too.

Also, is it gross that I’m kind of in love with Spencer?

For the record, no, not gross at all. Click through for the rest of the review.

Over on the Flux blog, they’ve got a great interview up with Josie Bloss about Albatross, and it’s similarities and differences with her previous Band Geek books. An excerpt:

FLUX: The tone in Albatross is more serious than your previous two books. Here, you’ve chosen a far darker story and style. What inspired this change?

JB: Though the story is darker, I think the themes of a girl finding her voice and her inner strength are quite similar to the Band Geek books. Honestly, this is a story that called to me and demanded to be written. I was going through a tough time in my personal life and when my world is upside down, it can be difficult to think or write about anything else. I borrowed significant parts of my own experiences for this book. In some ways, Albatross was my therapy and my method of productively processing these difficult experiences . . . and it’s a fist-bump to other people dealing with similar situations. Sometimes you just need to hear that you’re not alone.

Also included on the Flux blog is a excerpt — check it out!

But wait, there’s more! Author Elana Johnson on Ellen Booraem’s The Unnameables: “Holy blazes, the woman knows how to use the right words to tell the story.”

And the pun-derfully titled Prose and Kahn says Powerless by Matthew Cody, “is an awesome debut novel and will not be a shelf sitter.” Woot!

And finally, the winner of a book of their choice on Tuesday’s entry is… *drumroll*… Comment #8 (thanks to Random.org). Jean, I’ll email you for your address and book preference!

Full disclosure: By my nature as a literary agent, I get a commission on sales of books by my clients, through any eventual royalties. My links to the Amazon pages of their titles also earns me a small fee, if you click through and buy a copy.

Matthew Cody’s characters made me care about what happens to them. His descriptions of the characters show that they are more than one-dimensional – that they are more then they appear to be.

Matthew Cody’s book is now high on my list of favorite books. Not only did the plot make me want to keep reading with its twists and turns, it made me want to want more after the book was over! This novel made me feel that not only did the characters have powers, but I did too! Powerless? No, powerful!

Hooray! Also check out this blog review, which calls Powerless, “a book with fast-paced action, rapidly shifting plot, and focus on superheroes and detectives. The book will appeal to both girls and boys, and is a great choice for comic book fans. With the lessons taught I think that it would be great it teachers taught the book in the classroom.”

In a wholly satisfying debut, Cody tackles themes of heroism, sacrifice and coming-of-age, as played out in a comic book–inspired good vs. evil scenario. Soon after arriving in the small town of Noble’s Green, Pa., where his family has moved to take care of his ailing grandmother, 12-year-old Daniel Corrigan discovers the existence of real-life superheroes. In this town, certain kids develop superpowers, which they use in secret to perform good deeds (for the most part). One catch: as soon as they turn 13, their powers and all related memories vanish. As Daniel forges a friendship with these extraordinary youths, he uses good old-fashioned investigative skills rather than superhuman abilities to uncover the secret of their powers’ origins and the dark force that has been preying on the town’s children for decades. What do comic books from the 1940s, a pulp hero, a burned-down orphanage and a pair of superhuman bullies have to do with the mystery? It all comes together in a tightly woven narrative characterized by a persuasive premise, memorable characters, a bit of intrigue and a sense of wonder.

Have you got your copy yet?

Well, I think every author has that “The new phone book’s here!” moment when their debut novel arrives, at long last, in their hands. Heck, agents get it too. Today, for instance, I am sitting here with a shiny, brand spankin’ new copy of Powerless by Matthew Cody, and I couldn’t be happier.

I can’t wait until the book is officially released on October 27th, and I get to share this feeling with the world.

And speaking of sharing things with the world, Powerless got a Kirkus review!

Resembling a Golden Age comic without the pictures, this tale pits a group of small-town children with superpowers—call them “preteen titans”—against a shadowy menace that robs them of those powers on their 13th birthdays. Coming to town with his family to care for his dying grandma, Daniel quickly spots his neighbor Mollie and her friends performing incredible feats. Soon he’s in their confidence, as they demonstrate combinations of super-speed, super-strength, enhanced senses and the ability to turn invisible. All of them can also hear the clock ticking, however. Gifted not with superpowers but a sharp mind and a fondness for Sherlock Holmes stories, Daniel sets out to discover how and why his new friends, like generations of their predecessors, are being robbed of their abilities. Where those abilities come from never enters in, but the obligatory wily supervillain does, leading to a titanic climactic battle. Cody wears his influences on his sleeve, but has some fun with them (one lad’s “power” is a super-stench) and crafts a tribute that, unlike M.T. Anderson’s Whales On Stilts (2005), is more admiring than silly.

I’d debate that “where those abilities come from never enters in,” but by and large, I’m thrilled. I especially love the comparison to M.T. Anderson, a National Book Award-winning author.

So that’s my “The Jerk” moment. What’s your favorite Steve Martin movie?

What this means is that, under the new guidelines, a blogger’s positive review of a product may qualify as an “endorsement” and that keeping a product after a review may qualify as “compensation.”

In more detail:

In the case of books, Cleland saw no problem with a blogger receiving a book, provided there wasn’t a linked advertisement to buy the book and that the blogger did not keep the book after he had finished reviewing it. Keeping the book would, from Cleland’s standpoint, count as “compensation” and require a disclosure. [...]

Cleland insisted that when a publisher sends a book to a blogger, there is the expectation of a good review. I informed him that this was not always the case and observed that some bloggers often receive 20 to 50 books a week. In such cases, the publisher hopes for a review, good or bad. Cleland didn’t see it that way.

“If a blogger received enough books,” said Cleland, “he could open up a used bookstore.”

You can read more about this via articles at The New York Times and The Washington Post.

I’m curious to know what you think, and honestly, I’m curious what this means for me. Every link to an Amazon page for a book on my site includes my Amazon Associates ID, which means I may get some small kickback if you hear about a book on my site and then go to Amazon to buy it. Do you think this is unethical? Does the FTC? Maybe it doesn’t matter in the case of my clients’ books, which are all clearly noted as such, and I should think my connection with them is obvious. But what about my “Recent Reads” posts, where I comment on a book I’ve read for pleasure?

What do you take from this ruling? I’m eager to hear more from other book bloggers.

But that’s not all the exciting news! We’re thrilled that Borders is hugely behind this book, and the in-house support at the corporate level has so far been outstanding. The first customer review on the Borders site is from their head buyer for Kids books, who writes:

How would you feel if you could fly, but knew you’d soon lose that ability? How would you deal with a town bully so strong he can pick up cars? How can kids keep a secret from a whole town for generations?

These are some of the questions posed by Matthew Cody’s fantastic new middle grade novel Powerless which goes on sale on 10/27/09. Fan of comic books, super-heroes, and plain old good mysteries will love this book of friends banding together before they are overcome by a terrible fate.

There’s more, of course, so do check the whole review out (Click on “Customer Reviews”), and pre-order your copy today!