The official trailer for Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride is now live! The book is released May 25, 2010, which is less than a month away, so mark your calendars!
ETA: Ew I just realized my blog isn't big enough to fit the video... here's the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxLpU3agGk0
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Showing posts with label Kristina McBride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kristina McBride. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Review: The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
Title: The Tension of Opposites
Author: Kristina McBride
Release Date: May 25th, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Length: 288 pages
Format: ARC
Up / Down
Hot / Cold
Free / Noelle
It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.
For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?
And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.
A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.
Review:
First off, let me say that I hold high expectations for a book. I’m picky, so to actually pick a book up, I expect to love it. Most don’t live up to these somewhat ridiculous high standards.
Not only did the Tension of Opposites live up to those expectations, but exceeded them.
Kristina McBride made it seem seamless the way she wriggled herself into the mind of a girl, Tessa, whose best friend Noelle was kidnapped and then returned two years later. She describes Tessa’s fear of strangers that has budded since the kidnapping as though it were her own, which contributed to the impressive creep factor.
It was refreshing to have Tessa ease into a relationship, not instantly fall in love with the love interest because he’s attractive. The best way to describe this is in Tessa’s own words:
First off, let me say that I hold high expectations for a book. I’m picky, so to actually pick a book up, I expect to love it. Most don’t live up to these somewhat ridiculous high standards.
Not only did the Tension of Opposites live up to those expectations, but exceeded them.
Kristina McBride made it seem seamless the way she wriggled herself into the mind of a girl, Tessa, whose best friend Noelle was kidnapped and then returned two years later. She describes Tessa’s fear of strangers that has budded since the kidnapping as though it were her own, which contributed to the impressive creep factor.
It was refreshing to have Tessa ease into a relationship, not instantly fall in love with the love interest because he’s attractive. The best way to describe this is in Tessa’s own words:
“I tried to keep from noticing how beautiful he was because thoughts like those can make you vulnerable, leave you open for attack. Having a squared jaw, smooth skin, and full lips certainly didn’t make him safe.”
My one complaint was Noelle, Tessa’s best friend and the girl who had been kidnapped. I don’t think her fear after the incident was captured as well as Tessa’s. I know she was trying to be portrayed as tough, strong, and guarded but some of her actions threw me off. Like after she escaped and returned to her family, she would sneak out in the middle of the night. By herself. Her explanation for this was because everyone in her house was suffocating her, which was true, but I can’t see her having the bravery to sneak out after all she went through for two years.
That really was my only problem with this book. The rest was beautifully written, and for the most part, the characters were 100% believable. Opposites played an important part in the plot, and Kristina McBride managed to balance the opposites of dark and light. There was enough darkness to make me want to run to bed and have my parents check my closet for monsters, but enough light to give me hope for victims of a traumatizing event.
Grade: A-
My one complaint was Noelle, Tessa’s best friend and the girl who had been kidnapped. I don’t think her fear after the incident was captured as well as Tessa’s. I know she was trying to be portrayed as tough, strong, and guarded but some of her actions threw me off. Like after she escaped and returned to her family, she would sneak out in the middle of the night. By herself. Her explanation for this was because everyone in her house was suffocating her, which was true, but I can’t see her having the bravery to sneak out after all she went through for two years.
That really was my only problem with this book. The rest was beautifully written, and for the most part, the characters were 100% believable. Opposites played an important part in the plot, and Kristina McBride managed to balance the opposites of dark and light. There was enough darkness to make me want to run to bed and have my parents check my closet for monsters, but enough light to give me hope for victims of a traumatizing event.
Grade: A-
Saturday, February 27, 2010
In My Mailbox (1)
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren.
ARCs for review:
Title: The Tension of Opposites
Author: Kristina McBride
Release Date: May 25th, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Length: 288 pages
Title: Tagged
Author: Mara Purnhagen
Release Date: March 1st, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin
Length: 208 pages
Store Bought:
Title: An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Release Date: September 21st, 2006
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Length: 227 pages
Title: Gone (Third and final installment of the Wake Trilogy)
Author: Lisa McMann
Release Date: February 9th, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Length: 224 pages
What did you guys get this week?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Interview with Kristina McBride
Happy Wednesday! Here's an interview with YA author Kristina McBride, whose debut novel The Tension Of Opposites comes out May 25th, 2010.
Summary:
Up / Down
Hot / Cold
Free / Noelle
It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.
For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?
And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.
A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.
Interview:
Q: What was your querying process like?
A: Crazy long and painful. I’ll make it quick. Manuscript 1: Over 100 rejections – only one partial requested (Um, what was I thinking?). No offers for representation in 2006. Manuscript 2: roughly 50 rejections – 5 partials & 2 fulls requested. No offers for representation in 2007. Manuscript 3 – From my first batch of 20 queries, I had roughly 10 requests for partials and fulls. I was pleased and excited to accept representation from Alyssa Eisner Henkin with Trident Media Group in May of 2008.
Q: On your website, it says you were nearly kidnapped. Can you tell us about that? How much did that influence The Tension of Opposites? What else sparked the idea for The Tension of Opposites?
A: One day when I was very young, my mother and I returned home to find a man in our garage. He took her inside, leaving me in the car in the driveway, and while he ransacked our house, he lost the keys to the stolen car he had parked in our garage. He put all the stolen items in the car I was still sitting in, and almost drove away with me. So, “kidnapping” is a strong term since he wasn’t after me, specifically, but he would have taken me if my mother hadn’t pleaded with him. Because of that day, that story from my childhood, I have always feared being kidnapped. Which is why I was so drawn to the story of a young man who Oprah interviewed several years ago. He had recently been returned to his family after spending four years with his kidnapper. I was captivated, and soon after watching that show, Tessa started speaking to me.
Q: Many of us aspiring authors have dreamed about the Call, for both the offer of representation and the book deal. What was yours like?
A: The Call when I was offered representation was very professional and businesslike. I was terrible nervous! But it was good! Very, very good! I connected with Alyssa immediately and knew she would be perfect to help me launch my career.
The Call when I learned of my first offer was much different. It was a horribly hot summer day, and I had just returned from a family trip to the pool. When the phone rang, I didn’t even hear it. Why? I was in the bathroom scrubbing two sticky children, who were screaming and writhing like I was giving them a bath in acid. It wasn’t until later that I saw the blinking light on the answering machine.
“Great,” I thought. “What next?”
All I wanted was to sit back and relax, but I hit the play button. When I heard the voice of my agent, I knew it would be something big because she had NEVER called me without scheduling. I shrieked with delight and ran to tell my husband the good news. We celebrated later by taking the kids out for ice cream. Which made them sticky all over again. But I didn’t care one bit!
Q: Are any of your characters based off people you know?
A: While there are little traits in my characters that you might find in my friends (my BFF in high school always wanted a yellow Jeep) or family (my Grandpa Lou loved taking photographs and owned an old-school Nikon), none of the characters are based on anyone in particular.
Q: Can you tell us about the extensive revisions you made with your agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin? Was there ever a time you felt like giving up?
A: Oh, dear. I worked on revisions with Alyssa for nearly a year. I knew I was in for it from our very first call when she warned me that my manuscript needed a “major overhaul”, and greatly appreciate her patience and guidance. That said, it was HARD. I allowed myself specific evenings to wallow in self-pity and eats loads of chocolate, but I never once felt like giving up. To be painfully specific, I submitted four drafts, changed the title three times, and six months into revisions, dropped everything but five chapters to basically start over. Ouch. That hurts to admit ☺
Q: Does music help you write? Do you have a special playlist for The Tension of Opposites?
A: Music (or any background noise) throws me off when I’m writing. I prefer complete silence, which is rare in my house. If I had to pick one song that comes to mind when I think of my novel, I’d say it’s Don’t Follow by Alice in Chains. It’s Noelle’s song, all the way.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: The second book in my two-book deal with Egmont USA. That’s all I can say for now.
Q: What some of your favorite YA books you’ve read recently?
A: I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an ARC of Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards http://www.jamerichards.com/Books.html Amazing.
Q: Why write for young adults? Is it the audience you always planned on writing for?
A: My first manuscript was an adult suspense/thriller. It obviously didn’t go over too well (see my query issues above). Two of the main characters in that manuscript were teens, and after completing it, I realized that the scenes with them flowed better than any of the other scenes, and the dialogue seemed to come to me without much effort. They were the most fun to write, and to read and revise. I was a high school English teacher for eight years, and I really connect with the young adult age group. Basically, I just think it’s fun to read and write about teens. Teens face so many struggles, and it’s interesting to play around with plotlines that surround those types of issues.
Links:
Website: http://www.kristinamcbride.com
Blog: http://kristinamcbride.livejournal.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/McBrideKristina
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6889070-the-tension-of-opposites
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