Posted on July 1st, 2013 by pajamapress
“MacLean’s free verse style mirrors 15-year-old protagonist Nix Humbolt’s quiet, unassuming nature: “The first time / I came across the word / introversion / was the first time / I recognized myself. Like, / there was a category / for me.” At the heart of the novel, which is set in a tiny Newfoundland village, is Nix’s complex, push-pull relationship with his older, rebellious sister, Roxy, and the tender bond he forms with a neglected guard dog. To deal with the challenges of both, Nix takes refuge in his father’s woodworking studio, channeling ragged emotions he can’t verbally express into smooth boxes, picture frames, and tables. But when tragedy upends Nix’s life, it takes a special girl named Blue—and a special dog—to help him confront reality. Nix’s immediate first-person narration offers astute observations (“Is an adult just a teenager with a layer of veneer?”), and YAs who are drawn to contemporary fiction and verse novels won’t want to miss this poignant Canadian import.”
— Ann Kelley
Posted in Nix Minus One | Tagged ann-kelley, book, Booklist, Canada, coming-of-age, contemporary, dog, fiction, free-verse, jill-maclean, newfoundland, nix-minus-one, Novel, Review, sister, united-states, us, ya
Posted on July 31st, 2012 by pajamapress
On virtual tour, that is.
August 1, 2012 is the American publication date for Emily For Real, and Sylvia is going to spend the month of August talking about it on blogs throughout Canada and the United States.
The celebration kicks off tomorrow at Pajama Press’ own Pajama Party blog with Sylvia’s Top Ten Tips for YA Writers. You can also catch her guest posts, interviews, excerpts and giveaways at the following “locations” throughout the month:
Open Book Toronto
YA Booklover Blog
Pub(lishing) Crawl
Midnight Bloom Reads
Book Labyrinth
Musings of a YA Reader
Books in the Spotlight
The Yakety Yaks
For updates of the appearances as they happen, follow our blog at www.pajamapartybooks.com, or Like us on Facebook.
Congratulations, Sylvia! We can’t wait to see what you have in store!
Posted in Emily for Real | Tagged author, blog tour, Canada, emily-for-real, internet, Novel, Pajama Press, publication, sylvia-gunnery, tour, united-states, writer, ya
“MacLean’s free verse style mirrors 15-year-old protagonist Nix Humbolt’s quiet, unassuming nature: “The first time / I came across the word / introversion / was the first time / I recognized myself. Like, / there was a category / for me.” At the heart of the novel, which is set in a tiny Newfoundland village, is Nix’s complex, push-pull relationship with his older, rebellious sister, Roxy, and the tender bond he forms with a neglected guard dog. To deal with the challenges of both, Nix takes refuge in his father’s woodworking studio, channeling ragged emotions he can’t verbally express into smooth boxes, picture frames, and tables. But when tragedy upends Nix’s life, it takes a special girl named Blue—and a special dog—to help him confront reality. Nix’s immediate first-person narration offers astute observations (“Is an adult just a teenager with a layer of veneer?”), and YAs who are drawn to contemporary fiction and verse novels won’t want to miss this poignant Canadian import.”