Mundie Moms

Monday, October 3, 2011

Book Review: Love Is The Higher Law


Published by: Random House
Released on: August 25th, 2009
Source: Traded
4 stars: I Liked It
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble

First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . .

The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever- quoted from Goodreads

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet David and listen to him a few other YA authors talk about their books and of course writing. Someone had asked David about writing this particular book, and his answer to that question is what made me want to pick it up and read it before reading his other books. I'm a little surprised I've waited so long to read David's books, even though I own a few of them. Love is the Higher Law is my first David Levithan book to read. I know, it's a shocker.

It's now been ten years since September 11th, and I was really surprised at the amount of emotion I felt while reading this story. I still remember exactly what I was doing when the news broke, and I can't even begin to comprehend what it was like to experience something on this magnitude first hand. It's unthinkable and David's writing really allowed me to connect with what his three characters experienced and went through, first hand. Seeing this story told through their eyes made it all the more real, and it felt like going back to that day all over again.

It was so easy to get wrapped up into the emotions that each character felt, the worry, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, confusion and the doubt. Through his beautifully told, moving story, David created three unique characters who's stories not only intwine in a well written way realistic way, but they tell a story that's heartbreaking, unfathomable, and hopefully. What united them together, united all of us. I loved David's attention to the little details that gave hope to those in the story, and inspired others around them.

The thing I really enjoyed about the story was the journey three complete strangers went on together. They were united in their efforts to comprehend the events that turned their world's upside down, and together they formed a friendship that took them through tragedy and gave them hope for the future. Taking that journey with them was moving and inspirational. I can't even imagine what it was like for David to write this, but I'm glad he did. This is a story that captured so many feelings, and emotions on a day so many of us will never forget. There is some language, uses of the f word and mild mentions of sex in this book.

Carrier of the Mark: Interview with Author Leigh Fallon

I'm so excited to have Leigh Fallon on Mundie Moms today! Her debut, Carrier of the Mark will out TOMORROW!! I highly recommend picking this book up. You can read my review for it here. You can also read our guest post with Leigh and our character interview with Aine DeRise.

Published by: Harper Teen
To Be Released on: October 4th, 2011

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRĂ­s.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.



Congratulations on your upcoming debut, Carrier of the Mark! How would you describe your book in three work or less?

Spine tingling romance.

I was hooked on the premise for Carrier of the Mark before I even read it. I love that there's a fated romance. What do you admire the most about Megan and Adam?

Their utter belief that no matter what, they'll overcome the odds.

Your setting is absolutely beautiful and so vivid. What inspired you set your book in Ireland?

Well, I lived there. Kinsale is so beautiful, I spent so much time wandering the marina and the gorgeous country side, how could I not write about it? The town is so pretty, and alive. You'd just love it.

Your cover is beautiful! Did you have a say in it?

Nope, I just got an email asking me what did I think. My jaw hit the floor when I saw it. I swear, I didn't sleep that night. It was just so beautiful, the designer who did it, 100% got my story and designed it to fit it. It's perfection.

What were three must have things you needed while writing Carrier of the Mark? (caffeine, music etc.)

Coffee (and lots of it), Excellent music (for when I needed some inspiration), and peace and quite (for when I was completely lost in the story)

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write what you love, what you're passionate about.Stay true to what you believe is a great story, ignore all the trends.Be persistent, never give up, you will get there eventually.

If you could have added one of your favorite fictional characters to your book, who would you have added and why?

Rupert Campbell Black from Jilly Cooper's, Riders, is one of my all time favorite characters. He's the ultimate bad boy that you want to love, care for, and turn good. He's a fixer upper. He'd make an excellent naughty but nice guardian in Carrier. LOL!
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Thank you Leigh for joining us today!

Don't forget, this Wednesday, October 5th Leigh is going to be chatting with InkPop, which will also be featured here on MM's at 5 pm EST/ 4 pm CST

Be sure to follow Leigh on her sites here: her blog, website, twitter, HarperTeen page

You can purchase Carrier of the Mark from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Indie Bound

Mundane Monday #104

It's October!!! I don't know how that happened or where this weekend went. Happy Monday!!

Today's Mundane Monday is a *SPOILER FREE* snippet from Clockwork Prince. I won't officially be quoting Clockwork Prince as part of our Mundane Mondays until after it's release, but I couldn't help myself this morning. This quote does NOT give anything away, and is taking out of context. This is found near the beginning of the book and in true Will fashion, it's a quote that made me snicker.



... Her name rang in Will's mind like the chime of a bell; he wondered if any other name on earth had such an inescapable resonance to it. She couldn't have been named something awful, could she, like Mildred. He couldn't imagine lying awake at night, staring up at the ceiling while invisible voices whispered "Mildred" in his ears. But Tessa-

- Clockwork Prince, page 42, Image found here

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