The Sound of Useless Wings - Free Short Story Alert

After rereading Tin Star I immediately reread this short story about Heckleck. It's available as an ebook on amazon, but can also be read for free online.

It is a beautiful story in my opinion, so if you read Tin Star or are a fan of SF, I can recommend you give this a try.


The Sound of Useless Wings
CECIL CASTELLUCCI
illustration by DOMINICK SAPONARO

In this prequel to Tin Star, we meet Heckleck, the Hort alien who befriends Tula Bane on the space station Yertina Feray in her fight for survival. In his modest beginnings, Heckleck is raised to understand that breeding and propagating his own kind is the sole reason for living. When he is called upon to settle on a new planet, he meets the daughter of a politician, Goglu, with whom he falls helplessly in love, and is determined to win over. But nothing is easy in love and space exploration, and when his plans become thwarted, he must find a new way of life.

This short story was acquired and edited for Tor.com by Connie Hsu.

Read it here

Tin Star - Book Review (repost)

 I was in the mood for some comfort reads, so I reread this book. Here's a repost of my review + some thoughts on rereading.

Tin Star (Tin Star #1)

by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:

On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist's leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

What did I think of it:

This is such a great read!

I love that this is a story that actually uses real aliens instead of aliens that are basically the same as humans in appearance. Even better is that Tula ends up being looked at as the alien, being the only human on the space station, and humans being a rare sight for the other aliens. I think this book would have deserved a place on my keeper shelves just for that alone.

Luckily there's lots more good things about this book. It's a really cool and intense read.

I loved the aliens, especially Heckleck, Tula's mentor. Castellucci manages to keep him alien, while still giving him qualities that make you like him and relate to him.

I liked reading about the space station, the aliens living there, and about how Tula adapts to her new life. It's surprising how Castellucci makes you fall in love with the space station and its inhabitants with just a minimum of world building.

Then the humans arrive and Tula has to decide how to deal with that.

Not often I've come across a book where you can understand the aliens better than the humans, but this book is one of them. I didn't trust the humans at all, and felt like warning Tula about them. It made for some intense reading.

Some events I saw coming, but others caught me off guard and left me shocked. The ending (although leaving some things open) was satisfying, but I was so in love with this story and world by then that I was eager for more.

All in all this is a really beautiful and suspenseful Young Adult SciFi, and you can bet I will get my trotters on the sequel once it releases. I will also try another book by Castellucci in the meantime.

Thoughts on rereading:

On my first read Heckleck was my absolute favorite. He still was my favorite on this reread, but Tournour, the chief constable on the station really grew on me in this reread. I missed a lot of subtle things in my first read, because I was focused on other things.

Why should you read it:

It's a YA SciFi with actual aliens!

buy from amazon

The Year of the Beasts - Book Review

 

The Year of the Beasts

by Cecil Castellucci and Nate Powell (Illustrator)

What is it about:

Every summer the trucks roll in, bringing the carnival and its infinite possibilities to town. This year Tessa and her younger sister Lulu are un-chaperoned and want to be first in line to experience the rides, the food... and the boys. Except this summer, jealousy will invade their relationship for the first time, setting in motion a course of events that can only end in tragedy, putting everyone's love and friendship to the test.

Alternating chapters of prose and comics are interwoven in this extraordinary novel that will break your heart and crack it wide open at the same time.

What did I think of it:

I've loved everything I've read by Cecil Castellucci, but somehow never got to reading this book until now.

And this turned out to be the first book by Castellucci that's not for me.

It's not the format. The alternating chapters of prose and comics was a cool idea, and I really liked Powell's illustrations. It's that I didn't connect with the lead character Tessa. The way the story was told kept me at a distance and didn't make me feel for her. I even disliked her at times.

And then there's the ending. Didn't much care for that either. The ending was supposed to be the culmination of everything that happened that summer, but it felt more liked a separated event. How Tessa reacts to it has indeed to do with what she experienced that summer, but it just felt off to me.

Maybe it's just me, and this book just doesn't work for me at this moment in my life. I will pick up another still unread book by Castellucci soon, or reread one of my favorites by her.

Why should you read it:

It's a YA about first loves, growing up, and friendship. 

Buy from bookdepository 

Geektastic - Book Review

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
by Holly Black, (Editor), Cecil Castellucci (Editor), M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Greg Leitich Smith , David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Tracy Lynn, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, Lisa Yee, Sara Zarr, Hope Larson (Illustrator) and Bryan Lee O'Malley (Illustrator)

What is it about:
Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside) and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!

What did I think of it:
When I saw this anthology I just had to get it. Being a geek myself, I was very curious about these stories.

As this is an anthology I'll give my thoughts about each story. There's also some comics between the stories, but these were all one page and entertaining filler.

Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
At a gaming convention a Jedi and a Klingon wake up next to each other. Can two people from different fandoms be friends or is this a recipe for disaster? This was a really fun read. I very much enjoyed the humor and the story. I could relate with the Jedi the most, but the Klingon was a cool character as well.

One of Us by Tracy Lynn
A cheerleader wants to learn about geeky things to understand her boyfriend better.
Another fun story. The geeks (and cheerleader) in this story were a bit stereotypical, but I liked how the cheerleader and one of the geeks got more character as the story progressed.

Definitional Chaos by Scott Westerfeld
A gamer guy and his ex have to take a journey together.
This story didn't work for me at all. I didn't like either character and DNFed.

I Never by Cassandra Clare
A girl goes to a get-together to meet the guy she fell in love with online.
I very much enjoyed this story. It's both sad and sweet and touches on the problems you can encounter when people take on a different persona online.

The King of Pelinesse by M.T. Anderson
A boy goes to meet the author of his favorite Fantasy serial.
I didn't like this story. There are other reasons for wanting to meet the author than you think at first, and I didn't like some things that were implied.

The Wrath of Dawn by Cynthia and Greg Leitcich Smith
A girl is set up with a blind date by her stepsister for a Buffy Singalong.
This is a nice story. It's about feeling left out and overlooked. Very recognizable for more than just geeks.

The Quiz Bowl Antichrist by David Levithan
A group of teens is competing with other students to win the Quiz Bowl.
Another really nice story. I liked the lead character. He's struggling with who he is and where he belongs.

The Quiet Knight by Garth Nix
A teenage boy tries to find happiness in Live Action Roleplay.
I loved this story. I could really understand how the lead character feels, and I rooted for him to find a place and people to belong.

Everyone But You by Lisa Yee
A peppy girl has to move from Ohio to Hawaii.
Another really cool story. I loved reading how Felicity struggles to belong, and how she slowly starts to realize that being popular isn't the same as being happy.

Secret Identity by Kelly Link
A girl confesses to someone about a meeting in a hotel.
Both the way this was written and the story itself didn't work for me. I DNFed.

Freak the Geek by John Green
Two girls are singled out as freaks because of being geeky.
This is more about friendship and identity than the actual bullying. I enjoyed it.

The Truth About Dino Girl by Barry Lyga
A girl who's obsessed by another girl learns the truth.
Started out fun, but finally turned into something I really didn't like.

This is My Audition Monologue by Sara Zarr
See title or what it is about.
Didn't work for me because of the way it was told and because of the story.

The Stars at the Finish Line by Wendy Mass
A boy and a girl compete in being the best.
I loved this story, it's very sweet. I could really understand the boy's motivation and feelings.

It's Just a Jump to the Left by Libba Bray
Two young girls grow up in different ways.
This story was sad and I could really relate to the lead character. It's about that awkward time when you're partly still a child, but are also growing into adulthood and how you handle all the feelings that come with it.

Overall this is a really good anthology with lots of stories I could relate to. I can advice this to anyone who considers him/herself a geek.

Why should you read it:
It's a great anthology about being a geek.

Boy Proof - Book Review (repost)

After posting my review of Beige, I decided my review of Boy Proof earned a repost. So far this is my favorite book by Cecil Castellucci.


Boy Proof
by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:
What happens when an antisocial cinephile meets up with the worldly new guy at school — a quick-witted artist who's savvy enough to see through her sci-fi disguise?

Meet Egg. Her real name is Victoria Jurgen, but she's renamed herself after the kick-ass heroine of her favorite sci-fi movie, Terminal Earth. Like her namesake, Egg dresses all in white, colors her eyebrows, and shaves her head. She always knows the right answers, she's always in control, and she's far too busy — taking photos for the school paper, meeting with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, and hanging out at the creature shop with her dad, the special-effects makeup wizard — to be bothered with friends, much less members of the opposite sex. As far as Egg is concerned, she's boy proof, and she likes it that way.

But then Egg meets a boy named Max, a boy who's smart and funny and creative and cool...and happens to like Egg. Could this be the end of the world — at least as Egg knows it?

What did I think of it:
I picked this book up after reading Castellucci's Tin Star, because I was curious if her other books were just as good.

This book is even better in my opinion!

I devoured this book in one sitting. I just couldn't stop reading.

This is such a recognizable story. Egg is a bit of an outcast. She doesn't know how to fit in, and therefor has decided to close herself off from those around her. She's a bit of a know-it-all at times, but otherwise I could totally relate with her.

When Egg meets Max, she's so used to hiding inside the armor she built around herself that she doesn't know how to connect. All she knows how to do is push people away to keep from being hurt.

It was heartbreaking to see how Egg tries to find her place in the world, and tries to connect with the people around her. Being a nerd myself, and having dealt with lots of the same issues as Egg when in school, this story resonated with me, and I will confess there were a couple of scenes that made me cry.

All in all this is a beautiful story about being yourself, and figuring out where you belong. It reminded me at times of Tall, Thin and Blonde by Dyan Sheldon, a book that deals with the same kind of issues, and which I also love. I will most certainly reread this book, and I will check out more books by Castellucci as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful, touching Young Adult read.

Beige - Book Review

Beige
by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:
Dad’s an aging L.A. punk rocker known as the Rat. Daughter’s a buttoned-up neat freak who’d rather be anywhere else. Can this summer be saved?

Now that she’s exiled from Canada to sunny Los Angeles, Katy figures she’ll bury her nose in a book and ignore the fact that she’s spending two weeks with her father — punk name: the Rat — a recovered addict and drummer for the famously infamous band Suck. Even though Katy doesn’t want to be there, even though she feels abandoned by her mom, even though the Rat’s place is a mess and he’s not like anything she’d call a father, Katy won’t make a fuss. After all, she is a nice girl, a girl who is quiet and polite, a girl who smiles, a girl who is, well, beige. Or is she?

What did I think of it:
I have yet to read a book by Castellucci that I do not love.

This is yet another great read.

I will confess that although I liked Katy, I didn't completely understand her. I mean: yes, I could understand her desire to be the nice girl, to not be noticed, to be left alone. I think that every introvert (teenager) will recognize these feelings in some way (I just never succeeded to be Beige, I was too weird for that it seemed). But how can anyone not like music!? It was her total indifference to music that baffled me. Music has always been a part of my life and helped shape my identity.

Luckily her indifference to music is part of the story line and gets more nuanced later on in the book. As with Boy Proof and The Queen of Cool this book is about finding your own voice and your place in the world. Although I feel most connected with Egg from Boy Proof, there were lots of things in Katy's story that I recognized as well. The story is touching and powerful.

I must say that I had wanted the book to end differently than it did, but that aside this is a wonderful read, that will take its place on my keeper shelves. I will also try to get my trotters on those books by Castellucci that I haven't read yet.

Why should you read it:
It's a really powerful YA read about finding your own voice.

Stone in the Sky - Book Review

Stone in the Sky (Tin Star #2)
by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:
In this thrilling follow-up to Tin Star, Tula will need to rely on more than just her wits to save her only home in the sky.

After escaping death a second time, Tula Bane is now even thirstier for revenge. She spends much of her time in the Tin Star Café on the Yertina Feray—the space station she calls home. But when it's discovered that the desolate and abandoned planet near the station has high quantities of a precious resource, the once sleepy space station becomes a major player in intergalactic politics. In the spirit of the Gold Rush, aliens from all over the galaxy race to cash in—including Tula's worst enemy.

What did I think of it:
I don't often buy books that are more than 10 Euro, but I loved Tin Star so much, I had to make an exception for Stone in the Sky. I just couldn't wait for the paperback.

And it was worth it!

Stone is the Sky is a beautiful story.

Tula is faced with difficult choices in this book. Take revenge on Brother Blue, or let him go free to serve the greater good. Give her heart to Tournour, who is an alien, or to a human boy. Stay safe and hidden, or take action and risk her life for others?

I loved how Tula isn't a typical do-good hero. She learned to look out for herself first, so heroism isn't her natural response to things. I'm not saying she isn't heroic though. It's because she keeps overcoming her instincts, that tell her to run, that I find her all the more a hero.

The events in this book lead Tula away from the aliens who she trusts and are her friends. On her own she learns a lot more about herself and what she wants though, and I loved seeing her evolve from an angry, insecure teenager into a woman who knows who she is and what she wants from life.

Next to Tula's growth as a character there's lots of intrigue, double dealings, and political games going on. I was totally engrossed in the story and had a hard time putting the book down.

The romance in this book was understated, but very sweet, and I loved how it played out.

All in all Stone in the Sky is a beautiful conclusion of this duology, and I can advice it to anyone who is looking for a good Young Adult SciFi read.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful YA SciFi read.

The Sound of Useless Wings - Free Short Story Alert

You might have heard me rave about the awesomeness of Cecil Castellucci's books. The first of her books I read was Tin Star . My favorite character in that book was Heckleck, so you can understand I was over the moon to discover Cecil Castellucci wrote a short story about him for Tor.com.

It is a beautiful story in my opinion.

And you can read it for free!


The Sound of Useless Wings
CECIL CASTELLUCCI
illustration by DOMINICK SAPONARO

In this prequel to Tin Star, we meet Heckleck, the Hort alien who befriends Tula Bane on the space station Yertina Feray in her fight for survival. In his modest beginnings, Heckleck is raised to understand that breeding and propagating his own kind is the sole reason for living. When he is called upon to settle on a new planet, he meets the daughter of a politician, Goglu, with whom he falls helplessly in love, and is determined to win over. But nothing is easy in love and space exploration, and when his plans become thwarted, he must find a new way of life.

This short story was acquired and edited for Tor.com by Connie Hsu.

Read it here

The Queen of Cool - Book Review

The Queen of Cool
by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:
On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. She has the coolest friends, the hottest boyfriend, the trendiest clothes, and the hippest parents. But on the inside, Libby is dying - of boredom.

In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the L.A. Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who'd prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. To Libby, the zoo gig seems like something, anything, different to do, even if it means she has to work with two nerds - Tina (aka "Tiny"), a little person and aspiring actress, and Sheldon, an introverted boy with a brilliant, inquiring mind.

But what happens when Libby realizes she actually enjoys working at the zoo and may even like Tina and Sheldon? Will the QUEEN OF COOL be forced to give up her crown?

What did I think of it:
After reading Tin Star and Boy Proof, I wanted more, so I picked up The Queen of Cool.

Just as Boy Proof, this story is about finding out who you are and where you belong. But instead of Libby being someone on the outside, trying to fit in, she is part of the popular crowd. I found it refreshing to read how a teen who outwardly seems to have it all, is so full of questions and doubts.

I loved reading how Libby starts to realize that popularity isn't everything, and that the important thing is to be who you are, not who people want you to be.

Having never been part of the popular crowd myself, I didn't connect with Libby as much as I did with Egg in Boy Proof, but still I loved this book, and finished it in one afternoon.

I will most certainly get my trotters on even more books from Castellucci.

Why should you read it:
It's a great Young Adult read.

Boy Proof - Book Review

Boy Proof
by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:
What happens when an antisocial cinephile meets up with the worldly new guy at school — a quick-witted artist who's savvy enough to see through her sci-fi disguise?

Meet Egg. Her real name is Victoria Jurgen, but she's renamed herself after the kick-ass heroine of her favorite sci-fi movie, Terminal Earth. Like her namesake, Egg dresses all in white, colors her eyebrows, and shaves her head. She always knows the right answers, she's always in control, and she's far too busy — taking photos for the school paper, meeting with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, and hanging out at the creature shop with her dad, the special-effects makeup wizard — to be bothered with friends, much less members of the opposite sex. As far as Egg is concerned, she's boy proof, and she likes it that way.

But then Egg meets a boy named Max, a boy who's smart and funny and creative and cool...and happens to like Egg. Could this be the end of the world — at least as Egg knows it?

What did I think of it:
I picked this book up after reading Castellucci's Tin Star, because I was curious if her other books were just as good.

This book is even better in my opinion!

I devoured this book in one sitting. I just couldn't stop reading.

This is such a recognizable story. Egg is a bit of an outcast. She doesn't know how to fit in, and therefor has decided to close herself off from those around her. She's a bit of a know-it-all at times, but otherwise I could totally relate with her.

When Egg meets Max, she's so used to hiding inside the armor she built around herself that she doesn't know how to connect. All she knows how to do is push people away to keep from being hurt.

It was heartbreaking to see how Egg tries to find her place in the world, and tries to connect with the people around her. Being a nerd myself, and having dealt with lots of the same issues as Egg when in school, this story resonated with me, and I will confess there were a couple of scenes that made me cry.

All in all this is a beautiful story about being yourself, and figuring out where you belong. It reminded me at times of Tall, Thin and Blonde by Dyan Sheldon, a book that deals with the same kind of issues, and which I also love. I will most certainly reread this book, and I will check out more books by Castellucci as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful, touching Young Adult read.

Tin Star - Book Review

Tin Star (Tin Star #1)
by Cecil Castellucci

What is it about:
On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist's leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

What did I think of it:
This is such a great read!

I love that this is a story that actually uses real aliens instead of aliens that are basically the same as humans in appearance. Even better is that Tula ends up being looked at as the alien, being the only human on the space station, and humans being a rare sight for the other aliens. I think this book would have deserved a place on my keeper shelves just for that alone.

Luckily there's lots more good things about this book. It's a really cool and intense read.

I loved the aliens, especially Heckleck, Tula's mentor. Castellucci manages to keep him alien, while still giving him qualities that make you like him and relate to him.

I liked reading about the space station, the aliens living there, and about how Tula adapts to her new life. It's surprising how Castellucci makes you fall in love with the space station and its inhabitants with just a minimum of world building.

Then the humans arrive and Tula has to decide how to deal with that.

Not often I've come across a book where you can understand the aliens better than the humans, but this book is one of them. I didn't trust the humans at all, and felt like warning Tula about them. It made for some intense reading.

Some events I saw coming, but others caught me off guard and left me shocked. The ending (although leaving some things open) was satisfying, but I was so in love with this story and world by then that I was eager for more.

All in all this is a really beautiful and suspenseful Young Adult SciFi, and you can bet I will get my trotters on the sequel once it releases. I will also try another book by Castellucci in the meantime.

Why should you read it:
It's a YA SciFi with actual aliens!