Interview: LAUREN OLIVER + Win a copy of BEFORE I FALL!

Today is a big day: March 2nd in the official publication day for BEFORE I FALL, an incredible YA debut by Lauren Oliver. The blogoshere has been gushing about it for months so if you haven't heard about it, you must've been living under a rock and you really need to get with a program - trust me, you do not want to miss this amazing book - scroll down to see how YOU can win a brand new copy of BEFORE I FALL along with some signed bookmarks!

Here's a quick plot summary:

"Sam Kingston is dead. Except she isn’t.
On a rainy February night, Sam is killed in a horrific car crash. But instead of seeing a tunnel of light, she wakes up in her own bed, on the morning of the same day. Forced to live through the same events – the drive to school, skipping class, the fateful party – she struggles to alter the outcome, but wakes up again on the day of the crash.
What follows is the story of a girl who comes of age in a matter of days. Who discovers, through heartbreaking insights, the consequences of her every action. Of a girl who dies young, but in the process learns how to live. And who falls in love . . . a little too late."

I got a chance to read it online (legally) on a HarperCollins site a few months ago. I wasn't supposed to review it, but the book affected me so much that I just could not resist, I had to get it all out of my system. I described it as a book with "NICELY COMPLEX PLOT, WELL STRUCTURED, WONDERFUL CHARACTERS, BEAUTIFUL WRITING, THOUGHT PROVOKING, EMOTIONAL - ALL IN ALL, AN OUTSTANDING DEBUT!" You can read the whole review here and this book honestly moved me so much that it ended up being my second favourite book of 2009 and virtually *everyone* who has read the book so far has been amazed by it - it's just the kind of a novel that really makes you think and stays with you forever.

Oh and guess what - the foreign rights for this book have already been sold to FOURTEEN countries even before this book was officially published. Yes, that's how good it is! :)

Both the UK and the US trailers have been released - they're both great so click here to watch them!

The woman we have to thank for this incredibly powerful book is LAUREN OLIVER (visit her official site), who is not only so very talented but also unbelievably nice! I was lucky enough to interview her and please find her answers below!

Let's start with the standard question: What was the inspiration for Before I Fall? It's such an original book so I do wonder how you came up with the idea for it!
Thanks! The idea for Before I Fall came from a bunch of different places. I used to spend a lot of time trying to imagine, in as much detail as possible, a “perfect” day: the kind of day I wouldn’t mind reliving forever. So I’ve always had that question in my mind. Additionally, I’ve always been interested in the mean girl phenomena and in themes of change and redemption—and ultimately, even though Before I Fall has a very strong narrative structure, I do see it as a character-driven book about change.

How long did it take to write the book? I imagine it must've taken a while since the story is so complex. Were there any particular scenes you were struggling with? How did you get published in the end?
You know, I was working from an extremely solid and intricate outline, and generating the outline was certainly the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process, I would say. The actual writing of the book only took about five-six months. It was surprisingly easy, actually, as was the publishing process; I believe my agent managed to get us a deal within a few days.
However, before people start throwing shoes at me, I will say this was not my first attempt at publication. I had previously completed two adult novels, neither of which was ever sold.

Can you tell us more about this "universe" (for the lack of a better word) where Sam finds herself reliving the last day of her life seven more times?
[SPOILER ALERT! PLEASE DO NOT READ ON IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK YET.]
Hmm. I mean, in some ways I envisioned it as kind of a limbo. She is able to effect changes in the lives of the people around her, and so alter the legacy she will be leaving behind, but ultimately she is still penned in by the ultimate circumstances of her death. I guess you could say that that—that event, that death—is the concrete limit, the axiom on which her other actions must be based. That’s why, for me, there was never a question of allowing her to live on at the end.

Which five words would you use to describe Before I Fall?
Redemptive; realistic; hopeful; sad. That’s only four but I think they are sufficient.

How did you decide on the title? Did you have any alternative titles in mind?
Originally we called the book IF I SHOULD FALL, but we felt it was somewhat too ephemeral and also very similar to IF I STAY, a book that was being released at the time. But it took us about 500 titles to get from IF I SHOULD FALL to BEFORE I FALL, if you can believe it! I'm terrible at titling. :)

Would you change anything about the book now if you could go back? Is there anything you wish you could've written differently?
There is much I would change on a line-by-line level. I feel I've already grown and developed as a writer, and there are certain phrases in the book that don't feel quite right to me anymore. But on the whole, no; I'm happy with the book's overall structure and content. I'm not one for regret, in any context!

The book will undoubtedly be a massive hit and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were turned into a film. Should that happen, who would you like to see starring in it?
Oof. I don’t know! I can only hope your predictions for the book’s success are correct. I actually can see Kristen Stewart playing Sam, and I’m not just saying that because she starred in Twilight! And I could completely see Dakota Fanning playing Lindsay; she looks just like the way I envisioned Lindsay in my hed.

What was the best and the worst thing you've heard/read about Before I Fall so far (in terms of reviews etc.)?
The best thing I’ve heard was that the book has caused a girl to reconcile with her mother, from whom she was semi-estranged; also, a blogger told me that the book helped her grieve the loss of a younger family member. People have been generous so far in terms of criticism, but probably what most aggravates me is when people think that I’ve included a superfluous quantity of drinking and drugs. We really did drink that much in high school! I was just trying to depict my experiences realistically. And besides, the whole point of the book is how unfulfilling those moments can be, and how what really brings happiness are moments of true connection and sharing.

What you working on now?
I am editing my second book, DELIRIUM, which will be released in early 2011. It’s very different from Before I Fall, a kind of dystopian Romeo-and-Juliet story, and I am very, very excited about it.

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To celebrate this awesome day, I'm also hosting a CONTEST!
One lucky winner will win a hardcover copy of BEFORE I FALL and some *signed* swag! Here's what you have to do in order to be entered into this contest:

• you have to leave a comment telling me WHY you'd like to win/read this book (+1)
  
• you have to be a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect (+1)

Those who are more determined and want to have more chance of winning can get more entries by:

• following Lauren on Twitter: @OliverBooks (+1)
• tweeting about this contes (provide link) OR simply re-tweeting my tweet (+2)
• posting about this contest on your blog sidebar (+2)
• dedicating a whole post to this contest (+3) along with one of the trailers (+5)

The contest is open WORLDWIDE and closes on March 10th at midnight your time.

ps: If you don't win, you can always get your own copy at Amazon US/UK or at Book Depository (free worldwide delivery, woo)!

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In My Mailbox #32 + A winner is announced!

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren and this week I got two lovely chick lit reads from Headline (many thanks!):

• TAKE A CHANCE ON ME by Jill Mansell
• HOW TO BE MARRIED by Polly Williams

Is there like a worldwide postal strike going on or something? Lately I just haven't been receiving my books, neither the ones that were sent for review nor the ones I ordered more than two weeks ago! Something fishy is going on, but I hope the books I've been waiting for forever will finally show up this week, fingers crossed!

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It's also high time I announced the winner of my Air Kisses giveaway, which ended three days ago. I apologize for the delay, but I've just been veeery busy for the past three days, thus no blog posts, but I'm back on track now. Anyway, the winner of a shiny brand new copy of Air Kisses iiiiiiiis ... *drumroll, please*

STELLA!

Congratulations to Stella and many thanks to everyone who entered! Don't worry if you haven't won now though, there will be other great giveaways soon! :)

ps: Bookalicious Ramblings is currently featured as The Blog of the Week (see right sidebar) at the wonderful Wondrous Reads - thanks so much, Jenny! :)

Review: SPLENDOR by Anna Godbersen ****

A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.
Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.
In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

I can't believe I've actually finished reading The Luxe series! I'm quite sad to have reached the end of the series, mostly because the books were fantastic, but partly also because I found the conclusion slightly unsatisfying ... Yes, the characters have come a long, long way since the beginning, but I was hoping that things would end on a slightly different note for some of them.

If you've read my reviews of The Luxe, Rumours and Envy (the first three installments in the series), then you remember how much I've enjoyed them. Sure, they weren't really masterpieces, but they were perfect escapism material with stories full of drama and the prose was oh so flowery and wonderful and the covers were beautiful and I couldn't be happier. I was wondering how it would all end and I have to say that I really enjoyed reading Splendour, it was gripping stuff, right until the last couple of chapters ... I suppose Lina's ending was okay, no complaints there, and I didn't see the Penelope twist coming, but I have to say I was slightly bothered by who she ended up with because while I was reading the books I grew to believe that this guy she ended up with after all had an unbreakable bond with another girl. They were meant to do absolutely everything to be together and then they just parted. Just like that. Huh? Hmmm ... As for the Holland sisters, I wasn't too keen on their ending either. I was happy for Elizabeth, but I would like to learn more about her new family, and as for Diana, she made a very brave choice and I'd like to learn more about her new life too.

As you can see above, I was hardly pleased by how it all ended. I just can't believe this is really it as there is still so much going on and so much of the story is left untold and I want more of it. Fingers crossed the author will return to these characters eventually and let us know what their lives are like a few years later, but she is apparently currently working on a new book/series called Bright Young Things (set in 1929 Long Island), which I will most definitely read as soon as it hits the shelves as I know Ms Godbersen can tell a magnificent story.

All in all, I personally may have been slightly disappointed by the conclusion of this series, but I still highly recommend these books and I do not regret reading them at all! The books were incredibly enjoyable and packed with drama and countless twists and I honestly cannot praise the beautiful writing enough! And don't even get me started on the covers - I'll discuss them below and I've already posted about the Splendour cover shoot here. Anyway, if you're thinking about reading these books, then I'd certainly suggest giving them a try, I really enjoyed this series!

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 5/5

ps: I'm sure we can all agree that the covers for this series are fantastic and absolutely beautiful - here they are in all their glory (my personal collection - click to enlarge):

I've always imagined each portays one of the four main characters and I'm guessing it could be Elizabeth, Penelope, Lina and Diana from left to right - what do you think? Lastly, feel free to vote for your favourite cover - I'm quite curious to see what everyone thinks! :)

Which cover is your favourite?

Waiting on Wednesday: THE KARMA CLUB (feat. a trailer)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine and it enables us to highlight the upcoming released we're looking forward to!
My this week's pick is THE KARMA CLUB by Jessica Brody, which comes out in April in the US (hardcover) and in June 2010 in the UK (paperback). Here's a quick summary:

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.
But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.
Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.

Sounds rather cute, huh? Both the US and the UK covers have already been released - which one do you prefer? :)

The main reason why I decided to post about The Karma Club this week is because the trailer for the book has just been released and it looks great! I follow Jessica Brody on Twitter and she's been tweeting about it for weeks! I was really looking forward to seeing it and now I understand why the wait was so long - the trailer is like a mini clip from a film so obviously there was a lot of work to do, but it was all worth it as you can see below! :)

Review: A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL by Kristin Walker ****

When a mandatory course forces Fiona to “try the knot” with super-jock Todd Harding, she’s convinced life couldn't get any worse. Until her crush is paired with her arch enemy (otherwise known as Todd’s obscenely hot, slightly sadistic girlfriend). But that’s nothing compared to her best friend’s fate – a year with the very goofy, very big Johnny Mercer.
A series of hilarious pranks leave Fiona wondering: is there something her “best friend” hasn’t told her? Could there be more to Johnny Mercer than an awesome music collection? And most intriguing, could Todd Harding have a heart beneath his pretty-boy exterior?

Firstly, you may have noticed that I haven't used the standard cover picture this time (you can see that one here) and you might be wondering, "Wait, is that ... a cake?!" As a matter of fact, it is a cake indeed from the book launch thingy and I found this picture when I was browsing the author's blog and thought it would be fun to use - doesn't it look deliiiiiicious? Yummy, just looking at it makes me hungry, hehe!

Moving on to the actual book, which was simply adorable and hilarious! While reading it, I felt as if I was actually watching a Hollywood comedy (the book would make a great film), which means that I was often laughing out loud, but on the other hand I rolled my eyes at the cliches (even if they were twisted around a bit) and predictabilty and occassional cheesiness, but on the whole, I loved this book and it really cracked me up! :D

OK, so maybe I wasn't entirely convinced by the plot - the fake marriage course was an interesting idea and of course all the wrong people were paired up, which was hilarious, but I admit that Marcie's "secret" and Fiona's cheerleading and Johnny's role didn't really fly with me.
As far as characters go, Fiona the narrator (with the best names ever) was absolutely positively fantastic and luckily none of the characters annoyed me and they had dimension, some just weren't entirely believable - it's like they were trying to defy the stereotypes and but it didn't quite work. But like I said, no one annoyed me so that's good!

On the plus side, this book definitely stands out due to the hilarious narration. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments and the verbal fights between Princess Pisspants (aka Fiona) and Senor Shitslacks (aka Todd) were fantastic and oh so funny! They were like the perfect pair, who couldn't be more different and yet they have so much in common. I honestly loved their interactions!

The cover's great too and while the people on it may be completely random (they don't match the characters at all, but oh well), I like the fact that it's different and that it really stands out! It would definitely make me pick the book up in a bookshop!

Anyway, while I didn't completely adore the plot and some characters, I enjoyed this lovely book tremendously and I strongly recommend it, especially if you're looking for a light read or need some cheering up - this book is guaranteed to do the job! It sort of reminded me of Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway, which was also pure fun to read!

Lastly, I'd like to thank Jessica from Cover to Cover (who was in charge of PR) for contacting me about the book and to Kristin herself for sending me a copy! To find out more about the book, please visit the author's website, which is really well made and it even features a playlist for the book (yay for Creep by Radiohead).

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 4/5


ps: On a slightly unrelated note, the wonderful Park Avenue Princess needs some more followers in order to reach the magical 1000 when she will do a massive giveaway so head over there if you'd like to help her out. She is famous for her incredible giveaways (not just books) and if you say you were sent here by me, you and I will both get extra points for next contests. She is an amazing blogger indeed so please go help her get to 1000 followers! :)

In My Mailbox #31

As always, IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

I got two lovely ARCs this week:

• TEMPTATION by Olivia Darling (the final cover is gorgeous!)
• A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL by Kristin Walker

I'd like to thank the wonderful Jessica from Cover to Cover, who helped this talented debut author with the publicity for the A Match Made in High School (read about her experience here) and she arranged for a copy to be sent to me - thanks so much, Jessica! I'm actually reading it at the moment and it's fantastic, absolutely hilarious! Look out for my review on Monday and do let me know if you've already reviewed it so I can add your review to my post. :)

I have several others fantastic blogs on the way, but they've been taking a while to arrive so I do hope they finally show up next week, I'm getting worried ...

Hope everyone had a great book week too! :)

ps: Just a reminder - there are still a few more days left to enter my giveaway and win a copy of the fantastic novel Air Kisses!

Review: SPLIT BY A KISS by Luisa Plaja ****

Jo has never been one of the popular kids … until she moves to the USA. Suddenly the coolest girls at her new high school adopt her, and the hottest boy, Jake Matthews, notices her. But when Jake picks her as his partner in the kissing game Seven Minutes in Heaven, it’s not half as heavenly as she imagined!
Jo has a choice: should she carry on with Jake or guaranteed popularity - or should she tell him where to get off and risk losing her new friends…?
At this moment - Jo splits. She’s Josie the Cool - girlfriend of Jake, member of the in-crowd. But she’s also Jo the Nerd - rejected by the It girls, single … ordinary.
Will her two halves ever come together again?

Quick recap: This is the story of a 16-year-old Jo from the UK, who moves to Boston with her mother. She starts attending a new school and due to her accent and everything she attracts the attention of the popular girl (Chelsea, Kristi, Tori etc.). Trying to fit in, she finds herself at one of their parties kissing Jake, the hottest guy in the school, which may sound fantastic but to her it just doesn't feel right. She's torn on what to do - quite literary, and the book explores the two options and their consequences and so the story is split in two parts. When she slaps him, she becomes Jo the Nerd - her newfound cool friends shun her and so she becomes friends with Rachel and David, who may both be falling for her ... On the other hand, when she continues kissing him, she becomes Josie the Cool - she's dating the hottest guy around and her friend gives her a makeover, but suddenly she also has to deal with second and third bases, cleavage, nose job hints, backstabbing so-called friends and other things that come with the cool territory ... As it turns out, neither of the two options are perfect, but both Jo and Josie have made the best of their experiences, which helped them discover who they really. Luckily they both fancy the same guy, hehe.

Don't you sometimes wonder how different your life would be if you had reacted differently in a certain situation? Well, this adorable book (both inside & out) explores this question in a very interesting way, one that will definitely speak to teens in general since they're often faced with choosing between staying true to themselves (and risk becoming a misfit) or giving in to peer pressure to fit in with the popular kids. As Jo learns in the book, neither option is perfect and that the most important thing is finding yourself and being comfortable with who you are, which is far from easy when you're a teen, I remember that all too well, heh.

The book was really easy to read and I suppose that's also due to the fact that the narration is split between Jo and Josie so you just keep reading on because you want to find out what happens to them next. The writing was also great and I even laughed out loud at occassional funny remarks, which is something that I appreciate about books. The voices were believable both in teen speak as well as in terms of being British or American.

The characters are generally well-portrayed, but occassionally I felt that certain characters were perhaps slightly stereotypical at times, e.g. Jake, Chelsea, Kristi, but other than that this book boats a wonderful set of very believable characters as well as a gorgeous cover, which is always a plus!

Oh and everyone compares this novel to the film Sliding Doors, but it also reminds me of a book called The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver (the author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, one of my favourite books ever), which explores a similar and also very fascinating concept of two split stories - it's an adult novel and I really, really enjoyed it too!

All in all, I think this is a great novel for teens (I'd say 12/13+?) since it really speaks to them and it tackles the problems they're dealing with in this confuuuusing period (friends, love, sex etc.) and it also carries a very positive message about discovering who you really are and being happy about that. Strongly recommended!

For those of you who may not know, Luisa (on top of being an amazing person) is also an editor of Chicklish (great site!) and also the author of Extreme Kissing. To learn more about her, please visit her website or follow her on Twitter. Oh and if anyone starts a Luisa Plaja Fan Club on Facebook or something, then please let me know and I'll be the first to join. :)

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 5/5


ps: Have you reviewed this book? Please let me know and I'll add your review!

pps: Luckily for those of us who loved this book, the sequel SWAPPED BY A KISS comes out iiiin 69 days and this time the story will mostly revolve around Jo's friends Rachel (the witch/goth) and her boyfriend David, but there will be plenty of room for our Jo too, hehe. Can't wait to read it, plus the cover is gorgeous again (click to enlarge), yay! Heres the synopsis:

Rachel hates her life and everyone in it - she even has suspicions that her on/off boyfriend David might not be entirely trustworthy. However, when David invites her to a music festival in England featuring their friend's band, she jumps at the chance for an overseas adventure. Hoping to surprise David, Rachel arrives at the festival early, where she runs into a nasty surprise of her own - she sees David kissing their friend Jo. Distraught, Rachel runs off, wishing she could leave her life behind...the next thing she knows, she's back with David. But not as herself...She's now in Jo's body! Can she keep the swap a secret from David until she can work out exactly what's going on and get her revenge? Over the course of a very weird weekend, Rachel puts herself in someone else's shoes and finds that her own maybe weren't as uncomfortable as she'd always thought. But can she ever be herself again?

ppps: I hit 200 followers today! I know it may not sound like much, but to me that's amazing! Thanks so much to all my current and future followers, you're awesome! :)

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Waiting On Wednesday: THE LIBERATION OF ALICE LOVE

I've read Abby McDonald's first two books (The Popularity Rules and Life Swap - click for my reviews) and really enjoyed them and so I'm obviously looking forward to her future releases! Luckily, she has two books coming out this year: first it's the US edition of her YA novel Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots (the UK edition has been moved to 2011, boo) in April and then she has another chick lit book coming out in July - it's called The Liberation of Alice Love (the original title was A Good Girl's Guide to Deception, which I thought was fantastic!). The plot sounds great & quite intriguing (see below) and the cover is lovely too, yay! What more could a chick lit fan possibly ask for? :)

Will the real Alice Love please stand up?
Alice Love keeps her life (and boss, and family) running in perfect order, so when her bank card is declined, she thinks it's just a simple mistake. But it soon becomes clear that someone has emptied every penny from her bank account, spending her hard-earned savings on glamorous holidays, sexy lingerie, and a to-die-for wardrobe and leaving Alice with thousands of pounds worth of debt.
With her perfectly-organised world crumbling around her, Alice enlists the help of dashing fraud investigator Nathan, and sets about clearing her name. But as she unravels the intriguing paper trail, she makes a shocking discovery: her thief is closer to home than she imagined.
Following the clues from London to Rome and LA, Alice edges deeper into a seductive new world, where honesty might not be the best policy, rules are made to be broken, and the power of a gorgeous cocktail dress shouldn't be underestimated. Perhaps her alter-ego's reckless, extravagant lifestyle is the one Alice should have been leading all along...
But as her little white lies begin to stack up, how far will Alice go to find the truth?

ps: Oh and I was interviewed today by the lovely Ria from The Beaucoup Review - click here if you'd like to learn a few random things about yours truly or just visit Ria's awesome blog! She's a new blogger so show her some love. :)