Author: Kim Askew and Amy Helmes Title:Tempestuous Series:A Twisted Lit Novel Publication: December 18, 2012 Publisher: Merit Press Source: Netgalley
Working off her debt to society (not to mention her father), former prep princess Miranda Prospero now wears the crown of a spinning frankfurter at her job making Hot Dog Kabobs at a Minneapolis mall. When a city-stopping blizzard strands Miranda and the mall workers with the oddest of the die-hard shoppers, she decides to wreak vengeance on the social-climbing clique who froze her out. The townies and the preps line up for battle with whatever merchandise comes to hand, while a rent-a-cop searches for what may be an armed robber. Accidentally (and literally) stuck to Caleb, a rough-cut boy with a heart of gold who would have been beneath her notice just a month before, Miranda learns more about the human heart and human nature in one night than in all of the rest of her life.
Thoughts: What happens when several teenagers get snowed in at the local mall? Total chaos and a bit of magic. Loaded with witty sarcasm this is a must read that has everything from mystery to romance and lots of mischief. Even though, I don't remember reading the Tempest, this stands alone fine without noticing the nods to certain aspects of William Shakespeare's work. After some light research, I discovered that in the original work the characters were shipwrecked on an island and some of them were plotting to murder some other character they felt wronged them somehow. Whereas in this book, Miranda, her classmates and other mall workers get stuck in the mall and she plots to get back at her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friends therefore wreaking havoc and starting a mini war. Miranda has the power of influence and she uses the magic of her words to make things happen. Sometimes her plans work, other time she ends up in more of a pickle like getting handcuffed to one guy that ruffles her feathers. My favorite scenes consist of the verbal banter and sparks between Miranda and hottie Caleb. In all the mayhem of playing pranks on her classmates, Miranda and crew have a bigger problem, people keep going missing and someone's stealing from the stores. In a laugh out loud comical turn the crew must learn to work together and hunt down the sticky thief and who they discover is a surprise none of them expect. Miranda is an intriguing character, who though aware that she has the ability to get people to do what she wants, her intentions are good for the most part. She does come off as judgmental, though she isn’t the only culprit, Caleb, the male lead has his own preconceived notions about her as well and he thinks the spoiled princess needs to get over herself. Overall, the plot, writing and characters are fantastic. A great read about getting past assumptions about people that aren't necessarily accurate and learning not to be so quick to judge with your eyes but give more thought to who a person is inside. This book is full of humor and wit, which makes it a great read for teens looking for a more modern take on Shakespeare.
What’s in a Name? Hi, and thanks, Cricket, for letting us drop by for a guest blog post! The novels in our Twisted Lit series, Tempestuous and Exposure, are modern-day spins on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “Macbeth,” respectively. We wanted to pay homage to his works while still creating YA novels that could stand alone on their own merit. So while you may pick up on the subtle Shakespearean nods and references in our books, you’ll also appreciate the fact that our books have been called “compulsively readable” — whether you like The Bard or not! Today, we thought we’d explain the titles of our books. The name Tempestuous is obviously derived from the play it’s based on, though we like to think both the heroine of our novel, Miranda — and her would-be love interest, Caleb — have the sort of feisty, temperamental personalities the title indicates. When they’re stuck overnight together in a shopping mall during the worst blizzard of the decade, their “stormy” dispositions become even more apparent! Exposure was a trickier title to come up with, since the name of the play it’s based on, “Macbeth,” didn’t give us much to work with. The novel has a three-fold connection to the title we chose. Our main character, Skye, is a budding photographer, hence there’s the meaning of the word “exposure” as it relates to photography. “Exposure” is also the cause of death attributed to one of Skye’s fellow students who has befallen a tragic fate in the wilds of Alaska, an accident (or is it?) around which the plot of our novel revolves. Finally, “exposure” also signifies the psychological journey Skye travels in the book as she transforms from wallflower to someone who is not afraid to put herself out on the line — and out of her comfort zone. If any of this intrigues you, we invite you to check out our books and see for yourselves what they’re all about! Best, Kim and Amy Kim Askew and Amy Helmes are the authors of Tempestuous (pub. Dec. 18/Merit Press) and Exposure (pub. Jan. 18/Merit Press). For more information about their Shakespeare-inspired Twisted Lit series, check out twistedlitbooks.com.
About Tempestuous Recently banished, unfairly, by the school's popular crowd, former it girl," Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at theHot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb whoworks at the mall's nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare's"The Tempest."
About Exposure Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly! In this emotionally charged twist on Shakespeare's "Macbeth," a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secretsand tragic twists of fate. Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig MacKenzie: the man who would be Prom King.Can Skye save the boy she loves ‹ and herself ‹ before they get caught inthe crosshairs?
My name is Latoya, I am a Librarian and photographer(though I haven't done much of this lately, I'm a litte rusty). So, feel free to chat with me, I don't bite..I promise!
