The #YAtakeover Schedule

8th January 2016
 

Twitter Chat: Best Reads of 2015

 

Time: 7.00pm-7.45pm

 

Readers, bloggers, authors and booksellers chat about their favourite reads of 2015. Looking for book recommendations? This could be just the chat for you!

 

Prizes in YA

 

Time: 8.00pm-8.50pm

Interview Panel: Charlotte Eyre, Jake Hope and Katie Webber

Host: @Joyisreading

Join us as some of the book industry's finest talent talk us through YA prizes and why they are so important to the genre.



Libraries and Reading in the Digital Age

 

Time: 09.00pm-09.40pm

Interview Panel: Alexia Casale and E. R. Murray

Host: @helloiammariam

Alexia and Elizabeth discuss the importance of libraries, reaching readers in the digital age and the future of YA literature.

 

 

Art in YA

 

Time: 9.50pm-10.30pm

Interview Panel: Jenn Bennett and Melissa Keil

Host: @Jenny_books_art

Jenny discusses representations of art in YA literature and more closely in their respective works.

 

 

'It's All in Your Head': Suicide and Depression in YA Literature

Time: 10.40pm-11.30pm

Interview Panel: Jasmine Warga and Jennifer Niven

Host: @ChelleToy

Michelle is joined by Jennifer and Jasmine who will chat about the stigmas of depression and the consequences of suicide in their work.

 

 

 

 

9th January 2016

 

 

The Bizarre and the Brilliant

 

Time: 12.00am-12.45am

Interview Panel: Andrew Smith

Host: @Lottie_LovesB

Andrew Smith discusses his unique writing style, what inspires him and teenage literacy.

'LGBT: You Be Who You Want To Be'

Time: 02.00am-02.50am
Interview Panel: Becky Albertalli & I. W. Gregorio
Host: @YAblooker

Becky and Ilene discuss sexual identity and being true to yourself.

Angels and Demons

Time: 03.15am-04.00am

Interview Panel: Jana Oliver and Lauren Kate
Host: @City_Of_YA

Jana and Lauren chat about representations of angels and demons in YA literature and more closely in their own stories.
   

No Frills Fiction

Time: 04.15am-5.00am
Interview Panel: Lynn Weingarten and Ryan Graudin
Host: @YAblooker

 
Lynn and Ryan discuss the grittier side to fiction.

Gothic Fiction:

 

Time: 05.10am-05.50am

Interview Panel: Kendare Blake

Host: @YAblooker 

Kendare chats to us about everything from ghosts to gods. Not to be missed!

Crossover Fiction

 

Time: 06.00am-06.40am

Interview Panel: Christi J. Whitney

Host: @YAblooker

Christopher questions Christi on YA literature's increasing popularity and it's crossover appeal to both adults and teens. 

Supernatural Seduction

Time: 09.00am-09.45am
Interview Panel: Anna McKerrow, C. J. Daugherty and Lu Hersey
Host: @maximumpopbooks

The supernatural has always been a strong trope in YA literature. Anna, C. J. and Lu discuss the supernatural in their work.

 

 Mental Health is Not a Spectator Sport

Time: 09.55am-10.40am

Interview Panel: Brian Conaghan, Eve Ainsworth, Siobhan Curham and Tabitha Suzuma

Host: @helloiammariam

 Four of YA's most talented authors come together to chat to Mariam about the representation of mental health in YA literature and the portrayals in their respective books.

 Keep Your Friends Close

Time: 10.50am-11.30ampm

Interview Panel: Jess Vallance and Marcus Sedgwick

Host: @ChelleToy

 

Our panel discuss the representation of friendship in YA literature.

Fantastic Fantasy

Time: 11.40am-12.25pm
Interview Panel: Melinda Salisbury and Samantha Shannon
Host: @AssassinGrisha

Our panel consists of two of 2015's most successful Fantasy writers.

 

If You Can't Love Yourself, How in the Hell Are You Going to Love Someone Else?

 

Time: 12.35pm-1.15pm

Interview Panel: Abbie Rushton, Lisa Williamson and Liz Kessler,

Host: @JoshuaJAuthor

Joshua looks at love and sexual identity in YA literature.

The End of the World

 

Time: 1.25pm-2.05pm

Interview Panel: Teri Terry and Virginia Bergin

Host: @ChelleToy

Teri And Virginia discuss their latest books and dystopia in their work.

Everybody Say Love!

Time: 2.10pm-2.55pm

Interview Panel: C. J. Skuse, Cat Clark, Keren David, L. A. Weatherly and Laura Jarratt

Host: @ChouettBlog

Our panel discusses love in all its forms.

 It's Behind You!

Time: 3.00pm-3.45pm

Interview Panel: Darren Shan and Matt Whyman

Host: @MyBookishLife

Our panel discuss horror in their writing.

Crime and Mystery

Time: 4.00pm-4.40pm

Interview Panel: Lauren Oliver and Robin Stevens

Host: @ChelleToy

Lauren and Robin discuss two very diverse representations of crime and mystery.

Rude, Crude and Uncouth: The Shouldn'ts, Couldn'ts and Wouldn'ts of YA Lit

Time: 4.55pm-5.40pm

Interview Panel: Louise O'Neill, Non Pratt and Sally Green

Host: @EmilyDrabs

Our panel discuss taboo in their work and the need to represent taboo in YA lit.

Playing the Victim

Time: 5.50pm-6.30pm

Interview Panel: Holly Smale and Sarah Mussi

Host: @YAblooker

Our panel discuss representations of female characters that refuse to be victims of circumstance.

 

 

Blood is Thicker Than Water

Time: 6.45pm-7.30pm

Interview Panel: Clare Furniss, Lisa Heathfield and Sarah Crossan

Host: @ChelleToy 

Our panel discuss three very different portraits of familial relations. 

Alternate Reader Channels

Time: 7.40pm-8.20pm

Interview Panel: Alice Oseman and Taran Matharu

Host: @Lottie_LovesB

Our panel discuss different ways of reaching readers and why this is so important in a digital age.

Fact or Fiction

Time: 8.30pm-9.10pm

Interview Panel: Frances Hardinge and M. G. Harris

Host: @YAblooker

Our panel talk about deception and secrets as they discuss the multi-faceted characters and intricate plots they have created.

Twitter Chat: Most Anticipated 2016 Reads

Time: 9.30pm-10.00pm

We take a look at some of the most hyped and sought-after books in 2016. Have a pen ready because your TBR pile is about to get a whole lot bigger!

 

 

There will be tons of giveaways throughout the event across Twitter and Instagram. To be in with a chance of winning, follow us on Twitter @YAfictionados and on Instagram yafictionados. We will feature blog posts, giveaways, Twitter chats and interviews so be sure to mark this event in your calenders!

 

Please note that all times are GMT. The schedule is subject to change.



#YAtakeover Literary Classics and YA Lit Chat

Join us this Friday the 18^th December 2015 when we will be discussing literary classics and Young Adult literature using the #YAtakeover hashtag. From 7.30-9.00pm GMT, we will be hosting a discussion on the importance of literary classics and their impact and influence on YA lit. Whether it’s Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte, Mary Shelley or Sylvia Plath, tweet us your thoughts and network with bloggers, authors, readers and more!

Please note: The day has been amended from Thursday to Friday due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

'Messenger of Fear' Review

'Messenger of Fear' by Michael Grant

Review by Megan

Summary:

“I could call him Messenger, but his full title was Messenger of Fear...”

A girl wakes covered in mist.  She doesn't remember anything about herself: just her name.  Mara. She walks into a church and finds a beautiful boy.  He is the Messenger.  And she is under his control. At first, Mara hopes this strange land and boy are all figments of her imagination, a dream, but soon it becomes all too apparent that this is real.  He is real.

The Messenger has a job: he must keep the balance.  Those who have darkness in their hearts – those who have done wrong – are his jurisdiction.  He gives them a choice: Play... Or Pay… If they play his game and win, they go free.  If they fail, they must face their greatest fear... And Mara must help him – she must help the Messenger of Fear... But why?  And how can she escape?  What is this place the Messenger and the other beings inhabit? And how did Mara come to be here too...?

Excerpt:

“Who are you?”

That was the first question I asked the boy in front of me.  The pale, solemn young man in the black coat with small silver skulls for buttons.

But he didn’t answer it.  Instead he answered the question I never asked, but which was nevertheless what I really wanted to know.

Am I dead?

No.  Not dead, he told me.

But surely not quite alive, either.  How could I be?  I remembered my name – Mara.  But, standing in that ghostly place, still shuddering at the memory of the creeping yellow mist that had awoken me in that strange, silent land, I could recall nothing else about myself.

And then the games began.

Review:

I have adored every single one of Michael Grant's books that I've read. But in about five pages, Messenger Of Fear instantly became one of my favourites.  I love the fast-paced, non-stop action of the Fayz and BZRK series, but this... it was freaking terrifying! Grant is king of creepy, but in Messenger of Fear he takes it to a whole new level. The amount of psychological suspense, fear, thrills and tangled webs in this book... whoa. He also takes some serious issues and manages to brilliantly incorporate them into this fantastical and creepy story. Plus, Messenger of Fear was just the star - I cannot wait to delve deeper into this world with the sequel!

I think it's kind of hard to judge Mara as a character: for the majority of the book, she herself didn't even know who she was, so how were we really meant to? I think she did have an impressive character arc though, and I look forward to seeing more of her.  And then there’s the Messenger, who was absolutely fascinating to me. I do love the mysterious, dark types (though not quite as much as my snarky, borderline-bad-boys) and Messenger was just... so interesting. 

There was a whole host of other mysterious characters – from Oriax to the Game Master. I'm very excited to learn more about them – about the whole world, actually! I'm not going to say anything else about the other characters – can't give out too many spoilers, can I – but I really did admire the way Grant made them all; different shades of grey, all of them. Because, yes, I hated some of the characters and liked others, but I really understood them all, and could appreciate their characterisation and purpose.

Oh, and guys! GUYS. There was no romance in the book!  Seriously!  I mean, Messenger is a guy and Mara is a girl and both were the lead characters, but no romance - amazing, right?! Sure, she didn't really trust him. Sure, if you touched him, something pretty bad happened (not telling: no spoilers).  But still, I’m really excited by this romance-less plot. Hopefully it will invite more focus on the story rather than a relationship - don't ruin it now, Michael Grant!

On to the writing, which was really different from Grant's usual style: more elegant, more lyrical and more descriptive. Less bang-bang-bang, with everything being thrown at you; more refined and slow, like a mist that creeps into your mind and captures you. I liked it very much. On another note - and I’m not going to lie - fans who are used to Grant's signature bloody action might be a little disappointed with the plot of Messenger of Fear.  But if you love exciting and intense psychological suspense, lots of mysteries to be solved, justice to be dealt and webs to be unraveled, you will lap this plot up, just like I did. I really did like the story. It wasn't the fastest, but it was brilliantly suspenseful – we were constantly given little clues, new mysteries and bundles of foreshadowing. As a gal who dotes on mysteries, I really did enjoy the slow build and the endless secrets to unravel. And that last reveal... maybe I should've seen it coming. But I really didn't. It shocked me. And left me desperate for more!

But don't get me wrong; as much as I enjoyed Messenger Of Fear, lots of it was really hard to read. There was this one bit... around eighty pages in... I found it so, so hard to carry on with that chapter – I was literally yelling (in my head) at the characters involved, begging.  It was... rough, to say the least. And then towards the end... the violence... the blood of this one scene...  That was hard too. But as well as these tough (and brilliantly written) scenes, lots of other difficult issues were tackled: bullying, secrecy, being a victim, injustice, pain... 

Messenger Of Fear was a truly gripping and original book – one that completely surprised me and one that I really enjoyed.  It might not be for all of Michael Grant's BZRK-er fans, but for those of you who love supernatural mystery books, with lots of creepiness and secrets to unwind, Messenger Of Fear is not to be missed!

So, what are you waiting for?  Read or pay, people!

Rating: 4/5 Stars  ★ ★ ★ ★

  

Read this book if you liked:
 

The Fayz series by Michael Grant

The 5^th Wave by Rick Yancey

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Happy Reading

Megan, The Book Addicted Girl

* This book was received from Egmont in exchange for an honest review