Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
Publisher-Hyperion
Released-Sept 21st 2010
Purchase- Amazon / B & N / Chapters

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

My Thoughts
Renée Winters had a wonderful life. She has a best friend named Annie and a hot boyfriend named Wes. She's just about to start her sophomore year and made it on the varsity lacrosse team. But everything changed when  Renée spotted her dad's car on the shoulder of Redwood forest. Panicked, Renée raced inside, almost like something was propelling her to where she could find them and sure enough, there on the forest floor are her parents, cold and motionless with coins scattered around them and a white gauze-like fabric placed in their mouths.

To make an already troubled heart worse, Renée's parents willed her grandfather- a man that her parents never got along with and prevented him from knowing his granddaughter- as her legal guardian. A strict and determined man, Mr. Winters is convinced that her parents death wasn't just some random coincidence and that Renée may be in real danger, decides to send her to a private elite boarding school named Gottfried Academy in Maine.

There, Renée links the mystery of her parents death with the mysterious mishaps at the academy and finds out what fate really has in store for her.

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for over a year now. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get to it, I was missing out on a fantastic paranormal read!

Dead Beautiful has all the exciting elements I like in my reads. Mystery, suspense, forbidden love, likable interesting characters with a boarding school setting.

Publisher Weekly called this "A Harry Potter start and a Twilight finish." And I simply couldn't agree more.

It really did have that HP feel when Renée first went to Gottfied Academy. The school has a old gothic feel to it that is heavy with odd traditions and views that line up with the teachers and subject quite fittingly. 

These teachers are extremely disciplinary friendly, the subjects have an edge of darkness around them and felt so advanced and intellectual that I even had a hard time pronouncing some of them and the rules were ridiculous and unfair. I'd never be able to survive in a school like that. The Twilight ending was more about the revelations that we learn at the end of the book, which again, I wholeheartedly agree. Gottfied Academy has more then it's share of secrets and surprises and Renée Winters is very much caught in the middle, in more ways then she'd ever believed.

The writing is just fantastic. You could feel Yvonne Woon's determination to have everything set in specific motion. The pace was slow moving but it didn't feel dragged out or dull. We were educated with the Renée, knowing at the exact time she does. The story dwells on death which gives this a very morbid flavor for pretty much the entire novel, it also has a very serious tone not leaving any room for any real humor or even light moments. But for some reason it didn't bother me as much as it should have since I was completely absorbed and invested with what was going on, or at least trying to figure out what was going on. From the title of the book I figured that this pointed to some kind of paranormal, but I never would have guessed which one. I really have to hand it to Woon, she really put a lot of thought and energy into this particlar lore and I was impressed with how she handled it.  

I really enjoyed all these characters and was thankful that this didn't have any 'mean girls' which I expected since this has, well, a boarding school setting. But it wasn't like that for this book. I really enjoyed Eleanor and Nathaniel. They added to the experience instead of just filling in the gaps. I din't care for Mr. Wintes in the beginning, but I don't think we were meant to till we understood him more later in the book.

I loved Renée. I love that she always speaks her mind and that she's always trying to figure things out. She can never just let the little things go and I found her passion and determination endearing.  

As for Dante? What a keeper! Intelligent, devastatingly gorgeous, alluring and unpredictable. 

Their relationship did indeed have that forbidden spell around them, but with a twist. A really really good freaken twist that I never saw coming!

Bottom line, I had a great time with this book. It's one of those reads where I felt okay taking my time with and absorbing the facts as they come. It's intelligent, solid, fascinating and chill-worthy.

I can't wait to find out what happens next in; Life Eternal!

4 Snowflakes  

  

                                                            

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Author Spotlight: Pip Harry of I'll Tell You Mine (Book Give-away)

I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry

Publisher: U.Q.P. (Australia)
Publication Date: March 28, 2012
Purchase: FishPondWorld / Avid Reader

Kate Elliot isn't trying to fit in – that's the whole point of being a goth, isn't it?

Everything about her – from her hair to her clothes – screams different and the girls at her school give her a wide berth. How can Kate be herself, really herself, when she's hiding her big secret? The one that landed her in boarding school in the first place. She's buried it down deep but it always seems to surface.

But then sometimes your soul mates sneak up on you in the most unlikely of places. Like Norris Grammar Boarding School for Girls, where's she's serving a life sentence, no parole, because her parents kicked her out.

So, how do you take that first step and reveal your secrets when you're not sure that people want to see the real you?

My Thoughts

I’ll Tell You Mine is a fabulous debut novel by Pip Harry that is authentically Aussie. Truly enjoyed this story from beginning to end!

I feel like I’m being repetitive, but there’s no other way to put it… If I had to choose one genre to take me through the rest of my reading career, I’d have to say it would definitely be Australian YA Contemporary. There’s a realism and charm that seems to constantly resonate through these books, where I find myself immerced in the story and reluctant to let go when I’m done. I can say with confidence that Pip Harry has definitely earned a spot among the Awesome Aussie Authors crowd of Kirsty Eagar, Fiona Wood, Cath Crowley, Sue Lawson and Julie Gittus to name a few of my faves. And, let’s not forget that Melina Marchetta endorsed this novel for good reason. Definitely an Aussie book that shouldn’t be missed by fans of this genre.

This story kicks off with quite an intriguing premise where Kate is sent to a Melbourne boarding school as a year ten student as sort of a punishment or “teenage time-out” by her parents. What happened during the mysterious final infraction remains unknown until the final chapters, which is when Kate finally finds her place among the boarders and has developed some meaningful friendships. She stands to lose all of that when her secret is revealed, which could possibly taint her character and strip away the progress she’s made throughout this difficult year of transition.

There were parts of the story that I felt so connected to the characters and their surrounding that I found myself wanting to either pick up a map or google Wagga, Melbourne, and a few other places that were mentioned so I could clearly envision these characters in their space. When an author achieves that sort of connection for me, there’s no doubt I was hooked into this fictional, magical moment.

Pip’s strength clearly lies in her ability to create a relatable narrator alongside a perfectly blended secondary cast. Kate and her band of misfits were huggable, realistic and honest to a fault. I loved the multiple layers Pip achieved with her story by way of introducing such uniquely different characters that each had a story to share that was filled with emotion and heart.

Pip Harry spares no expense in delivering a great Aussie experience that takes relevant teenage issues and struggles, such as parental dissension, friendship, and first love with a sense of purpose, sensitivity and relate-ability. Well done!

                                                                       4 Snowflakes

                                                          

Author Interview

WinterHaven was fortunate enough to interview Pip Harry. Check it out! 

Your novel “I’ll Tell You Mine” covers quite a bit of ground in terms of teenage struggles, parental conflict and discovering friendships and love. How did you come up with the idea of writing this book?
The idea came from one of my own teenage experiences. When I was 15, I was very strong willed and rebellious and my parents sent me to a boarding school for a term to clear my head and have a time out from the home environment (best decision! I loved it) That idea of a girl sent to boarding school was just the kernel, and it grew from there as I added characters and introduced the mystery of Kate’s ‘secret.’ I've never been a goth, so I did lots of research into that area too.

When you began this project, did you know going into it that you’d like to publish this novel, or was it an afterthought upon completion?
I had the goal of being published clearly in my sights while writing the book. But my confidence wavered so much during the writing process. There were a few times when I nearly shelved the manuscript because I thought it was no good. So glad I didn’t! As a writer, you have to have self-belief and not let the knockers get you down.

What was your publishing experience like?
Long! I wrote my first manuscript at age 23 and didn’t get published until I was 37. I think even my family were starting to think my becoming a published author was a pipe dream! The breakthrough came with ITYM, which even in early read throughs with my writing group felt right. Once I'd finished tinkering with the manuscript I found an amazing agent, Sophie Hamley, who loved the book and knew the right publishers to send it to. Just as she predicted, I signed with UQP, a university press in Queensland, with a great reputation for publishing quality YA. I really enjoyed the collaborative editing process, which lasted roughly a year. Although with my background writing and editing on weekly gossip magazines (which move at the speed of lightening) I found it slow going at times!

At the beginning of the novel, Kate is experiencing quite a bit of confusion and anger over her situation. As the novel progresses and her circumstance begins to change, we witness her growth and transformation as a character, which is very rewarding as a reader. Is Kate modeled after anyone in your life or is she a complete figment of your imagination?
I’m glad you enjoyed Kate’s growth as a character – I wanted her to understand the world and her place in it a little better during the course of the novel. She can be frustrating at times and makes some terrible decisions, but that makes her more real I think! She’s not modelled on a real life person, but I think some of her attitude comes from how I remember myself at that age. I was a handful!

I enjoy reading graphic novels every now and again and it was fun to envision Kate’s “G-Girl Strikes Back.” Is this something you’ve attempted to write and design yourself, or is this just Kate’s thing? I’d love to see a page or two by the way. =]
I wouldn't have a clue how to design The Adventures of G-Girl! Great idea though! I might need to enlist one of my designer friends to do the illustrations. Stay tuned...

The secondary cast of Lou, Harriet, Jess and Maddy is quite the eclectic group! Did you have any difficulty developing or writing any of those characters?
I had so much fun developing the secondary characters and giving them strong, interesting storylines. They are all such different girls, and yet they all had something to hide and problems to work out. Maddy was probably my favourite character to write. She was such a free spirit and yet so damaged and lonely too. It was sad to see the whole Norris Grammar gang grow up and leave my head!

Do you have any future projects you’re currently working on that you can share some details about?
People have asked whether I’m writing ITYM 2, but I have no immediate plans to continue Kate’s story. For now, I’m working on a YA novel about a brother and sister who are training for a big school rowing regatta called The Head of the River. I’m inspired by watching all the crews in the Olympics right now!

Author Bio

Author and journalist Pip Harry writes features for lifestyle magazines and lectures on journalism at universities. She has been a section editor for NW, TV Week and Woman’s Day and has published short stories in the UTS Writer’s Anthology and Wet Ink. I’ll Tell You Mine (UQP, 2012) is her debut young adult novel. Pip also co-runs the relationships website, Reality Chick www.realitychick.com.au. She lives in Sydney with her partner and gorgeous daughter. When not at a keyboard, she can be found squishing playdough, searching for the perfect flat white and competing in ocean swimming.

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That's not all! We have a give-away for I'll Tell You Mine!!

Pip Harry was gracious enough to offer one lucky follower a copy of this debut novel. This give-away is open to WinterHaven followers from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. Just fill out the rafflecopter and share your thoughts on the review or interview of I'll Tell You Mine. Good Luck! =]

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