Defy the Stars (Little, Brown and Company, 2017) by Claudia Gray is a fascinating book. I want to say it’s about artificial intelligence, but it is so much more.
Seventeen-year-old Noemi knows she’ll die in three weeks. One of the teen and young adult soldiers ready to go on a suicide mission, her sacrifice will help give the planet Genesis time. And at least she can save her best friend/almost sister Esther. Their enemy has better ships and a robot army. The mechs aren’t afraid to die. Noemi wonders, “How evil do you have to be to kill another world’s people and risk none of your own?”
Abel is a mech (robot model) trapped in a marooned enemy ship on Genesis for almost thirty years. His one overriding desire is to get back to his creator, his father. But he’s also tired of being alone.
These two enemies meet and end up having to work together.
I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the story. This book is the first in the Constellation series. I look forward to more.
Author Claudia Gray has written many more books including some Star Wars novels! Here’s her website where you can see her other titles, find out that she chose her name, and more.
Author: Susan Uhlig
Given to the Sea
I’ve been on a YA novel binge lately.
Given to the Sea (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2017) by Mindy McGinnis is a disturbing story of how people will sacrifice others for their own safety. In that way it reminds me of the Newbery winner The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhilll. It’s also told in multiple viewpoints.
Khosa will be given to the sea–after she has a child. It’s her destiny and the only way to save the people of the Kingdom of Stille from the rising sea. In Khosa’s words, “One day my body will betray me, dancing into the sea, my mind a passenger only. The water will close over my head and I will drown, my death bringing a reprieve for those who are not me.” But there’s a complication. Khosa can’t bear the touch of another.
Seventeen-year-old Vincent is royal, but doesn’t like being called Prince, since he’s in line for the throne after his aging father, after his grandfather the present king.
Twins Dara and Donil are the last of the Indiri, and friends of Vincent. Both have magic.
Witt is the leader of the Pietra, enemies of Stille who plan to attack.
All of these people’s lives collide in this story. Given to the Sea is the author’s fourth book and will have a follow up book, which I’ll be anxiously awaiting.
Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning author and librarian. On her blog, Mindy has a section of books she recommends here plus much much more such as query critiques and author interviews. Check it out.
Write as if you’ll never be read. That way you’ll be sure to tell the truth.
Write as if youll never
Finding Comp Titles
Recently, I was at a writer’s conference where someone asked, “What do you do when you can’t find comp titles?”. (Comp titles are comparable titles.) Sometimes writers say, “Nothing is out there like this book.” That’s highly unlikely, especially if the book fits a category–picture book, middle grade, young adult, etc.–and it fits a genre. If it doesn’t fall in any of these, perhaps the writer needs to rethink the project–there may be a reason “nothing is out there” like it.
How I find comp titles
First, I go to Amazon and search in the category. (You could use Barnes & Noble as well.) Let’s say I’m looking for comp titles for a picture book. I start by searching by subject in picture books. For example, manners, or musical instruments, or fun in the sun. Be sure and use the check boxes on the left to help you narrow your search. I usually check hardcover. Since I mostly write fiction, I specify that as well.
Next, I search by characters. If my characters are animals, I’ll search for fiction picture books on that specific animal. E.g. How many picture books are there with a tree frog as the main character? Probably not many, which can help your book stand out. I know there are a lot of picture books with chicken, dog, or cat main characters.
If neither of those options work, try searching for the tone of the book, such as humor or sweet, whatever fits your manuscript best. Or search for the theme of your book.
You can also go to a local bookstore and ask someone in the children’s section to show you recent books on a specific topic, character, or written in a specific tone.
Reading books
And, of course, I read the books I find to see if they really are a good comparable title. I also do a lot of reading of picture books and may find comp titles that way as well.
Using multiple comp titles
Sometimes it takes two or three titles to express your book, so your pitch or query letter could say, “My book is like Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code meets Mo Willems’ The Thank You Book. (Note these are recent titles, which make the best comps.) You can also use movies or TV shows as one of your comps. “My YA manuscript is like The Truman Show meets M.T. Anderson’s Feed.” (These aren’t recent, but would give the editor or agent an instant picture of your manuscript.)
Usually you don’t want to use the blockbuster books, such as Harry Potter or Hunger Games as comparison titles. Although, if you were comparing it to some aspect of the book, that might work too. “My book has a main character who doesn’t fit in like Luna Lovegood in HP, but the story is more reminiscent of Laurel Gale’s Dead Boy.”
Agents and editors I’ve heard speak agree that comp titles will be out there. You just have to do the research to find them.
For further reading on this topic go to “Finding Comp Titles for Your Novel” by Annie Neugebauer and “Comp titles” by Janet Reid. Both of these posts are from 2012, but have great info.
Revision is renewal. Try not to resist.