Tour Post: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

by Saci Lloyd

Pages: 288 (paperback)

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 1st January 2015

ISBN: 1444916688
Received From:  Hodder Children's Books

Summary 

Welcome to a world controlled by a megalomaniac Lolcat. A world where data pirates, zombies and infobots on surfboards roam free. A world at war over cheese ... When teenager Mikey Malone gets sucked through a wormhole into this parallel world, he discovers a power-crazed corporation is planning to use Earth as a dumping ground for an uncontrollable poisonous algae. It's a race against time for Mikey and his rebel friends to stop the ruthless tyrants from getting their way.

Review

"You must trust the mystery. No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place."

Where. To. Start... It took me a little time to figure out if this book was the creation of a loon or a complete genius, for the record I settled on the latter. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It is by far the most brilliantly bonkers book I’ve ever read. It’s unique, funny and mind-blowingly complex with something in there for literally everyone. From zombies to pirates, surfboard-riding robots to clones, and that’s not even mentioning the war over a massive ball of cheese. It sounds insane, it know! But trust me when I say this, it’s the best kind of madness and I couldn’t put it down.

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It is about a boy named Mikey and what happens when a wack-a-doodle scientist rips a whole in the fabric of time and space creating a parallel universe. The book follows Mikey and a whole host of other characters as they try to get him back to Earth after falling through the wormhole. However, it’s not going to be easy as the parallel universe, DEVA, is being destroyed by a sex-crazed algae called UltraRed. Hearing about the wormhole the Korporation thinks Earth will be the perfect dumping ground for the UltraRed… oh and did I mention the head of the Korporation is a cat named Önska.

The whole book is barmy but I think that the reason it works so well is because of its rag-tag group of heroes. We have Kix, a Kickass Pansexual Being. Blitzer the BlitZerbot. Professor Mori the… well I think he was a robot of some kind. Oh and DØØ & Σëë, who are in my opinion, the best part of this book… these surfboard flying infobots never failed to make me laugh. Although if you have an issue with spelling in books then they may not be your favourite characters as they have a habit of swapping the first letters of words around as they find the human tongue a little on the dull side.  It’s this misfit group that brings the story to life; each one is unique and well thought through. Sometimes when reading a book that’s as complex as this one characters can fade and the begin to feel like nothing more than an after thought. However, Saci Lloyd has seamlessly put together a cast that feels relevant and exciting.

I think the only part I can fault is a personal thing, and that’s the dialogue. I struggled a little with the way Saci choose to voice the population of DEVA, I mean I’m not a stickler for grammar, not even close, however, there were moments where I had to reread a sentence or two which did feel a little tedious at times.

Overall, It’s The End Of The World As We Know It is a great read. It’s funny and new and unputdownable. The story flows and there isn’t a single chapter that isn’t filled with something out of the ordinary. I would recommend this book to anyone that is in need of something a little different and anyone in need of an adventure.

"Maybe I don't want to survive no more... maybe I wantz to live." 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Q&A with Saci Llody

author of It's The End of The World As We Know It

What was the inspiration behind It’s The End Of The World As We Know It?

Oh, it’s full of things I’m super passionate about – mostly the future, and what do we want it to look like. I feel we are sleepwalking towards some very scary stuff and I want us to stop and think about it. I also wanted to write something funny and play about with the world… I’m a bit over the apocalypse.

The residents of Deva have a rather strange way of speaking, why did you choose to write it that way?

Umm, let me peer into my subconscious. There’s a variety of dialects going on… ONSKA, of course, speaks like a LOLcat. The synthetics often have little tics like zeds for s’s (not sure how to spell that) I don’t know why… maybe feelz a bit like the futur? Captain Duchamp has a little French thing going on, to make him feel like he hasn’t completely sold out to the machines – probably in the same way that people who pirate load of music occasionally buy vinyl to prove to themselves they’re still good people…

Think quick! You’ve been sucked through a wormhole into a parallel universe, what is the first thing you do?

Get myself a robot buddy

Who was your favorite character to write and why? For the record, mine are DØØ & Σëë. They are irilliantly bnsane.

Oh mine is probably Kix. She’s so angry all the time. And so curvy.

Where did your love for writing come from?

I don’t love it. It kills me every day sitting in front of this screen, but I am HORRIBLY COMPELLED.

If you could pick anyone, whom would you cast as Kix & Mikey in a film adaptation?       

Nikki Minaj and Seth Rogan’s younger brother/clone

What three books would you recommend to readers of It’s The End Of The World As We Know It?

Hitchiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

SuperSadTrueLoveStory (for more adult readers. Very cool)

Here’s a random one for you. If you could live in a fictional universe that’s ALREADY been written, which one would you choose and why?

Lord of the Rings. Totally be Tom Bombadil.

What’s the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

The writing part. I love the thinking it up and the final touch ups.

In one sentence tell us why we should read It’s The End Of The World As We Know It?

It’s so much funnier than a cup of warm sick.

Lastly, is there going to be a sequel?

Dangle mah donglez! Of course. I’m on it right now.

GIVEAWAY

 The lovely people at Hodder Children's Books have sent me a signed, yes I said signed, copy of It's The End Of The World As We Know It to giveaway to one of you lovelies. 

UK ONLY

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Tour Post: MY HEART & OTHER BLACK HOLES

MY HEART & OTHER BLACK HOLES

by Jasmine Warga

Pages: 320 (paperback)

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 12th February 2015

ISBN: 9781444791532
Received From:  Hodder Children's Books

Summary 

Aysel and Roman are practically strangers, but they've been drawn into an unthinkable partnership. In a month's time, they plan to commit suicide - together.

Aysel knows why she wants to die: being the daughter of a murderer doesn't equal normal, well-adjusted teenager. But she can't figure out why handsome, popular Roman wants to end it all....and why he's even more determined than she is.

With the deadline getting closer, something starts to grow between Aysel and Roman - a feeling she never thought she would experience. It seems there might be something to live for, after all - but is Aysel in so deep she can't turn back? 

Review

"You aren't allowed to die without me."

I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of this book from Hodder Children's Books for review and I can’t thank them enough! My Heart & Other Black Holes is a stunningly written book that is both unique and heart-wrenching. I couldn't put this one down! It gripped hold of me from the very first chapter and didn't let me go until the very last page - and even then I didn't let go. 

My Heart & Other Black Holes tells the story of Aysel and Roman. Both teens have had a rough couple of years and its become too much for them. This isn't the typical YA book, it's the story of how these two teenagers came together and decided they wanted, no scratch that, needed to die. Both Aysel and Roman have different reasons to wanting to end their lives, but this is one very strong connection between them and that's family or more accurately, what happens to you when the unimaginable happens to the people you love. 

For me personally it was the character's the really made this book. Yes, the story was interesting but it was the richness of the these two characters that drew me in and had me holding my breath. It was this idea that depression isn't always visible. We've constructed and idea of what it means to be ‘depressed’. I mean you hear it all the time don’t you? "Oh god, she looks so depressed!" or "Why is he so depressing all the time?"  But it's not that simple, and Roman’s character shows that perfectly. On the surface Roman has everything, but there's this illness inside him that he can't escape. I think that's what I love about this book, it's that it is real and relatable. Even if you haven't suffered to these extremes you can connect with the characters and that makes them come to life. 

My Heart & Other Black Holes is one of those books that stay with you well after you've read that final sentence. I wish I was able to travel back in time and give a copy of this book to my 16 year-old self. I'd recommend this book to anyone, but if you feel like or have ever felt like you just can't cope then this is a perfect book for you. 

Overall I can't praise Jasmine enough for this book. It's everything a story like this should be and it is one of those books I'm proud I got to read. It's not sugar coated, there are no rose tinted glasses, just raw emotion and beautifully written sentences. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.** 

Online Forums

by Jasmine Warga

So complete disclosure: I didn’t actually visit any online suicide forums when I was writing the novel. Those types of websites are dark and destructive and toxic and so I didn’t want to give them any traffic, but I knew of their existence from articles in the paper I had read. (I also felt very strongly about making the online suicide forum in the book fictional for the reasons above.) All that said, I think those darks corners of the Internet are so complicated because I very much understand the need to find and connect with other people who are feeling the same way that you are. Obviously I am not advocating for finding a suicide partner online, but rather explaining that I understand the popularity of certain problem-driven tags on websites such as Tumblr for example. I know what it’s like to feel like no one in your life understands what you’re feeling or going through, and to desperately want to find another human being to which you can relate.
In lots of ways, I think I wrote the book to explore those murky and complicated facets of the Internet. The Internet gives us the ability to connect with people we never would’ve before had the opportunity to meet. This is an amazing thing. It can put us in contact with people who may understand how we are feeling. But it can also put us in contact with people who may be a negative influence or with whom we may develop a toxic and destructive relationship.It is such a complicated question of whether two people who are suffering from the same affliction—be it anorexia, suicidal ideation, self-harm—can help each other by forming a relationship in which they share their feelings or whether that relationship is doomed to be toxic. Maybe with the correct supervision (such as group therapy) these relationships can be beneficial because sometimes there is nothing more precious than knowing someone understands exactly what you are going through; or maybe these relationships will only ever deepen and heighten the problems that pre-existed the relationship. I don’t have the concrete answer to that, and I also don’t think my book has the answer to that. Rather it’s a question I was interested in raising and I’m hoping my book will open up discussions about this issue.
I do believe human connection and communication are integral and very important. Communication can often be lifesaving. And the modern world we live in is full of so many wonderful advancements that make it easier than ever to communicate and connect, but those advancements have also brought on lots of new questions. And so to that effect, I’m interested in writing books that ask those questions, not necessarily books that give answers.

Q&A with Jasmine Warga

author of My Heart & Other Black Holes

What was the inspiration behind My Heart & Other Black Holes? I started to write the book after the death of one of my closest friends and my grief served as chief inspiration. But while the novel stemmed from grief, to me, it’s really a book about love (in all its forms, especially self-love) and the importance of human connection.
 Did you have to do a lot of research for the book being as it’s such a serious subject? I actually didn’t. I mostly wrote from my own heart, gut, and experiences. The book isn’t meant to be a full study of depression, but rather a singular story about two individual people who are struggling with mental illness. All that said, my editor did have the finished manuscript reviewed by a psychiatrist and I was so happy when he said he found the book to be authentic, thoughtful, and responsible.
 What’s the one song that can always shake your bad mood?
 Is it cliché of me to say Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”? But that’s been my go to song for that recently :)
 Who was your favorite character to write and why?
 Probably Aysel for the sheer reason that I know her better than any of the other characters since I spent several months inside her head. She was my narrative companion and so I feel the closest to her. If you could pick anyone, whom would you cast in a film adaptation? Yikes! This is so hard because I’m not that familiar with many actresses and actors. I’m not sure…I really would just want two people who would try to bring the story to life with authenticity and passion. I know this is a cop-out, but if I was ever so lucky to see the book made into a movie, I’d trust the casting director!
 What three books would you recommend to readers of My Heart & Other Black Holes?
 I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson (mostly because it’s one of my most favorite books ever and got me through a really difficult period in my life), Weetzie Bat (because it’s my favorite YA book from when I was younger), and The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood because I recommend it to everyone and I want every person in the world to read it because it’s beyond amazing. What was it about this particular subject that made you want to write a book? In other words, why teen suicides? I don’t think that there was ever a moment where I sat down and decided to write a teenage suicide novel. Rather, Aysel’s voice came to me, and I became fascinated with her character, and it’s her voice and character that led me to this story. But now that it’s finished, I feel really passionate about speaking out about suicidal ideation and depression in hopes of reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.
 What’s the most challenging part of the writing process for you? Two things—the first being seeing a project through to the end. I’m notorious for giving up on things at the midway point. It’s hard for me to stay interested enough in a story to finish it. And second, endings. I find endings to be really hard as both a writer and a reader.
 In one sentence tell us why we should read My Heart & Other Black Holes? Ah! Another tough question! I guess I would love for readers who enjoy darker, quirkier stories with a dash of romance to give it a shot.
 Lastly describe your book in five words… Go! 
Quirky. Heartrending. Kinetic. Love. Understanding.