That's right! I had such a good time running a giveaway contest for Kami Kinard's book that I am now immediately segueing into ANOTHER giveaway!! Too good to be true, you say? Well, there is one catch: I'm giving this book away because I didn't like it.
I bought a hardcover copy of John Corey Whaley's novel, "Where Things Come Back," because I saw that it had won a Printz Award as well as a William C. Morris Debut Award, which of course seemed promising. I struggled to get through it, however, and came away with the feeling that the YA world must be fairly desperate for boy books. But I am not here to pan this novel or to bias you against it. Au contraire! I am here to tell you that PLENTY of others like this book, and that perhaps you will too! Kirkus Reviews, for example, calls it a poignant and hilarious story of loss and redemption which "explores the process of grief, second chances, and even the meaning of life." Well, I ask you: how much more comprehensive can one get?? Yeah. Exactly.
So here are my rules for the contest: Read whatever you want to about this book and its author. Then, leave a comment that convinces me that you have absolutely no respect for my opinion. Prove to me that this book will, at the very least, find a loving home on your shelf, and perhaps even change your life. Make me see that small towns in Arkansas, disappearing brothers, and extinct woodpeckers are, to you, the stuff of dreams. If I consider your comment the most persuasive one I receive, the book is yours. Contest ends at midnight EST on July 31st. My copy of the book is in like-new condition, and its fate lies in your hands.
LOL - too funny. I also try to re-home books that just didn't do it for me.
ReplyDeleteSince I was the lucky winner of Kami's book and it just arrived today, I'm in good shape for raeding material and will leave Mr. Whaley's book for someone else!
- Cathy
Hey, Cathy! I meant to put a note in with the book saying, "Enjoy!," but I'm sure you'll enjoy it even without the note. Please come back here and comment after you've finished it!
DeleteSusan, I truly am a bit of a book junkie, and get a natural "itch" for another book on my shelf (or next to my bed, or anywhere in one of my overflowing piles), but I'm thinking I should pass on this one. If this book is as bad as you say, I'm not sure it's worth the postage! LOL I've read some books that were incredibly bad, a few of which stand out in my mind and two of them were self-published. The first one was many years ago when I tried belonging to a writer's group. One of the authors was selling her book to us, so I bought it to be supportive. It was SO bad, I could barely get through the first few pages and literally THREW it away. I NEVER throw books away; I GIVE them away. That one I THREW away! lol The second one was by someone I know and it was, for the most part, really poorly written and if it wasn't written by a friend, I may have thrown that one away, too! Of course, for me, getting through "The Wizard of Oz" was like pulling my literary teeth and others have told me they LOVED those books lol I think it's because they read them as children while I read it for the first time as an adult/writer. If you were a "Wizard of Oz" book lover, then maybe I WOULD like the book (I adore the movie!) and your opinion won't count for much! lol Sadly, though, I already have too many books to read that have a much greater chance of being worth my time! lol If you don't get any takers and REALLY want to ship it to someone, I can give it or throw it away on my end! LOL
ReplyDeleteOh no! I was trying so hard to be tactful! Donna, I would honestly not call this book "incredibly bad" - more like "not particularly good," at least from my viewpoint. Nothing about it drew me in, but I would never throw it away, so it occurred to me that maybe I could help it find a good home. If there's one thing I've learned in my 15 years of writing for kids and trying to get published, it's how subjective literary tastes are. If you don't believe me, go online and look up some of the devastatingly bad contemporary reviews of books that are now undisputed classics. So, although of course I'm being tongue-in-cheek about this giveaway because I can't seem to help myself, I also do sincerely hope that my copy of this book ends up in the hands of someone who really loves it. Let me persist in my optimism for the next six days at least! You never can tell.
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