Tag: Marieke Nijkamp

A Q&A With Marieke Nijkamp!

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FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.

Are you ready to play?

Ahead of her new book coming out I was able to as Marieke a few questions about Even If We Break, writing and what she likes to read.

The new book is one that sounds perfect for the Autumn evenings with Halloween not far away – what gave you the idea for it?

I love cabin in the woods type stories, and I really wanted to write a book that centred around a roleplaying group and friendships. RPGs have always been a big part of my life, and I’d been wanting to play with them in fiction more. In this case, what happens when friendships start to shatter and a previously closely knit group goes awry.

If you could explain the book in 5 words – how would you describe it?

A roleplaying game turns deadly.

How do you plan your novels? Do you have a process you stick to?

I plot and plan a lot in advance. For this, there was an extensive timeline and lots of flashcards. I also wrote an extensive outline during edits, because it helped me and my editor keep track of everything.

What would your advice be for people who want to write and publish a novel?

Learn as much as you can. Write the books you want to read. And persevere.

What is the best book you’ve read in 2020 so far?

For YA murder mysteries: Darcie Little Badger’s Elatsoe. I’ve been recommending that book far and wide, because I love it so.

For YA that fills your heart and makes you dance: Lyla Lee’s I’ll Be The One, which is joy in book form.

For YA that makes you feel seen: Kacen Callender’s Felix Ever After, which is about love and identity and embracing who you are.

And if you’re looking for a good graphic novel recommendation: Niki Smith’s The Deep and Dark Blue, which made me cry in a good way. Oh, and also check out Kat Leyh’s Snapdragon, which is a modern type fairytale. And Kiku Hughes’s Displacement, about history and memory. And Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux’s Shadow of the Batgirl, because Cassandra Cain is the best and I’m always hear for Oracle!Babs.

Let’s just stick to seven recommendations. That’s a reasonable answer to your question, right?

Thank you to Marieke for chatting to me and Midas PR for the opportunity!

Book Review: This Is Where It Ends – Marieke Nijkamp

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This is Where it Ends - Marieke Nijkamp

10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won’t open.

10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting.

The novel centres around a school shooting, each perspective is that of someone who has been in contact with the shooter in some way or another – and they all have something to lose. A novel full of suspense, who will get out alive?

I’ve been waiting to read this novel since it was released and I finally picked it up at YALC in the summer. I’m fascinated by how an author gets into writing such a tough novel because, ultimately, there is a lot of risk of not getting it right. I believe that Nijkamp was very sensitive and has fleshed out the characters really well.

I was really pleased to see the LGBT representation in the novel, two of the characters are lesbians and dealing with their breakup as the shooting emerges. There is also a character with a disability, as well as multiple characters who are ethnic minorities – but this doesn’t feel forced at all.

I thought it was really interesting how the novel used social media within the situation. These are teenagers and what we have seen, particularly in response to Parkland, is how young people use social media. Of course, there would be tweets, people would be trying to reach people. This was a good addition on Nijkamp’s part.

The ending was terribly, terribly sad and just leaves the novel on a poignant note. The shooting is, unfortunately, just the start of many people’s nightmares. Some will have to face life without their family members, others will have to live with injuries similar to those in war zones.

I gave this novel 4 stars, this was incredibly well written and tackled an incredibly hard topic. In the current climate, more novels like this should be available to bring awareness to what can happen. If you liked Only Child, one of my top reads of the year, you will also find this to be an excellent novel.

YALC 2018 Part Two – The Book Haul!

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Well, I promised you a book haul, I just didn’t think it would be this big. I managed to pick up 20 books at YALC. Yep, Two-Zero. I’d saved some money so that I could go and not feel any guilt about buying a stack of books and I sure as hell did. I mean almost all of the books were discounted, so why wouldn’t I make the most of it!

As many of my regular readers know I loved Sarah J Maas’s ACOTAR series, so I decided to pick up the start of another of her series’ Throne of Glass, there are assassins and I’m told it’s loosely based on Cinderella. Sounds good to me. Next up was a hardcover copy of This Is Where It Ends, a novel about a school shooting by Marieke Nijkamp which I’ve wanted to read forever. Next is Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt which I’m currently reading and it’s already breaking my heart.

 

Who Runs the World by Virginia Bergin is about a distant future where a virus almost completely wiped out men. I’m not 100% sure but I’m going to give this a go. I then picked up Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee by Mary G Thompson two girls are kidnapped, one returns. Sounds chilling. I finally got hold of Trans Mission by Alex Bertie which I’ve heard really great things about, this is Alex looking back at his F to M transition. Suicide Club by Rachel Heng has been all over booktube recently. Set when humans have the secret to becoming immortal, but only if you deserve it, what could go wrong? I also picked up the A Court of Thorns and Roses colouring book, because I have no chill.

I picked up Royals by Rachel Hawkins as it just seems fun, a girl thrust into the spotlight because her sister is getting married to a Prince? Not my normal read but why not give it a chance! What Happened That Night by Sandra Block is a novel I was given for free. It’s about a woman who was assaulted at a party, years later a video of her assualt surfaces, but what will she do? Only one word needed to be said to be aboue The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton was witches. I also picked up the latest novel by Holly Bourne Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? This is the only novel I bought full price, but it is Holly Bourne.

The first stand I went to was to HarperCollins to get a copy of Vox by Christina Dalcher. This has some The Handmaids Tale vibes, where women are only allowed to speak 100 words a day. I’m both terrified and excited. Leila Sales’s novel If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say is a tale of saying the wrong thing on the internet and the consequences it can have. It helps that the cover is gorgeous. I found Night of The Party by Tracey Mathias and this one is a little too close to home, I have high expectations. It’s political and it looks like it might be pretty dark. Get excited. I don’t even know how to explain Never World Wake by Merisha Pessl. There’s a shocking death, past friends and a mysterious man. I’m hoping it’s good.

Now, Look Closer by Stewart Lewis doesn’t come out until February 2019. Yep, and I got this beauty for FREE. I think this one is going to make me cry as Tegan comes to terms with her father’s death and tries to help others. Next up, My (Secret) YouTube Life. This novel looks really interesting, the first like on the blurb is ‘What if your favourite Youtuber’s life was a lie?’ So here for it. I know, I know how could I have not read THUG yet? This is my change with a beautiful new cover to get into what people are calling Angie Thomas’ masterpiece. And FINALLY, congrats if you made it this far, Moonrise by Sarah Crossan. A novel written in verse about a family dealing with the impending execution of a man who claims he is innocent. I’ve already read it and it was incredible.

So, what do you like the look of, what should I read next? Let me know in the comments below!