Tag Archives: Entangled
The brilliant review blog did you ever stop to think has written an absolutely glowing review of Torn by Cat Clarke.
Heart-stoppingly tense and palpably taut, “Torn” by Cat Clarke is outstanding. . .
It’s a fine art in a book of under 200 pages to pack in this much light and shade to your characters and Clarke achieves it. And more. She brings a rounded definition to what could be the most superficial of characters and she does it so bloody well.
This was a book that I couldn’t put down. Genuinely.
“Torn” is breathless. It’s a tight, tense and twisty psychological thriller that transcends what YA can do. And that last little moment of it, that quiet little moment at the end of all that has gone on, is just a stomach punch which underlines the brilliance of this book.
Read the review in full over on did you ever stop to think.
Last week our wonderful YA debut author Cat Clarke addressed no less than eight school across Bristol, London and St Albans – yes I do make her work hard!
It was fantastic to meet the people who promote children’s books for the sheer love of it: the teachers, librarians and parents who took time out of their day to drive us around, bring us tea and prop us up when required. Their enthusiasm was matched – and even surpassed – by that of the kids who bombarded Cat with their questions and comments…
Many wondered if a film version of Entangled would be made – are you listening Hollywood?
Thanks to all the schools involved for making us feel so welcome, and looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Niamh Mulvey, Children’s Books Press Officer & Editorial Assistant
The lovely Daunt Books of South End Road, Hampstead was packed with YA fans from as far away as Sweden last night to celebrate the launch of Cat Clarke’s Entangled.
This unflinching story of teenage love, loss and friendship has generated a huge buzz online, with reviews from bloggers across the world and even an online launch party hosted by a fan who couldn’t be there last night. So it was particularly special to see all this digital excitement embodied in real live wine-drinking flesh and meet the bloggers who have championed Cat’s work from the beginning.
We were expecting a decent crowd, in the end you could barely squeeze between the bookshelves!
We were also very honoured that our strikingly gorgeous cover girl came all the way over from Sweden to be here-her first time in London (see pic). A special evening for a special book-thanks to all who made it!
The wonderful Sarah who blogs at http://www.feelingfictional.com/ took some fantastic pics – which you can see here. Check out those cupcakes, made ‘em myself, really!
Niamh Mulvey, Children’s Editor
We’re all hugely excited around here about Cat Clarke’s Entangled which – promise me! – has to be the very first book you buy in the New Year.
And, you know, we’re not the only ones to be getting into a lather…
Already, the interweb is literally abuzz with Entangled chatter, the latest of which is a great interview with Ms Clarke via Daisy Chain Book Reviews blog:
DCBR: I know you like to tweet! Can you describe Entangled in just one tweet (140 characters or less)?
CC: Grace wakes up in strange white room and must struggle to make sense of the tangled relationships in her life. Story includes two hot boys.
I think you’ll find there’s one whole character to spare there. Although it took me WAY longer than it should have.
DCBR: Learning that your book is going to be published must be very exciting. How did you celebrate when you learned that Entangled was going to be published?
CC: It was massively exciting. On the actual day I just went home and sat on the sofa in a sort of daze. Over the next few weeks there may or may not have been some champagne consumed. I also bought myself a yay-your-book’s-being-published necklace, which I wear most days…
Read the whole interview over at the Daisy Chain Book Reviews blog.
Ask any author about book covers and you can guarantee they’ll have a horror story to tell – a cover they hated, a cover that misrepresented the book, a cover that should NOT have been pink.
Ask any editor about book covers and you can guarantee they’ll have a horror story to tell – a cover they adored but Sales & Marketing abhorred, a cover they abhorred but Sales and Marketing adored, a cover they had to convince the author was ‘best for the book’ (even though they personally couldn’t bear to look at it unless they were in a darkened room).
Ask any designer about book covers and they’ll have the worst horror stories of all. It’s probably best not to ask.
Every author has an idea of how they think the cover of their book should look. The chances are they are WRONG. I know I was. You just have to hope and pray and put your trust in the publisher. They know best (or so you keep telling yourself). You wait and you wait. And you wait some more. Then the moment arrives when the jpeg lands in your inbox. You take a deep breath and click the mouse. Your eyes are half closed, a wince is ready to spring onto your face at a moment’s notice…
And then you see this:
Your first thought is THANK GOD. Your second thought is THIS IS NOTHING LIKE I IMAGINED IT WOULD LOOK. Your third thought is THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAVE EVER SEEN.
I consider myself very lucky to have a cover I adore for my first novel. I’m pretty damn fussy when it comes to book covers. There aren’t that many that I love unconditionally. When a cover is so strong that it practically leaps from the bookshop shelf and slaps you round the face, it’s pretty special.
Here are a few of my current YA favourites:
I like each of them for very different reasons, but they do have something in common: they’re all noticeable and impactful from twenty paces. You don’t need to hold them three inches away from your face to see what makes them so special. The Ask and the Answer cover looks even better in real life with its foiled loveliness.
This is something that publishers are having to think about, as more and more books are being sold online – is it really worth spending the extra money on special finishes like foil or embossing or spot UV when all the customer sees before they buy is a tiny image on their computer screen?
I try not to judge a book by its cover, I really do. But it makes me happy when a wonderful book has an equally wonderful cover. It only seems fair.
Cat Clarke’s debut YA novel, Entangled, is published in January.
