I've come to expect really nothing from Absolute Boyfriend manga series besides a brainless, relaxing yet more frequently frustrating read. The fourth volume has raised the bar from ludicrous to absurd. Since I have two more books left in the series and kept wondering how the series will end (I'm told it has a surprising ending), I'll push through and finish it. Night is an obvious clear runner in the race to win Riiko's heart, but will Soshi step up to the plate?

Description (from Goodreads): While out on a date with Night, Riiko meets a boy who looks like her first crush from elementary school—Toshiki Murakami. Even though she's with Night, Toshiki seizes the opportunity to steal a kiss from Riiko.

Review: This volume of Absolute Boyfriend reminded me of all the reasons why I hated the House of Night series by P.C. Cast: an annoying, repetitive heroine and her harem of love interests. Ugh. I use to like Riiko and now I can barely tolerate her. After almost losing Night, her tailor made boyfriend, to another woman, Riiko vows to do anything to keep Night by her side. As Gasku explained in the last volume, the only fool proof way Night permanently be with Riiko is if they solidify their relationship (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). When Night takes her to a luxurious hotel (all expenses paid by his company) for their special night, Riiko keeps floundering in her decision. This whole volume is based on "will she or won't she"? Also thrown into the mix are new characters, Toshiki Murakami, who claims to be Riiko's elementary school crush and his younger brother. Toshiki seems shady and wastes no time in making advances to Riiko, who is already conflicted about her feelings for Night and Soshi. Of course Toshiki and his younger brother are not who they pretend to be and more hilarity and confusion ensues.
  Speaking of Soshi, I really wished he didn't have feelings for Riiko. I really don't see anything that's charming about her. He's such a great guy and deserves so much more. More interesting tidbits about Night's manufacturer are revealed and will Soshi finally find out what Night really is? I'll find out when I read the fifth volume.

Rating: 3 stars


Words of Caution: There is semi-nudity and sexual themes throughout this volume. Rated OT for Older Teens.



If you like this book try: Girl Parts by John M. Cusik, The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee, Absolute Boyfriend Vol 5 by Yuu Watase

  Today, I would like to welcome author Marilyn Yu to talk about her new paranormal book called Relations Suck: The Story of Eva and Dries. In the book Marilyn explores the concept of a creating a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) religion. I was intriguied by the concept and asked if Marilyn would discuss her thought process behind her concept and tells us about her book. Thanks to Marilyn for stopping by!

Creating a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) religion

First I'll start with my very, brief definition of religion. I see religions as shared belief systems that provide guidance for living and tools to keep one's values and actions aligned. Historically religions evolved as all other parts of life evolved –  whether due to people migrating to new places, learning new things, incorporating new technology, etc. Our current dominant religions seem to have stopped evolving. Many no longer constructively direct our cultural evolution. Some, I would even go so far as to say, are quite divisive and destructive. I would like to promote constructive cultural evolution, so I want to encourage people to apply their critical thinking and creativity to religion. I have found that most people understand things better if they have an example. So I am creating a religion as an example, hoping that it will inspire and empower others to rethink tradition and adapt religion to our times.

We live in a time when advances in technology are opening up traditional boundaries and we need our belief systems to help us learn to live cooperatively. The character I've created is named Eva. She is an update of the femme fatale archetype.  Her story is one of personal exploration and a struggle for self-determination. Her journey leads her to find compassion – compassion for those around her, the world, and eventually for herself. The idea for Eva's character started with me, but there are many people involved in creating her mythology. This is important because religions are shared dreams, so in order to create one, it needs to be relevant to more people than just me.

Eva is Coptic and born in Cairo in the early 14th century. Her life changes drastically when Eva gets the plague. In an effort to save her, her parents allow Eva to be turned into a vampire. For her protection, Eva is sent to a live in a convent in the desert. Here Eva learns a new way of life and finds a new family. Eventually both her biological and surrogate families die and Eva is cast out of the convent. From here Eva's path takes her to Europe and the Americas. Her way is fraught with pestilence, betrayal, violence, and greed mixed with tenderness, friendship, and appreciation. Through a life that spans many lifetimes, Eva learns acceptance and compassion. She transforms fear and awe into serenity and love.

Now, creating a religion can be a bit involved and may not be for everyone, but everyone can at least customize one. I have a few ideas to get you started:

1. Reflect on what you value and believe in. How did you come to those things? How have your values and beliefs evolved over time?
2. Examine how your values and beliefs are manifest in your life. How do they inform what you do?
3. Identify the tools or practices you use to keep your values and actions aligned.
4. Analyze your tools and practices. What works and what doesn't. How can you make them more effective?
5. Keep an open mind. Life is a work in progress and provides us with constant feedback. Remember to take the feedback just as feedback and move forward.

Discover a fable about the friendship and destiny of two timeless characters: Eva, a creative vampire who likes people, and Dries, a traveling spider who disdains web-spinning. “Relations that Suck” is a piece of art in book form that bridges the worlds of fine art, fashion, and writing. It portrays the tragedies of denial and guilt in thirty-five dramatic photographs accompanied by a poetically heartbreaking narrative. 


Thanks again Marilyn for stopping by. What do you think? Have you ever heard of DIY religion before? Readers, if you like to learn more about Marilyn and preview the first two chapters of Relations that Suck, please visit her website.

  When the Twilight phenomenon was just starting, many librarians on the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) listserve began discussing their favorite vampire stories. Many had listed The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause (who also wrote the book Blood and Chocolate) as their favorite for YA. I bought a copy of the book in a used library book sale for about fifty cents and figured I'd give it a try.

Description: Zoe is 16 and going through an extremely rough time. Her mother is dying of cancer, and her father seems to be excluding her from her mother's hospital bedside. No one dares speak to Zoe about the family tragedy. She is isolated by grief, anger and fear. When Zoe meets the alluring, enigmatic, and frightening Simon, she is surprised yet comforted that he has an uncanny ability to recognize her feelings because he too lost his mother and wants to avenge his mother's death.

Review: I'm not sure why this book is often listed in Twilight readalikes. Yes, both contain protagonists who are teens and feature vampires, but that's the extent of the similarities. The Silver Kiss is much darker in its ambiance, tone, and plot. Readers going in and expecting a romance like Twilight, as I did, will be disappointed in the book.
   Zoe is a character that I sympathized right from the start. Her mother is dying from cancer and any day could be her last. Zoe's father has grown more distant towards his daughter and spending all his time at the hospital. None of Zoe's friends want to talk about her mother either which results in Zoe keeping her grief and anger to herself. Klause does a good job in exploring the multilayer emotions that are battling inside of Zoe, which comes across as genuine.
  Unlike Zoe, I had a difficult time liking Simon. I didn't find him interesting at all. He sulks around for the most time and is probably the most passive aggressive vampire I have met so far. Like most of the vampires, I've met in books, Simon was changed against his will. He succumbs to his vampire state once he realizes that he can either die or use his new found powers to seek the one who has murdered his mother several years ago. He reminded me very much of a younger version of Louis from The Vampire Chronicles, who is also very broody and unhappy with what he is. I think the difference, for me at least, between Simon and Louis is that Simon knows what he needs to do yet is incapable of doing it. He knows and has followed the murderer for several years yet still has done nothing about it until he meets Zoe.
  There are several themes and genres that Klause plays around in The Silver Kiss, which makes the suspense uneven, the so-called love story pretty much nonexistent. There is a resolution to the book, though it does seem a bit rushed and too conveniently solved. I did love how she used the vampire figure to exorcise Zoe's complex feelings but I needed something else to balance the off kilter story.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and a  few gory scenes in the book, kinda like in the Vampire Diaries Tv series. Suitable for Grades 8 and up.

If you like this book try:  Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice or Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

  One of the reasons I love blogging is to find out new, awesome book news! I received an interesting email from Harper Teen yesterday in explaining that Michael Grant, the author of the bestselling Gone series, is working on a transmedia series. Have you ever heard of a transmedia novel? No? I haven't either. A transmedia story is an interactive narrative told through different forms such as the book itself, video, puzzles, etc. Think of it as the choose your adventure type books you when you read when you were a kid. Essentially, the reader gets to ultimately decide how much you want to delve into the story. The author wants you to be more involved with the books! The series, called Go Bzrk, will be released this winter.

Image credit to: deanashour

   Here is a snippet of the book's description from the publisher:

The missing son of a U.N. diplomat... the reemergence of a strange organization... a pair of society twins caught in the middle... this is just the beginning of "Go BZRK," a new transmedia experience from author Michael Grant.

If you're ready to take the plunge in an interactive story like you've never experienced before, visit societytwins.com and register with nexushumanus.com to take your first steps in a strange and compelling universe.

Filled with video, puzzles, community collaboration, and more, "Go BZRK" put YOU the player right in the middle of the action as you join Nexus Humanus and unravel a mystery that may hold the key to the fate of all mankind.

 I was also sent a snippet of an interview in which Michael explains how the transmedia series came about:

What is “Go BZRK”? Is this a book or some kind of interactive story?

Both. The book comes out this winter, but the interactive part starts now.  One leads up to the other, but they're part of a complete package.

Why “transmedia”?

There are different approaches to transmedia.  Most people take a single story and reproduce it on various platforms.  My philosophy has been to make each element - ARG, app, web, book - a thing unto itself, each revealing some aspect of the world of BZRK.  I've been fascinated with this is as a new way to tell stories.  The book remains central, but now I can reach beyond the book and create a much more complete world.  I can tell stories that enhance the book, and stories that parallel the book, and stories that are offshoots of backstory.  I guess the answer to "why" is "because it's fun."

Is this the future of publishing?

I began a few years ago reaching out to publishers and saying we collectively needed to understand that the old models were dead or dying.  I want publishing to survive, and of course I'd like my own career to thrive.  So Egmont Publishing and my partners and I certainly hope this is a part of the future of publishing. 

How long is this running? Is this part of a larger picture?

We'll be running this in several chunks between now and the book release this winter. Because these things have a hard start/stop point, August is a ramp-up phase. There'll be a lot of content coming out, but the experience really gets underway at the end of the month… just in time to distract the kids from their schoolwork.

What if someone wants to follow the story but doesn’t want to participate?

You don't have to do anything.  You can do one thing and not another.  But the deeper you plunge the wetter you get.  I think every part of this is fun, I think people will enjoy the ARG, the app, the site and the books. 

App? You've mentioned that a couple times now.

Just wait and see.

What can you tell us about the story? What is “BZRK”?

It's a battle for the soul and freedom of the human race carried out simultaneously in the world we know, and in a world that you're not going to expect. It's a world where if you make a false move, you're going to lose your mind.

 

 Pretty cool, huh? I'm going to sign up. I've never read a transmedia novel before and it sounds really cool. I hope you sign up too. Thanks again to Harper Teen for passing the information along!

 I thought the first two volumes of Absolute Boyfriend to be silly yet entertaining. The manga series now seems to be ludicrous and rather more disturbing. Volume 2 ended in sort of a cliffhanger and I wonder what could possibly happen next.

Description: Riiko has gone from a DOA love life to two boys vying for her attention and heart! As she and Soshi get closer together, she grows farther apart from Night who feels he can't meet his opponent. Night knows that Riiko took up a job to help pay for his fees, but decides to take a job and help Riiko with her payment. The only problem is if Night gets closer to another woman, he could be lost to Riiko forever. Between Soshi and Night, which relationship will Riiko save and fight for?

Review: I'm puzzled whether Absolute Boyfriend is suppose to be a satire or just a romantic comedy. Riiko's actions don't always make sense. The second volume presents a love triangle between Riiko, Soshi, and Night. Riiko is falling for both of her suitors and really can't make up her mind. Soshi is human and has grown up with Riiko. Night is the perfect, manufactured boyfriend. In the third volume, we learn that there are some hang ups about Night's figuration. Riiko learns about Night's wiring issues by the sleazy salesman that manufactured figures like Night named Gaku. When Riiko sees Night being extra friendly to another woman, she fears she has lost Night forever. She suddenly makes the decision that she can't live without Night and is willing to do anything to keep Night to herself.
  I felt terrible for Soshi, who is dumped like a wet towel whenever Riiko remembers about Night. Personally, I don't understand the love triangle. I mean, do you really have to think about choosing a figure or a human? Soshi continues to be suspicious about Night and he is swept into all of Riiko's drama when he is whisked away at a vacation that Gaku sets up for Night and Riiko. Night wants Soshi to be present when Riiko makes her decision as to who she loves the most. While not as strong as the last two volumes, it's a brainless, quick yet sometimes frustrating read. I'm already halfway with the series and I'm curious as how to this love triangle is solved. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is semi-nudity and sexual themes throughout this volume. Rated OT for Older Teens.

If you like this book try: Girl Parts by John M. Cusik, The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee, Absolute Boyfriend Vol 4 by Yuu Watase