Children's & Young Adult book reviews by a rather odd duo.
Posts tagged Meg Cabot
Author Spotlight: Interview with Meg Cabot
August 2, 2011
by Jenny
Ruby and I got the amazing opportunity to sit down and interview Meg Cabot, bestselling author of books such as The Princess Diaries! She’s a bright, spunky, and funny woman—sort of the Tina Fey of the kids’ and teen book world—and we had a great time meeting her and asking all our pesky questions, and then listening to her book talk afterward. Below is the transcription of our interview. Enjoy!
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You write books for all different ages—kids, teens, adults. How do you gauge your writing for different age levels?
I just write the same way for everybody, but I leave out the swear words. If it’s for Allie Finkle readers and usually books for teens, there aren’t any. (My editor is a little bit strict, actually.) I’ve had the same editor for all of my teen books.
I really feel when I’m writing that I’m telling a story to a friend, and I don’t censor myself appropriately because I don’t have kids, so I don’t always know what’s okay to say to them. I try to be a little more age appropriate, but when I was a kid, my parents let me read anything I wanted, and if I had a question about it, I could go ask them. I don’t feel like there’s anything you can’t talk about around kids as long as you’re willing to explain what it is. When I write for young readers, I write like the way you would talk to a nine-year-old—not talking down to them.
Speaking of young readers, we love your kids’ series Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls—Allie is such a spunky, independent character! Is she based on anybody in your life? (more…)
A Modern-day Persephone
July 28, 2011
by Jenny
Abandon by Meg Cabot (Abandon Trilogy)
“He was a death deity. I was a senior in high school. This was never going to work.”
Life in a new high school can be hard, especially after you’ve died. Luckily for Pierce, she was resuscitated, but not before she makes it to the Underworld and unwittingly catches the eye of John Hayden, a dark and broodingly handsome guy who just happens to be the death lord in charge of the traveling souls of the deceased.
In a modern-day twist on the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, Cabot has created a dark and interesting drama between a girl who is not quite the same since she drowned and a death deity who is unwilling to let her go, even in life. As Pierce finds herself in unwittingly dangerous situations, John follows her and protects her (often rather destructively), much to Pierce’s chagrin. Unsettled by his presence every time he’s near, she’s both afraid and captivated, unsure how to escape him for good and somewhat unwilling to do so. Avoiding John becomes especially difficult when Pierce and her divorced mom move to the equivalent of the Florida Keys to make a fresh start, which just happens to be a direct portal to the underworld. Oops. (more…)