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Omfatter også følgende navne: Alex Mallory, Jessa Holbrook

Serier

Værker af Saundra Mitchell

The Vespertine (2011) 369 eksemplarer
Shadowed Summer (2009) 261 eksemplarer
The Springsweet (2012) 126 eksemplarer
Out Now: Queer We Go Again! (2020) — Editor & Contributor — 103 eksemplarer
Mistwalker (2014) 101 eksemplarer
Defy the Dark (2013) — Editor & Contributor — 88 eksemplarer
All the Things We Do in the Dark (2019) 79 eksemplarer
Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder (2022) — Redaktør — 61 eksemplarer
The Elementals (2013) 57 eksemplarer
Wild (2014) 48 eksemplarer
Camp Murderface (2020) 40 eksemplarer
Breathkept (2011) 10 eksemplarer
While You're Away (2014) 10 eksemplarer
Aetherborne 5 eksemplarer
Song of Love (2015) 3 eksemplarer
Camp Murderface (2020) — Forfatter — 2 eksemplarer

Associated Works

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories (2011) — Bidragyder — 320 eksemplarer
Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction (2012) — Bidragyder — 253 eksemplarer
Grim (2014) — Bidragyder — 238 eksemplarer
Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves (2012) — Bidragyder — 112 eksemplarer
Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic (2023) — Bidragyder — 46 eksemplarer
You Too? 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories (2020) — Bidragyder — 42 eksemplarer
The First Time (2011) — Bidragyder — 31 eksemplarer

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Mitchell's debut, Shadowed Summer was a surprising hit for me that still makes me shiver whenever I think of the 'where y'at?'. Atmosphere is what Mitchell is good at and she puts it to good use in this book. The book begins at what essentially is the tail end of Amelia's story. Mitchell lays out the consequences of Amelia's actions, serving small tidbits of information that later take on new meanings.

The book is mainly set in the Spring of 1889, in Baltimore where Amelia stays with her cousins the Stewarts, but the occasional chapter will appear to speak of her present, Autumn 1889 in Broken Tooth, Maine. The book is somewhat haphazard about pacing, sometimes the plot races and the suspense is high and you can feel the adrenaline of the moment. Other times its leisurely and meandering, showing us what life was like for the working middle class of Baltimore in 1889.

While Shadowed Summer seemed to dwell on friendship, romance and secrets, The Vespertine indulged in darker ideas. Forbidden love, forbidden power and the allure of the future. What began as a harmless game to amuse her friends and perhaps set their minds at ease quickly snowballed into a situation that Zora and Amelia lost control over. At one point Amelia asks Zora if she would like to know her future and Zora responds "I want the wonder of it." (pg 242, ARC edition) and I wondered if I would want to know my future.

Its a rather tempting idea isn't it? To know how taking one invitation over another will effect me. Or to know whether or not the young man I'm eying across the hall is meant to be my true love or a big mistake. The trouble is Amelia has to go by contextual clues to understand 'when' the vision is taking place. In the case of the first one she sees for Zora, its easy--its the manner of the dress she's wearing. Later, when her powers develop further she doesn't even have that to go on.

The romance of Amelia and Nathaniel was woven throughout, a counterpoise to the excitement. He is definitely not an eligible groom. She knows this. She admits this, but they're drawn together and the reasoning is sound if a little shallow. We don't get a clear understanding of who Nathaniel is. Amelia is very much the focus of the novel and at times that means to the exclusion of all else. In one scene, in which we could have learned quite a bit about him, Mitchell instead focused on Amelia's reactions to her surroundings. To her teasing of Nathaniel and how she felt. Much of what we learn about Nathaniel feels like a reaction to Amelia.

As for the ending...tragedies come in threes. Amelia is taught a heart-breaking lesson and the 'present day' chapters take on more sense. I had hoped for a sequel and I was rewarded for that hope! The Springsweet is due out in 2012 and is a companion to this book. The Goodreads page has only the smallest of blurbs but it can be considered a spoiler for the fate of two characters.

My question to y'all: Would you want to know the future, come what may?
… (mere)
 
Markeret
lexilewords | 54 andre anmeldelser | Dec 28, 2023 |
Anyone who has grown up in a small town will understand the frustrations and limitations that Iris and her friend Collette feel. For a teen its not fun to see the same people do the same things day after day. And a graveyard is a strong temptation (one that I found irresistible at their age and in their situation). I could, despite being a decade older then either Iris or Collette, easily identify with them. Mitchell writes their reactions believably and with honesty--who hasn’t gotten tired of their friend who is constantly flirting and dragging you into their busy ‘couples’ life only to make you feel like an outsider? Or anxiety that what you had with that friend is disappearing as you grow older and have less in common?

Mitchell’s history with screenwriting is especially apparent in her attention to detail with the characters’ responses and the surroundings. The use of ‘Where y’at?’, a common local phrase from New Orleans (according to my handy dandy slang dictionary) is perhaps the most chilling part of the book for me. Each time Iris would hear it, I just got a chill down my spine and goose bumps on my arms.

An important motivating factor for the book is the friendship between Iris and Collette and how turning fourteen changed things for them. Collette was on the verge of wanting to be treated like a young woman--she wanted to primp and preen herself on the off chance a cute boy would happen by. Iris was content to keep things as they were--making up magical stories, ‘talking’ to spirits and throwing stones at the boys. As the two of them dig deeper into Elijah Landry’s disappearance--with the help from Ben, Collette’s new boyfriend--they’re both forced to confront the truth of their friendship and its future.

Shadowed Summer is sure to keep your attention from start to finish and keep you guessing as to what really happened to Elijah. In fact the resolution to the mystery forces a series of events that changes Iris’ perception of not only herself, but also of her town.

… (mere)
 
Markeret
lexilewords | 27 andre anmeldelser | Dec 28, 2023 |
Loved the concept of this anthology! I loved how each story jumped from varying time periods, and not in chronological order. Overall, I was hoping for more diversity within the queer content, specifically, but amazing concept & great short stories!
 
Markeret
Nlandwehr | 16 andre anmeldelser | Nov 6, 2023 |

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Statistikker

Værker
23
Also by
8
Medlemmer
2,005
Popularitet
#12,841
Vurdering
½ 3.7
Anmeldelser
138
ISBN
106
Sprog
7
Udvalgt
5

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