Book Recommendations: WOLF BY WOLF and BLOOD FOR BLOOD by Ryan Graudin

My library has a small what's-new-in-YA shelf tucked into one of its back corners, and it's a testament to how much I love YA that I'm willing to drag my six-month-old back there, chubby cheeks, car seat, and all. That was how, a month or two ago, I stumbled across Ms. Graudin's WOLF BY WOLF, and I loved it so much that I immediately reserved BLOOD FOR BLOOD.

Though my library must have just acquired it, WOLF BY WOLF actually came out back in 2015. It's an alternate-reality sci-fi in which the Axis powers actually won World War II. Now, more than a decade later, they sponsor an annual motorcycle race for young German and Japanese riders that spans Europe, Africa, and Asia. Yael, a Jewish girl who escaped a concentration camp after Nazi experiments turned her into a shapeshifter, has been training for this race for what feels like her whole life. As a member of the floundering resistance that tried--and failed--to topple Hitler during World War II, she has to win the race to come face to face with the Fuhrer, who only appears in public once a year, at the victor's ball. A live-streamed assassination, one the regime can't cover up, is the catalyst they need to turn their floundering resistance into a full-blown revolution. She has the skills to pull it off--if the secret ex-boyfriend and the overprotective twin brother of the girl whose skin she's borrowing don't throw her off her game.

I'm a huge fan of historical sci-fis, so I probably would have liked this book even if Ms. Graudin hadn't executed it as well as she did. Despite the pages of backstory the plot had to fill us in on, the story never got bogged down, and the characters were both interesting and well-developed, with crisscrossing objectives and personalities that clashed as often as they got along. I was particularly drawn to Yael. I like my YA characters on the maturer side, and she turned out to be as mature and focused as they come.

Have you read WOLF BY WOLF and BLOOD FOR BLOOD? If so, what did you think? And if you've read any of Ms. Graudin's other books, which one should I try next?

An Interview + A Giveaway = A Must-read Post

Many thanks to Michelle Mason, critique partner extraordinaire, for interviewing me about EARTH TO DAD! Michelle always has great insights on the books she reviews, and the questions she asks are just as thought-provoking. Definitely check out the interview, and don't miss the signed hardcover giveaway at the bottom of the post!

EARTH TO DAD Blasts Off!

It's been almost three years to the day since I last had a book come out, so I'm over the moon--pun intended--to launch--pun intended again--EARTH TO DAD today. To celebrate this new release, I'm hosting a party at my home this Friday, August 3, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. If you'll be in northern Utah and we've met in real life, feel free to e-mail me for my address!

About EARTH TO DAD:

"The distance between Earth and Mars is more than just physical.

"No one knows that better than eleven-year-old Jameson O’Malley. When Dad left for Mars, Jameson thought technology would help shorten the millions of miles between them, but he’s starting to realize no transmission can replace his father.

"When a new family moves onto Base Ripley, Jameson makes an unlikely friend in Astra Primm, who’s missing a parent of her own. But as their friendship grows stronger, Jameson starts seeing the flaws in his own family. Mom is growing distant, and something is wrong with Dad. He’s not sending transmissions as frequently, and when he does there are bags under his eyes.

"Soon Jameson realizes there’s more to the story than he knows--and plenty people aren’t telling him. Determined to learn the truth, Jameson and Astra embark on a journey exploring life, loss, and friendship that will take them to the edge of their universe."

I got my author copies in the mail the other day, and with the metallic leaf on the dust jacket and the beautiful endpapers, the hardcovers are absolutely gorgeous, some of the prettiest books I've ever seen. It's too bad the trade reviewers couldn't review the book itself (but they still said some lovely things about the words on the inside):

"Well-paced and rich"

--Foreword

"Strong character development and plotting keep the pages turning
as the two friends risk all for each other"

--Booklist

"A solid choice for upper elementary and middle school students who want dystopia
but are not ready for the intensity and violence that defines the YA offerings in the genre"

--School Library Journal

"Van Dolzer uses her apocalyptic setting to highlight this story of grief,
creating believable, likable child characters"

--Kirkus

I'll be hosting several giveaways over the next couple of months, and the first one starts right NOW. If you buy EARTH TO DAD in any way, from anywhere, e-mail evidence (like a picture of your receipt with your card number scribbled out) to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com, and you'll be entered to win a signed ARC of my next release, THE MULTIPLYING MYSTERIES OF MOUNT TEN! This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents and closes in two weeks, on Wednesday, August 15, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (or 8:59 p.m. PDT). I'll announce the winners the next day.

AMAZON | B&N | BAM | INDIEBOUND | !NDIGO | POWELL’S | GOODREADS

Thanks so much for sharing another book birthday with me!

A New Title, a Cover Reveal, and a Signed ARC Giveaway

I'm excited to announce Clyde the Second's new title--THE MULTIPLYING MYSTERIES OF MOUNT TEN--and to share the cover reveal, which debuted yesterday on the Pop! Goes the Reader blog. The inimitable Iacopo Bruno perfectly captured the book's tone in this awesome work of art, so definitely go and check it out. And while you're there, don't miss the signed ARC giveaway at the bottom of the post!

Introducing Gummy Bear

She's feistier than she looks

I'd like you to meet Gummy Bear, the latest addition to our biological series, which just officially got bumped from a trilogy to a saga. She was born on Wednesday, April 18, at 1-2-3-4 p.m., weighing seven pounds, five ounces and measuring twenty inches long. The delivery went really well, and so far, my recovery has gone really well, too.

Having a newborn again has been a little surreal. Even though we knew what to expect, we weren't mentally or emotionally prepared deal with a screaming tyrant who patently refused to sleep. Thank goodness for caring friends and family who've brought us meals, held Gummy Bear while we napped, ferried our other kids to school, and even straightened up our kitchen. The Christlike service they've performed will not be soon forgotten.

One thing I'm trying to do is savor this time with Gummy Bear. Though I can't say for sure that we're well and truly done, I CAN say for sure that this one feels like the last, so it's very possible that these are the last times I'll change diapers, get puked on, and bounce a baby up and down--and up and down and up and down--in the middle of the night. Hopefully, this perspective has made me more compassionate, more patient, more at peace. It's so easy to get lost in the throes of parenthood when you're down there in the trenches, but caring for a tiny person who can't yet take care of herself is one of this life's greatest and most rewarding honors.

There, that's more like it

My First Foreign Rights Deal EVER

Super excited to announce that EARTH TO DAD is going to be published in mainland China!

As the title of the post implies, this is my first foreign rights deal EVER, so I'm still geeking out about it. I honestly can't wait to hold the Chinese version in my hands.

A huge shout-out to Brent--who, you may not know, is also his agency's subsidiary and foreign rights director--whose hard work and dedication totally brought this about. And a huge shout-out to Uwe, whose top-notch mentoring put Brent on this path. I feel so fortunate to have landed at Triada.

EARTH TO DAD's Cover Revealed

Over on the Kidliterati blog, so definitely go and check it out!

Ms. Podos Picks Her Winners

Without any ado, here are Ms. Podos's winners (with her thoughts in orange):

#9 UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY: "The query did a good job of capturing a fantastical plot with multiple surreal elements, which can be so hard to summarize, and the opening page drew me in with its voice, detail, and delicate sorrow."

#10 THE LIBRARY OF UNSPOKEN THINGS: "The query was polished and told me what I needed to know about the character, her arc, and the stakes. Charlotte’s voice shone in the opening scene--she’s a character I want to follow. And I do love an f/f element. :)"

Both UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY and THE LIBRARY OF UNSPOKEN THINGS win requests for the first 3 chapters!

Congratulations, winners! Please e-mail me at kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com for details on how to submit your materials.

Lastly but never leastly, thank you to Ms. Podos for taking the time to read and critique these entries, and thank you to YOU for taking the time to do the same. Best of luck with your other queries, and if you have a few spare minutes, do come back tomorrow for the cover reveal of EARTH TO DAD!