(MMGM) The Boy Who Lost Fairyland Blog Tour {spolight and giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have The Boy Who Lost Fairyland Blog Tour stopping by today for Day 2 of the 4th Annual March MG Madness!

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland

(Fairyland #4)

by Catherynne M. Valente

3/3/15

Macmillan Kids

The Fairyland series is headed in an exciting direction. A young troll named Hawthorn is stolen from Fairyland by the Golden Wind, and becomes a changeling in our world, a place no less bizarre than Fairyland in his eyes. Left with a human family in Chicago, Hawthorn struggles with his troll nature and his changeling fate. 

When he turns twelve, he stumbles upon a way back home, to a Fairyland changed. An Endless Summer lies upon the land; powerful Fairies want to claim the world again—and rumors fly through the capital that ancient King Goldmouth is awakening with a terrible hunger. Hawthorn finds himself at the center of a changeling revolution—until he comes face to face with a beautiful young Scientiste with very large and ungainly feet and a mole on her left cheek, and a very big, very red assistant.

Time magazine has praised Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland books as "one of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century." In this fourth installment of her saga, Valente 's wisdom and wit will charm readers of all ages.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

Praise for previous books in the series:
Readers may wish the words were food, so they could eat them up. And they may keep reading this series for just as long as people have been arguing about Oz. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom. (Neil Gaiman, Newbery Award-winning author of The Graveyard Book)

September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic. (Tamora Pierce, author of The Immortals series)

A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy tale--full of oddments, whimsy, and joy. (Holly Black, author of the Spiderwick Chronicles)

When I say that this book reminds me simultaneously of E. Nesbit, James Thurber, and the late Eva Ibbotson, I don't mean to take anything awy from its astonishing originality. It's a charmer from the first page, managing the remarkable parlay of being at once ridiculously funny and surprisingly suspenseful. Catherynne Valente is a find, at any age! (Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn)

This is a kind of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by way of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--it's the sort of book one doesn't want to end. (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

[Fairyland creates] a world as bizarre and enchanting as any Wonderland or Oz and a heroine as curious, resourceful and brave as any Alice or Dorothy. Complex, rich and memorable. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

This book is quite simply a gold mine. (Booklist, starred review)

Amusing, wrenching, and thought-provoking. (The Horn Book)

Catherynne M. Valente is the author of over a dozen books of fiction and poetry. She lives on an island off the coast of Maine with her husband, two dogs, and an enormous cat. Visit her online at catherynnemvalente.com or on Twitter. 

Ana Juan is a world-renowned illustrator best known in this country for her wonderful New Yorker magazine covers. She lives in Spain. Visit her online at anajuan.net.

Win a finished copy of

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland!

Macmillan Kids has generously offered up one copy.

DETAILS

-US/CAN only

-ends 3/8

-must be 13+ to enter

-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen prizes

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FOLLOW ON THE STOPS ON THIS TOUR

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley Blog Tour {review, top ten list, giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley Blog Tour stopping by today!

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley

by Shaun David Hutchinson

1/20/15

Simon Pulse

Andrew Brawley was supposed to die that night. His parents did, and so did his sister, but he survived.

Now he lives in the hospital. He serves food in the cafeteria, he hangs out with the nurses, and he sleeps in a forgotten supply closet. Drew blends in to near invisibility, hiding from his past, his guilt, and those who are trying to find him.

Then one night Rusty is wheeled into the ER, burned on half his body by hateful classmates. His agony calls out to Drew like a beacon, pulling them both together through all their pain and grief. In Rusty, Drew sees hope, happiness, and a future for both of them. A future outside the hospital, and away from their pasts.

But Drew knows that life is never that simple. Death roams the hospital, searching for Drew, and now Rusty. Drew lost his family, but he refuses to lose Rusty, too, so he’s determined to make things right. He’s determined to bargain, and to settle his debts once and for all.

But Death is not easily placated, and Drew’s life will have to get worse before there is any chance for things to get better.

goodreads / amazon / b&n / indiebound / powells

Praise for The Five Stage of Andrew Brawley

"In this haunting tale of grief and recovery, [Hutchinson] spins an engrossing story, with Drew’s perceptions lending it an almost surreal, supernatural quality...further developed by violent excerpts from [the included graphic novel] Patient F."
-Publishers Weekly

“Hutchinson builds believable secondary characters and presents unexpectedly fresh plotting and genuine repartee—the conversations among Drew and his two teen friends feel particularly real and are full of insight and humor. Hutchinson remains an author worth watching.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“Dark and frequently grim situations are lightened by realistic dialogue and genuineness of feeling. [A] heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful work from a writer to watch.”
-Booklist

"The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley broke my heart, then put it back together again. I truly loved this book."
-Bruce Coville

"A wonderfully written book that is more proof that the genre of 'LGBT YA lit' simply knows no bounds."
-Brett Hartinger, author of Geography Club

"The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley is as inventive as it is moving. A beautiful book."
-Trish Doller, author of WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE

Andrew Brawley is running from Death. Which isn’t easy when he was meant to die the night his family did and he now lives hidden away in a hospital. Andrew works in the hospital cafeteria, has made friends with the nurses, hangs out in the Pediatric ward, and at night, returns to a forgotten section of the hospital. He’s mastered the art of invisibility, which comes in handy when Death herself roams the same halls. But when hate crime victim, Rusty, comes into the ER one night, Andrew isn’t sure he wants to be invisible anymore.

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley is an intensely emotional, oddly beguiling novel about life, death, and love. With a darkly quirky premise and intriguing storytelling, Shaun Hutchinson creates a captivatingly surreal atmosphere. The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley isn’t fast-paced, instead the story unfolds gradually, never revealing too much too soon. And this slower pace really works well, allowing readers to get to know Andrew and his story in a way that isn’t overwhelming and feels natural. Hutchinson’s storytelling is eloquent without being over the top, both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply emotional, poignant and profound without being overdone. The entire novel takes place inside a hospital and, while this certainly makes for an interesting setting, it’s the people inside this hospital that really make the story what it is.

Hutchinson has filled his novel with an eclectic array of characters, from insightful Andrew to his amusing nurse companions, endearing friends in the Peds ward, his more-than-meets-the-eye coworkers, and Death herself. These are characters that we get to know intimately and feel very real, sometimes painfully so. Andrew is a wonderfully messy, honest, and likable character that made me laugh, made me think, and both broke and warmed my heart. The friendships and relationships Andrew makes in the hospital are so important to his characterization and story, and I really loved them all. Andrew does get a romance of his own with Rusty and, while this romance is certainly sweet, it is far from cliche.

Is Death real or merely a metaphor or just Andrew’s way of dealing with his family’s deaths? I don’t know and I like that I don’t know. Like in life, Hutchinson doesn’t provide easy answers and simple outs. I also want to mention the awesome graphic novel illustrations throughout The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley, which make the perfect companions to Andrew’s story.

My Final Thoughts: With a fiercely unique premise, effective storytelling, and unforgettable characters, The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley will enthrall readers and leave them thoughtful.

MY RATING

4/5 yummy cupcakes

Top Ten LGBT YA Characters

by Shaun David Hutchinson

1.   Teeth from Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

2.   Joey from Winger by Andrew Smith

3.   Cass from A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

4.   Ben and Cillian from The Knife of Never Letting Go and Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

5.   Petra from Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

6.   Enki from The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

7.   Robbie from Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

8.   Noah from I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

9.   Dante from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

10. Joph from When We Wake and While We Run by Karen Healey

website * goodreads * twitter * facebook * blog

I’m Shaun David Hutchinson, you can call me Shaun. Or Hutch.  I’ll respond to anything.  I’m the author of books for young adults, the first of which was The Deathday Letter, and the most recent of which are The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley (out 1/20/2015) and the anthology Violent Ends (Fall 2015).

I was born in West Palm Beach, FL, and grew up in Jupiter, FL where I’ve lived most of my life save for a couple of adventures in Atlanta and Rhode Island.  I always knew I wanted to be a writer but it took me a long time to figure out I could be one.  I’ve been a database developer, managed a wine company, slung coffee at Starbucks, and once spent a creepy month working in a statuary.  Luckily, that was before I’d seen the Weeping Angels on Doctor Who.  I studied literature in college where I fell in love with Beowulf and Chaucer and gothic literature.  I also studied emergency medicine at one time and insurance at another.  Currently, I work in IT and fill my remaining hours with freelance web design, database design, and editing.

(this is a blog tour wide giveaway)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full blog tour schedule

March 2nd ~ Word Spelunking  – Review/Top Ten

March 2nd ~ Unconventional Librarian – Guest Post

March 3rd ~ The Cover Contessa – Top Ten/Playlist

March 3rd ~  Reads All The Books – Review

March 4th ~ What A Nerd Girl Says – Author Interview/GP

March 4th ~ Bookish - Debbie  – Review

March 5th ~ Beth - Fangirlish – Review

March 5th ~ The Reading Date – Review

March 6th ~ Book Chic – Review

March 6th~ Pixie Vixen Book Reviews  – Review

March 6th ~ Books a' la Mode – Review

4th Annual March Middle Grade Madness

WELCOME TO THE 4TH ANNUAL MARCH MIDDLE GRADE MADNESS

I am so excited to get this year's March MG Madness started! If you're new here, the March MG Madness is a month long celebration of all things Middle-Grade, full of giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts, and more. Be sure to check out the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd March MG Madness events.

THIS year's event is going to be spectacular, with SO many amazing middle-grade authors stopping by all month. There will be new books and authors showcased each day this month, so be sure to stop by everyday in March. And I hope y'all enter all the fabulous giveaways (there is no limit to how many you can win, so enter them ALL!).

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every author and publisher who is participating this year, because without y'all, this event wouldn't be possible!!!!!

Below, you will find the schedule for this year's event, with links to each post updated daily:

3/2: The Boy Who Lost Fairyland Blog Tour- spotlight, giveaway
3/3: The Real Boy by Anne Ursu- review, giveaway
3/4: Wish Girl by Nikki Loftin - review, giveaway
3/5: Platypus Police Squad: Last Panda Standing by Jarrett Krosoczka- guest post, giveaway
3/6: Countdown Zero by Chris Rylander- review,interview, giveaway
3/7: Lockwood & Co Series by Jonathan Stroud- spotlight, giveaway
3/7: Anni Moon & the Elemental Artifact by Melanie Abed- spotlight, giveaway
3/8: Henry Hubble's Book of Troubles by Andrew Myer- review, interview, giveaway
3/9: The Wollstone Craft Detective Agency by Jordan Stratford- review, interview, giveaway
3/10: Flunked Blog Tour- review, spotlight, giveaway
3/11: Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler- interview, review
3/12: Hillary Homzie- guest post
3/12: Honey the Dixie Dingo Dog by Allen Paul- spotlight, giveaway
3/13: Shadow Scale Blog Tour- review, giveaway (not a part of the MMGM)
3/14: Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale - spotlight, giveaway
3/15: Fluffy Bunnies 2 by Andrea Beaty- review, interview, giveaway
3/16: Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions by Sheila Grau- review, interview, giveaway
3/17: Hades Speaks, Anubis Speaks, Cleopatra by Vicky Schecter- review, guest post, giveaway
3/18: Frank Einstein and the Electro Finger by John Scieszka- review, interview, giveaway
3/19: Labyrinth Society by Angie Kelly- review, interview, giveaway
3/20: Hook's Revenge Series by Heidi Schultz- guest post, giveaway
3/21: Alistair Grimm's Odditorium by Gregory Funaro- review, giveaway
3/22: The Case of the Cursed Dodo by Jake G. Panda- interview, giveaway
3/23: My Life in Dioramas by Tara Altebrando- review, interview
3/24: Rutabaga, the Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal- interview, giveaway
3/25: Clementine Series by Sara Pennypacker- interview, giveaway
3/26: The Dungeoneers by John Anderson- review, interview, giveaway
3/27: The Telling Stone by Maureen McQuerry- review, giveaway
3/28: Jinx Series by Sage Blackwood- interview, giveaway
3/29: Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose- interview
3/30: The Second Guard by JD Vaughn- interview, giveaway

I hope everyone has fun during this event