#SmallPressBigStories - Ravencave & Marcus Sedgwick

This is going to be awkward to write as I got approved for this via NetGalley and started reading the same day the news broke that Marcus Sedgwick died suddenly and unexpectedly. So, of course, reading this had a very different feel. It was the same when I read Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett so soon after his death. There was something poignant about the story and it hit much close to home because of the suddenness of Sedgwick's death. 

I was, also, in two minds own if I wanted to talk about this book so soon. I'n not sure what the publisher's plans are now for this title. But, in the end, I decided that I wanted to talk about Ravencave because it's a beautiful swansong to Marcus's writing so please forgive me for making this so short. 

Title and Author: Ravencave by Marcus Sedgwick

Publisher: Barrington Stoke

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): Bookshop.org

On a family holiday to Yorkshire due to his dad trying to trace his family roots, James is slowly watching his family fall apart. His parents bicker and his teenage brother ignores him, James sees a ghost of girl, asking him to follow her. Afraid, he runs away, but when she appears again, James decides to follow her... 

I honestly don't know where to start with this. There's a gentle gothicness to this story and, at the same time, it was poignant look at family and loss. It was just a joy to read. 

I've only ever read one of Marcus's previous titles - Midwinterblood - and I've always said I would come back to his body of work. But sadly I've never had, though I am planning to with two or three titles in mind... But before I go, I want to raise a toast to Marcus: thank you for the stories. 

Marcus Sedgwick Talks Music

I am thrilled that Marcus Sedgwick, author of Midwinterblood and his new novel She Is Not Invisible, has taken time out of his very busy schedule to write this quick post! Thank you Marcus (and thank you Nina at Indigo for setting this up!). So, with all the thank yous out of the way, let me hand it over to Marcus!

It was suggested that I write a post about the musical influences behind my new book, She Is Not Invisible, and this is a great suggestion, not only because I love music, but also because every book I’ve written has had music either hidden in it or proudly displayed in it. In my eleventh novel, White Crow, for example, I was even able to create a Spotify playlist of the songs that meant everything to Ferelith, the book’s anti-heroine.

But music doesn’t feature in She Is Not Invisible. Neither does sight. That’s because the heroine of the story is a 16-year-old blind girl, called Laureth.

There’s always a sense, when you’re writing a book, that you’re not doing it properly. One of my big hang ups is the sense that I am not describing new characters, places or scenes in general ‘fully’. It’s a kind of tyranny that we’re supposed to work to, to bring a scene ‘to life’ by our accurate description of what the characters are seeing.

Since Laureth has been blind since birth, this question simply never arose in She Is not Invisible. The whole book has to let the sense of sight go completely unused; and here’s the thing I found interesting: only when it was done did I realise that far from finding that limiting, I actually found it liberating. What a joy, for once, to be free to not talk about vision, and maybe dwell on other senses a bit more instead, sense like hearing.

And talking of hearing, music did inspire the book, though indirectly. I had been struggling to write anything for a couple of years; I simply did not know what to do any more, never mind how to do it, and during that time, I read a lot about creativity, and inspiration. I scared myself by reading about composers like Rossini who composed very little for the last thirty years of his life or Sibelius, who composed nothing for the last forty years of his. And then one day I was you tubing and came across this video of an interview and recording session by one of my favourite bands; The Mars Volta. I like this interview for two reasons, first because Cedric is so honest about having a really hard time trying to work out how to sing the song Cotopaxi (which to be fair, is in a really odd time signature), but most of all I like it for Omar describing what it is they do. They go into a recording studio, and they play. Not play as in ‘play music’, but play as in ‘have fun’, play as in ‘not work’.  That’s the key to creativity and hearing this was what finally helped me pick up my laptop again, and start writing a new book, by having fun with writing again.

So this one is for Cedric and Omar J

WHITE CROW by Marcus Sedgwich MOVIE NEWS! (& quick City Of Bones Movie News)

Let's chat about Marcus Sedgwick. As you know, I recently reviewed Marcus' latest novel MIDWINTERBLOOD and from that, I discovered that Marcus is adapting his novel, My Swordhand is Singing, into a stage play (was quite excited about that - make it come to London or Essex!). But, randomly, I discovered that the film rights to another novel of his, White Crow, has been snapped up and will begin filming as early as NEXT YEAR!

Hypable exclusively revealed the press release and it makes VERY interesting reading! Here is it in full:

Independent financier and production company Kerry, Kimmel and Pollack (KK&P) has secured the rights and will co-finance and co-produce the novel WHITE CROW, written by Marcus Sedgwick. The film will be produced and/or executive produced by Kami Garcia, NYT bestselling co-author of The Beautiful Creatures Series, Mark Morgan (The Twilight Saga), Michael Pollack (Quattrocento) & Brett Hudson (Cloud 9).

WHITE CROW is a psychological thriller that centers on a 16 year-old girl who moves to a sleepy seaside town with a deadly past, and discovers what’s on the other side of death.

KK&P plans to shoot the film in the fall of 2012 on Isle of Man, located within the British Isles.

The author, Marcus Sedgwick, has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, the Edgar Allan Poe, and the Guardian Children’s Book Prize.

WHITE CROW marks Kami Garcia’s entrance into the world of film and television production. While some Young Adult and Adult authors are currently producing their own novels, Garcia is not only producing her upcoming solo novel Unbreakable: Book 1 in The Legion Series from Little, Brown (also with Mark Morgan and KK&P), but other film and television properties as well.

Now, as I've only recently read my first Marcus Sedgwick, am very intrigued over this. I am very intrigued that one half of the Beautiful Creatures series, Kami Garcia is either produce and/or executive produce this film. As some of you LOVE the Beautiful Creatures series (I haven't read it!), it will be interesting to see what she does to it...

But I love this news! Can't wait to get my teeth into this...!

Also, random add-on and not connected with Marcus Sedgwick, is the movie vision of Cassnadra Clare's City of Bones. It has been revealed by Hypable & Mundie Moms that Marlene King is writing the screenplay. For those of you who are wondering, she is the showrunner for the Pretty Little Liars TV series! So, hopefully, the film will start getting filmed soon!

GoodRead - Midwinterblood

As you guys know, I went to the Indigo Launch Party a few months ago (if you haven't read it, click here). And after trying to find time to read them (I now sense I am going to do a huge Indigo read this November...) and failing as I read The Near Witch & Hourglass (both reviews will come in the next few weeks, FYI), I decide to grab one and read it. So, onto Twitter, I asked which book to read (I gave four or five choices) and MIDWINTERBLOOD came out the winner. I think the reason for that was I had a copy of that as a ringer-binder.

Midwinterblood. Where to start on explain this strange book...? Do you ever get the feeling you've lived a life once before? Or the feeling you've met someone before but never have? With Eric, he has that feeling. It's 2073 and Eric has arrived at Blessed Island where he meets, and falls in love with, Melee. But he has the feeling that they have meet before in a previous life... Through seven parts from seven different times, we see that it might be possible. But why is the past so important? Why is the past effecting Eric and Melee's future?

Now, I have to tell you something. Something that most book bloggers out there will be shocked over. I have never read a Marcus Sedgwick book. I know of him and I've always been intrigued but I always thought of him as Horror. And seeing as I'm not a horror person, I usually stay away...

So, when I got this for Indigo, I got quite excited but held this at a distance. And now I can say am a bit miffed with myself for not reading him sooner. It was dark, creepy, unafraid to be "grown-up" at times and, at several points, a completely mindf***. It was almost like a crime novel. You got the beginning but, as you go through the book (and through time), you began to figure things out. You saw the layers and that was interesting to suddenly go "No way!" and figure out the clues.

This novel was inspired by the painting "Midvinterblod" by Carl Larsson and after finishing the story and then going online to see it, I can see why. I like how Marcus got from this painting to the story and all it's parts (I very much like parts 2, 5 and 6. Not going to tell you what they are called - don't want to spoil it for you!).

But this is a dark, creepy novel with layers. I wish I discovered Marcus Sedgwick sooner...