Review of AFTER THE END by Amy Plum

Juneau has lived her entire life separated from a world she believes was destroyed years ago. But when her tribe is suddenly taken, she discovers that the world is much bigger than she thought. On a desperate quest to find her family and bring them home, she encounters a boy her age named Miles who is more than happy to help as long as it serves his purposes. In a story about secrets and betrayal, Juneau must fight for what she believes in, even when everything she's ever known has been a lie.

I was intrigued by the concept of After the End by Amy Plum from the moment I read about it. This isn't your typical post-apocalyptic novel because you have a character who thinks she's living after the destruction of the world only to discover that she's been lied to. And, of course, the question is why. That question and many others drive this story ever forward. I started reading the book and in two days I was finished because I felt like I couldn't put it down.

This is very much a journey story. Juneau travels a great deal to try to find out the truth, and some of the truth she discovers is more heartbreaking than the initial discovery that her family's been lying to her for her whole life.

I haven't even mentioned Juneau's weird ability to interact with nature. It's interesting, and it's necessary for the plot of the story because she uses it a lot.

I was a bit disappointed with the end of the story until I found out it was part one of a series. I look forward to reading the rest of the story when it comes out next year.

Review copy provided by HarperTeen

Review of SCREENWRITER'S COMPASS by Guy Gallo

Title: Screenwriter's Compass

 

Author: Guy Gallo

 

Publisher: Focal Press

 

What It's About: Screenwriter's Compass is a book about writing a screenplay with particular focus on the character dimension of a story.

 

Why I Read It: I love screenwriting, and this book's subtitle, Character as True North, got my attention.

 

What I Liked About It: This book covers a lot of different aspects of screenwriting, and while it's about character, it talks about so much more. I was surprised to learn about treatments and adaptations in this book. The book presents its information in small little chunks, which makes it a great read a little bit at a time. There's important info about screenplay structure. The part I loved the most was the section on revision. There's so much practical advice in this section that will make you a much better screenwriter. It discusses writing better dialogue, descriptions, and much more. It's a really helpful little book on the craft of screenwriting, and I would recommend it.

Review copy provided by Focal Press

 

Where You Can Buy It: Amazon.com