Mundie Moms

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Wrap Up List by Steven Arnston: Guest Post / Book Review / Giveaway

I'm excited to have The Wrap-Up List author Steven Arnston on the blog today. His newest release was recently published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, and can be purchased at your favorite neighborhood book store. Before I share Steven's own Wrap Up List, here's a little bit about his book. 


In this modern-day suburban town, one percent of all fatalities come about in the most peculiar way. Deaths—eight-foot-tall, silver-gray creatures—send a letter (“Dear So-and-So, your days are numbered”) to whomever is chosen for a departure, telling them to wrap up their lives and do the things they always wanted to do before they have to “depart.” When sixteen-year-old Gabriela receives her notice, she is, of course devastated. Will she kiss her crush Sylvester before it’s too late?

Friendship, first love, and fantasy artfully mesh in this magically realistic world that ultimately celebrates life




His Own Wrap-Up List
by Steven Arntson

In the universe of my novel The Wrap-Up List, regular people are occasionally contacted by Death, via letter, a week or so ahead of their demise. High schooler Gabriela’s response to her “Death Letter” is to create a Wrap-Up List of the things she’d like to accomplish in her final days. She’s a little stuck for ideas at first, because death hadn’t really been on her mind. When I was sixteen, I’d have been taken by surprise, too.

Though I wasn’t ready for death, I do recall feeling pretty disillusioned about life during my teen years. I was starting to see through the facade of a few things, and that sense would surely have impacted the items on my list. I hope you’ll indulge me having some fun at my own expense here, imagining what I might have put on a Wrap-Up List back in 1989....


1. BECOME THE LYRICIST FOR PINK FLOYD

At sixteen I thought Pink Floyd was the greatest band in the history of music. I’d have jumped at the chance to become their new lyricist. We’d go into the studio the same day and compose the most amazing concept album since The Wall. No joke, I really did plan for this when I was sixteen, and really wrote some lyrics for Pink Floyd (though I never tried to contact the band).

2. ENACT SWEEPING REFORMS AS KING

Next, I’d become king. It would only take one afternoon, I think, to enact the reforms necessary to create a utopian world society. First, I’d abolish money. Second, I’d … well, I’m sure something would occur to me.

3. FALL IN LOVE

Once I’d reformed the world and been catapulted to fame via the pairing of my insightful lyrics with the massive psychedelic grooves of Pink Floyd, I’d meet a brilliant, disaffected girl who understood me on a deep level. The sun would set while we looked out over a commanding view of the suburb we’d been raised in, and we’d recite lyrics from Dark Side of The Moon....

4. IT TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT

Lastly, it would turn out that I was right about everything I’d ever been told I was wrong about. Events, word definitions, who-did-what-when, unfounded opinions—all of that stuff. A list would appear on the front page of the newspaper with the headline, “We Were Wrong. Steven Was Right.”

5. PARDON

In the world of The Wrap-Up List, Death has a secret weakness, and will give you a clue toward it if you ask. If you guess the weakness, you’ll be let go. I would definitely ask. And because IT TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT (#4), it would turn out I was right!

*
It’s been a long time since I was sixteen. I’m almost forty now, but I remember clearly how much I wanted to be a good person, growing up. Issues of morality and ethics were forever on my mind. I wanted to find a realistic rightness, something that wouldn’t crack under pressure and that could move forward hopefully, even when things seemed bleak. When I was sixteen, I tried to use writing as a tool in that effort. I’m still trying now. If I made a Wrap-up List for myself today it might look different in some particulars from the one above, but underneath it would still be animated by my wish to make the world a better place, even in a small way. And joining Pink Floyd, too. I mean, why not?

************

Thank you Steven for stopping by Mundie Moms today. 

About the Author:
I'm a writer and musician who lives in Seattle, Washington. I was born in Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle, in 1973. I've been interested in the arts for most of my life, especially writing and music. I attended Fairhaven College in Bellingham, a school that allows students to create their own majors, where I studied writing, music, and visual art. I later enrolled in the fiction program at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and graduated in 2000. I moved to Seattle with my wife, the composer and musician Anne Mathews, where we live now. I've published two books for young people: The Wrap-Up List (Houghton Mifflin, 2013) and The Wikkeling(Running Press, 2011). I perform music frequently, both as a soloist and with various Seattle-area ensembles. 

You can catch Steven on his: Website | Twitter | Facebook 



My thoughts on the book:

This is a book that caught my attention based on it's synopsis alone. Yes I am totally intrigued by YA books that have death as a character. I don't know what it is about that, that intrigues me, but it does. More interesting in this story is that Death doesn't just unexpectedly come calling. No, you know when you're being requited, because you get a lovely read envelope in the mail with a letter telling you when your departure from life with be. Our story starts when 16 year old Gabriela gets her letter. 

What would you do if you received your departure notice, aka death letter? Well I'd hope if I got something like that and knew I had one week left I would be like Gabriela and create a Wrap Up list. A short list of things I'd want to have accomplished so see happen in the week I had left. That's exactly what she does. I loved her list. Being sixteen Gabriella's was mostly about first kisses. For her, for her friends, and then of course a pardon. Because who wouldn't want to be excused from Death. Despite Gabriella only have 7 days till Death comes, I loved that Gabriela was determined to continue living. She enjoyed all the little moments with family, and friends. She didn't give up, but treasured all the priceless moments more, as well as plotted how she was going to get out of her departure, not something easily done. 

Here's the thing about this book, though it does talk about death, this book is anything but dark. Steven Arnston added the right amount of light humor to this story to make it both funny, and slightly moving at times. That really worked for this book. Okay well that and the fact that Gabriela is a bit of a spunky girl, and she's not one to take her impending departure lightly, so she comes up with a plan to out smart Death. The combination of having those realistic moments with family and friends, combined with the right amount of humor made this book a quick, fast paced read, when it easily could have gone down a darker road that wouldn't have been very enjoyable to read. I also liked how Steven was able to give his YA debut both a contemporary and slight supernatural feel to it. 

Gabriella has a great cast of characters who support her. From her parents, to her friends, and even her crush, Sylvester. My biggest compliant with this story is that I didn't feel like I really got to know any of them. I'm a reader who is character driven, and I want to feel like I either got to know the characters or at least connect with them on some level, and I didn't feel like I got either of these with this book. Don't get me wrong, this was still a good, quick read, but for me personally I wanted more than just the surface of each character. Over all, this was a good read, and it's one I'd recommend picking up if you're looking for a good read. 

The Giveaway:
Thank you to the publisher, I've got 1 copy of The Wrap Up List to giveaway! To enter, just leave me a comment below! Standard giveaway rules do apply. Good luck!

11 comments:

  1. Ooh, I like that cover. I'm so glad that sixteen-year-old Gabriela is not a floating kiss-y face or a headless body in a diaphanous dress.

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  2. This sounds like a really good book. I love the premise of it, and I'm glad that it wasn't dark when the topic has potential to make it that way. It's too bad that you didn't really feel like you connected with the characters at all. That's a big thing for me when reading. I'm glad you still enjoyed it though. Great review!

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  3. This sounds like very dark and introspective read. Despite you not having connected with the characters, I still would very much like to read it. Thanks for the great feature and review.

    twistingthelens(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. This book sound so good and really different from anything that I have read. I can't wait to read it! :)

    laughs4life14(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  5. I'm new to Steven Arntson, so thank you.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  6. Interesting premise, and glad it's not dark. Added to my potential books list!

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  7. The title itself is already interesting!! :) Congrats on the book, Steven! :)

    rachelanniramos AT gmail DOT com

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  8. I'm a character-driven reader too, but the premise on this one sounds cool enough that it might be enough to convince me otherwise (at least temporarily).

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

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  9. I really like the simple cover. :) Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    fangirl_hostess(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  10. I haven't heard of this novel yet, but it sounds great! Thanks for the giveaway!

    pherlaithiel (at) gmail (dot) com

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  11. I LOVED this book. I'm really hoping it gets the attention it deserves. Steven's wrap-up list was fun. Making sweeping declarations does sound rather enjoyable. I'd probably make everybody read :P

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