Thursday, August 6, 2009

Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce is a bestselling author of fantasy books for teenagers. Her books, known for their teenaged girl warriors and wizards, have received critical acclaim and a strong fanbase. Bloodhound, the second book in her Beka Cooper series, was released in April 2009.

I recently asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
Trigger by Susan Vaught

This is a fascinating book about Jersey, who’s home a year after he tried to kill himself with his dad’s gun. His brain and physical damage pose interesting challenges: a tendency to speak whatever words pop into his mouth, difficulty interpreting what people mean, the loss of the year before his attempt as well as parts of his year in the hospital after it. His parents’ marriage is in danger as they try to cope with him at home; his former best friend is furious with him for reasons he will not explain, while his friend’s younger sister has grown up into a beauty who’s willing to give Jersey a chance, and their grandmother is the only person who will speak to him honestly. It’s plain Jersey wasn’t the best kind of human being before his suicide, but it’s also plain that if he can fight his way free of the ghost of who he was and the expectations of those who think he’s useless because of those two big scars on his head, he’ll make himself into a really interesting man. I read and liked this book several years ago, but it was long enough, and enough books past, that I don’t remember the plot, so I’m ready to be surprised all over again. I picked it up after reading Vaught’s Big Fat Manifesto, which I also liked.
Read more about about Tamora Pierce and her work at her website, LiveJournal, and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue