July 17, 2006

Book of the Week: Tithe by Holly Black

I read Holly Black’s Tithe with a little initial concern, because I wasn’t sure what age group the book was written for, or what I’d find in it. I’ve since read one description of this dark book that says it’s for ages twelve and up. I would not approve of it for any twelve-year-old that I know. Fourteen and up, yes, maybe.

Kaye, who is sixteen, has led a nomadic and sordid life traveling with her rock musician mother, who is a terrible judge of men and an over-imbiber of all kinds of substances. After a particularly bad episode, Kaye’s mother has to take Kaye to her grandmother’s house. Kaye has fond memories of the human friend she made when she lived at her grandmother’s as a younger child. Though she has never revealed this to her mother or grandmother, Kaye also made supernatural friends.

Kaye’s life seems remarkably bleak. It consists of things broken, torn, and dirty, an indifferent mother, a sometimes hostile grandmother, and petty thievery. Kaye’s only advantages seem to be her own courage, her open mind, and her will to survive. She will need all of this to live through her adventures when she enters the world of Faerie again and discovers her true nature.

There are deaths and evil aplenty in this well-written dark fantasy, which contains a vivid view of the unseelie court that is really brilliant.

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I’ve had a very busy week, which is nothing unusual. I’ve been working hard to finish ALL TOGETHER DEAD, and in the odd moments I’ve been editing stories for MANY BLOODY RETURNS, the anthology Toni Kelner and I are assembling. I’ve never been on the other side of an editor’s pen before, and though it’s a lot of work, it’s actually fun; at least, for a while. When the writers agree to be included, and when the stories begin coming in, I was really excited. Then hard reality set in; I had to do the work.

Without my able co-editor, I’d be screaming bloody murder. It’s easy to say, “There’s something wrong with this story.” It’s much harder to say, “This is a way you could fix it.”

In the middle of this came the excellent news that HBO has put “True Blood” on the schedule for late next year. Of course, this is exciting news, and I can hardly wait (like the rest of you) to find out who will be cast, and what the finished product will look like.

To cap off the week, my middle son left for his army posting. He is so young, but he’s assumed the responsibilities of a man, and I can only include him in my prayers.

I’m hoping next week will be a little calmer, and that my page count rises steadily. Writing Sookie is always fun, but the decisions I make when I’m working on her story seem to be a little more crucial than they used to be. I hope all of you enjoy the result.

Charlaine Harris