US Cover Reveal: The Piper's Son

The US version of The Piper's Son had a cover change for the paperback and here it is!

It looks so good. Must have it! Also, want to point out that this version is slightly different from the one appearing on Amazon (there's no red behind the bottom text). Thinking that one is the final cover, but couldn't find a high quality picture. (Replaced with final cover!) Either way, awesome job, Candlewick Press! And guess we'll find out for sure when it's released on August 14, 2012! For international readers, it can be pre-ordered at Book Depository or Fishpond.

Eva's Review: The Piper's Son

Today's review is from Eva at The Book Stoner!

"Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favorite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.

But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single pregnant aunt, Georgie, starts working at the Union pub with his former friends, winds up living with his grieving father again, and remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death.

And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them."


The Piper's Son is a sequel (more like a companion novel) to Saving Francesca but I loved it more than the first one. While Saving Francesca deals with depression, The Piper's Son shows how death changes everything and that ruined relationships that seem hopeless can be rebuilt through forgiveness and acceptance, and when one finally decides to let go of grief.

I shed a bucket of tears because of this book. I did not look all too great after reading it. Dried tears on my cheeks and neck and snot all over.

Tom's favorite uncle, Joe, died when he was overseas for a job. Since then, his life has never been the same. His mother and sister moved away when his father, Dominic, turned to alcohol and left them. All too consumed with anger and grief, Tom turns away from his friends and the love of his life, Tara. Two years after, Tom's roommates kick him out so he he's forced to live with his aunt, Georgie. The thing is, Georgie has problems of her own. She's pregnant and Sam, her long time love, cheated on her. Since she ended their relationship, she thinks she's ready to raise the child alone but the problem is she's having trouble getting over Sam because he's always been there for her when Joe died. A few weeks after, Dominic comes back and stays with her and Tom but it's not always easy staying with people who are angry at each other.

So you see, this book is full of unhappy people. Their experiences are too painful. I don't think they deserve that much pain though. They're such good and likable people that I hoped things would get better for them. I wanted (a) Dominic to admit his faults and make an effort to fix his family, (b) Tom to get his shxt together, fix his relationship with his friends, and figure out what he wants in life, and get Tara back if he's sure about her, and (c) Georgie to figure out what she wants too - patch things up with Sam or move on.

Georgie, Tom, and Dominic living together may not be the best idea, but they find in each other what they need to see so they can get better, become better versions of themselves. Alas, the ending was a happy one and so my tears weren't for naught.

I remember thinking that exact moment, I want to change the world with her... That's a pretty powerful gift you have there, Ms. Finke. To make the laziest guy around want to change the world with you. So next time you remember standing in your bedroom naked, know that it is the most amazing view from any angle, especially the one where we get to see inside.

Love always,
Always,
Tom

Melina Marchetta, I love you. You're one of the best out there.

P. S. I want to know where Jimmy Hailer is.

A fitting song?

Original review can be found at Eva's blog The Book Stoner.

Kristin Feliz's Review: The Piper's Son

Today's review is from Kristin Feliz @ GrowingUp YA!

Synopsis: Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca - but five years have passed, and now it’s Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.

-----

I've been thinking...

I should probably change the name of my blog to: The Official Melina Marchetta Fan-Girl SQUEE Site.

No?

Well, it's either that or GrowingUp Marchetta.

Hmm...I like the sound of that *grins*

Seriously though, Melina Marchetta has easily become my FAVORITE author (If you couldn't already tell). And The Piper's Son? Let's put it this way, I was making plans to re-read it long before I was even finished.

But on to my review, which I promise won't get too crazy with fan-girl squee...

Maybe.

The Piper's Son takes place five years after Saving Francesca. The tables have turned and the novel's hero is now a 21-year-old Thomas Mackee. His world has turned upside-down and if you thought he was a hot-mess before...well, you just wait!

Now I don't know how Marchetta does it, but she has this way of making you feel for these characters. They're not just paper and ink! These characters come alive and you yearn for them. Your heart breaks for them. And once their stories have been told, it becomes incredibly difficult to let go.

I'll warn you, Tom Mackee was my real love going into this novel. I lusted over his eccentric swag in Saving Francesca and I was thrilled to finally get a glimpse at the inner workings of a complicated mind. What I never expected, however, was to fall in love with Tom's aunt, Georgie, who managed to pull me through the novel.

But why Georgie??

Well, I think it had everything to do with seeing her vulnerability as an adult. I tend to forget that adults are, in fact, normal human beings who can easily muck things up sometimes. Yes, they make mistakes and no, they don't always have all the answers. Georgie's story was full of those moments. Wonderful moments that made you reflect on your own experiences and familial relationships.

Don't get me wrong, Tom Mackee will always be my boo (behind Jonah Griggs, of course) but there was this magnetic attraction to Georgie that made her stand out and stick with me.

You know what else I loved about this book, and what makes Marchetta's novels so remarkable? The woman makes you work! She'll be there to set up the pieces, but it's up to you to put them together. And how she manages to successfully combine an honest narrative with touches of irresistible humor still boggles my mind. She's brilliant!

I never in a million years would have thought that I'd end up loving contemporary novels as much as I do. Yet, here I am, completely devoted to Marchetta's written word. The woman manages to grab me with honest and raw emotion, and I can't help but be inspired by it.

The Piper's Son is a lot of things, but most importantly, it's a story about life, second chances and that little spark of hope that remains long after the world has left you in the dark.

And to you, Melina Marchetta, I thank you.

From the bottom of my book-loving heart.

Your words have never failed to inspire

and for that I am eternally grateful.

Original review post can be found at Kristin Feliz's blog GrowingUp YA.

News in Less Than 132 Minutes #2

- Melina said that this month she will be traveling to various cities in Europe to get a better feel of the landscape in Quintana of Charyn. Really cool!

- The cover for Quintana of Charyn is already in the works. Between the Lines will let us know when it will be revealed.

- Between the Lines also celebrated Aussie YA Week this past week and had a Flashback Read featuring a "sexy bus stop smooch" between Josie and Jacob from Looking for Alibrandi.

- The Piper's Son was selected as one of YALSA's 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults! Congrats to MM!

- The US paperback edition of The Piper's Son has a release date of August 14, 2012. It will have a new cover and sell for the awesome price of $7.99! Pre-order on Amazon.

- Froi of the Exiles recently received a starred review from Publishers Weekly! Another congrats!

- The cover model for the Australian editon of Froi of the Exiles is photographer Zack Ahern, and you can follow him on Twitter @ZackAhern.

- Wear the Old Coat also did a wonderful interview with Zack Ahern here. Zack answers questions about the Froi cover and his photography.

- Speaking of interviews, here are some recent and insightful ones with Melina:

> Lorraine Marwood at Words Into Writing
> Lisa at Because Writing is My Vice
> Engage / Teacher to Teacher Blog

- MM also did a guest post at Chachic's Book Nook where she talks about her love for Eugenides from The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner! And MWT leaves some comments! Huge squee!

- Remember the awesome Jellicoe map? The artist is Anna Musarra, and you can follow her on Twitter as well @frankieblythe.

- Seen lots of fanart for MM's novels lately and have to share them:

> Evanjalin and Jonah Griggs by Simini Sketches
> The Rightful Heir to Lumatere by mynameisqwerty
> Isaboe by SallenD15
> Aldron Takes a Stand, Characters, Not so simple, Sun and Moon by leabharlann

- Finally, something amazing happened on Twitter earlier this month. (Hint: Involves author Gayle Forman.) Chachic @ Chachic's Book Nook was awesome enough to take screenshots. You can view it here! OMG. It's like...a dream come true! Another fangirl moment!


That's it for this edition of News in Less Than 132 Minutes! :D I know I probably sound like a broken record, but, again, if you would like to guest post (it can be about ANYTHING relating to MM and her novels, including reviews) then send us an email at marchettafans[at]live[dot]com! We'll be happy to share it. You can read all the great Fan Posts already posted on the blog here. :)

News in Less Than 132 Minutes #1

Instead of making separate posts for each of these quick updates, I decided to start a new feature here called "News in Less Than 132 Minutes." (Maybe a bit cheesy, but I like it. hehe) These news posts will also include some updates from posts posted in the fan page in the past week or so.

- Melina Marchetta won Favorite Aussie Author in the PengTeen Awards. Congrats!

- MM shares how she got her writing process started for the day of November 18. *gasps* This proves that authors are normal people like us!

- The Piper's Son has been nominated in YALSA's Reader's Choice for Realistic Fiction. Congrats again and good luck!

- US paperback for The Piper's Son will have a different cover from the US hardcover. Cannot wait to see it!

- Froi of the Exiles is available on NetGalley for book reviewers. Here's your chance if you can't wait for the North American March release.

- The 'Lumatere Chronicles' will be published in Brazil! Awesome!

- Quintana of Charyn, the third book in the 'Lumatere Chronicles', will be released in Australia on October 2012. Yay! Less than a year away!

- Melina Marchetta might write another middle-grade novel featuring Danny Griggs, including a possible cameo from Jonah Griggs, for next year. Who else is excited!?

- She also shares some differences between the Jellioce novel and film. Love that we'll be able to experience even more Jellicoe, but in a different way!

- And MM is working with a friend on a 10-part TV series about Jessa McKenzie, 4 years after Jellicoe. So cool! Let's hope it works out! *crosses fingers*

That's it for this edition of News in Less Than 132 Minutes. Can't wait to share more exciting news next time. :)