Friday, August 28, 2015

A new student review of The Anatomy of Curiosity by Brenna Yovanoff Tessa Gratton Maggie Stiefvater

Star360 posted a new student review of The Anatomy of Curiosity by Brenna Yovanoff Tessa Gratton Maggie Stiefvater. See the full review.

Many readers have wondered how their favorite YA authors go about writing a novel. With The Anatomy of Curiosity, their questions can be answered in a clever, unforgettable way.

 

The beauty of this book was how fun it was to read it! I’ve read articles about how to write a book and seen videos of authors talking about their journey to publication. Those are good resources, but this book took it a step up and showed readers how it’s done. Fantasy authors Steifvater, Gratton, and Yovanoff each wrote a novella and explained to readers how they decided on the climax, the setting, a certain phrase, and all the other fidgety little details that make up a fine story.

 

Reading those notes is like watching a movie with the director’s comments on – you’re enjoying the plot, but you also get valuable insight into the making of the work. People can choose to ignore the notes completely and simply enjoy the story, which is a good idea for those who don’t want even the slightest hint of a spoiler. But I highly recommend that readers at least skim the notes, because there’s a lot to learn from the three talented women.

 

The novellas themselves were each unique and memorable. Steifvater’s was about a shy girl who reads poems for an elegant yet strange old lady; Gratton’s was about a boy at war whose love hides a great secret; Yovanoff’s was about the haunting qualities of drowning. My personal favorite was Steifvater’s ‘Ladylike,’ but all three will have an appeal for a diverse audience.

 

The Anatomy of Curiosity should be on the to-read list of anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a novel.