The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories

by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, Brenna Yovanoff

Overview

From acclaimed and New York Times best-selling YA authors Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff comes The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories.

• A vampire locked in a cage in the basement, for good luck.
• Bad guys, clever girls, and the various reasons why the guys have to stop breathing.
• A world where fires never go out (with references to vanilla ice cream).

These are but a few of the curiosities collected in this volume of short stories by three acclaimed practitioners of paranormal fiction.

But The Curiosities is more than the stories. Since 2008, Maggie, Tessa, and Brenna have posted more than 250 works of short fiction to their website www.merryfates.com. Their goal was simple: create a space for experimentation and improvisation in their writing—all in public and without a backspace key. In that spirit, The Curiosities includes the stories and each author's comments, critiques, and kudos in the margins. Think of it as a guided tour of the creative processes of three acclaimed authors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467716239
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2014
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Tessa Gratton is the acclaimed author of six young adult novels. She currently lives in Kansas with her partner, two cats, and her mutant mutt named Grendel.

Maggie Stiefvater is the New York Times bestselling author of more than ten books for young readers. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children.

Brenna Yovanoff is the New York Times bestselling author of five young adult novels. She holds an MFA in Fiction from Colorado State University. She currently lives in Denver with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

"The end result of the combination of stories and formal and informal commentary is that readers will feel a stronger, more intimate connection with these writers as people, as well as gain insight into the kinds of support and critique that are useful in story-making and story-sharing." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

Described in an introduction by editor Andrew Karre as “the public performance of the private act of story craft,” this assemblage of more than 30 short stories, many of which first appeared on the authors’ joint blog, is akin to an artist’s sketchpad. Technique, not story, is often foregrounded. “The Power of Intent,” a Yovanoff offering, is a “be careful what you wish for” story with little narrative tension, but along the way it perfectly depicts the emotional undercurrents of a high school dance. And the mysteries of Gratton’s brief but potent “Puddles” remain mysteries, though she quickly establishes a chilly atmosphere and fiery antagonism between her protagonists. Garlanding the snippets are handwritten doodles and notes that offer only occasional enlightenment about the authors’ writing processes, but abundantly display their mutual admiration. There are lovely stretches of prose and many funny, personable marginal exchanges—as an entertainment, an object, the book has its pleasures. Overall, though, the content is better suited to its native milieu, the Web. Ages 12–up. Agent: (for Stief-vater and Gratton) Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency; (for Yovanoff) Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

The paranormal trio of Gratton, Stiefvater and Yovanoff here translate their collective writings from their blog, Merry Sisters of Fate, into a collection of stories that feature Nordic mythology, murderers and secrets. In addition to the author's introduction at the start of each story, doodles and handwritten marginalia hint at the interaction among the authors during the brainstorming and writing process. Notable stories include Yovanoff's look at two killers meeting for the first time, Stiefvater's humorous take on zombies, and Gratton's exploration of sacrifice and Samhain. A silent dinner with ghosts gives Gratton an opportunity to create a narrative with no dialogue, while Stiefvater looks at the cost of immortality and the ways people gain it, and Yovanoff takes a peek inside the head of someone who's been pushed to the brink. While most of the stories are strong, the Arthurian suite doesn't have the same sense of magic, simmering madness and insight of the other stories. The marginal notes sometimes seem to be a bit of a lovefest among the authors, but there are flashes of genius as well as humor in them, and the illustrations add back some edge. For those with dark hearts looking for the edgier side of paranormal fiction, this will be something to stay up with at night. (Anthology/paranormal. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews