Emily's Musings

YA49: Blood and Chocolate

I'll have to add the rest of the info tomorrow, but wanted to record #49:

Blood and Chocolate
Annette Curtis Klause
Dell Laurel Leaf, 1999
264 pages
Ages 14+

A great werewolf one!

Booklist gushed that, "This violent, sexy novel is a seamless, totally convincing blend of fantasy and reality that can be read as feminist fiction, as smoldering romance, as a rite of passage novel, or as a piercing reflection on human nature…Klause's imagery is magnetic and her language fierce, rich, and beautiful…Passion and philosophy dovetail superbly in this powerful, unforgettable novel for mature teens."

And the author is a librarian! In an interview, she writes: "The library seemed to be a good environment for a writer--I would be the first to read all those lovely books and reference sources would be at my fingertips.  Of course, I didn't know back then that there is hardly any time to read the books with all the others things to do."

2001 American Library Association Top Ten Challenged Books of the Year. (She writes on her site that this is her "most dubious honor")
2000 Garden State Teen Book Award
2000 South Carolina Young Adult Book Award
1998 American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults.
Voted one of the top 10 on this list, too!
1998 American Library Association Quick Picks.
Voted one of the top 10 on this list, too!
1998 Nominated for the Heartland Award for Excellence Young Adult Literature.
1997 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year.
1997 Booklist Editor's Choice.

And soon there will be a movie!!

Plus, I finally saw Spirited Away tonight (which I'm going to include in my assignment as well because I have to review 10 non-print items) It was amazing! I had included it in my 12-month YA plan that I just turned in yesterday, and had been meaning to see it forever. "In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by witches and monsters, where humans are changed into animals."