Book Discussion: Holly Black's Tithe
Hello!
Today, we begin our summer discussion of works by our Guests of Honor by jumping in with Holly Black’s Tithe. This month, we’ll spend three weeks on Tithe, and then two weeks on Kin and Kith (with the third book in that series, Kind, to be released on October 1, right before Sirens). July will bring Terri Windling’s work, and in August, we’ll discuss Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come.
Several months back, Omnivoracious, Amazon.com’s book blog, posted a thought-provoking article on influential young adult authors. Regardless of what you think of Amazon’s business policies and practices, the article raised numerous questions regarding young adult authors: What does it mean to be influential? Are we talking the best books, the most popular books, the most controversial books -- or even who has had the biggest impact on publishing of young adult literature? Which authors are so influential?
In response, Justine Larbalestier, firmly believing that “most influential” means “biggest impact on publishing,” argued for Holly Black’s inclusion among the most influential young adult authors, saying:
…the success of Holly Black’s Faerie Tale books, especially the first one, Tithe (2002), paved the way for many, many writers such as Stephenie Meyer, Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Melissa Marr, Malinda Lo, me, and too many others to name. I was shocked that Holly’s name was not on the list.
The first time I read Tithe, way back in 2003, I was transfixed. It was different from anything I’d read before, though admittedly, I was a young adult literature reader and I hadn’t yet encountered Charles de Lint’s Newford books or Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks. Even now, however, having read some of Holly’s precursors in urban fantasy (though Holly herself has said that Tithe’s setting on the Jersey shores makes it more “suburban fantasy”), I still find Tithe (and Valiant and Ironside) to be more raw, more gritty than de Lint’s or Bull’s works. Holly is a rare author who doesn’t pull her punches, not with her setting, her violence or her hard truths.
For me, Holly showed me -- back in 2003, when I was reading J. K. Rowling and Tamora Pierce and Nancy Farmer -- another face of what young adult fantasy literature could be. It could be mean and grimy and violent, and still be beautiful. It could have the same struggles that we have with everyday life, and then include magic and courts and iron. It could have brutal on-page death and an irresponsible mother and a pixie heroine, and still show the transformation of growing up. And I see echoes of Holly’s work in a lot of work being published today: Melissa Marr’s faeries may not be as ruthless, Lesley Livingston’s faery courts may not be as violent, Cassandra Clare’s New York setting might not be as harsh, but I think Holly showed readers and publishers, like she showed me, what young adult urban fantasy could be.
What do you think? Do you find Holly’s work to be influential? Has it been influential for you?
Cheers,
Amy
Today, we begin our summer discussion of works by our Guests of Honor by jumping in with Holly Black’s Tithe. This month, we’ll spend three weeks on Tithe, and then two weeks on Kin and Kith (with the third book in that series, Kind, to be released on October 1, right before Sirens). July will bring Terri Windling’s work, and in August, we’ll discuss Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come.
Several months back, Omnivoracious, Amazon.com’s book blog, posted a thought-provoking article on influential young adult authors. Regardless of what you think of Amazon’s business policies and practices, the article raised numerous questions regarding young adult authors: What does it mean to be influential? Are we talking the best books, the most popular books, the most controversial books -- or even who has had the biggest impact on publishing of young adult literature? Which authors are so influential?
In response, Justine Larbalestier, firmly believing that “most influential” means “biggest impact on publishing,” argued for Holly Black’s inclusion among the most influential young adult authors, saying:
…the success of Holly Black’s Faerie Tale books, especially the first one, Tithe (2002), paved the way for many, many writers such as Stephenie Meyer, Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Melissa Marr, Malinda Lo, me, and too many others to name. I was shocked that Holly’s name was not on the list.
The first time I read Tithe, way back in 2003, I was transfixed. It was different from anything I’d read before, though admittedly, I was a young adult literature reader and I hadn’t yet encountered Charles de Lint’s Newford books or Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks. Even now, however, having read some of Holly’s precursors in urban fantasy (though Holly herself has said that Tithe’s setting on the Jersey shores makes it more “suburban fantasy”), I still find Tithe (and Valiant and Ironside) to be more raw, more gritty than de Lint’s or Bull’s works. Holly is a rare author who doesn’t pull her punches, not with her setting, her violence or her hard truths.
For me, Holly showed me -- back in 2003, when I was reading J. K. Rowling and Tamora Pierce and Nancy Farmer -- another face of what young adult fantasy literature could be. It could be mean and grimy and violent, and still be beautiful. It could have the same struggles that we have with everyday life, and then include magic and courts and iron. It could have brutal on-page death and an irresponsible mother and a pixie heroine, and still show the transformation of growing up. And I see echoes of Holly’s work in a lot of work being published today: Melissa Marr’s faeries may not be as ruthless, Lesley Livingston’s faery courts may not be as violent, Cassandra Clare’s New York setting might not be as harsh, but I think Holly showed readers and publishers, like she showed me, what young adult urban fantasy could be.
What do you think? Do you find Holly’s work to be influential? Has it been influential for you?
Cheers,
Amy