Blog Tour: Q and A with Steve Brezenoff + Giveaway!

As part of The Absolute Value of Negative 1 blog tour I have an interview with the book's author Steve Brezenoff, as well as a giveaway for some fab bookmarks and the book itself. So, without a further ado, here it is...

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1) In your opinion what are the top three reasons why teens (or even adults!) should consider picking up The Absolute Value of -1 the next time they see it in stores or online?

This is a tough question to answer, since I think no two readers get the same thing from any given book. My hope is that a teen reader will see something in one or all of the narrators that reminds them of something in themselves, or in someone they love. In other words, I guess the primary reason I’d like a reader to pick up -1 is empathy, or a chance for empathy. The three narrators (or four, if you include Suzanne’s little sections) are really in need of some empathy; maybe their readers are too.

Beyond that sort of heavy thing, I think the book has a few laughs, and a few good cries, too. Those count as two separate reasons!

2) The Absolute Value of -1’s main characters are Noah, Lily, and Simon, so can you tell us a little about each one? Also, which out of three do you relate to the most?

All three are fifteen, just starting their sophomore year of high school when the book opens. Lily is a math genius, and pretty obsessive. Probably compulsive, too: she counts her steps as she travels around the school, she estimates the sizes of tiles based on the length of her feet, and she can’t listen to music without thinking of it mathematical terms. She’s also obsessed with her friend Simon.

Simon is a bit of a downer, probably. He’s dark, and listens to metal constantly. He writes—weird stuff, too. He also used to run track. Then he started smoking—with Lily, in point of fact—and wasn’t much good at running anymore after that. His older sister, Suzanne, is up in Boston for college, and he misses her—a lot.

Noah is their third wheel, I guess . . . but also their pot dealer. (Did I mention this book has a dark theme or two?) He’s not good at much, except lusting over Lily, resenting most other males in his school, and getting into fistfights with his dad.

Which do I relate to the most? Of course, I relate to all three—I relate to some to degree to all my characters, because otherwise they’d never feel true. That said, some of Simon’s story and background is based on my own (I never had a sister, though, and most of Simon’s story is full-on fiction), so I think he’d be the one I relate to the most. Lily, however, is the one I empathize with the most. I think anyone who’s ever had a crush on a friend will probably agree.

3) The one thing that really draws me to The Absolute Value of -1 is its title, which leaves me to wonder how did it come to be. Was it always the title? Or not?

It was not always the title. For years, this project—which started as a short story about Simon, back in 1995, and eventually grew into a short novel just about Simon—was called “Looking Down on Havoc,” and then “Splinters.” When the book was sold, and edits and revisions were ongoing, my editor and I compiled a list of possible titles. My wife contributed more than either of us, though, and better options. The Absolute Value of -1 was her idea, and it won the vote pretty easily. It’s math-related, which makes it mostly Lily’s title, in a way. But more importantly, the stories in -1 are about loss—of friendship, love, family . . . So the question is, what value does that have? What is the absolute value of negative one—one friend, one sister, etc. I think it works really well for the book.

4) What inspired you to have The Absolute of -1’s setting be Long Island?

Boring answer: I grew up there. I knew these kids, these streets, the Gap . . . so it made sense to use a setting I was intimately in touch with. I think using a very familiar setting makes a book feel right. If I’m stumbling along with maps or google images or even a visit for a few days, I think that would come across as manufactured or false.

5) If you could live in any book for one day, what book would you choose? Why?

Gotta be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I mean, I’m not a Christian, but who can resist that kind of magic. I know . . . doesn’t have a thing to do with my book or even with YA. I don’t care. It would be fun as heck.
 
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Thanks so much Steve! Also, I love your answer for Number #5!

Now for the giveaway... I'm giving away my review copy of The Absolute Value of Negative 1 (It's hardcover, by the way!) as well as some fabulous bookmarks with the cover's artwork on them.  And best of all this contest is open INTERNATIONALLY! Because I'm awesome like that. :) Anyhow, here are the official rules:
 
~ EDIT: This will end October 14, 2010!
~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Must fill out the form to be officially entered.
~ Contest is open internationally!
 

Blog Tour: Review of The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: -1 = 1

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart.

Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent’s illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

In his luminous YA novel, Steve Brezenoff explores the changing value of relationships as the characters realize that the distances between them are far greater than they knew.

Reivew:

The Absolute Value of -1 is a dark and dreary book of hope, despair, love, loss, and wanting something so much it hurts. It's also funny at times and written in prose that leaves you breathless for more, as well as questioning what on earth is going to happen next. In other words, it's a pretty great book!

The Absolute Value of -1 tells the story of three teens who've been friends since middle school, but now with high school in the process it seems like their friendship is slipping right out of their hands. Lilly is part of the group; she's the math genesis and the girl who has truly been lost since her parents got divorced all those years ago. But it is okay because she has the swoon-worthy Simon and he'd never hurt her, right? Simon is the one dealing with problems at home that he can't even began to speak of, because that would only mean they are 100% true and he just can't have that. Noah is the one that completes the trio. Noah's father has never been dad of the year quality which has led Noah to go down several bad roads, but this time he's going to make everything right. He's going to Lilly to fall in love with him, for one, and he's going to make everything at home right...

All three of these characters are completely lost and alone, though with each other they find a part of themselves that shows them they can be somewhat normal even for a little while, and I liked that aspect of that plot. I also found the characters to be likable and while I could never 100% relate to one, I still was able to in small ways, and I think many others will be able to as well, because in some ways these characters are the universal teens. Further more, they were also established in a way that truly made them jump of the page and come to life in front of my eyes.

The one thing I would have liked to seen, though, was a better resolution to their situations, because by the end, Steve truly left you hanging on several different parts of the plot.

And talking about the plot, it was pretty decent, but I would have liked some more action, possibly, to speed things up every once in a while when it tended to drag on and on. Steve's writing was great though and brought a flare to the novel that gave it an edge I liked.

In all, The Absolute Value of -1 is a decent story of the trials and tribulations of being in the in-between stage between a teen and adult; a must read for anyone looking for a novel of loss, love, and despair!

Grade: B

The Absolute Value of -1 is now out!

Source: Author. Thanks, Steve!