Welcome to The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass by Anna Priemaza Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass by Anna Priemaza on November 16th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive guest posts from Anna, as well as 5 chances to win a copy of The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass!
Books Where the Reader Knows More Than the Characters
by Anna Priemaza
In my next book, THE FORGOTTEN MEMORIES OF VERA GLASS, things disappear from the pages of the book, and while the reader knows it is happening, the main character Vera Glass does not. She feels ongoing grief without knowing that she has lost something–or someone.
When I came up with this idea, I was excited to write it, but also aware I needed to be careful, since knowing more than the characters can sometimes be a frustrating experience as a reader. Because of this, I made sure that the main question of the book–why things were disappearing–was a mystery to both Vera and the reader.
I love it when authors incorporate the reader’s experience into their storytelling. When it’s done well, the final effect can be powerful.
Here are a few books I loved in which the authors successfully used the reader’s knowledge to add a clever and compelling layer to their story-telling:
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena
A GIRL LIKE THAT begins with its tragic ending: the two main characters, Zarin and Porus, are killed in a car crash on a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The book then flashes back, and the rest of it tells the story of their lives leading to that point, exploring themes of misogyny, religion, class, and race. As you read the story and fall in love with the characters, the knowledge that the book can only end in their deaths hangs over everything in a sharply compelling way.
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge
In Frances Hardinge’s delightfully quirky fantasy, A FACE LIKE GLASS, citizens of the underground city of Caverna are born with blank faces, and they must learn (and pay exorbitantly for) the facial expressions they choose to display throughout their lives. But 12-year-old Neverfell’s face shows every emotion she feels, which terrifies everyone who looks upon it. Because of this, Cheesemaster Grandible, who has raised her since she dropped into one of his cheese vats as a young girl with no memory of where she came from, has her wear a mask at all times. Of course, as readers we recognize ourselves in Neverfell’s monstrous facial expressions, giving us peculiar insight in identifying the true monsters of this underground world.
The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
In THE ASSASSINATION OF BRANGWAIN SPURGE, M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin tell the story of elfin historian Brangwain Spurge’s foray into goblin territory in a creatively brilliant way. The story is narrated mostly by nerdy and adorable goblin archivist Werfel, who is trying his utmost to be a pleasant host to this elfin ambassador. However, the illustrated missives Brangwain sends back home reveal to the reader the ongoing cultural misunderstandings, stereotypes, and differing perspectives that continually threaten the success of the mission and the overall peace between the two nations. The readers understand every miscommunication the main characters don’t realize they’re having, providing a fascinating perspective to the story.
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“The narrative concepts are novel, and the characters are easy to feel empathy for… A clever head trip.”
– Kirkus Reviews
A mind-bending YA novel about a world where everyone has a bit of magic in them—but some magic is being used to change the world in unspeakable ways.
Vera has a nagging feeling that she’s forgetting something. Not her keys or her homework—something bigger. Or someone. When she discovers her best friend Riven is experiencing the same strange feeling, they set out on a mission to uncover what’s going on. Everyone in Vera’s world has a special ability—a little bit of magic that helps them through the day. Perhaps someone’s ability is interfering with their memory? Or is something altering their very reality? Vera and Riven intend to fix it and get back whatever or whomever they’ve lost. But how do you find the truth when you can’t even remember what you’re looking for in the first place? The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass is a cleverly constructed, heartbreaking, and compelling contemporary YA novel with a slight fantasy twist about memory, love, grief, and the invisible bonds that tie us to each other.
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Anna Priemaza is the author of Fan the Fame and Kat and Meg Conquer the World. This is her first piece of speculative fiction. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
GIVEAWAY
- One (1) winner will receive a hardcover of The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass by Anna Priemaza
- US/Can only
- Ends 12/1 at 11:59 pm ET
- Check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Blog Tour Schedule:
November 17th – Bookhounds
November 18th – Book Briefs
November 19th – Pragmatic Mom
November 22nd – A Dream Within a Dream
November 23rd – Feed Your Fiction Addiction
p.s. Related posts:
Best Young Adult Books for Teens
Antiracist Books for Kids, Teens, and Adults
Top 10: Best Native American Young Adult Books
OCD Characters in Children’s and Young Adult Books
Top 10: Best Young Adult Books
Best Young Adult (YA) Non Fiction
Top 10: Best Young Adult Books of 2010 (ages 12-18)
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My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
A memory I wouldn’t want to forget is going to Nova Scotia when I was 3. I don’t remember the entire trip, of course, but scenes from it are burned into my memory. It was my first big trip and left an indelible mark.
I wish I could remember my trip to Florida with my mom when I was three to visit my grandma.