Young Adult--Naughty or Nice?

Young adult books are generally aimed at readers in the 12 to 18 year-old age bracket. However, it can vary sometimes by a few years either way. There is also a sub-classification of “upper” and “lower” YA. Lower might be 12 to 17 years-old, whereas upper could be around 14 to 19 years-old. Young adult books are not really age oriented as much as they are content categorized. I lean toward the upper young adult level of 14 to 19 years-old. There are no fast and hard rules about this. It’s a generalization because there is also a huge crossover appeal to adult readers. Look no further than the Harry Potter books which started out as middle-grade, then slid upward to young adult and then shanghaied the adult audience.

LENGTH

YA books can be shorter than adult books and get away with it. I’ll shoot for around 200 to 300 pages. I feel comfortable with that; I plan it that way. Only because I want to appeal to younger readers who do not feel trapped into reading a long and detailed tome. They have lessened attention spans. YA book can be of the novella size, which are shorter still. As much as the term is not widely worshipped, I write what I consider “beach reads.”



 SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK ‘N ROLL

Generally, with adult books you can pretty much let it rip. I think you know what I’m talking about. If you go too far with mentions of physical sex, drugs, multiple partners, adultery, violence, foul language, suicide, law-breaking and other stark and unsavory topics, you’re entering ghetto, punk or erotica territory. Graphic adult romance is nothing new, although there is the sweet variety that is very popular—more so than the other type.

The same applies to young adult books only you have to be very careful of what you include in the text and storyline if you want to keep it clean, safe and non-threatening. After voluminous reads and research in this category, I would think that holding hands and kissing would be the best way to go without offending scruples, religion, or the adults who might be the purchasers of such books for their teens. Anything more could be a turn-off to one of the largest audiences and purchasers of young adult books—the librarians. They recommend books to all manner of sources, but particularly to schools. Such books have to pass muster with the teachers. It’s definitely a form of censorship. It is not the type of censorship that violates freedom of speech rights. It is more of a checks and balances of morality with what might be considered appropriate and sane. Notice I said “sane.”

There are some publishers and reviewers who have stated, in words to the effect: “I don’t go for the sweet and innocent portrayals of teens that are unrealistic and status quo. Rip my face off and tell the blunt truth about how real teenagers act, live, believe and talk. To be sure, these preferences are in the minority. But there’s a heck of a lot of gray area too. There are some things you can get away with, and ride the fence, and there are times when you’ve crossed a boundary line. The question is, how much naughty can you get away with without drawing fire, yet still remaining true to the characters and real life circumstances?

Not much—it’s limited. You can touch upon taboo subjects from afar, or hint or make reference to them. Even then you should to careful. When you start painting images via innuendo, it will show itself in the eyes of an on-guard adult reader. Believe me, condemnation is more prevalent when you’ve crossed the naughty line as opposed to receiving praise for telling it like it is in all its naked glory.

I’m very conscious of what I write in young adult books now more than ever. It does not take much to set somebody off. When you start crossing lines you have word-of-mouth critics to contend with. Anything that is negative about your written word can go viral and dash a book to smithereens. Never mind your reputation. That was the first thing that went!

Example: I’ve made mention of drugs before in my books but kept them out of use. I’ve had older teens take a few sips of alcohol under stress. Such scenes were over before they began. I dropped the F-bomb and several other swear words about a dozen or more times in the length of a book. I had my main characters witness a copulation scene from a hundred yards away, and forget about it in the next moment. I’ve had some unintentional nudity in scenes, but there was no emphasis on it. To me, these scenes and subjects were relevant to the plotline and situation. I had to strive for realism. Even if it was borderline. The result was, 90% of the readers took it in stride. The other 10% were offended by it and voiced their opinions. Nothing can destroy your review rank faster than a reader who blatantly disagrees with your subject matter. I know, I know…to hell with that bunch. (hey, I used a swear word)

The balancing act between naughty and nice is skewed toward the nice. That’s hardly unexpected with young adult books. Remember those librarians and teachers? It’s not a good idea to lay it all out there if they’re going to grab a copy of your book. They are a credentialed gatekeeper. They have a heck of a lot more experience with literature than you or I. If they are young adult book librarians their expertise is magnified three-fold.

Chris, what about sex behind closed doors? Teens indulge in this activity whether we object to it or not. It’s all part of the growing up process. It’s instrumental in every facet of their passage into adulthood.

I wouldn’t. The characters might talk about it. Leave it be. It’s giving the green light to underage sex. Stay away from it. At 18 years-old plus: knock yourself out, or knock the boots of your characters (doh). Although use a little moderation. In case you haven’t noticed, the NA (New Adult) category was created for one of its most primary reasons—permission to lay and get laid. Never mind college. Think Spring Break, wot?

So what the heck can we get away in this very subjective analysis? I can only guess and give you some borderline examples of what you or your reader might find inoffensive in this analysis. Remember, everything in moderation. You will have to ultimately decide where your comfort zone is.

Fondling

Nudity

Alcohol consumption

Drug use

Bullying

Extended suicidal depression

Dirty jokes (not kidding)

Groping

Gross violence

Physical and mental abuse (particularly toward female characters)

Animal abuse

Murder

Marriage (this one requires parent’s approval depending upon the country or other facts)

I’m learning more and more about moral turpitude in this category. My sister even advised me to have characters marry before sex. Not a bad idea. Didn’t Stephanie Meyers hold her characters back for three volumes before anything happened? I can’t remember. It’s a great hook technique—keeps the reader guessing.

Christian young adult fiction usually abstains from sexual activity before it is morally and legally appropriate. That goes for other religions and cultures.

But, Chris, doesn’t your views make you an unrealistic prude? Not really. I was a teenager once too, although some will dispute this! I know what goes on. The trick is to read between the lines where there is a lot more there to discover about messages than you think. I’m lucky enough to pull off this kind of subterfuge. I just can’t get away from blundering on occasion. That happens to all us scribblers. I hope you don’t blunder.

Just remember, there are not only some speed bumps that you have to consider in writing young adult literature, but there are some barriers which are best not crossed. The parents and librarians will never need to wipe sweaty brows or unclench a fist after reading your story. If…you are mindful.

Happy travails. I’ll red-shift outta here….

Celebrity Endorsements

Celebrity endorsements, also called blurbs, are those little quotes that appear on your book’s cover, or in the front matter of the pages. Example: “This was a riveting ride from start to finish”–Stephen King. You might get one or several.

Celebrity blurbs can be a real minefield for the new-up-and-coming author who is about to release his/her prized tome. Even some great mid-listers can get caught up in this hunt for star approval. BTW, soliciting for a blurb should take place about three months before release. There are many Big 5 houses that start a marketing campaign six months in advance! Catalogs and free e-copies start raining down on the reading public, with the purpose to entice, tease, dare and suck anyone into anticipating the new wunder child’s masterpiece. These promos can also be galleys or ARC copies of the book. Just make sure you leave enough time to get the blurb on the cover or in the front matter before it hits retail. The earlier the better, because this little admiration/vindication blip can be used to boost pre-order and future sales. Otherwise, if it’s post-release time and you haven’t done anything, it could cost you or your publisher a small fortune to send out trade or hardback copies in order to catch up. This has happened to me. Then there is an additional print cost.

So who should be solicited for a gold star blurb? Unless you know them, please refrain from contacting the current heavy hitters–Charlaine Harris, Stephanie Meyer, Veronica Roth, Susanne Collins–and certainly avoid King, Rice and Rowling. You aren’t dust underneath their shoes (in a figurative sense–no one hates you). But…they don’t know you; they likely haven’t got time for you and you could be a bother in the middle of their busy lives. 

Please don’t send them copies cold. You can ask first if you are intent on it. That’s the reality of it. While we’re at it, you might pass on the self-published heavy weight stars because they are also in demand and loaded down with time constraints. Believe me, I went that route and I knew a few of them personally. At this very minute they might be using my book pages to clean up pet spills. These are busy, busy people.

The self-published crowd definitely has to do the soliciting themselves. They might even be better at it than any trade-published author! In fact, I think they get real good at it and have more success in their contacts within their own ranks. The indie community is huge and tight-knit.

Now who should send out copies for blurbs? Aside from some exceptions, not you right yet (indies excluded). Successful mid-list and recent breakout novelists just might give you the time. If you personally know a fairly successful author, give it a shot. I can speak from experience and tell you that I’ve lost a half dozen hardback books that cost $30.00 apiece, countless trade paperbacks and a truckload of ARCs. I knew these high-profile authors from some venue or another. They knew me. Circumstances got in the way–it happens. 

In 1990, Ralph Nader agreed to do the foreword in my auto repair book. My editor told me the great news. I was delighted with the prospect. Little did I know that my publisher paid $4,000 for a page of comments (Foreword) and then they took that amount out of my royalties. DO NOT PAY-FOR-PLAY BLURBS. Ever. That goes for pre-order reviews, too. Read your publisher’s contract and make sure they don’t have the right to pull royalties or advance money from you for a celebrity endorsement, or any promotion or marketing efforts.

What can go wrong with hunting down blurbs? Those star authors don’t have the time to read your book–they’re way too busy. Your solicitation could be construed as a sign of desperation. They might think your publisher is beneath them, or that your publisher trademark is really a disguised self-published label. They read it and hated it (or very unlikely that they read it). You’re a bothersome intrusion into their privacy, even if you’re a fan. They can get free copies this way without payment or risk. It happens. You’ve nudged them too often and annoyed them.

Your publisher will solicit blurbs. Seen from the eyes of the celebrity author (or whoever), it is more respectful. The publisher is not as obviously biased or as desperate as an inquiring author. There is more weight behind a publisher request–more status–more importance and dignity. You might get the email or home address of the author wrong. The publisher marketing team, not you, will know who to send copies or books to in advance. This is their expertise –they’ve done it They probably have a marketing and sales department, and a publicity manager loaded for bear and ready to get you a shot in the lime light. They also have a tried and true list of contacts, and they certainly know how to target your book better than you do. 

If you are determined to be proactive, go ahead. Coordinate with your publisher, though. You don’t want submission repeats to the same source. If you have landed numerous celebrity blurbs by your own hand without your publisher’s assistance, you’ve performed a small miracle. If you have a repeat celebrity author giving you grand endorsements, then you are locked in. I doff my worn fedora to you. 

Just be careful. Target celeb authors who write in your genre. Don’t send a contemporary romance to Clive Barker or Dean Koontz.

Never mind if you’ve bought a truckload of books and tossed them every which way in sundry. There’s no reason to go into dept before your book is published. Sure, send some signed paperbacks out there, but purchase single copies and not cases of your book.

A neat little plan that works is to join some fan clubs of your favorite authors or even movie stars. Be sincere with yourself and choose those persons that you truly admire. Be active with your comments on their pages, and once in awhile you will actually get responses, likes, semi-recommendations, re-Tweets or even followers. This kind of association can take you off the dirt road and place you on the major highway. It can be effective in building your name brand. This move takes a while to cultivate. You can’t rush it. You can’t (or shouldn’t) come right out and ask for favors in a comment section or PM. If you appeal to the celeb in any fashion, trust me, they will contact you. I can attest to this because I’ve done it.

Red-shifting out of here. Happy blurb trails!

Reviewers--Our Lifeblood (Part 2)

In case you haven’t read it, there is a part one article on this subject. I just needed to touch it up a bit and add some more basic information, including this time, what an author might try to avoid, or experience an author/reviewer confrontation. 

Just as a recap, and as I noted before, reviewers are PEOPLE on the end of your submission email. Personalize your subs to each individual, follow the guidelines precisely, check out their “About” section and read some of their reviews. Target their genre preference. Ask before sending a review copy. Make no demands, abide by their time constraints, and do NOT expect public reviews of your book just because they’ve asked for a copy. Things happen. Reviewers get ill, have emergencies, or must go on forced hiatus.

Trigger warnings are about your content that might be objectionable. You would know this beforehand by investigating your reviewer. They might be a stalwart Christian, or other denomination, who gives notice of touchy subjects that turn them off. For YA, I have to watch out for sex, drugs, suicide, underage drinking, needless violence and gore and other related topics. Yet again, if you have an erotic romance, it will not sit pretty with a reviewer who prefers sweet romance with HEA endings. Be careful and be up front. List your possible trigger warnings and listen to the opinion of the reviewer. If you have a reviewer who is borderline in reading your book, politely decline. You don’t want to waste their time. If you force the review, you’d better be prepared for any type of rating. Most reviewers don’t pull any punches. You're getting a reader’s feedback. BTW, reviews are for readers–not for you unless you take notes and realize you can improve your writing by understanding their analysis. What’s not to like about a free sub-editor or proofreader? If you have enough review comments that all state the same problem, then by yiminee, you just might have a major problem!

Try and keep track of the individuals you have sent your submission to. Some require form subs and sub prefer email. I have used six major review sites, and it has been a tedious chore just to keep track of individual reviewers. These persons might be listed in multiple sites and you don’t want to send repeats. It can get very confusing for you if you have sent out hundreds of requests. My sent box serves as a small database, but it does not track the form submissions. If you are unsure of a repeat request, add a disclaimer right up front. Here’s mine:

If this is a repeat review request from me, my sincerest apologies. Shirley’s List, Indie Authors Reviews and Book Siren (among others) have merged their contacts together, and it’s been almost impossible for me to know where everyone has appeared. If I’m a repeat, please just flick and swish and make me go away!

Lots of reviewers answer their emails starting with the oldest and work their way through the list. Others make immediate contact with you. The point is, don’t send reminders unless they state that you can. Usually only one. Personally, I won’t send a follow-up. I don’t have any desire to clog their box anymore than it is. I just move onto the next sub. You are apt to get questions back, and you’ll need to take the time to answer them honestly and accurately. Understand that they are feeling you out as a person, as well as an author.

For gawd’s sake, don’t reply or comment on a review unless you are just being thankful. Your story will get some harsh and, seemingly, personal criticism. Do Not lash back at a reviewer in any forum. You don’t even need to explain your version of the story and how the reader got it all wrong. These other eyes are not yours. They may see things quite differently than you do. It’s quite possible that you, not them, who have screwed the pooch. After 15 straight years I broke this rule, but did no lash out. I had to inform the reviewer about a gross inaccuracy that hurt and damaged me so badly, I had to inform her about a cultural tag she took the wrong way. The word “racist” was used as an identifier in her review. I’ve had other mentions that have made me sick to my stomach and have thrown me into a deep depression. These things are going to happen. It comes with the territory. But there is a limit.

With some reviewers there is a slip of the word like a slip of the tongue. I’ve had the following words in my review and they were more than pointed at the story line. They were pointed at me: 

Mysogynist, Identity thief, transvestite, plagiarist, racist, fataphobic, woman-hater and other such monikers. They were grossly false and most of my fellow authors knew that right away. I mean, when you’ve been hosed and trashed in a public forum, one of two things or both can happen; either you run away and hide, or you go ballistic. If you lose your temper, calm down and contact the accuser in private email. As an ex-federal police officer with an upstanding record, I won’t stand for personal comments like those. I warn you, you are going to reap a whirlwind of my opinion about what you’ve done. Count on it. It’s reverse honesty. Otherwise, I’m fine with low review scores, even if I have to scratch my head over them.

REVIEWERS: Watch what you are saying. You can’t take those words back once they hit the social universe. They are cemented in time and place. Go ahead and rant, but do it with a little sensitivity and humor. It’s more digestible that way. Never, ever insult or humiliate an author with dangerous words or profanity. 

AUTHORS: Betcha didn’t know that even the long-time seasoned reviewers are nervous and anxious about how their writing will be accepted. They are responsible to a reading public. They get the jitters too. You’re both getting the jitters. Hopefully, and most of the time, things work out great for both of you. When there’s lots of comments, it means the review was exceptional and really nailed it. That’s great for the author too. It leads to sales clicks. ETA: don’t ask the reviewer to buy your book. Are you nuts? They might want you to gift them a copy, and that’s really to your advantage because it boosts rank and earns royalties.

Some of your reviewers will be members of, or have access to, Amazon, B &N, Kobo, Apple, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, FB, Twitter, specialized groups and the like. You’re talking about a full boat here. Some may have less contacts or only a few. If you are “wide” which means your book is listed with multiple retailers, mention this in your request letter. They will respond with yeses or nos regarding which sites they can list you in. Don’t insist that they join these groups just to perk up your numbers. They follow their own policies and do what works for them.

Gosh, dang it. I think I’ve run out of words. I know I’ve missed something again but I’m agog at knowing what it is. If it takes a part 3, I’ll pitch out another article.

So I’ll say, let me red-shift out of here!

ETA: I just remembered. It’s up to you, dear author, on how many paperback copies you want to send out. You can really hit the financial skids in doing this. You’ll have to say, NO MORE. There is one country in particular that demands most of the paperback copies. I won’t name them. But I can see tiny book stores sprouting up all over their countryside when they’ve accumulated massive paper and hardback copies of books.

Reviewers--Our Lifeblood

Reviewers—Our Lifeblood.

After having sent out and received (cold) over 1,370 personalized review requests, I think I’m qualified to depart a little information on the topic of Book Review Requests. I’ll start the salvo off with a personal letter from a reviewer who happened to discuss some problem areas wherein authors were disrespectful and/or intimidating. I have her permission to post this material. Below her letter is my reaction and thoughts.

Hi!

So nice to hear from you again! I read the blurb at Amazon, and this one sounds much more to my liking. Go ahead and send the MOBI whenever you like. My reading schedule is pretty busy until the 15th, but I'll see what I can do.

Surprisingly, about reviewing, it can be trickier than you think! Previous to 2019, I had been a casual reviewer. Voracious reader but only reviewed books now and again if I felt strongly about them (one way or the other). My new year's resolution this year was to read 200 books and review each one of them. After some bad reverses at work, reviewing became a bit of an obsession. I have started to question my sanity about reading so many books, but I do love to read as it provides refuge.

What makes it tricky is that sometimes authors can do bad things to reviewers, either publically or privately. If I give what an author perceives as a bad review, I often get long diatribes about why I was wrong. A few authors have even commented (or had friends comment) on my reviews at Goodreads, saying that I misunderstood something or other; my favorite was when an author stated I should have inferred X about the book from its blurb (if you want me to know something... tell me... don't expect me to have to figure out your meaning if you're not clear). I don't like the private notes, but the public calling outs are uncalled for. In two days in mid July, I was targeted by two different authors, one publically and one privately. The private one was a "publisher" asking me to take down a review at my site because they hadn't given me permission to post it! Seriously! He used all sorts of legalistic language and was mildly threatening. The other author took my public review on Goodreads, made a screenshot that included my name, and posted it on her blog (which she broadcasts all over her social media channels), where she shredded my review and me. Over the course of a week or so, she continued to make defamatory remarks. I continue to get harassing emails from her friends; I received another just today. Sigh.

All this over book reviewing!

I joined a FB group for book bloggers just share my tales of woe and get feedback, and it was amazing how many came back with similar stories. Some have actually gone so far to never accept private requests for reviews because they don't want the potential to be harassed by an author who knows their email address.

How sad that it has come to that. I think that's why your lovely little line resonated with me. Balm for my wounded reviewer soul!

Regards,

Jamie

(My Response) Hi, Jamie.

Soulful words indeed. I've have seen instances of a total lack of respect for the reviewers, comments and emails comprised of hate speech, claims of stupidity and demands. I've been at this for the last 15 years straight (29 total), and I've mellowed with just about all literary pursuits. Everyone has to understand that this is all a collaborative effort and there are HUMAN beings with lives on the other end of these emails, especially reviewers. In my view, reviewers perform an impossible task by reading books from cover to cover and then writing about them and then linking them to all their social media sites. FOR FREE. For the enjoyment of it. I could Never do such a thing! The workload would topple me, frustrate me, hurt my feelings and take up enormous amounts of time. And even yet, reviewer's mission statement are filled with enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity of reading someone else's book. They are honored. Astonishing.

I've written articles on the proper way to query for reviews--this involved all aspects. I have a powerful writer website, and I'm about to really nail this subject again. I've enlightened every one of my publisher's authors (with little comments) to abide by these tasks and pass them on. Read the policies through and through. Then read the bios and see who this person is and if you can click with anything of interest with them. Yes, it's time consuming. But look at the time they take with you. And any author who sends a cold copy of a book to a reviewer should be automatically scratched. It's discourteous. If they want one off the bat, they ask for it.

Sorry, but this advanced age publishing glut has hobbled the entire industry. Supply has eclipsed demand. Reviewers are overworked to the breaking point. How can they sift through trash without finding the true gems? I’m not talking about the majority of indies who are really setting the industry afire with true talent. I also believe that small and large press editors should redouble their efforts and weed out those mistakes in format, grammar, structure and all else

Nice conversing with you. You have confirmed my feelings. I promise to blast a message about this subject. I want you to know that you are valued as a pro reader and a person, and that you are real to me.

Kindly,

Chris

Let’s lay down some simple ground rules: read their bios and policy/guidelines. You’ll know exactly what to expect from every individual human reviewer. You can even read some of their reviews to check out their style and voice. You can tell a lot about a person from their background; job occupation, loves, hates, hobbies and wishes—and just look at all the baby, children and animal photos and references! You’re digging. This brings you close. It’s intimate, and it should be. Granted that most of your request package will be a cut and paste, but it is subject to change with every reviewer, and none of them are specifically the same. Give them, honor them with the first paragraph of your opening letter. You don’t have to pander. Politely disagree with them on a point or topic if you feel the need. Just communicate in real time.

Some reviewers will ask for a cover photo, a certain subject line heading, the best way to contact them; form or email. Some want paperbacks only, with many specifying their e-copy formats. Address them by name—if it isn’t listed go find it in their social media contacts. Don’t judge them by the number of their blog followers—this is a level playing field.

Find out what their policy is for DNF (did not finish) or low 1 and 2-star rankings. Many will give you the option of not publishing a very low rank. If you don’t want that low score, ask to opt out of the review. (This just happened to me with a paid review and I had no option to opt out. It shredded me. More about paid reviews later, or what they disguise as “marketing and social media expenses.”)

Target their genre. What’s their top pick? What are their secondary choices? What are their marginal genres? If you have a YA fantasy with a lot of violence and death in it, the reviewer might say they love YA fantasy, but say they can’t stomach horror in any fashion. That leaves you out, if that’s what you have. Don’t try to get by as an exception unless they ask you to explain those types of contents. If you have trigger warnings, spell them out up front. (I’ve made some mistakes with this).

If you don’t have a new release, don’t tell them you do. Generally, a new release can be less than a year old, but more commonly, three monts. If you are weeks within a release, state that up front and politely ask for an ASAP review. I’m over three months old with my release but I’m not asking for a quick review. I’ll take my place in line with the rest of them. In my mind, the reviewer is the pilot/captain—I’m the passenger with seat belt on and the tray in the upright. I’m not running this show. The reviewer is not your employee. They are an advocate for your product—not theirs—yours.

As an aside, I’ll pay for a cup of coffee as a donation, but I’m refusing to pay for any low-cost reviews. You can find out if they list services other than free reviews that might cost you, but those are generally legitimate services that involve extensive social media promotion campaigns. Just feel comfortable about what you’re getting into.

I could go on forever about this topic and I’ve left so much out that it will require another long blog post. For now, I’ll show you my request package. It’s a disorganized mess, but it’s working like a charm. Only because it covers just about everything they ask for. BUT remember your opening hello letter at the top.

I’ll red-shift outta her. Thanks for reading—Christy J. Breedlove and Chris H. Stevenson.

ETA: I doff my fedora to all the reviewers I’ve had contact with. So many of you are now my friends and subscriber buddies. You are the treasures in our industry.

(THIS IS YOUR HAPPY TO MEET YOU PARAGRAH)

 I know you must be swamped, and I’d like to just take the time to thank you for your unselfish service and dedication to us writers. The TBR piles are higher than K-2 out there. I don’t know if you are up for a review right at this time, but I thought I’d ask first. I abide by and honor your review policy. (A review on Amazon would be fabulous, but not a requirement).

Well, what makes this tome stand out? I think my book Screamcatcher: Web World is unique in that I have never seen a dream catcher used as a prop or device in the plot or theme of a book on the Internet. I had to create the inside reality of a web world. My book has shades of Indian lore in it, and I think the characters are diverse and well-drawn. It has a slow-burn sweet romance. I see this as a mash-up between Jumanji and The Hunger Games. I've included the cover blurb in this email for your perusal. For a deeper probe, you can click on Christy's Amazon page. I hope you like this idea.

Most Kindly Yours,

Christy Breedlove (pen name)

AMAZON SCREAM PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Screamcatcher-World-Christy-J-Breedlove-ebook/dp/B07QDK5M75/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Screamcatcher+Web+World&qid=1555016089&s=books&sr=1-1-spell

Amazon.com: Screamcatcher: Web World eBook: Christy J. Breedlove: Kindle Store Screamcatcher: Web World - Kindle edition by Christy J. Breedlove. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Screamcatcher: Web World. www.amazon.com

The pub date was officially 4-23-2019, so it’s a recent book. You can get to it whenever you please—I have no priorities or demands. The publisher is Melange Books, Fire & Ice. Age range: Upper YA 15—19. Pages: 218, Words: 67,000. Formats: PDF, Kindle/Mobi, E-Pub.

Summary:

When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Native American lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world filled with murders, beasts and thieves. How can they find the center of the web where all good things are allowed to pass? Where is the light of salvation? Are they in hell?