FEATURE BOOK OF THE WEEK #7 ELEMENTAL BY ANTONY JOHN

ELEMENTAL

BY ANTONY JOHN

A lost colony is reborn in this heart-pounding fantasy adventure set in the near future. Enter the world of the Elementals, which James Dashner called “completely gripping and full of intrigue, revelation, mystery, and suspense.”

Sixteen-year-old Thomas has always been an outsider. The first child born without the power of an element—earth, water, wind, or fire—he has little to offer his tiny, remote Outer Banks colony. Or so the Guardians would have him believe.

In the wake of an unforeseen storm, desperate pirates kidnap the Guardians, intent on claiming the island as their own. Caught between the Plague-ridden mainland and the advancing pirates, Thomas and his friends fight for survival in the battered remains of a mysterious abandoned settlement. But the secrets they unearth will turn Thomas’s world upside-down, and bring to light not only a treacherous past but also a future more dangerous than he can possibly imagine.

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 GUEST POST BY ANTONY JOHN

Genre busting!

If you pop into your local indie bookstore (or library), you’ll notice that adult books are usually arranged by genre: thriller, chick lit, humorous, historical, romance, etc. Head over to the YA section, and it’s quite likely that many (if not all) of these separate genres are shelved together. If there’s separation, it’ll most likely be between contemporary YA and fantasy.

This may not seem particularly noteworthy, but as a writer, I’ve got to tell you: it’s incredibly liberating. While an author of books for adults may be pigeonholed as a writer of thrillers, or romances, or horror, YA authors have the opportunity to branch out. I can write contemporary YA (e.g. Five Flavors of Dumb, a 2011 Battle book), fantasy (e.g. Elemental and Firebrand), and thrillers (e.g. the forthcoming Imposter), and be assured that they’ll (generally) be shelved together. Readers who enjoy one book can move easily to another without having to search several different shelves.

Now, I have to say that not every YA author is given the opportunity to write such a variety of books. We need our editors and publishers to release them, after all. Luckily for me, I have an editor, Liz Waniewski, and publisher, Dial, who will follow me into exciting new projects. With every new book I feel like I’m getting to write for the first time. It’s exhilarating and sometimes nerve-wracking, but it’s never, never stale.

Of course, none of this would work if no one read the books. And here’s where things come back to you: the reader. See, the other thing I adore about YA is that teens are generally far more willing than adults to try new genres and new authors. If you’ve read all of the books on the Battle list (and I assume you have), then you’ll have read 20 very different authors, and books representing several different genres. Maybe you loved some and didn’t like others, but you’ll have read more widely than most adults do in years. Trust me when I say that exposing yourself to a variety of styles and genres is a sure-fire way to open your mind.

So here’s a challenge: Even when the Battle is over, try to keep reading new books and new authors. Devour everything you find, and ask yourself not just what you like but also what you don’t, and why. In the meantime, thank you for making it possible for me to wake up every day wondering what I’m going to write next. YA readers are the best, and YA is by far the best genre in all of literature . . . even though it isn’t a genre at all!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Antony John was born in England and raised on a balanced diet of fish and chips, obscure British comedies, and ABBA's Greatest Hits. In a fit of teenage rebellion, he decided to pursue a career in classical music, culminating in a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Duke University. Along the way, he worked as an ice cream seller on a freezing English beach, a tour guide in the Netherlands, a chauffeur in Switzerland, a barista in Seattle, and a university professor. Writing by night, he spends his days as a stay-at-home dad—the only job that allows him to wear his favorite pair of sweatpants all the time. He lives in St. Louis with his family.  Find out more about Antony at his website.

Meet Antony John this year at the Book Battle, so  make sure you bring copies of Elemental to  get it signed.