Tag Archives: YA Fiction

HitList Review and Release Date

June 1, 2015

HitList by K. Rawson

Big news on the old blog today. First, I’m happy to share the first official review of my novel HitList, by Kirkus.

KIRKUS REVIEW

An impulsive high school cyber-prank spirals dangerously out of control in Rawson’s visceral, compelling debut YA novel.

Barton High, in a fancy Chicago neighborhood, is a typical school full of freaks and geeks, and senior Quinn Cotti belongs to the latter category. Despite a strong aptitude for computers, her socioeconomic status ensures that she can only make it to her dream school, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a scholarship. Unfortunately, that passport to success may be in danger. In an impulsive move, she once had a drunken sexual fling with her longtime crush—a dreamboat named Jake Vanadel. Now, it appears that Jake has posted their encounter on HitList, an online site that lets kids brag about their “scores.” After other men also put her on their lists, she finds that her school reputation has changed to one of promiscuity. Determined to take revenge, she unleashes a computer virus that hacks her fellow classmates’ social media accounts and posts their unsavory material online. The virus, however, takes on a life of its own, spawning unintended consequences that affect a host of Barton students, including, among others, the slimy Eli Edimas, son of a high-powered attorney; and Cameron Price, a bullied gay kid. As Quinn and Jake try to contain the damage, they come to know the “thorny fact that lies and truth have equal weight,” and that honesty may be the only way out of the mess. The novel’s characters seem to be cast from a standard high school playbook, and, as such, they often stick close to stereotype. That said, the story scores high marks for its taut pacing and for Rawson’s pitch-perfect ear for teenage talk. It also clarifies the nuanced nature of cyberbullying, in which distinct definitions of perpetrators and victims are difficult to come by; after all, Quinn may have unleashed the virus, but her actions also ring true for someone who’s been publicly shamed.

A precise portrait of the teen zeitgeist that reassures readers that, despite indications to the contrary, the kids are all right.



The official release date of my debut novel will be July 2, 2015. The ebook is currently available at Amazon for pre-order.


And hey, if you’re interested in obtaining a free review copy of my book, please provide your email via my contact form and let me know what format you prefer: print, kindle, EPUB or PDF.


Thanks to everyone who stuck by on on this journey!

    
    

		    
    
	
	





		
	
		
		

			
The Forehead-Smacking Moment I Figured Out NaNoWriMo
			    
    

        November 18, 2014
    
    

		

		
		    
    

        
There are two kinds of writers in the world: those that do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and rise to the challenge of producing 50,000 words in November, and writers that spend the month coming up with excuses why this is not sensible, practical, rational or useful.


I’ve always been in the latter camp.


I mean sure, I could write 50,000 words in a month. But who wants to read a book composed of “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” repeated 5,555 times?


Then, the Beast showed up. “Best Friends for Never,” he said in a phlegmy whisper.


“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll write it. Someday. Like when it’s warmer. When the bills are caught up. I’ll take some vacation time—next year maybe. When I’m caught up on my sleep. And laundry. Better yet, when my youngest is out of elementary school and I don’t have to haul my oldest to band practice at 6:30 am. Or when I’m retired.


“Write it now,” he said. He let out a stale stream of cigarette smoke and flicked some ashes on the rug.


“I don’t even know what happens. I mean it’s just an idea.”


“Write.”


Fine.


I was late out of the gate, starting on November 5th. For a few days, I juggled 400 words at a pop and questioned the point. And then: BOOM.


I got it. I got what NaNoWriMo is really about. And no, it’s not a contest. And no, it’s not about discipline and it’s most certainly not about perfection. It’s about opening the door wide. And in the process of opening that door, you need to slam your inner critic hard against the other wall. (Mine left a long lipstick streak down the door jamb before she fell unconscious.)


And when that door is open, well that is when the story happens.


As of today, I’ve got 20,000 words. And while it it’s pretty unlikely I’ll win NaNoWriMo this year, I have to say I’ve already won. I’ve got a story that’s making me breathless and I can’t wait to finish it. And the fact I won’t get done by November 30th isn’t because it’s not there—it’s because there’s not just enough time. So when November goes and December comes, I expect to be still happily click-clacking away on Best Friends for Never.


Congratulations to all of those who have completed NaNoWriMo and to any and all that have taken the challenge. Best of luck in taking your novel to the next step. And to those writers who always put entering NaNoWriMo right up there with pushing a shopping cart to the top of Mount Everest, consider this: what have you got to lose?