Alex Flinn is known for her gritty teen novels which openly address topics such as domestic abuse and peer pressure. Her newest story is driven by a young man just as layered as her previous protagonists, but with a twist: he literally is a beast. Just what drew her to this fairy tale?

BEASTLY is set in modern day NYC. What inspired you to contemporarize Beauty and the Beast?

I have young kids, so Beauty and the Beast was pretty much a constant thing in my life, all the different versions. I always liked the story, but things about it started bothering me, such as: Where is the Beast's family? The fact that he was a prince, but not a ruling prince (as in a country like Monaco) implied that there was a king somewhere, his father. Had his parents abandoned him? Was it because he was a beast? It all seemed very poignant to my little bleeding heart. And what of Beauty? ( Read more... )

Beastly will hit shelves in August. Diva will be available in paperback come October.

Visit Alex Flinn at her website and LiveJournal.

Kelly Parra swears that she does not spray paint buildings nor advocate graffiti herself, but she is an artist. Her story takes a look at cultural identity and peer pressure through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old girl named Angel. When she discovers the underground graffiti art scene, she finds a new way to express herself and a new place to share her art.

( The Backstory )

( The Artist )

Read my review of Graffiti Girl.

Visit Kelly's website and blog.

Check out my other reviews and author interviews related to MTV Books.

Do you have an artistic flair but don't feel confident in your abilities? Do you wish your family would acknowledge your strengths and your dreams? Meet Angel Rodriguez, a girl who feels the same way.

Graffiti Girl has a perfect title and, dare I say, a perfect cover. Kelly Parra's debut novel takes a look at cultural identity and peer pressure through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old named Angel. Her heart comes out in her artwork, and, more than anything, she wants someone else to appreciate that - and to appreciate her. When she discovers the underground graffiti art scene, she finds a new way to express herself and a new place to share her art.

Graffiti Girl will not inspire readers to deface property, but rather, to take pen to paper or paint to canvas. Every scene that takes place in art class or during a graf showdown makes it clear that the otherwise quiet Angel truly soars when she is drawing or painting.

Please give this review a positive vote!

Make sure you have a sketchbook on hand, because you'll want one when you're done reading this book!

In fact, Kelly Parra donated an art bag packed with a sketchbook, Sharpie pens, Prisma pencils, an art gum eraser, and a copy of Graffiti Girl to a very special auction. Bidding ended on May 31st, 2007. All proceeds of the auction went towards the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Read my interview with Kelly Parra.

Read the first chapter of Graffiti Girl.