This fortnight we’re discussing “Unwind” by Neal Shusterman. This is book one of the Unwind Dystology. Robin has been reading Shusterman's work since they were a kid and this was a new one for them. UNWIND is a dystopian future where abortion is outlawed but teenagers can be "unwound", a state which is distinct from death in ways that are legalistic, technical, and horrifying. TITLE: Unwind AUTHOR: Neal Shusterman PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers YEAR: 2007 LENGTH: 335 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Yes Book TW for discussion of abortion, discussion of “retroactive abortions”, discussion of “right to life” Topic 1: Vestigial Existence. Begins at (1:30), CW for Death,loss of self, dismemberment, body horror, medical content Topic 2: Split identity. Begins at (11:35), CW for Death,loss of self, dismemberment, body horror, medical content, loss of control over body Topic 3: Dismemberment. Begins at (23:58), CW for Death, dismemberment, mention of abortion, medical trauma Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (39:45). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Books That Burn

Highlight 12: Unwind - Neal Shusterman

Please enjoy the spoiler-free portion of our interview with author Kevin Klehr discussing three of his books, "Social Media Central", "Midnight Angel", and "Winter Masquerade". Timestamps are marked for the interview questions. Intro (0:00) Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:55) Do you put more thought into the trauma itself or the aftermath when thinking about how it affects the characters? (6:50) Have you ever started writing a trauma in (one of) your book(s), and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (10:30) What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? (24:12) What is your approach to incorporating characters with disabilities in your work? (37:45) --- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 --- What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (42:35) Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (45:41) Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (47:40) Where can our audience find you? (49:55) --- Kevin's LinkTree has all his links. Check out Kevin's website for more about his writing, you can also find him on his NineStar Press page. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, or look up his author page on Goodreads. Our Australian audience can find his work on BookTopia. The major works discussed in this interview are "Social Media Central", "Midnight Angel", and "Winter Masquerade". --- You can find Robin's written reviews of Social Media Central, Midnight Angel, and Winter Masquerade at Reviews that Burn. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Interview 7: Kevin Klehr, Part 1 of 2

This fortnight we’re discussing “Early Departures” by Justin A Reynolds. We discuss a toxic relationship, abandonment, and death in this YA sci-fi novel about grief, loss, and second chances. Robin read this as an ARC last year and is pleased to report that their re-read of the final version held up. TITLE: Early Departures  AUTHOR: Justin A. Reynolds PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 480 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for ableist language (brief), toxic relationship, grief, vomit, pregnancy, drowning, car accident, parental death, major character death, death. Topic 1: Toxic Relationship. Begins at (1:35), CW for Toxic relationships. Topic 2: Abandonment. Begins at (13:10), CW for Parental death, death, abandonment. Topic 3: Death. Begins at (22:05), CW for Parental death, death. Promo for Half Damage by Crit Chat; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (33:00). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Stand-Alone 15: Early Departures - Justin A. Reynolds

This fortnight Nicole is discussing “Shadow Rising” by Robert Jordan, the fourth book in The Wheel of Time with our transcriptionist and fellow WOT fan, Heather. Book TW for physical assault, sexual harassment, combat wounds, PTSD, magical attack, horror monster attacks, identity crisis, depiction of mental illness caused by magic, depiction of auditory hallucinations, kidnapping and restraint, misandry, misogamy, betrayal, depiction of hanging, general physical violence and death, general depictions of emotional manipulation and emotional abuse, depictions of discrimination against marginalized communities, descriptions of imbalanced power dynamics. Topic 1: Aram - Abandonment. Begins at (1:30), CW for abandonment, parental death. Topic 2: Min - Second-hand emotional trauma. Begins at (12:10), CW for physical harm, reliving trauma. Topic 3: Author's treatment of characters. Begins at (20:30), No major CWs. Promo for Circle of Friendship; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:50). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Highlight 11: Shadow Rising - Robert Jordan

This fortnight we’re discussing “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson, many people's first shockingly sad childhood book. TITLE: Bridge to Terabithia AUTHOR: Katherine Paterson PUBLISHER: HarperCollins YEAR: 1977 LENGTH: 192 pages AGE: Middle Grade, Young Adult GENRE: Realistic Fiction RECOMMENDED: Yes Book CW for ableist language, bullying, homophobia (brief), fatphobia, sexism, grief, child abuse (not depicted), domestic abuse, violence, child death, major character death, death. Topic 1: May Belle - Domestic Abuse. Begins at (1:35), CW for domestic abuse, mention of death. Topic 2: Leslie - Misogyny. Begins at (8:15), CW for misogyny, mention of homophobia, mention of child death. Topic 3: Jess - Survivor’s Guilt. Begins at (22:24), CW for misogyny, child death. Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (31:16). CW for mention of homophobia. --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Stand-Alone 14: Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson

This fortnight we’re discussing “Not Your Sidekick” by C.B. Lee, the first book of the series "Sidekick Squad". The fourth book, "Not Your Hero" comes out at the end of August 2021. TITLE: Not Your Sidekick AUTHOR: C.B. Lee PUBLISHER: Duet YEAR: 2016 LENGTH: 304 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Superheroes RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for ableist language (brief), vomit (brief), racism, kidnapping, violence, death (not depicted). Topic 1: Schoolkids - Gaslighting. Begins at (1:35), CW for gaslighting, lying, Topic 2: Abby - kidnapping. Begins at (12:40), CW for kidnapping. Topic 3: Jess - Betrayal. Begins at (21:12), CW for brief discussion of racism. Promo for CPOV RobCast; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (27:45). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Highlight 10: Not Your Sidekick - C.B. Lee

This fortnight we’re discussing “THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA” by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, a young adult fantasy novel set on the islands and high seas. TITLE: The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea AUTHOR: Maggie Tokuda-Hall PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 368 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Fantasy, Mythology RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for homophobia, colonialism, racism, sexual assault (not depicted), mutilation, child abuse, vomit, blood (graphic), self harm, slavery, torture (graphic), child death, murder (graphic) major character death, death (graphic). Topic 1: Rake - Colonialism. Begins at (1:30), CW for colonialism, mention of parental death. Topic 2: Evelyn - Sold by her parents. Begins at (7:17), CW for non-consensual marriage, colonialism, discussion of character death. Topic 3: Flora/Florian - Mutilation. Begins at (18:41), CW for mutilation, death, description of physical wounds. Promo for CPOV -  Men of Steel; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (28:48). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Stand-Alone 13: The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea - Maggie Tokuda-Hall

This fortnight we’re discussing “Soul of the Fire” by Terry Goodkind. This is the fifth book in the series, "The Sword of Truth". Sometimes we discuss a book neither of us could stand and one of us didn't finish, and this is our hate-read pick for 2021. TITLE: Soul of the Fire AUTHOR: Terry Goodkind PUBLISHER: Tor Books YEAR: 1999 LENGTH: 788 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: High Fantasy RECOMMENDED: No Book TW for CW for coercion, "simple native" tropes, racism, sexism (graphic), slavery (graphic), sexual assault (graphic), rape (graphic), sexual violence (graphic), assault, murder, transphobia (minor), genocide, death. Topic 1: Gaslighting. Begins at (1:30), CW for gaslighting, genocide, sexism, toxic patriarchy, misogyny, gaslighting of the audience. Topic 2: Slavery. Begins at (15:52), CW for slavery, reference to historical slavery (USA), slave advocating for slavery. Topic 3: Sexual Assault / Rape Culture. Begins at (25:42), CW for rape culture, rape, women as property. Promo for CPOV Autographs; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (37:10). CW: animal death. --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Highlight 9: Soul of the Fire - Terry Goodkind

This fortnight we’re discussing “The Midnight Bargain” by C.L. Polk. This book does for discussions of sexism in a magical aristocratic setting what the The Kingston Cycle does for classism in the same. TITLE:  The Midnight Bargain AUTHOR: C.L. Polk  PUBLISHER: Erewhon YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 384 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Yes Book TW for pregnancy, vomit, death (not depicted), sexism, violence. Topic 1: The Circle - Loss of security. Begins at (1:35), CW for misogyny. Topic 2: Ysbeta - Allocishetnormativity. Begins at (16:00), CW for misogyny, aphobia. Topic 3: Beatrice - Misogyny. Begins at (25:00), CW for misogyny, discussion of birth control side effects. Promo for CPOV Saturday Morning Confidential; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (37:05). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Stand-Alone 12: The Midnight Bargain - C.L. Polk

This fortnight we’re discussing “Black Sun” by Rebecca Roanhorse, the first book of the series "Between Earth and Sky". As of the time of recording only "Black Sun" was published". TITLE: Black Sun AUTHOR: Rebecca Roanhorse PUBLISHER: Gallery / Saga Press YEAR: 2020 LENGTH: 464 pages AGE: Adult GENRE: Fantasy RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for racism, xenophobia, vomit, blood, gore, child abuse, murder, violence, suicide, major character death, death. Topic 1: Naranpa - Coup Attempt. Begins at (1:35), CW for discussion of death, violence. Topic 2: Okoa - Death of a Parent. Begins at (11:22), CW for death of a parent, suicide, murder. Topic 3: Xiala - Ostracization. Begins at (19:48), CW for disability, ostracization, child abuse, dismemberment. Promo for CPOV Screen Snark; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (27:32). CW for discussion of racism, death. --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.  To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Highlight 8: Black Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse

Please enjoy the spoiler-free portion of our interview with author Sara Codair, discussing three books from their urban fantasy series "The Evanstar Chronicles", specifically the books, "Life Minus Me", "Power Surge", and "Power Inversion". Timestamps are marked for the interview questions. Patrons at any level receive part two of this interview. Intro (0:00) Can you talk a little about the way trauma works in your writing? (0:57) Do you feel that trauma for the sake of trauma is valid for characters to go through/be put in stories or does it always need to be plot related? (1:54) Have you ever started writing a trauma in one of your books, and had it take over or have more of a story impact than originally intended? (3:41) Do you write in trauma for background characters without planning for it to have an impact on the story, and if so does it ever leak into the story? (4:36) What is your approach to incorporating visible characters of color in your work? What do you do to make it go beyond social coding (or not)? (7:23) Do you tend to write characters with a specific orientation? Do you generally stick to depictions of queerness which match parts of your identity? (10:12) What (if any) do you think is a good example of queer culture in your books? (13:03) Have you ever had a character surprise you with a disability after you started writing? (15:42) Do you consider your character’s physical description when writing how other characters treat them? (18:32) How does setting influence culture in your series? What (if any) do you think is a good example of a marginalized culture in your writing? (20:38) For our audience at home, please discuss how and whether you use queer-inclusive language in your writing. (31:55) --- Wrap-Up and Outro: Included in Part 1 and Part 2 --- What is your favorite non-traumatic thing in any of your books? (35:05) Do you have a favorite book written by someone else, and if so what makes it your favorite? (38:13) Do you have any queer authors and/or authors of color whose work you’d like to shoutout? (39:49) In what order should someone read your books? (41:24) --- Check out Sara's website for more about their writing, you can also find them on their NineStar Press page. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or look up their author page on Goodreads. The major works discussed in this interview are "Life Minus Me", "Power Surge", and "Power Inversion". --- You can find Robin's written reviews of Power Surge, Power Inversion, and Life Minus Me at Reviews that Burn. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Interview 6: Sara Codair, Part 1 of 2

This fortnight we’re discussing “Under the Pendulum Sun” by Jeannette Ng, with special guest Dare! You can find them on Twitter, or check out their Linktree for more details about their various streaming and gaming exploits. Book CWs for sexism, alcoholism, colonialism, incest, emotional manipulation (backstory), mental illness, confinement, body horror, suicidal thoughts, animal death, child death (backstory), murder, major character death, death. Topic 1: Disassociation. Begins at (1:35), CW for Discussion of historical harm to children and autistic people, stigmatization of autistic behaviors. Topic 2: Religious Trauma. Begins at (11:25), CW for suicidal tendencies, religious trauma (Protestant Christianity), biblical justification for harm, death (brief mention). Topic 3: Incest. Begins at (23:10), CW for incest, biblical justification for harm, death (brief mention). Promo for CPOV - RMC vs CG; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (39:35). CW for eugenics mention. --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Stand-Alone 11: Under the Pendulum Sun - Jeannette Ng

This fortnight we’re discussing the anthology “This Is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death”, edited by Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo, and David Malki! This anthology was published after the original, "Machine of Death", but can be read independently. We discussed three specific stories by different contributors. "Furnace" by Erika Hammerschmidt "Drowning Burning Flying Falling" by Grace Seybold "Toxoplasmosis of the Brain" by Gord Sellar Book TW for domestic violence (backstory), homophobia, ableism, racism, racial slurs, terminal illness, bullying, blood, gore, gun violence, violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, torture (not depicted), genocide, animal death, child death, major character death, death. --- This episode discusses fictional depictions of suicide (Topic 2). If you're in the United States the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. For those of our audience outside of the United States, you maybe able to find the suicide hotline number or other appropriate emergency services for your country in this directory provided by OpenCounseling. --- Topic 1: "Furnace" - Death. Begins at (1:43), CW for Infertility, sex, death, loss of innocence, bomb mention. Topic 2: "Drowning Burning Flying Falling" - Loss of agency. Begins at (12:33), CW for Suicide, death, grief, suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, loss of agency. Topic 3: "Toxoplasmosis of the Brain" - Death camps. Begins at (24:57), CW for abandonment, HIV/AIDS, stereotyping based on death, child death, death, rape, genocide, murder. Promo for CPOV Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (34:45). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. Patrons at any level will receive the bonus Epilogue episode for this book. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Highlight 7: So This Is How You Die - edited by Ryan North

This fortnight we’re discussing “All the Birds in the Sky” by Charlie Jane Anders. We've had this on the booklist since almost the beginning and we're so excited to finally bring you this episode.  Book TW for abusive parents, parental death, torture (implied), sex (explicit), bullying/abuse (explicit).  Topic 1: Serafina - Emotional connection. Begins at (1:35), No major CWs.  Topic 2: Laurence - Parental abuse: Neglect. Begins at (14:20), CW for neglect, discussion of torture, child abuse.  Topic 3: Patricia - Parental abuse: Control. Begins at (23:55), CW for neglect, food abuse, bullying, targeting abuse, child abuse.  Promo for CPOV Reignite; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (36:50).  ---  If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon.  To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi.  You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd.  Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. 

Stand-Alone 10: All the Birds in the Sky - Charlie Jane Anders

This fortnight we’re discussing “The Cat Who Sniffed Glue”, part of the Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun. We're joined by special guest Dare. You can follow Dare on Twitter or find more info and links on their LinkTree. Book TW for ableism, sexism, homophobia (brief), drug use (not depicted), car accident, violence, animal death (not depicted), suicide (not depicted), death (not depicted). Topic 1: Belle - Erasure. Begins at (1:30), CW for loss of identity, classism, racism example in discussion. Topic 2: Qwilleran - Car Accident. Begins at (19:30), CW for car accident, pets in danger. Topic 3: The Fitch’s - Murder/Suicide. Begins at (31:20), CW for character death, murder, car crash, prison mention. Promo for Fun & Games; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (53:00). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission.

Highlight 6: The Cat Who Sniffed Glue - Lilian Jackson Braun

A book review podcast where we discuss how authors treat and traumatize their characters.