NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
RESURRECTION MEN
Patty Uttaro of It's All About the Book just added RESURRECTION MEN to her list of books for her 48 Hour Book Challenge, hosted by MotherReader, June 8 - 10. Patty promises to take this opportunity to do nothing all weekend but read! Hope you enjoy it, Patty! RESURRECTION MEN was released in April, 2007.
Publishers Weekly called it, "A haunting tour of London's underclass during the 1830s...Welsh's visceral descriptions of industrial London are unflinching...Teens will likely be both captivated by Victor's harrowing story as well as his ability to prevail in the face of harsh injustices." VOYA said, "(Welsh's) plot and writing style are reminiscent of Oliver Twist by Dickens but far more graphic. Teen readers will thoroughly enjoy the hair-raising suspense in this historical thriller." And KLIATT said, "Like M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, this look at sinister events in history makes the era come alive and lingers in the memory."
Inspired by the 1831 “Italian Boy” trial of body snatchers in London, England, RESURRECTION MEN is a spine-tingling murder mystery that pits a beggar boy named Victor against a nefarious group of Resurrection Men. In this tumultuous dark underworld, where a “fresh subject” can fetch as much as nine guineas -- the yearly salary of a working man -- Victor must risk his life to uncover the identity of the murderer who is at the heart of London’s furtive trade in human corpses.
For a sample chapter of RESURRECTION MEN, click here.
If you already own a copy, click here to access a secret section of the site...just for you. (NOTE: Make sure to enter the name Secret (S-e-c-r-e-t) and the correct Password, printed at the rear of the book.)
To buy your copy, click here!
IN OTHER NEWS
THE UNRESOLVED
Ranked one of the Top Ten Children's Books of 2006 by the Washington Post, THE UNRESOLVED has been named a 2007 Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book for Teens by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, which recognized only six works in Jewish teen literature this year. The novel was nominated for the 2006 Cybils literary awards, and for the 2007 Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) by the American Library Association. It's currently featured as one of the Best Teen Books of the year 2006 at BarnesAndNoble.com.
The Washington Post said, "Welsh writes with a precision and delicacy unusual for YA fiction." School Library Journal said, "THE UNRESOLVED tells a remarkable story in a remarkable way." Horn Book Magazine called THE UNRESOLVED, "A decidedly unconventional ghost story ... (and) a tightly wound novel." Kirkus Reviews termed it, "A remarkable account." Romantic Times said, "THE UNRESOLVED is a book you shouldn't pass up." The Edge of the Forest said, "It may be the most beautifully written novel I've read this year." All About the Book said, "The Unresolved is a great one. Mallory is the most well-developed ghostly character I've seen in a long, long time..." And Midwest Book Review called THE UNRESOLVED, "a wonderfully different kind of ghost story."
Inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, THE UNRESOLVED reaches back into history to explore what was, until recently, the greatest disaster in New York City history. Based on the sinking of the General Slocum steamship -- which caught fire in the East River, New York, in 1904, resulting in the death of over 1,000 mostly German immigrants on a church outing -- THE UNRESOLVED is at once a ghost story, a courtroom drama, an examination of immigrant life, and a tale of love, redemption and revenge. The novel dramatizes how a single life –- and death –- can have a powerful influence on history.
For a sample chapter of THE UNRESOLVED, click here.
To buy your copy, click here!
READERS' POLL
The results are in for the June, 2007, Readers' Poll. The question was, "What did Dr. Lambro use to relieve the air trapped between the injured boy's chest and his lung?" Seventy-five percent of those of you who responded got this right. The correct answer was, "A pheasant quill." This was a tough one since Lambro also used a knife to open up the chest.
For the results of previous polls, click here.
REVIEWS (Excerpted in June)
RESURRECTION MEN -- Editorial Reviews
BIG A, little a (and JacketFlap), June 2007
"T.K. Welsh is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. His work transcends genre and audience classification*... Welsh's first novel, The Unresolved, employed a ghost narrator in the telling of a tragic historical event and was one of my favorite novels of 2006...Resurrection Men is a moody, evocative tale in which more than bodies are resurrected -- the souls of the primary characters are at stake as well. Welsh brings 19th-century London to life in all its horrors and brilliance and Victor is a hero worthy of the reader's attention. Pair this one with a classic in a high school classroom, or share it with an intelligent teen reader today.
* "I have to admit I'm not entirely sure what makes Resurrection Men and The Unresolved Young Adult fiction outside the age of their narrators. These are books any adult would enjoy and, more importantly, think about long after reading."
The Miss Rumphius Effect, June 2007
"T.K. Welsh, where have you been? I loved this book! As a fan of Sherlock Holmes novels and most pieces of historical fiction set in the Victorian era, I was right at home in this work...Victor is a worthy protagonist, and one that is not easily forgotten once the book is finished...This is a wonderfully ghoulish story that captures the darkness of London in the mid-1800's. Pick it up and you'll find it hard to put down."
RESURRECTION MEN -- Reader Reviews
Reluctant Boy Reader @ Amazon
"What makes this book so remarkable to me, as a mom of a son who NEVER reads, is that he LOVED this book. In fact, he couldn't put it down... Here's a book written for boys about a subject that's gory and ghoulish...but extremely well written and historical to boot. In an age when boys are playing graphic video games, the vividness of the language and the story kept his interest...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK."
Gracie412 in Manhattan @ Amazon
"I bought a few copies of this book for my nephews who find it hard to find books that interest them. They could hardly put it down... It's very hard to find books that boys will enjoy, and to find a historical fiction book that captures the senses and is well written is a godsend."
Ben @ www.goodreads.com
"A chilling portrait of 1830s London, when corpses were highly valued for medical research, and the streets of London were filled with homeless children. The fresher the subject, the more valuable the cadaver. Eventually, someone realized it was easier to kill the children than to dig them up after death. The book follows the troubles of Victor, from his home in Italy where he witnesses the murder of his parents as Carbonari, to the muck-filled streets of London where he's sold to a Master and forced to beg for a living. Chilling and yet beautifully written. The book haunted me long after I put it down."
THE UNRESOLVED -- Editorial Reviews
Scholar's Blog, June 2007
"Welsh has written a hauntingly compelling novel...I don't want to say too much more about this book because that would spoil it, I feel. Just find a copy, if you can, and read it; it's well written and very moving."
THE UNRESOLVED -- Reader Reviews
Bazile at www.goodreads.com
"This book challanged my expectations of young adult fiction...The story was engrossing, the characters well defined...TK Welsh does an amazing job of painting early 20th century New York and all of its issues. Antisemitism, sexism, immigration, zenophobia, love, betrayal, death and redemption are all featured in a plot that moves along breathlessly...A great book and a must read."
Ben at www.goodreads.com
"Beautifully written and haunting. I highly recommend this book. Fantastic! Shouldn't be just for young adults. This and Welsh's other so-called teen book (Resurrection Men) transcend the genre."
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