Stefani Deoul

Is it RARE that one encounters a book that SCREAMS to be made into a television series?

Stefani Deoul’s ZERO SUM GAME is one. This is 2nd of 3 books in the SID RUBIN SILICON ALLEY ADVENTURE young adult series. Oh yes, the third book isn’t out yet.

ZERO SUM GAME follows high school senior Sid Rubin and her collection of too-cool-for school BFFs into the world of internet gaming. Whilst the team (Sid, Imani, Jimmy, Vikram and Ari) are all grounded for their detective exploits in the first book, Vikram’s MMORPG (don’t ask) account in the wildly popular online game CONTAGION is hacked, hijacked and looted. Against the backdrop of an inter-school Robotics competition, our heroes swing into action to find the culprits and rescue Ari from depression and other teen-aged afflictions.

Ms Deoul's Sid Rubin reminds us of any teen-aged young person. Provided that person is hyper-articulate, over-the-top charming, blunt, tongue-tied, self-assured and excruciatingly insecure. She is also self-described “lesbionic” - as in superlatively lesbian - though she hilariously wavers at one moment, as many of us do.

Throughout the book, the Author shows us the teenage world in which our emotional life is turned upside down in a nano-second and just as rapidly elevated to an impossible height. Most critical, the book features not fewer than FOUR moments of deep, emotional self-realization that makes us positively ACHE for our characters, for our children, and somehow, for ourselves lo, those scores and years ago.

ZERO SUM GAME reflects careful research of real-world internet games, which we are surprised to learn, is an activity enjoyed by virtually the same share of male and female users. Just as important, the Author has delved deeply into the lexicon, grammar and endless sentences, clauses and phrases recklessly assembled by said teenagers on the fly.

This novel aims squarely at both sexes and a rainbow audience, as does the book series. It introduces fragile teenaged crushes and emerging love of varying genders in a remarkably gentle fashion. There is respect for everyone's feelings that make this an unobjectionable book for all but the most doctrinaire or denying parents.

With a little luck, after you’ve bought and read this delightful book, you’ll turn on the television to see the Series - or better yet, binge all by-then published 35 instalments in the Series.

James Dowaliby… (lisätietoja)

Take one super bright, smartarse teen geek, add in a bunch of high school friends with super fast brains and even faster fingers, and we have the super-sleuth crazy gang of the techno age.

Sidonie Rubin is a teenager with a conscience and life threatening observation skills. When she makes a passing comment about a recent murder while on a school trip to the local precinct, she, and her friends, suddenly become the local law enforcement experts on LARPS (Live Action Role Play). Partly from pique at not being invited, partly from ego to prove herself right, Sid is determined to show that the murdered woman was dressed for an evening out when she was found, and therefore part of that modern phenomena, steam-punk cosplay.

Sid and her diverse group of friends – the quick brained best friend Jimmy, the gorgeous UN brat Imani, sex goddess Ari and Vikram the surprise package – spend their waking hours digging through the murdered woman’s online life in search of the illusive link to her death. And of course, being headstrong teenagers, once found they cannot leave it alone, which leads directly to the flashback that encompasses the story, Sid flying off the balcony in the New York Public Library in a gravity defying attempt to catch the murderer.

This is a hilarious, action packed, fast paced story that may be about a bunch of YA’s but is adult in humour and intellect. The plot is slightly insane, given the local cops call in the teenagers to start with, and the majority of the crime solving is via cyber space, while the resolution is very much in the real world and the whole is actually a momentary “life before the eye’s” flash back while Sid falls through the air.

Both the writing and the characters are extremely witty. None are quite what their image would suggest. Jimmy, the star Quarterback who wants to be a Supreme Court Judge, has chosen as his best friend the school geek, and manages keep up with her in all her glorious geekdom. Ari, large girl, large personality, buxom blonde (well blue and pink this week) isn’t just the life and soul, she’s a caregiver, nurturer and ‘tough love’ kinda girl. Vikram the loser is actually the one who cracks the case and revels hidden skills, and Imani, gorgeous, cosmopolitan linguist, cant add up well enough to pass her SATs. Their interplay and banter is, quite frankly, joyful. It fills up the page, the mind, and warms the heart, while exercising the ‘belly-laugh’ muscles on a regular basis.

Sid is, literally, a laugh a minute. While written as a first person stream of consciousness, in breathtaking inner monologue style, she manages to fall, trip, embarrass and laugh at herself throughout. From her clumsy slapstick to her embarrassing crush Stefani Deoul has created an adorable over confident, self conscious and over enthusiastic teenager who you cannot help but love.

The subtitle “A Sid Rubin Silicon Alley Adventure” suggests a series and I, for one, feel like chaining the author to her own cyber space to ensure the next adventure is well under way. Absolutely loved this, it stays in the mind, resonates in the heart and makes you smile at the memory. If this doesn’t win awards I will eat my top hat.… (lisätietoja)

The Carousel by Stefani Deoul tells the story of a woman on the road who wearily stumbles into a small town and is captivated by a group of carousel horses at the local scrap yard. The horses seem to call out to the broken stranger; and she soon finds herself embarking on a project to restore the animals and gift the town with a brand new carousel, as well as a community project. The mysterious woman, who becomes known simply as the merry-go-round lady or the boss, acts as a catalyst to bring the town together and she finds herself pulled into friendship with several of the local residents, despite her secret past.

Overall, this was a really interesting story. I loved Deoul's descriptions of the horses that the townspeople carved and restored - each one unique and individual. However, I wish more of the protagonist's mysterious past had been revealed bit-by-bit throughout the book, rather than all at once at the end of the story. Without even learning her name, I never truly connected with her as a character, but I did like that she was the one who brought the other characters together. The supporting cast in the story was very extensive and they felt like a real community. The magic of the carousel brought new life to the town, and as a whole, The Carousel is a great story about restoration in both art and life.… (lisätietoja)