Why Teen Books?
Teen Fiction isn’t a genre, but more of a marketing choice. In the teen section you can find an array of different genres, styles and methods of telling stories. Someone has to wade through the Section to separate the good from the bad, the entertaining from the plain ridiculous.
Alexandra’s Reason: When I was in high school I worked in the Youth Section of a bookstore. It always amazed me the range of books that would end up in the Teen Section. I was on the front lines when the vampire craze happened and because of that experience I’ve developed a fascination in the trends for teen books. I also developed an interest in how upper-case letter L “Literature” affected the teen section with re-writes or novels influenced by classics. But the influence also goes both ways and with the creation of New Adult Fiction there is a lot to be analyzed.
Chelsey’s Reason: I love reviewing teen books because there are a lot of set rules within the category. It is interesting to see the ways people work within or break the rules. And in general, I love discussion and shared experience that comes from the YA community.
What kind of camera do you use?
The majority of Death of the Author episodes are shot on Alexandra’s Canon XA10. Episodes can also be shot on Chelsey’s Sony NEXVG30H
What software do you use?
Alexandra edits using a combination of Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion & Adobe After Effects. Chelsey uses Adobe Premiere and After Effects.
Why is your name Death of the Author Reviews?
Death of the Author takes its name from a famous essay by the literary theorist Roland Barthes. In The Death of the Author, Barthes writes:
“… the birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author.”
Barthes argues that there is no distinct, right interpretation of the text. He challenges the idea that the author has the ultimate say on what a text means. Instead as the reader reads, they create their own interpretation. Which is exactly what this website is attempting to do.
How do you choose which books to review?
We pick books that stand out to us, whether it be good or bad, old or new, we’ll pick it if we think we have something to say about it. We also take into account releases of books and movies when scheduling our reviews.
Can I suggest a book for you to review?
Yes! We’re always open to suggestions for reviews! But we do have a schedule, so it may take a little while till we get to your suggestion.
Can you review my book?
That depends! Send us an email at doftheabook@gmail.com with a short summary of your book and other information: when it is being published, how it’s being published (a book? an ebook? A publishing house or self published). If one of us is interested (or both of us for that matter) we’ll respond to your email and we’ll make arrangements from there.
Do You Go to Conventions and Conferences?
Yes! Our favourite conventions are Book Expo in New York City and Con Bravo in Hamilton Ontario
About Us
