Blog Tour, Review + Q&A: The Raging Ones by Krista and Becca Ritchie
9:30 AM
If there's one thing you should know of me, by now, it's that I have a massive amount of love for the duo of writers, and twins, Krista and Becca Ritchie. They are to my twenties what J.K. Rowling was to my childhood, which is to say that they have shaped my love of literature in different ways. When I first heard that the two were releasing a new series in the young adult world, I knew I had to jump at any chance that may come my way.
Their latest offering, The Raging Ones, was one of my most anticipated releases of 2018. The novel, out August 14th, is their first published YA novel and, well, can you guys feel my excitement? Yes? No? Maybe?
Regardless, I am so excited to be participating in the official blog tour celebrating the novels release.
Spoiler alert, guys: it's
ABOUT THE BOOK
THE RAGING ONES follows three teens who should have died young: Franny Bluefort, a young orphan who lived fast and hard, only to wake up the next morning after her death day in the cold, unforgiving city streets; Mykal Kickfall, who was meant to die at 8 but instead was forced to flee his rugged home to avoid questions of his survival; and Court Icefort, the mysterious boy who acts like an Influential, but has a terrible secret. And, for some inexplicable reason, they can feel each other's emotions as if they were their own.
With the threat of people learning the teens have dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet, Saltare-3, to survive. Who knows what will happen if people suddenly think they might be able to escape death? But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people who are far smarter, will live longer, and will never fear death the way that they do.
The Ritchie sisters have already amassed a large following for their steamy romances, infusing their young adult novel with romantic tension and displaying a new talent for excellent world building. Full of action and adventure, THE RAGING ONES is part space odyssey and part coming of age story with three teens trying to escape their difficult pasts.
THE REVIEW ★★★★★
I was sent an eARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in the blog tour. This does not change my view in any shape or form.
This was truly a wild ride and I'm so ecstatic to see what others think of The Raging Ones. The first thing that you should know about this book is that it's going to stick with you for ages after reading it. For those of you who are only just discovering Krista and Becca's work, this is their calling card. All of their characters become unforgettable and you'll remember them long after the final page.
Not many authors can craft worlds and characters in the way that these two can, and I am forever in awe over their captivating prose.
I've said it previously in their NA releases but, they write in full colours. The way they capture the many complexities of life is breathtaking and what they do with their stories, how they write and develop them, is just... indescribable. How many times have I felt their work impact my adult life? Far too many to count.
This trait is ever-present in their latest release, The Raging Ones, and stronger than ever.
Words cannot express how excited I am to know that young adults will now see their fizzle (!) of life on paper and, perhaps, grow up with the characters of The Raging Ones. Just when you think that they have reached a new high in their stories, they come back harder than before. As with all good authors, they get better with time.
The Raging Ones is one of their many triumphs, expanding their impressive catalogue of novels in a new way. Not only is it heartfelt and fast paced, it's deeply unique and tantalizing in the way that only a good work of fiction can be. This is a story about three individuals, one extraordinarily unique bond and the becoming of friendships that are, at their core, more like family than anything else.
It is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings and the television series Sense8 and The 100.
But, of course, it is a story all its own; dripping with luscious settings and phenomenal characters. If you've been looking for a book that is full of action, intrigue and diversity, this novel is definitely worth looking into. Stamped with the endearing characters, and stunningly real connections, that the Ritchie sisters are known for, you should know that this book is truly something special.
One of the most striking things about The Raging Ones is the world it is set in. The futuristic setting is gorgeous and intriguing, balancing just enough nods to our own world and a history of this one's own. It feels familiar and new all at once, compelling us to read further and wonder what could possibly happen next. Each page brings forth new information and worldbuilding, enticing readers further.
And I cannot wait to learn more about it all.
(Especially after that ending.)
I really enjoyed a lot about this novel, and I can't cover it all without spoiling the experience for you all, but I will say I adored the concept of this world's citizens knowing their exact deathdays from birth and the social elements that come with the age group your deathday will land upon.
Which made me question a lot of things: would I want to live with the knowledge of my exact date of death? And how would that change the way that I lived? Then, comes the question: what would you do if your deathday came to pass and, somehow, you were still alive?
For the characters--Franny, Court and Mykal, they grew up with the knowledge of their own deathday and all three of them took different paths, despite their one similar trait: they were to die young. This is something that connected them long before their paths ever crossed.
And, in some ways, I feel as if it's partly the glue that keeps the trio together after they dodged their deathdays, met and discover their impossible bond. Without a doubt, their bond is something that keeps them together mentally--but their respect for each other as individuals is what keeps them from running away from it all at the end of the day.
I will say that my favourite thing about The Raging Ones was the little family that was created by the end of book one. I'm a sucker for the whole family-found trope and Krista and Becca Ritchie always, always blow me away and define said trope. No one writes it like they do, end sentence. I also loved the later inclusion of other minor characters and the MASSIVE cliffhanger at the end of the book.
There's so much good to be seen in The Raging Ones and it captivated me from the start. Fast-paced, highly addictive and impossible to put down, Krista and Becca Ritchie have another hit! Unlike any-thing I've read in recent memory, this is a read-in-one-sitting sort of book (that I definitely need a physical copy of to add to my collection because OH MY GOD, that plot and cover!! Catch me, I'm swooning!) and should be at the top of any YA reader's list this year.
I have a feeling it's going to be adored by more than just me.
Get ready for your next obsession!
The Raging Ones has got a little bit of everything--action, mystery, fantasy, science-fiction, a dash of romance and one beautiful trio of friends. It has the gift of leaving you breathless. I adored this book and so will you!
AUTHOR Q&A
Q: Working with another author is hard, let alone WITH YOUR TWIN, what was working together like and how did you address differing opinions on the work? What are your favorite and least favorite things about writing with each other?
A: We’ve been writing together since high school, so we’ve been able to really fine-tune our process. Being sisters seems like we’d bicker a ton, but we find our bond a huge strength. We understand each other’s vision and welcome varying opinions and ideas. We always describe what we have as a mini “writer’s room” where we constantly bounce thoughts off one another and try to improve our work. When we have different opinions, it kick-starts discussions, which often ignites better stories. Our favorite part of working together is definitely collaborating. We value our time together and our discussions surrounding our projects. Always having someone equally passionate and invested in the book fuels our love of writing. Least favorite part: honestly, there aren’t a lot of negatives! Maybe our three-minute silent treatments when we’re frustrated, and then we make up almost immediately.
Q: When did you first get idea for The Raging Ones? What was your inspiration for this book?
A: Back in college, one of us (Krista) had this concept about a world where everyone knows the die they’ll die, but three teens don’t die on their deathday. We’re huge fans of science fiction and fantasy, and we’d written several Young Adult novels that never saw the light of day. But we wanted to write a new story together with new characters, and I jumped on board once she agreed to add a fantasy element. While writing THE RAGING ONES, we were really inspired by character-driven stories with science fiction backdrops. From movies like Interstellar to television shows like The 100.
Q: THE RAGING ONES is your first YA novel. What made you decide to move into the genre, and was the transition difficult? Was writing in a different genre/for a different age group hard? Was your process different?
A: Even though THE RAGING ONES is our first published YA novel, it isn’t the first one we’d written together. In our childhood, high school, and college, we mostly only wrote YA. The harder transition for us had been going from writing Young Adult fantasy novels to writing contemporary romance. In a lot of ways, THE RAGING ONES was like returning to something we’d started but hadn’t finished yet. We always attribute our romance books as the reason why we’re better writers, and when we went back to this other genre, we realized how much more we could do and push ourselves. Our writing process is pretty much identical across the map for Young Adult and Adult.
Q: What is the weirdest thing you had to research for the novel?
A: Since THE RAGING ONES takes place on a frozen planet, we had to keep jumping down an Animal Planet rabbit hole. We paid close attention to the animals that could exist. It’s not too weird, but there were a lot of times we had to double-check each other and be like, “Cotton isn’t a fabric here” and “You can’t make them eat chicken. There are no chickens.”
Q: Did THE RAGING ONES have a certain soundtrack you listened to while writing?
A: Yes! We always listen to music while we’re writing, and we complied a public Spotify playlist for the book, which includes songs that were in our earbuds as we were typing. We love the dramatic scores from Gravity and Interstellar, but we always say “Keeping Your Head Up” by Birdy is the essence of the book. THE RAGING ONES Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2AkHkXi
Q: What is your dream cast for THE RAGING ONES?
A: We love dream casting our books and making Pinterest boards! For THE RAGING ONES, we can imagine Lyrica Okano as Franny Bluecastle, Henry Zaga as Court Icecastle, and Noah Teicher as Mykal Kickfall. THE RAGING ONES Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/kbmritchie/the-raging-ones-series/
EXCERPT
Franny
On the cobblestone walk of a city sheathed in ice and snow,
I slam my frostbitten fist against a Plexiglas cashier window.
“Excuse me!” I call out for assistance that never arrives.
Five minutes till closing, and the bank has already snapped
the blinds shut.
“Excuse me!” I shout again. “I’m dying tomorrow!” I bang
harder, my frustrated breath smoking the chilled air. My wool
coat, missing four buttons and brandishing more than a few torn
holes, warms me less than my irritation. Which grows with the
incoming silence.
I’m truly dying tomorrow, but death is normative. I die. You
die. We all die. The only difference between the bankers and me—I
will die at seventeen.
I die young.
They die old.
And so it goes.
I spot a bulky camera positioned on the brick of the Bank Hall’s
outdoor window. You see me, don’t you? They just refuse to answer.
“I’m allowed my Final Deliverance check! Do you hear me?!”
I yell up at the lens while simmering in place.
Behind me, men in sleek tailored suits and fur-lined wool coats
amble along the alabaster-white sidewalk. Their hot, disparaging
gazes heat my neck. They can act all miffed by me, but Fowler
Street, Avenue Thirty-Four contains every shop for every type
of person: hair salons, dentists, pubs, quaint overnight inns, and
most importantly for me—the only bank.
And all the grand streets—all the ones with cigar parlors and high-end fabric shops that smell of rose petals and fig—hug the grimy ones. The streets with cheap apartments, crumbling brick, and foul, pungent odors with each step past. So in the end, the rich-clothed men have always seen as much of me as I’ve seen of them.
We just might not end up in the same place.
I watch some strut ahead, careful on slick cobblestone, scarves
bundled up to their lips. They disappear past the warmth of a stone
pub, nestled on the corner of Fowler. The opulent Catherina Hotel
is only one block away, and by the men’s attire alone, I imagine
that’s their true destination.
Really, they’re not a priority to me.
Not today.
Most definitely not tomorrow.
With numb fingertips, I dig in my pocket for my identification.
I raise the card toward the camera lens. “I’m Franny Bluecastle,”
I declare, possibly speaking to no one. “Can you see my
deathday?” I point at the print beneath my name. “I’m dying
tomorrow.”
A shadow passes behind the window, someone stirring. Blinds
rattle and I press my nose against the chilled glass, scraping my
fingers down. “Please! I’m on time!” Backbiting insults and curses
nip my tongue, and I swallow them, going down bitter like blood.
The blinds suddenly spring upward, and I’m met with russet
curls, thin lips of boredom, and stern, auburn eyes.
I speak before the fortysomething woman can. “I need to
collect my FD check. In bills.” I keep a watchful eye on the old mechanical
drawer beside the window. She has to dispense my cash,
and once the drawer opens, it’ll finally be in my hand.
Most plan out their deathday to the finest detail.
At six years of age, I watched my mom die.
I traced her steps around her bed, a single-room apartment
above a butcher shop. The scent of slaughtered pig clung more to
our well-worn clothes than to the musty air.
She lit candle after candle and hummed to the gods, casting
smiles back at me. Youth sparkled in her gaze.
And I’d known, like any stranger could see, that we did not
match. It wasn’t only my cool, beige skin and silky black hair—
but the differences of our eyes, the heart shape of my face to her
squared, and as I grew, I didn’t develop curves or a chest like hers.
Even knowing she’d die by twenty-four, my mother found the
will and courage to provide me a home when she was just eighteen.
She adopted me as an infant, and I always knew that I’d say
goodbye to my mother in only a handful of years. She prepared
me for the day, so I’d be at peace with her.
And I was.
Moments after her smile, she blew out the tender flames and
crawled onto the squeaky bed.
“Be careful of how you die, my little Franny,” she told me. “You
can set your terms but not the day.”
Without question, I nodded in reply.
When we’re born, we all know the day we’ll die. It’s been this
way for over a thousand years.
Maybe someone solved a mathematical equation.
Maybe a scientist drummed up this revolutionary discovery.
I can’t recall our history front to back like an Influential. I never
attended school or read their books, and I didn’t really care to
listen.
I only have so much time to live, so why waste it on a history
that won’t be mine for long?
My mom snuffed the candles, avoiding Death By Fire as her
ending. In my country of Altia, people about to experience
their deathday must follow Injury Prevention Laws.
Like me
tomorrow.
Stay indoors.
Stay away from large groups of people.
Relax.
Stay calm.
Be at peace.
Defying the first two could lead to mass accidents.
A boy of fourteen dumbly and selfishly took a joyride around
Bartholo’s packed and icy city streets on his deathday. The car spun out and collided with Mr. Rosencastle who was innocently
locking up the butcher shop.
Since Mr. Rosencastle won’t die until he’s seventy-seven, all he
lost was an arm. Not his life.
And ever since I witnessed my mom’s death—the serenity in
her upturned lips, the warm flush in her cheeks before her heart
slowed to a stop—I’ve dreamed of my own deathday.
I might have planned it poorly, but I dreamed well.
I imagined using the last of my money for a one-night stay at
the Catherina Hotel. Where harpists welcome guests through revolving
doors, men in tuxes offer gold-foiled chocolates and sweet
liqueur, where feathered pillows and satin sheets blanket beds
made for five bodies.
At the orphanage, I sleep on a narrow bunk, coiled springs
bruising my back. Only with my Final Deliverance check can I
afford this single-night luxury. I’ve only heard stories, never seen
it with my own eyes, but I still dream.
I want to lie against those sheets and gaze up at the hand-painted
ceiling mural and smile as I drift off, as my heart slows or as my
brain shuts down, as the gods take me.
The banker presses a button, and her monotone voice crackles
through the speakers. “We’ve closed out today. No more transfers,
deposits, or withdrawals until tomorrow at six o’morning.”
She reaches for the cord to the blinds.
“No wait!” This is not how I end. “You can’t botch this for me!
Listen to me. You have to listen to me.” My desperation curdles
my stomach, and I claw at the window, my hot breath fogging
the glass. “I need this money now. I could die at midnight.”
The banker scrutinizes my long hair: black roots growing in
among vibrant blue and green knotted strands that contrast her
natural hue. She homes in on my silver piercings: stuck along my
black brow, a ring beneath my nose and another hooped around
my lip.
It’s possible that she ignored me because of the bright dye and
piercings.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE RAGING ONES
"A potently addictive blend of romance, fantasy, and science fiction full of unexpected twists."
— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
"…a heartfelt, high-octane saga with gripping twists that will leave readers hungering for more."
— Booklist Online
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