The Smile Factor

So, you've got a choice to make. One of sixteen Bookbuzz books can be yours to keep, but which one is right for you? Well, if it was up to me, I’d go for The Smile Factor. 

Let me explain. 

I didn't read much when I was at school. I know that might sound odd because I now write books, but back then I read quite slowly. I also don’t hold a pen properly, so I found writing a bit difficult. The kind of books I thought I should read were long with small letters and, to be honest, I felt intimidated. So, I didn’t read much. Instead, I faked it by asking my brother what he’d read and getting him to tell me the plots. That way, if a teacher asked, I always sounded like I’dbeen reading. Looking back, thatwasn’t the brightest thing to do because I didn’t get any help with either reading or writing. But that didn’t seem the most important thing at the time. I just wanted to keep my head down. 

Then, when I was 21 years old, Istarted writing. There were stories in my head that had to come out. The problem was, I wasn’t very good at it. A friend told me that the best way to learn to write was to read, so that’s what I did. 

This time, reading felt very different. I read and enjoyed books that were longer and with different styles than I had read before. I began to read faster and my confidence grew. The funny thing is, there was only one difference between reading in my twenties and reading when I was at school. Second time around, I chose books that seemed interesting to me. Ididn’tworry at allif other people thought they were ‘proper’ books or not. 

That’s where The Smile Factor comes in. 

It took me over twenty years to get a book published. 21% Monster is that book. I think the reason it was the one that made it is this: Whenever I told anyone the idea, they’d smile. The idea intrigued them or amused them or made them feel excited, orsomething. Why you like a book idea is often hard to explain. It is just a something – a feeling that is very personal to you. Sometimes people will say you’re wrong to choose the books you pick, but you are not. If a book idea makes you smile, for whatever reason, that is all you need. That’s The Smile Factor. 

So, when you are picking abook I suggest that you read the blurb on the back. If you feel like smiling, read the first page. If you like that, read a few more. If you like that much of it, you’ll probably like the whole book and that’s the one you should get. It can be short or long. It can have pictures or just have words. It can be factual or fiction, and funny or serious. That’s all fine as long as you want to smile. 

Of course, I want you to choose 21% Monster. It’s fine with me if you don’t, but here’s how I used to explain the idea that made people smile: 

“The story’s about a twelve year-old boy called Darren Devlin who destroys his school with his bare hands. He’s arrested and sent to prison where he meets Marek Masters, 14 years old, 19% alien, and the most intelligent, most wanted ‘almost human’ alive. 

Marek tells Darren that he’s the victim of an illegal experiment that made him genetically 21% monster. Marek is determined to take down the secret organization that created them, but Darren isn’t sure he’s telling the whole truth...” 

So, does 21% Monster have The Smile Factor? I’ll let you decide... 

Read the Bookbuzz author blogs