Comments for Isabel Ashdown

Comment on Blog: Young Adult Readers and the cross-over into Adult Fiction by mynovelmyenchantment

mynovelmyenchantment — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:10:03 +0000

Oh Isabel, I’ve only just found this! Thank you so much for the comment Do you know I was in love with To Kill A Mockingbird’s Jean Louise and her smooth dark bangs.

Comment on Blog: Young Adult Readers and the cross-over into Adult Fiction by Isabel Ashdown

Isabel Ashdown — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:04:11 +0000

I think that’s a big part of the attraction to certain books when you are a YA discovering different novels – finding something to relate to, whether it’s a shared situation or a common dilemma or even an empathy with a character who longs for smooth dark bangs! Many thanks for your comment

Comment on Blog: Young Adult Readers and the cross-over into Adult Fiction by mynovelmyenchantment

mynovelmyenchantment — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:04:22 +0000

I Capture the Castle is one of my all time favourite books and I was startled to see it on the YA adult list as I hadn’t even seen it as that – but of course it is. Likewise, To Kill A Mockingbird. Actually it had occurred to me even less to consider that YA, and yet I fell in love with it as a YA when I think about it. As a teenager with reddish frizzy hair I also longed to have smooth dark ‘bangs’!!

Comment on 1980s Gallery by Nikki Owen

Nikki Owen — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:30:20 +0000

Oh excellent. Shall get digging.

Comment on 1980s Gallery by Isabel Ashdown

Isabel Ashdown — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:52:16 +0000

They sound like they’d be very welcome additions to the gallery … 1985 is where the novel opens, so particularly appropriate!

Comment on Blog: Young Adult Readers and the cross-over into Adult Fiction by Isabel Ashdown

Isabel Ashdown — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:49:55 +0000

Thanks for your comment AliB – really glad you enjoyed the post. It’s a fascinating subject isn’t it, crossover fiction – and so hard to define. For me, writing the story and characters has to come first, before concerns of readership, and that way there’s no danger of over-censoring ideas that might otherwise take flight. I’ve enjoyed so many great works of adult fiction that are narrated by/seen through eyes of children/adolescents … To Kill a Mockingbird, I Capture the Castle, The Cement Garden, The Member of the Wedding, Pigeon English … and on and on. All wonderful reads!

Comment on 1980s Gallery by Nikki Owen

Nikki Owen — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:23:11 +0000

Shall see if I can dig one out. Although my husband and his best man have a particularly fetching piccie of themselves circa 1985 sporting George Michael highlights and a Demi-wave respectively. (My bubbie was the Demi-wave. I know!)

Comment on 1980s Gallery by Isabel Ashdown

Isabel Ashdown — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:19:07 +0000

I aim to please! Glad you enjoyed it Nikki – it was great fun to put together, and the twitter world seemed very happy to oblige. Do tweet me your own photo if you’d like to take a place in the Hall of Fame/Shame

Comment on 1980s Gallery by Nikki Owen

Nikki Owen — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:11:55 +0000

Just stumbled across the 80s gallery. So funny. Made me think of my bad back combed hair and massive specs. Comedy gold. Cheers!

Comment on Blog: Young Adult Readers and the cross-over into Adult Fiction by debutnovelist

debutnovelist — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:40:40 +0000

Hi Isabel – read the rest of this post and cheered. I too have written about an older teenager (older I think than your own subjects) but don’t see it as a YA book. Makes me quite cross when it’s assumed anything about an age-group is for that age group even if it will have an added appeal for that audience. Like you, I started on ‘adult’ fiction as soon as I could. I think I would have been quite suspicious of a book aimed at teenagers, but then we are going back a bit!
AliB