Exclusive interview with author Skip Brittenham about his teen fantasy novel with creatures visible in augmented reality
Rating: 3 Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“We had already been doing augmented reality images and apps with the graphic novels I was involved in, Anomaly and Shifter, so it seemed natural to try to let the readers have the same type of high tech tools available with my young adult novel. I think that this generation wants more interactivity in every form of entertainment they consume.”
Those are the words of author Skip Brittenham, whose latest book focuses on how two teens learn to trust each other and themselves. There’s an app that you download that utilizes your camera. Once downloaded, focus on the pictures in the book and you’ll see 3D creatures pop up. There are also details about the creatures. This is an inventive way to learn more about the creatures. Some of the creatures have human traits. At times the creatures are trying to help them, but the kids in the book don’t know and run into more danger. The fighting and death is violent, which can be a bit much for a young child to read. Instead of the violence, it could have had more emotional connection. What our young heroes learn when they are transported to the land of Nith gives them confidence. Along the way, they make a new friend.
Mayberry and Marshall are two teens who don’t quite fit the mold to be considered popular. Mayberry is a science geek from New York, who dresses Goth. She’s moved with her parents to a small town so her mother can do research. Mayberry’s only friend is Marshall, who’s lived there all his life. His family used to be very rich, but was wiped out by bad investments. Marshall tells Mayberry about the wishing tree in Mystery Forest. They find the wishing tree and make wishes. Both fall asleep and awake in Nith where there are mystical and scary creatures. How will they get home?
“The book has a lot of science backing up some of the story elements,” says Brittenham. “I was researching the longevity of planets and animals and stumbled upon the quaking aspen trees size and age. I was also reading a book about string theory at the same time and put the two together….and watched my 15-year-old daughter consume entertainment and then communicate with her friends. I have never taken a writing class. I learned how to write by slogging away at it on my computer.”
“Over the years I read a lot of scripts and watched them evolve into movies or TV shows so I became very familiar with various approaches to the creative process,” says Brittenham who is an entertainment lawyer. He has co-written two graphic novels, Anomaly and Shifter. Between Worlds has yet to be optioned for film or television.
Brittenham says he was reading and researching just for general education purposes, not for any book. “My theory about education is that you are either going up or down and if you are standing still you are going down. If you always talk about and live based on where and what you have been it is hard to discover a vibrant fulfilling future.”
Arianne Lewin is Brittenham’s editor at Penguin.
“I submitted the book to Penguin and they wanted to publish it,” says Brittenham. “They assigned Arianne to me and we went at it. She recommended that I eliminate a plot line involving the parents of the female lead character Mayberry because YA readers don’t care that much about adults’ problems. I thought about it and decided she was right.”
Brittenham is based in Los Angeles. He was born in Port Huron, Michigan. He is currently writing an adult action adventure novel. The app for the book can be found at www. betweenworldsapp.com
Between Worlds by Skip Brittenham. Age Range: 12 to 17 years. Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Grade Level: 7 and up (August 30, 2016), Language: English ISBN-13: 978-0399176890 $18.99
