(Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy at the podium)
The first ever Indigo Teen Read Awards were an EPIC WIN and an event that the Canadian teen readers in attendance will not soon forget. The event was held September 25th at the hip and trendy Six Degrees venue in Toronto and was hosted by the uber cool Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy.
(Pop and TV sensation Emily Osment performed to a packed house of over 500 excited guests – Hannah Montana’s co-star made a special guest appearance at the Awards.)
Guests were expecting performances by Alyssa Reid and Alex Lacasse, but they were also treated to a special surprise guest performance by Emily Osment. All of the performers wowed the screaming crowd. As well, guests were further treated with the availability of not only a photo booth and a graffiti wall but also great food, which included everything from mini hamburgers to brownie lollipops. Finally, at the end of the night, each teen was given an awesome swag bag filled with books and goodies.
After the event the teens headed over to the Yonge & Eglinton Indigo location for an after party and purchase discounts.
THE MAGAZINE had the opportunity to talk to some of the attendees. Here’s what they had to say:
SUSIN NIELSEN – AUTHOR – WORD NERD – nominated for ‘Best Canadian Read’
1. Where did you find the inspiration to write ‘Word Nerd’?
I wasn’t sure of that myself until after the book was published, I came across the very first diary that I kept when I was 11 years old. I realized then that I was a lot like Ambrose (the main character). I was a little bit nerdy, I moved around a lot and I didn’t have a lot of friends, but I had a ‘glass half full’ attitude. I never felt sorry for myself.
2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Just keep writing. The only way that you get good at something is to keep doing it. Also, send your writing out to places that will accept it. Give it a shot.
ALYSON NOEL – AUTHOR – THE IMMORTALS: SHADOWLAND – nominated for ‘Best Read’
1. Where do you get the inspiration for your writing?
I have this habit of stealing from my life and taking difficult events and turning them into stories.
2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Read a lot of books and practice writing. Also, it’s important to be kind to yourself. A lot of writers stop writing and never finish a book because they are constantly comparing themselves to books on the shelf that they love. The fact is that every author’s first draft is terrible and they revise and revise until its good enough to get on the bookstore shelf.
ALEXANDRA BULLEN – AUTHOR – WISH – nominated for ‘Best New Writer’
1. If you could make a wish and bring one of the characters you’ve written about to life, who would you pick and why?
Bowie from Wish is my favourite character in the book. I think she is a lot of fun and I’d love to have her as a friend.
2. Can you give us any ‘inside scoop’ on ‘Wishful Thinking’, the sequel to ‘Wish’?
Wishful Thinking is similar to Wish. It is about three dresses and three wishes for Hazel, a whole new character. She makes a wish as big as Olivia’s [in ‘Wish’.]
Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy
With all of the other choices teens have to spend their time, why do you think that teens should make the time to read?
Jessi: What you read on the page is really about how you interpret it in your mind. Your imagination takes you to a completely different world. Edward Cullen can be as dreamy and as hot as you want him to be.
Dan: You take essential life lessons from these books that I don’t think you can be taught in school. It’s nice to be taught in a different way.
Alyssa Reid
What do you look for when choosing a book to read?
First I look for a cover that looks interesting and draws my attention and then I read the back and if it seems very suspenseful then I read it.
Alex Lacasse
What are you currently reading?
‘The Witches’ by Roald Dahl. It’s a book that I started in grade 6 and I never finished it and I have made it my mission to finish it.
THE WINNERS AND THE NOMINEES WERE:
Best Read:
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins (WINNER)
Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater
Darkest Powers: The Reckoning – Kelley Armstrong
The Immortals: Shadowland – Alyson Noël
Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen
Best All-Time Fave:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling (WINNER)
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
The Twilight Saga: Twilight – Stephenie Meyer
Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
(Richelle Mead (left) picked up the award for Best Teen Series for Vampire Academy and Kelley Armstrong (right) took the honours for Best Canadian Read for The Reckoning.)
Best Teen Series:
Vampire Academy: Spirit Bound – Richelle Mead (WINNER)
House of Night: Burned – P.C. & Kristin Cast
Blue Bloods: The Van Alen Legacy – Melissa de la Cruz
Pretty Little Liars #8: Wanted – Sara Shepard
Mortal Instruments: City of Glass – Cassandra Clare
Best Book-To-Flick:
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling (WINNER)
Push – Sapphire
The Twilight Saga: New Moon – Stephenie Meyer
Whip It – Shauna Cross
The Chronicles of Narnia – C. S. Lewis
Best New Writer:
Fallen – Lauren Kate (WINNER)
Wish – Alexandra Bullen
Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver
Beautiful Creatures – Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Hush, Hush – Becca Fitzpatrick
Best Hero:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Five: The Last Olympian – Rick Riordan (WINNER)
The Curse Workers: White Cat – Holly Black
Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld
The Maze Runner – James Dashner
Heist Society – Ally Carter
Best Villain:
Prophecy of the Sisters – Michelle Zink (WINNER)
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Necromancer – Michael Scott
The Carrie Diaries – Candace Bushnell
Stolen – Lucy Christopher
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
Best Hottie:
Mortal Instruments: City of Glass – Cassandra Clare (WINNER)
Hush, Hush – Becca Fitzpatrick
Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen
Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls – L.J. Smith
Vampire Academy 5 Spirit Bound – Richelle Mead
Best Lip Lock:
Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer (WINNER)
Sea Change – Aimee Friedman
Will Grayson, Will Grayson – John Green & David Levithan
Captivate – Carrie Jones
The Daughters – Joanna Philbin
(Dan Levy and Jessi Cruickshank, posed on the red carpet with Lesley Livingston, nominee for “Best Canadian Read”)
Best Canadian Read:
Darkest Powers: The Reckoning – Kelley Armstrong (WINNER)
Word Nerd – Susin Nielsen
The Uninvited – Tim Wynne-Jones
For the Win – Cory Doctorow
Darklight – Lesley Livingston
We can’t wait until next year’s Teen Read Awards!