Variant is getting a lot of good press lately (did you see that Publisher’s Weekly highlighted it as one of the “Big Books of BEA”!?) and I thought it was high time that I gave another ARC away.
There are two ways to enter:
- Leave a comment below, answering the following question: “You’re a teen imprisoned in a dystopian school, with no adults and run by gangs. What’s your survival strategy?” Be as silly or serious, brief or long-winded as you’d like.
- Send a tweet (about anything, but preferably Variant) using the hashtag #VariantARCContest.
Easy peasy, huh?
The rules are these:
- The contest starts now and ends Wednesday, May 18, at midnight MT.
- You can only comment once, but it counts as five entries.
- You can tweet once a day between now and then. Each tweet counts as one entry. (So, if you leave a comment and then tweet everyday, you’ll be entered ten times.)
- On Wednesday I’ll draw a winner and mail you a book. (And yes, I’ll mail internationally.)
- Clicking ‘like’ on my new Facebook fan page doesn’t enter you to win, because Facebook just changed their contest rules. But you should totally click ‘like’ anyway. You may not win an ARC, but you’ll win my heart. (Awww…)
UPDATE—The winner:
Thanks for the many many entries! They were all fantastic, and you all scare me.
The winner was a Twitter entrant who goes by the handle @Danny_Bookworm. Congratulations!
(And tune back soon, because an even bigger contest is about to be announced.)
Feedback, sequel to Variant, will be available October 2012. Click here for more information.
Hmm, to survive a dystopian school with no adults, I think I would do just what I do now, keep my head down. It’s actually the best way to make it through High School if you ask me. There’s to much pressure put on you if you’re in the spotlight, and if you’re not noticed it’s easier to get by. :]
I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, Rob, but I am a teeny, tiny person. My survival strategy: set up camp in an air duct and wait it out. Fallen logs are also good for this type of thing. Small storage crates. Abandoned suitcases. You get the idea.
I would figure out where the dystopian equivalent of Doritos are hidden. Then I would stockpile them in the school library. (Gangs don’t read, right?) Then I would hide in the gardening reference section (because high school kids don’t read gardening books, right?) and eat Doritos until our new alien overlords come to liberate the school. Wait, am I mixing genres?
I’d do like they do on “Survivor” and make alliances with everyone. Of course, that would mean lying through my teeth, so it’s a question of whether I want to die of guilt or in a much more gruesome manner. But this is fiction. I can lie in fiction.
Survival strategy? I’d find the biggest, toughest gang, and then make myself an indespensable member by being the one who comes up with the best insults for those beslubbering, clay-brained, fustilarians who pretend that they’re our “rivals”.
I would have to pull the insanity card. Make people uncomfortable enough to leave me alone. I would secretly befriend the kid everyone picks on because he doesn’t seem to be afraid of me. I’d slip anonymous notes in different gang members’ lockers and cause havoc with mistrust and alliances, with the goal of turning our energies to escaping instead of dance fights in the halls. Of course, my scheming would be noticed by the silent/strong cute guy and he’d confront me when no one was around. A friendship would develop and the kid everyone picks on would get jealous and change sides, causing a lot more danger than he’d intended for me and cute guy. *cue cliffhanger music*
P.S. I WANT TO WIN.
I don’t know. It has been so long since I was in high school. I guess I would get the football team and the wrestling team to help out.
As a firm advocate of violence actually solving problems, I’d find the biggest baddest guy and nail him in the sweet spot just below the throat with my index finger and assume command of the gang.
Or
Find a way to cut off the water supply inside the school until the gangs are dehydrated and can be made to accept the new regime.
The keep head down strategy would be for me too. Or try and join a group and make alliances always trying to go unnoticed.
I also tweet @luarroyave
.
Staring. The best starer always win. So I shall stare. It’s how I’ve succeeded in life so far; I see no reason to change my strategy.
Go to the band room, make friends, and start collecting weapons. Trust me, it hurts a lot when you’re hit with a trombone. The gangs would never think to go to a band room it’s too geeky
Make for the library. Totally. Not only are gangs known for being more bully than brainy, but I can hide out forever with a room full of books and videos. With titles like How to Make Friends and Influence Bullies, MacGyver: Seasons 1-5, and Fabulous Dinners Using 6 Ingredients or less (how about one? aka, eat the pictures when your food supply runs out). Plus those comfy couches and pillows they always have stashed in there will make bedtime a piece of cake. Cause those right-side up coffins they call lockers, just ain’t right. I’m heading for the library!
I would keep my head down and try to stay invisible.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/MT0089/status/69520988689268736
Thanks for the giveaway!
Everyone likes me, so I’d just be Switzerland. In the library. Where I’d advise all the gangs on the best way to set up their system of government. For a hefty fee. Eventually, I’d be crowned Queen.
Obtain, read, and hide all copies of Variant and hope it and not it’s sequel gives me all the info I need to survive.
The best way to survive a situation like that is to blend in. Stick to the shadows and don’t get anyone’s ire up. Sure, it may be a bit lonely, but once I scoped out the situation and observed how everything worked, I’d be able to devise a plan of attack. No one ever expects the small, quiet ones to put up a fuss, but I’d make a big splash once I knew the head honcho’s weaknesses.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/Nikkayme/status/69528509294448641 And if I tweet the contest again, it will be from that same handle.
Thanks so much
I would get all the previous commenters to be in my gang, especially the one with the Doritos-equivalent stash in the library. (That’s more of a utopia, though.)
I would keep my head down, stay out of problem and trying to make friends with everybody.
“You’re a teen imprisoned in a dystopian school, with no adults and run by gangs. What’s your survival strategy?”
Sell copies of “Lord of the Flies” for food, tools, and whatever else I might need.
Running quickly through the halls, I pass the auditorium doors. I then realize I can climb the rope to the rafters and hide up there without worry. Luckily, I remembered to pull the rope up so I won’t run into any of the gang members.
Well, if it’s run my gangs than there’s soical hierarchy right? I would work my way up to the top but not the very top in case any of the students stage a revolution and decide to kill me, far enough from the top to be safe but treated well =)
+1 Tweeted – http://twitter.com/#!/BadassBookie/status/69568208104984576
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would keep my head down while I worked on gathering minions through social networking sites like Twitter.
I would make sure no one–especially the minions–knew my true identity.
I would have my minions stage a take over and take my place as rightful tyrant of the school.
I would spend my time developing crucial, yet non-threatening, skills- like fixing things or preparing really good food. With no adults around those kinds of things might be hard to come by. Once I could provide some sort of vital service maybe I could be friendly with all the gangs without having to pick a side.
I’m a strategist with an easy-going personality and a nice smile. I start by making myself neutral territory, play up my survival and medical skills gained from a lifetime of scraped and bruises and play doctor for everyone.
Over time I become a confidant of the leaders. I listen to their problems, and give them a safe place to be human. Then I insinuate myself as the power behind the throne. I make sure the decision makers all come to me for advice.
Soon, everyone is listening to me. I carefully pick off the dissidents (gosh – what terrible gangrene you have!). I either cull or cultivate the intelligent ones so they are loyal to death to me, or they are dead.
Then I push the society into a situation where I must take over, everyone is begging me to be in charge! Naturally, I only want what’s best for everyone. I take over. We survive the winter. Come spring… we expand our territory!
I would first find out which gang Marion Jensen rules with an iron fist. And then I would join that gang. I figure that if I am stuck in a dystopian school, he would have to be a part of it somehow. He is shifty like that.
I’d probably get in with the toughest gang in the school somehow… I have no idea how but I’ll make it work lol. If not, I’ll try being as inconspicuous as possible
I also tweeted @ramen_addict
Wowza, Rob – a featured book at BEA!!!! That is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!! LuAnne Staheli was telling me at Storymakers that your book is simply wonderful. Can’t wait to read it.
Boy, with all that great press, you ought to give away 10 ARC’s! Mwha, ha, ha!
I will take very good care of your ARC if I win – and publicize it everywhere.
Tit for Tat.
I’d probably stay hidden for as long as I can, or join up with whichever gang seems the strongest.
To survive an dystopian school I would try to not be noticed, I have never been in a fight so I try to stay away of the gang.
The best way to survive is to align yourself with the gang’s goals and try to join their group, because people take care of their own.
But I wouldn’t personally do that, so I would make for the ceiling and live among the air ducks.
Side note: I’m not the best with grammar, but shouldn’t the title of this post be “Win a signed ARC of Variant”? ‘A’ instead of ‘An’?
I think I would try to make alliances with other students. It’d be hard at first, trying to find out who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length, but assuming I get past that stage, I will then start planning some sort of escape plan or a plan to thwart the gangs with the other students in the alliance.
So my plan, in short, would be to make a gang that goes against the school’s gangs. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I wouldn’t make eye contact. I’d be invisible then, and they wouldn’t see me. Four years isn’t that long to stare at the floor . . .
Im totally becoming everybody’s friend Im dressing half cheerleader half Goth with basketball shorts and football shoulder pads Im totally on everyones team!!!
YEAH ALL THAT STUFF STILL EXISTS =P
ashtreygonesmokeya@yahoo.com
What, nobody said prostitution? I’m surprised.
I would resurrect the high-school incarnation of myself, “The Shin-Kicker” and go to town on anyone audacious enough to mess with me. Possibly, I would one-up myself and get my hands on a field-hockey stick.
When in doubt? Kick stuff.
I’ve always felt that the best offense is a good defense. Survival is inclusive to leading, so trying to have some control or at least some influence would be important. But the trick would be to not be in the forefront. Be the brains directing the brawn but let the the brawn take the credit. Build up your defenses so that you can act more offensively without having to risk your position and safely.
Hmm, I would accept everyone’s ‘friend’ request on fb. That way I could get to kno them all well and kno who to make nice with.
VARIANT looks like SUCH a cool book! I would love to win the ARC.
I think I would probably go and hide somewhere and take stock of the situation. I’d watch to figure out who the strongest ones were. Then I wouldn’t try to take down the gangs with force, since I’m so small, but I’d trick them somehow. I’m not sure exactly what I could do in a school, but there’s gotta be something.
Now I’ve gotta figure out what the characters in VARIANT do…
I would do something awesome and the gang would ask me to be one of them them. Then, I would trick them into believing I’ve joined them but really I’m collecting all the information I need to destroy them. And when I have wiped them from their pitiful existance, I’ll take over as leader over the whimpy kids who just hid in the corner. But, I’ll be a much nicer dictat–I mean, leader. You know, in true dystopian manner.
Easy.
Secretly listen to music that will become the next generation’s muzak, while dancing expressively in a wheat grinding factory– I guess they call those mills.
The entire school will be won over when the two enemy cliques get together at a dance organized by yours truly and we boogy in cowboy boots and big hair.
Oh, I’ll be the lackey for the gang. I’ll do things like shout praises toward them and get them water during their meetings. And then when I’m in their good graces, I’ll slit the throat of one of them and take over. Yeah, like that last part is believable.
I would take charge of an important commodity, like fresh water or answers to tests. Make sure that no one else knows how I get said commodity and keep myself important until I can get away.
To survive, I would become a necessity. I’d become a supplier of chocolate. No one would want to be rid of me, especially the other girls. And the guys would find me useful, because it would keep the girls happy.
I would make sure I had some valuable service and team up with others who also had different commodities. The team would have strong people and smart people, not necessarily the same
I would be the guy with fluid alliances that nobody hated but nobody really liked, either. I would probably also die halfway through my sophomore year.
I’d do what I walways do. “Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh.” They always keep the entertainment, don’t they?
Distopian Standup.
I’d GET THE HECK OUT!!
Wow. I thought I had an original response until I read Lesli’s. That’s basically it–people like someone funny. In the meantime, I’d be absorbing whatever mad fighting or survival skills I could.
Double agent. Tell each gang that I’m going to pose as a member of the other gang to get their secrets. Nothing EVER goes wrong for double agents.
How to survive the distopian gang ran school?
Well my grandfather was kind enough to teach me everything he had learned during 8 years as a sharp shooter for the Marines during the Korean Conflict. I would put that knowledge to use to dispatch the gang leaders causing panic to run through out the gangs. Rebellion anyone?
Well, I asked my kid what he would do. He said: Make a plan with all the good kids to break out through a different window–all at the same time. The gangsters can’t cover all the windows simultaneously. Sure a few kids might get shot, but it’s worth it to save the majority.
Not bad for a 12 year-old…
With everybody else trying to lay low, be invisible, or hide in the library, this school sounds ripe for overtaking. I’d be my natural loud bossy self – you remember what that’s like, right, Rob? – and eventually they’d all have to do things my way.
It worked well for me in a normal high school, so I’d just lay low and do my best not to get noticed.
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/starryeyedjen/status/70909465205030912
this book sounds amazing!
tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/bookgiveaways_
I would get as large of a group as possible to meet and talk about strategy until we can preform a mass overtaking of the gangs. Even the most powerful of people can’t stop the masses from rebelling.
tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/LoloLovesPotter/status/70935189861306368
Run the school, of course. Nah, just kidding. I’d probably be one of the ones that rebelled against the gangs and got into a lot of trouble, honestly. I wouldn’t be cool with the idea of gangs leading everyone. Maybe start up a rebellion to overthrow the power source and what-not.
i would be clever- i would act like i am weak and helpless, but i would end up surprising everyone with my skills if something went awry….like Foxface in The Hunger Games =]
Keep my head low and stay invisible. At the same time collect information by listening in o other people’s conversations. They won’t think twice about saying anything while I’m there because they don’t notice me.
I would probably either try to fit in, or something more like me, create a rebel group and uprise against the gangs!
If I was in this situation I would befriend everyone but not be a follower to those people.
To stay alive in a dystopian school setting, I think I’d do what I did in high school… lay low, keep quiet, pay attention and stay out of the drama. Maybe I’d even team up with a few other people, stock-pile supplies and try to find a way out of such an awful place. I can also see the value of hiding… but I still think I’d try to get out. This is a really interesting question! Hmm… I also hate seeing injustice, so I might even become a fighter. Who knows what a person will do when place in such situations?!
Discover the motivation for the most powerful gang at the school and then figure out how to acquire it.
Let’s go the paranormal route. To survive I would practice up on my invisabilty spell that I found in an ancient magical tome that was hid in the library.
Tweeted @Dorinewhite too
sit in the library reading and let the gangs I’m assume I’m a harmless nerd. If only they knew….
I tweeted! @artmusicbooks
I’d make friends with them, duh! And knowing me, I’ll already be part of the gang. NO drama, though. Nothing gets you killed or hurt faster than causing a commotion. I hope the schools in the dystopian society are a lot funner cause I’m sure it’s nothing like a regular school. If their food is better, I’m all in.
Oh, and I’ll come up with a very reasonable detailed plan for well, the survival of the not-fittest and record that in my journal, which I intend to keep. Of course, I’d probably go with another irrational and foolhardy plan just because I thought the person who came up with it was hot! And last, but not least, I’ll help break-out the people who got left behind.
I’d start my own gang. Combining all the freaks and geeks from auto mechanics and Water Polo. We’d take over the pool/swimhall and start building some wave runners and weapons. I’m talking Waterworld but in a much cooler, to-cool-for-school way. The gangsters will be like the smokers and we’ll devise a chlorine based chemical to blow up anyone who lights up. And yeah. Maybe this comment would be better for a teen dystopian quit-net ad…
I would act like a complete psycho. No one messes with insane wackos. No one.
if i was in imprisoned in a dystopian school i would try to get together with the toughest and baddest gang so that i could be protected!
To survive a dystopian school with no parents and a gang… hmm… I’d probably keep to myself as long as I could, but when someone tries to mess with me I’ll kick their butts because I’ll be a black belt… I’m not actually a black belt, but in the school I would lol awesome contest!
How to survive: hello, dream your way out! It’s like inception never happened!
You’re a teen imprisoned in a dystopian school, with no adults and run by gangs. What’s your survival strategy?
I believe that is one of the best questions I have ever read in my life. And I have the perfect answer to it: become hardcore. Take martial arts. Learn to use any weapon to your advantage. Honestly, you’re bound to get into some trouble, even if you stick to yourself and be a loner. I would take some lessons, spread some rumors and get a reputation, and dress more… kick-ass. If this actually happened, it would be like a movie. Picture this: a leather-clad person walking down the hallways with swag, rock music in the background, all the students staring…
I might actually enjoy myself at this school
If I was in that situation I would try to stay away from it as much as I could and avoid doing anything to provoke other people and if I got in a situation where I was to like fight or die or something I would make sure I know how to fight and fight well and fight my hardest but after still try to avoid other situations like it.
My strategy would be to keep to myself and go along with what the crazy gang leaders said quietly and without complaint. If someone stood up to take charge and end the madness, I may consider joining them if it looked like they had a chance of taking control!
I would say : 1. Don’t draw attention to yourself.
2.Keep away from gangs.
3.If people come to mess with you react , but otherwise don’t. People mess with you more if they know there is competioin (belive me I know).
Oh my Gosh!!! I won *squeee* Thank you so much, I’m really reaaaalllyyy excited!!
Can’t wait to read it!
)
Congrats to the lucky winner! You will love it!