bookshelves of doom

New YA: March 22-31.

New hardbacks:

Avenger (Halflings Novel, A), by Heather Burch

Black Helicopters, by Blythe Woolston

Dear Life, You Suck, by Scott Blagden

Going Vintage, by Lindsey Leavitt

If You Find Me, by Emily Murdoch

Impostor, by Jill Hathaway

Period 8, by Chris Crutcher

Shadow on the Sun, by David Macinnis Gill

Wasteland (Wasteland - Trilogy), by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina

You Know What You Have To Do, by Bonnie Shimko

New paperbacks (that I've read):

A Touch of Scarlet, by Eve Marie Mont:

Emma's narration never really gels into a consistent, believable voice. She ranges from snarky-casual to super-duper stiff and formal (with the occasional infodump), and there's a lot of telling rather than showing, especially when it comes to the interactions and relationships between the characters. Michelle's storyline (along with the student protest and the alternaprom and the end of Dr. Overbrook's arc) never completely integrates with the rest of the story, and so it feels at best, like it should have gotten its own book, and at worst, extraneous. (And, in terms of plotting, very afterschool-specially.)

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden), by Julie Kagawa:

Like so many Mysterious Vampire Heroes before him, [Kanin} is cold and aloof, but betrays his carefully hidden feelings through regular Eyebrow Quirks and Faint Smiles. He’s fond of long-winded exposition, tortured by a guilty past, doomed to forever obsess about righting the wrongs he’s done, says things like “My road must always be traveled alone,” and probably wears a lot of black silk shirts.

Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin:

While the atmosphere really is wonderfully done—Araby's narration fittingly shares that muffled, deadened quality—and I very much appreciated Griffin's writing, I can't say that Masque of the Red Death was an entirely enjoyable read. (Which isn't necessarily a necessity in a book, of course. But, you know. It's a factor in recommending it to other people.)

The Selection, by Kiera Cass:

America is infinitely slappable, as are BOTH love interests. (Duh. OF COURSE Maxon falls for her, so there's a love triangle!) The characters act more in keeping with what is convenient for the storyline—for instance, when America tries to warn Maxon about the super-duper bitchitude of one of the other contestants, he pulls the I'M ROYALTY AND YOU'RE NOT, THEREFORE YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT routine, even though up until then, he'd sought out her opinion about stuff like that—than with their own personalities, and most of America's major decisions seem to be based more on who she's angry with at the time than in any sort of logic.

New YA: March 15-21.

New hardbacks:

OCD, The Dude, and Me, by Lauren Roedy Vaughn:

I LOVED THAT THERE ISN'T A ROMANCE. There is a new friendship—and maybe possibly the possibility of a romance (with a different character), or at least the possibility of someone crushing on Danielle—but not a romance. Romantic lurrrve is not portrayed here as curing grief, or loneliness, or being misunderstood, or anything else.

17 & Gone, by Nova Ren Suma:

Suma didn’t win me over in her first few chapters—at first, descriptions like “her long hair woven with brambles, with sticks and leaves and other indecipherable things gummed up and glimmering through the glass” felt more self-consciously literary than lush, lyrical and poetic—but then, either she found her groove or I found my way into her rhythm. Regardless, something clicked, and suddenly everything about the book worked for me: character, voice, storyline and, yes, prose.

The Art of Wishing, by Lindsay Ribar

The Gate Thief (Mither Mages), by Orson Scott Card

Fox Forever: The Jenna Fox Chronicles, by Mary E. Pearson

Everafter (Kissed By An Angel), by Elizabeth Chandler

The Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices), by Cassandra Clare

Tiger: A Dark Eyes Novel, by William Richter

Maybe I Will, by Laurie Gray

The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore, by Kate Maddison

Pretty Girl-13, by Liz Coley 

New paperbacks (that I've read):

The Queen of Kentucky, by Alecia Whitaker:

Ricki Jo, herself, is a likable, believable heroine who reads the Bible (almost) every night, but who makes mistakes and sees the sexiness in Song of Songs. When she makes mistakes, they're almost always especially cringeworthy because she knows that what she's doing is wrong, and so at times, it's a painful, painful read. In a good way.

New YA: March 8-14.

New hardbacks:

Starstruck, by Rachel Shukert:

It's a vision of Old Hollywood that both creates and dispels fantasy: it's got the glamour and the clothes and the glitter, but it also shows the ugliness behind the magic. And there's a whole lot of ugliness. Loads of TWISTS and TURNS, and there are clearly some BIG THINGS TO COME in future installments...

Escape Theory, by Margaux Froley:

Whenever the analytical part of my brain complained, the rest of me shushed it: because Escape Theory is entirely entertaining. Sure, Devon won’t be competing in the Detection Olympics any time soon, but the mystery is still engrossing, and even better, the emotional core of the book—her new friendships, but especially her relationship with Hutch—is ultimately quite affecting.

Scowler, by Daniel Kraus:

Scowler deals in true suspense and psychological horror—Kraus never resorts to the cheesy jump scare—and the constant unease and shifting alliances reminded me of the carjacking episode of Six Feet Under and parts of Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. If you're more inclined to be convinced by the name-dropping of a modern classic, it also made me think of In Cold Blood. 

Fat Angie, by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Heart of Glass, by Sasha Gould

MILA 2.0, by Debra Driza

Panic, by Sharon M. Draper

Poison, by Bridget Zinn

Promises to Keep, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Strands of Bronze and Gold, by Jane Nickerson:

Historical fiction fans are likely to be bothered that Sophia’s language and diction—as well as the rest of the dialogue spoken by the white characters—is anachronistic, in that it sounds more 2013 than 1855: I smashed a mosquito against my neck and my own blood spurted out. Because of that modern feel, the dialect spoken by the black characters—He been beat before. He tougher’n he looks.—is somewhat jarring. Sophia also has a tendency to tell us how she feels, rather than letting us feel it through her...which is what ultimately leads me to what this book is missing.

Surfacing, by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Trinkets, by Kirsten Smith

Through Dead Eyes, by Chris Priestley

The Secret Circle: The Temptation, by L. J. Smith

Deep Betrayal, by Anne Greenwood Brown

New paperbacks (that I've read):

A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay:

A Monster Calls isn't a fable that features Everyman Characters To Make A Point: It's a story about people. Conor isn't just a stand-in for any random person experiencing heartbreak. He's a real, three-dimensional boy, with a real, three-dimensional life. His grandmother is a real person, as is his mother and his mostly-absent father and the people at school and everyone else in the book.

Cross My Heart, by Sasha Gould:

Judging by the description alone, Cross My Heart has loads of potential—setting, time period, mystery, murders, class and gender issues, secret freaking societies—but ultimately, unfortunately, it reads like...eh. It’s got a plotline standard to any number of movies you’ve seen and forgotten—girl attempts to solve her sister’s murder, gets involved with a shady secret society, falls in love with someone unsuitable—and neither the characterization nor the narration is a particular stand out.

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator, by Josh Berk:

I’ve been looking forward to Josh Berk’s Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator for months. Not because I’m dying to read it. I already have. It’s because I’ve been dying for everyone else to read it. I read an advanced copy of it last October while my car was getting worked on, and I laughed so much and so hard that the receptionist gave me The Eye.

New YA: March 1-7.

New hardbacks:

When Love Comes to Town, by Tom Lennon:

In a way, When Love Comes to Town is a classic issue novel: Neil's coming out experience is front-and-center. The book chronicles his entry into the gay community within the larger Dublin community, his first relationship, his battle with depression, his slow build towards making some sort of peace between his love for his family and his need to be himself, and ultimately, his journey towards self-acceptance. Although it certainly ticks every imaginable box on the Coming Out In The Early '90s checklist, its strong character development and its emotional honesty—seriously heart-breaking painful honesty—keep it from feeling like an afterschool special or a capital-I Issue novel.

Being Henry David, by Cal Armistead:

To a degree, Being Henry David is one of those frustrating stories in which the protagonist could save himself pages and pages of torment and confusion if he’d just, you know, ask someone for help. But Armistead makes Hank’s reasons for avoiding the authorities emotionally believable and logically plausible, so it’s not really an issue. It is, as evidenced by my one-sitting read, an extremely compelling book, and the Thoreau quotes are woven in quite nicely: I can easily imagine this book inspiring younger readers to go and look him up.

The Look, by Sophia Bennett

Infatuate: A Gilded Wings Novel, Book Two, by Aimee Agresti

Legacy of the Clockwork Key (Secret Order), by Kristin Bailey

Let the Sky Fall, by Shannon Messenger

The Murmurings, by Carly Anne West

The Nightmare Affair, by Mindee Arnett

Permanent Record, by Leslie Stella

Requiem (Delirium), by Lauren Oliver

Rats Saw God, by Rob Thomas (CLEARLY, IT'S TIME FOR A RE-READ)

Bruised, by Sarah Skilton

Earth Girl, by Janet Edwards

Emblaze (Embrace), by Jessica Shirvington

Flowers in the Sky, by Lynn Joseph

Crap Kingdom, by DC Pierson

Orleans, by Sherri L. Smith

Spellcaster, by Claudia Gray

A Touch Menacing, by Leah Clifford

Unremembered, by Jessica Brody

When We Wake, by Karen Healey

When We Wuz Famous, by Greg Takoudes

Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality, by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Summer Prince, by Alaya Dawn Johnson

New paperbacks (that I've read):

There Is No Dog, by Meg Rosoff:

It wasn't just the tone that reminded me of Douglas Adams. It was the warmth—it was how Meg Rosoff was able to poke fun at (and sometimes skewer) humankind (and our mythology), while also conveying a sense of never-ending affection, wonder, and empathy. There's a sense of hope, too, but it's a realist's sort of hope—one that takes the past into account—so while there are brief, perfect moments of beauty, everything is tempered with a cheerful sort of pessimism.

The Springsweet, by Saundra Mitchell:

While I went into this book expecting to enjoy it, I didn’t expect to be swept completely off my feet by the romance. But unexpected romance is all the more satisfying, isn’t it? There are three guys in the picture: a fiddling frontiersman, a dapper dude from Baltimore and Zora’s dead lost love. From the moment Emerson Birch (the frontiersman) appears, Mr. Fancypants never stood a chance—in my eyes, or in Zora’s. It was refreshing to read a romance in which there were multiple parties involved, but that wasn’t a love triangle. 

The Night She Disappeared, by April Henry:

The Night She Disappeared is a straightforward—yet still tense—thriller. From chapter to chapter, the perspective shifts between the four main characters—Kayla and Drew, Gabie and John Robertson—as well as some of the minor ones, like the boys who stumbled on the crime scene and one of the divers who searches the Willamette River. The voices and perspectives are all distinctly different, and the short chapters—none more than three or four pages long—are interspersed with transcripts of 911 calls and police interviews, evidence slips, search warrants, and other documents related to the case.

Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin, Book I (His Fair Assassin Trilogy), by Robin LaFevers:

It’s a must-read if: You are a Buffy fan. Especially if you have a soft spot for the episodes in which Our Buff has to fight her way to the prom (or Homecoming) while wearing her pretty, pretty dress. Ismae wears pretty, pretty dresses all day, every day, and she has more weapons hidden on her person—often including, yes, a crossbow, and even poisoned pearls in her hairnet!—than you’d think would be strictly necessary on a battlefield, let alone at a royal court.

New YA: February 22-28.

New hardbacks:

Also Known As (AKA), by Robin Benway:

It’s smart, laugh-out-loud funny, hugely entertaining, it passes the Bechdel Test, and I can’t wait to see what Maggie & Co. get up to next. Highly recommended to fans of Ally Carter.

Dualed, by Elsie Chapman:

A walled city with limited resources needs to populate itself with strong soldiers. Okay... so the Powers That Be decide to use said limited resources on genetic engineering to create said strong soldiers...and then kill half of them? Why not just, I dunno, train them? Or create half as many, and train THEM to be BETTER soldiers? Speaking from an entirely pragmatic place—questions of morality aside—raising clones in order to make them fight to the death just seems like A HUGE WASTE.

The Madness Underneath: Book 2 (The Shades of London), by Maureen Johnson:

More than anything else—which is saying quite a lot, given that I love the setting and the premise and the characters and the smoochies and the laugh-out-loud bits and the mystery elements and on and and on—I enjoy Rory's voice. She's an American, but she sounds like an American who's been living in England for a while. Not like Madonna (contrived, pretentious, SO ANNOYING), and not like that Anglophile friend of yours from college who came back from a year abroad slinging 'oi's around willy-nilly (I am convinced that everyone has a friend who did that), but like someone who has picked up some of the rhythm of British English purely by being around it 24/7.

Me, Him, Them, and It, by Caela Carter

The Murder Notebooks: Killing Rachel, by Anne Cassidy

Pulse, by Patrick Carman

What We Become, by Jesse Karp

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

Fragments (Partials), by Dan Wells

The Ivy: Scandal, by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Gil Marsh, by A.C.E. Bauer:

I was really hoping to enjoy this one, and I'm still not sure if my lack of enjoyment is on me, or on the book. Actually, I think it's more on me. Meaning that I feel that the book is very much what the author was shooting for, just not a great fit for me. While I did like the details about the cultural differences between the US and the French-speaking parts of Canada, and I enjoyed the post-Enko sections in which Gil interacts with other people—especially the Adèle arc—Gil, himself, left me cold.

New YA: February 15-21.

New hardbacks:

The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, by Karen Finneyfrock:

Celia is smart, creative, curious, sensitive, loves reading, and loves words, but she doesn't talk like someone reading a Diablo Cody script. When she mouths off to one of the jerks at school, she keeps it simple ("You're stupid and mean, and you suck at basketball"; "Keep marching, hate parade"), and in so doing, the moment isn't about the words she chooses, but about the fact that she chooses to to speak up. When she speaks up in defense of others, it comes off as realistic and as real-world possible, rather than as something you'd see in a movie: and that makes it all the more inspiring.

How to Lead a Life of Crime, by Kirsten Miller:

There is nothing not to love about How to Lead a Life of Crime. Flick is immediately likable, and has the world-weary voice of a noir hero. The world of Mandel Academy is cleverly thought-out and witty, the storyline moves along quickly, Miller doesn't take any lazy shortcuts in terms of plot or personality, and the interplay between the Mandel students—especially their utter lack of trust in each other and constant jockeying for position—is hugely entertaining. It's pretty spot-on in terms of current events, too, in that it plays on our (or at least my) suspicions about big business, the finance industry, and politicians.

Crash and Burn, by Michael Hassan

Fuse (The Pure Trilogy), by Julianna Baggott

Mind Games, by Kiersten White

Neferet's Curse: A House of Night Novella, by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Shards and Ashes, by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, Veronica Roth and Kami Garcia

Under Shifting Glass, by Nicky Singer:

Under Shifting Glass is about beginnings (birth, family, new realizations about old relationships) and endings (death, the end of friendship, the end of childhood); it’s about different kinds of families (blood, chosen, kindred spirits), about jealousy and about the realization that there is room in your heart for more than one person at a time. In another book, a convergence of so many storylines that drive the same themes home could easily feel contrived, but in this book, which celebrates connections of all sorts—Jess calls them ‘joinings’—it just...works.

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Devilish, by Maureen Johnson (new cover art!):

The characters are well-rounded and likeable, the plot twists are twisty and there's genuine suspense. There was a sense of closure at the end and the book works well on its own, but there's plenty of room for more. I'd definitely read a sequel.

New YA: February 8-14.

New hardbacks:

Hattie Ever After, by Kirby Larson:

If my squeefest about the existence of a Hattie-sequel is anything to judge by, I'm sure that any fan of the original will already be planning on reading Hattie Ever After. I'm also sure that any fan of the original will be plenty pleased with it: Hattie, after all, is an infinitely likable narrator, trustworthy, warm, generous, and kind. (But NEVER INSIPID.) I especially love her lack of entitlement or pretension: she's always willing to learn, and always willing to start at the absolute bottom. And there are some lovely bits about storytelling and the writing process that will be hugely inspiring to aspiring writers, regardless of age.

Out of The Easy, by Ruta Sepetys:

Sepetys is true to the era and her characters in how Patrick's story plays out; the romance is sweet and heartfelt; the details about 1950s life and culture work themselves in fluidly; Josie wants what she wants so badly that I was never quite sure about how far she'd go to get it; and while the ending certainly has some fairy-tale elements, there's enough bitter in the sweet to keep cynics (like me) from getting all up on their high horses.

Sever (Chemical Garden), by Lauren DeStefano

Revel, by Maurissa Guibord

Rapunzel Untangled, by Cindy C. Bennett

The Indigo Spell: A Bloodlines Novel, by Richelle Mead:

Although she has strong emotional ties to the Alchemist way of life, her intelligence, her logic, and her critical-thinking skills have led her to start to question what she's been taught... but it's always clear that she's got understandably mixed feelings about it all; in the first two books, she was teetering on the brink of an eating disorder, and her struggles with and thoughts about that have been realistic, believable, and relatable. She's reserved and careful about who she trusts; she can be oblivious to the feelings of others; she's difficult and sometimes bossy; really type-A, and not always in a particularly attractive way; basically, she's wonderfully imperfect and I definitely see what Adrian sees in her.

An Infidel in Paradise, by S.J. Laidlaw

The Lives We Lost, by Megan Crewe

Maggot Moon, by Sally Gardner and Julian Crouch

The Mirrored Shard: The Iron Codex Book Three, by Caitlin Kittredge

Mistle Child (Undertaken Trilogy), by Ari Berk

Notes from Ghost Town, by Kate Ellison

Out of Nowhere, by Maria Padian

Pivot Point, by Kasie West

One Crow Alone, by S D Crockett

Arcadia Burns, by Kai Meyer

Breaking Point, by Kristen Simmons

Dance of Shadows, by Yelena Black

Feral Nights, by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Fractured Soul, by Rachel McClellan

The Gathering Dark, by Christine Johnson

New paperbacks (that I've read):

The Shattering, by Karen Healey:

I realized what the Secret of Summerton’s Success was on page 62—an annual death and inexplicable prosperity in a town with a perfectly static population can really only add up to one thing—but that early realization wasn’t a problem. Rather, it upped the tension because I was aware of how much more danger Our Intrepid Sleuths were in well before they were, and provided a lot of “Nooooo! Don’t go in there!” moments.

Diabolical, by Cynthia Leitich Smith:

Fun stuff, as always. If you like the rest of the series, Diabolical shouldn't disappoint. The strongest aspect, as in previous installments, is in the worldbuilding. That isn't to say that any of the other aspects are weak—the characters are likable and believable, the dialogue rings true, the different voices are all distinct, and the action is fabulously entertaining—but it's the worldbuilding that really shines.

New YA: February 1-7.

Oh, look, I'm already behind. HOW SURPRISING.

New hardbacks:

The Ruining, by Anna Collomore:

Until today, the movies Shutter and House of the Devil were the only others that had reached the I’m-so-scared-I-might-actually-throw-up heights of Session 9, but now, Anna Collomore’s The Ruining has become the first book to enter those most hallowed ranks.

Hysteria, by Megan Miranda

The Twelve-Fingered Boy, by John Hornor Jacobs

Unbroken: A Ruined Novel, by Paula Morris:

Rebecca is the sort of unfortunate heroine who could save herself a lot of trouble if she would either: stop dithering about whether or not to ask people (her father, her best friend) for help, and/or interrupting people when they are trying to give her vital information. While both of those things get old (in this book specifically, but also in general), neither are entirely outside of the realm of believability... EXCEPT for one specific situation, which was so ridiculous that I felt the need to set the book down and get all ranty to Josh for a few minutes*. Character-wise, I would totally support chucking Rebecca and Anton (who for the most part is super milquetoast and kind of a jerk) under the bus and giving Best Friend Ling and New Dude Phil their own series, because they were TOTALLY AWESOME and easily my favorite thing about the book.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me), by Tahereh Mafi

The Whole Stupid Way We Are, by N. Griffin

The Kiss (Witch & Wizard), by James Patterson and Jill Dembowski

The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, by Shannon Hitchcock

City of a Thousand Dolls, by Miriam Forster

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School), by Gail Carriger

Homeland, by Cory Doctorow

The Lying Game #5: Cross My Heart, Hope to Die, by Sara Shepard

Me & My Invisible Guy, by Sarah Jeffrey

Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick:

I GUARANTEE that some readers are going to want to throw it at the wall. (Perhaps you have already done so?) But something about it resonated with me. It's not just that I'm impressed by the structure—I am—or that I love Sedgwick's writing and skillful atmosphere creation—I do—or that I was blown away by how each segment was so different, but how (even discounting the physical details: the names, the flowers, the hare) each one was also so clearly part of a larger whole.

Perfect Scoundrels, by Ally Carter

Pieces, by Chris Lynch

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles), by Marissa Meyer

Who Done It?, edited by Jon Scieszka:

I appreciated the idea of the project more than the actual result. Who Done It? is a compilation of pieces by, like, 3/4a of the Who's-Who of the kidlit and YA world, edited by Jon Scieszka, and benefiting 826NYC. Which SOUNDS awesome: great people writing, awesome guy editing, super-deserving beneficiary.

New paperbacks (that I've written about and/or read):

Pantomime, by Laura Lam:

Micah's narrative voice is super—a little bit overly fond of the word 'exotic', maybe—honest, sensitive, insightful, brave, observant, and curious. Much of this story is about control and identity and acceptance—about the desire to make one's own choices, about the search to discover who (and even what) you are, about finding people who don't want to squash you into a box, people who love you as you are—and all of those threads are likely to resonate strongly with the YA audience.

Beneath a Meth Moon, by Jacqueline Woodson: I never wrote about this one, but if you're familiar with Jacqueline Woodson's writing, you'll know what to expect: it's spare, careful, lyrical. And, you know, it's about meth. WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE MOST DEPRESSING THING EVER.

New YA: January 22-31.

New hardbacks:

Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton), by Leila Rasheed:

If, like me, you like The Luxe in all of its Bathtub Book Glory—the bitchiness and the period clothing, the page-turning plot twists, the secrets and lies and romantic entanglements—then Cinders and Sapphires will totally be up your alley.

Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers, by Kirsten Miller:

So, I went in with high hopes—which is sometimes a dangerous proposition—but I'm happy to report that Kirsten Miller has done it again: like its predecessors, The Darkness Dwellers is chock-full of excitement, mystery, secrets, disguises, stock market shenanigans, and smartypants humor. There are punches thrown and tires slashed; code-breaking and chemistry and cool tidbits of lesser-known history.

The Madman's Daughter, by Megan Shepherd:

I really, really enjoyed this one: it works as historical fiction, as science fiction, as a horror story, a romance, a coming of age, and as a retelling of H.G. Wells' original. The changes that Shepherd makes, the twists she introduces, they all feel organic and they play off the original and change it, but in ways that complement the Wells, if that makes sense. It changes it without trying to replace it or diminish it, maybe? Whatever it is I'm trying to say (YEESH), it's TOTALLY engrossing, and I TOTALLY DUG IT.

The Archived, by Victoria Schwab

Asunder (Incarnate), by Jodi Meadows

The Prey (Hunt), by Andrew Fukuda

Prodigy: A Legend Novel, by Marie Lu

Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire), by Courtney Allison Moulton

What the Spell (Life's a Witch), by Brittany Geragotelis

Slated, by Teri Terry

Black Ice (Sherlock Holmes: the Legend Begins), by Andrew Lane

Boundless (Unearthly), by Cynthia Hand

Everbound: An Everneath Novel, by Brodi Ashton

The Last Apprentice: Slither (Book 11), by Joseph Delaney

Nobody, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Ravage: A Deviants Novel, by Jeff Sampson

New paperbacks (that I've written about):

Fracture, by Megan Miranda:

It's got some genuinely creepy moments, and rather than Bella's Edward Cullen Hurts Me Because He Loves Me routine, Delaney's reasons for not cutting Troy loose early on are easy (or, they were for me) to identify with: she's trying to understand this power she suddenly has, and what she's supposed to do with it. Well, that and the blackmail thing, but that comes later.

Try Not to Breathe, by Jennifer R. Hubbard:

And, as you may have guessed from the cover art, there's a romance. But it isn't a story in which the Romance Heals All Ills, or even a story about a romance that's necessarily going to Work Out. Rather than a simple romance—and there are some serious moments of steam—it's a story about two people connecting, and about how important, at that specific time, that connection is to both of them.

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mademoiselle Odile (Shadow Sisters), by James Reese:

The story has a lot going for it. It stars a capable girl who's got a few big secrets and a couple of potential love interests. It features cool science (or is it magic?) and a rarely-covered historical event. In addition to the attractiveness of the premise, much of this book is technically well done: it's clear that the author did quite a lot of research, and the historical details are both interesting and integrated well into the narrative.

New YA: January 15-21.

Now that I've noticed Jacquelyn Mitchard's contributions to the YA market, SHE'S EVERYWHERE I LOOK!

New hardbacks:

Vortex: A Tempest Novel (Tempest Trilogy), by Julie Cross

Shades of Earth: An Across the Universe Novel, by Beth Revis:

As before, Revis keeps her story from getting repetitive or stale by switching things up—a new set of characters, a new set of conflicts, plenty of new dangers, a new setting—but it still works as a part of the larger whole. Not only do Elder and Amy continue on their own personal journeys of maturation and identity, but the overarching storyline continues to explore different facets of freedom, agency and obedience.

Return to Me, by Justina Chen

Level 2 (Memory Chronicles), by Lenore Appelhans:

Level 2 is both fast-paced and pulse-pounding, and those aspects of it are bound to appeal to readers who like their action sequences cinematic and their stories plot-driven. That isn't to say that Level 2 is only about the action—the shifts between Felicia's memories and her present are especially good—but the action is definitely stronger than the character development or the relationship arcs

Gates of Paradise (A Blue Bloods Novel), by Melissa de la Cruz

Exposure (Twisted Lit), by Kim Askew, Amy Helmes and Jacquelyn Mitchard:

Exposure proves that [Shakespeare's] over-the-top crazypants plots work especially well in the high school setting, and even MORE SO when the characters go the chest-pounding, scenery-chewing route. It’s not a strict retelling—it’s far less bloody, for one, and not nearly as tragic (some of the major characters even get happy endings!)—and it does have flaws, but it’s mostly good fun.

The Namesake, by Steven Parlato and Jacquelyn Mitchard

Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel, by Melissa de la Cruz, Robert Venditti and Alina Urusov

New paperbacks (that I've written about):

Rock On: A story of guitars, gigs, girls, and a brother (not necessarily in that order), by Denise Vega:

It would be easy to simply peg Rock On as an easy, breezy read about music and first love. But, like Jacyln Moriarty's books, Vega's collage-style novel—Ori's narration regularly pauses for screenshots from the band's website; transcripts of email, IM, and text conversations; flashbacks and other things—is a quick, entertaining read that features three-dimensional characters in occasionally hilariously-over-the-top (yet still believable) situations who deal realistically with complicated emotions. 

New YA: January 8-14.

New hardbacks:

The Tragedy Paper, by Elizabeth LaBan:  

As you'd expect in a book that features characters not only studying, but living and breathing tragedy, a lot of famous works—mostly Shakespeare, but others, too—are name-dropped, there are loads of literary terms listed and considered and discussed, and the secondary characters and relationships actually take a backseat to all of that. So, in that way—and despite how it held me utterly enthralled from start to finish—the book feels more like a literary exercise than a story unto itself. But, considering the framing, that feel may well have been just as carefully deliberate as the word choice.

Just One Day, by Gayle Forman:

I loved this book. Much of it is painful—first love, first heartbreak, the slow death rattle of a best-friendship, the high expectations of an overly-involved parent, the difficulty of opening up to people, being lost literally and metaphorically and emotionally—but it's painful in a comforting way. Even at Allyson's lowest moments, I never doubted that she'd not only come through it all, but that she'd come through it all far stronger than before. And she did.

What We Saw At Night, by Jacquelyn Mitchard:

It’s a solid thriller with a cool premise—think Rear Window, but starring a Parkour-practicing heroine who has Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a condition that makes sunlight not just dangerous, but life-threatening—strong dialogue and character development, exciting action, suspenseful plotting, and the requisite smootchies, AS WELL AS being a really believable, effective story about friendship, secrets and lies.

The Lacey Chronicles #3: The Rogue's Princess, by Eve Edwards:

Also like the previous books, there is a secondary romance: this time, between Mercy's aunt Rose, an all-around awesome theatre-goer and "fallen woman" with a soft spot for fancy shoes who wishes her niece would occasionally live a little, and Silas Porter, a grizzled former soldier who also has a checkered past and wants to solve every problem by skewering someone. Despite my endless affection for Kit, I found Rose and Silas' blossoming romance far more adorable and satisfying than Kit and Mercy's.

Paper Valentine, by Brenna Yovanoff:

I enjoy her so very much: her stories satisfy my weird, vaguely uncomfortable fascination with the macabre without coming off as sensationalized or exploitative. She also writes sensitively about difficult topics—in the case of Paper Valentine, about grief and eating disorders and the nature of sociopathy—but without getting maudlin, and with a good deal of dark humor.

Then You Were Gone, by Lauren Strasnick:

If Brett Easton Ellis had written Paper Towns, it might have come out a bit like Then You Were Gone. 

Delusion, by Laura L. Sullivan:

As in Ladies in Waiting, the Albion girls are quite worldly—and they’re not above using their physical assets as powerful tools—and so some of that humor comes from subtle sexual innuendo, but there’s also humor that would be right at home in a Diana Wynne Jones book or in a Wodehousian farce. On top of the fun, Delusion explores serious issues like preemptive incarceration; the morality of neutrality and pacifism in the face of True Evil; and as is fitting in a World War II novel, the idea of a superior race.

Revolution 19, by Gregg Rosenblum

Rise: A Nightshade Novel, by Andrea Cremer

Shadowlands (Shadowlands), by Kate Brian:

A book that suffers from FBS is a lot like a mediocre television pilot—it provides the set-up for the upcoming series...and that’s pretty much it. Which is what Shadowlands does: The entirety of the book—all 326 pages of it—could easily be boiled down to less than 100 pages while still including all relevant information, character development, plotting and atmosphere.

Anatomy of a Single Girl, by Daria Snadowsky

Blood Prophecy: A Drake Chronicles novel, by Alyxandra Harvey

Crash (Visions), by Lisa McMann:

Same formula, same quirks, same result: Crash will very definitely appeal to McMann’s fanbase and it isn’t likely to change the minds of those who haven’t enjoyed her previous books. So, if you’ve liked her previous titles, pick it up; if not, pass on it.

Doomed, by Tracy Deebs

Janie Face to Face (Janie Johnson), by Caroline B. Cooney

The Cadet of Tildor, by Alex Lidell

Through the Ever Night, by Veronica Rossi

Timekeeper, by Alexandra Monir

The Wrap-Up List, by Steven Arntson

New paperbacks (that I've written about and/or read):

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, by Kirsten Miller:

It doesn't take long for Ananka to team up with Kiki Strike and her band of delinquent Girl Scouts: Oona, the forger and lock-picker; DeeDee, the chemistry/explosives expert; Luz, the attitudinal electronics queen; and Betty, the team's mistress of disguise. (Are you thinking of Uma Thurman's monologue about "Fox Force Five" in Pulp Fiction?  Because that's what I thought of -- except of course, these girls are twelve.  Which just makes them that much cooler.)

Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb, by Kirsten Miller:

Remember how I said that this book could counteract books like The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls?  Here's (one of the many ways) how:  Most of the chapters end with a How To section.  And I'm not talking "How to Make Daisychains" or "How to Choose The Sexiest Thong for your New Lowriders".  I'm talking practical, girl detective tips like: "How to Detect the Presence of an Intruder".  I'm talking "What To Do If Your Secret is Revealed".  I'm talking "How To Know if Your House is Haunted", "How to Summon a Poltergeist" and "How to Crash a Party".

The Lacey Chronicles #2: The Queen's Lady, by Eve Edwards: While there was much to enjoy in this one—there's way more humor than the cover art suggests, and the period details are well-chosen and interesting—the focus is more on James' struggles with his memories of war than on his romance with Jane, so it doesn't reach the same swoontastic heights The Other Countess. It should also be noted that Sir Walter Raleigh's scenes continue to be awesome, and he proved himself to be slightly less of a d-bag than he appeared to be in the first book. SLIGHTLY.

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan, by Seth Rudetsky:

Despite Justin's voice—and he really did make me laugh quite a few times—I found him a difficult character to like. Part of that was certainly due to his desperation to be popular, as there were moments when he took Trying Too Hard—which is never an attractive quality, though it's certainly not an uncommon one—to an excruciatingly new level. He was so self-absorbed that he treated people poorly, and despite his brains and his wit, I never felt like I connected with him.

The Death Cure (Maze Runner Series #3), by James Dashner: Apparently, I never wrote about this one... which speaks to how 'meh' I found the conclusion of this trilogy. (And believe me, I know that there are zillions of young readers who would disagree, so what do I know, right?)

The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel, by Richelle Mead:

Despite the plot holes and the issues with unbelievable characterization (Sydney's convenient on-again/off-again social skills and/or deductive reasoning), I continue to find this series completely enjoyable. While Sydney's cluelessness about Adrian's Feelings for her (not to mention SPOILER BUT IT'S OBVIOUS her cluelessness about her own Lack of Feelings for Brayden END SPOILER) does get a tad grating, it's also nice to see a paranormal heroine who isn't constantly having the Which Dude Is The Dude For Her internal debate.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles), by Marissa Meyer:

While it's pretty clear where the story's going from the beginning—for one, everyone knows how Cinderella goes, and for two, if there's a Moon princess who supposedly died in a fire but no body was ever found and the main character is a girl with a mysterious past and who clearly suffered some hideous unknown accident resulting in her body being one-third machine, WELL HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO GO?—I didn't find that the obviousness of the plotting even remotely detracted from the entertainment value. In fact, that actually made it sort of more fun.

Dragonswood, by Janet Lee Carey:

I loved the first half of this book. The descriptions of daily life in Tess' village, the whole witch-hunting sequence (thumbscrews = *shudder*), the complicated relationship between Tess, Poppy, and Meg (who are forced to run with Tess after she gives up their names under torture), the escaping, the traveling, the escaping again. It was all very exciting, and felt like the best sort of historical fiction/fantasy.

Love? Maybe., by Heather Hepler:

For a Book about Lurrrve, I never felt any real heart. It ticks all of the boxes—including a romance for Mom—but never does more than that. In other words, there was no swooning. To some degree, of course, that makes sense, given Piper's mindframe and disposition. But, no matter fair-minded I attempt to be, it comes down to this: a romance without any swooning is not a particularly enjoyable romance.

New YA: January 1-7.

Well, let's see if I can keep up with these this year, hmmmm?

New hardbacks:

Splintered, by A. G. Howard:

Like Carroll's Alice, much of the time that Alyssa is in Wonderland, things are out of her control. Unlike Carroll's Alice, though—and this is where my major difficulty with the book lies—Alyssa's loss of control can almost always be chalked up to one of the two guys in her life: Morpheus, a Wonderland denizen who has a penchant for fancy hats and a hookah, and Jeb, the aforementioned crush. She is bossed around, held against her will, lied to, and argued about as if she A) wasn't standing right there and B) someone with, you know, AN OPINION ABOUT HER OWN WELFARE.

The Dead and Buried, by Kim Harrington:

In addition to the murder mystery and the ghost story, there's a whole thread about Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Jade is reading it in class, and while there's not a huge focus on it—this isn't a straight-up retelling like New Girl—there are loads of parallels, and they pop up in complicated, inventive ways. No character in The Dead and Buried perfectly represents another one in Rebecca: rather, most of them have traits or backgrounds that mirror multiple facets of different characters. Also, in the second half of the book, Jade starts actively noticing the parallels, which makes for some rather hilarious lines.

Empty, by K.M. Walton:

Empty won't be for everyone. Because there's not a whole lot of hope here—Dell adores her little sister, she's an amazingly talented singer, and when she's in shape, she's an outstanding athlete—but none of that is enough to fill the void inside of her. When she's with her peers, she wants to be invisible... except for when she really does feel invisible, and then she wants to be seen. More than that, though, she wants desperately to be loved, to simply be embraced, but no one—not her mother, her father, her best friend—is willing or able to give her that.

Catherine, by April Lindner:

It’s not as atmospheric as Wuthering Heights—is anything?—but it’s got the same threads of star-crossed love, insanity, unfairness, classism and racism, and there are lots of plot parallels as well: Catherine’s journal, Heathcliff/Hence’s misunderstanding of a half-overheard conversation, his relationship with his adopted father and brother. As in Jane, Lindner changes the outer trappings of a familiar story while still preserving the bones and spirit of the original, and, also like Jane, it isn’t at all necessary to have read Brontë’s book to wholeheartedly enjoy this one.

Falling for You, by Lisa Schroeder

The Essence, by Kimberly Derting

Ali's Pretty Little Secrets, Book 2, by Sara Shepard

Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, by Suzanne Weyn:

It’s an easy-going read, almost entirely told in entries from Ingrid’s journal and Giselle’s diary, and the ultimate solution to the murder mystery is big, big fun. While the book has some seriously problematic aspects (see below), younger fans of creepy historicals may well enjoy it.

The Fire Horse Girl, by Kay Honeyman

Quicksilver, by R. J. Anderson

Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles), by Ellen Oh

Altered, by Jennifer Rush 

Teeth, by Hannah Moskowitz

Victoria Rebels, by Carolyn Meyer

Zom-B Underground, by Darren Shan

The Sin Eater's Confession, by Ilsa J. Bick

New paperbacks (that I've written about):

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, by Jennifer E. Smith:

Maine winters require escape, preferably of the smoochy sort. So I was quite happy to find The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

And yay you, Jennifer E. Smith, because it totally worked. Escape city. It's a sweet little book, and now, just looking at the cover makes me smile.

Changeling (Order of Darkness), by Philippa Gregory:

There is no real life in it. No spark, no heart, no swoon, no swoop. The writing is perfectly serviceable—no howlers that I noticed—but it feels passionless and rote. The characters were likable, sure, but they were also completely stock: the Good Guy Hero, the Determined Yet Resigned Heroine, the Hero's Comedic Sidekick, the Heroine's Plucky (not to mention "Exotic/Other") Companion, the Fish-Lipped Slimeball, the Money-Hungry Villain. None of them ever becomes more than a walking trope.

New YA: July 1-7.

Will she make it to the end of the year by, um, the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine. While I realize it's somewhat ridiculous that I persist in trying to compile these lists, I shall persevere, because I find the posts HUGELY helpful. So, please bear with me.

New hardbacks:

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone, by Kat Rosenfield:

The specialness isn’t just in Rosenfield’s description, turns of phrase or how she captures the slow, heavy feel of summer. It’s about how she makes every single action, interaction, sometimes even the briefest of moments...feel like a turning point. There’s a constant sense of dread, inevitability and change

Dark Companion, by Marta Acosta

Once: An Eve Novel, by Anna Carey

Team Human, by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

Tiger Lily, by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Waking Storms (The Lost Voices Trilogy), by Sarah Porter

The White Glove War (The Magnolia League), by Katie Crouch and Grady Hendrix

Choke, by Diana Lopez

52 Reasons to Hate My Father, by Jessica Brody

For What It's Worth, by Janet Tashjian

The Girl Is Trouble, by Kathryn Miller Haines

Just for Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life, by Tara Altebrando

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Haunting Violet, by Alyxandra Harvey:

There are usually only a few probable suspects in this genre, and it’s pretty easy to identify the villain early on. Not so in Haunting Violet: At one point or another, EVERYONE’S A SUSPECT. The only person I was immediately able to dismiss was the one that Violet suspected! Right up to the very end, I wasn’t sure whodunit. Which, of course, always makes me deliriously happy.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake:

Are you a fan of Buffy and Supernatural? Lucky you! I’ve found your next read: Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood.

Seriously, guys: DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK.

New YA: June 22-30.

Will she make it to the end of the year by, um, the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine. While I realize it's somewhat ridiculous that I persist in trying to compile these lists, I shall persevere, because I find the posts HUGELY helpful. So, please bear with me.

New hardbacks:

Dust Girl: The American Fairy Trilogy Book 1, by Sarah Zettel:

It’s a great read, full stop. It’s not ultra deep by any means, but it’s thrilling, thoughtful, imaginative and fun. The basic premise is a familiar one—girl discovers that she’s half-fairy and also the main player in a major prophecy—but it still feels fresh. A good part of that is due to Callie’s engaging, honest voice. She also uses enough idiom and slang to create a ’30s flavor, but never so much that she feels over-the-top or forced.*

False Covenant (A Widdershins Adventure), by Ari Marmell

A Midsummer Tights Dream (Misadventures of Tallulah Casey), by Louise Rennison

One Moment, by Kristina McBride

Secret Letters, by Leah Scheier

Smart Girls Get What They Want, by Sarah Strohmeyer

A Want So Wicked, by Suzanne Young

Between the Lines, by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Blackwatch (The Secrets of Wintercraft), by Jenna Burtenshaw

New paperbacks (that I've read):

Withering Tights (Misadventures of Tallulah Casey), by Louise Rennison:

But, I'm sure that all anyone really wants to know is how it measures up to the Georgia Nicholson books. Well, even though Tallulah is less of a caricature than Georgia, Georgia still has my heart. But Withering Tights was still wicked fun and it made me laugh out loud and there's no way that I won't read the sequel whenever it appears.

Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma:

Co-worker: What’s your book about?

Me: Um. Among other things, consensual incest. 

At this point, all other conversation died out and everyone turned to stare at me.

Co-worker: Don’t you just read books for teenagers?

Me: Mostly. And it’s a YA book, yeah.

Co-worker: Cousins?

Me: Siblings.

And then I panicked and gave the whole room finger-guns.

New YA: June 15-21.

Will she make it to the end of the year by, um, the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine. While I realize it's somewhat ridiculous that I persist in trying to compile these lists, I shall persevere, because I find the posts HUGELY helpful. So, please bear with me.

New hardbacks:

Camp, by Elaine Wolf

The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary, Queen of Scots (Young Royals), by Carolyn Meyer

Blood Moon (Drake Chronicles), by Alyxandra Harvey

Burn Mark, by Laura Powell

Just Flirt, by Laura Bowers

The Legacy of Tril: Soulbound, by Heather Brewer

Something Like Normal, by Trish Doller

Violins of Autumn, by Amy McAuley