Titles I've read from the Disney-Hyperion Spring/Summer 2014 catalog:
Project Paper Doll: The Rules, by Stacey Kade:
Ariane’s narration is funny and thoughtful, and her paladin tendencies make her immediately likable. In order to disappear into the background, she observes human behavior (and high school culture) very closely, and her habit of constantly second-guessing each action with an “Okay, what would a regular human do?” keeps her perspective fresh while also evoking all of Dexter Morgan most entertaining moments.
School Spirits, by Rachel Hawkins:
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Fans of Buffy will love that Izzy’s relationship with her mother is complex and believable, that she almost immediately aligns herself with the school outcasts (who are all awesome), and that Hawkins turns the usual P.E. dodge-ball scene on its head when Izzy gets ticked off and accidentally dislocates a bully’s shoulder.
In Too Deep, by Coert Voorhees:
All that said, it might work for a younger fan of adventure stories who’s just beginning to explore the teen section...well, as long as you’re dealing with a reader who’ll respond to sexual innuendo along the lines of, “I bet he’s showing you his hard drive” and “I hope you’re using a surge protector” with a giggle rather than a gasp.
All Our Yesterdays, by Cristin Terrill:
On the one hand, Terrill does a great job of writing two versions of the same characters: Future Em and Past Marina, Finn's selves and, to a lesser degree, James' past and future selves are all clearly the same people with the same personalities, but they are vastly different in terms of maturity and perspective. Which is extremely cool.
Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud:
It's smart, it's scary, it's exciting, it's funny, it's got loads of atmosphere and great world-building and DID I MENTION HOW MUCH I LOVE IT?
Titles I want to read from the same catalog:
The Ring and the Crown, by Melissa de la Cruz: I've only ever read one book by de la Cruz, and it wasn't a good fit for me. But that was a long time ago, and I'm ready for another dance. Oh, who am I kidding? I totally got reeled in by the "glam of thrones" line in the description. Also, alt-history involving a "bastard mage"! Obvs, I need to check it out.
Far From You, by Tess Sharpe: Murder mystery! Addiction issues! Long-held secrets! Debut author!
Don't Look Back, by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Mean girl gets amnesia! Sounds a bit like if Lois Duncan had written Before I Fall, minus the fantasy element?
Project Paper Doll: The Hunt, by Stacey Kade: I loved the first one in the series, so duh.
The Rules for Disappearing, by Ashley Elston: Witness protection! Lots of romantic thrillers in this catalog, which is OKAY BY ME.
Caged Warrior, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer: Mixed Martial Arts cage matches in Detroit. A Boy With Potential is pulled every which way by a terrifying and controlling father, an inspirational teacher, and the local criminal element.
V is for Villain, by Peter Moore: The brilliant-but-generally-seen-as-unimpressive younger brother of a superhero gets his own adventure. The blurb suggests that the "heroes" and "villains" might be reversed in this one, so I'm kind of hoping for some hilariously awful heroes along the lines of Captain Hammer or Captain Quark.
Dark Metropolis, by Jaclyn Dolamore: 1930s-ish! Dark magic! Atmospheric! Disappearances and curses and decadence and "heartless masterminds"!
Midnight Thief, by Livia Blackburne: I'm worried that this debut fantasy is just going to make me miss Starcrossed's Digger all the more, but I'll give it a whirl.
Welcome to the Dark House, by Laurie Faria Stolarz: Contest winners thrown together in a creepy house. Sure, it's an old premise, but it's one of my favorites!
I am so glad I finally picked up The Screaming Staircase. It was just the right blend of scary, humor and just plain fun, and I can't wait for the sequel to be released.
Thank you for the reminder on the sequel to the first Project Paper Dolls book. I had completely forgot about it, even though I quite enjoyed The Rules.
Aww, Digger! Is it true that there won't be a third book in that series? I need to know how everything ends.
Posted by: Jenn | 06 January 2014 at 12:31 PM
So glad you liked The Screaming Staircase! It's good to know I've got company in waiting for the next one. :)
Re: Digger, that's my understanding, sadly. SUCH GOOD BOOKS, AND THEY SO, SO, SO DESERVED MORE ATTENTION. Sigh.
Posted by: Leila | 06 January 2014 at 12:39 PM
Okay that cover for The Screaming Staircase is AMAZING. My inner 12 year old boy was like "OH HECK YEAH"! Are they holding rapiers?! Seriously. I'm stoked.
Posted by: Lisa | 06 January 2014 at 01:04 PM
@Lisa: They are INDEED! And best of all, it's already out, so you can run out to your library or bookstore or click over to wherever and START READING IT TODAY! <3 :D
Posted by: Leila | 06 January 2014 at 01:13 PM
I'm pretty excited for The Ring and the Crown - I read Frozen last year and thought it had a lot of potential. Also V is for Villains because that premise rocks.
Posted by: Christa @ More Than Just Magic | 06 January 2014 at 02:42 PM
@Christa: Cool! That makes me more hopeful about it!
Posted by: Leila | 06 January 2014 at 03:15 PM
Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!! These lists are killing me. I want to read EVERYTHING, but first I have to finish The Screaming Staircase, and Shift by Hugh Howey (amazing) and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and Among Others by Jo Walton (you HAVE TO READ THIS!!) and and and...Your blog is my crack, sigh.
Posted by: Loretta | 09 January 2014 at 05:29 AM