Top Picks from YA Bloggers in the Know, #8
By Nicki Richesin, The Children’s Book Review
Published: November 16, 2012
Self-proclaimed bibliophile Vera of Luxury Reading has stopped in at The Children’s Book Review with her marvelous list of hotly anticipated reads this winter by some of our favorite authors (Lauren Oliver! Laurie Faria Stolarz!). So build a fire and snuggle under a blanket with a cup of cocoa and one of these exciting new novels. Thanks to Vera for ensuring a warm holiday season to us all!
By Laini Taylor
Alright, so this is not exactly an upcoming title, but I LOVED Daughter of Smoke & Bone and cannot wait to get my hands on the follow-up, Days of Blood & Starlight.
In the first book, Karou, apprentice to a monster, struggled with her identity. Now that she finally knows exactly who she is, she must also come to terms with the fact that she fell for the enemy who betrayed her, and the world has to pay the price. Now, Karou must defend her people while Akiva, her lover and betrayer, fights on the opposing side.
Ages 14-17 | Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | November 6, 2012
Laurie Faria Stolarz is a new author for me, but I just could not get over the gorgeous cover of Deadly Little Lessons. I may have to start at the beginning since this one appears to be part of a long-running series.
Junior year of high school is over, but Camelia Hammond’s troubles are just beginning. With uncovered family secrets and boyfriend issues weighing heavily on her, Camelia decided to enroll in a summer arts program in Rhode Island.
In Rhode Island, Camelia becomes interested in the case of a local missing girl, Sasha Beckerman. While the community seems set on assuming that Sasha is just another teen runaway, Camelia has a hunch that something else is at play and begins her own investigation. She stumbles upon a blog run by someone named Neal Moche who may have some clues to Sasha’s disappearance, but who also reminds Camelia of Ben, a former love interest. Regardless, she must set her feelings aside to save Sasha before it’s too late.
Ages 12-17 | Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children | December 18, 2012
Meyer’s Cinder was a slam dunk with young adults and adults alike, and I’m hoping that the follow-up, Scarlet, will do the same. Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, is back and this time she’s trying to break out of prison. If she succeeds, she is poised to become the most wanted fugitive in the Commonwealth.
At the other end of the world, Scarlet Benoit struggles to find her missing grandmother. As she searches, she meets Wolf, a stranger who may have information about her grandmother. When the pair encounters Cinder, the mysteries they are trying to unravel only multiply. And now the trio must evade the evil Lunar Queen Levana, who will stop at nothing to capture Prince Kai’s attention – and his freedom.
Ages 12-17 | Publisher: Feiwel & Friends| February 5, 2013
Lauren Oliver’s writing style never fails to captivate me and Requiem, the latest installment in the Delirium series, is an easy pick for this must-read list.
The rebellion that took its roots in Pandemonium turns into an all out revolution in Requiem. And Lena, our brave heroine, is at the center of the action. After rescuing Julian from a sure death, Lena and her friends flee to the Wilds. However, safety proves elusive as flashes of rebellion appear throughout the country. While Lena tries to evade danger with every step, her friend, Hana, leads a comfortable life as the fiancé of the young Portland mayor. The two girls lead very different yet parallel lives until their stories come together in a spectacular fashion that Oliver does so well.
Ages 14 and up | Publisher: HarperCollins | March 5, 2013
Yes, Sever is another book that’s part of a series and by another Lauren no less, but what YA book is not part of a series these days?
In the futuristic world created by DeStefano, every human has a pre-defined expiration date – females live to the age of 20, and males to the age of 25. To keep the population from dying out, young girls are regularly kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages. In the first book in the series, Wither, 16-year-old Rhine Ellery was married off to Linden, and into a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her cushy surroundings, Rhine’s only goal is to escape and find her twin brother. In this final installment in the series, Rhine discovers that there are some secrets about her own genes that her parents never had the chance to share with her, and that she might in fact be the one with the ability to save the entire human race.
Ages 14 and up | Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers | October 23, 2012
Nicki Richesin is the author and editor of Crush, What I Would Tell Her, Because I Love Her, and The May Queen. She is the San Francisco correspondent for Du Jour and a frequent contributor to Sunset, 7×7, The Huffington Post, Daily Candy, BlackboardEats, and The Horn Book. Find her online at https://nickirichesin.com/.