Posts Categorized: new YA fiction

Trailer Thursday-YA Book Releases Late 2011/2012

15 Sep, 2011 by in new YA fiction Leave a comment

I was out to dinner last night with author Brodi Ashton, whose debut Everneath is coming in January from Balzer & Bray/ Harper Collins and since her book is going to be made of awesome, I wanted to give you another glance at the cover. Luckily, I stumbled upon this trailer from BookLovingMcFlyFan. There are some gorgeous books coming out this year and next. Fire and Ice will be on the tour schedule for Everneath as well as Tempest by Julie Cross. So stay tuned! Meanwhile enjoy these beautiful book covers.

Book Review- Passion

13 Jun, 2011 by in new YA fiction, passion 2 comments

Passion
By Lauren Kate
Hardcover
384 pages
Expected publication:
June 14th, 2011
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN 0385739168
series: Fallen #3
source: publisher
3.75 stars

“Every single lifetime, I’ll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever.”

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series hits stores Tuesday 14th June 2011

The first thing that drew me like a moth to the flame to the Fallen series were the covers. The first two are frame worthy and beautiful, even to the touch. The third one with a rose….not my favorite. It doesn’t really match the first two in the series. However, I will say that I enjoyed Fallen and Torment enough to get me out of bed early one morning at BEA to make the mad dash to the Lauren Kate signing table. And I was impressed that Delacorte Press was kind enough to give us all a hardback copy. That was above and beyond. Now, on to the story itself.

The pace of Passion is very slow with little action or tension which posed a problem for me since it’s hard to maintain my attention. This installment was snapshots in a travel log of the many different settings where Luce and Daniel have fallen in love across the ages. It is their story over and over exactly as it states in the book summary. You’ll get a short snippet of each new world and person involved. The interesting part for me was the actual setting and history behind each city where the announcers take Luce. Readers get a taste of Moscow, Milan, England, Prussia, Tibet, China, Egypt, South America and life in the prehistoric pre-civilized world. Lauren Kate takes you through the tunnels of time according to Luce’s heart’s desire and eventually, bent by the powers of her travel companion Bill.

Bill’s a newly introduced secondary character that I also struggled with. In my heart of hearts I missed all of the other characters from the first two books that I had grown to love. They are constantly lost in Passion, trying to catch up to Luce but never interacting in the storyline or given much face time. To me it seemed there was a lack of development of secondary characters. And I missed the competition Daniel faced in Simon and Cam. There’s no real force pulling Luce and Daniel apart other than Luce’s internal battle. Their story here seems repetitive. Does he truly love me or is his attraction to me simply an automatic response as a result of the curse?

Passion is told from two different points of view-Luce’s and Daniel’s, so if you are team Daniel you’ll be pleased to see things from his perspective. Ultimately, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions about who Luce really is, how the curse is overcome, what role the nephilim will play in re-writing history and how the star shots really work. Passion is great supplementary material, a companion novel, but not a star player for me in the grand scheme of things. I’m hoping book four brings us up to speed with the action and progression of plot I’m searching for. I can’t wait to find out more about Cam’s origin.

So when all is said and done, one question remains….will I keep reading the books? You bet! I’m hooked. I will be picking up Rapture when it comes out in 2012 with high hopes.

Be sure to visit Lauren Kate’s website for more on the Fallen series. And there is a play list folks. Click here to have a listen. Thumbs up on the book trailer, it is excellent.




Thanks to Lauren and Random House for being so generous.

Content: no warnings other than minor violence and a tiny bit of sexual tension. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Book Breview- Haunted

11 Feb, 2011 by in new YA fiction Leave a comment

Haunted
by Joy Preble
Paperback, 320 pages
Published February 1st 2011
by Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN 1402244681
series Dreaming Anastasia #2
3.5 stars

Anne is trying her best to live a normal life, but she’s still got some power sparking inside her. She’s hearing and seeing things that she tries her best to ignore-like being haunted by a Russian sea nymph that claims the princess Anastasia is still alive.

That’s when Ethan Kozninsky-he of the stunning blue eyes, thick brown hair, and former immortal status-returns. Anne soon realizes that everything she’s been trying to forget might be impossible to bury.

Haunted starts off where the first book in the Dreaming Anastasia series left off, only Ethan is on his own and Anne has a new lifeguard boyfriend, Ben. I have to say I was a little disappointed that Anne found someone new in between book one and two. But Ethan comes back into the picture just in time. Strange things are happening in Anne’s world…visions of the old crone Baba, increasing paranormal power Yaga plus the added appearance of a rusalka-mermaid who seems desperate. At first she is merely an apparition but then her motives become deadly and dangerous.

We learn more Russian mythology and see a completely different slant on sirens of the sea. I savored every minute of the time between Anne and Ethan…sure hope there is a book three coming so we can see what the two of them can accomplish together. There is some swearing and references to sex so I would recommend Haunted to readers age 14 and older as a fairytale with a dose of darkness and a dash of magic. Stay up to date with all the latest Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted happenings at Joy Preble’s website.

Book Review- Angel Burn

12 Jan, 2011 by in new YA fiction 3 comments

Angel Burn
by L.A. Weatherly
Hardcover, 403 pages
Expected publication: May 24, 2011
by Candlewick Press
(first published October 1st 2010)
ISBN 0763656526
series: Angel Trilogy #1
4 stars

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow that Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed romantic trilogy, L. A. Weatherly sends listeners on a thrill ride of a road trip – and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

This book has quite the interesting little history. I found “Angel Burn” on Netgalley from Candlewick Press and started reading. Then figured out (from all the reviews on Goodreads) that the book had been previously released as “Angel” in 2010 by Usborne books in the UK. The original edition is 500 pages long while this one to be released May 24th is 410 pages long. Candlewick has yet to publish the cover image for Angel Burn so please note the one above is the UK version.

What I loved: Angel Burn has awesome main characters and plenty of action packed suspense.

Alex, age 17 seems much older. He’s been living the life of a CIA agent and angel killer since he was a child. Growing up in the desert of Albuquerque, NM. He’s lost all of those close to him in the battle of the angel invasion. Closed, confident and cut, his character does a lot of growing. Readers see a completely different, more sensitive side of him as he begins falling in love.

Willow Fields is introduced as the main MC in Chapter one with he head under the hood of her best friend’s car. She is considered “weird” by her friends at school. Thrift shopping, strong and independent, Willow fixes cars and reads the future to support her and her mom. They live with Aunt Jo in Pawtucket, NY. Her mother Miranda is schizophrenic and catatonic, completely disabled as a result to her interactions with Willow’s father.The side characters in Angel Burn are very much on the side. The bulk of the book focuses on Willow and Alex.

What I disliked: At times the switching in point of view from first person to third person omniscient gets confusing. And though the book is told from several different points of view, the personalities of each new character introduced is not fully fleshed out.

Weatherly introduces a much more sinister angel than those we normally see in YA fiction, a parasitic being feeding off of human life force. This was hard for me to swallow.

I hope: Angel Burn gets a new cover and book trailer. And, I wish we would have learned more about Beth’s angel Paschar.

The main distraction: was the language. I almost put it down after two chapters because of the repeated use of the Lord’s name in vain- seemed like overkill for me. Also you can tell immediately that the book is written from a British perspective with the word “right” used in conversation instead of okay. I find it endearing, but US readers may scratch their heads if they’ve never read a book from the UK before.

Overall: I enjoyed Angel Burn more than I disliked it- enough that I would read the sequel. It is unique. Alex is one worth reading about. Angel Burn ends in an unresolved resolution that makes me want to learn more. The plot is action packed and character driven. As well, Alex and Willow’s trip across the United Sates via road trip while on the run was a selling point for me. (You can see author photos of their road trip here)

Content: Swearing, under age drinking, violence.

Sequel info: Looks like Angel Burn is part of a trilogy. In the UK Angel Fire , book two is set to be released June 2011. No word on a release in the U.S.

Thanks to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for letting me read Angel Burn.

Book Review: Drought by Pam Bachorz

12 Nov, 2010 by in new YA fiction 2 comments

Hardcover, 400 pages
To Be Published January 11th, 2011
by EgmontUSA
ISBN 1606840169
4.5 stars

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

Drought describes a group of congregants led by Sula Prosser, a woman raised by a trapper father and no mother. Soon after Sula falls in love with Darwin West and becomes engaged to him near the year 1820, her father returns home from the woods with a man named Otto following him. Sula’s love for Darwin dies when she meets the new stranger whose blood has the power to heal and prolong life. But Otto disappears, leaving nothing more than a box behind and the child in Sula’s belly.

By now she has a following of people receiving weekly communion. Darwin West turns against Sula and her congregants, forcing six dozen men, women and children leave town and flee for the mountains. Their hope is to begin a new way of life in cabins by the lake. But their peace is short lived as the land they inhabit is owned by West. His revenge over love lost is fierce and soon the followers are enslaved by an evil landowner and his hired men called overseers.

Sula’s community are harvesters of water, spending their days scraping drops with a spoon from living leaves into pewter cups. They remain trapped in time, aging and growth, away from civilization and forced to work each day under drought conditions. If they fail to meet quota for the day they are refused food and beaten.

The story is told from the point of view of Sula’s daughter Ruby. She carries with her the ability to heal with her blood as did her father Otto. But, Ruby is different. She is determined and independent. After all the brutality she has witnessed, Ruby is done waiting for someone to come save the congregants from Darwin’s hand. She’s ready to fight.

A newly hired overseer named Ford shows interest in Ruby, he gives her hope in change. She is forced to make a choice between the life she has always known or the mystery that lies beyond the fence. Ford shows Ruby that she has an alternative. A new beginning is waiting for her. Will she continue to follow her upbringing or something that goes against all she has been taught?

Bachorz’s writing is riveting and deep. The society she portrays is reminiscent of modern day groups we read about but never live amongst. Her characters truly believe in their hearts, that one day they will be saved, all the while living in daily abuse. Drought brought up issues of faith, but it’s not the kind of faith I would consider main stream. It is faith in a human with supernatural abilities, with a cult like feeling. This fictional story had me questioning how many hidden communities exist today held under the hand of brutal leaders amongst religious offshoots and factions. Drought is a dystopian story that will leave an impression.

Readers should check into Pam’s site where she shows photos of the childhood camping spot that inspired Sula’s community and the reasons she chose for naming the main character Ruby.

Drought is fast paced and I finished it quickly. It is suspenseful and the author’s writing is brilliant. Bachorz paints such a living picture of the surroundings, the beliefs, the actions and the personalities of each character you feel you are watching events unravel firsthand. The ending is a shocker. Be prepared for a slew of gut wrenching, nightmarish moments ever present in the story. This is not a book I would recommend for children or tweens as there is vividly described human violence. There are a few minor swear words and inferences to sex. Overall, I think the themes are better suited for those 16 and older.

If you enjoyed Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan you may also enjoy Drought. It’s a book that left me thinking and pondering the conditions some humans have and will endure… wanting to know more.

Book Review: My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite

05 Nov, 2010 by in my ridiculous romantic obsessions, new YA fiction, Shadow Mountain 2 comments

Paperback, 176 pages
Published March 3rd 2010
by Shadow Mountain
ISBN1606415964
4 stars

Sarah Howard’s first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected especially when a very cute boy named Ben in her Art History class starts to show interest in her.

Sarah feels like she’s an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben (to whom she secretly refers as Adonis because she thinks he could be a Greek god) begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by Jesse James a guy who she thought liked her.

She’s determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance. Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn’t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He’s crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She’s playing hard to get, and if she s not careful, she s going to lose a real hot gentleman — her 21st-century Mr. Darcy.

Becca Wilhite’s Bright Blue Miracle is one of the first books I read this year. I enjoyed, this, her second book even more. My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions is a fun light hearted, completely clean YA read. I found myself laughing out loud and smiling through most of the story.

Sarah is a college freshman dropped off by her completely self-absorbed neglectful parents to an apartment for her first experience living away from home. Roommate one is missing a face because it is constantly stuck to her boyfriend and roommate two does not talk. Good thing there’s her art history class…the reason she came to school in the first place. Best friend Chel forwarded her phone pics of the perfect TA last year and Sarah is convinced he could surely be her story book hero. So when Ben, aka Adonis, starts to show interest Sarah is confused. Surely things couldn’t be as they seem. Is he or isn’t he flirting?

The main heroine has flawed self-esteem and can’t seen to see what is right in front of her face, which I found funny up until the very last chapters, then it got to be a bit much. She is described as smart, but sometimes I wondered. I love that Sarah is not a picture perfect Barbie doll type. She has curves, out of control curls and a quirky personality. Ben, the main male isn’t perfect either, but he IS kind and genuine. I have to give him kudos for his honesty and for walking away when his affections and efforts weren’t reciprocated. He is sincere and down to earth. I found myself pulling for him.

Becca Wilhite kept me thoroughly entertained and her books are titles I will gladly pass on to my daughters. Thanks so much to Shadow Mountain and Deseret Book for sending me a copy of the book for review.

We are giving away My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite for you to enjoy. Simply fill out the form below to be entered. Ends December 5, 2010.

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Books For Trade

27 Oct, 2010 by in new YA fiction Leave a comment

With the holidays coming I want to clear off my bookshelves and make room for new titles! I’ve always lived by the philosophy that you can never have enough books, but my bookshelves are starting to disagree. So I have to part with some. I’d love to trade titles from my list with other book bloggers and readers. Here’s what’s available:

YA
Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf
Gone by Michael Grant
The Host by Stephenie Meyer-hardback
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter
Monster Slayers by Lukas Ritter-hardback
Need by Carrie Jones
Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli
The Vampire Diaries Awakening and Struggle by L.J. Smith

Adult
A Complete Guide To Faeries and Magical Beings-Cassandra Eason
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll-hardback
Hasta La Vista Lola by Misa Ramirez- hardback
Wonderland Revisited by Keith Sheppard
Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

LDS Fiction
A Love Like Lilly by Kay Lynn Mangum
An Honest Heart by Richard Siddoway
Flying Home Rachel Ann Nunes
Heaven’s Touch by Greg Olsen-hardback
Jumping Off Places by Laura Stratton Friel
Meet Your Match by Stephanie Fowers
My Not So Fairy- Tale Life by Julie Wright
Renaissance Beauty by Heather Simonsen
Bright Blue Miracle by Becca Wilhite
Shadows Of Eden by Timothy F. Bone
Winter Star by Larry and Lisa Laycock

Middle Grade
Judy Moody Gets Famous by Megan McDonald-2 copies
Brothers Below Zero by Tor Seidler-4 copies
The Wizard of Ooze by David Farland-hardback

Advanced Reader Copy
Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

If you are interested in any of these books please email me at fireandice.heather@gmail.com with the title. I have wish lists on Goodreads, Deseret Book and Amazon to give you an idea of the kinds of books I’m looking for. What are some of your wish list items for up and coming to be released titles?

Beautiful Darkness Signing at King’s English

22 Oct, 2010 by in margaret stohl, new YA fiction 52 comments

Last night was the final tour stop for YA authors Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia’s Beautiful Darkness Book Tour at Utah Indie bookstore The King’s English. Kami and Margie were full of Southern Hospitality even though they herald from L.A.
If you want a good laugh, tune in and watch their previous blog T.V. coverage of the tour. They have fun bantering back & forth. (Frequently MStohl breaks into random song) Kami revealed she likes to think of new ways to kill off her characters, so you can bet not everyone survives the four book series. She is a Black Sabbath type of girl while Margaret prefers Glee.
The two have already planned out the entire series via grape smelly marker on a white board. Interestingly, the original idea for Beautiful Creatures came after hearing a group of teens complain about what they saw in YA fiction and what they wanted to see change.

YA contemp author Emily Wing Smith
hosted the first Q&A session and introduced her upcoming book
“Back When You Were Easier To Love” to be released April 28, 2010 by Dutton.

Brodi Ashton, author or the upcoming Ever’neath series mediated the Q&A speed round where questions were taken by blog TV participants online as well as live participants. In the audienc fieilding questions was Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine.


Fellow Utah Book Bloggers Emily’s Reading Room were there with their Literati group.


I got to see some of my fun and favorite TwilightMOMS

Lisa- founder of Twilight MOMS, me, Jenny and Tara

and I spent my days before hand collecting meaningful junk for gift necklaces.


Here’s where you all come in…

Kami and Margaret were generous with their swag and we are giving some away. Our prize pack includes a Beautiful Darkness bookmark, a pin from the authors and one of my handmade necklaces.
Simply comment below to be entered to win.
Contest ends November 21, 201o and is open internationally.

Torment by Lauren Kate

30 Sep, 2010 by in book review, new YA fiction, torment 1 comment

Hardcover, 464 pages
Published September 28th 2010
by Delacorte Books
ISBN 0385739141
series Fallen #2
4.5 stars

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future…and that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. What if his version of the past isn’t actually the way things happened…what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

Oh my wow! Lauren Kate really blew me out of the water with this sequel. I have to admit I wasn’t a real fan of Fallen when I read it last year. But the covers to these books are so incredible you have to have them. They are hands down my favorite dust jackets in YA right now. I would recommend picking up Fallen and doing a refresher before reading Torment. There are parts where you will be totally lost unless you remember the plot and characters from the first in the series.

Torment really sucked me in quickly and I finished feeling like I need more. I think Lauren Kate has matured and deepened. The first big change that I saw in Torment was Luce’s personality. Finally she is breaking out of the love sick innocent doe eyed girl into her own strong presence. She stops accepting everything at face value and starts looking for answers on her own. You go girl! I like.

Second big change is the introduction of Miles. He added a new dimension to Luce’s solitary clueless life at her new school Shoreline. He’s good for her and Daniel, shakes things up a little. My favorite chemistry in Torment was between Luce and Miles during their travels into her past. And my second favorite scene is watching him throw some serious loops in the plot during Luce’s Thanksgiving dinner. It is awesome that he’s man enough to take on Daniel and fight for what he wants. This book will keep you on your toes, nothing is a given, there is no black and white anymore. Things that were taken at flat face value in Fallen have been flipped and twisted.

In short, pick this one up! You MUST read.http://www.laurenkatebooks.net/

Book Review & ARC Tour- Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

26 Jun, 2010 by in ARC tour, new YA fiction, paranormalcy 2 comments

to be published August 31st 2010 by HarperTeen
details Hardcover, 352 pages
url http://www.kierstenwhite.com/
isbn 0061985848
5 stars
Sixteen-year-old Evie’s job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone–or something–starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she’s worked hard to help become productive members of society, she’s got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated

I received Paranormalcy as an Advanced reader copy from HarperTeen and quite literally did the happy dance then ran inside to take pictures of the awesome cover. The pages inside are just as exciting! Evie, the main bagger and tagger at the IPCA is the perfect balance of sass and spunk complete with a blinged out pink taser and knife. She is witty and smart, part secret agent by day and crushing teen by night. She longs to live everyday experiences like going to school and having a locker. But never fear, her best mermaid friend Lish can experience it vicariously with her via their soap opera Easton Heights. Because, who didn’t have a favorite teen show when they were growing up?!!
Kiersten White does a perfect job of writing teens in a light hearted, funny way and her writing is completely clean. She creates dreamy male characters that are both fighting for Evie in their own way. Lend, the quiet artist with a changing face who is smooth as water. Reth the fairy who wants to fill Evie with his warmth is evil yet tantalizing. Each paranormal has a personality you can relate to and understand, even though they are still figuring it all out themselves. It’s a rich menagerie of mythical creatures all thrown into one setting. You’ll find yourself laughing out loud.

Paranormalcy is a must read for all teens. Just the right mix of action, sarcasm and a sprinkle of romance. Read it when it hits the shelves in August… you’ll see why everyone is raving about the book being “bleeping” fabulous! 5 stars. I can’t wait for more!!

To join our Paranormalcy ARC tour email us. Open to U.S. residents only.