Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, by Beth Fantaskey (354 pages) – Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess, according to new exchange student, Lucius Vladescu. So now Jessica must transform herself from ‘average American teenager to a glam European vampire princess’. It sure ain’t easy.
First line: ‘The first time I saw him, a heavy, gray fog clung to the cornfields, tails of mist slithering between the dying stalks.‘
Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet (329 pages) – This is the first in Patterson’s latest series. Whit and Wisty Allgood are accused of witchcraft and are thrown into prison, along with thousands of other young people. The New Order are out to get all users of magic and crush all expressions of art and liberty. It’s 1984 meets Harry Potter! At last!
First line: ‘It’s overwhelming.’
Homestretch, by Paul Volponi (151 pages) – Seventeen-year-old Gas runs away from his abusive father and finds work on a racetrack in Arkansas. His new job challenges his racism and he also becomes a jockey! He is short.
First line: ‘I’ve always been small – the shortest kid in my class, from kindergarten through the end of my junior year in high school.‘
The Chosen One, by Carol Lynch Williams (213 pages) – Kyra is thirteen, and lives in a religious community where men have lots of wives. She’s been told she will have to marry a 60-year-old who already has six wives. She’s been reading forbidden books (from a library! yay, libraries) and knows she’s got to get out. But how?
First line: ‘“If I was going to kill the Prophet,” I say, not even keeping my voice low, “I’d do it in Africa.”‘
Fire, by Kristin Cashore (491 pages) – A companion book to Graceling (there is one common character). So! If you liked that you will like this, according to Grimm. ‘Cool cover,’ she adds.
First line: ‘Larch often thought that if it had not been for his newborn son, he would never have survived his wife Mikra’s death.‘
Cupid’s Arrow, by Isabelle Merlin (336 pages) – Fleur’s mother inherits a ‘magnificant’ library that belonged to a famous French author, so they head to the ancient French town of Avallon. That sounds like the best thing ever! Mais non! ‘Fleur’s nightmare is just about to begin …’
First lines: ‘I’m running. Running very fast. Running for my life.‘
Secrets at St Jude’s : Jealous Girl, by Carmen Reid (226 pages) – Gina is from L.A. and spends her time in pools, malls, and so on. But she also has to go to school in Scotland, where it rains and is probably a little less glamorous although there are castles and the Edinburgh festival, surely? But it’s all good, and Gina has loads of friends at St Jude’s.
First line: ‘”Gina, you can NOT go back there! You just can NOT leave us again!” Ria was lying back on a lilo in the pool, dangling a tanned arm into the cool turquoise-blue water.‘
Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld (440 pages) – This sounds pretty great, I think! ‘In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.’ The book has terrific illustrations throughout.
First line: ‘The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised.‘
Exam Stress? No Worries, by Su Dorland (254 pages) – Here’s a guide to overcoming the anxiety that many feel before exams. There are techniques you can use to relax, and – AND! – it comes with a CD with ‘visualisation and relaxation tracks to help you stay calm and focused, and sleep well at exam time.’ Very timely.
If you’re wanting to know, you might like to reserve I Will Always Love You, an addition to the Gossip Girl series started (but not finished) by Cecily von Ziegesar.
I Will Always Love You documents what Serena et al get up to when they return from their respective colleges for their summer breaks (four in total). There’s bound to be hookups, fights and, well, gossip, but hopefully not that song by Whitney Houston.
The week of the short first sentence.
The Enemy, by Charlie Higson (407 pages) – Charlie Higson is the guy who’s been writing the Young Bond series (about James Bond when he was at high school). The Enemy is the first book in a new trilogy with zombies – a whole lot of zombies. Reviews suggest this is rather scary, and overall really rather good. Plus it has black page edges.
First sentence: Small Sam was playing in the park behind Waitrose when the grown-ups took him.
The Bride’s Farewell, by Meg Rosoff (186 pages) – the much anticipated new book from the author of How I Live Now. Pell runs away on the morning of her wedding and hits the road to uncover the secrets of her past.
First sentence: On the morning she was to be married, Pell Ridley crept up from her bed in the dark, kissed her sisters goodbye, fetched Jack in from the wind and rain on the heath and told him that they were leaving.
Fade to Blue, by Sean Beaudoin (201 pages) – “Fade”, one of the chapter headings tells me, is pronounced “Fa-day” and is the last name of Kenny, who is one of the characters whose point of view the reader is treated to, the other being Sophie Blue. As the title suggests, how Sophie and Kenny connect is what this novel is all about. The cover describes this rather complex novel as “part thriller, part darkly comic philosophical discussion, … accompanied by a comic book element.”
First sentence: The place was packed.
Real Life, by Ella West (192 pages) – the final instalment in the Thieves trilogy. Nicky is back at the Project, trapped by a tracking bracelet that can’t be removed. “When terrorists threaten [the Project], Nicky is sent to the dangerous heart of the matter,” says the cover.
First sentence: For a whole week we were free.
Lost, by Jacqueline Davies (235 pages) – set in New York in the early 1900s. The story of Essie, who lives in virtual poverty with her mother and siblings, is woven into a retelling of two historical events; the disappearance of a New York heiress and the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Nice cover.
First sentence: The new girl was lost.
Fire and Rayne, by Kate Cann (314 pages) – Rayne has escaped from London to the country and takes a job at a mansion house, hoping for peace and quiet. What she gets is ghostly warnings, a sinister new manager, and a jolly good reason to be afraid.
First sentence: Rayne woke screaming.
Warrior Princess, by Frewin Jones (346 pages) – another first in a series, and no, it’s not about Xena. Branwen is in Britain (I think: judging by the author’s and the character’s names, probably Wales more specifically) when the Saxons invade and kill her brother (among others). When a “mystical woman in white” fortells that Branwen will one day save her country, Branwen is forced to choose between her intended life path and that of the warrior princess.
First sentence: Branwen ap Griffith sat on the grassy hillside with her back to an oak tree, gazing out over the rugged landscape of bony hills and steep, wooded valleys that she had known since childhood.
Miss Understanding: My Year in Agony (314 pages) – Miss Understanding is her school agony aunt, but like most agony aunts, she’s rubbish at sorting out her own life problems. Through the course of this book she will become better at it, I think.
First sentence: Hey there you.
Midsummer Meltdown, by Cathy Hopkins (186 pages) – Lia is expecting her mother’s 40th to be the party of the decade, but then an ex of her’s (Lia’s) makes an appearance and things get complicated.
Do Secrets Count as Sabotage?, by Helen Salter (152 pages) – Holly is trying to keep gorgeous Luke a secret from her mother. Is this possible when jealous best friends are involved?
Here’s a small amount of new stuff (no book covers though, as the server’s currently down). The little hooks are how we rate the first sentence.
Fade, by Lisa McMann (248 pages) – the sequel to Wake. Cassandra Clare calls the book “shuddersome”, which is kind of a cool word. The dream catchers Janie and Cabel must expose something horrid that’s going on at Fieldridge High.
First sentence: Janie spirits through the snowy yards from two streets away and slips quietly through the front door of her house.
Hate List, by Jennifer Brown (408 pages) – Val’s boyfriend, Nick, uses a list he and she created (of things and people they hate) to mow down their classmates in the cafeteria. The story is about Val coming to grips with her role in what has happened, the loss of her boyfriend, and how to move on.
First sentence: The scene in the Garvin High School cafeteria, known as the Commons, is being described as “grim” by investigators who are working to identify the victims of a shooting spree that erupted Friday morning.
Killer, by Sara Shepard (A Pretty Little Liars novel, 321 pages) – the sixth book in the series, the first paragraph on the dust jacket says it all: “In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystal. But pictures often lie – and so do Rosewood’s four prettiest girls.”
First sentence: What if, all of a sudden, you could remember every single second of your entire life?
When Irish Guys are Smiling, by Suzanne Supplee (211 pages), and The Great Call of China, by Cynthea Liu (246 pages) – these two titles are part of the series S.A.S.S., or Students Across the Seven Seas, about girls (mostly I think) who go on exchange, experience culture shock, learn about themselves, meet cute guys, and all the other things you’d expect.
Ember Fury, by Cathy Brett (232 pages) – Ember Fury’s parents are celebrities, and they are more interested in their own rise to the top than they are in Ember. So Ember – who hates the whole celebrity world – is a pyromaniac.
First sentence: ‘Fizzzzz … crack … whoosh … It was a tiny tongue at first, then it spread like a rippling, orange blanket over the floorboards and poured itself up the walls.’
Brainjack, by Brian Falkner (438 pages) – Sam Wilson, brilliant teenage computer hacker, has a go at the computer systems of the White House. This reckless obsession leads Sam into a dangerous world of ‘espionage and intrigue; of cybercrime and imminent war.’ Dangerous, sure, but pretty exciting you must admit.
First sentence: ‘On Friday, on his way to school, Sam Wilson brought the United States of America to its knees.‘
Mwah Mwah, by Chloe Rayban (263 pages) – Hannah’s plans for the holidays are foiled by her mother, who sends her off to Paris for a fortnight. Hannah isn’t too happy as she will have to stay with the unpleasant Matthilde (although I think we’d all like to grin and bear it if it means a couple of weeks in Paris).
First sentence: ‘”Mayjesweesewer. Annaseraravy! Weegrobeezoo. Abeeantow.”‘
Swerve, by Phillip Gwynne (228 pages)
Trashed (A Year in Girl Hell), by Meredith Costain (151 pages).
Supernatural romances are super hot right now, for a few reasons (well, four plus a couple of movies), and there are quite a few trilogies making waves. I’ve taken a deep breath and read three of them: The Mortal Instruments trilogy, by Cassandra Clare; Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (there’s another one to come next year); and A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray.
The Hype
There’s internet hype a-plenty for Cassandra Clare (see here, and here for example). Fragile Eternity had a book trailer (you can visit it at YouTube here: I won’t embed it because I’m really not sure I approve of book trailers, since you don’t get to imagine what characters look like and all. He’s no Seth, that’s for sure) that made people oo and ah. Being smart writers, they all blog.
The World
Set in the late 19th Century and mostly in England, Libba Bray’s story is a bit different from the others; Melissa Marr and Cassandra Clare’s books are more urban fantasy. While MM’s books focus solely on faeries, CC’s contain basically every supernatural fantastical creature there is – a melting pot/United Nations sort of deal, which is apt since home base is New York.
The Writing
Libba Bray’s books contain a lot of dense, wordy description which is great if you love dense, wordy description but not so great if you like your books to, you know, move along at pace. The dialogue is witty (actually, witty dialogue happens in all three). As far as style goes, there’s a bit of cringing to be had in the Mortal Instruments trilogy, which needed a really good edit and didn’t get one. I got memorably fed up with being told what everyone was wearing all the time, especially in the heat of battle. Wicked Lovely (and the others by Melissa Marr) rips along at a pace similar to Stephenie Meyer’s books, so don’t start it late at night.
The Most Perfectest Man Ever?
Tell me I’m making generalisations if you like, but there’s hot competition at the moment over who can write the perfect man. In this instance we have in the red corner… Seth (WL etc). Seth could make you love multiple piercings. He’s arty, intelligent, attractive, sensitive, calm, patient, doesn’t think you’re mad if you tell him you see faeries, and (most importantly) has definition in his arms. In the blue corner there’s Kartik (AGATB etc), who also has definition, is the last word in mysterious, doesn’t mind that the girl in question has tendencies towards being a raving feminist ahead of her time, and to top it off, said girl’s friends all think he’s an exotic beauty. Finally, in the annoying corner there’s Jace (MI), although he still manages to impress the odd reader.
The Romance
There’s romance, for sure, in varying quantities, using the tried and true love triangle formula. Gemma (AGATB) must choose between traditional Victorian courtship with the dashing Simon or her less conventional dealings with the aforementioned Kartik. Ash (WL) is a really sensible girl, which is just as well when she’s faced with a choice between a beautiful faery king who’s out to claim her and, well, Seth. Clary (MI) has the option of Simon the friend or Jace, shadowhunter extraordinaire, whose relationship to Clary takes many, many twists and turns. Simmering stuff.
The Big Showdown
There’s gruesomeness to be had. Not to give too much away, The Sweet Far Thing ends with a beautifully described apocalyptic battle to end all battles (this really isn’t giving too much away, honest), complete (possibly) with some tear jerking moments. Cassandra Clare worries a bit too much about what people are wearing, as mentioned earlier, but she’s not scared of injuring her characters which is good, because you’re more likely to worry for their safety. The big showdown is yet to happen in the Wicked Lovely world: will have to wait for next year.
If you love books in this genre there is a whole heap more out there, for example:
Evermore, by Alyson Noel. Psychic girl falls in love with an immortal boy.
Need, by Carrie Jones. Werewolves and pixies.
Wings, by Aprilynne Pike. Faeries again, this is the first of a planned series of four.
Impossible, by Nancy Werlin. Read a review at teenreads.com.
Read all this? Well Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is coming soon. Grace is a girl, haunted by a yellow eyed wolf; Sam is a yellow-eyed werewolf… (here’s an excerpt from teenreads.com).
Also, don’t forget Holly Black’s modern faerie tales.
ps “supernatural romance” isn’t a catchy enough name we decided, so what to call these books? Well, here were some suggestions (not all strictly relevant): supernatromance, phantasromance, zom-rom, boo woo, hell-odrama, vampmance, fantmance, horromance, creepy-crawly-lovey-dovey, unexplained flingnomena
In May we reported that Lauren Conrad of The Hills fame has published a book called L. A. Candy (a cunning disguise for a sort of autobiographical fiction perhaps?).
Well, this book is doing so well on the bestsellers lists that we just had to get a copy or two - place a reserve now if you’re an L.C. fan.
This week there’s lad lit, chick lit (complete with pink covers), some history lessons, thrillers, studies in complex psychology and rites of passage, spy books, serious stuff, frivolous stuff, books written in traditional prose, books that throw things like emails and lists in too.
North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley (373 pages) – I was going to summarise this in my own words, but the last paragraph on the dust jacket seems to be just the ticket: a novel “about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.” Fans of Sarah Dessen and Elizabeth Scott have a read and tell us what you think.
First sentence: Not to brag or anything, but if you saw me from behind, you’d probably think I was perfect.
A Certain Strain of Peculiar, by Gigi Amateau (261 pages) – Mary Harold, a 13 year old psychological mess retreats to her family home in Alabama where hard work, her Grandma Ayma, and friendship help her recover her sense of self and things like that.
First sentence: What happens in my mind sometimes is complicated.
Just Another Hero, by Sharon M Draper (280 pages) – the conclusion to the story begun in The Battle of Jericho and November Blues. The alarm goes off in school and everyone assumes it’s just a prank, but it’s not. Certainly not.
First sentence: “Grab his arms!”
Swim the Fly, by Don Calame (345 pages) – you thought right: this is a novel where swimming is involved. It’s a humorous coming-of-age novel which wonders if it’s harder to swim the 100 metres butterfly or impress a really hot girl. Doing the one well might cause the other to happen, and hopefully it’s not a case of neither.
First sentence: “Movies don’t count,” Cooper says.
Boy Minus Girl, by Richard Uhlig (246 pages) – Les seems to be the harmless, shy, geek type in whose life girls just don’t feature (see title), but then Uncle Ray arrives, who is quite the opposite and therefore either potentially a really good role model or a really bad influence.
First sentence: “Seduction Tip Number 1.”
City of Ghosts, by Bali Rai (385 pages) – a story based on events during the 1919 Amritsar massacre.
First sentence: Udham Singh watched the chairman of the meeting, Lord Zetland, gathering up his notes as another member of the panel answered a question.
If the Witness Lied, by Caroline B. Cooney (213 pages) - something terrible happened to Jack’s family three years ago and now his aunt has decided that the only way to heal and move on is to have some sort of healing and moving on fest – on camera. The press are dead keen, too (Jack’s not), and the re-hashing leads Jack and sisters to ask probing questions about what really happened.
First sentence: The good thing about Friday is – it’s not Thursday.
Killing God, by Kevin Brooks (233 pages) – from the author of Black Rabbit Summer. The blurb says: “Dawn Bundy is fifteen. She doesn’t fit in and she couldn’t care less. Dawn has other things on her mind. Her dad disappeared two years ago and it’s all God’s fault. When Dawn’s dad found God, it was the worst time ever. He thought he’d found the answer to everything. But that wasn’t the end of it.”
First sentence: This is a story about me, that’s all.
Girls to Total Goddesses, by Sue Limb (314 pages) – Zoe and Chloe have seven days to glamourise themselves. Will they do it? Will dastardly things foil their fabulous plans?
First sentence: “Right,” said Chloe.
The Agency: A Spy in the House, by Y S Lee (341 pages) – it’s Victorian London and Mary Quinn is a seventeen year old spy working for The Agency. The first book in a promised detective trilogy.
First sentence: She should have been listening to the judge.
Tales of the Madman Underground, by John Barnes (531 pages) – an epic tome. Karl Shoemaker is in his senior year at high school in 1973. Subtitled “An Historical Romance 1973″, I’m thinking this is one of those stories about completely normal boys that make for good reading and a laugh (see a bit further up too).
First sentence: I had developed this theory all summer: if I could be perfectly, ideally, totally normal for the f irst day of my senior year, which was today, then I could do it for the first week, which was only Wednesday through Friday.
Touch, by Francine Prose (262 pages) – something happened to Maisie at the back of the bus, and she becomes embroiled in the out-of-control aftermath; lies, rumours, stories that don’t match, the press… when your story is so heavily scrutinised working out what’s true and what’s not becomes increasingly difficult.
First sentence: “Are the boys who assaulted you present in the courtroom?”
It’s Yr Life, by Tempany Deckert and Tristan Bancks (280 pages) – Sim and Milla are opposites (poor/rich, male/female etc) and they have to email each other for a school assignment: the story unfolds from there. A story told in emails (like some others mentioned here).
First sentence: 10th Grade English Assignment: Communication.
The One, by Ed Decter (316 pages) – the first Chloe Gamble novel, because (the book says) there’s always more Chloe. Chloe is a big city girl in small town Texas, dreaming of becoming famous. Again a novel in manuscript excerpts, emails and not-to-do lists etc.
First sentence: When the police came to see me about the “incident” I told them a lot of things about Chloe Gamble, but I didn’t tell them about this manuscript.
Summer Sun & Stuff According to Alex, by Kathryn Lamb (172 pages) – the third pink cover this week. Alex’s boyfriend Mark is going to Italy with some other girl’s family and Alex and her friends are determined that she will get him back, but things never pan out in expected ways.
First sentence: I am HOME ALONE!!!!!
Ghostgirl: Homecoming, by Tonya Hurley (285 pages) – sequel to Ghostgirl, and also with a very cool cover and fancy silver-gilded page edges. After graduating Dead Ed Charlotte is a little dismayed to discover she now has to complete an internship at a hotline for teens.
First sentence: Dying of boredom wasn’t an option.
Plus some others:
Diary of a Snob: Poor Little Rich Girl, by Grace Dent (247 pages)
The Battle of Jericho, by Sharon R Draper (337 pages)
November Blues, by Sharon R Draper (383 pages)
Daniel X : Watch The Skies, by James Patterson (251 pages) – Further adventures of teenage alien hunter, Daniel X. This time the alien menace threatens humanity via television.
First line: ‘It was a pretty regular early-summer night at 72 Little Lane.‘
Girls Against Girls, by Bonnie Burton (128 pages) – This non-fiction book looks at the reasons why girls are sometimes mean to one another, what to do if one is being bullied, and why it is better to treat others with respect.
Girl Meets Cake, by Susie Day (215 pages) – Heidi has invented a boyfriend (she had to – it was an emergency). Now, because he’s so perfect, Heidi’s friends are messaging him all kinds of secrets.
First lines: ‘“Poop on a fork, Heidi. What part of ‘I don’t want to see your face in here Saturday’ did you not follow?” Betsy yells before I’m even halfway through the door of the Little Leaf cafe.‘
The Road of the Dead, by Kevin Brooks (292 pages) – Brother Ruben and Cole learn that their sister has been found, murdered, many miles from home. Determined to find out what happened, the brothers retrace her steps.
First line: ‘When the Dead Man got Rachel I was sitting in the back of a wrecked Mercedes wondering if the rain was going to stop.‘
Nicholas Dane, by Melvin Burgess (408 pages) – Fourteen-year-old Nick is sent to a boys’ home after his mother’s death, and things get much, much worse. Much worse.
First line: ‘Nick Dane lifted his head and stared blearily at the doorway.‘
Devil’s Kiss, by Sarwat Chadda (278 pages) – Billi SanGreal’s father belongs to The Order, who protect the world from the Unholy. She’s about to go through her Ordeal, which is he chance to join the Order. Look, an official website!
First line: ‘Killing him should be easy; he’s only six.‘
The Witching Hour, by Elizabeth Laird (417 pages) – 17th century Scotland; a bad time to be accused of witchcraft. Maggie’s grandmother is accused and so Maggie must flee to her uncle’s holdings, where he’s defying the English King. Historic thrills!
First line: ‘I was the first one to see the whale lying dead on the san at Scalpsie Bay.‘
Here’s some books that are the latest in continuing series:
Carpe Corpus : Book Six of The Morganville Vampires, by Rachel Caine (243 pages)
The Diamond Secret : Once Upon a Time, by Suzanne Weyn (209 pages)
Burned : A Year in Girl Hell 3, by Meredith Costain (139 pages)
Death by Denim : Death By 3, by Linda Gerber (211 pages)
My (Dating Disasters) Diary by Kelly Ann, by Liz Rettig (355 pages)
In brief:
Get Your Paws Off!, by Rachel Wright (145 pages)
This week’s lot (in order of how many words make up the title):
Jatta, by Jenny Hale (464 pages) – a fantasy thriller replete with dragons, werewolves, and a mystery that begins with bloody paw prints.
First sentence: Princess Jatta woke on the cold marble floor, groaning weakly.
Posse, by Kate Welshman (278 pages) – things have been tense between best friends Amy and Clare, and when Clare disappears while they’re on Year 11 camp (Year 12 in New Zealand) there are more questions than answers; about what actually happened, about friendship…
First sentence: It’s the kind of heat you can’t escape.
Stolen, by Lucy Christopher (301 pages) – Gemma is kidnapped from an airport and taken to the Australian outback where her kidnapper, “expected [her] to love him.” Reviews all say this is a really well-written and moving story. It’s written as a letter from Gemma to her kidnapper, which is an interesting angle.
First sentence: You saw me before I saw you.
Jinxed, by Sara Lawrence (331 pages) – on a rather different note, the cover of Jinxed says “It’s spring term at Stagmount and love has never felt so naughty.” Set in a riotous boarding school in Brighton.
Resistance, by Craig Simpson (357 pages) – set in Norway during World War II; a story about Resistance freedom fighters, sabotage and courage.
First sentence: Her dying cry echoed across the Hardanger plateau.
Bloodline Rising, by Katy Moran (343 pages) – set in the dark ages and the sequel to Bloodline, Cai is captured in Constantinople and sent to Britain where he’s taken in by Wulfhere, prince of Mercia. When war threatens Cai must choose between his own life and that of his new clan’s.
First sentence: The young man moved like a cat: quick, sure.
Blood Water, by Dean Vincent Carter (248 pages) – a deadly parasite has gone missing, threatening to kill everyone in the town and Sean and James must track it down and destroy it before it does so.
First sentence: I managed to steal another hour in the laboratory tonight to examine the specimen before retiring to bed.
Bad Company, by Mike Walker (264 pages) – a story of modern day piracy and people smuggling on the Indian Ocean, with just a small amount of romance thrown in.
First sentence: If Lewis Hamilton hadn’t snatched fifth place in Brazilian and won the World Championship I wouldn’t have been stuck with three thieving bastards on a leaking ship in the Indian Ocean with a pirate holding a gun in my face screaming that he was going to blow my head away.
‘Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?’, by Louise Rennison (315 pages) – the final fab confessions, with some unexpected spelling in the title (bas? baz?). The shiny gold cover is calling “Read me! Read me!” If you get a bit lost there’s a comprehensive glossary of Georgia terms in the back.
First sentence(s): Why. Oh why oh why?
The success of the Gossip Girl series has led to a number of similarly-themed series. They tend to have several things in common: the main characters are girls, who are rich, or share the same social circles as the über-rich, and they go to an exclusive private school; the books are usually set in (or near) New York; and most of the characters favour style over substance (afterall, it’s difficult to be friendly towards someone in a denim skirt). Sometimes they’re undead, or even just dead.
So here’s a list (in no particular order):
1. The Gossip Girl - The series so popular it’s now a television series! It’s set on the Upper East Side of Manhatten, which is New York’s Oriental Parade, only vastly more wealthy and stylish. No beach, however. The books are about a group of friends/enemies, their designer clothes and parties. The Gossip Girl herself anonymously writes about them. The school is called the Constance Billard School for Girls. There’s a gazillion books in the series.
2. The It Girl - The ‘It Girl’ in the title went to the Constance Billard School for Girls but was so poorly behaved she was sent to the very exclusive Waverly Prep boarding school. She will do anything – anything! - get to be one of the Waverly elite. This series is one of the two Gossip Girl spin-offs (all were created by Cecily von Ziegesar, but most are written by other people).
3. Gossip Girl: The Carlyles - The Carlyle triplets move from Nantucket to NYC after the death of their grandmother. They go to Constance Billard (and St. Jude’s School for Boys, for one of them is a boy) and quickly prove to be even more vicous – and fabulous - than Serena, Blair, etc. (Official website for Gossip Girl.)
4. The Ashleys, by Melissa De la Cruz - At Miss Gamble’s Preparatory School for Girls the three reigning princesses of popularity are all named Ashley; hence ‘The Ashleys’. New-comer Lauren is determined to enter their group. This series is set in San Francisco, and not New York, which is a shame but there you have it. (Official website.)
5. The Clique, by Lisi Harrison - The Clique are a group of girls who are the top of the popularity food chain at their private school. The books are notable (according to the Library School Journal) for the characters’ cruelty. Awesome! It’s set in Westchester County, New York, where the X-Men hang out (incidentally). Who would win in a fight? The first book was made into a direct-to-DVD film, newly arrived at the library. (Official website.)
6. Inside Girl, by J Minter – Fourteen-year-old Flan Flood’s family are all incredibly beautiful socialites, but she decided to break with tradition and goes to a typical public school. It’s a spin-off from another series by J. Minter, The Insiders, which is more in keeping with the other series in this list. Set in and around lower Manhattan. (Official website.)
7. Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard - Three years ago the leader (Alison) of a group of girls disappears. Now someone calling themselves ‘A’ is threatening to expose the secrets of the group, who all fit the Gossip Girl mold. With a bit of mystery thrown in, the series has been called ‘Desperate Housewives for teens.’ (Official website.)
8. Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz – Set amongst Manhattan’s elite teens, Blue Bloods throws vampirism into the mix. (Official website.)
9. Vampire Academy, by Rachelle Mead – St Vladimir’s is a private academy (in Montana, not NY) for vampires and the half-vampires who protect them. The series is notable for being set in a gritty and dark world which doesn’t hold back. Perhaps not so in keeping with this list, but the academy is about as exclusive as it gets and one of the main characters is a princess. A vampire princess. (Official website.)
10. The Luxe, by Anna Godberson – Most reviewers remark that this series is essentially Gossip Girl - Manhattan, rich glamorous people, and so on – set in 1899. I’m not sure what the ‘Luxe’ in the title refers to, but funnily enough 1899 was the year that Lux soap was launched in the UK. (Official website.)
This is probably part 1 for this week’s new YA titles.
What World is Left, by Monique Polak (215 pages) – Anneke and her family are removed from Holland to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Anneke manages to survive through the darkest horrors by doing whatever it takes.
First line: ‘My bed is warm and cozy.‘
Sharp Beats : A Mickey Sharp Novel, by Dominic Barker (235 pages) – Mickey Sharp is a private eye for teenagers, but this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew. This is the latest in a series.
First lines: ‘Dum. Da da dum. Da da dum. Da da dum.‘
Envy : A Luxe Novel, by Anna Godbersen (403 pages) – This is the third Luxe novel, which are essentially ‘Gossip Girl set in the 19th century’. In Envy Miss Diana Holland, whose family’s fall from grace two months previously so shocked New York’s corset and crinoline-clad elite, has begun again to stir the waters of Victorian prudery.
First line: ‘“Surely a girl as lovely as you, a girl who personifies loveliness itself, should not be hidden away on a night like this, on a night when everyone wants to see a fine figure and starry eyes, and where yours are the starriest of all.”‘
Intensely Alice, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (269 pages) – It’s summer and Alice McKinley has a lot planned – she volunteers at a soup kitchen, does something wild and wonders about her visit to Chicago to see her boyfriend, Patrick. This is – I think! – the 24th Alice book.
First line: ‘“We’ve got to do something wild this summer.”‘
Along For The Ride, by Sarah Dessen (383 pages) – From the library catalogue’s description: ‘When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents’ divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating.’
First line: ‘The e-mails always began the same way. “Hi Auden!!!”‘
Dope Sick, by Walter Dean Myers (186 pages) – From the library catalogue’s description again (sometimes it’s easier to copy & paste) – ‘Seeing no way out of his difficult life in Harlem, seventeen-year-old Jeremy “Lil J” Dance flees into a house after a drug deal goes awry and meets a weird man who shows different turning points in Lil J’s life when he could have made better choices. ‘
First lines: ‘My arm was hurting bad. Real bad.‘
Dido, by Adele Geras (259 pages) – This is a retelling of a classical story, about a queen and a servant who both fall in love with the same chap. Adele Geras has written two other, similar retellings; Troy and Ithaka.
First line: ‘You knew that you were in a dream when the edges of everything you gazed at were blurred and when figures bent and blended into the background and arrived and disappeared magically, moving in a way that wouldn’t be possible in normal life.‘
Siggy and Amber, by Doug MacLeod (226 pages)
Taking The Plunge, by Helen Bailey (297 pages) – The fourth book about Electra Brown.
All book titles link to their catalogue entry.
Wicked : A Pretty Little Liars Novel, by Sara Shepard (310 pages) - This is the fifth in the Pretty Little Liars series of books. See the official website for more information, or look for it on central library’s revamped series shelves in the YA area.
First line: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly what people are thinking?‘
Reality Check, by Peter Abrahams (330 pages) – College football star, Cody, has everything. An injury puts an end to the season’s sport and his girlfriend, who has gone to boarding school across the country, disappears. Cody then discovers his inner detective when he attempts to find her.
First line: ‘Except for football fridays, Cody Laredo’s favourite day of the school year was always the last.‘
Adored : An It Girl Novel, created by Cecily von Ziegesar (224 pages) - This is the eight It Girl novel, and having not read any of them I can not even begin to summarise it. But! Don’t hesitate to look for them in the Central library’s wonderful new series area!
First line: ‘Jenny Humphrey leaned against a dark oak window frame in Dumbarton 303 on the Tuesday evening after Thanksgiving break.‘
Some Kind of Wonderful : An Inside Girl Novel, by J. Minter (242 pages) – Fran Flood, fabulous Manhattan socialite, heads to the beach to work for the summer at a resort. He ex-best friend is also going, unfortunately. Stink! See the new YA series area at the central library for the others in the series etc. etc.
First line: ‘Like it or not, my life changes fast.‘
The Phoenix Files : Arrival, by Chris Morphew (295 pages) – The first book in a ‘thrilling new series’. Luke moves to a town called Phoenix, where there are no cars, phones, or Internet. He discovers that someone is planning to wipe out the human race in 100 days … and Phoenix is the safest place in the world.
First line: ‘The end of the world is one of those things that you never really expect to end up being your problem.‘
The Awakening : Book 2 of The Darkest Power, by Kelley Armstrong (360 pages) – Chloe is able to see and raise the dead, thanks to being genetically altered by some sinister scientists at birth. She’s on the run now with three similarly gifted teens; a sorcerer, a witch, and a werewolf.
First line: ‘When the door to my cell clicked open, the first thought that flitted through my doped-up braind was that Liz had changed her mind and come back.‘
Carter Finally Gets It, by Brent Crawford (300 pages) – From the catalogue: ‘Awkward freshman Will Carter endures many painful moments during his first year of high school before realizing that nothing good comes easily, focus is everything, and the payoff is usually incredible.’
First line: ‘In the back room of the Pizza Barn, with only two weeks before the start of high school, my boys and I are at the Freshman Mixer.‘
Love is Hell, by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and Laurie Faria Stolarz (263 pages) – A collection of short stories about love – with a touch of the supernatural.
Everything is Fine, by Ann Dee Ellis (154 pages)
There are heaps of new books this week. Heaps!
The Dead Girls’ Dance : The Morganville Vampires Book Two, by Rachel Caine (248 pages)
Midnight Alley : The Morganville Vampires Book Three, by Rachel Caine (245 pages)
Feast of Fools : The Morganville Vampires Book Four, by Rachel Caine (242 pages)
Lord of Misrule : The Morganville Vampires Book Five, by Rachel Caine (244 pages) – These bring the library’s collection of these big-in-the-US vampire books up-to-date. The next book is due out this month, and book six is due later this year.
Damosel : In Which the Lady of the Lake Renders a Frank and Often Startling Account of Her Wondrous Life and Times, by Stephanie Spinner (198 pages) – The Lady of the Lake, as everyone knows, was the one who gave King Arthur his sword. This is as adaption of the myth with her as its central character.
First line: ‘I am so well versed in The Rules Governing the Ladies of the Lake that I could recite them backward on a dare, but the wisdom I treasure most was gleaned not from that vast, ancient compendium, but from my own earnest blundering.‘
Something, Maybe, by Elizabeth Scott (217 pages) – Hannah’s parents are famous and notorious, and she’s managed to live life under the radar. But! Nothing is ever that simple, especially with crazy parents and falling in lurve.
First line: ‘Everyone’s seen my mother naked.‘
Highway to Hell, by Rosemary Clement-Moore (357 pages) -Maggie Quinn and friend Lisa look forward to spending their spring break (which is a holiday in the US when everyone goes to the beach) in a waterfront hotel and taking a break from fighting evil. But! They get stuck in a small town in Texas, where weird, probably evil things are happening.
First line: ‘Some people think that Texas has only one season, that it’s summer all year long.‘
Walkaway, by Alden R. Carter (202 pages) – Andy is fed up with his family and decides to walk away, into the Wisconsin woods. His skills allow him to survive but can he escape own ‘emotional demons’? It’s like Man vs Wild but with a dysfunctional family.
First line: ‘I’m between the car and the garage door.‘
First Strike, by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards (295 pages) – Twins Jade and Rich have saved the life of the US President, and during a tour of the White House they find themselves embroiled in a potential third world war.
First line: ‘Rich watched the tanks rolling down the main street.‘
Jarvis 24, by David Metzenthen (255 pages) – So far, Marc E. Jarvis has lost a white football boot, a school tie and a best friend. But when he completes ‘work experience’ at a local car yard he is truly shaken up. Then he meets Electra and nothing will ever be the same again. (From the book cover)
First line: ‘I tend to worry, I know I do, but only because I think there is lots of things to worry about.‘
The Dust of 100 Dogs, by A. S. King (330 pages) – In the seventeenth century, ‘famed teenage pirate’ Emer Morrisey was cursed to have to live the lives of 100 dogs. Now, centuries later, she’s a contempary American teenager with only one goal; to dig up her buried treasure in Jamaica.
First line: ‘With one last, almighty roar, the Frenchman fell to his knees and died.‘
Freefall : Book Three of The Tunnels Series, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams (579 pages) – This follows Tunnels and Deeper in a series. A pretty popular series, too. Learn more about it all at the official website.
First line: ‘“Herrrrrph,” Chester Rawls groaned softly to himself.‘
The Thirteenth Child : Frontier Magic Book 1, by Patricia Wrene (344 pages) – Eff is a thirteenth child (bringing bad luck), and her twin brother is a seventh son (bringing good luck); I had to think about this for a few moments, but it does make sense. Their father is to be a professor of magic at the frontier (the magical divide that protects settlers from the beasts of the wilderness) and all kinds of crazy stuff goes down.
First line: ‘ Everybody knows that a seventh son is lucky.’
In brief:
Triple Shot Bettys In Love, by Jody Gehrman (249 pages)
Running on the Cracks, by Julia Donaldson (335 pages)
A Year in Girl Hell 2 : Dumped, by Meredith Costain (154 pages)
The Sweetest Thing : An Inside Girl Novel, by J. Minter (248 pages)
A few extras to finish the week.
The Ask and the Answer, by Patrick Ness (519 pages) – the sequel to the multi award winning The Knife of Never Letting Go (which glared at me from my bedroom floor for four weeks before I concluded it wasn’t going to get read, for which I have a sense of un-achievement). Things aren’t going well for Todd; Viola is in the hands of Mayor Prentiss and he (Todd) has been imprisoned, then there’s the question of the Answer: who are they? Very cool cover.
First sentence: “Your noise reveals you, Todd Hewitt.”
Worldshaker, by Richard Harland (366 pages) – Worldshaker is a mobile city and Col is one of the privileged inhabitants. Then one day a girl called Filthy escapes and appears in his cabin. What follows is full of twists and turns, as any good action packed novel should be.
First sentence: A sound brought Col out of a deep sleep.
The 13 Treasures, by Michelle Harrison (326 pages) – Tanya uncovers an unsolved mystery while visiting her grandmother; a story of missing persons, magic and secrets. There’s a sequel planned for next year.
First sentence: She was aware of their presence in the room before she even awoke.
Frenemies, by Alexa Young (245 pages) – As the name suggests, Avalon Greene and Halley Brandon are about to have their friendship severly tested; by each other.
First sentence: Halley Brandon had survived the impossible: two whole months away from her best friend in the world.
Love and Kisses, by Jean Ure (254 pages) – Tamsin’s never had a boyfriend, until she meets Alex, then she finds out how complicated having a boyfriend can be sometimes and how hard it can be to “do the right thing”.
First sentence: I’ll never forget the day I first saw Alex.
Some new non-fiction:
War Is, edited by Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell (200 pages) – a collection of fiction and nonfiction on the subject of war.
Weighing it Up, by Ali Valenzuela (186 pages) – “a teenager’s frank account of her struggle with anorexia” says the cover.
New fiction on compact disc:
The Road of Bones, by Anne Fine (6 CDs, read by Tom Lawrence) – a story of freedom of expression set in an oppressive state.
Well better late than never, here’s the promised next batch of new books.
Dark Calling, by Darren Shan (216 pages) – this is Book 9 of The Demonata. The series will reach an earth-shattering conclusion next year with Hell’s Heroes, says the back pages. Can you wait? In Dark Calling Kernel Fleck is in a personal hell worse than hell – can he resist?
First sentence: A small, wiry, scorpion-shaped demon with a semi-human face drives its stinger into my right eye.
Dark Angels, by Katherine Langrish (346 pages) – Wolf has run away from the monastery where he was raised and finds himself on Devil’s Edge, a dark hillside infested with evil supernatural figures and haunted by ghosts. Set in and inspired by the world view of the Middle Ages.
First sentence: The first time the horn sounded on the hill, Wolf mistook it for a sheep bleating or a bird crying, and thought no more of it.
Falling, by Sharon Dogar (344 pages) – a love story with a twist: Neesha has overwhelming, repeated fragmentary nightmares about a girl falling in what appears to be the past. When she meets Sammy he appears to be her “rescuer”, and they are drawn to each other, but are they both repeating an old, nightmarish love affair that ended very badly?
First sentence: I saw a picture once.
Last of the Braves, by Archimede Fusillo (233 pages) – the back cover says “Under the influence of his idol. the hot-headed seventeenth-century Italian painter Caravaggio, Alex draws his mate Ces into an uncontrollable cycle of destruction and hurt.”
First sentence: Alex drew the serrated knife heavily along the bottom of his empty plate, his eyes fixed on a spot right at its centre.
Hell Week, by Rosemary Clement-Moore (327 pages) – Maggie Quinn fights supernatural baddies (demons and the like), but has she met more than she bargained for in the hellish cesspit that is sorority rush on a college campus?
First sentence: Bright teeth flashed; I fought the instinct to recoil.
Blue Flame, by K M Grant (241 pages) – Book One of the Perfect Fire trilogy. Set in the 12th century, the Blue Flame is a treasure everyone wants, and having it means power, but nobody seems to know its true meaning. Parsifal (an Occitanian knight) must enlist the help of Raimon (the son of a weaver) in order to prevent the destruction of the Occitanians.
First sentence: Last night I thought I saw them again: Raimon, throwing out his arms to the wind; Yolanda, delighting in the clear water running between her toes; and Parsifal, sitting near Yolanda, polishing his father’s sword.
Fen Runners, by John Gordon (136 pages) – another horror story for you. Tom Townsend lost the blade of his skate in an accident on the frozen fens years ago, and since then has been plagued by nightmares. His granddaughter, Jenny, is haunted too, and then her friend Kit pulls something out of the fen water.
First sentence: They stood with their toes curled over the edge of the bridge and looked briefly into the distance.
Pop Princess, by Isabelle Merlin (326 pages) – the cover of this book is all Chick Lit, but I’m not judging. Lucie Rees is an ordinary Australian teenager until she finds herself living in Paris working as a companion to Arizona Kingdom, a troubled pop star. Danger is involved.
First sentence: The most important moments of your life aren’t the ones you plan for.
Wings, by Aprilynne Pike (360 pages) – Laurel thinks she’s ordinary, but she’s about to find out that’s not the case: the subtitle of the book says “A new kind of faerie tale.”
First sentence: Laurel’s shoes flipped a cheerful rhythm that defied her dark mood.
The Musician’s Daughter, by Susanne Dunlap (317 pages) – a story of murder and perhaps love set in the Esterhazy court in eighteenth-century Vienna. The musician’s daughter is Theresa, who becomes Haydn’s copyist after her father dies mysteriously.
First sentence: The night it all began I dreamt that Papa returned from the concert with a new violin for me.
Fate, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (354 pages) – the sequel to Tattoo, this is set two years later. Bailey Morgan continues to lead a double life; ordinary high school student by day and “ancient mystical being” by night. Senior year may be complicated, but it’s nothing compared to her other life as the third Fate.
First sentence: Life.
There are new books in this week. (The old books may be in the library’s booksale which is on right now.)
Theodork, by Jessica Green (177 pages) – On his first day in year seven Theo is rather cruelly labelled a dork, and all his efforts to reverse this only make things worse. A comedy.
First sentence: ‘I’m lying here in hospital, one arm in plaster, two legs hanging from a frame, and bruises fading in places I’d rather not think about.‘
Keepinitreal, by Don Henderson (229 pages) – A bike gang war is started when Kid Kabula knocks Fatts Charvetto into a pond display at the local mall. Whichsoundsabitroughbutshouldbeokayintheend.
First sentence: ‘Because this is pretty much a story about how I stopped being an egg-heaed idiot, I might as well start at the moment Kid Kabula exploded through the upstairs doors of the Victory Garden Mall.‘
Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve (321 pages) – A new book in the Infernal Engines world; huge, armoured fortresses that move across the wastelands. The book has a neat cover!
First sentence: ‘That morning they were making paper boys.‘
Gauntanamo Boy, by Anna Perera (339 pages) – Khalid, a British teenager, goes to Pakistan to see his family. There he is kidnapped and forced into a prison in Cuba called Guantanamo Bay, which you may have heard about in recent years.
First sentence: ‘ Sometimes, Khalid things as he drags himself home after another boring day at school, I’d rather be anywhere but here.’
Nathaniel Wolfe and the Bodysnatchers, by Brian Keane (197 pages) – Ghost hunter, Nathaniel Wolfe, must travel to the Other Side to vanquish whatever it is that the bodysnatchers plundering the graveyard have stirred up.
First sentence: ‘Lady Huntercombe was a thin woman with a pointed nose and rather distrustful expression.‘
The Game of Triumphs, by Laura Powell (308 pages) – Fifteen-year-old Cat enters a dangerous world called The Arcanum, where a deadly card game is played out in this mix of reality of fantasy.
First sentence: ‘It was his breathing that she noticed first: the hoarse, ragged wheezes of someone who has been running hard.‘
The Madman of Venice, by Sophie Masson (293 pages) - A vengeful Venetian Countess, a girl accused of witchcraft, a horde of pirates, murder and secrecy, and a madman that haunts the city - Venice, 1602, has it all, and English merchant Matthew Ashby, his daughter and his young assistant must investigate.
First sentence: ‘The city is a riot of laughter and parties and noise.‘
Love, Lies and Lizzie, by Rosie Rushton (216 pages) – This is the fourth of Rosie Rushton’s Austen adaptions. This time she’s updated Pride and Prejudice for the 21st Century. Lizzie Bennet and her sisters are ’swept up in a glamorous life of partying and country pursuits’.
First sentences: ‘“So you dumped him? Just like that? In the middle of the school trip? Are you crazy?”‘
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan (310 pages) – From the catalogue – Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead. Creepy!
First sentence: ‘My mother used to tell me about the ocean.‘
Solar Nation, by Erica Blaney (344 pages) – Solly and Lalune must lead the people of Clandoi out of the darkness and into the sun. Sci fi! A sequel to Cyber Nation.
First sentence: ‘”Ruined!” bellowed the cook, hurling a pan of scalded soup out of the door.‘
Being Nikki, by Meg Cabot (336 pages) – This is the second in Cabot’s Airhead series of books, about Emerson Watts, a ‘braniac in the body of a teenage supermodel’ – a mixture of sci fi, romance, mystery, and chick(en) lit.
First sentence: ‘I’m cold.‘
It’s time to list the new YA books that are in this week! (Among them are a bunch of new Naruto comics, but I won’t write them up.)
Robert Pattinson : True Love Never Dies, by Josie Rusher (62 pages) – This is a biography of the Twilight actor whose angular cheekbones and floppy hair have charmed fans all over the world. This book is full of photographs, and interesting facts – he doesn’t like ugg boots, for example.
If you like this book you will like this: the newest promotional poster for New Moon. Link sent in by a reader thanks!
Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott (170 pages) – This rather grim tale is about Alice, who is abducted by someone when 10-years-old and held captive for years. Has an edge-of-your-seat ending.
First sentence: ‘This is how things look: Shady Pines Apartments, four shabby buildings tucked off the road near the highway.‘
Colony, by J. A. Henderson (371 pages) – Thirty years ago a military research facility was destroyed by ants. The two survivors carry with them something terrible, something that becomes evident when their kids are hounded by the military.
First sentence: ‘The Mojave Desert: California, 1980 – The teenager woke up on the floor in the back of a bouncing jeep.’
Solace of the Road, by Siobhan Dowd (260 pages) - Holly is sick and tired of her foster-child-life and all it entails. So she dons a blond wig, calls herself Solace, and heads off through Ireland to find her mother. ‘Bittersweet, gritty, and laced with humour,’ the back cover says.
First sentence: ‘I breezed down the line of cars, so cool you’d never have known I was looking for a way to board the boat.‘
Cruel Summer, by Alyson Noel (229 pages) – Colby Cavendish ditches her dorky image and her dorky best friend and dreams of a summer spent larking it up on the beach. But! Her parents send her to spend summer in Greece with her aunt. Which sounds great to me, but Colby isn’t having any of it. Until she meets Yanni, that is. Yannniiii.
First sentences: ‘“Dear Aunt Tally, when I asked my mom for your e-mail address, she just laughed and told me you didn’t have one. But I know she’s just joking - right?”‘
Auslander, by Paul Dowswell (295 pages) – Peter’s parents are killed and he is sent to an orphanage. Because of his blue eyes and blond hair he fulfills the Nazi ideal, and is quickly adopted. However, Peter doesn’t want to be a Nazi, and is going to take the most dangerous risk he could take in 1943 Berlin.
First sentence: ‘Piotr Bruck shivered in the cold as he waited with twenty or so other naked boys in the long draughty corridor.‘
Princess Ben : Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (344 pages) – A long title which doesn’t tell you all – Princess Ben, held by the nasty Queen Sophia, learns the magical arts and saves the kingdom!
First sentence: ‘How many times I have wondered what my fate might have been had I accompanied my parents that rainy spring morning.‘
The Nest, by Paul Jennings (247 pages) – This is Paul Jennings’ first book for older readers; you may be familiar with his many Unmentionable and Wicked books for kids. The Nest is similarly chilling – ‘dark, tense, and ultimately uplifting.’
First sentence: ‘Charlie’s on the stage trying to raise money to bring some Somali kids from Melborne to the snowfields.‘
If I Stay, by Gayle Forman (209 pages) – ‘Life is wonderful for seventeen-year-old Mia, a talented cellist with family, friends and boyfriend. But life can change in an instant – a terrible car accident and everything is different.’ (Lifted freely from the catalogue.)
First sentence: ‘Everyone thinks it was because of the snow.‘
Fireworks : Four Summer Stories, by Niki Burnham, Erin Haft, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle – This book contain four long-ish short stories about summer. Winter is about to kick in here, so perhaps this could be read indoors in front of the heater and you could pretend?
First sentence: ‘The sun is delicious on my skin as I drift lazily in my cousin Porter Ann’s pool.‘
Perfect Fifths, by Megan McCafferty – This is the fifth and final Jessica Darling book. Jessica and Marcus randomly bump into one another at an airport and stuff happens (according to someone who read it as soon as it arrived (I won’t name names)). It’s partly written from Marcus’ perspective. [This book contains, like, more than 50 haiku.]
First sentence: ‘When Jessica Darling blindly collides into Marcus Flutie on this crisp, unclouded January morning, she can’t remember the last time she had imagined where she would be – and where he would be – at the moment of their inevitable collision.‘
The Princess Plot, by Kirsten Boie (422 pages) – Jenna auditions for a part in a film about a princess, and much to her shock is given a part. She is flown to Scandia, where she discovers she’s the spitting image of the real Princess of Scandia who has gone missing. Intrigue ensues! Translated from German.
First sentence: ‘Scandia was in mourning.‘
Mad Dog Moonlight, by Pauline Fisk (246 pages)
Handcuffs, by Bethany Griffin (307 pages)
Earthless Trees : Short Stories by Young Refugees in New Zealand (131 pages)
Bedlam, by Ally Kennen (265 pages)
Before Midnight : A Retelling of Cinderella, by Cameron Dokey (193 pages)
Some new books. Not too many, but not too few; it’s just about the right number of books. I lie – loads more have come in.
Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins (666 pages) – A truly ominous number of pages, you might think. But it’s a story told in poetry, so you’ll read this book quickly. It’s about three young people whose failed suicide attempts bring them all to a hospital, where they meet and heal one another.
Sister Wife, by Shelley Hrdlitschka (269 pages) – Fifteen-year-old Celeste was born and raised in a religious cult called The Movement; women are expected to marry young and obey their husbands, and everyone dresses like Anne of Green Gables. Celeste wants to do something for herself, but breaking away would bring shame to her family.
First sentence: ‘I am consumed with impure thoughts.‘
Pretty Monsters : Stories, by Kelly Link (389 pages) – This collection of nine short stories are all ‘weirdly wonderful and a touch macabre’, featuring aliens, dueling librarians (yes!), pirates, an undead babysitter, and Tennessee Fainting Goats.
First sentence: ‘All of this happened because a boy I once knew named Miles Sperry decided to go into the resurrectionist business and dig up the grave of his girlfriend, Bethany Baldwin, who had been dead not quite a year.’
Teen Inc., by Stefan Petrucha (244 pages) – Jaiden Beale’s folks were killed by some faulty equipment when he was younger. He was adopted by NECorp, the makers of the faulty equipment, and he’s been raised by committee ever since. However! He begins to rebel, uncovers scandal concerning NECorp, and may need to choose to bring the company down.
First sentence: ‘Ever wondered what’d happen if everyone just stopped believing in money?’
The Faerie Queen’s Deception, by Maggie Stiefwater (325 pages) – Shy and introverted Deirdre discovers that she can see faeries, and is soon drawn into their dangerous worlds. The old Faerie Queen herself is at the centre of the intrique involving Deirdre and her pal, James.
First sentence: ‘”You’ll be fine once you throw up,” Mom said from the front seat.’
Vidalia in Paris, by Sasha Watson (282 pages) – Vidalia wins a scholarship to study art in Paris for the summer. While is Paris she meet two guys who fancy her; Julien, who works in a bookstore, and Marco, who turns out to be a bit of a criminal. Is it too late for Vidalia? I shan’t tell you.
First sentence: ‘”Um, that’s my seat.“‘
The Vampire Diaries - The Return : Nightfall, by L. J. Smith (586 pages) – This is the first in a long-awaited new Vampire Diaries trilogy. It will be very popular, no doubt; the Vampire Diaries are still being read, and the Twilight series has proven that vampires are more popular than ever. Zombies will be big in ‘09, I reckon.
First sentences: ‘Ste-fan? Elena was frustrated. She couldn’t make the mind-word come out the way she wanted.’
Jet Set, by Cassie Karasyov and Kill Kargman (243 pages) – The Van Pelt academy in Switzerland has the richest girls, cliques, royals, and Lucy Peterson, an average American teen with a scholarship.
First sentence: ‘Imagine a school with endless gilded hallways that rival Versailles.‘
Cycler, by Lauren McLaughlin (250 pages) – Jill McTeague is a normal smart senior who just happens to turn into a boy, Jack, for four days every month. It’s just a secret at this stage, but Jack’s getting restless, and he’s beginning to appear more often …
First sentence: ‘”I am all girl.”‘
The Lady Grace Mysteries : Keys, by Grace Cavendish (196 pages) – Young Grace Cavendish, Lady Pursuivant to Queen Elizabeth I, once again is determined to solve a most heinous crime. The Queen’s clockmaker has been found murdered, clasping a key. What can it all mean?
First sentence: ‘We arrived at Hampton Court Palace just this morning and already something terrible has happened.‘
Shadow Kiss : A Vampire Academy Novel, by Richelle Mead (444 pages) – This is the third book in an ongoing series. St. Vladimir’s Academy for young vampires is attacked by the Strigoi, Rose starts having dark thoughts and seeing ghosts, all the while determined to testify against the nasty Victor Dashkov.
Numbers, by Rachel Ward (285 pages) – Jem can look into someone’s eyes and will see the date that they will die. Her life isn’t a walk in the park, but she meets someone who makes life brighter – until she ‘forsees a chain of events that will shatter their lives for ever …’
First sentences: ‘There are places where kids like me go. Sad kids, bad kids, bored kids and lonely kids, kids that are different.‘
Exposed, by Susan Vaught (330 pages)
Girl Next Door, by Alyssa Brugman (280 pages)
Love Ya, Babe, by Chris Higgins (291 pages)
Busted : Confessions of an Accidental Player, by Antony John (253 pages)
The Bad Tuesdays : Twisted Symmetry, by Benjamin J. Myers (329 pages)
Just Jealous, by Anne Cassidy (281 pages)
Fearless, by T. E. Berry Hart (391 pages)
That’s right – new books (and a few DVDs)! All can be reserved or – if you’re quick – taken from the shelves.
Heroes of the Valley, by Jonathan Stroud (389 pages) – An epic fantasy novel by the author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Halli loves stories about the past, when heroes were heroes and adventure was everywhere. So when he gets the chance to go on a daring quest of his own, he’s dead keen.
First sentence: ‘Listen then, and I’ll tell you again of the Battle of the Rock.’
3 Willows : A New Sisterhood Grows, by Ann Brashares (318 pages) – This is the fifth Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants book, and now there is a new sisterhood; Polly, Jo, and Ana. And of course the pants, which can’t be washed and are magical. A bit like my old Levi 528s.
First sentence: ‘The last day of school was a half day.’
Eon : Rise of the Dragoneye, by Alison Goodman (429 pages) – Another epic fantasy, Eon is inspired by the myths of Ancient China. Eon has the potential to become a Dragoneye, an apprentice to the terrifying Rat Dragon. He – or rather she, as Eon is in fact Eona – finds herself in the dangerous and opulent Imperial court.
First sentence: ‘No one knows how the first Dragoneyes made their dangerous bargain with the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.‘
Call me Mimi, by Francis Chalifour (178 pages) – Mimi lives in her own fantasy world; she loves beauty, the Queen, and chocolate. She doesn’t think she is beautiful, however, thanks to all the chocolate. Leaving her doting mother, Mimi heads to Toronto to try to find her father, and ends up finding much, much more. ‘Poignant, funny, and real.’
First sentences: ‘Call me Mimi. I used to be a pretty normal kid (I think) until high school, when I was accepted at St. Mary’s Academy for Girls.‘
Isabelle’s Boyfriend, by Caroline Hickey (185 pages) - Fifteen-year-old Taryn befriends Isabelle, the girlfriend of the guy Taryn thinks is perfect and has a crush on, so that she can steal him. Probably not the best plan, as Taryn quickly finds out.
First sentence: ‘When I get home from school, the dog is scratching at the back door, demanding to go out and pee.‘
Deadville, by Ron Koertge (212 pages) – Ryan’s sister died from cancer two years ago, and since then he’s been floating through life, doing as little as possible. When a popular senior has an accident and falls into a coma, Ryan finds himself visiting her daily. While at the hospital he encounters a boy who claims he can speak with the dead.
First sentence: ‘I’m washing my hands in the bathroom a couple of doors down from the principal’s office.‘
Winter Song, by Jean-Claude Mourlevat (420 pages) – Four teenagers flee across icy mountains, trying to escape a pack of dog-men sent by the regime that had imprisoned them and searching for a secret resistance movement. This novel, about a despotic not-too-distant future, is translated from the French.
First sentence: ‘At a sign from the supervisor, a girl in the front row rose to her feet and went over to press the metal switch.‘
In brief:
Parsifal’s Page, by Gerald Morris (232 pages) - Book 4 in The Squire’s Tales series.
Blade : Breaking Free, by Tim Bowler (145 pages) -
A Beautiful Place for a Murder, by Berlie Doherty (147 pages) – Murder/mystery.
The Long Weekend, by Savita Kalhan (180 pages) – Thriller.
New DVDs:
The Tribal Eye : The Complete Series – David Attenborough looks at tribal art around the world.
Gossip Girl : The Complete First Season – This series is very popular with librarians.
Beast Wars : Transformers (Season One) and
Beast Wars : Transformers (Season Three) - This came out about 10 years ago, and its use of CG and well-written stories ‘brought fans back to the Transformers!’
We’ve ordered in the first of the Vamps series of books, which are about a group of girls who study at the exclusive Bathory Academy in New York. They are, of course, vampires, and the series is a mashup between the Gossip Girl series and the Twilight series. It may one day be turned into a television series.
You can place your reserve here.
See also the Vampire Academy series, which we have, and is sort of similar, I guess.
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