Only a few new books this week.
The Splendour Falls, by Rosemary Clement-Moore (220 pages) – Sylvie is a ballerina. She broke a leg, her father died, and her mother remarried! Also, she might be losing her mind (or it might be ghosts). To cheer her up her mother moves her from an Manhattan apartment to a haunted Alabama mansion, where she meets the mysterious yet attractive Rhys.
First line: ‘For months, I relived the pas de deux in my dreams, in that multisensory Technicolor of a memory I’d much rather forget.‘
The Polar Bear Ward, edited by Tessa Duder and James Norcliffe (118 pages) -This is the seventh Re-Draft anthology, which we finally have (it came out in 2008!) It collects works by young NZ writers and poets.
The 13 Curses, by Michelle Harrison (454 pages) – This is the sequel to 13 Treasures. Rowan Fox makes a deal with the fairy court; she will find the cursed charms from a bracelet in exchange for her brother, who was stolen by the fairies. And there’s no guarantee the fairies will keep their side of the bargain – they have a secret up their little fairy sleeves.
First line: ‘As midnight approached in Hangman’s Wood two girls fled through the forest, desperately searching for a way out.‘
The Phoenix Files : Contact, by Chris Morphew (309 pages) – This is the second book in a series. It is part sci-fi, part thiller, part conspiracy theory paranioa, and it’s all leading up to the end of the world. Great stuff! There’s a website here.
First line: ‘Someone’s phone was ringing.‘
The Medusa Project : The Hostage, by Sophie McKenzie (244 pages) – This is also the second book in a series. It also has a website! This series is about four teens, who all exhibit psychic abilities. They are brought together to secretly fight crime – with their minds.
First line: ‘Like I didn’t have enough problems?‘
Winter’s End, by Jean-Claude Mourlevat (trans. Anthea Bell) (415 page) – This is originally French, and it’s also been released as Winter Song. It made one of our Top 10 lists (Books in Which Winter Stars) under that title, and you can read about it there.
First line: ‘At a sign from the supervisor, a girl in the front row rose to her feet and went over to press the metal switch.‘
About a Girl, by Joanne Horniman (188 pages)
Raven Summer, by David Almond (198 pages)
Here are last week’s new additions to the YA fiction collection.
Guilt Trip, by Anne Cassidy (220 pages) – Daniel Feeny was suicidal, and he’s gone missing without leaving any kind of clue as to his whereabouts. Alison and her friends do know what happened, however, and there will be consequences.
First line: ‘Alison couldn’t believe it when she heard that Jackson was back.‘
The Lady in the Tower, by Marie-Louise Jensen (317 pages) – It is 1540, and Elanor’s mother has been imprisoned in a castle tower for four years. Eleanor discovers a plot to off her mum, so she must somehow free her. Based on an historical event!
First line: ‘I gripped the reins tightly in one hand and my practice lance in the other.‘
Payback, by Rosemary Hayes (207 pages) – Halima was brought up in Pakistan and now lives with her family in London. She’s met a boy she really likes and her future looks bright. BUT! Her dad has planned to marry her to the son of a distant relation in Pakistan as payback for a favour.
First line: ‘I was only four years old when my father came back.‘
I Kissed a Zombie, and I Liked It, by Adam Selzer (177 pages) – Alley lives in a world where post-humans – vampires, werewolves, and whatnot – are common. She falls for Doug, who, she discovers, is a zombie, and she must break up with him. Because I guess he is an animated corpse? Ewww. There is an official website!
First line: ‘Watching a vampire make out with an idiot is kind of like going to the farmers’ markets and noticing just how many farmers have lost fingers in on-the-job accidents.‘
Moribito : Guardian of the Spirit (248 pages) and Moribito II : Guardian of the Darkness (245 pages), by Nahoko Uehashi – These are translations of the first two books in a series very popular in Japan (there are ten books, and it’s there are manga and anime adaptions). Here’s the official website in Japanese. The series is about Balsa, a woman warrior in feudal Japan, and is an ‘epic martial arts fantasy’.
The Lost Conspiracy, by Frances Hardinge (568 pages) – Long fantasy books are always difficult to summarise, so here’s the catalogue entry: ‘When a lie is exposed and their tribe turns against them, Hathin must find a way to save her sister Arilou–once considered the tribe’s oracle–and herself.’
First line: ‘It was a burnished, cloudless day with a tug-of-war wind, a fine day for flying.‘
Lord Sunday : The Keys to the Kingdom, by Garth Nix (311 pages) -This is the seventh and final book in The Keys to the Kingdom series. So now you can read them all without having to wait for the next one to be written. OR. You could read one per day, starting on Monday with Mister Monday, and be very sleepy for days after.
First line: ‘Arthur fell.‘
The Carbon Diaries 2017, by Saci Lloyd (400 pages) – The sequel to The Carbon Diaries 2015, and about a near-future where carbon is rationed, war over water threatens, and the climate is quickly going to hell. ‘Adrian Mole does the apocalypse.’
First lines: ‘Mon, Jan 2nd: So exhausted. My family is in deathlike trance after the village New Year’s Eve Organic Goose Fayre.‘
Goth Girl Rising, by Barry Lyga (390 pages)
A Season of Gifts, by Richard Peck (164 pages)
Purple Heart, by Patricia McCormick (199 pages)
There are not many new books this week. But there are enough to keep you going.
Hunger, by Michael Grant (600 pages) – This weighty tome is the sequel to Gone (we mention it here), and here is its official website. Which will save me writing a synopsis!
First line: ‘Sam Temple was on his board.‘
Hell’s Heroes, by Darren Shan (235 pages) – This here book is the tenth in The Demonata series. It is also the last! Luckily for me it too is a series with its own website. The copy I have here is signed by the author btw.
First lines: ‘“I miss Cal,” Dervish says. “We fought a lot when we were young, like all brothers, but we were always there for one another.”‘
The Uninvited, by Tim Wynne-Jones (351 pages) – Catalogue says: ‘After a disturbing freshman year at New York University, Mimi is happy to get away to her father’s remote Canadian cottage only to discover a stranger living there who has never heard of her or her father and who is convinced that Mimi is responsible for leaving sinister tokens around the property.’ The tokens are are like dead animals and creepy, Blair Witch-like things. Creeeeepy.
First line: ‘Waylin Pitney was gone.‘
Blue Plate Special, by Michelle D. Kwasney (366 pages) – Three girls from different decades (70s, 90s, and the 00s) learn about empathy, forgiveness, and self-respect as their stories weave together.
First line: ‘“Register found is now open with no waiting,” a celing voice booms, interrupting the Stevie Wonder tune playing over the intercom.‘
Nothing But Ghosts, by Beth Kephart (278 pages) – Katie’s mother has died and she is left to live with her genius, art-restoring father in a massive old house. She gets a job at an estate and along with a pair of brothers and a ‘glamorous librarian’ (obviously all librarians are glamorous) she ’soon becomes embroiled in decoding a mystery.’ ‘Heartfelt, lyrical,’ says the blurb.
First line: ‘There are the things that have been and the things that haven’t happened yet.‘
Lips Touch : Three Times, by Laini Taylor (265 pages) – Here is collected three stories (all nicely illustrated, in my opinion!) about romance. There is a strong fairy-tale/supernatural flavour to each story as well.
First line (of the first story): ‘There is a certain kind of girl the goblins crave.‘
Alice in Love & War, by Ann Turnbull (324 pages) – 1644, England, and the Civil War leads an army of Royalists to Alice Newcombe’s uncle’s farm. She falls in love with a soldier, Robin, and leaves the farm to travel with him (well, she travels with the other army women).
First line: ‘Alice was upstairs stripping beds, the windows flung open to sweeten the air, when she heard the drums.‘
Blood Ninja, by Nick Lake (369 pages) – This has ninjas. It also has vampires. It is set in imperial Japan. What more could you possibly want in a book? NOT MUCH. “A fast-paced, gripping book with ninjas. It’s all I ask for, really.” – Conn Iggulden, author of The Dangerous Book for Boys.
First line: ‘This was not a good place to be out at night, all alone.‘
The Mitochondrial Curiosities of Marcels 1-19, by Jocelyn Brown (141 pages)
Black Tuesday, by Susan Colebank (264 pages)
The Kites are Flying, by Michael Morpurgo and Laura Carlin (76 pages)
Hi! Here are this week’s new books.
Watching Jimmy, by Nancy Hartry (152 pages) – Carolyn’s best friend, Jimmy, is assaulted by his uncle, and is left with brain damage. The uncle tells everyone that Jimmy fell from a swing, but Carolyn knows the truth. She must protect Jimmy from his uncle and also try to raise some funds for Jimmy’s brain surgery.
First line: ‘Uncle Ted said Jimmy bumped his head falling off the swing.‘
Alphas, by Lisi Harrison (261 pages) – This promises to be the first in a series by the author of The Clique. It’s set in the exclusive Alpha Academy on Alpha Island, where one hundred girls – all ‘exceptional dancers, writers, musicians, and inventors’ – live a kind of Survivor-esque lifestyle? I feel inadequate just reading the blurb.
First line: ‘There were five Skye Hamiltons in the Body Alive Dance Studio.‘
The Everafter, by Amy Huntly (144 pages) – Madison is dead, and in a vast & dark space she shares with all the things she lost when she was alive. The items allow her to re-experience and even change moments from her life. She consequently learns truths about her life; and ‘the strength of true love even beyond death.’
First line: ‘I’m dead.‘
Perfect You, by Elizabeth Scott (282 pages) – Kate is forced to work with her dad, who has quit his job to sell vitamins in a mall. Her best friend’s new-found popularity means she now ignores Kate, and she doesn’t know how to react when the gorgeous Will shows an interest in her. SO. She tries to stop caring about anyone or anything, which is never a good idea is it? No.
First line: ‘Vitamins had ruined my life.‘
How to Say Goodbye in Robot, by Natalie Standiford (276 pages) – Bea moves to a new town and makes friends with Jonah, a ‘quiet observer’, rather than one of the ‘very cheery, very friendly, very average’ girls she meets on the first day. Jonah’s and Bea’s friendship is intense to say the least. Also they have a thing for Iceland, my favourite country!
First line: ‘Goebbels materialized on the back patio, right before we moved to Baltimore, and started chewing through the wicker love seat.‘
The Dark Divine, by Bree Despain (372 pages) – A supernatural Christian romance (the first, maybe?) about the daughter of a pastor, Grace Divine, and the apple of her eye, Daniel Kalbi, who comes from a line of demon-hunting werewolves.
First lines: ‘”Grace! You have got to see the new guy.” April bounded up to me in the junior hallway.‘
Captivate, by Carrie Jones (276 pages) – The sequel to Need, which is about pixes and werewolves. Pixes and werewolves! Captivate adds valkyries to the mix. Might also be a supernatural romance?
First line: ‘There are these bizarre people who actually like physical education class.‘
The Museum of Mary Child, by Cassandra Golds (329 pages) – Handily annotated by the catalogue: ‘Heloise finds a mysterious doll and is forced to run away, ending up in an orphanage. But one day, she must return to the house where the devastating secret of her past awaits.‘
First lines: ‘A shaft of moonlight. A barred window. A bed of straw, and a young man, little more than a boy, chained to a wall.‘
Rage : A Love Story, by Mary Anne Peters (293 pages) – From the catalogue again, as it can be difficult to summarise a book just from the blurb! ‘At the end of high school, Johanna finally begins dating the girl she has loved from afar, but Reeve is as much trouble as she claims to be as she and her twin brother damage Johanna’s self-esteem, friendships, and already precarious relationship with her sister.‘
First line: ‘I locate the room on the first floor where Mrs Goins asked me to meet her.‘
Wish You Were Dead, by Todd Strasser (236 pages) – An anonymous blogger wishes the school’s most popularist girl was dead, and the next day she disappears. Her friend, Madison, begins to receive notes that say she’s next; she turns to mysterious new student Tyler for assistance with the mystery.
First line: ‘The red taillights of Tyler Starling’s ugly purple car disappeared into the dark.‘
Heroes of the Valley, by Jonathan Stroud (389 pages) – Epic fantasy set in an enormous valley, which was once a wild place besieged by bloodthirsty Trows. Now that it’s much calmer, Halli pines for the olden days of legendary heroes. A chance to go on a daring quest unites him with Aud, a girl as headstrong and reckless as he is.
First line: ‘Listen then, and I’ll tell you again of the Battle of the Rock.‘
Fallen, by Lauren Kate (452 pages) – This book has loads of reserves on it! It looks to be a supernatural romance (a la Twilight etc.) about a girl named Luce, who goes to a new school and meets Daniel, to whom she is irrestibly attracted. He is an angel btw and things get complex.
First line: ‘Luce barged into the fluorescent-lit lobby of the Sword & Cross School ten minutes later than she should have.‘
Manstealing for Fat Girls, by Michelle Embree (256 pages)
Once a Princess : Sasharia en Garde! Book 1, by Sherwood Smith (278 pages)
Twice a Prince : Sasharia en Garde! Book 2, by Sherwood Smith (265 pages)
We’ve had loads of new books lately. Here are more!
Shadowland : The Immortals, by Alyson Noel (339 pages) – This is the third book in The Immortals series. Ever and Damen have lived through many past lives to be together, but a curse inteferes with their long-awaited destiny. Damen ends up in the Shadowland, and Ever meets a magickal surfer named Jude.
First lines: ‘“Everything is energy.” Damen’s dark eyes focus on mine, urging me to listen, really listen this time.‘
Suzi Clue : The Prom Queen Curse, by Michelle Kehm (309 pages) – Suzi Clue solves mysteries, is fifteen, ‘fiesty and fabulous’. As the prom queens fall prey to various mishaps, and the prom is threatened with cancellation, Suzi decides the only way to find out what’s happening is by running for prom queen herself.
First line: ‘Kathryn has never been happier in her whole life.‘
VIP Lounge : A Chole Gamble Novel, by Ed Decter and Laura J. Burns (339 pages) – Chloe Gamble is the hottest thing in Hollywood. She’s a film star and a music sensation, and people around her want in on her money and fame, I guess? The second book in a series!
First lines: ‘Hurricane Chloe. That’s what I called Chloe Gamble in the weeks after she landed her first starring role.‘
The Van Alen Legacy : A Blue Bloods Novel, by Melissa de la Cruz (369 pages) – This is the fourth Blue Bloods book, and continues the story of rich Upper East Side vampires.
First line: ‘“It is said that Allegra’s daughter will defeat the Silver Bloods.”‘
The Secret Life of Prince Charming, by Deb Caletti (322 pages) – All the women in Quinn’s life have had their hearts broken at some stage, and after she herself is dumped, she starts to think that there are no good men. When her no-good father turns up she decides to take the bull by its horns and right her father’s numerous wrongs.
First line: ‘When it came to love, my mother’s big advice was that there were WARNING SIGNS.‘
The Real Real : A Novel, by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (310 pages) – From the catalogue synopsis – ‘When Hampton High senior Jesse is cast in a reality television show along with five other, more popular students, drama on and off screen reveals that what the audience and producers want is not the same as what Jesse wants.‘
First lines: ‘“Single file! Everyone, line up on the LEFT!” Mrs Gesop shouts to be heard over the din of students crowding into the impractically narrow hallway between the stairwell and the auditorium.‘
Gifted : Better Late Than Never, by Marilyn Kaye (215 pages) and Gifted : Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, also by Marilyn Kaye (213 pages) – Books 2 & 3 in the Gifted series, about nine teenagers who are gifted and can read minds, or see into the future, and so forth.
First lines: ‘Jenna Kelly stood at her bedroom window and gazed outside without really seeing anything.‘ ‘Sometimes Emily wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or having one of her visions.‘
The Treasure Map of Boys : Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon, and me, Ruby Oliver, by E. Lockhart (224 pages)
So many new books!
Everything Sucks : Losing My Mind and Finding Myself in a High School Quest for Cool, by Hannah Friedman (256 pages) – Hannah Friedman re-invented herself when she won a scholarship to an exclusive private school, and soon had a millionaire boyfriend, a designer wardrobe, and became super-popular. This is a true story! And these things come with a cost (addictions, eating disorders, etc.)
Hostage, by Karen Tayleur (191 pages) – Tully is abducted and for 24 hours she is a hostage. The blurb says, ‘Or so she says …‘ Was she or wasn’t she? I can not answer that.
First line: ‘The thing I remember, the one thing that is really clear to me, is that the chemist floor had a large black scuff near the counter.‘
Darkwood, by M. E. Breen (273 pages) – Annie Trewitt is an orphan whose uncle has terrible plans for her. So she runs away, into the forest, where the sinister kinderstalk live, and soon discovers they ain’t so bad afterall.
First line: ‘The sun sets so quickly in Howland that the people who live there have no word for evening.‘
The Book of the Maidservant, by Rebecca Barnhouse (232 pages) – Joanna is maidservant to Dame Margery Kempe, who wrote the first autobiography in English in the mid-1400s. She was very religious! Joanna goes with her on a pilgrimage to Rome but is abandoned in a foreign land, and must somehow get to Rome herself.
First line: ‘My mistress says you mustn’t stare into the fire lest the devil look out at you from the flames.‘
Love You Hate You Miss You, by Elizabeth Scott (276 pages) – Amy’s best friend Julia died in a car crash, and now Amy is struggling to cope with the loss. She feels a bit responsible. But maybe things before the accident weren’t as perfect as she thought?
First line: ‘Dear Julia – Get this, I’m supposed to be starting a journal about “my journey.”‘
Beautiful World, by Anastasia Hollings (209 pages) – Amelia has been moved from boarding school to boarding school (her dad’s an untenured professor) and so never quite gets to get in with all the rich & beautiful people she schools with. She’s also a clever liar! So she gets in with an ‘Upper East Side heiress’ who allows Amelia to live like Blair Waldorf. But only through lying! Might be the beginning of a series?
First line: ‘You’ve seen their faces, perfectly tanned all year-round, smiling at you from the society pages and socialite rankings.‘
Bite Me!, by Melissa Francis (296 pages) -A.J. Ashe is seventeen. Her ex-boyfriend is now her step-brother, and she’s being stalked by a former classmate. She’s also a vampire. Also! She has to save the world.
First lines: ‘My mother’s wedding day. I should be thrilled she’s getting hitched to the man of her dreams.‘
The Set-Up : The Medusa Project : Book One, by Sophie McKenzie (293 pages) – Four teenagers develop psychic powers. (When they were babies they were implanted with the ‘Medusa gene’ by a scientist who has since died.) Someone sinister wants the gene, however, and they will do anything to get it.
First line: ‘I’m Nico and what I’m about to tell you is Secret and Dangerous and True.‘
Breathing, by Cheryl Renee Herbsman (265 pages) – Savannah falls in love with Jackson, a boy who she reckons is different from the rest. He follows his mother’s strict dating rules, and when she’s hospitalised with an asthma attack he stays by her side. But he has to help his family and he mightn’t be back.
First line: ‘Strange feelings come over me sometimes, kind of like deja vu, only before it happens.‘
Purge, by Sarah Darer Littman (234 pages) – Janie is sent to a psychiatric hospital to get help for her bulimia. She’s holding some trauma deep inside her, and in order to stop purging she must ‘fish painful memories out of her emotional waters‘.
First line: ‘At least they’ve given me a journal, even if it’s just a cheapo notebook like everyone else’s.‘
Ice, by Sarah Beth Durst (308 pages) – Cassie’s grandmother used to tell her how her mother made a deal with the Polar Bear King, and Arctic castles made of ice. Now older, Cassie is suddenly made aware that fairytales could be true, and makes her own deal with the Polar Bear King,
First line: “Once upon a time, the North Wind said to the Polar Bear King, “Steal me a daughter, and when she grows, she will be your bride.”‘
Love the One You’re With : Gossip Girl – The Carlyles, by Annabelle Vestry (213 pages) – The Carlyle triplets are off to the tropics for Thanksgiving. They are taking their friends, and as a matter of course there are ’sultry poolside encounters’ and a character named ‘Baby.’
First lines: ‘“So, what’s up for Thanksgiving? What does your family usually do?” Avery Carlyle asked her friends Jack Laurent and Jiffy Bennett.‘
After, by Amy Efaw (350 pages)
After, by Sue Lawson (282 pages)
Lots of sequels and series titles are coming your way this year. I have tracked down a selection for you to keep an eye out for.
Ballad, Maggie Stiefvater (sequel to Lament) - available now!
The Secret Army, Robert Muchamore (Henderson’s Boys) - February
Lord Sunday, Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom) - March. The stunning conclusion.
Gone, Lisa McMann (Wake) – March
Hourglass, Claudia Gray (Evernight 3) – March
Fang, James Patterson (Maximum Ride) – March. What’s going to happen to Fang? Read the teaser here.
The Piper’s Son, Melina Marchetta (kind of a sequel to Saving Francesca) - March
A Conspiracy of Kings, Megan Whalen Turner (The Queen’s Thief) - April. There are a couple of teaser excerpts on the publisher’s Facebook page here and here.
This World We Live In, Susan Beth Pfeffer – April. Visit her blog for links to reviews and comments on the advance readers copies.
Radiant Shadows, Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely series) - April
Spells, Aprilynne Pike (sequel to Wings) - May
White Cat, Holly Black (The Curse Workers book 1) – May. Read about it here.
Monsters of Men, Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking book 3) – May
Linger, Maggie Stiefvater (sequel to Shiver) – July. What’s going to happen to Grace and Sam?
The Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices book 1) - September
Shadow Wave, Robert Muchamore (CHERUB) – September
The Hunger Games‘ Unnamed Third Baby, Suzanne Collins – September
Some time in 2010: Mastiff, Tamora Pierce (Beka Cooper trilogy, book 3); Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore (sequel to Graceling). As for Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan trilogy, in December his blog said he was researching in Turkey, which isn’t a good sign for 2010 (unless he’s a really quick writer).
Will keep you posted.
Here are the latest new books to arrive in the YA collection. I know that all we’ve written about lately are books, but we are a library! We can not be faulted.
These are only half the new books. btw. Xmas has been busy.
The Demon King : A Seven Realms Novel, by Cinda Williams Chima (506 pages) – This is the first in a series. It is a fantasy series, set in a world threatened by the Demon King, and the protaganist is a reformed thief who falls for a princess.
First line: ‘Han Alister squatted nest to the steaming mud spring, praying that the thermal crust would hold his weight.‘
Betraying Season, by Marissa Doyle (330 pages) – It is 1838. Penelope Leland heads to Ireland to study magic. Niall Keating is instructed to woo her by his evil mother – will he fall for Penelope, or is he a real son of a witch?
First line: ‘“Saints preserve us!” The shocked cry and a wild jangle of harness yanked Pen Leland from her reverie.‘
Border Crossing, by Jessica Lee Anderson (174 pages) – Texan teen Manz lives with his alcoholic mother and her boyfriend. Life is rough and isn’t helped by the many voices he hears in his head. As they get louder he finds it difficult to tell reality from delusion.
First line: ‘My room blazed red.‘
The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading, by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance (324 pages) – Bethany has always considered herself a geek, so when she makes the varsity cheerleading squad she finds she needs to learn more than just swinging about those pom-pom things.
First line: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a high school boy in possession of great athletic ability must be in want of … a bowl of oatmeal.‘
All the Lovely Bad Ones : A Ghost Story, by Mary Downing Hahn (182 pages) – Travis and his sister, Corey, drum up business for their grandmother’s inn in Fox Hill, Vermont, by faking a haunting. But! They awaken a real haunting, and only by uncovering the secret horrors of Fox Hill can they put the ghosts to rest.
First line: ‘Grandmother met us at the Burlington airport, a big smile on her face and her arms open for a hug.‘
Angel Fish, by Lili Wilkinson (246 pages) – Gabriel joins Stephan, who claims that an army of children can free the Holy Lands from the Saracen. The so-called Children’s Crusade is a disaster, and Gabriel must confront his doubts. A historical novel based on an actual event.
First lines: ‘A boy has come to Machery. I think he might be an Angel.‘
Oathbreaker : A Prince Among Killers, by S. R. Vaught and J. B. Redmond (420 pages) - This is the sequel to Oathbreaker : Assassin’s Apprentice. The apprentice is Aron, who with the help of his friends must battle the leaders who want to destroy the land.
First line: ‘In a time before written history, humans conquered Earth’s magical societies.‘
Kira : Shadow of the Dragon : Book One, by Kate O’Hearn (307 pages) – Kira is the daughter of a retired dragon knight. War is declared, and her family is taken away to serve the king. Kira and her sister are unmarried, which is a crime for all girls over the age of thirteen, so they are locked up. They escape! And there is a baby dragon also!
First line: ‘“I don’t want to get married!”‘
Where the Streets Had a Name, by Randa Abdel-Fattah (227 pages) – Thirteen-year-old Hayaat wants to bring her dying grandmother some soil from the garden she left behind many years ago. It’s only a few miles away, but to get to it Hayaat must cross to Jerusalem from Bethlehem, in the West Bank, and there’s a massive – and well-guarded – wall in the way.
First line: ‘It’s six-thirty in the morning.‘
Over the End Line, by Alfred C. Martino (304 pages) – Jonny and Kyle are best friends, although Kyle is like number one at soccer and popular at school. Jonny is neither of those things until he scores a winning goal at the county football champs. A blend of ‘fast-paced sports action … memorable characters, and … suspense in a powerful yet dark story of popularity, violence, and terror.’
First lines: ‘It’s morning. I’m awake. I wish I wasn’t.‘
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have, by Allen Zadoff (311 pages) – Andrew is fifteen and the second fattest kid in his sport-crazy high school. He falls for April, and decides to join the football squad. Not soccer! American football, where it might help to be heavy?
First lines: ‘My name is Andrew Zansky. I’m fifteen years old, and I weigh 307 pounds.‘
Beatle Meets Destiny, by Gabrielle Williams (290 pages)
Loving Richard Fernman, by Penny Tangey (199 pages)
Mama’s Song, by Ben Beaton (198 pages)
And also:
Jumping off Swings, Jo Knowles (230 pages) – a novel from four perspectives about teenagers having to grow up really fast: Ellie, who gets pregnant; Caleb, who loves Ellie but didn’t, you know; Corinne, who is Ellie’s best friend; and Josh who, you know. A gritty real life drama.
First sentence: I can still feel a trace of his warm lips against mine as he slips away from me and fumbles for the door to his father’s van.
A Trick of the Dark, B R Collins (311 pages) – Zach is convincingly buried under the collapsed wall of a derelict building and should be dead but isn’t. After the accident a strange boy starts trailing Zach mysteriously…
First sentence: Wake up.
The Midnight Charter, David Whitley (372 pages) – Everything can be bought and sold in Agora, even human life. Mark and Lily, living a life of virtual slavery, decide to escape, but can they, when they are, for some reason, watched by the ruler of the city? (This summary was brought to you by the comma.)
First sentence: Being dead was colder than Mark had expected.
The White Horse Trick, Kate Thompson (342 pages) – These fairies are Irish, which is what all good fairies are. Devastating climate change has hit Ireland, and the ramifications of this are felt in Tír na n’Og (the land of eternal youth, Ireland’s alter ego I think). JJ, an old man, is sent from their back to Ireland to sort out the problem, which is difficult since technically he’s dead in Ireland (being a fairy he’s older than is humanly possible) and must use the “dangerous white horse trick” to make his journey possible. This sounds intriguing.
First sentence: They came in the dead of night when the family was sleeping.
Wheels of War, Sally Prue (271 pages) – Set in England in 1822. Will is too young to go to war, but history suggests that this is not the case. Left behind with the women and children, soon he finds the war is coming to him. [I notice that likely lads in historical fiction are often called Will, a likely name.]
First sentence: Red, for blood.
No Way to Go, Bernard Ashley (287 pages) – Amber’s brother falls to his death from the roof of an apartment building, but Amber is certain this is not an accident; she is determined to find out the truth.
First sentence: Amber Long stared into the policeman’s face.
Why hello there. Here are SOME of this week’s (and last week’s) new books. (The rest are forthcoming.)
Lifegame, by Alison Allen-Gray (339 pages) – Fella and Grebe escape from the island to the outside world; a world, so they’ve been led to believe, has been subject to a cataclysmic disaster. But has it? Fella has a diary that belonged to his mother, who came from the Outside. Sci-fi thrill!
First line: ‘The baby was brought to the Orphanage straight from the car accident that killed his mother.’
Threads, by Sophia Bennett (254 pages) – A fairy tale about for London girls and fashion. There’s a website with more details! Interactive. ‘Girls will love it’, says Jacqueline Wilson.
First line: ‘We’re standing in a fashion designer’s studio in Hoxton, admiring ourselves in the mirror.‘
Crossing the Line, by Gillian Philip (267 pages) – Nick’s sister’s boyfriend was murdered; his father drinks and his mother is a religious maniac. He’s also in love with Orla, the sister of his murdered sister’s boyfriend. She (Orla) blames him (Nick) for his (the brother’s) death. Grim.
First line: ‘In this life you have to look after yourself.‘
Forbidden Island, Malcolm Rose (230 pages) – Mike and his pals explore an island off the Scottish coast. There are warnings! But they ignore them and find that the island is much, much more dangerous than other Scottish islands. Like Mull, Eigg, Yell, or even Fuaigh Mòr.
First line: ‘”There’s land ahead!” Mike shouted about the growl of the motor.‘
Morning in a Different Place, by Mary Ann McGuigan (195 pages) – ‘In 1963 in the Bronx, New York, eighth-graders Fiona and Yolanda help one another face hard decisions at home despite family and social opposition to their interracial friendship, but Fiona is on her own when popular classmates start paying attention to her and give her a glimpse of both a different way of life and a new kind of hatefulness.’ (Copied from the catalogue entry. Full credit!)
First line: ‘Now I know what invisible feels like.‘
You Are So Undead To Me, by Stacey Jay (265 pages) – Megan can communicate with zombies, semi-dead people who aren’t too troublesome. But someone in her school uses black magic and she and friend Ethan must team up to save homecoming from a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!
First line: ‘The cold wind swept across the hill, whistling through the headstones that poked from the ground like dozens of crooked baby teeth.‘
Dreaming of Amelia, by Jaclyn Moriarty (519 pages) – Amelia and Riley have transferred to Ashbury, a rich kids’ school, from Brookfield High. They are brilliant and mysterious, and soon everyone at Ashbury is obsessed with them. However! They have dark secrets. And ghosts. Also, locked doors, femme fatales, madness and passion feature.
First line: ‘My first look at her was her name.‘
The Wisdom of Dead Men, by Oisín McGann (468 pages) – Berto is the head of the ‘rich and ruthless’ Wildenstern family. He and his younger brother, Nate, want to change the cruel ways typical to their family. Nate and his sister-in-law Daisy must also investigate a spate of spontaneous combustion – and the deaths mightn’t be the fault of a Wildenstern.
First line: ‘Vicky Miller stumbled dizzily out into the darkness, away from the house and the stranger who lay dead inside it – the man she had just killed.‘
Voices in the Dark : The Last Descendants Trilogy Book II, by Catherine Banner (455 pages) – From the reliable old catalogue, source of so many synopses: ‘Sixteen-year-old Anselm Andros’s world is turned upside-down when he learns the identity of his birth father, and this personal upheaval mirrors that of his country, Malonia, which is on the brink of another war after fifteen years of relative peace.’
First line: ‘I want more than anything to tell you the truth about my life.‘
If you’re looking for something to read over summer, here’s some interesting fiction that arrived in the library some time during 2009. Where the book is a sequel or part of a series we’ve also listed the other books (in order) so as not to ruin your reading experience. We’ve also included the blurb we wrote when the books came in, for your reference.
A Small Amount of Horror
Fen Runners, John Gordon – 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.
The Enemy, Charlie Higson – 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. Website
The Devouring, Simon Holt – “Your body is here, but not your soul…” says the cover. Yoicks! The Vours are “evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.” (Book cover) Website
Zombie Blondes, Brian James – The girl on the cover has disturbingly large eyes (courtesy of artist Sas Christian). Blonde zombie cheerleaders are the most popular girls in the school that Hannah Sanders finds herself attending. It seems to be a cross between The Stepford Wives and Twilight (the concept of new girl in school coming across the undead, you understand). Worth a look.
Wake and Fade, Lisa McMann – (for Fade) The dream catchers Janie and Cabel must expose something horrid that’s going on at Fieldridge High. Website
The Parliament of Blood, Justin Richards – When an Egyptian mummy wakes up in the British Museum Eddie and George, Liz and Sir William (first seen in The Death Collector) are on hand to rescue the situation, which is a good thing, since they’re the only ones who know just how scary this particular mummy truly is.
The Kiss of Death, Marcus Sedgwick (companion to My Swordhand is Singing) – Set in eighteenth century Venice. Peter is still chasing the Shadow Queen, who is amassing an impressive undead army. In amongst this is Marko and Sorrel, both trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding their fathers.
Bit of a Laugh
I Love You, Beth Cooper, Larry Doyle – Denis Cooverman announces to everyone at his graduation that he loves Beth Cooper, the head cheerleader. Unfortunately her boyfriend, Kevin, is on leave from the United States Army and isn’t too happy. ‘Complications ensue’. Doyle is a former writer for The Simpson, and this book is extremely funny. They made it into a movie too.
The Reformed Vampire Support Group, Catherine Jinks – becoming undead and never aging would make you slightly nuts. Nina’s been fifteen for “a while” and finds life boring and unfun. Then one of the members of her therapy group is mysteriously staked and Nina and co have to find out who’s the culprit: their unlives are at stake (I’m sorry, that’s pretty bad). [It's still bad.]
Spanking Shakespeare, Jake Wizner – Shakespeare Shapiro hopes that his writing project – a memoir – will bring him ‘respect, admiration, and a girlfriend … or at least a prom date.’ He hates his name, his family is eccentric, and he’s pretty socially inept.
Past Tense
What I Saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell – Evie’s father returns from World War II and everything appears normal, however a web of deception surrounds him and handsome young Peter, one of Evie’s father’s company. Evie must get to the heart of things and ultimately choose between love and family loyalty.
Lost, Jacqueline Davies – 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.
The Bride’s Farewell, Meg Rosoff – Pell runs away on the morning of her wedding and hits the road to uncover the secrets of her past. From the author of How I Live Now.
Fantasy (may contain cool gadgetry)
The Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Redd, and Archenemy, Frank Beddor – (for Archenemy) the gripping conclusion to The Looking Glass Wars. Something strange is happening to Wonderland, and it’s not just Arch declaring himself king. Conundrums of evaporating puddles, shimmering portals, assassins, metamorphoses, action aplenty. The dude on the cover has got the coolest suit of armour and gun thingy ever. Website
Fever Crumb, Philip Reeve – A new book in the Infernal Engines world; huge, armoured fortresses that move across the wastelands. The book has a neat cover! Website
Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld – ‘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. [Another cool cover. Since here at teen blog we're all about the pictures.]
Flora Segunda and Flora’s Dare, Ysabeau S Wilce – (for Flora’s Dare) Apart from comments about the incredibly long and eccentric book titles (have a look at the catalogue link) we had this to say: Awarding-winning fantasy. And it has a giant squid.
A Small Amount of Fantasy with Romance
Fire, Kristin Cashore (companion to Graceling) – Fire is a human monster who is irresistible to humans (and other monsters) and is able to influence minds. Thought control: cool (in theory). This book is called a companion because it has one linking character – you get to find out what made Leck so Leck-ish. I may write a review of this book some time soon – it has some interesting positives and negatives. One positive is the creepy Prologue.
Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick – Nora Grey isn’t interested in romance until transfer student Patch appears. He’s dreamy [sexy, more like] and mysterious and he’s also an angel, I think? [Yes indeed] If you like Twilight you may appreciate this – reviewers have commented favourably on the character of Nora compared with Bella. Facebook
Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity, Melissa Marr – (for Fragile Eternity, me making this up just now) After a shift in focus in Ink Exchange, the story returns to Ash, Seth and Keenan, focussing most on Seth and his conundrum (one faced by many at the moment: how does one love an immortal?). Website
Princess Ben…, Catherine Gilbert Murdock – Again a long title! Princess Ben, held by the nasty Queen Sophia, learns the magical arts and saves the kingdom. Catherine Gilbert Murdock has previously written about the marvellous DJ Schwenk (Dairy Queen, The Off Season and now Front and Center), so this is a really different tack for her!
Lament, Maggie Stiefvater – Deirdre is not only a gifted musician, she’s also been lumped with the gift of seeing faeries, which means she becomes entangled in a faerie war that is as old as the hills.
Intrigue
The Nostradamus Prophecy, Teresa Breslin – Nostradamus has predicted a massacre, but King Charles doesn’t believe him; his mother, Catherine de’ Medici, does, however. So to does Melisande, the minstrel’s daughter, who ends up with some parchments written by Nostradamus that hold the secret of the French royal line. Adventure ensues!
The Robber Baron’s Daughter, Jamila Gavin – Philip Pullman describes this as a “rich and almost gothic drama” (Amazon.co.uk). The back cover tells me, “Nettie lives a privileged life… but everything changes when her beloved tutor, Miss Kovachev, vanishes.” The story travels between central London and (interestingly) Bulgaria.
Romantic (but not all just for girls)
Swim the Fly, Don Calame – 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.
Along for the Ride, Sarah Dessen – 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.’
Cruel Summer, Alyson Noel – 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.
Something, Maybe, Elizabeth Scott – 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.
Boy Minus Girl, Richard Uhlig – 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.
What They Always Tell Us, Martin Wilson – James and Alex are brothers, but they’re quite different. James has it all together and Alex is a bit of an outcast, but this year things will change: Alex starts cross country running which leads him along an unexpected path, and both brothers befriend Henry, a smart 10 year old neighbour. Critics call this book “beautifully realised”, which is rather a nice compliment for a writer.
Tough Love
Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson – Lia’s best friend Cassie has died from anorexia, and now Lia faces the same fate. ‘One girl’s chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia.’
Ostrich Boys, Keith Gray – Three boys take – well, steal, really – their late friend’s ashes after his depressing and dispiriting funeral, and travel 261 miles to a tiny hamlet in Scotland called Ross (which was also his first name).
Living Dead Girl, Elizabeth Scott – 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.
Ghost Medicine, Andrew Smith – After the death of his mother, Troy just wants to spend the summer hanging out with his friends and being sort of invisible, but life gets in the way with complex, dangerous twists and turns. [I liked this book.]
Once Was Lost, Sara Zarr – “As the tragedy of a missing girl enfolds in her small town, fifteen-year-old Samara, who feels emotionally abandoned by her parents, begins to question her faith.” (Catalogue entry)
The World’s Turned to Custard
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins – (for Catching Fire) Set in a post-apocalyptic future where a new, authoritarian government pits teens against one another on television. Now that the hunger games are over (or are they?) can Katniss survive the Capitol’s scrutiny? Website and Facebook
Bang, Bang, You’re Dead, Narinder Dhami – A gunman is rumoured to be somewhere in Mia’s school, and the place is being evacuated. Mia has a dreadful feeling that the gunman is her brother, Jamie, who has been acting very weird lately. Can she get to him in time? This book has a terrific twist at the end that’s right I read the end first
Brainjack, Brian Falkner – 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.
Small-Minded Giants, Oisin McGann – Beyond the huge domed roof of Ash Harbour, deadly storms and Arctic temperatures have stripped the Earth bare. Sinister bodies reign supreme, and undercover operations are rife. When sixteen-year-old Sol Wheat’s father goes missing and is accused of murder, Sol sets out to find out why, and in doing so uncovers the harsh reality behind the city… (thanks Adrienne)
The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness – 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. [Maybe cool cover = cool book? Although they do say you shouldn't think that.]
These are this week’s new books. Some are long-awaited! Some aren’t, but may be very good. I remember when Twilight and The Book Thief came out – they sat on the shelves for ages before they became super-popular. You just never know, do you.
I Will Always Love You : A Gossip Girl Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar (387 pages) – Here it is; the latest Gossip Girl book. What happens? I think they’re at college, which is what the Americans call university, and this book follows the original gang when they’re home for the winter break.
First lines: ‘“You awake, Scout?” Blair Waldorf awoke from a nap to the sight of her boyfriend, Pete Carlson, gazing down at here.‘
As You Wish, by Jackson Pearce (298 pages) – Viola’s boyfriend broke up with her, sadly. But! She accidently summons a genie, named Jinn, with whom she begins to fall in love. So to keep him around she delays her third wish.
First line: ‘All I’ve learned in today’s Shakespeare class is: Sometimes you have to fall in love with the wrong person just so you can find the right person.‘
Alex Rider : Crocodile Tears, by Anthony Rider (388 pages) – HERE IT IS! The seventh Alex Rider book. It’s in great demand so won’t be on the shelf for aaaages. Alex Rider is a teen who moonlights as a secret agent for the British government. He’s not too fond of the situation but I bet he secretly loves the gadgets.
First line: ‘Ravi Chandra was going to be a rich man.‘
Vacations from Hell, by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Mlynowski (280 pages) – This is a collection of short stories about vacations from hell. They are ghost stories! Just in time for the Xmas holidays.
Tempted : A House of Night Novel, by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (319 pages) – The blurb for this is difficult to summarise! So here is the catalogue description. ‘Zoey Redbird, High Priestess-in-training, finds herself juggling three guys–one of which is so into protecting her that he can sense her emotions. Meanwhile the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and only Zoey has the power to stop the evil immortal Kalona who is behind it. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul?‘ WILL SHE?
First line: ‘The night sky over Tulsa was alight with a magical crescent moon.‘
Don’t Judge a Girl by her Cover, by Ally Carter (263 pages) – This is the third Gallagher Girls book. The Gallgher Academy for Exceptional Young Women trains girls into spies. One of them – Morgan – must help her pal-with-a-stalker, Macey, whose father has been nominated for the US presidency.
First lines: ‘“We’re moving.” The man beside me spoke into the microphone in his sleeve, and I knew the words weren’t for me.‘
Invisible I : The Amanda Project – Book 1 , by Melissa Kantor (292 pages) – Another difficult book to easily summarise, but luckily there is an interactive website! It sells itself, really.
First line: ‘Why is it that when you don’t want to think about something, you can’t stop thinking about it?‘
Fortune’s Folly, by Deva Fagan (260 pages) – Fortuna tells fakes fortunes so that she and her father can eat. But when she tells Prince Leonato his fortune, she must make sure it’s fulfilled or her father gets it. There’s a magic sword, a wicked witch, and a golden shoe. Oh and she falls in love with the prince! I hope it ends happily.
First line: ‘Life would have been much easier if I believed in fairy tales.‘
Sacred Scars : A Resurrection of Magic – Book 2, by Kathleen Duey (554 pages) – From the catalogue again (it’s difficult to summarise 554 pages): ‘In alternate chapters, Sadima works to free captive boys forced to copy documents in the caverns of Limòri, and Hahp makes a pact with the remaining students of a wizards’ academy in hopes that all will survive their training, as both learn valuable lessons about loyalty.‘
First line: ‘Sadima sat cross-legged on the cold stone, just outside the cage.‘
Betrayals : A Strange Angels Novel, by Lili St. Crow (296 pages) – Werewolves (in this they’re called ‘wulfen’, singular ‘werwulf’), vampires (or ‘djamphirs’) and orphans (also called … oh wait) – this has it all. ‘Suspenseful and action-packed.’
First line: ‘Windshield wipers struggled back and forth, clumped with snow.‘
Blood Promise : A Vampire Academy Novel, by Richelle Mead (503 pages) – This is book four in the series. Rose has to kill her one true love, Dimitri, who has turned bad. Awkward! Probably for the best though.
First line: ‘Once when I was in ninth grade, I had to write a paper on a poem.‘
In brief:
Breathing Underwater, by Julia Green (201 pages)
Rosie and Skate, by Beth Ann Bauman (217 pages)
Taylor Lautner : Me & You, by Josie Rusher (60 pages)
Once again, here’s a large selection of new books, from fairies to vampires to werewolves to survivalists to society’s elite (pirates and witches).
Rapture of the Deep, L A Meyer (454 pages) – for lovers of the Bloody Jack adventures, here’s the next. Jacky thinks she’s getting married, but actually she’s being kidnapped by British Naval Intelligence and made to dive for treasure near Havana, which isn’t necessarily such a terrible thing when you’re the piratical spy type.
First sentence: “Ah, and it’s a bonny, bonny bride ye shall be, Jacky.”
Re-Gifters, Mike Carey, Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel (graphic novel) – Dixie is a soon-to-be maybe champion of hapkido (a martial art), but her life gets complicated when she meets and falls for surfery boy Adam. Winning her championship and also Adam could be tricky: there are lessons to be learned for Dixie.
Tallow, Karen Brooks (404 pages) – The Curse of the Bond Riders Book 1. Tallow is rescued as a child by a candlemaker. As he grows up, his mysterious and deadly talents are revealed, and all manner of ominous people – both enemies and allies – become interested in him. A fantasy story based on historical Italy with excellent reviews!
First sentence: “I know you’re out there.”
Splendor, Anna Godbersen (394 pages) – the last of the Luxe novels, or at least I think it is. Will Diana and Henry find a way to be together without having Manhattan’s society up in arms?
First sentence: Fifty years ago every American girl wanted to be a European princess.
Battleground, Chris Ryan (305 pages) – the SAS supremo writer is back again, this time with the story of 14 year old Ben who finds himself kidnapped in Afghanistan. Which sounds bad, but worse is the fact that he discovers they’ve got a nuclear weapon on them.
First sentence: “Ambush!”
X Isle, Steve Augarde (477 pages) – see what he’s doing with the title? X Isle is the only way out after the floods come and devastate the globe. Sounds like a grim disaster novel (Adrienne might like it!).
First sentence: The steady chug of the diesel engine drew closer, and eventually the salvage boat emerged from the mist, a blank grey shape steering a middle course between the ghostly lines of chimney stacks that rose from the water.
Destiny’s Path, Frewin Jones (329 pages) – book two in the Warrior Princess series, good news if you’ve already read the first one. Branwen is still uncomfortable with the idea of being the Chosen One, but then she’s shown a vision of life if she abandons her destiny, and it’s pretty bleak.
First sentence: Branwen Ap Griffith pulled back on the reins and her weary horse gradually came to a halt, snorting softly and shaking its mane.
Ash, Malinda Lo (264 pages) – A fairy tale; Ash, recovering from the death of her father, dreams that the fairies will “steal her away” then meets Sidhean (a fairy). Because stories need a complication to work (truly they do), she also meets Kaisa (not a fairy) who teaches her to hunt and with whom she becomes friends. The result? A literary tug of war.
First sentence: Aisling’s mother died at midsummer.
We Were Here, Matt de la Pena (356 pages) – Miguel is sent to juvi, then escapes with Rondell and Mong (great names, together), hoofing it to Mexico where he hopes he’ll have a chance to start over. A story of self-discovery and learning to forgive yourself (among other things).
First sentence: Here’s the thing: I was probably gonna write a book when I got older anyways.
Taken, Nora McClintock (165 pages) – stress extreme. As mentioned in this post, Stephanie is captured by a serial killer then escapes (good for her) and must survive in the middle of nowhere (bad for her).
First sentence: My stomach clenched as the bus rumbled across the county line.
Once a Witch, Carolyn MacCullough (292 pages) – Tamsin pretends to be her talented witchy older sister, which might seem like a good idea at the time, but one thing leads to another… this book contains it all; fantasy, romance, witchcraft and time travel.
First sentence: I was born on the night of Samhain, when the barrier between the worlds is whisper thin adn when magic, old magic, sings its heady and sweet song to anyone who cares to hear it.
Ghost Town, Richard Jennings (165 pages) – I’ve filched this from the catalogue because it’s way to complex for me to explain: “Thirteen-year-old Spencer Honesty and his imaginary friend, an Indian called Chief Leopard Frog, improbably achieve fame and riches in the abandoned town of Paisley, Kansas, when Spencer begins taking photographs with his deceased father’s ancient camera and Chief Leopard Frog has his poems published by a shady businessman in the Cayman Islands.”
First sentence: “Well, I guess that makes it official,” I said to Chief Leopard Frog.
Destroy All Cars, Blake Nelson (205 pages, plus appendices) – James Hoff is into the environment – he wants to, as the title suggests, destroy all cars. His ex-girlfriend, Sadie, is also into the environment, but James thinks she’s soft, merely wanting to build cycleways. Naturally there’s going to be some sort of romantic showdown that may well be a bit messy.
First sentence (sort of): We stand at the edge.
Suicide Notes, Michael Thomas Ford (295 pages) – Jeff’s in a psychiatric ward, recovering from a suicide attempt, and learning valuable lessons from the “crazies” around him. “Compelling, witty and refreshingly real.”
First sentence: I read somewhere that when astronauts come back to Earth after floating around in space they get sick to their stomachs because of the air here smells like rotting meat to them.
My Vicksburg, Ann Rinaldi (149 pages) – set during the American civil war. Claire Louise is forced to make a difficult choice between saving a friend’s life and being loyal to family (and state).
First sentence: The only reason we came back to town, and stayed during that terrible nightmare of a time, those forty-seven days of confusion and heartbreak that made up the siege of Vicksburg, was because of Sammy the cat.
I Lost My Mobile at the Mall: Teenager on the Edge of Technological Breakdown, Wendy Harmer (319 pages) – the mobile in question even has a photo of Elly’s friend standing next to Hugh Jackman, no less, so it really is a big deal!
First sentences: My name is Elly Pickering. I’ve lost my mobile phone at the mall and am now facing certain death.
Changeling: Dark Moon, Steve Feasey (325 pages) – Trey Laporte is back, which is just as well since Lucien is lying in a coma and Trey can save him. The back of the book says it so much better: “… to succeed he must face his biggest challenge yet: a portal to the Netherworld, an Icelandic zombie, an evil sorceress, and Trey’s nemesis, the dark vampire Caliban.” All zombies should be Icelandic.
First sentence: The vampire Lucien Charron lay motionless on a high-sided bed in his Docklands apartment.
Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical (199 pages plus a small graphic short story) – Some famous YA authors contribute to this collection, including Annette Curtis Klause (Blood and Chocolate), Margo Lanagan (Tender Morsels), David Almond (Skellig) and Cynthia Leitich Smith (Tantalize).
First sentence (Aimee Bender): Mom bought me the razor when I was thirteen.
Nothing Like You, Lauren Strasnick (209 pages) – update: now that I’ve had a read I can summarise. Holly is nearly finished high school and gets herself into really messy relationship issues. This is a well-written book about figuring out the important things in life, learning from mistakes, and love (kind of reminds me a little bit of Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr). A good example of a realistic, non-romantic first person narrator.
Very briefly:
Avalon High: Coronation: Volume 3: Hunter’s Moon, Meg Cabot (graphic novel)
There are many, many new books this week. Here they are!
Oathbreaker : Assassin’s Apprentice, by S. R. Vaught and J. B. Redmond (374 pages) – High fantasy at its highest. Aron is kidnapped and forced to become an assassin in a world of powerful magic and shapeshifters. Should he avenge his family’s death?
First line: ‘Hot winds blew across the Watchline, twisting rusted wires against rotted fence posts.‘
Pastworld, by Ian Beck (353 pages) – It is 2048, and London has been transformed into a giant Victorian-era themepark. Its inhabitants do not know this! Visitors are a bit like time-travellers, and Caleb – one such visitor – finds himself accused of a murder by the local olde constabulary.
First line: ‘It was the cold hour before dawn.’
The Genius Wars, by Catherine Jinks (384 pages) – The conclusion to the Genius Trilogy. Cadel must launch an all-out attack on Prosper English, who is now a fugitive determined to take down all of Cadel’s loved ones.
First line: ‘Two dented lift doors were embedded in a wall of pebblecrete.‘
The Waters and the Wild, by Francesca Lia Block (113 pages) – A new book from one of the best writers in YA fiction. And it’s pretty brief, so perfect for a quick & magical read.
First lines: ‘When Bee woke up, there was a girl standing in her room. “You are me,” the girl said. Then she was gone.‘
The Glittering Eye, by L. J. Adlington (309 pages) – Shabti wakes in a field and has no memories. And Amy, daughter of an archaeologist, arrives in Egypt. They are connected! But you won’t guess how …
First line: ‘He woke up in a barley field.‘
Crashed, by Robin Wasserman (440 pages) – Lia died six months ago. She’s now a mech, and has to choose between humanity and the sheer awesomeness of being a machine. The second book in a trilogy! (The first is Skinned.)
First line: ‘When I was alive, I dreamed of flying.‘
The Demon’s Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan (329 pages) – Nick’s mother stole a charm from the most feared of magicians, and his brother, Alan, has been marked by a demon. Which leads to death! Nick must face the magicians, whose powers are sourced from demons, and he must kill them to save his brother.
First line: ‘The pipe under the sink was leaking again.‘
After The Moment, by Garret Freymann-Weyr (328 pages) – There is a summary inside, which I can lazily copy. ‘When seventeen-year-old Leigh changes high schools his senior year to help his stepsister, he finds himself falling in love with her emotionally disturbed friend, although he is still attached to a girl back home.’
First line: ‘Leigh Hunter thought he’d said goodbye to her almost four years ago.‘
The Twilight Saga – New Moon : The Official Illustrated Movie Companion, by Mark Cotta Vaz (141 pages) – Something about vampires and werewolves? Never heard of it myself. I wonder if it will be popular.
Marcelo In The Real World, by Francisco X. Stork (312 pages) – Marcelo Sandoval has a form of autism that leads him to hear music all the time. His father challenges him to work in his law firm’s mailroom, and there Marcelo faces new challenges. ‘Reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,‘ says the blurb.
First lines: ‘“Marcelo, are you already?” I lift up my thumb. It means that I am ready.“
Headlong, by Kathe Koja (195 pages) – Lily attends the private Vaughn School, and has done so since preschool. New girl Hazel - whose background is vastly different to Lily’s privileged upbringing - and Lily become firm friends, and Hazel shows Lily what life has to offer.
First line: ‘A black circle-in-a-circle-in-a-circle, a bull’s-eye, a target: I trimmed it from the symbol sheet, painted on glue, stuck it to the underside of the vestal’s upraised wrist, one of the few blank spaces left on her.‘
In The Path of Falling Objects, by Andrew Smith (323 pages) – Brother Simon and Jonah take a road trip to find their other brother, who is in the army. They get a ride with a crazy man and a strange woman, and it quickly becomes the ride from Hell.
First line: ‘The only shade there is blackens a rectangle in the dirt beneath the overhang of the seller’s open stall.‘
Front and Center, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (254 pages) – Like everyone in her family, D.J. Schwenk is VERY tall. And she’s wanted by College scouts, town hoops fans, and a couple of fellas. [The one that comes after Dairy Queen and The Off Season - Grimm]
First line: ‘Here are ten words I never thought I’d be saying …‘
Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzgerald (391 pages) – Nora Grey isn’t interested in romance until transfer student Patch appears. He’s dreamy and mysterious and he’s also an angel, I think? If you like Twilight you may appreciate this – reviewers have commented favourably on the character of Nora compared with Bella.
First line: ‘Chauncey was with a farmer’s daughter on the grassy banks of the Loire River when the storm rolled in, and having let his gelding wander in the meadow, was left to his own two feet to carry him back to the chateau.‘
Warrior King, by Sue Purkiss (265 pages) – It is the ninth-century. King Alfred the Great has a plan – a good plan! – to get rid of the Vikings invading Britain (I guess they were bad?), but what will it mean for Fleda, his daughter?
First line: ‘Alfred couldn’t find his mother.‘
Confessions of a First Daughter, by Cassidy Calloway (214 pages) – Morgan’s mum is the president of the US. Morgan’s tendency for ’screwing things up’ means that she often makes the news, always for the wrong reasons. When her mother has to go on a secret mission, Morgan steps in for her; with a little makeup, no one will spot the difference. Maybe.
First line: ‘I wonder if my mother ever feels like throwing up before she delivers an important speech.‘
Unsigned Hype, by Booker T. Mattison (206 pages) – Fifteen-year-old Tory Tyson and his partner Fat Mike enter the Unsigned Hype contest on a radio station. If he makes it his whole life will change. BUT will he win?
First line: ‘Somebody’s banging on my front door and it’s rocking the house harder than the beat I’m laying down in my bedroom.‘
Academy 7, by Anne Osterlund (257 pages) – Aerin and Dane are both new to the most exclusive academy in the whole UNIVERSE. Their secrets will soon unite them in this genre-spanning sci-fi romance mystery.
First line: ‘Aerin tried to ignore the bloodstain on the control panel of the Fugitive.’
(There aren’t enough fishhooks.)
The Center of the Universe : Yep, That Would Be Me, by Anita Liberty (286 pages) – A ‘profound, touching and hilarious’ story of one girl’s junior and senior years at high school. I read parts! It IS hilarious.
First lines: ‘My name is Anita Li … That was stupid. Why am I introducing myself?‘
Chasing the Bear : A Young Spenser Novel, by Robert B. Parker (169 pages) – Robert B. Parker has written a LOT of novels about Spenser, a private eye who solves mysteries. They’re all in the adult fiction collection. This book is for younger readers and is about Spenser’s youth in Wyoming.
First line: ‘I was sitting with the girl of my dreams on a bench in the Boston Public Garden watching the swan boats circle the little lagoon.‘
Would You Rather?, by Chris Higgins (261 pages)
Serendipity Market, by Penny Blubaugh (268 pages)
Rowan the Strange, by Julie Hearn (332 pages)
Still going.
Almost Perfect, Brian Katcher (357 pages) – Logan begins a relationship with Sage, sort of, only to discover that she’s a boy (transgender). Obviously this is a major thing for him to work through: will he be able to maintain a friendship with her?
First sentence: Everyone has that one line they swear they’ll never cross, the one thing they say they’ll never do.
Demon Princess: Reign or Shine, Michelle Rowen (284 pages) – Nikki finds out that her absent father is the demon king of Shadowlands, so she follows the bearer of the news there to find out more (the bearer happens to be cute). As you’d expect with hereditary titles, her father’s keen for her to take the throne.
First sentence: “That guy is staring at you.”
Archenemy, Frank Beddor (370 pages) – the gripping conclusion to The Looking Glass Wars. Something strange is happening to Wonderland, and it’s not just Arch declaring himself king. Conundrums of evaporating puddles, shimmering portals, assassins, metamorphoses, action aplenty. The dude on the cover has got the coolest suit of armour and gun thingy ever.
First sentence: Alyss of Wonderland raced up the front walk, using her imagination to unlock the door and turn the latch.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nagaru Tanigawa (200 pages) – First published in Japan in 2003 and described as “the phenomenon that took Japan by storm” which is super cool. Haruhi and Kyon set up an after school club, as you do, all very usual. Unusually, Haruhi has the power to destroy the universe.
First sentence: The question of how long someone believed in Santa Claus is a worthless topic that would never come up in idle conversation.
Punkzilla, Adam Rapp (244 pages) – Jamie, who is Punkzilla, embarks on a road trip to visit his brother who is dying of cancer. Along the way he catalogues, in epistolary fashion (letter writing), the gritty, freakish and interesting people he meets along the way.
First sentence: Hey, I’m finally writing you back.
One Wish, Leigh Brescia (311 pages) – An overweight teenager who determines to do something about this, and is largely successful, learns that the grass is not necessarily greener on the skinny and beautiful side of the fence, particularly when you go to great (dodgy) lengths for your new svelte body.
First sentence: Nobody ever asks you if you want to be popular.
Darke Academy: Secret Lives, Gabriella Poole (267 pages) – The first in a series which I’m going to describe merely by quoting the tagline on the cover (and you can do the rest): “You’ll be dying to join the chosen few.” Good news is the next book, Blood Ties, is less than six months away.
First sentence: “Hey, is that you?”
Tricks, Ellen Hopkins (625 pages) – A novel in verse, interweaving the stories of five different teenagers. Sounds clever, quite serious subject matter.
First sentence: But do they know how / to craft fiction?
Little Black Lies, Tish Cohen (305 pages) – Sara is at a new school in a new town, which seems like the perfect recipe for starting again and leaving behind her difficult past, especially with the help of a few fabrications of truth: popularity awaits. But then a dethroned popular girl starts getting suspicious.
First sentence: “What the…?” Gripping the vinyl passenger seat of the VW bus, I try not to hit the window as my father takes a corner too fast in his rush not to be late for our first day at Boston’s illustrious Anton High School.
That’s it for now. Yet more to come!
There’s a truckload!
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (400 pages) – as anticipated in this post, the collection of geek short stories is here. Fifteen stories in all, interspersed with comics, by some excellent writers.
First sentence (Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci): I awake tangled up in scratchy sheets with my head pounding and the taste of cheap alcohol and Tabasco still in my mouth.
Strange Angels, Lili St. Crow (293 pages) – again, we hinted about this one here. The first book about Dru Anderson, a zombie-killing tough girl whose life is about to become dangerous and complicated.
First sentence: I didn’t tell Dad about Granmama’s white owl.
Pretty Dead, Francesca Lia Block (195 pages) – Charlotte is a vampire. Jared is mortal, and “brooding” and “magnetic” to boot. Francesca Lia Block’s take on the gothic theme. Cassandra Clare says (winningly) on the cover: “An opulent, surreal world of strange beauty, sudden horror, and lush romance.”
First sentence: Teenage girls are powerful creatures.
Sea Change, Aimee Friedman (290 pages) – Miranda leaves New York for an island holiday. But this is Selkie Island, and with a name like that it’s bound to be a weird place, with a strange history, spooky legends. And then there’s Leo.
First sentence: The waiting ferryboat – ivory-coloured and two-tiered – resembled a slice of cake.
Girl in the Arena, Lise Haines (324 pages) – A satire on reality TV type shows – Lyn’s father is a gladiator, the top gladiator in the league, in fact. When he’s killed in competition the Gladiator Sports Association (GSA) decrees that Lyn must marry the gladiator who did it. Being independent-minded, Lyn isn’t going to take this lying down, even if that means having to enter the arena herself.
First sentence: In 1969 there was a young widower named Joseph Byers who lost his only child, Ned, to the war in Vietnam, when Ned tried to dodge the draft.
Counter Clockwise, Jason Cockcroft (202 pages) – “What if time moved counter-clockwise?” the inside cover asks, which is the basic premise of this thriller. Nathan witnesses bizarre and disturbing things happening around him, like his father disappearing through a hole that appears in the bathroom wall. That’d wind you up.
First sentence: When Nathan’s father told him the news, his voice seemed lost in the quiet of the schoolroom - as though it didn’t belong, Nathan thought.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Jessica Day George (317 pages) – based on East of the Sun, West of the Moon, a Nordic fairy tale. A woodcutter’s daughter agrees to accompany a bear to his castle. She thinks this is a good idea; I think not. Strange and terrible adventures unfold in the quest that ensues.
First sentence: Long ago and far away in the land of ice and snow, there came a time when it seemed that winter would never end.
The Dead House, Anne Cassidy (264 pages) – Lauren moves back to London to study, to a place very close to the house where she used to live. Trouble is, the house where she used to live contains nightmarish memories of her past and her family that she must confront.
First sentence: Lauren went to look at the house late at night.
The Bad Tuesdays: Strange Energy, Benjamin J Myers (330 pages) – the second in the series after Twisted Symmetry. Chess Tuesday and her brothers are enlisted by The Committee to find out what happened to the stolen children. But why?
First sentence: The razor wire gleamed along the top of the fence.
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.
Just for something to do, this week I’ve subcategorised these. Some subcategories only have one – actually the maximum is two anyway – but there you go.
Vampires
The Eternal Kiss: Vampire Tales (416 pages) – Mwah. Embrassez moi, je suis un vampire. Short stories on the vampire theme by such supernatural stalwarts as Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Rachel Caine, Nancy Holder and many more.
First sentence (courtesy of Karen Mahoney): Theo was late.
Blood Promise (a Vampire Academy novel), by Richelle Mead (503 pages) – Will Rose protect Lissa or hunt down the irresistible Dimitri and keep her promise to him (i.e. kill him, like, dead)?
First sentence: Once when I was in ninth grade, I had to write a paper on a poem.
As featured in an earlier blog post
Once was lost, by Sara Zarr (217 pages) – go here for a quick summary.
First sentence: The whole world is wilting.
Going Bovine, by Libba Bray (480 pages) – again, here’s a blurb.
First sentence: The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World.
Series
Forest Born (The Books of Bayern), by Shannon Hale (389 pages) – the fourth in the series. Rin is uncomfortable in the Forest, so she accompanies her brother Raz to the city and things progressively get more threatening and dangerous: someone wants the Fire Sisters dead.
First sentence: Ma had six sons.
The Pale Assassin (Pimpernelles), by Patricia Elliot (424 pages) – cleverly, the title of the series suggests something to do with the French revolution, unlikely heroes (or heroines, to be precise) and spies and the blurb backs this up (who’d have thought you could express so much in one word?). Eugénie de Boncoeur is caught up in the revolution and must rescue her brother Armand from death (at the hands of the “murderous spymaster” I think, but I could be wrong) and save her own life. A tall order.
First sentence: One summer evening outside Paris, a coach drawn by four black horses was creaking and swaying through the soft country twilight.
Comedy and Romance and Music and-
Blue Noise, by Debra Oswald (271 pages) – Charlie forms a band (Blue Noise), but bands never work, the back cover says (but, you know, don’t judge a book by its cover). “Blue” is a reference to the blues, which is a nice change from rock and roll and all.
First sentence: Ash Corrigan was in Guitar Heaven.
Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God, by Bill Condon (218 pages) – I thought this would be funny if it were a rebuttal of one of those Georgia Nicholson books but no. In 1967 the world is tumultuous, and Neil Bridges is at a Catholic boys’ school toughing it (life) out, but his life is about to get quite complicated and possibly quite dangerous (murder is mentioned). YA writers seem to be doing the Vietnam War at the moment (here and here as well for example).
First sentence: One huge shiver trudging on to the oval, that’s us.
Uh oh, something bad’s happening here
Candor, by Pam Bachorz (249 pages) – Candor is one of those “perfect” towns you just know is not in any way perfect. People are controlled by subliminal messages. Oscar, the son of the town’s founder, is doing a roaring trade smuggling kids out of Candor, and then Nia arrives.
First sentence: Ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk.
The Ghosts of 2012, by Graham Hurley (95 pages) – a quick read. Joe’s preparing for the 2012 Olympics in a military-run UK, but he’s okay with that (he’s preparing for the Olympics after all) until his ex-girlfriend goes missing.
First sentence: Sometimes in your life you get moments that stick out… you remember them forever.
Raewyn’s latest book review!
Devil’s Kiss, by Sarwat Chadda – A Knights Templar! Who would have guessed that she could be one of them? Billi had thought it was a wonderful thing to be chosen as one of this elite fighting group when she was only 10 but now at 15 she has bruises everywhere and her Ordeal is to kill a boy of 6! Well actually it is a demon inside the body of a 6 year old boy but you have to be up really close to tell that. Then her friend Kay returns from Jeruselem and she is having to learn a lot more about how much evil there is in the world. When Kay looks into the Cursed Mirror and opens a portal to the other side things start to get weird. But when she is asked out on a date with a handsome young man she starts to think about doing normal things for a change – or is this just the beginning of the end?
Fairies are having a renaissance, (thankfully not just fairies of the Rainbow Magic variety) so it’s really easy to find books and whatnot that feature them. This is not so much a Top 10 as it is a selection.
Some things to note about lots of fairy books in 2009:
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