A disclosure: I received all of these books from NetGalley, without any compensation besides the free book.
Goodreads | IndieBound
Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Aside from having one of my favorite covers of the year, Love and Other Perishable Items once again proved the point that Australian authors have it going in the YA department. A William C. Morris Debut Award nominee, this book was a sweet and funny coming-of-age story about first love in a grocery store. There's just one problem--that first love isn't remotely age-appropriate. For anyone who's ever had an unrequited crush (which is everyone, of course), this book is for you. It also features one of the most charming dual perspectives I've read in a long time, and a great take on the universal struggle of dealing with your parents. It's a smart, funny, wise debut, and definitely not to be missed for fans of contemporary YA.
Goodreads | IndieBound
Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Another favorite cover of the year, I wrote about The Broken Lands in my favorite books of 2012 post over at The Book Smugglers. It is that rare book that manages to be both haunting and sweet, and it's a great read for younger teens and older folks alike. Milford's mythology is intricate and believable, and her historical setting--Coney Island and Brooklyn during the time of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge--makes it even more of a standout. Our heroes, Sam, a young card sharp who is, despite all odds, a good kid, and Jin, a Chinese-American fireworks master (and kickass young lady), must face unspeakable evil at the crossroads and save New York City, and it's a wild ride the whole way through. Historical fantasy fans, eat your heart out.
Goodreads | IndieBound
Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Taking its name from a speech by John F. Kennedy, Diverse Energies lives up to its name as a diverse, vibrant dystopian collection. With standout stories by such renowned and favorite authors as Paolo Bacigalupi and Ursula K. Le Guin (go to the Goodreads link for a full list of authors, and believe me, all of them are good), this book satisfied my speculative fiction craving in a big way. The imagination and talent on display here is a beautiful thing, and it's refreshing to have a host of characters of many ethnicities and sexual orientations. This is a great book to break in non-YA fans, as the paranormal romance is dialed down and the sci-fi flavor dialed way, way up. I was left thinking about some of these stories for days on end, and I'm sure you will be, too.
Goodreads | IndieBound
Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Another one from Lee & Low's new imprint Tu Books, which promises to bring us plenty of fresh and exciting YA voices, Summer of the Mariposas is a magical romp through Mexican mythology as five sisters go on a quest to bring a dead man back to his family, coming to terms with their own family bonds in the process. While the prose got a little purple at times, it would make a great family read-aloud, especially if there are sisters in the family. It's sweet and touching and, at times, heartrending; a promising debut.
That's it for my recommendations today, but now I'd like to know in the comments: what new releases have you been loving lately? And if you've read any of these books, what did you think?
1 comment:
I have read three of these books and agree with you about two of them. I really struggled with Summer of the Mariposas although I think it would have worked better for me had I realized earlier it was a retelling of The Odyssey. The one I haven't read is The Broken Lands, which doesn't look familiar but which is one I'll now be checking out.
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