Tag Archives: ya 2012

ChooseYA’s Best of 2012

As I did last year, I will be presenting my ‘best of’ books I have read that there were published this year along with my favourite book already published I read this year.

Favourite YA Debut

This is such a hard one for me as I truly read a number of outstanding debuts but I have to say that Tanya Byrne’s Heart-Shaped Bruise just blew me away. This is a book that I couldn’t put down and spent a lot of time pointing out phrases I loved and saying to my Mum I wished I had written that bit, and that bit, and that bit. It’s poignant, well-written and simply stunning. I need more of Tanya’s writing now!

The YA Book That Broke My Heart

Oh, Cat Clarke, you! Undone just left me stunned, speechless (which if you know me is an achievement in itself) and utterly bereft and heart-broken by the end. A stunning tale of obsession and revenge, but for me primarily a brilliant and heart-wrenching depiction of being consumed by grief. The ebook is out now, but the paperback is released in January. Read it, please.

The YA That Changed My Mind

I was never a big fantasy reader, I kind of liked it a bit when I was 12 and I read Lord of the Rings and the ilk and wrote my own terrible fantasy stories, but then I just drifted away from it. I grew to get on with urban fantasy but I was still a reluctant fantasy person. Then I read The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo and it opened me up to YA Fantasy as a whole. The Gathering Dark is a great, atmospheric and Russian inspired fantasy that blew me away.

Favourite YA Sequel

I have to say that while I never expected this last year, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series and it’s first sequel Pandemonium (and final part Requiem out in match) blew me away. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Pandemonium but suddenly I was reading this beautifully told, achingly poignant novel and connected to it in a way I really hadn’t in the first book. Pandemonium is a stunning read!

Favourite Paranormal YA

A Witch In Winter/ A Witch In Love by Ruth Warburton has quickly become one of my favourite series in YA and a fab paranormal read. It’s set in the UK with witches, crushes, boys and truly chilling moments. I love how Ruth uses real history about witchcraft and incorporates it into her writing. This series has flown under the radar a little, but trust me when I say it’s well worth reading and deserves more acclaim.

Favourite Contemporary YA

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt is a truly stunning debut about looking beyond appearances and prejudice. It has it all; romance, issues, even a crime or two. I loved the relationship between Ryan and Jenna. Most of all, it challenges a lot of general preconceptions though and is a truly important read.

Favourite Humorous YA

How To Keep A Boy As A Pet- Diane Messidoro. This book was a complete surprise to me and reminded me of the great, funny YA I read when I was a teenager. It reopened my desire to read more books like this and made me laugh a lot while raising some serious topics too.

Favourite ’New To Me’ YA

Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. After a lot of recommendations I finally started Vampire Academy and just loved it. It’s possibly my favourite vampire YA series to date.

Honorable Mentions

Hollow Pike- James Dawson
Crewel-Gennifer Albin
Witch Crag-Kate Cann
The City’s Son- Tom Pollock
Saving June- Hannah Harrington

Review: The City’s Son by Tom Pollock

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The City’s Son is a book I have had for months and one I put off reading the final hundred pages of for ages. This is not because it was so bad, or because I could cope without knowing how it ended, but simply because I really, really didn’t want it to end. However I needed how it would end so I finally tackled those final chapters.

Pollock’s debut is an exquisitely written debut with real appeal to both teenagers and adults alike. Set in London and the mysterious other side of London- the one where street lamps are people, statues too, and there is such a thing as a Mirrorstocracy – Beth’s finds herself in a strange place while running from her father and her best friend who has betrayed her. There she encounters a Railwraith and Filius Viae. Filius is the son of the goddess Mater Viae, The Lady of Streets. However she has vanished and a sinister presence, Reach is intent on demolition and destruction. Beth befriends Filius and finds herself helping raise an army to defeat Reach.

There are several great twists and turns in this sprawling urban fantasy that I cannot spoil. Beth was a great heroine and brave and fantastic to root for. I also loved the development of her relationship with Filius. However Pollock is often at his most compelling when writing Pen’s perspective. Pen, Beth’s friend, is a character who is not traditionally strong and is struggling with her parents’ expectations, a completely awful and creepy teacher and then also finds herself in the hidden London. Pollock’s development with Pen had me wincing and truly feeling for her character.

Pollock mentions some of his inspirations in his acknowledgements including the awesome China Mieville. I would happily argue that Pollock’s debut easily stands with those greats and that his work was quite reminiscent of some of Mieville to me, in particular, which is no easy feat! I have been earnestly recommending it to a lot of my course mates who loved China Mieville’s work. However the City’s Son is a book that should stand in its own right; the prose is stunning, the characterisation strong and the world he has created is so imaginative and also so utterly London it’s brilliant for a UKYA fan, like myself, to read.

I could say a lot about this book. I could talk and talk about the complete WriterEnvy I had reading this (and I don’t even write fantasy) and how even though I don’t read a lot of fantasy generally, this book just totally entranced me. I could also say how the ending had me sitting there desperate for book two. However, what I will say is that this book is perfect for fans of fantasy and fans of YA alike. This is also definitely a book who when silly people raise their eyebrows at you reading YA, you can use as a perfect example of what YA is really like at its best.

I received a free copy from Quercus for my honest review. The City’s Son is available now and comes highly recommended. It is also published by Flux in the US for my lovely US readers! I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel, The Glass Republic!

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Review: The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

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Ever since hearing about Mark Frost’s YA debut at the RHCP blogger brunch this summer, I have been desperate to read it so when I was offered a copy for review I jumped at the chance.

The Paladin Prophecy tells the tale of Will West. He’s careful to live under the radar and according to his dad’s rules, but after accidentally scoring off the charts on an academic test, everything changes. There’s a black car following him, his parents don’t seem themselves and strange creatures are after him. So Will goes to the elite, secret school that have been after him since the test and begins to explore what exactly has happened, and what he is capable of.

It should go without saying that this book is unusual. It’s written by a creator of Twin Peaks so reality bends constantly and you’re constantly kept on your toes as unexpected things happen. This means that not everyone will get on with this book, but I really enjoyed it and think if you enjoy something a little more unusual and that defies what you might expect, then the Paladin Prophecy is well worth reading.

I really loved the rules Will West’s dad had given him and how they were referred to throughout the book constantly. Will himself was a very readable hero and I was rooting for him in the whole book. I also thought that the school West attended was really interesting and the advanced technology they used, with the avatars especially was really intriguing. I have to admit I questioned the school’s involvement and whether Will made the right decision going straight to the school from the outset, but I think Frost handled these situations well.

I really liked Frost’s supporting cast. The mystery of the previous tenant in West’s room, which may have been an old trope, but is one that Frost employed successfully in this book, and I really liked Nick, Ajay, Elise and Brooke and how they contributed to the plot and humour.

I liked how the plot developed however did feel the final conflict in the book dragged on a few pages too long – that said, I prefer this to there being a complete anticlimax. Overall this book did have a lot of action and adventure and I think that fans of series like Alex Rider will enjoy the similarities in solving the secrets, however the strange and paranormal twists Frost injects makes this a book that is highly individual as well.

Overall this book was great fun and kept me guessing and glued to the pages as I read it. I received a free review copy from RHCP for (honest) reviewing purposes. The Paladin Prophecy is out now and I definitely recommend it to YA fans who want an adventurous but unusual read!

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Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

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Mystic City has been described as X-Men meets Romeo and Juliet, a description which immediately made me sit up and eagerly wait for my copy to arrive, which I had arranged to buddy read with Faye at a DayDreamer’s Thoughts and Daphne from Winged Reviews.

Set in a world with magic, but where the mystics live in the poor Depths and have to drain their powers, Aria has trouble remembering recent events. After a Stic, mystical power used as a drug, overdose, she cannot remember her relationship with Thomas Foster. He is a member of the Foster family, her family’s biggest political rivals and enemies. She has purportedly been in a relationship with him in secret, before her overdose, and their love has bought the families together to unite for the first time.

The concept is very promising and starts well with the intrigue of Aria’s lost memory and her sudden engagement. I have to say I was a little sceptical straight away of her love for Thomas Foster though. I also loved the inclusion of magic in an unusual futuristic echo of Manhattan. I also found the concept of a sinking party, something Aria attends in the book, really compelling as the irony of cheering destruction seemed so perverse and we see this through Aria’s eyes, as she herself begin to question the practice.

However, Mystic City ultimately didn’t grab me like I thought it would. While I read to the end and it was definitely readable, I found aspects very predictable; how her relationship with Mystic rebel Hunter developed for example and a twist about Aria’s life before the Stic. Also Aria is a hard character to relate to as she appeared very selfish at times. Over the course of the novel, Lawrence does develop Aria and we see that she is aware of the injustice for mystics and the role her family play in perpetuating this so that is a good aspect. Also I thought the influence of politics on Aria and her friends, Hunter and Thomas was another great thing in the novel. The Foster family and Aria’s family joining forces at the start and the political emphasis and importance on her relationship with Thomas and its manipulation for the media was a well-done driving force for Lawrence. As Aria herself is unsure of her feelings this definitely comes across to the reader, and I think this is why I was so sceptical from the start. To be told you’re in love with someone when you can’t remember ever having a real conversation with them would be difficult though and does make a great premise for a novel.

While Aria’s arc and the politics did interest me and keep me reading, I found that the romance aspect didn’t work for me, due to its predictability (but as it’s very Romeo and Juliet inspired and I’ve studied Shakespeare a lot over the years at school and uni it may be due to the trope itself rather than this individual book). I did like the concept of the world though and wish that it had been explored in more detail in places.

Dystopian fans and those who love a forbidden romance in their YA will, I expect, enjoy a lot about Mystic City. I received a free copy for reviewing purposes from the publishers, Random House Children’ Books. Mystic City is available now. I would also urge you if this book does intrigue to look at the lovely Laura at Sister Spooky’s review as she enjoyed it a lot and wrote a great, detailed review.

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Review: What’s Left Of Me by Kat Zhang

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What’s Left of Me is Kat Zhang’s debut novel, started when she just was eighteen years old, and tells the story of Eva and Addie. Two souls in the same body. Set in a world where everyone has two souls, but the less dominant soul fades away and vanishes in childhood, Addie is the passive soul. However she hasn’t vanished and has clung to some semblance of existence but is unable to move or talk. Only Addie knows she still exists and the two guard their secret closely. They have been told Hybrids are evil and dangerous so pretend that it is just Addie and Eva is long gone, but when they meet another hybrid and discover a way for Eva to move again everything changes.

What’s Left Of Me has a truly different concept and really tries to challenge the reader to consider life and existence as well as the soul. Neither Addie or Eva have any privacy from one another at any point, something I thought Zhang explored really well. Zhang demonstrates a great handle on prose and character, particularly the sibling bond, and considering this is a debut makes me excited to see what else she will write.

In some ways, there is a ghost of semblance between this and Meyer’s sci-fi novel The Host in the sense of exploring two beings in one body. That said, this book is different in the sense that Eva and Addie have always had each other and have an extremely close bond to one another and they are both young souls. The love and difficulties of being unable to escape your sister are well written and explored by Zhang. The claustrophobia was great, plus the sheer horror of Eva’s existence was chilling: paralysed in a body you cannot move. At times, I felt quite uncomfortable because of this lack of privacy or power the two characters faced.

I thought that the main male characters Ryan/Devon were brilliant and I really enjoyed every scene they were in. The development of their friendship with Eva in particular was well explored, as was Addie’s subsequent difficulties in sharing Eva after keeping her existence quiet for so long. The opening half of the novel establishes the world Eva and Addie inhabit well, but the second half really picks up the action and pace and leads to a thrilling final section.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, at times I did feel a little distant from Addie in particular. I did really like Eva and I thought that there was a lot of potential for the series. The scenes in the hospital were at times chilling, particularly one of the early realisations you make that I don’t want to spoil, and the host of characters there interesting.

I received a free review copy from Harper Collins Children’s Books (UK) for reviewing purposes. What’s Left Of Me is available to buy now.

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Blog Tour: Breathe by Sarah Crossan + Giveaway!

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So today I am really excited to be part of Breathe’s blog tour. Breathe is a fantastic YA dystopia and I really enjoyed it.

What happens next? – Will there be more books in the series or is Breathe a stand-alone title?

I wrote Breathe as a standalone title, and in my naivety was convinced I’d wrapped up the story in less than 80,000 words. My editor didn’t agree! And so there will be a sequel, which I am currently editing. I’m toying with the idea of a third novel, perhaps a prequel which explains the Switch in more detail, but nothing is set in stone as yet.

Now, I can also share with you the first chapter of Breathe and I also have a copy to give away courtesy of Bloomsbury. As this is provided by the publisher this giveaway is limited to the UK and Ireland.

I’ve had some problems uploading the pdf file to the post, but you can access it here: Breathe first chapter

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Giveaway Rules:

1. The giveaway is open from 11th October 2012 to 25th October 2012 at 12pm GMT.
2. Only entrants from the Uk and Ireland may enter this giveaway.
3. You do not have to follow ChooseYA to enter, but followers will receive an extra entry in the giveaway.
4. I reserve the right to remove any entries where I believe entrants have attempted to enter the competition multiple times or break any other rules.

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Review: Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

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Julie is the daughter of a witch; it isn’t as easy as you might think. When Julie witnesses her neighbour being thrown out of her home by a poltergeist, along with her best friend, Marcus, Julie decides to help. However, as more and more poltergeist activity surfaces, it becomes obvious something sinister is happening and when Julie’s mum is attacked by a spell that leaves her in a coma, Julie and Marcus have to save her.

Poltergeeks is a fabulously fun read. Filled with humour and action, it’s a book that you can really escape into. The characters feel three-dimensional; they aren’t perfect, they aren’t just blank stereotypes and Julie and Marcus have fabulous chemistry. The humour and snark in the narration and dialogue reminded me a little of Buffy at times which is great and I liked that Julie was a strong heroine, but she did not know everything at the same time. At the start of the book, her mum has to bail her out of the scrapes she gets herself into, but by the end she’s starting to harness her power and act more confidently and has the confidence to face relationships and challenges she was unable to at the start.

I really enjoyed the many disguises of the Tutelary as well and found the world that Cummings had created really effective as it straddled both the ‘real’ world and events that were more fantastic. The final quarter of the book is wonderfully action-packed and fun as we race along with Julie and Marcus to save her mother. In addition to this, the inclusion of Matthew Hopkins, a real-life historical witch hunter added an extra dimension to the novel and was really well done.

Marcus was a fun character; he could have been a caricature of the best friend/ geek stereotype but he felt really real. He wasn’t overly passive and he really cared about Julie. The plot is engaging and exciting and a slightly different twist on the witchcraft trope within YA. Considering the prevalence of paranormal YA, this was quite refreshing too – particularly because Julie is the one with the powers and the male character, Marcus, is the mortal ‘ordinary’ one.

Poltergeeks is as fun and geeky as the title suggests, and that’s a good thing! I will definitely be reading its sequel. I received a free proof for (honest) reviewing purposes from Strange Chemistry. Poltergeeks is out on the 4th October and I have posted a super cool guest post from Sean Cummings himself as part of his blog tour today on romance in YA you should definitely check out too!

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Review: Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

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Maggot Moon is one of the most remarkable and unique YA books I have had the pleasure of reading this year. When I requested it from Hot Key Books, I wasn’t sure what to expect but had great things from blogger friends about it, so was very excited about it. Maggot Moon tells the story of Standish Treadwell; dyslexic, with one best friend, Hector, a vivid imagination and who lives with his grandfather after his parents left.

Gardner’s world-building is nothing short of stunning. The world she has created, which seems so similar and simultaneously alien to the world we live in, is vivid and feels real. It’s sinister, brutal and chilling. The overall highlight however is Standish himself. His voice is so strongly written by Gardner and I was rooting for him from the first page. People have given up on him because of his dyslexia but he proves to be intelligent and brave in a cruel world.

Maggot Moon begins before the first Moon landing of the Motherland and after Standish’s best friend has gone missing. It is not a plot I can spoil for you but it is full of conspiracy, revolution and utterly inspiring. Gardner includes the sinister and terrifyingly oppressive regime Standish lives under and one scene at his school was particularly heart-renching.

The final part of the book was absolutely heart-renching and breathtaking. Between the suspense and well developed character Gardner brings to life, her prose is simply exquisite and the book is beautifully written. The ending in particular is a fantastic piece of prose and I just loved it.

Gardner also conveys friendship so well. YA generally, and in my opinion incorrectly, is seen as a ‘female’ genre filled with romances and vampires, but Maggot Moon is a book that defies this. It wonderfully explores the deep friendship between Hector and Standish and the loss of that when Hector vanishes as well as being full of adventure and rebellion.

I have to admit the ‘illustrations’ of a rat in the book did not quite work for me, though I understood the symbolism behind them and thought it was and interesting and unusual dimension to add to the book.

This book is intelligent, unusual and heartbreaking. One not to miss! I received a free copy for honest reviewing purposes from the publishers. Maggot Moon is available to buy now!

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Review: The Hunting by Sam Hawskmoor

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I adored Sam Hawksmoor’s debut, The Repossession so when I was offered the chance to review The Hunting, the sequel, I couldn’t say no. I needed to know what happened to the characters after the cliffhanger ending of the Hunting and I was really intrigued to see where Hawksmoor would take his characters from that point.

Immediately The Hunting takes us straight back into the world of The Repossession with Genie, Renee and Rian floating down a river and trying to escape the Fortress who may own Genie and Renee’s bodies, as they were at the end of the first book. Hawksmoor raises really interesting questions about what makes us human and developments in science, while telling a thrilling tale of adventure. I loved seeing how the three teenagers tried to survive and thwart those after them. I don’t want to go too into the plot to spoil it for readers, however they are twists aplenty and some ingenious moments with the trio evading capture, like making money in a festival selling cushions and how Genie had to disguise herself.More than in the first book, the gang are reliant on themselves rather than adults and I think this was very well handled as, for the sci-fiesque influenced plot, the characters acted like teenagers but at the same time developed in strong, brave characters each with their own skills and flaws.

I have to admit that at times during the points where Genie zoned out to see the other kids from the Fortress in a dream-like setting, I wasn’t sure if my interest was fully sustained. I haven’t read a lot of sci-fi though, so it could be more to do with that, and I did honestly like how every detail, even in these scenes, became important by the end.

The ending for me was perfect and I’m so glad Hawksmoor had the courage to take the characters where he did and make the reader question whether the right thing had been done, particularly seeing the effect on one couple! It leaves space open for a third book well, if there will be one, but overall the ending served as a brutal reminder that sometimes it isn’t as easy as saying they all lived happily ever after and I commend Hawksmoor for this. While I am sure some readers will be unhappy with the ending, I think it was the most honest and realistic avenue for the characters to take and this made it very different from the standard YA endings I have read in books of this type. That said, it may be difficult for fans of one particular coupling in the series to read!

Highly readable and equally full of adventure and character development, I think the Hunting was a fitting sequel to The Repossession and happily recommend it. I received a free review copy from Hodder Children’s Books/Hachette Children’s Books in exchange for my honest review. The Repossession is available to buy now!

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Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman

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Why We Broke Up is Daniel Handler’s YA novel with Maira Kalman and documents the break-up of Min and Ed. Min is on her way to Ed’s with the box that contains every reason they are breaking up, she’s writing a letter to explain each item too.

Why We Broke Up is reminiscent of John Green novels to me; the intelligent characters and Min’s interest in old films for example just reminded me of that type of contemporary. At times, I have to admit this made it feel a bit like Handler was trying a bit too hard to make Min cool and edgy, but he juxtaposed this really well with Ed, a more ‘stereotypical’ popular teen. I really enjoyed the dimension their differences added to Ed and Min’s relationship. When you’re a teenager, who you’re friends with can feel like everything so for two people from different ‘cliques’ to come together in a book honestly, there had to be references to those differences. The expectations of dating a popular guy, of falling in love for the first time often don’t match up to the reality and I feel that this really showed it well.

Beautifully written and accompanied with stunning illustrations that really make this novel stand out, this book documents the rise and fall of a relationship perfectly. Every item and it’s emotional significance and story worked well for me and I thought that the anecdotes flowed well from one to the other. I also loved how they were linked a lot of the time, like the actress Min admired and thought she saw and her overall significance not only to the plot, but to their entire relationship. Some of my favourite moments in the book were the final confrontation scenes between Ed and Min, and one of the fundamental reasons they broke up, along with Ed and Min’s first date.

Overall this book depicted the highs and lows of that ‘high school’ love very well, with developed characters and a compelling relationship. From what started as a seemingly great relationship, Handler shows the reader how easily that first serious relationship can be derailed. It is not a hopeless book though and Min’s best friend Al seems a perfect match for her and I am sure I am not the only reader left wondering what the future will hold for them. The strain on her friendship with him and pull between her friends and Ed’s friends was really well written and honest to life. I also loved that it was the summation of all of the little things, and a few big things, that ultimately led to the break-up.

Why We Broke Up is available to buy now and comes highly recommended from me! If you are a fan of contemporary YA, this is a book not to miss and the art within it really makes it something special. I received a free proof of this book from Electric Monkey for reviewing purposes.

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