★ 08/18/2014
In this series opener, Lu (the Legend trilogy) pivots from the “coming of age via romance” formula to pry apart the many emotions that pass under the rubric of love. Adelina Amouteru, once-privileged daughter of a merchant, is irrevocably changed by the blood fever, an epidemic that wiped out infected adults and left most child survivors permanently scarred malfettos. A handful also underwent mutations that conferred strange, often lethal powers. All malfettos are persecuted, but these mutant Young Elites are special targets. Harrowingly, Adelina discovers that she is one. Rescued by a masked firebrand from certain death under the government’s Inquisition, she awakens in the custody of Raffaele, a male prostitute, and Enzo, malfetto aspirant to the throne. A beautiful woman surrounded by beautiful men, Adelina nevertheless is not defined by romance. Warped family bonds shape her consciousness and yearning for acceptance, and the men are out to get what they want from her. There’s nothing easy here, for Adelina or readers—there are no safe places where the pressures of betrayal, death threats, and rejection aren’t felt. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency. (Oct.)
This year’s most thrilling teen releases take readers on journeys to postapocalyptic kingdoms, the bottom of the sea, a madcap Florida, and a former asylum that will make your skin crawl. Here are the books young readers will be putting on their wish lists this holiday season.
A teen novelist, set loose in New York City after her debut sells big. A girl mutated by fever, just discovering the extent of her new supernatural powers. The dregs of the human race, fighting to survive alien invasion. In the best teen books of the year, young protagonists navigate life in our world and at the end of it. They struggle to survive and thrive in imagined universes, dead-end towns, and deep under the sea. These are the year’s most moving, heart-pounding, and engrossing teen books.
For every hero who was obviously destined for greatness (Superman, I’m looking at you), there’s a totally inconspicuous, unexpected counterpart. You know, the kind of awkward, hopeless type who’s constantly tripping over pebbles or telling terrible knock-knock jokes. But really, the unexpected ones are the best kind of hero—so here are some of our favorites.
This summer’s Openly YA tour, starring author David Levithan, Bill Konigsberg, Adam Silvera, and Will Walton, is chock full of amazing. So much so that it got us thinking about other inspired lineups we’d love to see! Too good to be true? Of course! But a girl can dream, can’t she?
This is a month of thrilling returns: Stephenie Meyer is back, Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl spinoff is FINALLY here, and Miss Peregrine fans can now read her peculiar children’s story in one week-long binge. Other exciting new reads include a Victorian murder mystery and a futuristic invasion story told entirely in classified documents and other “found” ephemera. Here […]