Teenreads.com Blog

Ally Carter, author of the bestselling Gallagher Girls books, is set to release the first installment of a new series on February 9th, called HEIST SOCIETY. Below, she explains how a "farm girl" like herself can have so much in common with the characters she's created... who just so happen to be spies and thieves.


When I was two years old my parents packed up my family and moved us to the farm where my mother was born. It’s a small farm, but beautiful, and the day we moved there is the day that the single-most important aspect of my personality began to form --- that’s the day I became a farm girl.

It’s true. Really, it is.

I have driven tractors, worked cattle, shucked corn, raked hay, and painted fences. I remember being the only member of the family small enough to climb inside the baler and clean it out when it got clogged while Daddy was baling hay. I remember the summer before I started kindergarten being allowed responsibility for my very own gate when working cows. There is never a time, in fact, when I don’t remember working right beside my parents, doing my part in the family business.

And that’s why I write what I write: books about spies and thieves.

See the connection? Really, you don’t? Okay, let me explain.

When I started writing about the Gallagher Girls I knew from the very beginning that Cammie Morgan (the main character) was the daughter of two elite spies, and that Cammie would constantly struggle with the best way to follow in her parents’ footsteps. My new series, Heist Society, started with a single line scratched on a spare piece of paper --- “the daughter of thieves.”

Kat and Cammie may be on opposite sides of the law, but the more I dove into Kat’s world, the more familiar it felt and the more I came to realize that these characters have a lot in common with each other --- and with me. I realized that, in a way, I keep writing my own story --- the story of girls who have been going to work in a family business every day of their lives. They talk shop around the kitchen table. They were given responsibility and training at a very young age. And, like me, they’ve been raised in worlds that are commonly considered to be male-dominated fields. (Kat and I have both spent a lot of time as the only girl in the room.)

While I was crawling up into that baler in the middle of our family’s hayfield, Kat was crawling through air ducts at the Tower of London. While my father was pointing out the different types of weeds and grasses to me as we walked through the pasture, Cammie’s father was pointing out how to spot a surveillance detail on a crowded street.

So they aren’t so unalike, Kat and Cammie.

I guess, in a way, they’re both farm girls too.

-- Ally Carter

Labels: Ally Carter, Heist Society

Lovers of fantasy, have we got a treat for you! Melina Marchetta --- the award-winning author of powerful, emotionally driven coming-of-age fiction like SAVING FRANCESCA, LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI, and ON THE JELLICO ROAD --- recently tried her hand at this new genre, and the end result is a spellbinding, epic novel that's already a big hit in her native Australia. Teeming with plenty of magic, intrigue and romance, her latest, FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK, promises to be a hauntingly beautiful, dark and complex tale about a cursed kingdom and the young hero destined to save it.

While the book won't hit store and library shelves until February 9th, its captivating book trailer is making its rounds now. Check it out below, and share your thoughts in the comments!

Labels: Book Trailer, Finnikn of the Rock, Melina Marchetta

Brianna K. from Chicago, IL joins us for today's Reader Q&A, where she talks about the last good book she read, favorite film adaptations, and the three fictional characters she'd like to meet.


What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

THE REFORMED VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP. Definitely, because it's a different take on vampires and makes fleeting references to Stephenie Meyer. It's cool to see how vampire lit affects others in the genre.

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

Meggie from the Inkheart Trilogy, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, and Mr. Darcy from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." - THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: I liked the book better, but I think it was mostly because the movie had to give the story a definitive plot while the book didn't necessarily.

Harry Potter: I like them equally because I still believe that the movies are good interpretations of the book.

Inkheart: I thought it was a brilliant and faithful interpretation. SO beautiful.

Labels: Reader Q and A

What is “Incarceron”? It is a prison like no other in the sense that the prisoners don’t believe in the idea of an “Outside.” But after 17-year-old Finn discovers a link to the world outside of Incarceron’s walls, the race is on to escape the prison --- a prison that has as many secrets as it does prisoners.

Check back later this month for our review of INCARCERON, a novel from Catherine Fisher (author of the Oracle series) that is being hailed as “one of the best fantasy novels written for a long time.” But, in the mean time, watch its book trailer below and let us know what you think!

Labels: Book Trailer, Catherine Fisher, Incarceron

Got a story you want told? A poem you want praised? Do you feel like you have what it takes to become the next J.K. Rowling or Shel Silvertein? If that’s the case, then you’ll be happy to hear about HarperCollins Publishers’ newest venture, inkpop. Inkpop is like social networking meets fan fiction --- an online community where teens can come together to share their writing with the world. But the big difference is that on inkpop, not only will your peers be viewing your works, but HarperCollins editors will be reading as well, and they will be choosing select works for publication.

With already over 11,000 submissions --- including short stories, poems, and even full-length novels --- from over 100 countries, inkpop is growing at an alarming rate. An online community for those who have a passion for reading and writing, inkpop serves as a shining beacon for the revolution of the written word in the 21st century. If you have a story to tell, it’s your responsibility to share your creativity with the rest of the world. We will be here, waiting patiently.

Visit HarperCollins's inkpop here.

Labels: Fun Stuff, HarperCollins, Inkpop

This week's new releases are all about fantasy and teen drama, with six buzzworthy titles sure to satisfy your cravings for everything from other-worldly adventures and star-crossed lovers to twisted fairy-tale endings and even a zombie romance. Sure to keep you on the edge of your seat are Catherine Ryan's dystopic UK hit INCARCERON and BONES OF FAERIE by Jannie Lee Simner, while the more grounded CULTURE CLASH by L. Divine and Leslie Connor's WAITING FOR NORMAL temper the atmospheric fiction of Frewin Jones's THE ENCHANTED QUEST and I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND LIKED IT with high school social issues and coming-of-age survival stories.


New Releases for January 26

Hardcover

THE ENCHANTED QUEST: Faerie Path #5 by Frewin Jones (HarperTeen)
Far from the Realm of Faerie, a quest to save immortality . . .

A deadly plague is sweeping through Faerie, and no one is immune to its bite. Now, with the guidance of the Dream Weaver, Tania, Rathina, and a mortal ally, Connor, must head off to find the Divine Harper --- the only one who can help Tania renew the Faerie Covenant of Immortality. Their quest will soon take them outside the borders of Faerie, to hostile and unwelcoming lands beyond.

On their travels, Tania and her companions encounter danger at every turn as they battle pirates, contend with mysterious and mystical beings, and try to outwit those under the sinister grip of the Dark Arts. But when Tania's beloved Edric appears, it looks as if they have help at last. Or do they? As tensions and dangers rise, Tania is forced to question everything and everyone around her in order to decide if she is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her loved ones.

INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher (Dial Books for Young Readers)
Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside --- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.


Paperback

DRAMA HIGH: CULTURE CLASH by L. Divine (Dafina)
Ever since she discovered a love for drag racing, it's full speed ahead for Jayd Jackson. . .
Fed up with the way her school's handling Cultural Awareness Day, Jayd and her crew decide to form the first African Student Union. Now some notorious haters are out for blood. But that's not the only multicultural activity Jayd's got cooking. On the boy front, Jayd discovers she loves being behind the wheel of her friends' hot rods, but she can't deny her attraction for Emilio, the new Latino sophomore at South Bay High. Emilio seems to be crushin' hard on Jayd too. And now that Jayd may be South Bay's last virgin, she wonders if it's time to take things to the next level.

I KISSED A ZOMBIE, AND I LIKED IT by Adam Selzer (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Algonquin “Ali” Rhodes, the high school newspaper’s music critic, meets an intriguing singer, Doug, while reviewing a gig. He’s a weird-looking guy --- goth, but he seems sincere about it, like maybe he was into it back before it was cool. She introduces herself after the set, asking if he lives in Cornersville, and he replies, in his slow, quiet murmur, “Well, I don’t really live there, exactly. . . .”

When Ali and Doug start dating, Ali is falling so hard she doesn’t notice a few odd signs: he never changes clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally Marie, the school paper’s fashion editor, points out the obvious: Doug isn’t just a really sincere goth. He’s a zombie. Horrified that her feelings could have allowed her to overlook such a flaw, Ali breaks up with Doug, but learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of --- at the same time she learns that vampires, a group as tightly-knit as the mafia, don’t think much of music critics who make fun of vampires in reviews. . . .

BONES OF FAERIE by Janni Lee Simner (Random House Books for Young Readers)
The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see --- into the past, into the future --- and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Janni Lee Simner’s first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction --- as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique.

WAITING FOR NORMAL by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen)
Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie all to home, where she wants to be with her half sisters. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal.

Labels: New Releases

Libby Schmais's first novel for young adults, THE PILLOW BOOK OF LOTUS LOWENSTEIN, follows a teenage francophile and her humorous, less-than-successful attempts to live and love in the footsteps of some famous Parisian existentialists. Today, Libby joins us with ruminations on the value of romance, and shares some back story on the legendary French couple idolized by her 16-year-old heroine.


With Valentine’s Day looming on the horizon, my thoughts turn to romance and of course, chocolat (hint, hint). In my novel, THE PILLOW BOOK OF LOTUS LOWENSTEIN, the main character, Lotus, is obsessed with French food and the romance between Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, two famous Parisian existentialists. JP (as Lotus likes to call him) and Simone had an open relationship, which worked for them (although to be honest, I’m not sure how happy Simone was about it), but when Lotus tries to replicate it with her love interest Sean, it doesn’t turn out too well.

Maybe writing about Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir seems an odd choice for a book about teens, but what I like about JP and Simone is that they are so not the poster couple for a healthy relationship, but at the same time they had a great romance.

What was so romantic about this famous couple? Well, for Lotus (and moi), much of the romance stems in imagining how they lived, seeing the two of them sitting around in Café des Deux Magots in Paris, their favorite hangout, writing, mercilessly editing each other’s books, drinking endless espressos and having long discussions about philosophy, love, politics and all the ideas of the day.

The romance was also in how they seemed so free, so willing to sacrifice "normal life" for their life of ideas. The couple is even buried in the same grave, at the famous Cimitière de Montparnasse (which I plan to visit on my next trip to Paris).

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that we should emulate this dysfunctional relationship. Back in Brooklyn, when Sean and Lotus attempt to follow the freethinking ideas of these two famous existentialists, it doesn’t translate all that well to their real life. Lotus almost loses her best friend, finds out that Sean was not all that she thought he was, and realizes that she doesn’t like to share --- especially when it comes to l‘amour.

And yet, there’s still a great value to romance, and it’s something that we lose in the day-to-day, quotidien-ness of our lives and relationships. It’s something that takes us out of ourselves and makes us long for a bigger, more dramatic life. It’s funny --- I doubt whether Simone de Beauvoir, who saw herself as a serious intellectual, not to mention an early feminist, would have been comfortable being seen as a romantic heroine. Here’s a quote of hers on love and romance: “Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, the romance and you find out you still care for that person.”

Now that is deeply romantic!


-- Libby Schmais

Labels: Libby Schmais, The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein

In today's Reader Q&A, 14-year-old Alexandria Poggio from Linden, CA shares a favorite quote that sends her a-flutter each time she reads it, reveals what she'd ask Sarah Dessen if she were ever given the chance to meet her, and explains why she almost physically assaulted (jokingly, of course!) her local librarian.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

If I could be any character from a book for a day, it would be Alice from ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll. What can I say, I'm a sucker for adventure. Exploring my wonderland is what I do most of the time anyway, but I would be happy that this would only last for one day so I can slip out right before the Queen of Hearts cuts off my head!

What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

The last book I read was THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan. It was great! It's filled with everything I love in a book. It was a love, adventure, and horror story all in one. I have already recommended it to lots of people. I practically threw the book at my librarian to read it (JK).

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

I would invite:
Hannah Baker from THIRTEEN REASONS WHY because I had so many questions I wanted to ask her at the end of the book.
Ruby from LOCK AND KEY because I love her rebel attitude.
Katniss from THE HUNGER GAMES because she is smart and adventurous.

Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?

Yes, it is said by Edward Cullen in NEW MOON by Stephine Meyer, from chapter 23, p.514.

"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars --- points of light and reason... And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything."

It gives me butterflies every time I read it.

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

TWO-WAY STREET by Lauren Barnholdt is my favorite romance novel. I literally read this book three times so I could get that feeling in the pit of my stomach that only a good book could give you.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins is another favorite. This book is like eating the perfect piece of candy. You always want more.

My next favorite would be a Sarah Dessen book. Probably LOCK AND KEY. Ruby always tries to save others when she is the one who needs to be saved and that reminds me of myself in many ways.

If you had the opportunity to meet any author (dead or alive), who would you choose to meet, and what three questions would you ask him/her?

It would be Sarah Dessen, my all-time favorite author. I would ask her:
1) which book that you wrote do you think is your best?
2)What are you working on now?
3)What is your all-time favorite book?

Labels: Reader Q and A

Today's guest blogger is Lauren Kate, author of THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE and the newly released FALLEN. Below, she explains why "lying" isn't necessarily such a bad thing, especially for readers and writers of fiction.

And if you haven't already, check out Lauren's Author Q&A and FALLEN book trailer we posted earlier, here.

Have you ever played the game Truth, Truth, Lie? The rules, er…rule is simple: working around the room, each person tells (in any order) two true statements about him or herself along with one lie. The object is to guess is to guess the lie --- which gets harder and more fun when you play with some skilled fabricators.

Because the truths have to measure up to the lies in terms of how interesting or bizarre they are, people usually offer some pretty juicy details. The kinds of things that never come up in small talk. I once dated a girl with the same name as my ex so I wouldn’t have to get my tattoo removed. That kind of thing.

I love the game because it never fails to get a group of strangers loosened up and laughing. Plus…it actually encourages making up a big fat lie, then playing it off as if it were a fact! And who gets away with that past the elementary school playground?

Well…writers do.

When I teach creative writing workshops, I like to play Truth, Truth, Lie on the first day of class. Some of you might not think encouraging your students to lie is the brightest idea. That I’m just setting myself up for a semester full of my-dog-ate-my-homework-on-the-same-day-as-my-grandmother’s-funeral kind of stuff. But that seems a small price to pay to convey the idea that great fiction relies on a steady combination of truth and lie. The lie is there to catch our fancy, and set a story aloft; the truth tethers it back to reality and makes it accessible to readers.

And all the lying writers do? It’s contagious.

When writers lie, what they’re really doing is giving their imagination free reign. Think of Yann Martel writing those incredibly affecting tiger-in-the-rowboat scenes in LIFE OF PI. A masterpiece of a lie.

When characters lie, they get termed “unreliable narrators” and we love them all the more for it. Think of Holden Caulfield, maybe the most famous liar in American fiction, who grows more charming with every fib he tells in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.

Readers: before you get all self-righteous, understand that you lie, too. A really good book will practically force you to. You lie to suspend your disbelief, to make the impossible possible, to comprehend how in the world a starving tiger in a rowboat wouldn’t eat that character you’ve come to care about so deeply.

As a reader, caught up in a great story’s web of lies is one of my favorite places to be. As a writer, lying lets me live out any far-fetched narrative I can come up with --- as long as I can balance it out with enough truth that you’ll suspend your disbelief when you pick up my book.
I’ll leave you with a turn at Truth, Truth, Lie and challenge you to try and separate fact from fiction:

1. I have worked as a door-to-door discount carwash sales person.
2. When I was fourteen, I went to the junior Olympics for giant slalom snow skiing.
3. My husband totaled our car thirty minutes before our wedding.


-- Lauren Kate


Please check out The Book Butterfly for the next stop on Lauren's blog tour.

Labels: Fallen, Lauren Kate

Joining us for today's Reader Q&A is Angie Lindell from Spokane Valley, WA. In her responses below, she discusses the life-altering aspects of the Harry Potter series, explains her reasons for liking the Lord of the Rings movies far more than the books, and reveals why she'd want to spend a day in Elizabeth Bennett's shoes.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

That's hard since there are so many! But, of course, the first that comes to mind is Elizabeth Bennet from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. And for the "why"? Um, Mr. Darcy! ;)

What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

The last book I read was ENVY by Anna Godbersen. I would definitely recommend it to a friend because, though it is sometimes frustrating, I think the reason why it's so good is BECAUSE it is frustrating! With all the twists, shocks, and misunderstandings in the various romances and climbs for social standing, you are on the edge of your seat like it's a thriller. The Luxe books are very engrossing and fun.

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

Chloe from the Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong, Max from the Maximum Ride books by James Patterson, and Suze from the Mediator books by Meg Cabot. Can you imagine? That would be awesome.

Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?

"Mars is bright tonight," from HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE because it always makes me laugh. But even more so (SPOILER ALERT to anyone who hasn't read HP7 yet!), "Albus Severus" from the epilogue of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. I was sobbing at that.

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

Oh gosh. Can the Harry Potter series count as one book? Otherwise every slot is filled with them. So, I'm sorry but it would have to be:
1. Harry Potter series
2. Twilight series
3. A Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy

That is really hard for me to do. There are SO MANY books I love with my entire being. It doesn't seem fair to all my other beloved titles.

If you had the opportunity to meet any author (dead or alive), who would you choose to meet, and what three questions would you ask him/her?

I guess it would have to be J. K. Rowling, just because of how much I love HP. I would ask:
1. Do you realize the impact you had on readers' imaginations and lives?
2. Do you truly know how much your books have touched and enamored me from the age of 12 to 22?
3. Will you ever write more HP, or some variation of it?"

What movies have you seen that were based on books? Did you like the book or film version better? Why?

I have seen many. I'll only talk about three. I found the Lord of the Rings books to be rather slow and difficult to stick with --- but I adore the movies and think they improved upon the plots and characters brilliantly! I have seen the HP movies and though I very much enjoy them, they hardly compare to the majestic and wonderful books!

I have also seen Twilight and I found it surprisingly accurate and close to the book --- both romantic and atmospheric wise. I don't get all the fans not liking Edward. Was he a little different? Of course! But I thought he was close enough! And, Kristen Stewart and the rest of the movie were fantastic!

Tell us about your favorite book series.

Oh gosh... Harry Potter! I used to resist declaring Harry Potter my favorite because there are so many books in different categories and different age ranges that I adore and have read multiple times --- but Harry Potter has more details and characters and impact on my life than any other. I spent years waiting for the next book, devouring it, rereading a billion times. And I still love them! So, yes, Harry Potter is my favorite.

Labels: Reader Q and A

This week’s titles feature a little something for everyone, including exciting tales of mystery, self-discovery, and even a dose of the supernatural! Don’t miss out on Norma Fox Mazer’s psychological thriller, THE MISSING GIRL, a story of five sisters being watched by an unknown man --- but exactly who is he? This is a big week for Rosewood’s four prettiest --- yet most devious --- girls of Sara Shepard’s thrilling series Pretty Little Liars, as #6: KILLER is released in paperback and #7: HEARTLESS debuts in hardcover. For your zombie fix, make sure to check out Stacey Jay’s UNDEAD MUCH, as Megan’s power to unsettle the dead has returned!

New Releases for January 19th

Hardcover

THE MARK by Jen Nadol (Bloomsbury USA Children's Books)
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark --- a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret --- even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend --- with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

HEARTLESS: Pretty Little Liars #7: by Sara Shepard (HarperTeen)
In picturesque Rosewood, Pennsylvania, neighbors gossip over picket fences, and gleaming SUVs sit in every crushed-granite driveway. But recently, friendly smiles have been replaced with suspicious glares and accusatory whispers --- and it's all because Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer just can't keep their mouths shut. . . .

First they claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire.

Hanna's trading in her Dior trench for a straitjacket. Aria's trying to contact the dead. Emily's dumped her boyfriend and is skipping town . . . again. And Spencer thinks someone in her family has gotten away with murder.

The friends insist they're telling the truth about what they saw, but all of Rosewood thinks they're simply out for attention --- and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after the girls, will anyone believe them . . . or will they be the next to disappear?

PLAYER’S RUSE by Hilari Bell (HarperTeen)
Friends Are More Trouble Than Foes

Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, were just beginning to enjoy the quiet life. They really should have known better. When Lady Rosamund runs away from home to marry a traveling player, former knight errant Michael makes a noble promise to help the object of his unrequited love. The quest takes our would-be heroes to the coastal town of Huckerston, where savage sea pirates called wreckers terrorize the coast. With the help of a reluctant Fisk, Michael plans on catching the wreckers and winning back his lady; but when mysterious murders and dangerous accidents threaten the town and its players, love might be the least of his problems. . . .

Part buddy novel, part medieval whodunit, the latest installment of Hilari Bell's Knight and Rogue Novels continues the boys' saga with another classic tale of mishaps, wit, and adventure.


Paperback

THE MISSING GIRL by Norma Fox Mazer (HarperTeen)
This is the story of five sisters --- Beauty, Mim, Stevie, Fancy, and Autumn --- and the man who watches men.

He could be any ordinary man . . . but he's not. Unaware of his scrutiny and his increasingly forbidden thoughts about them, the sisters go on with their ordinary lives --- planning, arguing, laughing, and crying --- as if nothing bad could ever breach the security of their family.

In alternating points of view, Norma Fox Mazer manages to interweave the lives of predator and prey in this unforgettable psychological thriller.
- Click here to read our review of THE MISSING GIRL.

STANDING AGAINST THE WIND by Traci L. Jones (Square Fish)
Patrice Williams was happy living in Georgia with her grandmother, then her mother lured her to Chicago and ended up in jail. Living in the projects, Patrice is an easy target for everyone. Not only won’t she stand up for herself, she cares about her grades --- unlike her classmates. But that draws the attention of Monty Freeman, another eighth grader who asks Patrice to tutor his little brother. When Monty becomes her guardian angel, Patrice begins to think something stronger than friendship might be growing between them. Still, nothing will stop her from applying for a scholarship at prestigious Dogwood Academy --- except her mother.

KILLER: Pretty Little Liars, Book 6 by Sara Shepard (HarperTeen)
In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystals. But pictures often lie --- and so do Rosewood's four prettiest girls.

Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been lying ever since they became friends with beautiful Alison DiLaurentis. Ali made them do terrible things --- things they had to keep secret for years. And even though Ali was killed at the end of seventh grade, their bad-girl ways didn't die with her.

Hanna's on a mission to corrupt Rosewood's youth, starting with a very attractive sophomore. Aria's snooping into her boyfriend's past. Spencer's stealing --- from her family. And pure little Emily's abstaining from abstinence.

The girls should be careful, though. They thought they were safe when Ali's killer was arrested and A's true identity was finally revealed. But now there's a new A in town turning up the heat. And this time Rosewood is going to burn.
- Click here to read more about KILLER.


New Releases for January 21st

Paperback

UNDEAD MUCH: Megan Berry, Book 2 by Stacey Jay (Razorbill)
Q: How many guys does it take to make your boyfriend wild with jealousy?
A: Only one, if he's UNDEAD.

Megan Berry had a perfectly average new-sundress-and-boy-obsessed life --- until her power to settle the Undead returned. Oh, and then her best friend tried to kill her --- and ruin homecoming --- with a bunch of black magically raised zombies. At least she got a spot on the pom squad and a smokin' boyfriend (Ethan). But now Megan is in deep fertilizer all over again.

Why? Well, let's see...
· Feral new super-strong zombies? Check.
· Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening half time as they know it? Check.
· An Undead psychic hottie (Cliff) who's predicting a zombie apocalypse --- and doing his best to tempt Megan away from Ethan? Yum. I mean, Check.
· Earth-shattering secrets that could land Megan in Settler prison for life? Um, IT WASN'T ME!!!

Everyone thinks Megan's at fault for the new uber-zombie uprising. Looks like she'll need the help of both Cliff and Ethan if she's going to prove her innocence before it's too late...

Labels: New Releases

Being a vampire princess isn't all it's cracked up to be for Solange Drake, heroine of the new paranormal series, The Drake Chronicles. Below, author Alyxandra Harvey shares her protagonist's top ten reasons to dread the arrival of her 16th birthday and the major changes that come with it.


Solange Drake from HEARTS AT STAKE/MY LOVE LIES BLEEDING has lots of reasons not to want to be a vampire princess:

1. I am not going to wear a tiara. You can't make me.

2. Drinking blood is disgusting. I mean really, who does that?

3. I smell. Okay, not literally, but all vampires give off some kind of pheromone (tasteless and odorless) used to confuse humans so they can feed easily. My particular pheromones, being the first daughter born to our family in centuries, are apparently particularly powerful, even on other vampires. It makes them think they're in love with me or something. And it's really annoying.

4. Prophecies. Vampires can be really superstitious and traditional. Add some ancient prophecy that says I'm the next queen and what you get is a big fat mess.

5. Vampire Hunters. They are not nice. And they carry really pointy sticks.

6. Sunlight. After my birthday, sunlight is going to hurt. It won't kill me but it'll make me pass out so that any passing vampire hunter can finish the job.

7. Seven overprotective big brothers.

8. The Bloodchange. On my 16th birthday, I turn into a vampire. Or, if the bloodchange is too violent, I die.

9. My best friend Lucy thinks she's invincible. And I'm really scared she's going to get hurt trying to save me.

10. Lady Natasha. Self-styled vampire queen. Also, psychotic. And she wants me dead.


-- Alyxandra Harvey

Labels: Alyxandra Harvey, Hearts at Stake, The Drake Chronicles

Today's Reader Q&A comes from Daisy Whitney, from Short Hills, NJ. Below, she shares some recent reads, as well as book recommendations and favorite quotes. And if you'd like to take part in our Reader Q&A, fill out the form here.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

I would trade places with Frankie Landau-Banks from THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS because she is the girl I wish I was in high school --- a provocateur, a change agent, a bold, fearless feminist!

What is the last book you read? Would you suggest it to a friend? Why or why not?

The last book I read was CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins and I would recommend it to everyone in the entire universe because it is epic!

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

1) Colonel from LOOKING FOR ALASKA, for humor.
2) Mia from IF I STAY, for courage.
3) Henry from THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, because he can time travel!

Do you have a favorite quote from a book? If so, what is it?

"When I was young, a teacher had forbidden me to say 'more perfect' because she said if a thing is perfect it can't be more so. But by now I had seen enough of life to have regained my confidence in it.
-- A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

1) A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT because it's sparsely gorgeous and is full of universal truths.
2) Harry Potter because it's brilliant and an epic tale of good versus evil.
3) SOMETHING BORROWED Emily Giffin because I can read it again and again and still feel that desire for the main characters to get together.

Labels: Reader Q and A

Today, former Bookreporter staffer and debut author Anna Jarzab stops by to introduce herself to Teenreads.com readers after working behind the scenes with us for nearly two years. If you were curious about typical bio information like where she grew up or went to school or how she started writing, too bad! Instead, she chooses a handful of obscure tidbits about herself, ranging from middle-school science fair exploits to food addictions to the meaning of her last name. Be sure to check out her novel, ALL UNQUIET THINGS, which just hit stores yesterday.


1. Even after years of extensive reading and study of the English language (and many, many visits to the relevant Wikipedia page), I’m still not entirely sure what a non sequitur is.

2. As far as I know, the only person I share my name with in the US is a one-year-old baby who was born on my birthday. Which is today, by the way.

3. I drink my tea with milk, like the British, even though I am not British.

4. All we listened to on the radio while I was growing up were oldies and classical, so I didn’t know that “they” were making new music until I was in the eighth grade, when I got my first CD from a friend for Christmas --- Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill.

5. My favorite short story is “Love is a Fallacy” by Max Shulman.

6. I’m totally fascinated by the Mitford family. I’m slowly collecting all the books written about or by them, and Nancy’s novels are some of my favorite books of all time.

7. I’m addicted to Diet Coke.

8. My last name is Polish. Jarzab is a kind of flowering tree; in English it’s called a serviceberry, among other names.

9. I won fourth place in my eighth grade science fair, with a project entitled “How Acid Rain Affects Plants.” Spoiler! Not well.

10. I love pickled beets.

-- Anna Jarzab

Labels: All Unquiet Things, Anna Jarzab

Just before the holidays, we invited all of you to start sharing your book-related thoughts with us here on the Teenreads blog by answering a few questions about what you're reading. One of the first to answer was fourteen-year-old Makayla Donigan from Richmond, VA. Check out her responses below as she discusses her favorite books and series, thinks up her dream birthday guest list, and reveals whose fictional life she'd like to live for a day. If you like what you read, be sure to leave Makayla a comment below! And if you'd like to take part in the Reader Q&A, click here.


If you could trade places with any character from a book for a day, who would you be and why?

I would trade places with Aslinn from WICKED LOVELY. She's got two guys fighting over her, and she's a queen --- who could want more?

Name three characters from a book that you'd like to invite to your birthday party.

I would invite Alaska, from John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA, Ian, from THE HOST, and Georgia Nicholson.

Tell us about your top three favorite books of all time.

1. THE BELL JAR --- It is just the best thing ever.
2. FAME, GLORY AND OTHER THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST --- It has just been a favorite of mine since 6th grade and I can always read it when I need a fix.
3. SONG OF THE SPARROW --- Just great, and uber-creative.

Tell us about your favorite book series.

My favorite book series is the Morganville Vampires. It is never a let down with many strong characters and a solid plot line. She shoves a much action in a book tiny book that is quick to read, and since its paperback its good for my wallet!

Labels: Reader Q and A

We have nine exciting new releases sure to please fans of mysteries and thrillers! This week is all about ordinary teens who find themselves confronting drama and scandal in unexpected places. Make sure to check out Anna Jarzab’s debut mystery thriller, ALL UNQUIET THINGS, filled with the secrets and lies of Brighton Day School; April Lurie’s LESS THAN DEAD, featuring the investigation of a serial killer led by a teenager; and Caroline B. Cooney’s THEY NEVER CAME BACK, a gripping novel exploring the idea of mistaken identity. Don’t miss out on this week’s action-packed page-turners!


New Releases for January 12th

Hardcover

ALL UNQUIET THINGS by Anna Jarzab (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it --- especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

BOYS, GIRLS AND OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS by Rosalind Wiseman (Putnam Juvenile)
Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean-girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama.

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.

Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.

FLIGHTSEND: A Summer of Discovery by Linda Newbery (David Fickling Books/Random House)
Flightsend is Charlie's new home, whether she likes it or not. Her mother sees it as an end to all that’s gone so tragically wrong. They had been a proper family. Mum; her boyfriend, Sean; and Charlie, with a new baby sister on the way. But the baby died before she was born and everything changed. Gradually, Charlie’s mother pushed Sean away, before resigning from her job and selling the house.

Charlie is certain that the move to a ramshackle cottage, miles from anywhere, can only make things worse. She couldn’t be more wrong. For Charlie’s mum there’s a new business and the fresh start that she knew she needed. And for Charlie there’s a new job, new friends, a newly discovered talent for art, and new feelings for two very different men. It’s a summer of beginnings, not ends; a summer that Charlie will never forget.

THE LESS-DEAD by April Lurie (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Noah Nordstrom has been dissing the religious beliefs of his father, who hosts a popular Christian radio show and whom Noah accuses of spreading hate. When two local gay teens are murdered, Noah’s anti-evangelism intensifies --- he’s convinced that the killer is a caller on his dad’s program.

Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy. But when he learns that Will is gay, Noah gets a little weirded out. Especially since Will seems really into him. Noah gives Will the brush-off. Meanwhile, the killer is still at large . . . and soon Noah finds the next victim. It’s Will.

Racked with guilt, Noah decides to investigate. He knows the serial killer is targeting gay teens, but only those who live in foster homes, whose deaths are not that important to society; they are the less-dead. Noah, however, is determined to prove that someone cares. With the help of Will’s journal, which he pocketed at the scene of the crime and in which the killer has written clues, Noah closes in on an opponent more dangerous than he can guess.

THEY NEVER CAME BACK by Caroline B. Cooney (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
In a busy school cafeteria, a teenage girl is confronted by a classmate who questions her identity. He explains to the students who have crowded around that the girl bears an uncanny resemblance to his cousin, who was taken away by social services five years ago. Her parents abandoned her, fleeing the country after being accused of embezzling millions of dollars. The students are intrigued, but the girl shrugs off the attention as a case of mistaken identity.

As the days pass, however, the boy refuses to relent and even brings his parents in to back him up. But they are not the only adults involved. An FBI agent who has been working the case these past five years believes that whoever this girl is, she can serve as bait to help the FBI capture the fugitives. In this powerful novel that explores the possibility of mistaken identity, the evils of money and greed, and the heartfelt obligations of family and loyalty, Caroline B. Cooney has once again crafted a page-turner that will resonate with readers.

VERY LEFREAK by Rachel Cohn (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Very LeFreak has a problem: she’s a crazed technology addict. Very can’t get enough of her iPhone, laptop, IMs, text messages, whatever. If there’s any chance the incoming message, call, text, or photo might be from her supersecret online crush, she’s going to answer, no matter what. Nothing is too important: sleep, friends in mid-conversation, class, a meeting with the dean about academic probation. Soon enough, though, this obsession costs Very everything and everyone. Can she learn to block out the noise so she can finally hear her heart?

Rachel Cohn makes her Knopf solo debut with this funny, touching, and surely recognizable story about a girl and the technology habit that threatens everything.

WOODS RUNNER by Gary Paulsen (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House)
Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston.

But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel’s parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City.

DREAM LIFE by Lauren Mechling (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Claire Voyante's first semester at Henry Hudson High School was eventful, to say the least. As she heads into her second semester, things are calming down a bit. But Claire has a few secrets that are getting harder to keep. Her biggest secret of all? The onyx and ivory cameo necklace her grandmother gave her for her 15th birthday. Ever since she started wearing it, her dreams have been coming to her in black and white and turning out to be oddly prophetic.


Paperback

EULALIA! written by Brian Jacques, illustrated by David Elliot (Firebird)
The golden fox Vizka Longtooth and his scurrilous crew of Sea Raiders are bound for plunder and conquest; in their ship’s hold, a young badger lies captive. At the same time, the aged badger lord of Salamandastron has sent forth a haremaid, questing for his successor. A brownrat chieftain, with his savage horde, ravages Mossflower Country. The fate of all these creatures, good and evil, is caught up in this saga of war and destiny. The war cry thunders out across the land --- Eulalia!

Labels: New Releases

Stephanie Perry Moore's latest release, GOT IT GOING ON, is the fourth installment in the inspirational YA series Beta Gamma Pi, which centers on different members of a fictional sorority. Below, she shares some tips for the new year on being your best self, based on the themes from her books.


It’s an exciting new year and what a perfect time to plan to make it fabulous! If you want to become even more amazing, I’ve got just the books to help you shine. It’s my new Beta Gamma Pi series, a collection of five books on a fictional sorority that is hot, hip, sassy and inspiring.

Filled with important lessons on sisterhood, relationships, and friendship, while still being full of drama, the BGP series has been so much fun to work on. Penning novels on sorority life wasn’t a stretch for me. I joined a sorority in college and it helped me become savvy, compassionate, focused and empowered. I learned that I was important and that I needed to continuously work to be the best person I could be. So as you head into the New Year, here are five invaluable tips to “Make Your Year Fabulous” from the Beta Gamma Pi books.

First, WORK WHAT YOU GOT. Just like Hayden Grant finds out in the first drama-filled novel of the Beta Gamma Pi series, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Before you can work to achieve anything, you have to know what values and assets you posses. Ask yourself what are you good at? What comes naturally to you? What are your loves and passions? Once you know what drives you and makes you happy, keep enhancing those things.
Stick to your strengths.

Second, in your friendships, make sure that you’re hanging around positive people. In THE WAY WE ROLL, Malloy Murray faces many challenges as she tries to stay true to herself while she deals with peer pressure from friends. The way you and your crew should roll is by being leaders, having each other’s backs, and helping each other shine. There’s no time for anyone who wants to pull you down.
Seek healthy friendships.

Thirdly, ACT LIKE YOU KNOW. In this installment of the BGP books, Alyx Cruz learns that knowledge is power. While school might not be easy for you or you think you know a lot already, you have to give your schoolwork your all. If a subject is hard to grasp, get a tutor or find a study group. If you've mastered a subject, have fun tackling another one.
Don’t stop learning.

Fourth, believe you GOT IT GOING ON. In the latest BGP book, Cassidy Cross feels so unworthy and settles for less than she deserves. Horrible consequences come from her bad choices and afterwards she strives to fix her insecurities. This year, you should also tackle any of your self-doubts and turn those negatives into positives.
Believe in yourself.

And finally, the last tip for the New Year, remember to GET WHAT YOU GIVE. Through loss and love, Hailey learns that when she gives and helps others she is the most blessed. So in this New Year, strive to do unto others as you want people to do unto you. Care enough to make this world a better place.
Give and be grateful.

You can and you will do great things this year. Wanting to do something awesome is the first step towards accomplishing greatness. I hope you read the Beta Gamma Pi books and let them take you on a journey that will lift your spirits, entertain your imagination, and help enrich your life. Remember this is your year, go make it fabulous!

--Stephanie Perry Moore

Labels: Beta Gamma Pi, Stephanie Perry Moore

Solange is your average teenage girl: she has a bunch of overprotective brothers, a best friend that she trusts with her life, and is betrothed to a 400-year-old vampire prince. Oh, did I say “average”? I meant anything but. As a vampire princess, Solange must do everything she can to overcome hordes of evil vampires, keep her best friend out of harm’s way, and --- scariest of all --- make sure her math homework’s done on time. In HEARTS AT STAKE, the first book in the Drake Chronicles, author Alyxandra Harvey introduces readers to the humorous and haunting world of Solange, her best friend, Lucy, and all the troubles that come along with being a vampire princess.

Alyxandra will be blogging with us next Friday, so make sure to stop by for more on your soon-to-be new favorite teenage vampire! Until then, here are a few trailers for HEARTS AT STAKE to whet your appetite. Let us know what you think!

Labels: Alyxandra Harvey, Book Trailer, Hearts at Stake, The Drake Chronicles

In today's guest blog, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl discuss their debut work of fiction, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, and reflect on the ways in which the book was shaped by the teens in their lives.

Be sure to check out Little Brown's BEAUTIFUL CREATURES site here, as well as Kami and Margaret's fansite here.


Someone asked us the other day about whether, as writers, we felt responsible for the way a book can shape the way a teen reader thinks. We’ve actually been asked that quite often, since Amazon named BEAUTIFUL CREATURES the Best Teen Book for 2009. The answer to that question is yes, of course we do. We wrote BEAUTIFUL CREATURES for seven specific teens --- daughters, sisters, former students, and friends. There wasn’t a month or a week or sometimes even a day when these teens weren’t reading what we had to say.

So for us, the more interesting question isn’t if our book will shape how someone thinks, but if and how it was shaped by how the teens we know think. The answer to that question is YES. We were affected in every way imaginable. We wanted strong female characters in our book because the teens we know are strong girls. We wanted complex family situations, woven out of love and loyalty and betrayal and loss, because the teens we know struggle to find their way in and out of these same kinds of families.

The teens in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES struggle to make hard choices, and for the right to make those choices. The teens in our lives are no different. They are --- depending on the day --- the bravest, strongest, kindest, most individual, and as Lena would say… “happysaddest” people we know. And they are all different, from each other and sometimes even from themselves on any given day.

We’ve never talked about who these girls are, and we probably never will. That’s up to them. But we can tell you this; they are not sheep. They aren’t popular, and they aren’t perfect. On a good day, they have rescued animals, won medals and contests and elections, had their papers read aloud to the class (in a good way!), seen their favorite band, and fallen in love. On a bad day, they have lost pets and medals and contests and elections, had their papers read aloud to the class (not in a good way!), been grounded from seeing their favorite band, and had their hearts broken.

Just like all the rest of us.

When it comes to teen readers, maybe we need to worry less about how our books are shaping their lives, and more about letting their lives shape our books. We aren’t worried about the places our books are leading teens, because we’re too busy seeing where the teens are leading us. To us, teens are what the very best books are made of. I guess you could say, Teens are Beautiful Creatures.

And Teens Read, Too.


-- Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Labels: Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Anna Jarzab’s debut mystery thriller, ALL UNQUIET THINGS, will be hitting stores next Tuesday, January 12th, and its suspenseful book trailer has already gotten us hooked! While it appears that Brighton Day School is a "typical" elite private high school, we soon discover that the school and its students are anything but typical. The novel features scandal and secrets, as rumors surrounding murder just cannot be kept quiet.

Next week, Anna will be stopping by with a guest post, so make sure to check back soon! In the meantime, watch the gripping trailer for ALL UNQUIET THINGS. We are all HUGE Anna fans, as she is an alumnus of The Book Report Network, so don’t forget to share your comments with us below!

Labels: All Unquiet Things, Anna Jarzab, Book Trailer

2010 starts out with a bang! We have seventeen new releases for you to choose from to bring in the New Year. This week’s exciting books have it all, including stories ranging from murder, to love, to death, to drama on the High School social ladder. To highlight just a few of the fantastic titles, make sure to check out SWEET, HEREAFTER, Angela Johnson’s long-awaited conclusion to The Heaven Trilogy, and FADE, Lisa McMann’s sequel to WAKE, starring a girl with the power to be sucked into other people’s dreams.

New Releases for January 4th

Paperback

THE JUVIE THREE by Gordon Korman (Disney Hyperion)
Gecko Fosse drove the getaway car.

Terence Florian ran with the worst gang in Chicago.

Arjay Moran killed someone.

All three boys are serving time in juvenile detention centers until they get a second chance at life in the form of Douglas Healy. A former juvenile delinquent himself, Healy is running an experimental halfway house in New York City where he wants to make a difference in the lives of kids like Gecko, Terence, and Arjay.

Things are going well, until one night Healy is accidentally knocked unconscious while trying to break up a scuffle among the boys. Terrified of the consequences, they drop him off at a hospital and run away. But when Healy awakes, he has no memory of them or the halfway house. Afraid of being sent back to Juvie, the guys hatch a crazy scheme to continue on as if the group leader never left. They will go to school, do their community service, attend therapy, and act like model citizens until Healy's memory returns and he can resume his place with them.

But life keeps getting in the way...like Gecko finding romance. Or Arjay getting famous. Or Terence reverting to his old ways. And the woman from social services is determined to catch them at something. If the boys are discovered, their second chance will be their last.
- Click here to read our review of THE JUVIE THREE.

THE MUSICIAN’S DAUGHTER by Susanne Dunlap (Bloomsbury USA)
Murder and love --- from the halls of Vienna’s imperial family to a perilous gypsy camp

Amid the glamour of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy’s court in 18th-century Vienna, murder is afoot. Or so fifteen-year-old Theresa Maria is convinced when her musician father turns up dead on Christmas Eve, his valuable violin missing, and the only clue to his death a strange gold pendant around his neck. Then her father’s mentor, the acclaimed composer Franz Joseph Haydn, helps her through a difficult time by making her his copyist and giving her insight in to her father’s secret life. It’s there that Theresa begins to uncover a trail of blackmail and extortion, even as she discovers honor --- and the possibility of a first, tentative love. Thrumming with the weeping strains of violins, as well as danger and deception, this is an engrossing tale of murder, romance, and music that readers will find hard to forget.

ZEN AND THE ART OF FAKING IT by Jordan Sonnenblick (Scholastic Paperbacks)
When eighth-grader San Lee moves to a new town and a new school for the umpteenth time, he doesn't try to make new friends or be a loner or play cool. Instead he sits back and devises a plan to be totally different. When he accidentally answers too many questions in World History on Zen (only because he just had Ancient Religions two schools ago) all heads turn and San has his answer: he's a Zen Master. And just when he thinks everyone (including the cute girl he can't stop thinking about) is on to him, everyone believes him . . . in a major Zen way.
- Click here to read our review of ZEN AND THE ART OF FAKING IT.

New Releases for January 5th

Hardcover

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I’LL BE DEAD by Julie Anne Peters (Disney-Hyperion)
Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light .com.

While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it?

National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.

THE GIRL WITH THE MERMAID HAIR by Delia Ephron (HarperTeen)
Click. Sukie Jamieson takes a selfie after her tennis lesson. Click. She takes one before she has to give a presentation in class. Click. She takes one to be sure there's nothing in her teeth after eating pizza at Clementi's. And if she can't take a selfie, she checks her reflection in windows, spoons, car chrome—anything available, really.

So when her mother gives her an exquisite full-length mirror that once belonged to her grandmother, Sukie is thrilled. So thrilled that she doesn't listen to her mother's warning: “This mirror will be your best friend and worst enemy.” Because mirrors, as Sukie discovers, show not only the faraway truth but the truth close up. And finding out that close-up truth changes people. Often forever.

Acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Delia Ephron crafts a powerful novel of truth, beauty, and the secrets about family and friends that lie beneath perfection.

GOOD FORTUNE by Noni Carter (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Brutally kidnapped from her African village and shipped to America, Ayanna Bahati struggles to come to terms with her new life as a slave. Rising from the cotton fields to her master's house, Anna is threatened by the increasingly dangerous world of the plantation. Risking everything, she escapes and makes her way north to freedom and an education, but can she shed the chains of her harrowing past to live the life she has longed for?

A stirring debut novel from a young talent, Good Fortune traces one girl's journey from slavery to liberation --- and how she finds her true self along the way.

SOME GIRLS ARE by Courtney Summers (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard --- falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.

If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

SWEET, HEREAFTER by Angela Johnson (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Coretta Scott King Award-winner Angela Johnson concludes her Heaven trilogy with a poignant tale of discovering where --- and with whom --- you belong.

CAPTIVATE by Carrie Jones (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books)
Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure --- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life --- and his.

BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves
Love can be a dangerous thing....

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.


Paperback

BAD BLOOD by Mari Mancusi
Sunny McDonald is in the ultimate forbidden relationship. Her boyfriend Magnus is a vampire, and the leader of the Blood Coven. And when the Coven decides that Magnus needs a mate to be his co-ruler, Sunny's humanity puts her out of the running. The Coven's chosen candidate is Jane Johnson, a magna cum laude graduate of Oxford University who just happens to look like a vampiric supermodel.

Sunny is suspicious of a Rhodes Scholar who can't answer the most basic poli-sci questions, but Magnus brushes it off as petty jealousy. Still, when the Blood Coven goes to Las Vegas for a vampire convention, Sunny and her twin sister Rayne secretly tag along. And Sunny's not going home before she learns the truth about Jane. Because not everything stays in Vegas-especially bad blood.

FAR FROM YOU by Lisa Schroeder (Simon Pulse)
Do you believe in angels?

FAR FROM YOU is a story of love and loss, and reminds us what's really important in life. Fans of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME are sure to enjoy this novel-in-verse featuring 16-year-old Alice, a singer/songwriter who's had her share of hard times, and unfortunately, has more to come. What will pull her through? Her music? The love of her boyfriend, Blaze? Or perhaps, an angel, here on earth?

L.A. CANDY by Lauren Conrad (HarperCollins)
Los Angeles is all about the sweet life: hot clubs, cute guys, designer . . . everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can't wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun.

When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new series, a "reality version of Sex and the City," they can hardly believe their luck. Their own show? Yes, please!

Soon Jane is TV's hottest star. Fame brings more than she ever imagined possible for a girl from Santa Barbara --- free designer clothes, the choicest tables at the most exclusive clubs, invites to Hollywood premieres --- and she's lapping up the VIP treatment with her eclectic entourage of new pals. But those same friends who are always up for a wild night are also out for a piece of Jane's spotlight.

In a city filled with people chasing after their dreams, it's not long before Jane wakes up to the reality that everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be.

L.A. Candy is a deliciously entertaining novel about what it's like to come of age in Hollywood while starring in a reality TV show, written by a girl who has experienced it all firsthand: Lauren Conrad.
- Click here to read our review of L.A. CANDY.

FADE by Lisa McMann (Simon Pulse)
The sequel to Wake, the bestselling YA series about a girl who gets sucked into other people's dreams.

New Releases for January 7th

Hardcover

THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer R. Hubbard (Viking Juvenile)
Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly.

Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one --- not even Julia’s boyfriend --- knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can’t mourn Julia openly, and he’s tormented that he might have played a part in her death.

When Julia’s journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he’s desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

FROZEN FIRE by Tim Bowler (Speak)
Dusty’s life has fallen apart. Her mother left after Dusty’s brother mysteriously disappeared, and her father is devastated. Then Dusty gets a seemingly random phone call: a boy’s voice saying, “I’m dying.” At first Dusty doesn’t care, but then the boy says things that only Dusty knows. Things that lead her to believe he knows where her brother is. And after a few more calls, Dusty wants to find this boy, but he doesn’t want to be found. He claims he is too dangerous, and there are many people who agree. Can Dusty avoid getting hurt and still protect this mysterious boy who may not be of this world?


Paperback

AFTER TUPAC AND D FOSTER by Jacqueline Woodson (Puffin Books)
The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. Suddenly they’re keenly aware of things beyond their block in Queens, things that are happening in the world --- like the shooting of Tupac Shakur --- and in search of their Big Purpose in life. When --- all too soon --- D’s mom swoops in to reclaim her, and Tupac dies, they are left with a sense of how quickly things can change and how even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply.
- Click here to read our interview of AFTER TUPAC AND D FOSTER

Labels: New Releases