Tag: young adult fiction

Recent Reads

I’ve been doing quite a few book reviews, since I usually get a bit behind with those during the semester. I’ve also started going through the plethora of e-books I got for free at some point. There are so many of those hanging out on my Kindle that it gets discouraging when I think about it.  Sure, some free e-books are worth about what I paid for them, but some of them are truly worthwhile finds.  The last two I’ve read have actually been really enjoyable.

Lulu’s Cafe, by T.I. Lowe:  Honestly, I enjoyed this book so much!  The main character, Leah, has been through a horrific, abusive relationship that she is desperate to escape from when she ends up in the small town of Rivertown.  She’s taken in by Lulu, who recognizes a woman in need of healing, but Southern gentleman Crowley is not so easily convinced. Leah’s journey is wrenching, but life in Rivertown is so enchanting that I wanted to move there!

Embers, by Karen Ann Hopkins:  I do read a lot of YA paranormal, but this one was different, and I enjoyed it so much.  I had a few personal issues with the mythos here, but I liked the characters a lot.  The setting was a totally different choice for a paranormal, too, and that made it really refreshing.

Hickville Confessions, by Mary Karlik

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to GPK Publication LLC.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to GPK Publication LLC.)

Mary Karlik is a native Texan with an MFA. Though she lives in New Mexico now, her heart still belongs to Texas. Her book Hickville Confessions is the second book in the Hickville High series.

Ryan Quinn is new to small town life. She wants a fresh start, far from the darkness of her past, and will do anything to get it. Including joining the conservative Purity Club, a far cry from her “old” self. However, when the members of the Purity Club discover her secret, their vicious attack leaves Ryan helpless.

Good thing Justin is there to rescue her. But Justin is everything Ryan thinks she needs to avoid, harboring secrets of his own. Justin is the only one who understands Ryan, and she needs that, as the secrets of her past threaten to surface. Justin’s own secrets terrorize him, and he’s not sure he can trust Ryan with them. Will the two of them be able to overcome the shame of their past to heal for the future?

Hickville Confessions is filled with difficult issues, but the characters face them with courage and strength, becoming an example to others. The book is not light reading, but the relationships between all of the characters make it a worthwhile experience. The setting captures all the good—as well as the bad—things about living in a small town.

Awake, by Natasha Preston

(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire.)
(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire.)

Natasha Preston is the English author of Silence and The Cellar. Her newest book, Awake, hits shelves today.

Scarlett has a normal life: parents, brother, school, friends. But she doesn’t remember anything before the age of five. Her parents have told her of the fire that took her memory and almost took her life, and she accepts their tales of her childhood. Until a car accident causes unexplainable memories to re-surface, and Scarlett starts asking questions her parents won’t answer.

Noah, her new boyfriend, supports Scarlett in everything. He’s polite, respectful, and everything that other boys her age are not. He’s also determined to shelter Scarlett from the horrors of her past, because Noah knows the truth of what happened. And he’s been sent to bring Scarlett home.

Awake is a young adult novel with an intriguing premise: a girl, raised in a cult, who has no memory of her early life amidst fanatics. Everyone around her has lied to Scarlet for years, and when she starts sensing that, her confusion is merited. The relationship between Noah and Scarlett isn’t a typical teenage romance. These two characters are too different for that, but their loyalty and love will be tested to the limits.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Avoiding Alpha, by Aileen Erin

(I do not own this image. Image property of Ink Monster, LLC.)
(I do not own this image. Image property of Ink Monster, LLC.)

Aileen Erin is a self-professed nerd—from Star Wars to Star Trek—and all things elvish, courtesy of J.R.R. Tolkien. She writes the Alpha Girls series. The second book is Avoiding Alpha.

Tessa McCaide’s life has changed dramatically in a short time. In California, she was “freaky Tessa” who saw visions and had no friends. In Texas, after one brief encounter with a cute guy, she is now a werewolf at St. Alibe’s, learning about things she never knew existed. Witches aren’t news to her, since her mother’s family are all powerful brujas, but vampires? And what’s this whole thing about magic, mates, and curses? Thankfully, she has her new best friend Meredith at her side to help her navigate the dangerous waters of her new world.

But when Meredith suddenly falls ill, Tessa realizes she can no longer just dabble in her new reality. The curse that suppresses Meredith’s wolf is now killing her, and Tessa will have to defy her pack leader and tradition, as well as make a deal with her black-magic-wielding aunt if she’s to save Meredith’s life. But returning to the family circle means Tessa will lose even more of herself than she already has. Can Tessa break the curse without turning her back on her werewolf side?

Avoiding Alpha is full of conflict, both internal, as Tessa wars with herself and her fears, and external, as she fights everyone around her in her efforts to save Meredith. Her relationship with her mate, Dastien, deepens, but Tessa’s fears stand in the way of her fully embracing her werewolf side. Through this book, Tessa battles the fears that threaten to trap her in a circle of doubts and worry, as she tries to beat an unbreakable curse to save her best friend’s life.

The Corridor, by A.N. Willis

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Alloy Entertainment and the author.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Alloy Entertainment and the author.)

A.N. Willis writes young adult fiction, preferably with a science fiction bent. This is probably a result of her obsession with sci-fi TV shows when she was growing up. Her first novel, The Corridor, just hit shelves.

The Corridor appeared out of nowhere 17 years ago, a link to a parallel world, Second Earth. The Mods—genetically modified human from Second Earth who built the Corridor—frighten First Earthers. Mods are more: more brains, more strength, and powers that can’t be predicted, so they are tagged and detained in research labs.

The Corridor has been a part of Stel Alaster’s life as long as she can remember. Everyone knows what it did. Everyone knows that the Mods, with their scary powers, caused its creation and the disasters that ensued. But Stel is the only one who knows that she has a power, too: she can open a portal to Second Earth, or any of the parallel worlds she soon discovers. If anyone finds out, she’ll be imprisoned just like the Mods.

Then the Corridor starts emitting terrifying bursts of energy, and Stel realizes she’ll have to act if she’s to save her family and the world she loves. With the help of an escaped Mod, and a boy she met in a third universe, she sets out to discover how to stabilize the Corridor before it’s too late.

The Corridor is a fast-paced, riveting read filled with adventure, mystery, and a little bit of romance. First Earth is a world like our own, yet changed by the Corridor. Twists and turns will keep the reader eager to find out what happens to characters that are realistic and relatable. The Corridor is a fantastic read for anyone desiring adventure mixed with mystery in an exciting new world.

(Galley provided by Alloy Entertainment via NetGalley.)

Between Now and Never, by Laura Johnston

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Kensington Books and Lyrical Press.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Kensington Books and Lyrical Press.)

Laura Johnston loves music, reading, and running. She also loves to write stories with heart. Her newest book, Between Now and Never, is a contemporary young adult novel with shades of mystery and romance.

Cody Rush is the “good” kid: basketball star, stays out of trouble, has a loving family. Julianna Schultz is his complete opposite: she loves art, her brother has a troubled past, her home life is falling apart. Cody’s dad is an FBI agent. Julianna’s mom is in prison. To make things worse, Cody’s dad is the man who put her there. Cody has only spoken to Julianna once, but he knows that their parents’ history will always make them enemies. And Cody agrees.

Until he wakes up in the hospital, with no memory of the night before, and finds pictures of himself and Julianna. Laughing. Having fun. Kissing. What happened that night? Why can’t he remember anything? And what is going on between him and Julianna? As Cody searches for answers to the mystery, he and Julianna grow closer. But the secret hidden in Cody’s memory may drive them apart forever.

Between Now and Never is a contemporary romance with hints of old-fashioned sweetness. Cody and Julianna are perfect foils for one another, and their relationship grows throughout the trials they face while the two learn to judge things—and people—for themselves, despite their past and what other people say. Between Now and Never is a great read that will have the reader intrigued by the mystery of Cody’s memories while rooting for him and Julianna to work out the issues that stand between them.

(Galley provided by Kensington Books and Lyrical Press via NetGalley.)

Populatti, by Jackie Baardenwerper

Populatti, by Jackie Bardenwerper

 

Jackie Bardenwerper is a self-published author of young adult fiction. Her first novel, On the Line, is an honorable mention recipient in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards. Her second novel is Populatti, and deals with issues faced by young adults every day, including social media struggles and bullying.

At sixteen, Livi Stanley thinks she has it all: a new life free from the traumas of her middle-school-year awkwardness and unpopularity, great grades, good friends, and membership in Populatti, an exclusive website that allows her access to the hottest social scene around. Which includes Brandon Dash, baseball star and Livi’s long-time crush. But along with all the benefits, membership in Populatti has a catch: the other members can vote you out at any time.

When the online rumors start, growing uglier by the second, Livi’s place as a popster is threatened. Her friends don’t really seem to care, so Livi will have to look for help in places she never imagined. With her insider view of the reality behind Populatti, Livi has some questions: Why is everyone voting against her? Are these people really her friends at all? And does she even want to stay in Populatti, no matter what the votes decide?

Populatti is a book dealing with real issues faced by young adults today, in a world colored by the distorted lens of social media. The characters are well-imaged people, not cardboard cutouts, and the trials that Livi goes through are realistic—if also slightly horrific. This fast-paced novel captures the nuances of the high school social scene, and one girl’s realization that there is more to life than popularity and social media.

(Galley provide by JKS Communications)

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