New action adventures: Princess of Thorns, Exquisite Captive and The Walled City

It's winter break for students and teachers and time for some escapist reading filled with action and adventure.  Three recent reads that made my Top Titles for 2014 list include Princess of Thorns, a re-imagining of the Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake fairy tales, by Stacey Jay, Exquisite Captive, the first book in the Dark Caravan Cycle by Heather Demetrios, and The Walled City, a tale that focuses on three desperate teens in Hong Kong, by Ryan Graudin.

In Princess of Thorns, Sleeping Beauty's children, Aurora and Jor, have been in hiding with the fey for ten years, since their mother's assassination by the Ogre Queen.  When Jor is kidnapped, fairy blessed Aurora disguises herself as a boy (Ror) and hopes to hire an army to help her rescue him. Then she meets Prince Nikklas, who is cursed to turn into a swan on his 18th birthday unless he can marry a princess.  The Prince promises Ror his help in exchange for an introduction to his "sister" Aurora. With ogres pursuing them tirelessly as they travel across lands filled with enemies, Nikklas and Ror struggle to reach Jor and free him before he dies. Their mutual attraction is fraught with problems as Aurora tries to find a way to tell Nikklas the truth without losing his support. Told from both characters' points of view, this compelling story, filled with adventure and romance, is sure to appeal to fantasy/thriller fans.

Exquisite Captive introduces Nalia, a victim of the dark caravan, a lucrative jinni slave trade between Earth and the jinni world Arjinna.  Although she has great powers, Nalia is tied to Malek, her master who possesses her bottle which enables him to use her to sustain his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.  When she meets Raif, a leader of Arjinna's revolution, he promises to help her break free of her master and rescue her brother who was imprisoned during the revolutionary coup in Arjinna that killed nearly everyone she loved.  Although she should hate him, she finds herself attracted to Raif, but needs to convince Malek she loves him in the hopes of getting close enough to him to steal back her bottle which he wears around his neck. Only then can Riaf perform the unbinding ceremony to free her. This story blends traditional Arabian jinni lore with modern fantasy to create a riveting tale filled with magical political intrigue and romance. Readers will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. 

The Walled City takes inspiration from Kowloon Walled City, a Hong Kong slum destroyed in the 1990s. Three teens are struggling to escape their dire fates before the city is leveled.  Jin, a girl disguised as a boy, is searching for her sister who was sold into prostitution by their father.  Mei Yee, her sister, languishes in a brothel run by the Brotherhood of the Red Dragon.  Dai Shing, a drug trafficker, is hoping to obtain the brothel's ledger so he can exchange it for his freedom. The three stories are entwined to create one fast paced narrative, as Dai solicits Jin's help in a drug deal while at the same time establishing a connection with Mei Yee in the hope of convincing her to help him find the brothel's ledger. As their paths cross, they help each other achieve their individual goals and in the process become family. This thriller takes readers into a world of fear, danger and intrigue that will keep them turning pages until the last triumphant chapter.

All three titles are recommended for the more mature reader.  Although there are disturbing situations in each narrative, none of them is overly graphic. However, parents may not want their younger precocious readers exposed to topics of drugs, violence and sexuality.

Engaging Voices in YA novels

The distinct personality, style and point of view or "voice" in young adult novels is what keeps many readers engaged.  Many YA novels are written in first-person, which allows the character to believably present an unsophisticated and unchallenged view of herself and the world around her. The insights are frequently charmingly witty, if somewhat off base.  This month I want to suggest four new novels whose main characters had me at "What's up?"  Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey, author of the hilarious Dating on the Dark Side vampire series, stars a plucky heroine who is channeling Nancy Drew.  Noggin, by Printz Award Winner, John Corey Whaley, features a cancer victim who dies, has his head cryogenically frozen and then reanimated and placed on a donor body.  Anatomy of a Misfit, by adult author Andrea Portes, explores the emotions of a Nebraska teenager in the orbit of a queen bee. Finally Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander is about a math genius who gets involved with a girl who is anything but predictable.

In Buzz Kill teen journalist Millie Ostermeyer tries to model herself after her literary heroine Nancy Drew in solving the mystery of the unpopular high school football coach's murder.  There is a long list of suspects and her father, the assistant coach and town mayor, is at the top of the list.  During her investigation, she discovers the mysterious new quarterback, Chase Albright, has ties to the coach that may help her find the murderer.  Their flirtatious banter, her self-deprecating humor, and the short chapters with cliffhanger endings make this a real page turner.  Millie is always asking herself, "What would Nancy do?" As she and Chase work together to solve the mystery, they find themselves falling in love, but his tragic past may just be a roadblock to a shared future.

Travis Coastes, aka Noggin, gets a second chance at life when his cryogenically frozen head is attached to the body of a well-built sixteen-year-old who died of brain cancer. His excitement over his hot new body lasts just long enough for him to realize his friends are now 21, and he is still sixteen and having to navigate high school without them. Travis refers to himself as "Mary Shelley's nightmare come true" but new friend Hatton dubs him Noggin. When Travis tries to reactivate his old life, he finds his friend Kyle, who came out to Travis on his deathbed, is back in the closet, and his girlfriend Cate is engaged to someone else.  His sophomoric efforts to win her back are cringe worthy.  Hatton acts as Travis's wingman, as he struggles with issues of life, love and death, and helps him realize that everyone has moved on and he may just have to begin again.  This book, by the author of the award winning Where Things Come Back, is a National Book Award finalist.

Anna Dragomir, the protagonist in Anatomy of a Misfit, is struggling to reconcile her head with her heart.  The third most popular girl, she finds herself a slave to the queen bee's ("the dark side of the force") prejudices, but Anika is secretly in love with ("nerd-ball turned goth romance hero") Logan McDonough. Their midnight rendezvouses and his romantic poetry make her heart throb, but she knows dating him is social suicide. Then Jared Kline ("God's gift to Nebraska") begins courting her and she feels compelled to go out with him. As she navigates romantic and ethical problems, as well as family issues with her stepdad, annoying siblings and demanding professor father (a "Romanian who looks like Count Chocula"), Anika wonders how to be true to herself. Her razor sharp analyses of the people around her and her quirky reflections on high school drama make for an entertaining read.

Math geek Charlie Hanson looks at the world through the eyes of a scientist in Love and Other Unknown Variables.  In beginning the story, he acknowledges there are an infinite number of ways to start but the ending will always be the same. After striking out in three attempts to get a girl's attention in elementary school, he reflects,"In each failed experiment, I kept changing the girl, when it was myself I should have taken out of the equation." Then he falls head over heels for Charlotte Finch, who is not only his sister's best friend, but also his English teacher's sister.  Charlie is Ms. Finch's arch nemesis and when he finds out Charlotte is gravely ill and her sister's attention is smothering her, he decides to launch a prank campaign against Ms. Finch to distract her.  Nothing goes quite as he plans. Charlie's mathematical analysis of all aspects of his life make for a hilarious, yet poignant read.

New fantasy novels: The Mark of the Dragonfly, Stitching Snow and Atlantia

New fantasy novels are almost sure to be the first in a series, so I was quite surprised to read three new fantasy offerings that seem to be stand alones.  The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson is a steampunk novel filled with shape-shifters and mechanical beings who inhabit a ruined planet.  Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis is an interstellar re-imagining of Snow White where the princess is a runaway mechanic.  Atlantia by Allie Condie (Matched series) imagines a world so polluted than an underwater city must be created to house refugees from Above.

The Mark of the Dragonfly introduces Piper, a mechanically gifted orphan who lives in the meteor fields on a decimated planet.  She makes a living collecting and repairing things deposited by meteor showers.  When she finds Anna, a young amnesiac who is marked with the king's dragonfly tattoo, Piper decides to return her to the king and collect a reward.  She smuggles them onto a train heading to the capital and meets Gee, a shape shifting boy/dragon who is in charge of the train's security. When a menacing man comes looking for Anna, Piper and Gee must go to great lengths to protect her and in the process find Anna is not all that she seems.  As they travel toward the capital, the trio discovers much about the problems the kingdom faces, as well as their roles in its future. This book, which is targeted for middle level readers, is fast paced, taking place in a unique dystopian world with characters that you really care about.

In the futuristic Stitching Snow, Princess Snow is missing from her home planet and her royal parents are frantically searching for her.  Little do they know that she has run away to planet Thanda where she spends her days repairing droids that run the local mines.  Then Dane crash lands on Thanda and Essie must repair his ship. She soon realizes his crash landing was not accidental and that she is in danger of losing her freedom, as well as her heart.  Although this re-imagining doesn't follow the fairy tale faithfully, there are enough recognizable elements to make it great fun.  Action packed and romantic, it will entertain  middle and high school readers looking for a plucky heroine struggling to find her way.

Atlantia's dystopian theme takes us under the sea where Bay and her twin sister Rio live, because the earth Above has become so polluted that most people have moved to the engineered city Below.  Unfortunately some people must remain Above to support and feed the Atlantians. Attending the choosing ceremony, Rio is shocked when Bay volunteers to go.  Rio had planned to make the sacrifice, but after their mother died she promised her sister she would stay with her Below even though it is dangerous for her.  Rio is secretly a siren and if she is found out, she will be forced to serve the city council.  As she plots to go Above to find Bay, Rio uncovers the secrets of Atalantia's past and uncertain future.  Allie Condie fans who loved the Matched series will be fans of this new offering which again pits determined teens against the powers that be.

Although none of these books is billed as the first in a new series, I wouldn't be surprised to see the authors caving into pressure to tell readers what happened next.  The complex world building required in fantasy novels makes it very tempting to create a new story using familiar characters and settings that readers know and love.

Cultural comparisons: The Tyrant's Daughter, The Secret Sky and Taking Flight

Students are back to school and teachers may be looking for some new titles to enhance their literature curriculum. Young adult novels about kids from different cultures lend themselves to teaching the writing of comparison contrast essays, reflecting on the similarities and differences between the culture depicted in the book and their own. Depending on the students’ level of sophistication, the essay can range from a simple four paragraph essay to a fully developed paper, where each similarity and difference is explored in great detail. Three new YA books that lend themselves to this activity include The Tyrant's Daughter, written by JC Carleson, a former undercover CIA agent, The Secret Sky, penned by Atia Abawi, a foreign war correspondent in Afghanistan, and Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, co-written by Michaela DePrince, a refugee from Sierra Leone, and her adoptive mother.

In The Tyrant's Daughter Laila and her mother and brother flee their war torn Middle Eastern home, when her father, the king, is killed in a coup.  Arriving in Washington, D.C., Laila gradually adjusts to her new life, whereas, her mother is still looking for revenge.  She conspires with CIA operatives to regain the throne that is her son's legacy.  Despite her misgivings, Laila find herself caught up in the intrigue, as an international crisis threatens. She befriends Amir, a teenage boy from her country, in order to spy on the resistance movement, and navigates American high school customs and a flirtation with an American boy.  The conflict Laila feels, as she discovers her father was a tyrant rather than the loving parent she remembers, is heart breaking. Written by a former undercover CIA agent, the story captures the contrasts between American social mores and those of the Middle East in a fast paced thriller that is a real page turner.

Taking place in current day Afghanistan, The Secret Sky is a cross-cultural love story which illustrates the tribal strife in small Afghan communities.  Fatima, a Hazara girl whose father is a farmer, and Samiullah, a Pashtun boy whose father is a landowner, are childhood friends who fall in love. Their love is forbidden as the two tribes are not allowed to intermarry.  Fatima dreams of further schooling, as she learns to read from a friend's grandmother, whereas Sami has returned from his madrassa school, disillusioned by the harsh indoctrination forced upon students there.  Although they were allowed to play together as children, Sami and Fatima must now hide their friendship which has blossomed into love upon his return.  When Rashid, Sami's cousin who is a member of the Taliban, discovers and reports their attachment, it has far-reaching and horrific consequence.  The author, who was a foreign war correspondent in Afghanistan, does not shy away from depicting the disturbing physical, emotional, and sexual  violence that plagues this society.  This suspenseful love story is a rewarding read that ends on a hopeful note, but is only recommended for the mature reader. 

Michaela DePrince, the author of Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, escaped war-torn Sierra Leone when she was adopted by an American family who fostered her love of dancing.  Considered a "devil child" in Africa, due to a skin condition called vitiligo, Michaela suffered many hardships in the orphanage where she was abandoned after her parents died.  At that orphanage she found a picture of a ballerina that gave her strength to carry on. Adopted by the DePrince family at the age of four, she began studying ballet and ultimately starred in the movie First Position, as well as appeared on Dancing with the Stars.  She is now the youngest principal dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem. Co-written by Michaela and her adoptive mother, this autobiography is a truly inspirational story of what a child can achieve with love and acceptance. 

SLJ Virtual Trade Show finds: Like No Other, Let's Get Lost and I'll Give You the Sun.

I  attended the School Library Journal Virtual Trade Show last week and once again was introduced to some amazing gems in YA Literature.  Una LaMarche's Like No Other explores the relationship between a Hasidic Jewish girl and an African American Catholic boy. Alsaid Adi's Let's Get Lost follows the interactions a 17-year-old girl has on a cross-country trip to see the Northern Lights. Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun introduces artistically talented twins who struggle with jealousy and loss. These three unique novels mine the depths of emotion teens experience when they face struggles with family, illness, death, sexuality and ultimately growing up.

In Like No Other, Devorah, a Hasidic Jew, meets Jaxon, an African American Catholic, when they are stuck alone together on a hospital elevator during a storm.  The bond they forge is something they can't ignore.  Sneaking around to see each other, Devorah is terrified of being caught and disowned by her family, but Jaxon feels like they are destined to be together. Each has arrived at a pivotal moment in their lives, where their relationship gives them the strength to tackle the challenges that face them.  But will their love be strong enough to weather the disapproval of their families and society in general?

Let's Get Lost introduces 17-year-old Leila who is on an epic road trip from her home in Louisiana to see the Northern Lights.  Along the way she encounters four different teens, whose lives are enhanced immeasurably through meeting her.  Hudson, an honor student and excellent mechanic who repairs her car, falls madly in love with her. Bree, an orphaned runaway, hitches a ride with Leila, only to land them in jail through her reckless disregard for the law. Elliot, reeling from unrequited love, enlists Leila help after he steps out in front of her car in traffic.  Using 80's movies as inspiration, she helps him prove his love to the girl of his dreams.  Sonia, whose soul mate dies unexpectedly, needs Leila's support for moving on.  Meanwhile Leila works through her own problems in aiding these strangers.

Jude and her twin brother Noah, who have spent their childhood trading parts of their universe for favors, (thus the title I'll Give You the Sun) are both talented artists hoping to be accepted by an elite art school.  Jealousies, misunderstandings and loss complicate their relationship and the once inseparable twins become estranged.  Told in alternating chapters, Noah chronicles their lives at age 13, Jude at age 16.  Both are struggling with their sexuality, Noah with his love for the boy-next-door, who fears losing his sports scholarship if anyone finds out, and Jude with her self-imposed celibacy after a forced sexual interaction.  As they find their way back to each other, they find that love can tear people apart, but it is ultimately what heals.

All three of these authors have created deeply affecting characters, whose struggles are at once unique but relate-able. The endings include reveals that may take the reader by surprise, but are completely satisfying. I found all three books to be page-turners and can't wait to share them with teen and adult readers alike.

New YA Novels Set in NYC: Starry Night, The Girls at the Kingfisher Club and Being Audrey Hepburn.

I just got back from my annual trip to the New York Musical Festival and am obsessed with all things NYC. Coincidentally, I have just read three fabulous novels set in the city that I would highly recommend.  Starry Night by Isabel Gillies is set against the backdrop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night." The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine is a re-imagining of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," set during the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan.  Finally, Being Audrey Hepburn, by Mitchell Kriegman, the creator of "Clarissa Tells All," chronicles how a girl's life is upended when she tries on the dress Givenchy designed for Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Starry Night introduces Wren, whose Father curates art at NYC's Metropolitan Museum, where she meets Nolan at a black tie event and allows him to convince her to steal off to an after-hours club.  She is an arrtist and he is the lead singer in a band, and their artistic hearts speak to each other.  Wren hopes to spend her junior year in France at Saint-Remy where Van Gogh created her favorite masterpiece. However, she lets her first love derail her plans.  Predictably, Wren gets grounded after her disappearance from the party at the Met and the fledgling romance is challenged in a variety of ways.  As she struggles to make the relationship work, she loses sight of what is really important in her life.  This cautionary tale plays out in the art world of NYC which adds to its charm and romance.

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club sets the fairy tale of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" during the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan.  The twelve Hamilton girls by day are kept prisoners in their Upper East Side home, but Jo, the firstborn known as "The General," teaches her eleven sisters how to dance and helps them sneak out to speakeasies each night.  They think they are avoiding discovery by their controlling father, until he announces he knows what they are up to and he is going to marry them off whether they like their prospective husbands or not.  They decide that they must escape before they lose their freedom and each other. However, before they can do so, they are caught in a speakeasy raid and flee separately, taking refuge in various places throughout the city.  The glitter and glamour of the underground dance halls and the girls' plucky personalities make for a fun read as they all find ways to survive in the city.

Being Audrey Hepburn stars 19-year-old Lisbeth, a waitress from the Jersey Shore, who is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn.  Her best friend Jess, a fashion design student, who works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, calls her one fateful evening to come to the museum to see the iconic dress Givenchy designed for her idol's role as Holly Golightly.  When Lisbeth tries it on and heads to a Manhattan socialite party where she does her best Audrey impersonation, she finds her life changed forever.  She rescues a suicidal "pop princess," meets a hip fashion designer, falls for a preppy party boy and photo bombs her way into a career as a fashion blogger, all in one evening! This campy book is filled with allusions to Audrey Hepburn's many films and her self transformation into a star who even today inspires women with her "can do" attitude.  Lisbeth truly embraces Audrey's sentiment that "Opportunities don't often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them." Grab this book when it comes out September 16th!

Romantic Reads for Summer: The Kiss of Deception, #Scandal, The Bridge from Me to You

Three popular young adult authors are back with  romantic reads that are perfect for summer escape. Mary E. Pearson's (The Jenna Fox Trilogy)  The Kiss of Deception is the first book in her new Remnant Chronicles trilogy. Sarah Ockler's (Twenty Boy Summer, The Book of Broken Hears)   #Scandal cautions teens about the dangers of social media. And in alternating chapters of prose and verse,  Lisa Schroeder's (Chasing Brooklyn, I Heart You, You Haunt Me) The Bridge from Me to You follows the story of two troubled  teens who together find the strength to deal with their problems. 

The Kiss of Deception introduces Princess Lia, who flees from an arranged marriage, which would secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom.  She travels with her maid to a distant village, hoping to find a new life as a commoner.  When two strangers arrive, she finds herself attracted to both of them.  Little does she know that one is her jilted fiancee and the other is an assassin who was sent to kill her. Naive and headstrong, Lia always seems to leap before she looks, which, of course, spells trouble.  The romance and mysticism, along with the nonstop action, makes this a must read for fantasy fans.  I am looking forward to the sequel The Heart of Betrayal, which comes out in 2015.

#Scandal weaves a cautionary tale about social media into a familiar tale about a girl who falls for her best friend's boyfriend. Lucy has been the third wheel in Cole and Ellie's relationship since freshman year. When Ellie claims to have the flu and asks Lucy to go to prom with Cole, she has no idea that  Lucy is in love with him, and he is attracted to her as well. Prom night revelations abound when someone steals Lucy's phone and photographs many of the revelers' indiscretions, including Cole and Lucy kissing, at an after prom party. The thief posts them on Lucy's Facebook page, as well as submits them to an online blogger's scandal contest. By Monday morning Lucy has been branded a back stabber and a narc.  She turns to members of eVIL, a school group battling the problems with modern technology, to help her find the perpetrator and clear her name. This engaging read points out the dangers of smart phones with unprotected access to social media sites, as well as explores issues of honesty in friendship. I'm a Sarah Ockler fan and this book does not disappoint.

Those of you familiar with Lisa Schroeder's novels-in-verse will enjoy her latest offering, The Bridge Between Me and You.. Lauren has been sent to live with relatives by her abusive mother, separating her from the little brother she loves.  Colby is struggling to convince his football loving father that he is done with sports once high school is over.  When they meet at the local convenience store, they are immediately attracted to each other. However, their romance barely gets off the ground when Colby’s best friend is seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and Lauren’s past begins to overwhelm her. As they struggle to deal with their problems, they turn to each other for love and support.  The novel-in-verse format makes for a quick satisfying read. It will be available July 29th. 

Classic Connections

It's time once again for Classic Connections in Young Adult Literature.  Authors are getting more and more inventive as they reference or reinvent the classics.  This month I can recommend several new titles.  Being Henry David by Cal Armistead involves a teenager with amnesia whose only clue to his identity is the book he is carrying- Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Great by Sara Benincasa is a reimagining of The Great Gatsby set in the modern day Hamptons. Second Star by Alyssa Sheinmel sets the story of Peter Pan in a surfing community in California. Finally, Cinderella's Dress by Shona Slayton suggests that Cinderella's ball gown still exists and has been handed down through the centuries to girls charged to protect it.

Being Henry David begins when an injured boy wakes up in Penn Station remembering nothing and carrying only $10 and a copy of Walden. When two homeless kids befriend him, he tells them his name is Henry David and they dub him Hank.  After an altercation in which he severely injures a man who attacks him and his new friends, he finds himself on the run again, this time to Concord, Massachusetts where he hopes to find clues to his identity. As his memories slowly return, he is taken in by a librarian who poses as Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond and  gets involved with a girl with whom he discovers a mutual love of music. The unraveling of the mystery of his identity is paired with frequent passages from Walden which he seems to have memorized. Although finding out who he is and what happened to him is compelling, it is the new relationships he forges in Concord that give the story depth. Teens who haven't read Walden may want to pick it up after finishing this unique page turner.

Great introduces teenage Naomi Rye who arrives in the Hamptons to spend the summer with her celebrity chef mother.  She becomes transfixed by her mysterious neighbor Jacinta, who seems to be the Hampton's IT girl.  When she is not dishing in her blog about the Hampton glitterati, Jacinata is planning lavish parties that are the talk of the town.  Naomi, who expected the summer to be a bore, finds herself with a hot boyfriend and a new best friend who is the most glamorous teen in the Hamptons.  But Jacinta, like Jay Gatsby, is hiding secrets and scandal is on the horizon.  Changing the gender of the classic main character is not often done in YA classic connections, but it works well in Great.  The basic structure of the story remains the same with the outside narrator telling the tale.  Inviting a comparison with the original should make for lively discussion.

Second Star finds Wendy Darling searching for her missing surfer brothers  in a contemporary ocean-side setting. Although her brothers, Michael and John,  have been missing for months and are presumed dead, she is determined to find them. Her search leads her to a hidden community of renegade surfers with two factions: one led by the charismatic Pete and the other by his nemesis, the drug dealing Jas (Captain Hook).  Even as Wendy is falling for Pete, she finds herself attracted to Jas, who paints himself as a misunderstood bad boy. Although many of the names remain similar, the story veers wildly from the original Peter Pan. There is much more of a focus on the love triangle and less on Peter and the lost boys.  As everyone around her, including the reader, questions Wendy's sanity, she perseveres.

Cinderella's Dress is a twist on the Cinderella tale, in that it imagines what takes place after the story is over.  The setting is WWII and Kate, the main character, is being pushed by her mother to become a model, when all she wants to do is create department store window displays. When her Polish relatives arrive with a trunk they say is filled with Cinderella's dresses, Kate finds she is destined to become the keeper of the dresses, charged with protecting them from evil doers. Then Kate's new love interest, who is involved with creating the window displays, leaves for boot camp, and  she is allowed to take his place as the window dresser's apprentice.  Predictably, she gives in to temptation and uses the Cinderella dresses to create a series of window displays depicting the fairy tale.   With a father and brother overseas and her mother at odds with her dreams, Kate is on her own to determine the truth about her relatives' fantastic claim. Although this book reads more like historical fiction, than fantasy, there is still a magical feel to the tale.

New YA Mysteries: She is Not Invisible,The Body in the Woods and Blur

Summer vacation is just around the corner and it's time to recommend some fun summer reads.  This month I will focus on new young adult mysteries.  First, Marcus Segwick, who won the Michael Printz award for Midwinter Blood, has a new mystery out entitled She is Not Invisible.  April Henry's new Point Last Seen mystery series introduces teens who work for a search and rescue team in Oregon in The Body in the Woods. Steven James' new trilogy of young adult thrillers begins with Blur, about a teen sleuth who has crime related visions.

In a departure from his usual historical fiction and fantasy writing, Marcus Sedgwick proves himself very versatile with his latest thriller She is Not Invisible, that explores the secrets of the universe. Laureth's father, novelist Jack Peak, is investigating Jung's theory of synchronity (coincidence) when he disappears. His notebook shows up in New York City, so Laureth, who is blind, enlists the help of  her 7-year-old brother to travel without their mother's knowledge from London to NYC to find Dad.  As they search the notebook for clues to his whereabouts, they become familiar with Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli, Edgar Allen Poe and other scientists' theories about coincidence. But will these findings lead them to their father?

The Point Last Seen mystery series begins with The Body in the Woods, which will be available for purchase in June.  The series was hatched when the author met a teen, who volunteers for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, and attended several trainings with her. The first book introduces Alex, Nick and Ruby, who have just joined the Portland County sheriff's Search and Rescue team.  When they are sent out to the woods to look for a lost autistic man, they find a dead body instead.  Although the three teens have very different backgrounds, they find themselves becoming friends, as they team up to find the girl's murderer.  The three quirky characters are almost as interesting as the mystery itself.  The next book in the series will find Nick a suspect in his neighbor's murder.

Steven James, who is best know for a series of adult psychological thrillers called the Bowers Files, has just penned Blur, the first book in a new YA thriller trilogy. When a classmate's corpse is found in Lake Algonquin, Daniel Byers, whose father is the town sheriff, believes her death was accidental.  The she begins appearing to him, imploring him to find her killer.  Calling these visions "blurs," Daniel wonders why she picked him to contact in her afterlife.  As he begins to look into her death, he continues to have hallucinations that blur his connection with reality.  With the help of his best friend Kyle and a new love interest, Daniel attempts to solve the mystery in the hopes of regaining his waning sanity.  The "blurred reality" sequences, as well as twists and turns in the plot, make this a creepy, but fun, read.

Colorado Teen Lit Conference and New Works by Popular Authors

The Colorado Teen Literature Conference at the beginning of the month was a resounding success.  A.S.King and David Levithan, the keynote speakers, did not disappoint.  Both authors discussed their latest works in their keynote speeches.  King's Reality Boy chronicles the life of Gerald Faust who is still dealing with the fallout from his family's appearance on a reality series, when he was a 5-year-old boy with anger management problems. (See my March blog) David Levithan's Two Boys Kissing is the sequel to his first published novel Boy Meets Boy.  Based on a true event, two gay boys attempt to set the Guinness World Record for continuous kissing, the tale of which is narrated by a chorus of gay men who have died of AIDS. As always, the conference introduced me to new must reads. Three popular YA authors have new offerings.  Lauren Oliver (Delirium series) has a new stand alone Panic, which departs from the dystopian world to chronicle a realistic story of a deadly game played by high school seniors. Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak) once again offers the tale of a damaged teen in The Impossible Knife of Memory; this time Anderson focuses on a girl whose war veteran father's PTSD threatens their safety. Finally, Ann Brashares (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) tries her hand at science fiction with The Here and Now, the first in a series about immigrants from the future.

Panic is a deadly high stakes game played by graduating seniors who live in the backwoods town of Carp, New York.  The story is told from the points of view of Heather, a girl who never thought she would get involved, and Dodge, a boy who has been waiting anxiously to compete and get revenge for something that happened to his sister when she competed. The game challenges competitors to face their fears, both emotionally and physically, and of course, the teens are always one step ahead of the law.  Not only does the competition bring new friendships and revelations about the past, it also presents the possibility of love when it is least expected. The characters are sympathetic and the plot is filled with suspense.  It has already been optioned by Universal Pictures for a film.

The Impossible Knife of Memory focuses on Haley Kincaid, who has been on the road with her truck driver father, a war veteran with PTSD, for five years. When he moves them back to his childhood home, she finds adjusting to the life of a normal high school student a challenge.  Her father's method of dealing with his demons is through drugs and alcohol, and Haley must assume a parental role to keep him from going over the edge.  She struggles to remain focused, as she reconnects with her former friend Gracie, who introduces her to Finn, a guy whose dreams for the future just might include her.  The story is told from Haley's point of view which is understandably sarcastic and suspicious. When Finn finally breaks through the self-protective barriers she sets up, the reader begins to hope he will be able to help her rescue herself from the downward spiral her life has become.

The Here and Now, the first book in a new series, introduces Prenna James, who immigrates from the future where a pandemic has killed millions and left the world in ruins. She and the others who escaped keep to themselves to avoid discovery, as they look for a way to prevent the plague that will one day destroy the Earth.  She doesn't count on falling love with Ethan Jarves, who vaguely remembers seeing her magically appear one day in the past when she time travels to his world. Hoping to have a life together, they investigate clues that might lead them to change events that trigger the plague in the future.  Although I found the book suspenseful, the ending leaves a lot of loose ends that will presumably be tied up in the next books in the series.

Debut Series: Alienated, Half Bad and Defy

New series by debut authors or authors new to young adult literature are always exciting discoveries.  One wonders if the series will be huge successes like Veronica Roth's Divergent series or Lauren Oliver's Delirium series, or if they will languish on remainders tables. This month I am recommending three new series that I hope will find an audience. Alienated by Melissa Landers, explores what might happen when alien exchange students come to Earth.   Sarah B Larson's Defy introduces a familiar story about a girl who must pose as a boy to survive, but the plucky heroine and the unexpected twists make it a fun read. Finally, Half Bad by Sally Green imagines a world where two factions of witches  Black and White, battle for dominance.

In Alienated high school student Cara Sweeney is chosen to host the first alien exchange student, Aelyx, on Earth. Not only will she get a college scholarship, she will also get to visit his planet L’eihr. What she doesn't anticipate is the prejudice against the L’eihrs and the danger it creates for her and Aelyx. As one by one her friends abandon her, she turns to Aelyx for love and support, but he is harboring secrets plans with deadly consequences. Will his love for her persuade him to abandon the plot, or will his loyalty to his planet prevail? Aelyx's fish out of water behavior and Cara's initial annoyance with him, followed by their slowly developing affection for each other, are just a few highly entertaining  plot elements in this refreshingly new exploration of prejudice. 

Taking place in the war torn kingdom of Antion, Defy, chronicles the story of Alexa, who, after her parents are murdered, must disguise herself as Alex to avoid being sent to the breeding house.  She and her brother Marcel join Prince Damian's elite guard, where her sword-fighting skills, coupled with her emerging magical powers, make her a force to be reckoned with.  When Marcel, the only one who knows her secret, is killed, she doesn't know who to trust.  Then a visiting sorcerer kidnaps her, the Prince and her fellow guard Rylan, in the hope of finding a way to negotiate an end to the war.  As the three are held prisoner, Alex is faced with her emerging romantic feelings for both men, as well as her conflicted emotions about her duty to serve the king, whose plans are not in the country's best interest.  All is not as it seems in this story of political intrigue and romance.

Although Half Bad was not my favorite of the three series, it probably has the best chance of success, as it has already been optioned for a movie by Fox Searchlight and rights have been sold in 27 countries.  The series, which is set in a modern day London filled with witches, introduces Nathan, a Half Code, a half white, half black witch.  His father, Marcus, who is the world's most powerful black witch, has been absent Nathan's whole life and his mother is dead.  After being forced to go through yearly evaluations to determine whether he is a black or white witch, Nathan is finally locked up in a cage and tortured by the witch council, which is hoping to persuade him to kill his father.  Nathan escapes and begins the hunt for Marcus, so that he can convince him to bestow upon him the three gifts promised to witches when they turn 17. The first book in the new trilogy sets up a world where the forces of good and evil are ambiguous at best, yet Nathan is an anti-hero that readers can root for.

Reality Boy, Fangirl and The Scar Boys

Many young adult novel protagonists travel to the beat of a different drummer. This month I have three new novels to recommend that focus on teens who are out of sync with the mainstream. In A. S. King's Reality Boy Gerald Faust is still dealing with the fallout from his family's appearance on a reality series when he was a 5-year-old boy with anger management problems. Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl explores the problems twins, who are obsessed with and write fan fiction for a fictional character, face when one of them is ready to move on. In Len Vlahos's The Scar Boys, Harry Jones, who was severely burned when he was 8 years old, lives as a recluse until a friend convinces him to join a band.

Reality Boy, Gerald Faust became a celebrity when he was five years old and his mother involved his family in a reality TV show that showcased his problems with anger management. What isn't exposed in the show is that his anger is triggered by the torment he suffers at the hands of his psychopathic older sister. Now twelve years later, he is haunted by his TV persona. No one cares that he has his anger under control. When he is befriended by Hannah, a girl with family problems of her own, they decide to run away together in an attempt to find a safe haven they can call their own. A.S. King, who will be speaking at the Colorado Teen Lit Conference in April, creates a sympathetic main character, who bears the brunt of a dysfunctional family's problems. With Hannah's support Gerald is finally able to tackle the problems head on and derail his sister's ability to sabotage anything good that happens to him.

Fangirl Cath and her twin sister Wren became obsessed with the Simon Snow series when they were just kids and their mother left. Hanging out in Simon Snow chat rooms, dressing up as characters for movie premieres and writing fan fiction consumes their lives until they go to college and Wren wants to leave all that behind, including her sister. Coupled with her sister's defection, Cath also worries about her father's fragile mental stability, now that he is alone. Cath’s new roommate and her boyfriend, as well as her creative writing teacher who abhors fan fiction, try to take Cath out of her comfort zone. Can she leave Simon Snow behind and write her own stories, or is she doomed to hide forever in her fandom?

Eight-year-old Harry Jones’ life changed dramatically when neighborhood thugs tied him to a tree during a lightning storm and he was burned severely when the tree was struck by lightning. Living with physical and emotional scars, Harry is a recluse until eighth grade when charismatic Johnny rescues him from bullies and convinces him to join a band. After modest success in their hometown, The Scar Boys, who play punk rock, hit the road in a funky van to play gigs in college towns along the coast. Harry takes great solace in the music, but is also harboring a crush on Cheyene, the band's bass player. As with many bands, the personal dynamics are complicated by the members' close proximity. When his relationship with Johnny becomes toxic, Harry doesn't know where to turn.

The characters in these three books are really something special. I hated to leave them behind when the stories came to a close. As with many realistic YA novels, these seem to be stand alones. It will be interesting to see if teens embrace the characters, they way they did Hazel and Gus in The Fault of our Stars. I definitely think Gerald, Cath and Harry are worthy of such affection.

Romantic YA Novels: Heartbeat, These Broken Stars, and The Beginning of Everything

Many young adult novels, regardless of the genre, include a romance. Whether the book is realistic fiction, sci-fi/fantasy or mystery, it frequently includes male and female protagonists, who are interested in each other romantically.  This month I'd like to recommend three novels that include a teen romance that compliments an intriguing plotline.   In Elizabeth Scott's new novel, Heartbeat, Emma meets Caleb, while she is visiting her mother in the hospital.  Mom is brain dead, but is being kept alive until the fetus she is carrying is viable.  The first novel in Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner's new science fiction series, These Broken Stars, introduces Lilac LaRoux, a spoiled heiress, and Tarver Merendson, a poor war hero, who are the only survivors when their intergalactic space-liner, malfunctions and plummets out of hyperspace, crashing on a nearby planet. Finally, The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider explores the struggles tennis star Ezra Faulkner has when he is injured by a distracted driver. Returning to school, he joins the debate team where Cassidy, a transfer student, helps him redefine himself. Three vastly different stories are sweetened by the romantic relationship that develops between the two protagonists.

In Heartbeat Emma’s pregnant mother is brain dead and being kept alive until the baby boy she is carrying becomes viable. Caleb’s little sister died in an accident while he was in charge of her.  Emma is furious with her stepfather for keeping her mother on life support. Caleb is struggling with overwhelming feelings of guilt and is acting out. When they meet at the hospital where Emma is visiting her mother and Caleb is doing community service, they find the strength in each other to work through their issues with grief.

These Broken Stars chronicles the developing relationship between Lilac LaRoux, daughter of a wealthy tycoon, and Tarver Merendson, a soldier, who are the only survivors when the Icarus, an intergalactic space-liner, crashes on a seemingly deserted planet. Using her knowledge of her father's ship’s design, Lilac is able to free the escape pod they make it to when Tarver rescues her from the sea of crazed passengers. They safely land on the planet which has been “terraformed,” the theoretical process of modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to the biosphere of Earth to make it habitable for humans. Although Lilac is attracted to Tarver, she maintains her distance and Tarver finds her arrogance insulting. However, they must work together to make it across the planet's unforgiving terrain to the ship’s carcass where they hope to send a message for help. The dual points of view give the reader an insider's look at the process by which their disdain for each other turns to love.

The Beginning of Everything puts a new twist on the injured athlete story.  Ezra Faulkner has a theory that everyone has a watershed moment that changes his life.  His best friend Toby's changed when a severed head lands in his lap after a decapitation on a roller coaster. Kids shun Toby and Ezra drifts away into the world of jocks.  When Ezra's leg is shattered in a car accident, he avoids his former friends and reconnects with Toby in the debate club where he also meets Cassidy, a transfer student. Although Ezra's athletic friends try to maintain a relationship with him, he shuns them in favor of falling head over heels for Cassidy, a rebellious genius with a mysterious past.  Readers will not want to put the book down until they find out what is haunting her.  Throughout the book Ezra finds parallels in his life to those of the Great Gatsby, which literary teens will love. Fans of John Green's books and Perks of Being a Wallflower will also enjoy the debate club's quirky members whose witty repartee and sarcastic views on high school life are a breath of fresh air in YA literature.

Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award 2014

The winner of the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award for 2014 is Divergent by Veronica Roth.  This book is the first in the Divergent series and is followed by Insurgent and Allegiant. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it takes place in a futuristic dystopian Chicago, where all people are born into one of five factions which have a different strength and focus:  Abnegation (service), Amity (friendship) Candor (truth) Dauntless (bravery) and Erudite (intellect). On their 16th birthday teens take an aptitude test, and can choose to remain with the faction they were born into or change allegiances.  The main character, Tris, chooses to leave her abnegation family and join dauntless, where she meets and ultimately falls in love with her demanding instructor, Tobias (aka Four). Much of Tris's success in training is because she is actually a divergent with strengths in multiple factions. This makes her a target of the merciless autocratic leaders who kill divergents because they are hard to control.  As in all dystopian literature, Tris and her friends fight the status quo in hopes of creating a "brave new world" where all inhabitants live in harmony. The struggle continues in Insurgent, leading up to the final book in the series, Allegiant, which is told from both Tris and Tobias's points of view. The shocking, yet satisfying, ending leaves no doubt that this is truly the end of the series. Divergent comes out as a movie starring Shailene Woodley on March 21st.
Most of the nominees for 2015 are books from series as well. They include Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Blood Red Road by Moira Young, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, The Eye of Minds by James Dashner, The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Legend by Marie Lu, Matched by Ally Condie, The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost, Proxy by Alex London, The Selection by Kiera Cass, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Smoke by Ellen Hopkins, Truancy City by Isamu Fukai, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, and Unwholly by Neil Shusterman. I guess a surefire way to win over teen readers is to give them a dystopian or fantasy series to which they can become loyal.
The other two nominees are The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin and Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.  For more information about the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult  book award, including book talks for each of the nominees, as well as contest rules and promotional materials, go to http://www.coloradobluespruceaward.org.