I have read so many wonderful books during 2011, and many of them have sequels coming out in 2012. Here is a short list of titles that I just cannot wait to get my hands on!
In no particular order...
Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Release date: May 1, 2012
Book 2 in the Divergent series.
Summary from BarnesandNoble.com
One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins. Release date: March 13, 2012
Book 3 in the Hex Hall series
*I absolutely cannot wait to read this book! Rachel is absolutely fabulous and just happens to be a (former) teacher friend of mine. :)
Summary from Amazon.com
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies--the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn't as confident.
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Release date: February 28, 2012
Book 2 in the Delirium series
Short "blurb" from BarnesandNoble.com
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
ISBN: 9781442429987
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011
Format: eBook purchased via my Kindle.
Summary from Barnes and Noble.com
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba's unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.
What I think...
Another post-apocalyptic extension to the Dystopia genre, Blood Read Road proves to be a solid addition to those already occupying the YA shelves (i.e. The Hunger Games, Divergent, Shatter Me).
This book was highly recommend by several on GoodReads.com, so I thought I would give it a try. Overall I really enjoyed the book. It brings a lot to the table. And I especially liked the physical and mental journey that Saba treks through...her quest to find her brother wraps around all of the characters, the setting, everything. Saba is really a fascinating character, and she sets the book up for numerous "girl power" moments that are, well, really powerful!
Blood Red Road is written in a southern-backwoods dialect with no quotation marks around the dialogue. I had to adjust to this writing style and ended up really liking it. The dialect compliments the book's setting - a ruined, desert land, stripped of food, nourishment, and technology - a world gone rogue. The setting reminded me a lot of the Mad Max movie circa 1979 with Mel Gibson. If you are not a fan of the Mad Max movies, well please do not let my comparison turn you away from this book. Young really makes the whole desert dystopian thing work.
I definitely recommend this book to dystopian fans, or any avid reader. It has something for everyone: battles, fighting, romance, girls kicking butt and taking names.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
ISBN: 9781595144676
Publisher: Razorbill, 2011
Format: I borrowed this book from my library. It was purchased from Barnes and Noble.
Summary from Amazon.com
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.
Now Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.
Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.
What I think...
A beautiful cover, nicely written storyline, with a little mystery and romance. What more can you ask for?
One of the first Science Fiction YAs that I have read, Beth Revis's Across the Universe blends, sci-fi, murder-mystery, and romance. Main characters Amy and Elder both get a chance to tell the story that unfolds on Godspeed. Written from their alternating perspectives, the reader is able to capture the essence of what it is like to live aboard Godspeed as an outsider from Sol-Earth (the earth we know and live in now) as well as what it is like to live on Godspeed as a future leader. Overall, I think that both Amy and Elder capture the essence of what it is like to live within in a space, in an enclosed world full of lies and uncertainty.
Across the Universe is a sci-fi "whodunit" that teen readers will enjoy, especially those looking for something new in the YA sci-fi genre. The first chapter is engaging, and the plot-line flows easily. It is both twisted and unpredictable. I am looking forward to the sequel, A Millions Suns (January, 2012). I hope to see more character and relationship development with Amy and Elder.
