Join the YA Revolution!

[3monstersmom]

It's time to start a Paranormal YA thread up in this forum.   If your anything like me you enjoy reading a few YA books here and there, but feel like trolling around the Teen forum screams "Stranger Danger" at your age.  Also, there seems to be a little bit of a difficulty in having to figure out what a few of their acronyms mean.  If you have to Google the meaning of half the conversation you are trying to participate in chances are your voice won't be a welcomed addition.  Seriously: BTSOOM?  Google that.  It's now a new favorite of mine.   

Whether you're a fan of the genre or just an occasional mingler you can't deny the ever changing quality of YA material being published. This month Paul has even featured a YA debut (gasp).  Why not have a thread where we can share some of the more enjoyable Paranormal YA reads we stumble across? 

So tell me, have you read any good Paranormal YA books lately?

[3monstersmom]

Well since I started it, I'll throw down a couple.

Just received The Iron Knight in the mail by Julie Kagawa.  This is her final book in the Iron Fey series.  Love, Love, Love this series.  It has that perfect love triangle that leaves me longing for a binder to doodle hearts and Team Ash/Team Puck on the cover of it.  Maybe that's an overstatement, but if these would of been around when I was 16 there definitely would of been some embarrassing fan girl moments occurring.  It's bad enough that I am already justifying my fictional crush by figuring out that the uber handsome bad boy puts most centurions to shame with his age.  I'm excited to see how she ends this series.

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey Series #4)  

Also in my pile is Awake at Dawn.  I enjoyed the first book, Born at Midnight, but the sophomore book is where Paranormal YA really flops or shines.  I've learned my lesson: never buy a YA series until you've read book 2 and enjoyed it.  Fingers crossed that this one shines, because the concept is awesome:  A paranormal summer camp.  I can't help but have "one time, at band camp" thoughts that now revolve around shape shifters, vampires, and Fae (oh my!). 

Awake at Dawn  

[kimba88]

I enjoy YA books..well heck lets face it.I enjoy books from all genres. 

I will be sure and add good Ya books here. I too do not like stalking the teen corner! 

[Sovereign_Queen]

 I mostly read YA (I call it research, but I really like them, lol)

Shade -- great YA urban fantasy

Darker Still 

I want to read this so bad (I bet Paul has read it.) 

On twitter I was just having a convo about "stalking the teen corner" and how we try not to scare other adults we see in the teen section by recomending too many books.  I'm making up buttons that say "It's okay to read YA" for an event I'm running at the romantic booklovers convention in chicago in April.

~Suzi

[A_Wilson]

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3monstersmom wrote:

Seriously: BTSOOM?  Google that.  It's now a new favorite of mine.   

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Had to go look that up.  Had me lol at my work, definitely getting strange looks, but who cares.  Thanks for starting this thread.  Can't wait to see what ends up getting posted, I wish I had some recommendations for everyone, but I'm coming up empty right now...

[kimba88]

Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne  

Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne (Vampires of the Tower) by Cody Young

I’m seventeen and he’s twenty-one.

That’s okay… isn’t it?

He drives a Lamborghini. So what?

He was born in 1462. Uh-oh.

He seeks revenge, but there is one person standing in his way.

Me.

On a high school trip to London, Madison Lambourne meets seductive stranger Johnny De Vere, who believes he knows her already, and is torn between love and revenge.  Eager to learn more about this beautiful, lonely, young man, Madison agrees to go with him to a re-enactment at the Tower of London. Dressed as a highborn medieval lady in a black velvet gown, she accidentally slips through a doorway that leads to the past. Knowing she will not last long on the streets of medieval London, Johnny must follow her… with devastating consequences for them both.  A wild time-travel adventure full of love, lies, mystery and betrayal. (Synopsis from Goodreads) 

Here is my spoiler free review:

Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne is a YA time traveling novel complete with vampires.  Author Cody Young delivers a delightful tale set in London’s present day and the year 1483. This was an enchanting, suspenseful, romantic tale that had me turning the pages to race to its conclusion.  I liked the combination of historical information and fiction. I became completely immersed in the time period.

The tale is told from the POV of protagonist seventeen year old Madison Lambourne.  Madison is traveling with her senior class to London. She meets Johnny DeVere at the Heathrow airport.  Johnny calls her Madeline and appears to know her.  She finds a torn note that falls from his pocket. It is written on old paper and says, “In time you will forgive me. I will be waiting for you at…” The handwriting is hers.  This encounter will test all that Madison knows and prove her braver then even she imagined.  

The story centers on the Tower of London, past tragedies and the keepers of the River of Time.  Madison and Johnny travel back in time, to right wrongs and protect the river of time. The romance between Johnny and Madison is sweet, romantic and youthful.  Madison is independent and takes charge, sometimes at her own peril.  Johnny is dark, world-wise and obviously taken with Madison.

I have to mention the cover. I am not a fan, and feel it doesn’t do the wonderful tale that lies within justice.  I would have liked to have seen Madison running from the Tower in the lovely period dress she wore or the image of Johnny(as seen on author's website) in black and white.  The old adage "never judge a book by its cover" applies here.  I would have walked right by this novel. I am so guilty of being drawn to a book by its cover and then reading the synopsis.

Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne was a charming novel. The plot was captivating and an effortless read. Young skillfully took us from past to present, while slowly giving us clues to the past relationship between Madison and Johnny. Some of the characters were humorous, especially the school chaperone. 

[3monstersmom]

 I recently read Reckoning (Strange Angels Series #5) , the finally in Lili St.Crows Strange Angel series.  This series was an intense and solid read with nonstop action, and delivered an interestingly unique twist on the vampire storyline.  One of the few YA series that I would beg and grovel at the authors feet to see it continued into an adult format with a 8-10 years down the road theme.  I'm saddened to leave these characters behind.

Strange Angels (Strange Angels Series #1) 

Betrayals (Strange Angels Series #2)

Jealousy (Strange Angels Series #3)

Defiance (Strange Angels Series #4) 

Reckoning (Strange Angels Series #5)       

[tfadams]

well I have read both the Harry Potter series and Twilight books and loved them.

I have twilight on my nook still waiting for Harry to come to the nook.

all so I wish they would get around to releaseing the star wars YA books on the nook as well.

currently looking for zombie and vampire series to read.

P.s. star trek starfleet academy series is fantastic it deals with the new cast from 2009 film.

[ThirstyFlea]

I love love love the Mortal Instruments series!

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments Series #1) 

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments Series #2) 

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments Series #3) 

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments Series #4)      

So it stands to reason that I also love Cassandra Clare's series of The Infernal Devices, which is a little steam-punky:

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Series #1) 

and the soon to be released:

Clockwork Prince Exclusive Edition (Infernal Devices Series #2)   

[nikchik66]

i like the imortals by alyson noel and the house of night by pc and kristen cast...i also like the wicked lovely ya novels...i also love the mortal instrument series....its fantastic...

[ThirstyFlea]

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nikchik66 wrote:

i like the imortals by alyson noel and the house of night by pc and kristen cast...i also like the wicked lovely ya novels...i also love the mortal instrument series....its fantastic..

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 Yeah, so the more I thought about it, I have read / am reading quite a few YA series... aside from my clear obsession with the Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices as I mentioned before, I also loved the Hunger Games series (does that count in this genre??), and as nikchik66 mentioned, the House of Night series. I have read a couple of the Wicked Lovely, but they started to bug me at some point. Maybe I should give them a try again.... 

I also read the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine, I like the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, which means I had to pick up the new Bloodlines series also by Richelle Mead... 

[kimba88]

Everneath  

just finished this ARC..what a fantastic,captivating,beautiful novel. A modern day twist on Greek Mythology. Beautifully written it goes back and forth in time over a 6 month period, and it does so flawlessly.  

I will post a review in a few days..but this will definitely be a must read for 2012. 

[kimba88]

Shatter Me  

[kimba88]

Unearthly 

This book is currently only .99cents in anticipation of book 2 the Hallowed's release on Jan 19, 2012. 

Here is my review:

I picked Unearthly up sometime in 2011 because I loved the cover. For some reason, it kept getting shuffled around to the back of my TBR pile and after reading a review I almost bought it again. Unearthly is the first in a trilogy and I will be reviewing book two the Hallowed later this month. This novel is filled with angel mythology, suspense, romance and typical high school drama.

The protagonist is sixteen year old Clara Gardner. Clara is an angel-blood. Her mother was part angel and her father is human. Every angel has a purpose; a task they must perform in their lifetime. When Clara begins to have visions about her purpose, she and her family move from California to Wyoming. Clara’s visions show a young man and a fire. She believes she must save him from it.

In Wyoming, Clara and her younger brother try to fit in at the new high school. Which isn’t easy, since being part angel makes you faster, smarter, and better at almost everything. Clara attempts to get closer to Christian (who she quickly learns is the young man in her vision) and learn her purpose. The school year is filled with typical high school drama. Clara begins to crush on Christian. She makes a few girlfriends. Wendy is the first to friend her. I really liked Wendy; she doesn’t care about the in-crowd and seems to genuinely care about Clara. She has a twin brother named Tucker who teases Clara unmercifully. Clara also befriends Angela.  The friendship between them grows when Angela reveals her secret to Clara. I haven’t made up my mind about Angela. There is something I do not trust about it.

During the summer while Clara waits for Christian to return from a trip, she starts spending time with Tucker. We slowly get to see this romance unfold, and I enjoyed watching Clara come to realization that she loves Tucker. This romance is pure, believable and sweet. Clara’s mother fearing Tucker will distract her from her purpose; grounds Clara and forbids her to see Tucker until her purpose is completed.

Throughout Unearthly there is something sinister lurking and Clara has experiences with it more than once.  As the tales moves towards its conclusion we are again confronted with this evil. We witness a battle between good and evil. After the battle, Clara is suddenly overwhelmed with a vision and realizes the time is now. Her purpose is now. She flies to save Christian. When she arrives she is too early and as she waits she learns someone she loves is in danger. She must choose between fulfilling her purpose and saving someone she loves.  The ending left me with more questions than answers. I am hoping Hand clarifies things more in book two.

[ThirstyFlea]

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kimba88 wrote:

Unearthly 

This book is currently only .99cents in anticipation of book 2 the Hallowed's release on Jan 19, 2012. 

Here is my review:

I picked Unearthly up sometime in 2011 because I loved the cover. For some reason, it kept getting shuffled around to the back of my TBR pile and after reading a review I almost bought it again. Unearthly is the first in a trilogy and I will be reviewing book two the Hallowed later this month. This novel is filled with angel mythology, suspense, romance and typical high school drama.

The protagonist is sixteen year old Clara Gardner. Clara is an angel-blood. Her mother was part angel and her father is human. Every angel has a purpose; a task they must perform in their lifetime. When Clara begins to have visions about her purpose, she and her family move from California to Wyoming. Clara’s visions show a young man and a fire. She believes she must save him from it.

In Wyoming, Clara and her younger brother try to fit in at the new high school. Which isn’t easy, since being part angel makes you faster, smarter, and better at almost everything. Clara attempts to get closer to Christian (who she quickly learns is the young man in her vision) and learn her purpose. The school year is filled with typical high school drama. Clara begins to crush on Christian. She makes a few girlfriends. Wendy is the first to friend her. I really liked Wendy; she doesn’t care about the in-crowd and seems to genuinely care about Clara. She has a twin brother named Tucker who teases Clara unmercifully. Clara also befriends Angela.  The friendship between them grows when Angela reveals her secret to Clara. I haven’t made up my mind about Angela. There is something I do not trust about it.

During the summer while Clara waits for Christian to return from a trip, she starts spending time with Tucker. We slowly get to see this romance unfold, and I enjoyed watching Clara come to realization that she loves Tucker. This romance is pure, believable and sweet. Clara’s mother fearing Tucker will distract her from her purpose; grounds Clara and forbids her to see Tucker until her purpose is completed.

Throughout Unearthly there is something sinister lurking and Clara has experiences with it more than once.  As the tales moves towards its conclusion we are again confronted with this evil. We witness a battle between good and evil. After the battle, Clara is suddenly overwhelmed with a vision and realizes the time is now. Her purpose is now. She flies to save Christian. When she arrives she is too early and as she waits she learns someone she loves is in danger. She must choose between fulfilling her purpose and saving someone she loves.  The ending left me with more questions than answers. I am hoping Hand clarifies things more in book two.

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Hi Kimba! Loved your review, and since the price was right also  I bought it! I hope to start reading it tonight, if I finish my current book. I like to mix the YA novels in to my repetoire sometimes! So thank you for highlighting this book! 

[3monstersmom]

When it came down to YA in 2011, these were all 5 star books for me.  Only two of them are continuations of series,Trial By Fire and Awake at Dawn, the remaining ones are all first of series.

The Gathering 

Enclave 

Starcrossed 

Divergent 

Bloodlines (Bloodlines Series #1) 

Trial by Fire (Raised by Wolves Series) 

Isle of Night 

Awake at Dawn         

 

[ThirstyFlea]

I've actually had Divergent on my TBR for a while, so it's really good to hear that it was one of your faves from last year! I feel better about bumping it up on my list!

Has anyone read any of these? I've had the first one on my list for a while as well, but need a little adult affirmation before I check them out

Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #1)

 Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #2)

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #3)

[3monstersmom]

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ThirstyFlea wrote:

I've actually had Divergent on my TBR for a while, so it's really good to hear that it was one of your faves from last year! I feel better about bumping it up on my list!

Has anyone read any of these? I've had the first one on my list for a while as well, but need a little adult affirmation before I check them out

Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #1)

 Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #2)

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #3)

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Bump up Divergent in your TBR pile asap! 

I've read the Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, and while I enjoyed shiver, linger and forever just ended up falling short.  Honestly the two main characters that I enjoyed in the first book became stuck, lifeless, and slightly annoying with their insistent melancholy tragedy emo-ness of their lives.  The writing is good though - very artistic.  Having said all that, many people love this series with the same passion of Twilight or the Hunger Games fans. 

[melissas]

This was an amazing idea, 3monstersmom! I, too, hate hanging out in the teen forums...they have an attention span of a single post. Yet, most of the fantasy I read is YA, and not adult, so even though I hang out in this forum, I often don't have a good grasp on what the "grown-ups" are reading.

Kimba, I loved Unearthly. It was one of the few books I was able to read last year in between homework assignments, and it was absolutely amazing. By far, the best of the "Teen Angel" books. I can't wait to take Hallowed home this week and find out what happens to Christian and Tucker.

I just finished White Cat by Holly Black. It was quite good. Although some aspects of the story were predictable, those were cancelled out by the numerous surprises that I encountered. I plan to pick up the next book in the series, Red Glove from the library sometime this week. 

White Cat (Curse Workers Series #1)

Tiger's Curse (Tiger's Curse Series #1)  

Tiger's Quest (Tiger's Curse Series #2)  

Tiger's Voyage (Tiger's Curse Series #3) 

Also, I am somewhat obsessed with the Tiger's Curse series.

Three of five books in the series came out last year (they had been self-pubbed a way's back, so they were ready to fly out of the gate once Barnes & Noble's Sterling picked them up). They are fantastic reads, especially if you are into paranormal love triangles involving shapeshifters. Plus the first one was just optioned as a movie by Paramount.

[3monstersmom]

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melissas wrote:

This was an amazing idea, 3monstersmom! I, too, hate hanging out in the teen forums...they have an attention span of a single post. Yet, most of the fantasy I read is YA, and not adult, so even though I hang out in this forum, I often don't have a good grasp on what the "grown-ups" are reading.

Kimba, I loved Unearthly. It was one of the few books I was able to read last year in between homework assignments, and it was absolutely amazing. By far, the best of the "Teen Angel" books. I can't wait to take Hallowed home this week and find out what happens to Christian and Tucker.

I just finished White Cat by Holly Black. It was quite good. Although some aspects of the story were predictable, those were cancelled out by the numerous surprises that I encountered. I plan to pick up the next book in the series, Red Glove from the library sometime this week. 

White Cat (Curse Workers Series #1)

Tiger's Curse (Tiger's Curse Series #1)  

Tiger's Quest (Tiger's Curse Series #2)  

Tiger's Voyage (Tiger's Curse Series #3) 

Also, I am somewhat obsessed with the Tiger's Curse series.

Three of five books in the series came out last year (they had been self-pubbed a way's back, so they were ready to fly out of the gate once Barnes & Noble's Sterling picked them up). They are fantastic reads, especially if you are into paranormal love triangles involving shapeshifters. Plus the first one was just optioned as a movie by Paramount.

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I was wondering about the Tiger's Curse series.  Since you gave them a recommendation I will place them on my wish list.  Thanks for the heads up.