Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan: A Slice of Life of a Young Artist (Giveaway!)

March 20, 2017 |

After last week’s non-stop fun, let’s take this week to recalibrate.

I’ve found myself slowing down in my reading. I was going at a really fast speed for the first couple of months of the year, but as soon as March hit, it’s almost like everything in my life decided to grind to a halt. I’ve picked up some light reading, the kind of self-help/self-comfort stuff that’s primarily list-based, with no narrative structure, that’s given me the freedom to bounce around. And while that’s been nice, I do miss sinking into a book and hope when this month of travel and talking — which I’ve loved! — comes to an end, I can curl up with a pile of novels.

That said, one of the more recent titles I’ve finished is Kayla Cagan’s debut Piper Perish. It’s not really the kind of book worthy of an in-depth review here. That’s not because it’s not good or that it’s bad. It’s a slice-of-life story, set over the course of a school year, about a girl who learns how to navigate shifting friendships, shifting romances, and the possibility of leaving home in Houston, Texas, for the dream life she’s always wanted in New York City.

The book is set up diary-style, so everything that we know comes straight from Piper’s perspective. For many readers, this can be jarring in the sense that Piper does and says things that are mean and hurtful; to her, though, they aren’t. They’re her reality and because the book’s purpose is to give us her view from the inside, it’s going to be that way. There are times, for example, where the budget challenges her family faces come off as non-issues to her, and that things like getting a summer job to help save for college are things she thinks are silly. But, and I speak from experience as well as from the experiences I know of others, this tends to be a perfect example of life as a 17-year-old who is ready to get out of town.

Perhaps one of the places in the book where Piper’s voice has been a challenge for many readers (if it’s not obvious, I’ve read many reader reviews of this one with fascination!) is where it comes to her sister. Her sister, who was away in her first year of college, finds herself pregnant and having to move back home. There is a lot of sibling rivalry between them, as there had been for years. But with the change in family situation and her sister’s need to live at home has a drastic effect on Piper’s future. Money is one of the challenges. The other is that Piper dislikes — HATES — her sister’s boyfriend and as the book progresses, it becomes clear why that’s the case.

My only concern about the book is its length, as I think it might be a turnoff to some readers, even though this is a story they will be familiar with and that might resonate with them. Being on that cusp of freedom and feeling the ropes that hold you back is something many teens at that 16, 17, 18 feel. I do think, though, the readers who pick this up despite the length will find, like I did, that it’s a quick read, in part because of the format. Piper writes her diary in fun, non-linear ways that allow the reader to really understand how her artistic brain works.

Piper Perish is an excellent read to hand to fans of Susan Juby’s The Truth Commission, as well as readers who cannot get enough of Amy Spalding — the humor in Cagan’s debut is on par with both of those authors and so is the way that art is treated as an important, imperative part of many teen lives. Cagan includes a bisexual character who plays a big role in the story, and it’s also fair in depicting a variety of races and ethnicities among Piper’s friends and classmates in an arts school in Houston.

If you’re curious, you can read an excerpt of the book here to get a sense of the tone and humor.

I’ve got a copy of the book available for one lucky US reader who’d like one. In addition to the book, this giveaway is complete with a fun tote bag and bookmark. To enter, fill out the form below, and I’ll pick a winner on or around April 3.

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On The Radar: March 2017 YA Titles To Know

March 6, 2017 |

“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

This month, I’m cheating a tiny bit. I’ve pulled 13 titles, a few from well-known authors and/or popular series, and a few that are debut authors whose books are making a splash already. I went over my arbitrary number of 12 titles at most, in part because we have a lot of well-known and well-loved authors with books releasing in March and because I wanted to highlight a few debut novels that have been getting good buzz and/or will fill a huge hole in YA lit collections.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for putting on your radar are mine and mine alone! Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them.

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves (3/28)

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

Why it should be on your radar: This is a debut novel and the first in a series billed as being for fans of Victoria Aveyard’s “The Red Queen” series. It’s gotten quite a bit of publicity and buzz.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (3/7)

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha — one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Why it should be on your radar: Chupeco’s name and reputation as a writer of horror and fantasy continues to grow. This is the first book in a new series, and like her previous work, it features a main character of color. She herself is an author of color.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (3/28)

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

Why it should be on your radar: This is the second book in Chokshi’s really popular fantasy series, which hit the New York Times immediately. If you haven’t picked up the first one for your shelves, the paperback hit shelves the same day as this volume.

The End of Oz by Danielle Paige (3/14)

Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to save Kansas and make Oz a free land once more.

At the end of Yellow Brick War, Amy had finally defeated Dorothy. Just when she and the rest of the surviving members of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked thought it was safe to start rebuilding the damaged land of Oz, they realized they’ve been betrayed—by one of their own. And Dorothy might not have been so easily defeated after all.

In the fourth installment of the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series, the magical Road of Yellow Brick has come to the rescue, and whisked Amy away—but to where? Does the Road itself know where she needs to go to find the help that she needs?

Welcome to the other side of the rainbow. Here there’s danger around every corner, and magic shoes won’t be able to save you.

Why it should be on your radar: This is the fourth book in the popular “Dorothy Must Die” series.

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner (3/7)

Can a text message destroy your life?

Carver Briggs never thought a simple text would cause a fatal crash, killing his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, there could be a criminal investigation into the deaths.

Then Blake’s grandmother asks Carver to remember her grandson with a ‘goodbye day’ together. Carver has his misgivings, but he starts to help the families of his lost friends grieve with their own memorial days, along with Eli’s bereaved girlfriend Jesmyn. But not everyone is willing to forgive. Carver’s own despair and guilt threatens to pull him under into panic and anxiety as he faces punishment for his terrible mistake. Can the goodbye days really help?

Why it should be on your radar: Zentner’s first novel, The Serpent King, won the William C Morris debut award last year. His second book has been getting plenty of attention in reviews.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz (3/7)

Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican-American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

Why it should be on your radar: The description of this lengthy book is short, but that’s probably all that needs to be said. This is the next book from Benjamin Alire Saenz, whose Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe took home boatloads and boatloads of awards and attention.

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs (3/21)

It’s been happening since Min was eight. Every two years, on her birthday, a strange man finds her and murders her in cold blood. But hours later, she wakes up in a clearing just outside her tiny Idaho hometown—alone, unhurt, and with all evidence of the horrifying crime erased.

Across the valley, Noah just wants to be like everyone else. But he’s not. Nightmares of murder and death plague him, though he does his best to hide the signs. But when the world around him begins to spiral toward panic and destruction, Noah discovers that people have been lying to him his whole life. Everything changes in an eye blink.

For the planet has a bigger problem. The Anvil, an enormous asteroid threatening all life on Earth, leaves little room for two troubled teens. Yet on her sixteenth birthday, as she cowers in her bedroom, hoping not to die for the fifth time, Min has had enough. She vows to discover what is happening in Fire Lake and uncovers a lifetime of lies: a vast conspiracy involving the sixty-four students of her sophomore class, one that may be even more sinister than the murders.

Why it should be on your radar: This is the first in a new series by Reichs, who was one of the coauthors on the “Virals” series. It’s been pitched as Orphan Black meets The Lord of the Flies, which would be enough to make it fly off shelves. The movie rights have already been snapped up.

Overturned by Lamar Giles (3/28)

Nikki Tate is infamous, even by Las Vegas standards. Her dad is sitting on death row, convicted of killing his best friend in a gambling dispute turned ugly. And for five years, he’s maintained his innocence. But Nikki wants no part of that. She’s been working on Operation Escape Vegas: playing in illegal card games so she can save up enough money to get out come graduation day.

Then her dad’s murder conviction is overturned. The new evidence seems to come out of nowhere and Nikki’s life becomes a mess when he’s released from prison. Because the dad who comes home is not the dad she remembers. And he’s desperately obsessed with finding out who framed him—and why.

As her dad digs into the seedy underbelly of Vegas, the past threatens everything and Nikki is drawn into his deadly hunt for the truth. But in the city of sin, some sinners will do anything to keep their secrets, and Nikki soon finds herself playing for the biggest gamble ever—her life.

Why it should be on your radar: A new Lamar Giles book is always going to be on these lists. This thriller, set in Vegas, should have great appeal. The cover is excellent, too.

Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan (3/7)

Now is the time for fearlessness.

Piper Perish inhales air and exhales art. The sooner she and her best friends can get out of Houston and get to New York City, the better. Art school has been Piper’s dream her whole life, and now that senior year is halfway over, she’s never felt more ready. But in the final months before graduation, things are weird with her friends and stressful with three different guys, and Piper’s sister’s tyrannical mental state seems to thwart every attempt at happiness for the close-knit Perish family. Piper’s art just might be enough to get her out. But is she brave enough to seize that power, even if it means giving up what she’s always known?

Why it should be on your radar: This debut novel is Chronicle’s lead title for the season, and they’ve put a ton of marketing and publicity behind it. Aside from that, which will generate buzz, the description makes it sound like one that’ll appeal to a lot of readers.

Pyromantic by Lish McBride (3/21)

Ava is having a rough time. Getting rid of Venus didn’t set her free—she’s still Coterie. Her new boss seems like an improvement, but who knows if he’ll stay that way? The Coterie life changes people. And since she’s currently avoiding her friends after (disastrously) turning down a date with Lock, well, everything kind of sucks.

Then she gets sent to handle two local thugs with were-hare Sid. But when they arrive, the thugs are dead and a necromancer has raised them as mindless, aggressive zombies. Ava is faced with an epidemic—something is turning normal creatures into killing machines. Unfortunately, this means she has to work with Lock and his new girl. Worse than that, she has to work with her ex, Ryan. Compared to facing such emotional turmoil, she’d rather take on an entire herd of flesh-eating kelpies . . . or she could just do both. Isn’t she just the lucky gal?

Why it should be on your radar: The second book in McBride’s “Firebug” series — McBride, being a William C Morris winner, will have name recognition and her work falls into a category of “the kinds of books that readers will love finding on shelf.”

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor (3/28)

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Why it should be on your radar: This is the first book in a duology from Laini Taylor, a perennially popular and award-winning fantasy writer.

The White Road of The Moon by Rachel Neumeier (3/14)

Imagine you live with your aunt, who hates you so much she’s going to sell you into a dreadful apprenticeship. Imagine you run away before that can happen. Imagine that you can see ghosts—and talk with the dead. People like you are feared, even shunned.

Now imagine…the first people you encounter after your escape are a mysterious stranger and a ghost boy, who seem to need you desperately—though you don’t understand who they are or exactly what they want you to do. So you set off on a treacherous journey, with only a ghost dog for company. And you find that what lies before you is a task so monumental that it could change the world.

Why it should be on your radar: This is a stand alone fantasy pitched as Leigh Bardugo meets The Sixth Sense. That should be plenty to make the book move. Plus, as always, there’s a welcome spot for stand alone fantasy.

You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner (3/7)

When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled across the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf, she covers it up with a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural.

Her supposed best friend snitches, the principal expels her, and her two mothers set Julia up with a one-way ticket to a “mainstream” school in the suburbs, where she’s treated like an outcast as the only deaf student. The last thing she has left is her art, and not even Banksy himself could convince her to give that up.

Out in the ’burbs, Julia paints anywhere she can, eager to claim some turf of her own. But Julia soon learns that she might not be the only vandal in town. Someone is adding to her tags, making them better, showing off—and showing Julia up in the process. She expected her art might get painted over by cops. But she never imagined getting dragged into a full-blown graffiti war.

Told with wit and grit by debut author Whitney Gardner, who also provides gorgeous interior illustrations of Julia’s graffiti tags, You’re Welcome, Universe introduces audiences to a one-of-a-kind protagonist who is unabashedly herself no matter what life throws in her way.

Why it should be on your radar: As if the description weren’t enough to sell it, the fact this book is so inclusive and features deaf characters is a big deal. This is an Own Voices story, which will make it even more powerful to many readers.

6 Upcoming YA Hardcover to Paperback Cover Makeovers

February 27, 2017 |

Book covers are one of the most important marketing tools for a book — it’s what makes a reader who knows nothing about what is inside pick it up and look at it. A good cover sells a story, which sells a book. A cover that isn’t as good can make an otherwise solid story be overlooked in favor of a better, more appealing cover.

One of my favorite things to do is see which books get new covers when they’re released into paperback. It used to be that the hardcover books were the covers that sold to libraries and schools, while paperbacks were the ones to appeal to bookstore shoppers (in YA, that would be your teen readers). This isn’t necessarily the same, as hardcovers have just as much shelf potential in stores to make a splash in their initial releases. But we also all know that there’s a lot of power in what covers get the okay to make it to Big Chain Bookstore shelves.

Here’s a look at six YA books getting new looks in paperback. Some of these are standalone titles. Some are part of a series. Some are reissues of titles that have become classics. It’s interesting to look and see what the changes might suggest about how the book is being angled. In some cases, the paperback does it better; in others, the original cover is the clear winner. And still in others, they’re about the same.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these changes. Anything you like better or like less? Any other recent changes you think are worth talking about? I’ve been keeping a list, of course, and just pulled these from the top; there are so many other ones that have recently hit or will be hitting soon.

Covers on the left are the original; covers on the right are the reissue/paperback.

Lindsey Rosin’s Cherry was one of my favorite reads last year and one that’s criminally underrated. The original cover, with its cherry lipgloss image, really did kind of capture the vibe of the book. It’s girl-positive, girl-friendly, and the tag line is the perfect wink-nudge that this is a book about sex. I mean, of course the title helps with that, too.

That said, it’s not particularly memorable as a cover on the shelf. It’s white with a light pink, and it could easily blend into so many other books.

The hardcover goes a little bolder, while still keeping that wink-nudge. This time, we have a cherry ice cream pop, with one bite out of the top. It’s a bolder pink color, and the title within the pink sets it a little bit apart. The tag line being put at the outside of the bite draws eyes in; there’s a psychology in how our eyes take in an image, and it’s a reverse-6. You start at the top left, then your eyes go out and down, then back up. This design utilizes that backward 6, as your eye is drawn to that tag line, then down and around. The bright green for Rosin’s name is a nice touch, too. There’s something crisp and fresh about it. The only thing I don’t love about the cover is that I’ve seen it before (Jenny Han’s Shug, Ibi Kaslick’s Skinny, and so forth).

The paperback ekes out the hardcover just a tiny bit for me. The redesign will hit shelves on August 15.

In some ways, it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is ten years old. In other ways, though, it feels like a book that’s been around much longer than that, and neither of those statements are about the quality of the book. I picked this one up in my YA lit class in graduate school and fell in love with it, and it’s remained a go-to book rec (and best seller and regularly challenged book…) for a reason.

The original cover is iconic and memorable. It’s impossible not to connect the toy cowboy and indians to this book and the way they’re positioned on the cover expresses a lot about the cultural issues in the story itself.

But that paperback anniversary edition is hard to ignore, too. Maintaining those two plastic toys, their colors have been removed and replaced with a solid green and, like the original cover, Alexie’s name takes up the most real estate. But rather than sticking with the original font choice, it’s been flipped with the title font from the original design. It’s enough of a difference in design to be noticeable and yet, it’s also similar enough to pay homage to this book being a modern classic of YA lit.

Both covers are great and represent the book well. Both have good reader appeal, though I do wonder a bit if the paperback, with its emphasis on Alexie’s name (taking up more than half of the book) is a bigger appeal to adult readers than to teen YA readers. Perhaps it’s also worth noting that the reissue is a hardcover edition, which, while more expensive, means that it can continue to be part of the New York Times Bestsellers list *and* make for an excellent replacement copy for those well-read, well-loved library copies.

The 10th anniversary edition of Alexie’s book will be out October 7.

When books change cover in the middle of a series, it’s always a reason to pause and consider why the change was made. Was the book not selling? Did another book hit shelves around the same time with a look that might do better with intended readers? I think in the case of Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel of the Sands, it’s a little bit of the former, laced with the fact that the original hardcover looks a lot like a retelling of 1001 Nights (which itself has been a trend in recent YA past).

On the one hand, the original cover is striking. It’s illustrated and gives a great sense of place. The paperback, on the other hand, screams “this is a read alike for Sarah J Maas” and any other number of recent fantasy series books with female leads. But oh, it’s boring. There isn’t anything particularly remarkable about the new cover, save for the fact we’ve dropped the tag line from the hardcover and instead included a blurb from Rae Carson — a likely good addition for readers who love her work and are looking for something similar.

Something about the paperback makes me uncomfortable, and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. It’s such a drastic change, maybe, and/or perhaps it’s the use of coverings on a model that suggest a religious practice which the book itself doesn’t seem to take on. Maybe it’s a little of both.

Neither of these are particularly great, but on a personal level, the hardcover catches my eye far more than the overly dark paperback. But for teen readers? I suspect it’s likely the opposite.

Rebel of the Sands came out in paperback on February 14.

Another one of my favorite 2016 reads was Anna Breslaw’s hilarious and unshy-about-its-feminist-agenda Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here. And this is one of those cases where, I think, both of the covers do the book good justice and for about the same reason.

The hardcover on the left is fun. It’s a bright green color, which makes it stand out on a shelf, and further, there’s a geeky-looking Jewish girl at the center (if you’ve read the book, you know Scarlett is Jewish and while a reader who hasn’t read the book might not know, the model on the cover might be a good suggestion of that). The sketches are a fun addition, too, as they sort of highlight the idea of fandom, the fact that Scarlett lives in New Jersey, and she has a sense of humor. I’m a big fan of the font for the title, too.

The paperback goes a little further in highlighting Scarlett’s Jewish descent. It’s set up like a high school class photo, and the expression on the model’s face is precisely what I suspect Scarlett would do in many of the situations in the story. The plain striped shirt makes this cover have a timeless feel, which, while a strange thing to think about, is not — style of a model on a book cover can quickly date the cover. The wink-nudge to fandom is right there, too, with the comic bubbles for the second half of the title, as well as the drawn-on sunglasses over her face.

It’s interesting to note that the blurb for this book switched in the makeover: we went from a blurb from another author to a blurb from Buzzfeed. I have a suspicion that the Buzzfeed blurb will likely speak to teen readers in a different way than one from DC Pierson. Also of interest: Scarlett’s name continues to be in a script-like font, but the “S” in her first name flips the loop. Rather than going from the bottom curse of the “S,” it comes from the top.

Both are fun covers and both capture the feel of the book. The paperback will hit shelves on March 28.

When the publicity for The Museum of Heartbreak reached its peak last spring, I think I was getting an advanced copy every week or so. I know I ended up with a pile of them. But nothing about the cover, as cute as it was, compelled me to pick it up. There was a lot going on, and nothing told me what it was about. Was it a book about collecting things? With “Museum” in the title, I felt a weird disconnect with what was clearly a small shelf of trinkets.

Don’t get me wrong. The dinosaur is super cute. And there’s a random ferris wheel, a bizarre thing we see periodically on YA covers for some reason. Romance, maybe?

The paperback edition of this book, though, tells me a hell of a lot more about what’s inside. This is clearly a romance in some capacity. And while it’s again not showcasing the idea of a museum, the broken paper hearts suggest that there might be a collection of some sort going on. More, the title on the paperback is much more prominent and obvious than it is on the paperback.

In many ways, the hardcover original looks like a middle grade novel. Again, I think it’s the assortment of trinkets, which, in text, wouldn’t feel the same way as it does in an image. The paperback, though, screams YA novel. It might not be the most original, but it does suggest far more about the content, as well as the ideal readership.

The paperback wins for me, though I absolutely see where readers would wholly disagree and love how unique the hardcover is. The Museum of Heartbreak‘s paperback hits shelves on June 7.

I saved my favorite cover redesign for the final one in this round-up, which I suspect spoils the cover change I think was the best. Brent Hartinger’s Three Truths and a Lie is another one of those books I got a few copies of and didn’t pick up. The cover told me absolutely nothing except the title, which is a game that we’re all familiar with and become familiar with as teenagers (how many times did you have to play this as an ice breaker in a room full of people you don’t know?). I had no idea what genre the book was in, except that it was a bit of a departure from Hartinger’s other books.

And then I saw the paperback and suddenly, my interest in the book skyrocketed.

This is a thriller. Set in the woods. It’s going to have horror vibes. And that tag line is an absolute knock out — “It’s all fun and games . . . until someone gets killed.” These sorts of thrillers are my favorite, and without the change in covers, I’d have had no idea. I suspect the same will be said among other readers, both because they’ll understand the book’s genre and want it as soon as possible OR because they’ll understand that it’s squarely Not A Book For Them.

Readers who keep tabs on these things would likely know that this was a 2017 Edgar Nominee, meaning it’s up for consideration as one of the best YA mystery books of the year. But again: without much cover indication, even with the gloomy rain background, it would be a hard sell to readers.

On more shallow notes, I love the richness of the color, the way that it’s a reflection on the water (one of my favorite photography techniques). I love how small the title is, which gives that looming sense of doom and fear with that image. Everything about this paperback redesign works.

The paperback hits shelves on August 1. And honestly, I might pick it up before then, if for no other reason than the paperback told me what it was about, and I’m sold.

Cybils 2016 – Young Adult Graphic Novels

February 22, 2017 |

In case you missed it, the winners of the 2016 Cybils were announced on February 14! I loved both of our winners selected for the Graphic Novels categories this year: Lowriders to the Center of the Earth by Cathy Camper and Raul the Third (Elementary/Middle Grade) and March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Young Adult). Since I was a Round 2 judge, I couldn’t discuss my thoughts on each finalist as I read them – but now that the winners have been revealed, I’m free to do so. This week, I’ll talk about the Young Adult shortlist and next week, the Elementary/Middle Grade one.

Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci

Samanci’s graphic memoir tells of her childhood in Turkey in the 80s and 90s, a time of great political strife in the country. It’s a fascinating backdrop for Samanci’s own coming of age. She struggles to fit in, to please her parents, to excel in school, to understand her country’s shifting politics, and pursue her dreams – if she can figure out what those are. Teen readers will be interested by the history of Turkey during this time period – a place not much studied in school, but in the news here more recently because of the attempted coup last year – as well as drawn to Samanci’s universal struggles to become an adult and discover who she’s meant to be. Samanci’s art is unique, a hodge podge of cartoonish figures with collage elements that complements much of the humor in the story and provides a foil for the infrequent violence depicted.

Faith Volume 1: Hollywood and Vine by Jody Houser, Francis Portela, and Marguerite Sauvage

Faith is a psiot, which means she has superpowers – ones that enable her to fly and put up a protective shield. She works as a staff writer for a Buzzfeed-type website during the day, in a red wig, and fights off bad guys in her spare time as white-haired Zephyr. The baddies in this volume are aliens with world domination on their minds. It’s not a terribly unique storyline, but Faith is such a great character, I didn’t mind. She’s into lots of different fandoms, which means she drops fun one-liners all the time that readers who love nerd pop culture will love picking up on. She’s one of the few fat superheroes out there, and her body size is never an issue in her heroics – though it’s not a non-issue in the book as a whole. This is a worthy start to a well-written, appealing series that I look forward to reading more of.

Lucky Penny by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota

I thought this was…fine. It’s about a young adult in the more traditional sense of the phrase – it seems like Penny is in her early 20s. She’s kind of terrible at being an adult. She can’t afford rent so she moves into a friend’s storage unit instead. She finds a job at a laundromat where her boss is a twelve year old kid. She’s awful at dating, but that’s okay, because the guy she finds is pretty awful at it too. Penny’s antics are funny for a while, but I soon got annoyed with her. And her life made me feel kind of sad. Perhaps that makes me old.

March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

So much has been said about this book already, I won’t make my own summary terribly long. This book really is as good as everyone says it is. It’s timely, engrossing, important, and moving, and the art is a terrific complement. I learned so much but never felt like I was reading a textbook or being lectured. Highly deserving of all its accolades.

Monstress Volume 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

Monstress is a bit tricky to sum up in a pithy one-or-two-sentence synopsis. It’s about a war between two different species (human and arcanic), dark magic, revenge, and a teenage girl with strange powers she doesn’t want or understand. The world-building is complex (matriarchal, multiple different cultures with long histories) and the story isn’t immediately understandable – but stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded. Liu’s storytelling abilities are on full display here, and I loved how creative and intricate her creation is. Takeda’s art is a perfect match – beautiful and dark, with a slight anime influence. All that said…this is not a book for teenagers, despite the age of the protagonist. I don’t doubt many teenagers could handle it, but Image rates it M for mature and it more than earns that designation. The violence is ever-present, bloody, and gory. Children are murdered, bodies are dismembered, and people are sucked of their life essence – and we’re shown the result. There’s occasional nudity and frequent f-bombs as well, but it’s the explicit violence and dark themes that really put this out of the YA range. It’s beyond what I comfortably read as an adult, and I do read adult comics pretty regularly. This is good…but I wouldn’t recommend it to a teenager unless I knew that teen pretty well.

Ms. Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adriean Alphona, and Nico Leon

I really enjoyed the first volume of Ms. Marvel that I read when it first debuted a few years ago, but I hadn’t kept up with it. No matter – this volume functions well as a starting place for new readers. Kamala Khan is officially an Avenger, which she has to juggle alongside everything else in her life: school, her brother’s upcoming marriage, keeping up her friendships…it’s all a bit much. Plus there’s a new baddie in town in the form of a real estate development company that’s using Ms. Marvel’s image without her permission to push their product! This volume tackles a lot that is relevant to teens’ lives (religion, an overabundance of schoolwork, family and friend obligations) plus some important social issues teens often care about, like gentrification and fat acceptance. Text and art work in tandem to tell a gripping story, and Wilson really has a way with her characters. Even though it had been years since I last read about Kamala, I fell in love with her and her friends all over again instantly.

Trashed by Derf Backderf

Backderf tells a hybrid fiction/nonfiction story about garbage collectors, based on a year in his own life that he spent as one. The nonfiction aspect is definitely stronger than the fiction – Backderf gives his readers lots of great information on how much humans throw away, what kinds of things we throw away, what percentage gets recycled, and where it all ends up. The two primary facts that have stuck with me are 1. landfills weren’t regulated much at all until recently (and even now not so much); and 2. Even though we recycle a greater percentage of our waste now than ever before, we also send more by volume to the landfill than ever before, simply because we generate so much waste. This book will make you want to double down on recycling and discarding less in general. The story itself was so-so for me. Characters didn’t have much personality, there was no real plot (no building action, climax, or resolution), and the main character, who was supposed to be in his late teens or early 20s, looked about 45.

Debut YA Novels: February 2017

February 20, 2017 |

It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month — here’s what we’ve got for February.

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, unless otherwise noted; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts out in February from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title, with pub dates beside them.

#famous by Jilly Gagnon (2/14)

In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?

Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.

The Beast Is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale (2/28)

Alys was seven when the soul eaters came to her village.

These soul eaters, twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly morphed into something not quite human, devour human souls. Alys, and all the other children, were spared—and they were sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think it is. And neither is Alys.

Inside, Alys feels connected to the soul eaters, and maybe even to the Beast itself. As she grows from a child to a teenager, she longs for the freedom of the forest. And she has a gift she can tell no one, for fear they will call her a witch. When disaster strikes, Alys finds herself on a journey to heal herself and her world. A journey that will take her through the darkest parts of the forest, where danger threatens her from the outside—and from within her own heart and soul.

Daughter of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller (2/28)

A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera (2/21)

THINGS/PEOPLE MARGOT HATES:

Mami, for destroying my social life
Papi, for allowing Junior to become a Neanderthal
Junior, for becoming a Neanderthal
This supermarket
Everyone else

After “borrowing” her father’s credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot
Sanchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working as an indentured servant in her family’s struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.

With each order of deli meat she slices, Margot can feel her carefully cultivated prep school reputation slipping through her fingers, and she’s willing to do anything to get out of this punishment. Lie, cheat, and maybe even steal…

Margot’s invitation to the ultimate beach party is within reach and she has no intention of letting her family’s drama or Moises—the admittedly good looking but outspoken boy from the neighborhood—keep her from her goal.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza (2/7)

Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he’s forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2/28)

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher (2/7)

When Savannah Gregory blows out her knee –and her shot at a gymnastics scholarship – she decides she’s done with the sport forever. Without gymnastics, she has more time for her best friend, Cassie. She’s content to let her fun, impulsive best friend plan a memorable senior year.

That is, until Cassie tries to kill herself.

Savannah wants to understand what happened, but Cassie refuses to talk about it and for the first time, Savannah has to find her own way. The only person she can turn to is Marcos, the boy who saved Cassie’s life. Being with him makes her see who she could be and what she really wants: gymnastics.

But Cassie doesn’t approve of Marcos or of Savannah going back to gymnastics, and the tighter she tries to hold onto Savannah, the farther it pulls them apart. Without Cassie to call the shots, Savannah discovers how capable she is on her own—and that maybe her best friend’s been holding her back all along.

The Sky Between You and Me by Catherine Alene (2/7)

Lighter. Leaner. Faster.

Raesha will do whatever it takes to win Nationals. For her, competing isn’t just about the speed of her horse or the thrill of the win. It’s about honoring her mother’s memory and holding on to a dream they once shared.

Lighter. Leaner. Faster.

For an athlete. Every second counts. Raesha knows minus five on the scale will let her sit deeper in the saddle, make her horse lighter on her feet. And lighter, leaner, faster gives her the edge she needs over the new girl on the team, a girl who keeps flirting with Raesha’s boyfriend and making plans with her best friend.

So Raesha focuses on minus five. But if she isn’t careful, she will lose more than just the people she loves. She will lose herself to Lighter. Leaner. Faster.

This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton (2/2)

Amelie Ayres has impeccable taste in music. Bowie. Bush. Bob. So when she finds herself backstage at The Keep’s only UK gig she expects to hate it; after all they are world’s most tragic band. In fact she feels a grudging respect – not (obviously) for their music, but for the work that goes in to making them megastars. And when lead singer, ‘Maxx’, is not dressed up as a cross between Elvis and a My Little Pony, he is actually rather normal, talented and has creative struggles not too dissimilar to her own.

But the next morning she wakes up rolls over and discovers a million new @’s on social media. Overnight a photo of her backstage has made her a subject of global speculation. Suddenly the world needs to know #Who’sThatGirl? – but for all the wrong reasons.

All Amelie wants is to play her music. She’s got the guitar, the songs, the soul and, in the safety of her bedroom, she’s got the voice. But when it comes to getting up on stage, she struggles with self-doubt.

Immaculate’s a concept. Flawless is fake. But just sometimes music – and hearts – can rock a perfect beat.

To Catch A Killer by Sheryl Scarborough (2/7)

Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father’s identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother’s best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.

Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother’s killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she’s secretly doing on her own.

Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she’s close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it’s too late.

Traveler by LE DeLano (2/7)

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles…Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it… this Jessa is going to live.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones (2/7)

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.