21 Of The Best YA Books of 2013
I’ve only heard of a few of them on this list.
How about you?
I know I’ll be checking a few of them out 😀
Young Adult
Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (Embrace Series)
Summary
“It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”
On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It’s a battle Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.
LINCOLN: He’s been Violet’s one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he’s Grigori—part human, part angel—and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.
PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he’s the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln’s lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.
Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity…”
-From Amazon.com
Review
I have to say, I think that this is my new favorite series now. I have been reading a lot of angel and demon literature recently and absolutely love it and so I saw this sitting on the shelf in B&N the other day and just had to pick it up. The cover was what got me initially because the color of it stood out from the rest and so it sparked me to pick it up. Reading the back made it sound interesting as well. I always love a good romance and fight between the two boys for one girl (I mean what lucky girl wouldn’t?)
And I have to say, I really love this book. It had EVERYTHING that I was looking for. Action, romance, love, desire, troubles and great character development. You really saw the main character, Violet, develop through the entire story and face troubles and have to conquer her own problems.
You then had her good friend, Lincoln, who was her trusty friend and loved her but had lied to her, thus breaking the trust and hurting Violet severely. Linc was still there for her but Violet couldn’t trust him anymore. That was when Phoenix stepped in.
He was a rock to stand with and she trusted him. The only problem, he’s was an angel. Doesn’t really matter whether he was an angel of light or dark, but he had powers. He tried to manipulate her from day one and in the beginning she knew that, but as time passed it seemed like he was backing off with the powers and that it really was love. Oh, the poor naive girl.
You also had some other great characters. Griffin who was the mentor and you just loved and thought was awesome. He reminded me of Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (anyone out there a fan….or even remember that TV show?).You also had a woman, Magda, who I just wanted to smack a few times. She was kind of obnoxious but you didn’t get to know much about her which I was happy about.
Then there was also the romance.
O.O
Just wow. I mean Phoenix loved her and he really did seem to, but manipulated her slightly (sometimes a lot). Lincoln absolutely loved her as well and showed it and did everything that he could to stop Phoenix from being with her and in the end, was right (but won’t say how hehe).
There was also a nice fight between Lincoln and Violet when she got to let out some pent-up anger, and then an epic fight in the end between the good and dark (won’t say who :P).
The fight scenes were put together quite well, but maybe a little more detail would have been good. I understand that it really is quite hard to write a good fight scene (believe me, I’ve tried and it takes practice), but the good thing about leaving it a little vague was that you got to use your imagination. But god forbid, the younger generation now a days can’t do that. I love using my imagination which is why I love to write so I didn’t mind it at all, but I know others won’t find it as easy.
There was some romance in it that was more than what younger readers should know about. Sex was mentioned, but it was very vague. So for that reason I recommend this book for 16 and up. And I don’t think that language was an issue, if I remember correctly. Just some using the Lord’s name in vain….but I mean it did fit the situation and events.
But I have to say, overall, I just absolutely LOVED the book and am totally in love with this author. I had never come across her works but I saw this book next to one of her newer ones and I just had to buy the first two books (just starting the second one now). I really never buy series books just because my library usually has then, but I am so glad that I did buy them. It was a good choice on my part.
So please do go and check out this book as it was amazing and I am sure that you will love it. It is fast paced, exciting, and a page turned. I finished it in a day and it is a 369 paged book. So proud of myself. 😛
I am also really happy that angel/demon books seem to be making a come back and seem to be doing well. They are always interesting to read and fun to write as well (yup……….I have no life). But they aren’t too religious so you don’t have to worry about those issues. This book talked about God but the protagonist didn’t even believe in God in the beginning and never went to church. So you can write books about angel’s, heaven, and hell and not have to make it religious. But I am sure that many people will love this book.
Read and enjoy. Happy Reading!
An exciting new book to read!!!!
The Walking Dark by Robin Wasserman
And in addition to it being a book being based off ‘It’ by Stephen King (which I am currently working on), I got a signed copy….WHICH IS SO TOTALLY AWESOME!
I am only a few pages in but I am currently loving it and I cannot wait to see where it goes!
So let the reading begin 😀
Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff
Summary
“They needed the perfect assassin.
Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn’t stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend’s family to die-of “natural causes.” Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.
But when he’s assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program’s mission.
In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.”
-from Amazon.com
Review
I will start off by saying that this book was quite unlike any other book that I have read. It was written differently, there were more flashbacks, and it just, overall, had a completely different feel. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, because I feel that for this book, it worked quite well and fit in with the overall theme.
It was quite a fast paced book, even though the majority of the book only spanned over about 5 days. In those five days a lot happened…..betrayal, mysteries, rebellion, death! It definitely kept you on your toes until the very last page. The entire time you thought it was one thing, but by the time you got to the last page…you were like ‘whatttttt’.
And then after the book, you were left sitting there thinking how quickly everything escalated.
There was very little dialogue in this book which is completely different from most books. If I remember correctly, this entire book was in first person point of view, but it was mostly feeling, thoughts, and things that the main character saw. Since this was a kind of secret espionage, soldier, mysterious thing-y (yes, I used that word) book, it really did add to it.
The only thing which I found a little confusing was when there was a flashback. There was nothing to really indicate that it was a flash back; no font changes or little things in the beginning to say what year it was or where it was. If you pay attention you will get it, but if you skim chapter, then you will be lost. SO DON’T DO IT! (you probably shouldn’t be anyway)
This is a hot off the press, as it only came out in June of this year, so if you look for it, it will probably be on your new YA shelf.
You should definitely go and check this book out as it was really an extremely well written book!
If you love stuff to do with government’s (or mysterious Programs) and where the main character is a young teenager (in this case, a young boy (about 16 I believe)), then this is definitely your type book. Also it is a quick read so with all of the school work, you will still be able to finish it in a few days.
So go and check this one out and let me know what you think.
The Mist (2007)
Re-watched this last night so I wanted to share it all with you again…just to refresh your memories. Definitely a good watch but for 16 years and older as it is violent and gruesome. I also tell you to get tissues for the end 🙁
But watch and enjoy….and let me know what you think of it.
Hawkeye, Vol 1: My Life as a Weapon
Review
I love Hawkeye. He is one of the coolest Marvel characters in my opinion because he is just a normal guy. He and Black Widow are just amazingly awesome. And Hawkeye was played by one of my favorite actors, Jeremy Renner. (fangirl over here)
How can you not love him?!
So when my librarian had this on his recommended reading list, there was no way that I could say no.
This was all about what Hawkeye does in his spare time, when he is not being an Avenger.
Unfortunately it was a short comic and I was hoping for more, but apparently this is just the first one. As far as I know Volume 2 is not out yet because this one only just came out in March of this year.
The drawing were very simple but it added to the effect and there were not many different colors so it wasn’t vivid like other Marvel comics.
It also had interesting pictures between the different ‘chapters’. They usually represented the chapters in some way and they were usually pretty cool.
It was kind of a depressing comic because Hawkeye’s life is kind of sad when he is not being an Avenger since he is such a normal guy and has to live a normal life to fit in. But it was nice to see his life.
I would recommend you reading this if you like Marvel comics as it is interesting. But if you like Hawkeye, like me (well I actually LOVE him), this is really lovely to read as well and I am telling you to read it because it is AMAZING.
Let me know what you think. 🙂
Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins
Summary
Don’t call me a deamon. I prefer the term Fallen Angel.
Everybody deserves a vacation, right? Especially if you have a pointless job like tormenting the damned. So who could blame me for blowing off my duties and taking a small, unauthorized break? Besides, I’ve always wnted to see what physical existence is like. That’s why I “borrowed” the slightly used body of a slacker teen. Believe me, he wasn’t going to be using it anymore anyway. I have never understood why humans do the things they do. Like sin – if it’s so terrible, why do they keep doing it?
I’m going to have a lot of fun finding out.
-From Inside Flap
Review
This is the next book for my book club and I really don’t think I would have picked it out if it had not been the next book. But I have to say, it was extremely entertaining and a very good read. The cover was cute and child-like which defiantly peaked my interest. Then there was the summary of the book and that made me want to give this book a try even more. It was quirky.
This book was about this, this, well I don’t know exactly what he was…A Fallen Angel I guess I’ll call him. He was bored in Hell and decided to experience life and so he repossessed this body. Notice that it is repossessed and not posses because the boy who’s body he took, was about to die. Then it followed him and how he wanted to try sinning but at the same time he actually dealt with a few issues like became closer with the boys brother, talking to a girl, telling the school bully a few things, and setting a few other issues straight. He was only in the body for about 4 days but in those 4 days he accomplished quite a few things.
The book was quite short, only about 224 pages, and it kept the reader really entertained. It had humor, and most of all it had some life lessons. I am not going to state what the lessons are but this book did have an underlying message in it.
I would have to say that it was for older teens though as there was some sexual talk, so I would recommend this book for 15 year olds, definitely no one younger than that.
I hope that you enjoy the book and tell me what you thought of it. Hope to hear from you.
Happy Reading!
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith
“Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.
Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.
Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he’d kill to possess her.
Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.”
-From Amazon.com
From Amazon.com
Review
Completely different than the TV show. I am one of those people who is in love with this show (team Damon all the way) but this book was quite different than the tv show. The characters were the same and the story line was the same but how some of the characters act is different than in the TV show.
Caroline in the TV show is just a little full of herself and is very popular. In the book she is second in command and quite bitchy (mind my french but there was no other way to put it.) Matt is as sweet as always and Stefan is the same still. He is haunted by his past. Then there is Damon who is exactly the same (thankfully.) But they met differently in the TV show (I liked that meeting better) but what can I do.
Tyler has a different last name in the book. His last name is Smallwood but in the TV show it is Lockwood. But he is sill extremely obnoxious and irritating as he was in the begging. Vicki is still the same but not much really happens with her.
There is also this difference between powers. Damon has a lot of powers but in the TV show he can only compel people and he is fast and stuff like that.
So far my opinion of this book may seem negative but it is a great book. It is just better if you read the book first. I personally enjoy the TV show more but the book is still a great thing to read so you can see where the TV show came from.
The entire book seems very Twilight-y to me. Stefan is Edward, Damon is Jacob, Elena is Bella, and everyone else is the friends in Forks. What an uncanny resemblance (must be a very common theme in books now.)
But still if you enjoy the TV show you should see where it came from so I do recommend you reading this book.
The setting of the book is still the same in this small town but one major difference for me is Elena. She seems a little more pushy in this book, a little more snotty and more popular. In the TV show she met Stefan and thought he was hot and then they became a thing. In the book Elena desires and has to have Stefan at any cost. That was one of the biggest differences which I found.
But overall this was a very enjoyable book and will be reading the other ones in the series.
So, who are my fellow Vampire Diaries fans?
Go Team Damon!!!!!!
The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley
“After Michael’s parents die, he is invited to stay with his guardian in a desolate country house. He begins to suspect something is not quite right on the day he arrives when he spots a mysterious woman out in the frozen mists. But little can prepare him for the solitude of the house itself. His guardian is rarely seen, and there’s a malevolent force lurking in an old hallway mirror. As the chilling suspense builds, Michael realizes that the house and its grounds harbor many more secrets-both dead and alive.”
-Amazon.com
Review
This was an extremely easy read. I read it in about an hour to an hour and a half. But for such a short book, it was extremely good. There was a lot going on in this book and it kept you entertained. This book was about 218 pages but the margins in this book made it really be less than that.
It was a really short story and boy was it to the point. I did enjoy it but I would have liked it to be a bit longer. That was my only complaint about the book. It just seemed to give the smallest amount of details and then it just ended.
There really is not much to say about this book due to the fact that nothing really happened. It was a good read and I would recommend it but there is nothing else to say about it.
I did like the cover though. It was in black and white and in the distance you can see a persons silhouette. Then there are trees which are not covered in leaves which means that it is winter and there is snow on the ground. Then at the front of the cover is a skull. I thought that the cover was quite interesting, but that is just my opinion. 🙂
Hope that you give it a try.
Outlaw by Stephen Davies
Summary
“A high-tension, high-tech thriller with an African setting.
Jake and his sister, Kas, whose father is the British ambassador to Burkina Faso, are abducted, bundled into a van, and driven into the unknown. In smartphone contact with his father, Jake learns that the kidnapper with the spider web tattoo is the remorseless outlaw Yakuuba Sor, who is connected to an international terrorist organization. But is he the real Yakuuba Sor? And is Sor really a dangerous criminal? In this fast-paced tale laced with trickery and murder, Jake and Kas discover that with the corrupt local government and British Intelligence arrayed against them, survival in the African desert may be the least of their problems. Includes an afterword.”
-From Amazon, Book Description
Review
This book was exciting and really kept you entertained. It was definitely a page turner and a couldn’t put it down book. This book was by Stephen Davies who also wrote Hacking Timbuktu which was also a really great book.
The cover of this book was very similar to Hacking Timbuktu which was why I thought it may be a series, but unfortunately this was a completely different story. There were some similar story lines in a sense because there were the gadgets and there was some parkour in this book but that was the only similarity.
This book was set in modern-day as there were cell phones and some unmanned flying machine. I thought that this book portrayed life in Africa, where they was going back to visit his parents, was quite accurate and it showed what the life was like there. You also got to see both sides of life. The life of a diplomat and the life of eating gold leaf and then the life of an outlaw, hence the title.
The book is a definite read and I recommend you reading the other one of his books too.
Hope that you enjoy.
