Tag Archives: young adult

Feb 11 2014
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Coming Soon: Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Killer instinctTitle: Killer Instinct

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #2

Genre: Teen Fiction

Release Date: November 4, 2014

The Overview: Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance. But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

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Hosted by Breaking the Spine

The Naturals landed the number one spot in my Top YA books of 2013 and I am positively thrilled that the series will continue this November! It was such a smart read – involving teenagers naturally gifted with different skills that make them ideal candidates for solving crime. Cassie, the main character, can accurately predict things about people just by analyzing their appearance and mannerisms. It was absorbing, intense, and entirely fascinating, and I imagine the second book will be just as amazing. You’d better believe I’m dropping everything to read Killer Instinct the day it comes out!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 16 2013
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Top Ten “New to Me” Authors I Read in 2013!

Top ten Tuesday pink

 Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten “New to Me” Authors I Read in 2013!

This year, I made a concerted effort to finish out all the books I had not yet read from my favorite adult authors. Because of this, I read practically no “new to me” fantasy authors… At least not any that I liked better than all of the great young adult books on my list. Next year, however, I feel is going to be a year of high fantasy – I just finished organizing my library yesterday and rediscovered dozens of awesome looking titles that are still begging for attention on my shelves.

What authors made your list this year?

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 5 2013
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Coming Soon – Janitors: Curse of the Broomstaff by Tyler Whitesides

IMG_2597Title: Janitors – Curse of the Broomstaff

Author: Tyler Whitesides

Series: Janitors #3

Genre: Young Adult

Release Date: September 10, 2013

The Overview: A secret society of Janitors with wizard-like powers continue their battle, and now, the stakes are even higher. The Bureau of Educational Maintenance is after Alan Zumbro and this time they mean business – deadly business. Spencer, Daisy, and their little team of rebels must find the source of all magical Glop and destroy it before it can destroy the world as we know it. No small task with the BEM and their monster toxites at their heels. It’s a wild and dangerous ride as they follow the trail of clues all the way to the hiding place of the mysterious aurans: guardians of a secret landfill. What they discover there will change the way

Spencer sees himself, not to mention the fate of the rebels.

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Nik’s Notes:

I admit that I am shamelessly swayed by covers. The series was barely on my radar, but it’s excellent cover artwork, especially the latest, is one of the main reasons I’m going to read them. Because some people don’t see that as a compelling reason to pick up a book, I will say that the story line sounds like a lot of fun. It is an adventure in the same category as Brandon Mull’s Candy Shop Wars and is incidentally published by the same company (Shadow Mountain). That publisher hasn’t let me down yet, so here’s hoping it’s as good as I think it’ll be. Has anybody else read these yet?

Here are covers for the first two books in this series (click for Goodreads info):

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Jun 5 2013
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Book Review: Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos

bjhgTitle: The Planet Thieves

Author: Dan Krokos

Series: The Planet Thieves

Genre: Young Reader

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Two weeks ago, thirteen-year-old Mason Stark and seventeen of his fellow cadets from the Academy for Earth Space Command boarded the SS Egypt. The trip was supposed to be a short routine voyage to log their required spacetime for summer quarter.

But routine goes out the airlock when they’re attacked by the Tremist, an alien race who have been at war with humanity for the last sixty years.

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The Review:

What a cool book!

This was a a fast-paced story that just kept adding to the excitement with each page. My favorite was the very beginning: Krokos dropped in the inciting incident right away, told us what was important to the protagonist, and gave the audience a lovable character worth rooting for. All in all, it was probably the best intro to a book I’ve read all year.

Characterization was definitely one of this author’s strengths. I mentioned above how much I liked the main protagonist, but the side characters were just as good, adding a great deal of humor and entertainment to the story. Although I enjoyed the overall story and conflicts, the characters are what’s fueling my desire to read the second book – I just have to know what happens to them next!

This would be an excellent introductory book for kids wanting to try science fiction. It had all the elements of space travel, alien races, new worlds, and most importantly, laser weapon battles! Heck, forget science fiction – this is a great book to get kids interested in science. Krokos interspersed a good bit of facts on the laws of the universe and did so in a way that was fun and made you want to learn more.

Overall, for the younger audience, it was perfect – it emphasized good morals like loyalty and friendship and also had some really cool moments of wonder. It is not quite on the level of Ender’s Game as far as its ability to be appealing to both adults and children, (mostly because it lacked a little robustness and complexity) but it’s the closest thing I’ve come across since.

Recommendations: Even though it wasn’t quite the groundbreaking tale I hoped it would be, it was definitely a worthwhile book and one I will be recommending a lot in the future. My only caution for parents is that it did contain a bit of light profanity.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

May 5 2013
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Book Review: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Title: Fablehaven

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Fablehaven  #1

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite … Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

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The Review:

I have been trying to write this review for at least three months. Everything I put to paper just doesn’t do the series justice, and I’m stuck staring at a full page of notes not knowing the best way to put them together. Suffice to say, I love everything about this series and am now reading it again for my fifth or sixth time (which is really saying something given how many books I have on my TBR list). It is one of the best series I’ve ever read even compared to all the mainstream adult fantasy out there. Let’s put it this way, it’s not quite Harry Potter epic, but it is the closest thing I’ve come across since.
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What Brandon Mull does so well is offer adventure and wonder at every turn to capture your imagination and make you feel like a kid again. Every few pages he introduces something fun and creative, but it’s never frivolous. Every scene takes us farther and farther into this brilliant world which only continues to build off itself and get more exciting with each book. I found every last moment captivating and am in awe at Mull’s ability to tell such a great story. It’s weird, too, because he keeps the plot simple enough for kids to really get into, introducing rounded, relatable characters, but writes in a sophisticated enough manner for adults to enjoy just as much if not more than the kids. It’s not a fluke, either. I saw him do the same thing in the Candy Shop Wars – he just knows how to weave wonder and magic into his story in a way that’s accessible to all ages.
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Overall, I’m not sure what else to say without absolutely gushing – it’s clear I love this series. Most people have usually already read it, and I’m assuming that if you’re reading this review you probably have too. All I can say is, if you enjoy fantasy and children’s literature and have not yet picked this one up, it should definitely be next on your list!
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Recommendations:  I recommend this to anyone who says they loved Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. It’s also the first one I gravitates to when parents are trying to get their kids more into reading (provided said child likes fantasy). Personally, I don’t think this series has any age limit so I recommend it to anybody wanting to go on an adventure and feel like a kid again!
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Other books you might like:
Jan 3 2013

Coming Soon – Beyonders: Chasing the Prophecy

Mar 12Title: Chasing the Prophecy

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Beyonders #3

Genre: Young Reader

Release Date: March 12, 2013

I’d have to say that Brandon Mull is officially my favorite YA author. Fablehaven captured my imagination like no book as done since Harry Potter, and his other works are just as entertaining. As the third book in his Beyonders series, it’s guaranteed to be a good read!

Working in the book business has some perks. I had the privilege to meet Brandon Mull several months ago. He told me Chasing the Prophecy is his favorite book that he’s ever written. He was so excited for its release and I couldn’t help but pick up on his enthusiasm!

Here’s some information about some of this author’s other works:

111Title: Fablehaven

Series: Fablehaven #1

Overview: Danger lurks everywhere at Fablehaven, where someone has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn, now that long trusted allies have been revealed as potential foes. Kendra embarks on a special mission that only she can attempt because of her new abilities as fairykind, while Seth stays behind and discovers an incredible new talent of his own. The siblings are put to the test as the threat grows both abroad and home at the Fablehaven preserve, and Brandon Mull spins his richest and most thrilling fantasy tale yet in this third title of the popular fantasy series

1123Title: The Candy Shop War

Series: Candy Shop War #1

Overview: Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe, where the confections are bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise. Four young friends—Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon—meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies. Then the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, arrives with a few enchanted sweets of his own. The danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary treasure—one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . . Read full review

*Overviews taken from bn.com