Eyecatcher: Above by Leah Bobet

Above

by Leah Bobet

http://www.leahbobet.com

Arthur A. Levine Books

ISBN: 9780545296700

Release Date: April 1, 2012

from the author's site: 

Matthew’s father had lion’s feet and his mother had gills, and both fled the modern-day city to live in underground Safe, a secret community of freaks, ghost-whisperers, and disabled outcasts hidden beyond the subways and sewers. Raised underground, Matthew is responsible for the keeping of both Safe’s histories and the traumatized shapeshifter Ariel, the girl he took in, fell in love with – and can’t stop from constantly running away.

But Safe is no longer safe: the night after a frightening encounter in the sewers, Safe’s founder Atticus is murdered by the one person Safe ever exiled: mad Corner, whose coup is backed by an army of mindless, whispering shadows.

Only Matthew, Ariel, and a handful of unstable, crippled compatriots escape to the city that cast them out; the dangerous place he knows only as Above. Despite Ariel’s increasingly erratic behaviour and with the odds against them, Matthew must find a way to rescue Safe from Corner’s occupying army. But as his quest leads him through abandoned asylums and the dregs of urban poverty, Matthew discovers that the histories he’s devoted his life to aren’t true: Corner’s invasion — and Ariel’s terrors – are rooted in a history of Safe much darker and bloodier than Matthew ever imagined.

And even if he manages to save both home and Ariel, he may well lose himself.

why it caught my eye: 

I love the look of the dragonfly wings on the cover. :) Can't help it. I'm a dragonfly kinda girl. The premise is certainly interesting, I'm curious to see what happens. Anyone read it yet? Share your thoughts in the comments.  

You Recommend Wednesday

Your turn. Tell me what to read. Come on, it's summer, I finally have time to read for fun again. :) What's new and exciting that you just have to gush about? Feel free to gush all about it in the comments here.

Eyecatcher: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

The Gathering Storm

The Katerina Trilogy Book 1

by Robin Bridges

http://www.robinbridges.com

Delacorte Books

ISBN: 9780385740227

Release Date: January 10, 2012

from the author's site: 

Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1888.

As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe’s royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina’s strength as a necromancer attracts unwanted attention . . . including from two young men.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

why it caught my eye: 

It's a paranormal and it's set in Russia, need I say more? Ok, so maybe that's only a big deal to me. One of my two minors at school is Russian so it's interesting for me to read about Russia, even a fictionalized Russia. These books look really interesting and I can't wait to get a hold of them.   

You Recommend Wednesday

Happy Wednesday lovely readers! How is everyone today? Well, as you can see it's that time of week again for you to tell me what to read. Don't be shy. What have you fallen in love with that you haven't seen me mention here? What do you think I should be reading. Leave a comment and let me know.

Review: Blood Feud by Steven A. Roman

Blood Feud

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Book 1

by Steven A. Roman

http://www.pandorazwieback.com

StarWarp Concepts

ISBN: 9780984174102

Release Date: June 15, 2011

from the author's site: 

It’s a war among the houses of the undead! Elegant Gothic Lolitas from Japan, silk-suited London vamps, leather-clad hunters from Eastern Europe—all seeking the same prize: a mysterious crate recently delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by the father of Pandora Zwieback.

What is the terrifying secret of Item #179? How do its contents tie into an incident from the blood-drenched past of Pan’s new friend, a 400-year-old, shape-shifting monster hunter named Sebastienne Mazarin? And, more important, will Pan survive long enough to get any answers?

my thoughts: 

Wow! From the first page I was hard pressed to put Blood Feud down. In fact, the first night the only reason I put it down at all was because I had a friend in labor and I was obsessively checking Facebook for updates on her condition. But seriously, Blood Feud is non-stop action from page one. The focus switches back and forth between Pan and Sebastienne better known as Annie which keeps the story moving. My only complaint is that I don't have book 2 in front of me so I can find out what happens next. I need to know! 

Blood Feud by Steven A. Roman is highly recommended. Unless of course you don't like monsters and violence, but if you do, then you should definitely read this one. 

Guest post: Meredith Zeitlin author of My Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

Happy Monday everyone! Well it's extra happy for me because it's my last Monday of the semester. :) I've just got to get through my finals and I am free for three months! Then you'll finally get to see some reviews up on this site again. Yay! In the meantime I've got a great guest post for you today. 

Today Want My YA is visited by the lovely Meredith Zeitlin, author of the book My Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters. So without any further chatter from me, I give you Meredith. 

 

TIPS FOR SURVIVING FRESHMAN YEAR... FROM SOMEONE WHO ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT:

 

My freshman year was both really hard and ultimately really rewarding. I started at a brand new school that year, which was nerve-wracking. I missed my friends from middle school and could barely find my way around the place, much less comprehend why I had to bear the additionally heavy cross of braces and awful bangs and a nose I had yet to grow into. But I actually ended up loving it - I did make friends, and figure out where to sit at lunch, and got cast in a lead role in the school play, and somehow ended up on the lacrosse team - a sport I'd never even heard of before. (In a related story, I was TERRIBLE at it. But I had fun!)

Of course, this is me as an adult looking back; at the time I know I was incredibly frustrated much of the time. It's so hard to be new. It's so hard to be fourteen! It took a long time for things to be mostly fun instead of mostly terrifying.

I've been asked a lot during this book tour what I'd say to myself if I could go back in time, and the answer is: PLENTY. Of course, I can't. So here are some tips for those starting on the often horrifying, sometimes awesome journey that is freshman year. Who, if they're anything like I was at fourteen... will probably ignore me. Ah, well. Points for trying?

1) Don't try so hard. Trust that people will like you even if you aren't always "on," or cracking a joke, or proving you're right about everything, or agreeing with the popular opinion, or whatever your go-to self-defense method is. Here's the thing - all the other kids are just as insecure about themselves as you are. Be yourself. Relax. All that energy you're expending working to fit in (or be deliberately different)? No one is noticing. Just do your thing.

2) The guys (or girls) you're agonizing over don't deserve your agony. People used to have to wait for their high school reunions to realize the crushes they lost their minds – and many, many tears, and occasionally even friends – over end up being, well, not nearly as great as they seemed at the time. In the era of Facebook, you don't even have to wait! So have fun, date, hook up, flirt, and do all that stuff. Even get your heart broken – we all have to go through it sooner or later. But try not to take it too seriously if you can. You will look back and think “I liked THAT guy (or girl)?! Whyyyyyyyyyy?” in ten years. I promise. 
 
3) Don't suck up to that junior after the cast list for the fall play goes up - or whatever your corresponding situation is. It's annoying to everyone else and usually backfires. You will be better off earning upperclassmen's respect and admiration for your writing or art or whatever makes you special. Let them come to you, or see if friendships just unfold naturally. . (Trust me on this one – that cafeteria scene with Julie Nelson in the beginning of the book? Ripped from the headlines of my life. Nightmare.)

4) Do not to go into Manhattan to stay over at the apartment of a random girl you barely know from camp. She turns out to be really weird and live in what is essentially a room filled with garbage! This will not end up being the cool adventure you think it's going to be – not even close. (Hrm. Maybe this one really only works for me? Sorry 'bout that.)

5) Don't let your parents – or teachers, or anyone - make you think that every single thing you do in high school is going to make or break the rest of your life. My parents had me panicked about my SAT scores the second I set foot in high school. Not to mention grades, extra-curriculars, clubs, leadership positions... the pressure to succeed was incredible. And I'm certainly not saying those things aren't important – of course they are. BUT. One C (or even an F!) on a paper or test is not going to kill your chances at a good school. Your SATs will not determine the kind of person you end up being or the quality of the life you end up having. So yes - study hard. Join clubs and activities that interest and motivate you. But also have fun. Make choices. Make dumb mistakes. Learn from them. Don't let this looming senior-year mission to get accepted to Yale or wherever predicate every move you make in high school. There are just as many important experiences to have that are never going to come up on a college application, and you don't want to miss them.

By the way - the advice I could offer for the next three years after ninth grade? Or college? Well... that's another post (and book!) all together. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by Meredith! :) And fabulous advice. I seem to recall not being overly thrilled with my Freshman year either, or really with any of high school. lol Now I'm just spending the rest of my life in college. I swear I'll be done one day. 


Thanks again Meredith for the guest post. Readers be sure to check out her book, My Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters.  

Eyecatcher: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly

by Susan Dennard

http://www.susandennard.com

HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062083265

Release Date: July 24, 2012

from the author's site: 

There’s something
strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

 

The years 1876, and Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about.

Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

why it caught my eye: 

I LOVE that cover. It's absolutely gorgeous. That was enough to entice me to find the blurb on the author's site, and I have to say I'm intrigued. I love Victorian stories as well as all things paranormal so I suspect I'm going to love this one as well. Too bad I have to wait until July for it. Guess I'll just have to be patient. :)