Trailer Thursday - Twilight, True Love and You

I mentioned a few months ago Twilight, True Love and You: Seven Secret Steps to Finding Your Edward or Jacob by Louise Deacon which is now available (a bit early) on amazon, and I've just been told about a couple of related trailers. I particularly like the one of the author's daughter unwrapping her copy:



and here's the official trailer:

Recent Publishing Deals

From today's Publishers Lunch Weekly, some recent YA deals including a couple you may have heard about already:

USA Today bestselling self-published ebook phenomenon Amanda Hocking's WATERSONG series, to Rose Hilliard at St. Martin's, for four books, at auction, reportedly for over $2 million, for publication beginning in Fall 2012.


Lenore Appelhans's debut YA novel LEVEL 2, a thriller set in the liminal place between our world and heaven, about a 17 year-old girl who spends her days reliving her memories from the security of her pod until she gets broken out by a boy from her past life, to Simon & Schuster Children's, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal. Film rights sold simultaneously to Wolfgang Hammer at CBS Films.


NYT bestselling author Gail Carriger's debut YA historical fantasy series ESPIONAGE AND ETIQUETTE, set in her Soulless Alexia Tarabotti world but 25 years prior, an incorrigible aristocrat is sent off to finishing school to learn how to be lady only to discover that the school trains young ladies alright but for the wrong kind of "finishing," pitched as Ally Carter meets Steampunk, to Little, Brown Children's, in a pre-empt, in a four-book deal.


Christopher Paolini's INHERITANCE, the fourth and final book in his #1 NYT bestselling Inheritance cycle, to Knopf Children's, for simultaneous publication in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on November 8, 2011.

Review: Fade by Lisa McMann

Fade by Lisa McMann (August 2010, Simon & Schuster Children's Books, ISBN: 1847387363)

First Lines:

A NEW YEAR

January 1, 2006, 1:31 am

Janie sprints through the snow yards from two streets away and slips quietly through the front door of her house.

Review: Fade is the sequel to Wake and is the middle part of the Wake trilogy. There will be some spoilers for Wake in this review.

Fade picks up shortly after the events in Wake. Janie has discovered she's a dream catcher and that she can use her talents of entering other people's dreams to help the police. The police have received an anonymous tip-off that there is a sexual predator at the high school. Janie and her boyfriend Cabel are assigned to discover if there is and if so, who is it, amongst the teaching staff at their school.

This assignment causes friction between the two as Cabel does not want her taking on this assignment and wants to protect her. Meanwhile Janie is discovering more about her "gift" from the files and a journal of the previous dream catcher.

Even when the assignment is complete, there are problems ahead for the two's long-term relationship.

I loved Wake and I also enjoyed Ms McMann's standalone, Cryer's Cross very much. I didn't enjoy Fade nearly as much as either of those two. Not because of the writing, which is as attractive and poetic as ever, but, and this is a personal reaction, rather the fact that it covers a dark subject and there are some unpleasant scenes of a sexual nature which left me with a bad taste in my mouth: there is a prolonged threat of rape both actual and in a dream. Subject matter aside though, Fade continues the development of Janie's character as she sees what's ahead for her in her life and makes some hard choices. I'm looking forward to reading Gone to see where the author takes Janie and Cabel and what the set-up will be now that they've finished high school.

Library Loot (92) & review copies

Library

Buried Thunder by Tim Bowler
What secrets lay buried in the heart of the forest? When Maya strays into the forest she also walks straight into a nightmare. It's not just the horrific discovery she makes among the trees, it's what's waiting for her at home. Something too terrifying to believe in. She's not even sure she believes it herself. Perhaps she's going mad - only imagining the sounds in the night and the feeling of being stalked. Maybe she didn't see anything in the forest after all? And there's another question: what was she doing there in the first place . . . alone . . . at dusk? All she knows is that the eyes of a fox drew her there. They will do so again.

The Case of the Poisoned Pie by Alex Carter (I'm looking at this one for reading group ie under 12s)
ONE top music executive * TWO poisoned slices of Mississippi Mud Pie * And FOUR budding detectives...

There’s another mystery to solve at Mayfair Park!

Lauren and her three best friends can’t believe their luck when top boy band, 4ever, arrive at Mayfair Park to shoot their new video.

But the girls soon discover that there is a much darker side to the music biz – and there are some people who will stop at nothing to reach the top . . .

Home by Nicola Davies
Thrilling futuristic science fiction with an environmental slant. It's 2067 and the world has become virtually uninhabitable with all the pollution and toxins created by mankind. Ruling classes live holed up in the cities and workers live in Stations, safe from the outside world. But one day Station 27 is taken over by rebels. Nero, from the ruling classes, and Sacks, a worker, find themselves thrown together as they're captured by the rebels, their common enemy. As they begin to discover the terrifying truth about their world, the two children get separated and find themselves in great danger. Will they find each other before it is too late?

Bliss by Lauren Myracle
Lauren Myracle brings her keen understanding of teen dynamics to a hypnotic horror story of twisted friendship. When Bliss's hippie parents leave the commune and dump her at the home of her aloof grandmother in a posh Atlanta neighborhood, it's like being set down on an alien planet. The only guide naive Bliss has to her new environment is what she's seen on The Andy Griffith Show. But Mayberry is poor preparation for Crestview Academy, an elite school where the tensions of the present and the dark secrets of the past threaten to simmer into violence. Openhearted Bliss desperately wants new friends, making her the perfect prey of a troubled girl whose obsession with a long-ago death puts Bliss, and anyone she's kind to, in mortal danger. Lauren Myracle has taken the ubiquitous friendship novel to a new, dark place.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Mackie Doyle is a replacement - a fairy child left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago, to replace the baby when it was stolen away by the fey. So though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie's real home is the fey world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. Now, because his fey blood gives him fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably back home to the fey underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures, rescue the child, and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs.

Review

Wintercraft: Blackwatch by Jenna Burtenshaw (14 April, Headline)
Kate has escaped the clutches of the High Council and Silas has left Albion for the continent. But their lives are forever linked and as the veil weakens, causing Albion's skilled to fear for everyone's safety, Silas and Kate find themselves drawn together by the mysterious and corrupt Dalliah Grey.

Ondine by Ebony McKenna (out now)
This is a brilliantly witty fairy tale with a mystery that is as surreal as it is sinister. One girl. One boy. One spell to be broken. Ondine de Groot is a normal fifteen-year-old who lives with her family in the European country of Brugel. She has a pet ferret called Shambles. But Shambles is no ordinary ferret...He's Hamish McPhee, a boy cursed by a witch. A witch who happens to be related to Ondine. When Shambles turns back into Hamish temporarily, Ondine knows that she has to help him break the spell. He is the most gorgeous boy she has ever met and her one true love! He just can't remain a ferret forever. Can he?


Ondine: The Autumn Palace by Ebony McKenna (out now)
One boy, one girl, one plot to be foiled! Hamish the gorgeous man (and part time ferret) has a new job with the Duke as a spy in his Autumn Palace. So Ondine goes with him. She imagines a hugely romantic escapade together that involves lots of kissing. What she hadn't imagined was having to do endless laundry, go to school and keep Hamish the man a secret. All the while trying to find out who is plotting to kill the Duke. And if that weren't bad enough, it seems that Hamish is more interested in getting the Duke's attention than hers. Plus he's always in ferret form. Things can't go on like this! Can Ondine foil the would-be assassin, save the Duke and get her man back in gorgeous human form? It's going to take a little bit of magic, a lot of stolen kisses and some ferreting around...

Angel's Fury by Bryony Pearce (4 July, Egmont Books Ltd)
Every atrocity. Every war. Every act of vengeance. One fallen angel walks the earth to bring mankind to its destruction...Turning love into hate, forgiveness into blame, hope into despair. Through the fires of hell he will come to haunt one girl's dreams. But what if everything she ever dreamed was true? Every time Cassie Smith tries to sleep, she is plagued by visions of a death: A little girl called Zillah. A victim of the holocaust. In desperation Cassie is sent for treatment in an old manor house. There she meets other children just like her. Including Seth...Seth who looks so familiar. Her dream becomes nightmare. And then reality.

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon (1 May, Usborne Publishing Ltd)
At Gottfried Academy, just one kiss will take your breath away. After Renee discovers her parents dead in what appears to be a strange double murder, she is sent to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious high school dedicated to philosophy, 'crude sciences', and Latin: the Language of the Dead. Here she meets Dante, a dark and elusive student who harbors a deadly secret, but to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. Despite himself, Dante cannot control his attraction to Renee either and their desires gradually deepen into a complex and dangerous romance. But Dante's not the only one with secrets...Gottfried Academy has a few of its own. When Renee begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a former student, she begins to realize just how deadly these secrets are...Dark romance meets haunting murder mystery in this captivating tale of love, death and destiny.

Publishing Deal - Cath Crowley

News of Australian author Cath Crowley's publishing deal with Hodder, in today's Booktrade:

Hodder are delighted to announce that they have acquired the new YA novel from Australian Cath Crowley. Graffiti Moon was first published by Pan Macmillan Australia has been sold around the globe.

Anne McNeil, Publishing Director for Hodder Children's Books, has brokered a two –book deal [] for Graffiti Moon and a follow up title.

Graffiti Moon is an intense and exhilarating twenty-four hours in the lives of a group of six teenagers told through one hot city night. With a multi-layered alternating narrative and scatterings of poetry throughout, it is a very special contemporary love story.

Hodder Children's Books will position Crowley alongside their other quality stand alone authors including Hilary McKay, Siobhan Parkinson, the Irish Children's Laureate, and David Almond.

Anne McNeil says:

"This amazing novel is both visceral and tender at the same time. It feels as if it is written in real time, as Lucy tries to find Shadow – and his friend, Poet. She knows she loves Shadow, despite the fact that they have not yet met. And this, I think – plus the extraordinary quality of the writing – is why this was a must-have acquisition. Accessing the layers of the teenage heart is best done through brilliant and perceptive writing; which is where Cath Crowley strikes hard. This is just an amazing book – reminiscent of Steinbeck somehow, in its intense heat and acute personal understanding of character."

Publishing Deal - Dee Shulman

News of another dystopian trilogy was announced in yesterday's Bookseller:

Puffin has acquired world rights, including film and TV, in a dystopian romance series Fever by debut author Dee Shulman.


The story is based around a love affair between a young gladiator from AD 152 and a teenage girl from 2012, who are brought together by a virus that enables them to time travel.


Shannon Park, executive editor for Puffin, said: "This is a book that will tap into the dystopian romance trend but, although the romance is the heart of the story, an addictive thriller is played out across the course of the trilogy."


Other fiction Puffin is taking includes YA novel Three Little Words (Razorbill).

Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (January 2011, Andersen Press Ltd, ISBN: 9781849392129)

First Line: So Mom got the postcard today.

Review: When You Reach Me has won a whole host of awards in the US, including The Newbery Medal 2010, and I couldn't put it down.

When You Reach Me is set in the last two years of the 1970s. Twelve-year-old Miranda lives with her mum in an apartment in New York and they live above the flat of Miranda's best friend Sal. Miranda and Sal have been walking to school together for forever but when a boy attacks Sal on the way home, Sal begins to avoid Miranda. Then Miranda's spare key is stolen and then the most strange thing of all: a peculiar note appears in her knapsack telling her that the writer is coming to save her friend's life but that Miranda must write him/her a letter detailing all that has happened up to this point and also include the information as to where her spare key is kept.

Miranda is frightened now, but carries on with her usual life, except that the tiff with Sal means she gets to make new friends and also speak occasionally to the odd boy who punched Sal - Marcus. As well as school-life, Miranda helps her mum prepare to go on a game-show to win $20,000. Two more notes appear at intervals, and seem to provide proof for something incredible. Miranda wonders what she must do to prevent the harm to her friend and which of her friends is in danger?

I adored When You Reach Me and I'm trying not to give anything away about the premise. It's a real mystery, with the "what's going on with these notes" factor pulling you from one short chapter to the next. Miranda is a likeable lead who is starting to discover boys and maturing in other ways, such as becoming more considerate of others' feelings. At less than 200 pages, every word counts and though you only spend a few months with Miranda and her family, by the end of the book you feel that you know their future lives as well, which is rather comforting. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Stead writes next.

NB: The cover is brilliant showing many of the key places and items which are integral to the story.

Publishing Deal - Gemma Malley

News of a dystopian trilogy from Gemma Malley in today's Bookseller:

Hodder has acquired a crossover dystopian trilogy from Gemma Malley.

Senior editor Kate Howard acquired world rights to The Killables series from Dorie Simmonds of the Dorie Symmonds Agency. The first novel in the series, The Killables, is set in the year 2065, and follows Evie and Raffy who work for the government in a society where evil no longer exists. After a war on terror that almost destroyed the world, The City has been established; citizens may only enter after having the “evil” part of their brain removed.

Howard said: “Gemma has a distinctive talent that I’ve admired for years and I couldn’t be more excited to be publishing her new cinematic and compelling trilogy, The Killables. Its gripping, high concept plot set in a dystopian future state, combined with two emotionally engaging teenage characters, will have an impact on whoever reads it.”

The Killables will be published in hardback in March 2012 with a “sustained and innovative consumer campaign”, with paperback publication to follow in October.

Library Loot (91), a prize & review copies

I had to resort to using the bed this week to spread my new books out:

Library

Assassin by Grace Cavendish (This is one is for my children's reading group who are in the 9-12 year range. We are doing Tudor mystery/crime/adventure next). This is a popular series but the library has very few copies left of some of the titles. Conveniently the titles follow the alphabet. Loot is the latest title I believe.)
Since the death of her beloved mother, Lady Grace has become the Queen's favourite Maid of Honour. But even favourites have to obey the Queen's wishes - and the Queen wants Grace to be married. Choosing between her suitors – kindly old Sir Charles, flashy Sir Gerald and sweet, anxious Lord Robert – is easy for Grace: she doesn't want to marry any of them! When Gerald is found dead after the ball at which Grace should have picked her favourite suitor, suspicion falls on Lord Robert. But Grace has noticed that Sir Charles has been acting strangely – and that there is something odd about the body. With her friends Ellie the maid and Masou the acrobat, Lady Grace sets out to discover what really went on that night.

The Memory Cage by Ruth Eastham
Alex's grandfather keeps forgetting things, and Alex has overheard his adoptive parents say that they're going to put granddad in a home. His grandfather begs Alex to save him from that, and it's a promise Alex is desperate to keep But Alex once promised his little brother that he would save him, and in the terror of the Bosnian war, he failed As Alex struggles to protect his grandfather, he uncovers secrets that his family and the village have kept for two generations.nravelling them will cause grief, but will they save grandfather, and perhaps help Alex come to terms with his own private war.

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Freak.

That's what they call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood at Ironbridge High School. A horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child left Donna branded with iron tattoos that cover her hands and arms - and magically enhanced strength, that she now does all she can to hide.

Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, Donna finally accepts her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie - the dark elves. Aided by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout, Donna must save her best friend's life - and that means betraying one of the world's greatest secrets and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family.

Won

The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers (Won from Random House's Librarian's Newsletter)
From the master storyteller, Aidan Chambers, comes a collection of Stories of Defiance - moments in life, realizations, insights and sudden revelations - prepare to be amazed, enchanted and to gasp with shock.

United under the banner of flash fiction, this is a collection of stories, or little 'cells', complete in themselves but connected by the overarching themes of betrayal and revenge. All featuring teenagers and often with an unexpected twist, these frighteningly realistic stories will take you to the very edge and beyond.

Review

There are too many to put all the synopses, so links go to amazon.co.uk

From ATOM

Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong (7th April)
Monster High: The Ghoul Next Door by Lisi Harrison (7th April)
Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon (29th March)
Die for Me by Amy Plum (5th May)

From Bloomsbury

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley (4th April)
In the Bag by Jim Carrington
A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master
The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees(5th April)
Crusade by Linda Press Wolf

From Harper Collins

I couldn't go the launch but they kindly sent me a review copy of Department 19 by Will Hill out 31 March.

From Puffin

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (7th April) (I've been thinking about covering Artemis Fowl in the children's reading group soon, so this has decided it for me!)

From Simon & Schuster

Vanished: When Lightning Strikes & Code Name Cassandra by Meg Cabot (31st March) (I read these a few years ago but I have a few notes I can type up. Recommended series!)
The Fallen: Aerie & Reckoning by Thomas E. Sniegoski (28th April)
Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani (31st March) So pleased to get this one as I really liked #1

With thanks to the above publishers.

Snippets about some publishing deals

Not much detail here but a few snippets about some publishing deals, from Publishers Lunch email:

...lots of action on the YA side, including Melissa de la Cruz's seventh & final novel in Blue Bloods series;

the QUARANTEEN Trilogy, by screenwriters Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies writing as Lex Thomas, exploring what happens when a school full of kids contract a virus and have to be cordoned off from the outside world;

Elana Arnold's SACRED, the first in a teen series fusing Kabbalistic mysticism and provocative romance;

Newbery-winning author Patricia MacLachlan's prequel to The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.

Children's Reading Group - Christmas Books

A bit late but here's what happened at the next meeting of the Children's Reading group I administer and co-host at the library, for 9-12 year olds:

The Christmas books were discussed in late January as we had to skip the meeting which fell on New Year's Day!

Books discussed:



These two were the most successful choices so far in the short history of the group. You probably can't go wrong with something by Anthony Horowitz and When Santa Fell to Earth was appreciated.

Here's Amelia's review of Cornelia Funke's When Santa Fell to Earth:

I think the book was brilliant! The characters were great and my favourite characters were: Niklas Godfellow and Matilda the Angel. Matilda was funny and Niklas was very kind. I love the book because: it was about Christmas! the storyline was really tense at times and exciting. I definitely didn't like the giant Nutcracker and Gerold Goblynch because they tried to turn Niklas into chocolate and steal his boots! Luckily, it went the opposite way! I especially like the happy and unexpected ending! 5 stars! 10/10!!

Amelia aged 11.

The next session focuses on a January Challenge ie a book they've wanted to read but haven't yet.

Trailer Tuesday - Scorpia Rising

Anthony Horowitz's final Alex Rider book will be published on 31 March in the UK by Walker. The first two of three teaser trailers have been released:

Review: Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie (audio book)

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie and read by Kim Hicks (March 2009, AudioGO, ISBN: 9781408404324)

First Line:
Who am I?

Notes: Girl, Missing won the Red House Book Award for Older Readers and was Richard and Judy’s Children’s Books Winner in the 12+ Fluent Reader category. The paperback edition is published by Simon & Schuster Children's, ISBN: 9781416917328.

Review: As the sequel to Girl, Missing - Sister, Missing - is due out in September I thought I'd better get on and read the first book.

Girl, Missing is the story of Lauren Matthews who was adopted when she was three. Her parents refuse to tell her about her life before then saying that she's not old enough to know more yet as she is only fourteen. Naturally Lauren doesn't agree and a routine homework assignment on "Who am I?" turns into something more serious when she finds a missing children website. Lauren discovers that a girl, middle name Lauren, disappeared at the right age over in America. Could she be the same person?

Her investigations of family documents leads to the name of a US adoption agency on the East coast of America. Lauren manipulates and lies to get a family holiday in the right part of the US and is fortunate to be accompanied by her best friend Jam (James). Lauren's quest to find herself leads to much more than she bargained for with multiple life-threatening situations and much stress and strain for her adoptive parents.

Girl, Missing is an exciting thriller with a headstrong, teenage lead who comes across as selfish and thoughtless at times but is probably only acting as anyone would at that age when something so important is almost within your grasp. The story raises serious issues of who is family and how much blood-ties matter, along with being a gripping, thriller. I did enjoy it and am intrigued to see how Lauren will have matured as the next book is set two years later.

Girl, Missing is well narrated by Kim Hicks who gives Lauren a confident voice which may make her sound more selfish than she actually is. You can listen to a sample of the opening chapter on the AudioGO website.

Library Loot (90) & review copies

Library

Stolen by Lucy Christopher (audio book)
Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in th planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost

The Sarah Jane Adventures: Deadly Download by Jason Arnopp (audio book)
Sarah Jane and friends battle a deadly computer virus in this exclusive audio story, read by Elisabeth Sladen. Sarah Jane is in a Christmassy mood, but her cosy afternoon listening to carols is interrupted when Mr Smith suddenly announces that danger is imminent. The supercomputer has detected abnormal internet activity in the vicinity of Bannerman Road. Something alien is downloading into two PCs on the street - a computer virus over 50 times more destructive than any other on the planet. Both residents were chatting online when they started the download: but who were they chatting to? And what does the mysterious chatterbox want? It is up to Sarah Jane and friends to find out, before the deadly download takes over the Earth...Elisabeth Sladen, who stars as Sarah Jane in the CBBC TV series, reads this exclusive audio story, written by Jason Arnopp.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Miranda's life is starting to unravel. Her best friend, Sal, gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The key that Miranda's mum keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives:

'I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own.

I ask two favours. First, you must write me a letter.'

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realises that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

Review

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (7 July, Doubleday Childrens)
The murder of her parents has left Silla damaged and lost, and Silla's insistence that her father is not to blame only alienates her further from her friends and family. When a mysterious spell book arrives, Silla hopes it will lead to some answers about her parents' killer. In her first attempt at magic, in an old graveyard near her home, Nick, the new boy in town spies on her; he recognizes the magic that Silla is performing as the same magic his mother performed with him, before she went mad.

Before long, Silla and Nick connect, though Nick is unwilling to share his history with blood magic with Silla. When Silla's friends start showing signs of possession, Silla, Nick and Silla's brother, Reese, must contend with a deadly, immortal woman who will stop at nothing to take the book of spells from them.

Dark Touch: Fever by Amy Meredith (out now, Red Fox) (3rd in the series, I've just reviewed #2)
Deepdene has been swept by what seems to be a vicious tropical disease. Luckily Eve and Jess are both healthy so they're taking their chance to enjoy the unseasonal heat wave. But then teenagers start to disappear. The spread of the disease worsens and the town is placed under lockdown. A demon is among them. It could be anybody. And now there's nowhere to go...The third title in this successful series. It is suitable for all fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Charmed" and "Twilight".

Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser (7 April, Walker)
Some girls are glamorous, beautiful … and deadly. Found kneeling by a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand can only mean Callie Carson is guilty of the brutal murder of Katherine Remington – can’t it? Joining the in-crowd is tough; leaving is a killer.

Orion to launch new YA Imprint (Indigo)

Great news in today's Bookseller. I'd heard that Harlan Coben was writing a YA book series and the first entry is to be one of the books published under Orion's new YA imprint, Indigo:

Orion Children's Books is launching a new Young Adult imprint, with Harlan Coben's first foray into YA fiction among the "starry authors" geared up for release.

Indigo will publish four titles a month, beginning in September this year. Fiona Kennedy will be publisher of the imprint, working with commissioning editors Amber Caravéo, also of Orion Children's Books, and Gillian Redfearn of Gollancz.

The first titles will be Kate Harrison's Soul Beach, Cinda Williams Chima's The Warrior Heir and Mia James' Darkness Falls, all coming on 1st September. Harlan Coben's Shelter, featuring Mickey Bolitar, nephew of his adult fiction hero Myron Bolitar, will follow on 15th September. Orion Publishing Group trade m.d. Lisa Milton said: "As a father of four, Harlan has always wanted to bring his style of breakneck twists to a younger audience."

Other authors lined up for the imprint include Holly Black, Marcus Sedgwick, Sara Grant and Cliff McNish.

Kennedy said: "Indigo will publish teen fiction with style and poise, as the clutch of starry authors on the list shows. It will give our teen titles an identity and status as a whole, and each book more profile individually.

Read the whole article here.

Theodore Boone news

Theodore Boone by John Grisham is now out in paperback. I reviewed the hardback, last June.

The sequel, Theodore Boone and the Abduction is due out 9 June from Hodder and I read in this week's Bookseller that two more books are planned in the series.

Review: The Hunt by Amy Meredith

The Hunt by Amy Meredith (August 2010, Red Fox, ISBN: 9781849410526)

First Line:
"Dude, have you decided to give up showering?" Dave Perry called after practice on Monday.

Review: This is the second in the Dark Touch series which began with Shadows and this review contains spoilers for the first book.

The Hunt picks up a few weeks after the events in Shadows. Eve Evergold has discovered that she's the Deepdene Witch and feels she has a duty to protect the town from Demons. She is joined in her fight by Jess, her best friend and new boy Luke, who is both the minister's son and a bit of player with an eye for the girls. They have formed a strong bond and there is the possible beginnings of a romance between Eve and Luke if they would both admit the truth.

Tragedy is striking Deepdene again: a "wild animal" is on the loose and has killed a class-mate of the gang's. The animal story is plausible for a while until it becomes obvious that it's actually a demon behind the killing. Eve, Jess and Luke have to continue their research and find a way to kill this demon and prevent any more demons terrorising their exclusive Hamptons home.

The Hunt is an enjoyable follow-up to Shadows. It ups the violence content, with ripped bodies and blood drainings but despite that it feels like a breezy, light and quick read. The characters aren't much more fleshed-out than last time but there is plenty of action, a mystery and a tentative romance between two of the leads to keep the pages turning at pace. Plus there is plenty of snappy dialogue and humorous banter. The author and the characters appear to be fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and if you liked that series, you'll hopefully enjoy this one.

The third part, Fever, is out now, with a fourth, Betrayal, due in June and I'm looking forward to them.

The age-guidance rating on the back cover suggests that The Hunt is suitable for 12+.

Louise Rennison's New Short Story

For World Book Day, Louise Rennison has written a special short story, How to Make Any Twit Fall in Love With You, featuring her heroines Georgia and Tallulah, and which is being released exclusively online in ten parts. The first five are now available to read at lovetwit.co.uk.

Withering Tights is now available in paperback (this cover is so cheerful!) and I reviewed the hardback last year.

The official Louise Rennison facebook site is at http://www.facebook.com/LouiseRennisonOfficialUK and her website is georgia-nicolson.co.uk/.

The sequel to Withering Tights is listed as being published on 9 June on amazon.

Library Loot (88 & 89) & review copies

Two weeks worth here as I was away last weekend. Most of these came in the first week.


Library

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Sarah Jane Adventures: Wraith World by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (audio book)

Witch & Wizard: The Gift by James Patterson (I didn't order this one - it was supposed to be another Sarah Jane Adventures audio book but as it's partly narrated by Elijah Wood, I thought I'd keep it for a listen!)

Review

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (17 March, Headline)
Violet and Jay are finally dating, but adjusting to the new relationship is not as easy as Violet anticipated. Especially when she has to split Jay's time and attention with his new best friend, Mike, and Mike's pesky younger sister - who happens to be obsessed with Jay. Meanwhile, when Violet's special abilities lead her to the body of a young boy, her tip to the police puts her on the radar of the FBI. Violet tries to fend off the FBI's questions while maintaining the semblance of a normal life, but somebody's leaving her threatening notes and an echo around Mike's house reinforces that all is not right. Violet is forced to admit that perhaps the only people who can help her figure it out are the very people she's desperate to avoid - the FBI.

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr (3 March, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
The fifth and final breathtaking instalment in the darkly seductive and best-selling WICKED LOVELY series, about the collision of mortal and faery worlds…

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan left Huntsdale to wander aimlessly but after centuries of leading his court it was not long before the reality of being Summer King became too pressing. Violence seemed more inevitable by the day and the Summer Court was not yet strong enough to face conflict, so Keenan made a dangerous deal with the water fey. It is a desperate bargain he makes to strengthen his court against the coming war. Aislinn tends the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. She knows she must be a powerful queen to hold her court together, while Bananach becomes more and more dangerous, and she is losing faeries to her. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. Her court is still powerful, but she must remain focused on keeping them that way and not get distracted by Keenan when he shows up at her door again. The Dark Court is thrown into chaos when they are rocked by tragedy. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

They all know what Bananach seeks – the raven-faery is the embodiment of war and discord. She and her growing number of allies want mutiny and murder. Love, despair and betrayal ignite the Faeries Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win… and some will lose everything. The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr’s bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard (1 May, Templar)
A haunting story of war that will profoundly affect readers Young teenage boys will engage with the central character and the subject matter *Skip's an outsider. He's never fitted in. So he takes to the streets. Life there may be hard, but it's better than the one he's left behind, especially when he teams up with Billy, an old homeless man. Then come the bombs which bring little Max and Tia, the sad dancer with a tiny baby. Scavenging for food, living on love and imagination, Skip's fragile new family tries to hold out as war grips the city, but too soon tragedy strikes when Tia dies. Max, Billy, Skip and the baby move on, to an old farm where they try to find new hope.

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (28 April, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books)
IN THE ENCLAVE, YOUR SCARS SET YOU APART, and the newly born will change the future. In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.

Brother Sister by Sean Olin (4 August, Puffin)

WILL

How many times do I have to say it? Yes, I see the picture. It’s a body, obviously. It’s a dead body.

ASHELEY

You have to understand, I love my brother. I’m scared of him too, but . . . regardless of what he has or hasn’t done, I feel for him, you know.

WILL

I don’t care what happens to me, really, I don’t. But Asheley . . . she had nothing to do with any of this.

ASHELEY

It’s not like it sounds. He had a good heart. He trusted me. And I always did the best I could to help him.

WILL

It’s not her fault. None of it. Okay then. The guy in the photo. I killed him . . . but I had to. I had no choice. Why? That’s complicated. That’ll take a while.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (28 April, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
One choice can transform you. Pass initiation. Do not fail…
Thrilling urban dystopian fiction debut from exciting young author.

In sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior’s world, society is divided into five factions – Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) – each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, in the attempt to form a “perfect society.” At the age of sixteen, teens must choose the faction to which they will devote their lives.
On her Choosing Day, Beatrice renames herself Tris, rejects her family’s group, and chooses another faction. After surviving a brutal initiation, Tris finds romance with a super-hot boy, but also discovers unrest and growing conflict in their seemingly “perfect society.” To survive and save those they love, they must use their strengths to uncover the truths about their identities, their families, and the order of their society itself.

Virals by Kathy Reichs (12 May, Arrow (Young))
Tory Brennan is as fascinated by bones and dead bodies as her famous aunt, acclaimed forensic anthropologist, Tempe Brennan. However living on a secluded island off Charleston in South Carolina there is not much opportunity to put her knowledge to the test. Until she and her group of technophile friends stumble across a shallow grave containing the remains of a girl who has been missing for over thirty years.

With the cold-case murder suddenly hot, Tory realises that they are involved in something fatally dangerous. And when they rescue a sick dog from a laboratory on the same island, it becomes evident that somehow the two events are linked.

On the run from forces they don’t understand, they have only each other to fall back on. Until they succumb to a mysterious infection that heightens their senses and hones their instincts to impossible levels. Their illness seems to have changed their very biology – and suddenly it’s clear that the island is home to something well beyond their comprehension. It’s a secret that has driven men to kill once. And will drive them to kill again…

Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon (3 March, Headline Review)
While in hiding at a remote convent, a king's daughter sees a magical being dragging a shipwrecked man to the shore. The creature is a mermaid princess - the youngest daughter of the Sea Queen - but she shares more with her human counterpart than her royal blood.

By saving a young man's life, both women have sacrificed their hearts. In one moment, the lives of the princesses, mortal and mermaid, are transformed forever.

Publishing Deal - Karen Thompson Walker

From today's Publishers Lunch Weekly:

Simon & Schuster editor and Columbia MFA grad Karen Thompson Walker's debut novel THE AGE OF MIRACLES, about an eleven-year-old girl and her family who wake one morning in their modest suburban home in California, to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow, setting a suspenseful family drama of the lows and highs of a girl's adolescence and a poignant story of first love against this looming global disaster, to Random House, for publication in 2012.

Published in March (2011)

Here are some of the teenage/YA titles that are being published in the UK in March 2011. I will put a link to this post and previous and subsequent "monthly" lists in my sidebar. January's list can be found here and February's here. Title links go to amazon.co.uk. Please let me know of others to add to the list.

Monthly lists for 2010 can be found here.

I have tried to identify all the British authors which I hope will be useful to those doing the Bookette's excellent British Books Challenge.

Ana Alonso & Javier Pelgrin - The Sphere of Medusa (1st, Sibling Press, pb)
Ana Alonso & Javier Pelgrin - The Tower and the Island (1st, Sibling Press, pb)
Colin Bateman - Tusk (3rd, Hodder Children's Books, pb)
Sean Beaudoin - You Killed Wesley Payne (3rd, Little, Brown Young Readers, HB)
Martyn Bedford - Flip (7th, Walker, pb) British author
Erin Bow - Wood Angel (7th, Chicken House, pb)
Chris Bradford - Young Samurai: The Ring of Water (3rd, Puffin, pb) British author
Kate Brian - Ominous (3rd, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books, pb)
Jess Britain - Skins v2: Summer Holiday (3rd, Hodder Children's Books, pb) British author
Aidan Chambers - The Kissing Game (3rd, Bodley Head, HB) British author
Claire Chambers - Burning Secrets (3rd, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb) British author
Elizabeth Chandler - Evercrossed (31st, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books, pb)
Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Angel (7th, Walker, pb)
Kevin Crossley-Holland - Bracelet of Bones (31st, Quercus Publishing Plc, HB) British author
Kimberley Derting - Desires of the Dead (17th, Headline, pb)
Bree Despain - The Lost Saint (7th, Egmont Books Ltd, pb)
Sharon Dogar - Annexed (31st, Andersen, pb) British author
Lois Duncan - I Know What You Did Last Summer (3rd, ATOM, pb)
Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin - Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance (7th, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, pb)
Claudia Gray - Afterlife (3rd, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb)
John Green - Looking for Alaska (31st, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb)
Miriam Halamy - Hidden (30th, Meadowside Children's Books, pb) British author
Frances Hardinge - Twilight Robbery (4th, Macmillan Children's Books, HB) British author
Janice Hardy - The Healing Wars (2) - Blue
Fire (31st, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb)
Rachel Hawkins - Raising Demons (3rd, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books, pb)
Julie Hearn - Wreckers (3rd, OUP Oxford, pb) British author
Will Hill - Department 19 (31st, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, HB) British author (debut)
Julie Hearn - Wreckers (3rd, OUP Oxford, pb) British author
F E Higgins - The Lunatic's Curse (4th, Macmillan Children's Books, pb) British author
Anthony Horowitz - Scorpia Rising (31st, Walker, pb) British author
Michelle Jaffe - Rosebush (3rd, ATOM, pb)
Sophie Jordan - Firelight (3rd, OUP Oxford, pb)
Lauren Kate - Torment (31st, Corgi Childrens, pb)
Sherrilyn Kenyon - Invincible (29th, ATOM, pb)
Derek Landy - Mortal Coil (Skulduggery Pleasant - Book 5) (31st, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb)
Katherine Langrish - West of the Moon (3rd, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb) British author
Ali Lewis - Everybody Jam (3rd, Andersen, pb)
Andy McNab - Drop Zone: Terminal Velocity (3rd, Doubleday Childrens, HB) British author
Michelle Magorian - Back Home (3rd, Puffin, pb) British author
Melissa Marr - Darkest Mercy (3rd, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, pb)
Jonathan Mayberry - Rot and Ruin (3rd, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books, pb)
Barbara Mitchelhill - Run Rabbit Run (4th, Andersen, pb) British author
Colin Mulhern - Clash (1st, Catnip, pb) British author
Andy Mulligan - Trash (31st, David Fickling Books, pb) British author
Alyson Noel - Faking 19 (3rd, Saint Martin's Griffin,U.S, pb)
Alyson Noel - Night Star (4th, Macmillan Children's Books, pb)
James Patterson - Maximum Ride: Angel (3rd, Arrow, HB)
James Patterson - Witch & Wizard: The Gift (3rd, Arrow, pb)
Anna Perrera - The Glass Collector (3rd, Puffin, pb) British author
Annabel Pitcher - My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece (1st, Orion Childrens, HB) British author (debut)
Chris Priestley - Tales of Terror from the Black Ship (7th, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, pb) British author
Chris Priestley - Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth (7th, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, pb) British author
Chris Priestley - Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror (7th, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, pb) British author
Beth Revis - Across the Universe (3rd, Puffin, pb)
Asa Schwarz - Nefilim (1st, Sibling Press, pb)
Sara Shepard - The Lying Game (31st, Harper, pb)
Sara Shepard - Heartless (3rd, ATOM, pb)
Sara Shepard - Wanted (3rd, ATOM, pb)
Gena Showalter - Unravelled (18th, MIRA INK, pb)
Sarah Singleton - The Stranger (31st, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books, pb) British author
Karen Skovmand - The Knife and the Water (1st, Sibling Press, pb)
C J Skuse - Rockoholic (7th, Chicken House, pb) British author
Alexander Gordon Smith - Furnace: Execution (3rd, Faber and Faber, pb) British author
Lili St Crow - Defiance (31st, Quercus Publishing Plc, pb)
Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell - Muddle Earth (4th, Macmillan Children's Book, pb) British author
Lauren St John - Dead Man's Cove (24th, Orion Children, pb)
Adriana Trigiani - Viola in the Spotlight (31st, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books, pb)
Carolyn Turgeon - Mermaid (3rd, Headline Review, pb)
Rosalie Warren - Coping with Chloe (21st, Phoenix Yard Books, pb) British author