New Release Tuesday: YA New Releases
for April 25th, 2017
Happy New Release Tuesday! Today is a big release day for contemporary. PS. Only one more week till ACOWAR… đ
Legion (Talon #4) by Julie Kagawa
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon
The legions are about to be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragon slayer can stand against the coming horde. Book 4 of 5 in The Talon Saga from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa.
Dragon hatchling Ember Hill was never prepared to find love at all–dragons do not suffer human emotions–let alone the love of a human and a former dragonslayer, at that. With ex-soldier Garret dying at her feet after sacrificing his freedom and his life to expose the deepest of betrayals, Ember knows only that nothing she was taught by dragon organization Talon is true. About humans, about rogue dragons, about herself and what she’s capable of doing and feeling.
In the face of great loss, Ember vows to stand with rogue dragon Riley against the dragon-slaying Order of St. George and her own twin brother Dante–the heir apparent to all of Talon, and the boy who will soon unleash the greatest threat and terror dragonkind has ever known.
Talon is poised to take over the world, and the abominations they have created will soon take to the skies, darkening the world with the promise of blood and death to those who refuse to yield.
Between Two Skies by Joanne O’Sullivan
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary
Purchase: Amazon
Hurricane Katrina sets a teenage girl adrift. But a new life â and the promise of love â emerges in this rich, highly readable debut.
Bayou Perdu, a tiny fishing town way, way down in Louisiana, is home to sixteen-year-old Evangeline Riley. She has her best friends, Kendra and Danielle; her wise, beloved Mamere; and back-to-back titles in the under-sixteen fishing rodeo. But, dearest to her heart, she has the peace that only comes when she takes her skiff out to where there is nothing but sky and air and water and wings. Itâs a small life, but it is Evangelineâs. And then the storm comes, and everything changes. Amid the chaos and pain and destruction comes Tru â a fellow refugee, a budding bluesman, a balm for Evangelineâs aching heart. Told in a strong, steady voice, with a keen sense of place and a vivid cast of characters, here is a novel that asks compelling questions about class and politics, exile and belonging, and the pain of being cast out of your home. But above all, this remarkable debut tells a gently woven love story, difficult to put down, impossible to forget.
Looking for Group by Rory Harrison
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary, GBLT
Purchase: Amazon
Thelma & Louise meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in a brave, timely YA about two teens who embark on a cross-country road trip.
Dylan doesnât have a lot of experience with comfort. His room in the falling-down Village Estates can generously be categorized as âsqualid,â and he sure as hell isnât getting any love from his mother, who seemed toâno, definitely didâenjoy the perks that went along with being the parent of a âcancer kid.â
His only escape has been in the form of his favorite video gameâWorld of Warcraftâand the one true friend who makes him feel understood, even if it is just online: Nuba. And now that Dylan is suddenly in remission, he wants to take Nuba on a real mission, one he never thought heâd live to set out on: a journey to a mysterious ship in the middle of the Salton Sea.
But Nubaâreal-life name Ardenâis fighting her own battles, ones that Dylan canât always help her win. As they navigate their way west, they grapple with Nubaâs father (who refuses to recognize his daughterâs true gender), Dylanâs addiction, and the messy, complicated romance fighting so hard to blossom through the cracks of their battle-hardened hearts.
North of Happy by Adi Alsaid
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary
Purchase: Amazon
New from critically acclaimed author of LET’S GET LOST and NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES. In the wake of his brother’s untimely death, a teen chef runs away from home to find his true path in life.
Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the US, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family where he attends an elite international school. His friends and peers-fellow rich kids-have plans to attend college somewhere in the US or Europe and someday take over their parents’ businesses. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.
When his older brother, Felix–who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel–is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother’s voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father’s plan for him. Worrying about his mental health, but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the US and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss’s daughter–a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what’s most important to him and where his true path really lies.
The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary
Purchase: Amazon
Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, theyâve shared almost everythingâreading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But theyâve never met.
Sashaâs dad was once married to Rayâs mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new familiesâand neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.
The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our controlâŚor does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.
This Is Really Happening by Erin Chack
Category: Nonfiction, Memoir
Purchase: Amazon
BuzzFeed senior writer Erin Chack provides a collection of personal essays for the Snapchat generation.
Erin recounts everything from meeting her soulmate at age 14 to her first chemotherapy session at age 19 to what really goes on behind the scenes at a major Internet media company.
She authentically captures the agony and the ecstasy of the millennial experience, whether it’s her first kiss (“Sean’s tongue! In my mouth! Slippery and wet like a slug in the rain.”) or her struggles with anxiety (“When people throw caution to the wind, I am stuck imagining the poor soul who has to break his back sweeping caution into a dustpan”).
Yet Erin also offers a fresh perspective on universal themes of resilience and love as she writes about surviving cancer, including learning of her mother’s own cancer diagnosis within the same year, and her attempts to hide the diagnosis from friends to avoid “un-normaling” everything.
Lucky Girl by Amanda Maciel
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary
Purchase: Amazon
Lucky Girl is an unflinching exploration of beauty, sexual assault, and self-worth, from the author of the acclaimed novel Tease. Perfect for readers of Sara Zarr and Courtney Summers.
Being a pretty girl is who Rosie is, but itâs the start of a new school year and she wants to be more. Namely, sheâs determined to be better to her best friend, Maddie, whoâs just back from a summer program abroad having totally blossomed into her own looks. Rosie isnât thrilled when Maddie connects with a football player who Rosie was hooking up withâbut if it makes her friend happy, sheâs prepared to move on. Plus someone even more interesting has moved to town: Alex, who recently garnered public attention after he stopped a classmate from carrying out a shooting rampage at his old high school. Rosie is drawn to Alex in a way sheâs never really experienced for a boy beforeâand she is surprised to discover that, unlike every other guy, he seems to see more to her than her beauty.
Then one night, in the midst of a devastating storm, Rosie suffers an assault that tears apart her life and friendship with Maddie. Forced to face uncomfortable truths about beauty, reputation, and what it really means to be a friend, Rosie realizes that change doesnât always happen the way you want it toâevery disaster has consequences. But with a lot of help and the right people around you, there might also be a way forward.
Champion: The Graphic Novel (Legend: The Graphic Novel #3)
Category: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Graphic Novel
Purchase: Amazon
The final book in Marie Lu’s best-selling “Legend” trilogy draws to a thrilling conclusion in this vibrant graphic novel adaptation. June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic–and each other–and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has.
