YOUNG ADULT BOOK GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK

Earthbound
by Aprilynne Pike
Signed Hardcover Plus Swag Giveaway
Razorbill
Released 7/30/2013

Love, fate, and power collide in this new series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike!

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. Tavia will soon to discover that she’s an Earthbound–someone with the ability to create matter out of nothing–and that she alone holds the key to stopping the Reduciata, an evil society that manipulates global events for its own shadowy purposes. Tavia will ultimately have to make a choice: to come into her powers and save the world from the evil Reduciata or to choose free will and a love of her own.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Earthbound?

My favorite thing about EARTHBOUND is that it changed SO much between idea and publication. I switched editors mid-way through so even after massive changes there were MORE massive changes. But so for the best! I love the statue it turned into after the hunk of rock I started out with.:)

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Brother, Brother
by Clay Carmichael
Advance Reader Copy Giveaway
Roaring Brook Press
Released 7/30/2013

The day his grandmother dies, seventeen-year-old Billy “Brother” Grace discovers that he has a twin who has recently made headlines by nearly overdosing on drugs. His twin also happens to be the son of a powerful senator. His newly discovered family may not be all that interested in a cheery reunion, but Brother is determined to get answers. When he arrives on the secluded island off the coast of North Carolina where the senator and his family live, sparks will fly, old resentments will be released, and secrets revealed. Part coming-of-age story, part love story, Clay Carmichael’s Brother, Brother is a book about finding out that who you are and where you come from aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Brother, Brother?

This varies, I admit. Some days it’s my main character, Brother, who struggles mightily against passivity and whose deep kindness both serves him and holds him back. Other days it’s his grandmother, Mem, who has died as the book begins, but through Brother and others is very much a presence and the story’s moral center. Or Senator Grayson, who’s powerful, ruthless, and charismatic all at the same time. Sometimes it’s Mamie, Senator Grayson’s sister, who I named for my late godmother and favorite aunt. Often, it’s Trooper, Brother’s prescient Australian-Shepherd mix. I grew up with dogs, but now have cats and miss dog energy in my life. So I gave myself the gift of Trooper and also his Labrador-friend, Frank, who’s named after a wonderful Pointer of my grandfather’s.

Today, though, it’s Kit, who rescues Brother and five-year-old Jack at a rest stop early in the book. I love a fierce heroine, love-interest and muse, and she’s all three and more–just what Brother needs and most desires, even though he may not know it at first. Kit appeared almost fully formed in an early draft, and from the first she was a real firebrand, saying to this author, “I’m here, and this is how things are going to be.” A young woman after my own–and Brother’s–heart.

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Midnight Frost
by Jennifer Estep
Paperback Plus Swag Giveaway
K-Teen
Released 7/30/2013

Here we go again…

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Midnight Frost?

One of my favorite things about writing any of my books is getting to work on the action and fight scenes in the books. I just really enjoy writing action scenes and figuring out how my heroine can use her magic and wits to defeat the bad guys.

In MIDNIGHT FROST, I have an action scene at the Library of Antiquities at Mythos Academy, where my heroine, Gwen Frost, goes to school, as well as several action scenes outside of the academy. I hope that folks enjoy reading these scenes as much as I did writing them. Happy reading, everyone!

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Prep School Confidential
by Kara Taylor
Paperback Giveaway
St. Martin”s Griffin
Released 7/30/2013

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side–that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne could care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read–even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Prep School Confidential?

I grew up watching a ton of procedural mysteries on television– my dad let me watch Law & Order Criminal Intent when I was young, and while it gave me nightmares at times, it shaped my love for the mystery genre. So my favorite thing about Prep School Confidential is the way Anne investigates her roommate’s murder. Even though she doesn’t have the resources the police do, she’s able to crack the case using non-conventional means, almost becoming a Veronica Mars-esque PI. I love that about Anne, and I hope readers do too!

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The Boy on the Bridge
by Natalie Standiford
Hardcover Giveaway
Scholastic
Released 7/30/2013

A new breathtaking novel from Natalie Standiford about love and trust during the Cold War.

Laura Reid goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad as Cold War paranoia is peaking in 1982. She meets a young Russian artist named Alexei and soon, with Alexei as her guide, Laura immerses herself in the real Russia–a crazy world of wild parties, black-market books and music, and smuggled letters to dissidents. She must keep the relationship secret; associating with Americans is dangerous for Alexei, and if caught, Laura could be sent home and Alexei put under surveillance or worse. At the same time, she’s been warned that Soviets often latch onto Americans in hopes of marrying them and thus escaping to the United States. But she knows Alexei loves her. Right?

As June approaches–when Laura must return to the United States–Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She’s only nineteen and doesn’t think she’s ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn’t she take it?

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Boy on the Bridge?

THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE is based on an episode from my real life, but it is also highly fictionalized. The first draft was too close to reality and didn’t work at all, but I needed to write all that out before I could free myself from what really happened and transform my memories into a good story. Some of the characters are based on real people, some based on composites of real people, and some completely made up. Once they began to take on a life of their own I knew the novel was working.

So, to answer the question, my favorite thing about THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE is that I was able to use my real experience in my work, and given a chance to shape it, dramatize it, and otherwise make it “better.” It’s like being able to relive a period of my life that shaped me profoundly, and to think deeply about how and why it affected me. That’s one of my favorite things about writing fiction in general, come to think of it: the way that everything that happens can be material for work.

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YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS LAST WEEK: WINNERS

Contaminated
by Em Garner
Hardcover Giveaway (3 Copies)
EgmontUSA
Released 7/23/2013

Winners: GSMarlene, thepagesage, Donna L. Sadd

After the Contamination – an epidemic caused by the super-trendy diet drink SlimPro that turned ordinary citizens into shambling creatures unable to control their violent impulses – the government rounded up the “Connies” to protect the remaining population. But now, two years later, the government’s started sending the rehabilitated back home, complete with shock collars that will either stop the Connies from committing violent acts or kill them before they do any further harm.

Since her parents were taken in the roundup, Velvet Ellis has struggled to care for her ten-year-old sister and maintain a sense of normalcy, despite brutal government rations and curfews. She goes to the “Kennels” every day searching for her parents, and when she finds her mother, she’s eager to bring her home. Maybe, eventually, they’ll be able to get back to the way things were before. But even though it seems that her mother is getting better (something that the government says is impossible), there will be no happy transition. Anti-Connie sentiment is high, and rumor has it that an even worse wave of the Contamination is imminent. And then the government declares that the Connies will be rounded up and neutralized, once and for all.

Sacrificing everything – her boyfriend, her home, and her job – Velvet will do anything to protect her mother. Velvet has to get the collar off her mother before the military comes to take her away. Even if it means risking all of their lives.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Contaminated?

My favorite thing about Contaminated is thinking up all the ways the world might change when faced with an outbreak of this sort — everything from something simple like not being able to find pizza rolls in the supermarket to the movie and television industry being ruined because so many actors and actresses were lost to the Contamination. I love imagining the worst (and best!) outcomes to different scenarios, and Contaminated let my brain have free reign to scare myself!

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A Darkness Strange and Lovely
by Susan Dennard
Hardcover Giveaway
HarperTeen
Released 7/23/2013

Winner: Taffy

Perfect for readers Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Angel series, this spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly delivers a mix of intrigue, supernatural forces, intense romance, and revenge, all set against the enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.

With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and see haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.

To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she’ll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there’s a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there’s a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about A Darkness Strange and Lovely?

My favorite thing about A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY is how the characters interact and evolve. I just ADORE the newest character–Oliver (he’s my favorite in the whole series)–and I love how much Eleanor has to grow during this book. Her relationships evolve right along with her character.

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Shadows of Glass
by Kassy Tayler
Paperback Giveaway (2 Copies)
St. Martin”s Griffin; First Edition edition
Released 7/23/2013

Winners: Tiffany Drew, Darith L.

Wren’s world has changed. The thing that she fought for, escaping the dome has come to fruition, but it’s not the paradise she thought it would be. Most of the shiners have died, and according to James, she is to blame for many of the deaths, a burden which sits heavy on her shoulders. Still some have survived and Wren is determined to keep them safe as they fight to establish a home outside while hiding from the rovers who have weapons that can kill– from far away. But as long as she has Pace she knows everything will be fine. Still Wren wonders, as she sees the smoke that continually pours forth from the dome, how did her friends inside fare? Will they ever find out if Lucy, David, Jill and Harry, along with Pace’s mother survive the explosions?

Meanwhile, someone else has also seen the smoke. A band of explorers–from across the sea arrive in an airship, curious about the dome, and offering help to those who survive. When Wren meets the handsome Levi Addison, she suddenly questions her love for Pace as Levi offers to show her the world from his airship. Does she really love Pace? Or was it just the circumstances that made her think she did? Meanwhile, word arrives from inside via Pip, and Wren is forced to go back inside the dome, a thing that terrifies her more than anything else, to save her friends. Once she’s back inside will she be able to escape again?

A whirlwind of adventure, romance, conspiracy and the struggle to stay alive in a dystopian world where nothing is as it seems.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Shadows of Glass?

My favorite thing, besides the cover which I think is freaking awesome, is Levi Addison. Levi is an explorer from America and he became such an interesting character as I wrote him. His grandmother is a Sioux Indian and he spent some time with the tribe. He lost his parents at an early age and now travels with his
Uncle Lyon in an airship, the Quest, as they explore the world after the comet’s devastation. Levi put an interesting twist on Wren’s relationship with Pace and opened up the opportunity for Wren to question their feelings. Levi also supplies the opportunity for Wren, Pace and the rest of the survivors to find out about the world.

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Undercurrent
by Paul Blackwell
Hardcover Giveaway
HarperTeen
Released 7/23/2013

Winner: Makaela

In Undercurrent, Paul Blackwell’s fast-paced YA thriller, sixteen-year-old Callum Harris survives a plummet over a waterfall, but wakes to find himself in a life that’s totally different from the one he knew.

His parents were separated. Now they’re together. His brother Cole was a sports star. Now he’s paralyzed. And Callum, who used to be quiet and sort of unpopular, is suddenly a jock with two hot girls after him.

But there’s one difference that matters more than all the others combined: His former best friend wants Callum dead. And he isn’t the only one.

Tense and original, Undercurrent is a psychological thrill-ride with sci-fi elements that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and Neal Shusterman.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Undercurrent?

My favorite thing about UNDERCURRENT has to be its protagonist, Callum Harris. Writing the novel, I really wanted to capture the essence of an authentic teenage boy, with all the brooding, egotism, and uncertainty that comes from determining where the hell you fit in life. I then wanted to present him with truly mind-bending circumstances to see how he would fare.

Callum is a complex and contentious character. Outside of the fantastical elements of the story, at the center is a kid trying to cope with tragedy. I hope readers will appreciate Callum’s genuineness and recognize his motives despite the darker aspects of his nature that I’d like to explore further in a future installment.

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MORE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS NEW IN STORES NEXT WEEK

Bubble World
by Carol Snow
Hardcover
Henry Holt and Co.
Released 7/30/2013

Freesia’s life is perfect. She lives on the beautiful tropical island of Agalinas, surrounded by idyllic weather, fancy dress shops, and peacocks who sing her favorite song to wake her up in the morning. She has so many outfits she could wear a different one every day for a year and not run out.

Lately things on the island may have been a bit flippy: sudden blackouts, students disappearing, even Freesia’s reflection looking slightly . . . off. But in Freesia’s experience, it’s better not to think about things like that too much.

Unfortunately for her, these signs are more than random blips in the universe. Freesia’s perfect bubble is about to pop.

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Torn
by David Massey
Hardcover
Chicken House
Released 8/1/2013

Witnesses to a mystery on the battlefield, a British medic and an American Navy SEAL confront Afghanistan’s fog of war.

In war-torn Afghanistan, a girl walks right into a hail of bullets: Elinor watches it with her own eyes. The young British army medic risks the line of fire to rescue her, only to realize the girl is gone.

To find the missing, mysterious child, Elinor enlists the help of an American Navy SEAL. But in all the confusion, with coalition troops fighting every day to maintain a fragile peace, does Ben have something to hide?

Elinor came to Afghanistan with the hope of changing hearts and minds: What she’s about to discover will make her question everything she ever believed about love and war.

A war thriller. A cross-cultural love story with an undercurrent of magic realism. A powerful debut set in modern-day, battle-scarred Afghanistan. This is TORN.

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If I Ever Get Out of Here
by Eric Gansworth
Hardcover
Arthur A. Levine Books
Released 8/1/2013

“A heart-healing, mocs-on-the-ground story of music, family and friendship.” — Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of TANTALIZE and RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME

Lewis “Shoe” Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he’s not used to is white people being nice to him — people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family’s poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan’s side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis’s home — will he still be his friend?

Acclaimed adult author Eric Gansworth makes his YA debut with this wry and powerful novel about friendship, memory, and the joy of rock ‘n’ roll.

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Love Disguised
by Lisa Klein
Hardcover
Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition
Released 7/30/2013

Will Shakespeare is about to meet the girl who will change his life forever. After a mixed-up courtship with the Hathaway sisters ends badly, Will jumps at the chance to go to London, where he can pursue his dream of becoming an actor. There, Will meets the unusually tall (and strong) Meg who has earned the nickname “Long Meg” for her height. She’s also fleeing her own past as an orphan turned thief. Disguised as “Mack,” Meg was once a member of a band of boy thieves who betrayed her. When Will is robbed by those same villains, Meg disguises herself as “Mack” again–telling Will that Mack is her twin brother–in order to help Will recover his money. As Mack, she finds true friendship with Will. But is there more? And who is Meg really fooling with her disguise?

What ensues is a tale involving love triangles, mistaken identities, and the pursuit of hapless villains, as Shakespeare becomes a key player in a lively drama that could have sprung from his own pen.

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Seven Minutes in Heaven
by Sara Shepard
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 7/30/2013

Seven Minutes in Heaven is the nail-biting conclusion to Sara Shepard’s killer series, The Lying Game. Like her #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars books, The Lying Game has also been adapted into an ABC Family TV show.

Sutton Mercer had the perfect life, great friends, and a gorgeous boyfriend–until someone murdered her. Then the killer forced Sutton’s long-lost twin sister, Emma, to pretend to be her.

Now Sutton can only watch from beyond the grave as Emma frantically tries to figure out who killed her sister, and why. But when Sutton’s body is discovered, Emma’s time is up–and she becomes the number-one suspect herself.

In this final volume of The Lying Game, Emma learns the chilling truth about her sister’s murder, but the killer will do whatever it takes to make sure Emma never breathes a word.

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All Our Pretty Songs
by Sarah McCarry
Paperback
St. Martin”s Griffin
Released 7/30/2013

The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters–the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator–find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil–and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves–if she can.

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