Golden Retriever sitting
Jack Russel sitting
Gray Pitbull sitting
Cocker Spaniel sittting
Big, fuzzing brown puppy sitting
German Shepard sitting
Black and white spaniel sitting
Hound dog sitting
Young Husky sitting
Husky laying down

New Releases this week 06/11 – 06/17 plus Giveaway of THE FALL OF INNOCENCE

by Shelly Zev

Happy Monday! This week is jam packed with new releases and a giveaway of THE FALL OF INNOCENCE! Don’t forget to check out all the books below and enter to win.

Happy Reading,

Shelly, Halli, Jocelyn, Martina, Erin, Susan, Kelly, Laura, Emily, Anisaa, and Lori Ann

YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK

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The Fall of Innocence
by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Signed Hardcover Giveaway
U.S. Only
Philomel Books
Released 6/12/2018

For the past eight years, sixteen-year-old Emilia DeJesus has done her best to move on from the traumatic attack she suffered in the woods behind her elementary school. She’s forced down the memories–the feeling of the twigs cracking beneath her, choking on her own blood, unable to scream. Most of all, she’s tried to forget about Jeremy Lance, the boy responsible, the boy who caused her such pain. Emilia believes that the crows who watched over her that day, who helped her survive, are still on her side, encouraging her to live fully. And with the love and support of her mother, brother, and her caring boyfriend, Emilia is doing just that.

But when a startling discovery about her attacker’s identity comes to light, and the memories of that day break through the mental box in which she’d shut them away, Emilia is forced to confront her new reality and make sense of shifting truths about her past, her family, and herself.

A compulsively-readable tragedy that reminds us of the fragility of human nature.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Fall of Innocence?

My favorite thing about this book is the multiple points of view from which it’s told. It’s third person, but it’s close third person. And the reader intimately gets to know not only Emilia, but also the key people in her life. Her mother, her father, her brother, her boyfriend, her community are all deeply affected by the trauma Emilia has suffered and the story delves into how, even years later, they all continue to be affected by it. We see how this event in Emilia’s life fundamentally changes her and those around her. Because that’s how big trauma can be. Like a mushroom cloud spreading over so many people, over so many years.

Sometimes, as we scroll through news story after news story, consume tragedy after tragedy, it’s easy to forget the after of it all. So this book slows the story down, gives the reader time to get to know everyone, makes them, their stories, more personal. That’s what I hope anyway.

Purchase The Fall of Innocence at Amazon
Purchase The Fall of Innocence at IndieBound
View The Fall of Innocence on Goodreads

YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS LAST WEEK: WINNERS

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf: Alena S, Kathryn L. F, Kelly M.
Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner: Ellie M.
Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger: Molly M.

MORE YOUNG ADULT FICTION IN STORES NEXT WEEK WITH AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

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A Flicker in the Clarity
by Amy McNamara
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 6/12/2018

Evie and Emma are inseparable. Two halves of a whole, they balance each other until Evie makes a flip decision that gets Emma in serious trouble.

Feeling the sting of betrayal, Emma freezes Evie out. Evie is full of regret, desperately sorry, sad, and—for the first time in her life—entirely alone.

Then Evie meets Theo, a boy who offers her a view of the world through a different lens. Just as she lets herself fall for Theo, Emma resurfaces—but not without consequence.

Emma’s erratic behavior, drunken mishaps, and panicked phone calls leave Evie afraid there’s something deeper going on. Evie wants to help Emma, but Emma is bent on self-destruction.

All Evie wanted was her friend back—but can you help someone who doesn’t want to be saved?

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about A Flicker in the Clarity?

I have many favorite things about A FLICKER IN THE CLARITY—among them were writing about Evie Ramsey, a girl on the edge of figuring out how to be true to herself and her romance with Theo—a kid who is doing that for himself—along the way. I loved writing a book set in New York City, as well as a story with links to some of the places (The Bly School) and characters who appeared in my first novel, LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP.

I loved writing about where Theo works—the Emily Roebling House—an interactive museum I based on the real-life Tenement Museum in Manhattan. There is a Roebling Museum in New Jersey dedicated to the entire Roebling family, but my fictional Emily Roebling House sits at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, and is named for Emily Warren Roebling, the woman who stepped up and acted as chief engineer, completing the construction of the bridge in place of her husband Washington Roebling who had fallen ill. She did this in the face of intense criticism and skepticism about the bridge itself, and in a nation that had yet to give women the right to vote. The Brooklyn Bridge was such a bold marriage of imagination and engineering, and it remains an icon to New Yorkers as well one for the countless tourists who visit daily from around the world. Imagining a museum at the foot of it dedicated to Emily Warren Roebling and in the honor of the many, many immigrants who helped build it was a dream to write.

Purchase A Flicker in the Clarity at Amazon
Purchase A Flicker in the Clarity at IndieBound
View A Flicker in the Clarity on Goodreads

* * * *

Freshmen
by Lucy Ivison and Tom Ellen
Hardcover
Delacorte Press
Released 6/12/2018

Getting in is just the beginning.

Phoebe can’t wait to get to college. On her own, discovering new things, no curfew . . . she’ll be free. And she’ll be totally different: cooler, prettier, smarter . . . the perfect potential girlfriend. Convenient: the only person from her high school also going to York is her longtime crush, Luke.

Luke didn’t set out to redefine himself, but as soon as he arrives on campus, he finds himself dumping his long-term long-distance girlfriend. And the changes don’t stop there. In fact, being on a soccer team is the only thing that stays the same.

Just when things start looking up (and Phoebe and Luke start hooking up), drama looms on the horizon. Rumors swirl about the Wall of Shame, a secret text chain run by Luke’s soccer team, filled with compromising photos of girls. As the women on campus determine to expose the team and shut down the account, Luke and Phoebe find themselves grappling with confusing feelings and wondering how they’ll ever make it through freshman year.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Freshmen?

TOM: My favorite thing is just that it’s a (hopefully) realistic and funny and at times extremely awkward look at what the first year of university is like. It’s such a crazy, intense period – you’re living away from home for the first time, you’re surrounded by new people, you’re trying desperately to fit in – so the whole thing can be quite overwhelming, and obviously that makes a great foundation for a novel!

LUCY: I like that it gives a voice to that age group and that experience. Going to college is massive life change, and it doesn’t get its fair share of YA airtime I don’t think…

Purchase Freshmen at Amazon
Purchase Freshmen at IndieBound
View Freshmen on Goodreads

MORE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS NEW IN STORES NEXT WEEK

* * * *

A Reaper at the Gates
by Sabaa Tahir
Hardcover
Razorbill
Released 6/12/2018

Beyond the Martial Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister’s life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. But she knows that danger lurks on all sides: Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable and violent, while Keris Veturia, the ruthless Commandant, capitalizes on the Emperor’s volatility to grow her own power–regardless of the carnage she leaves in her path.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But in the hunt to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would help her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that demands his complete surrender–even if that means abandoning the woman he loves.

Purchase A Reaper at the Gates at Amazon
Purchase A Reaper at the Gates at IndieBound
View A Reaper at the Gates on Goodreads

* * * *

Crossing the Line
by Simone Elkeles
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 6/12/2018

To escape his abusive stepdad, bad boy Ryan Hess runs from his tiny Texas border town to Mexico. But his plans to keep his head down and stay out of trouble are shattered the minute he meets the beautiful and totally out of his league Dalila Sandoval.

Dalila Sandoval shouldn’t even know someone like Ryan Hess. The daughter of one of the wealthiest lawyers in Mexico, Dalila is focused on studying and planning for her bright future. Ryan is only a distraction from her dreams, but she’s never felt more alive than when she’s by his side.

Ryan and Dalila are wrong for each other in every way. And yet they can’t resist the sparks that fly when they’re together. But their love is like a flame burning too close to the fuse.

Something is going to explode. Will their love be strong enough to survive? Or will it burn them both?

Purchase Crossing the Line at Amazon
Purchase Crossing the Line at IndieBound
View Crossing the Line on Goodreads

* * * *

Guardian
by A. J. Hartley
Hardcover
Tor Teen
Released 6/12/2018

This is what Ang knows:

A dear friend is accused of murdering the Prime Minister of Bar-Selehm.

A mysterious but fatal illness is infecting the poor.

A fanatical politician seizes power, unleashing a wave of violent repression over the city.

This is what Ang must do:

Protect her family.

Solve a murder.

RESIST, no matter what, before it’s too late.

Purchase Guardian at Amazon
Purchase Guardian at IndieBound
View Guardian on Goodreads

* * * *

Love Scene, Take Two
by Alex Evansley
Hardcover
Swoon Reads
Released 6/12/2018

Teddy Sharpe is kind of famous. He might actually be on his way to being really famous, especially if he’d nailed an audition for the lead role in the movie adaption of the newest bestselling young adult book series. There’s just one problem: He totally blew the audition. And he’s stuck in a tiny North Carolina airport. And his maybe-ex-girlfriend kind of just broke up with him.

The weekend isn’t exactly looking good until Bennett Caldwell, author of the very book series he just auditioned for, takes pity on him and invites him to her family’s lake house. Away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood for a few days, Teddy starts to relax . . . and somehow he and Bennett just click. But dating is hard enough when you aren’t the subject of several dozen fanblogs, and the Internet is full of juicy gossip about Teddy and Bennett . . . gossip that Bennett might not be prepared to handle.

Purchase Love Scene, Take Two at Amazon
Purchase Love Scene, Take Two at IndieBound
View Love Scene, Take Two on Goodreads

* * * *

Sometime After Midnight
by L. Philips
Hardcover
Viking Books for Young Readers
Released 6/12/2018

Late one night in a dingy Los Angeles club, Nate and Cameron meet and discover they have much more in common than their love of an obscure indie band. But when Nate learns that Cameron is the heir to a soul-sucking record label—the very one that destroyed his father’s life—he runs away as fast as he can. The only evidence of their brief but intense connection is the blurry photo Cameron snaps of Nate’s Sharpied Chuck Taylors.

When Cameron’s sister Tess—a famous model and socialite—posts the photo on Instagram for her legions of fans, the internet just about breaks with the news of this modern fairy tale. “Anyone know the owner of these shoes?” she writes. “My Prince Charming brother is looking for his Cinderfella!” But while the viral sensation begins to bring the pair back together, their own demons and pasts might get in the way of any happily ever afters . . .

Purchase Sometime After Midnight at Amazon
Purchase Sometime After Midnight at IndieBound
View Sometime After Midnight on Goodreads

* * * *

SuperMoon
by H. A. Swain
Hardcover
Feiwel & Friends
Released 6/12/2018

Sol is the month between June and July on the thirteen-month Moon calendar. It’s the only time teenagers have to themselves between rigorous scientific training and their ultimate lab assignments in their colony on the Moon. Their families emigrated from Earth to build better lives; but life on the Moon is far from perfect, as Uma learns on the eve of Sol.

Uma meets an Earthen girl who becomes a fast friend, and much more. What Uma doesn’t know is that the girl is assigned to infect Uma with a plague that a rogue faction of Earthen scientists hope will wipe out Moon soldiers. Will Uma be the cause of a pandemic? Whom can she trust, and moreover, whom does she love?

Purchase SuperMoon at Amazon
Purchase SuperMoon at IndieBound
View SuperMoon on Goodreads

* * * *

The Merciless IV: Last Rites
by Danielle Vega
Hardcover
Razorbill
Released 6/12/2018

The ropes tighten on Berkley Hubbard’s wrists. Blood drips down her fingers and lands with a smack on the cold floor of the church basement. She’s trapped, bound, and petrified by fear. A knife punctures her fragile skin as Berkley’s captors search for the mark of the devil on her body. They say they want to save her–drive the devil away and cleanse her soul–but will she make it out alive?

When Berkley arrived in Italy a week ago, the last thing she expected was that she’d end up fighting for her life. After spending six months at the Institute, confined to a room with the dangerous-yet-alluring Sofia Flores, Berkley was certain that a vacation in Italy with her two best friends would be the perfect getaway. But Berkley is hiding a terrible secret, one that threatens to undo everything. As she’s forced to face her wicked past, she learns that the devil is always watching, and no one is coming to save her.

Purchase The Merciless IV: Last Rites at Amazon
Purchase The Merciless IV: Last Rites at IndieBound
View The Merciless IV: Last Rites on Goodreads

Shelly Zev

Shelly is a Toronto-based book professional versed in editing, the publication industry, and the library sector where they currently work part-time as a public-facing librarian.

Shelly reads and blabbers on the internet about books, their expertise being in professional editing as well as library services for children and teens. They occasionally write.

Post © Shelly Zev and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Posted: Jun 11, 2018
Category: Imported from AYAP
Tags: New Releases | YA Fiction Giveaways

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p> <p>Your main character needs to be:<br /> • Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br /> • Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br /> • Active enough to drive the story<br /> • Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p> <p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />
The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p> <p>But your theme needs to be:<br /> • Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br /> • Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br /> • Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br /> • Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p> <p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />
The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p> <p>In general, your plot should:<br /> • Hook readers fast<br /> • Build tension that a child can follow<br /> • Create page turns that feel natural<br /> • Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p> <p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.
The Arms of your story are the side characters.
The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p> <p>Your setting should:<br /> • Make your character's world feel real<br /> • Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br /> • Connect different scenes and moments organically<br /> • Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p> <p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black. 

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