Happy Monday! This week we have another round of many giveaways! Make sure to enter to win below, and check out all the other awesome books being released this week!

Happy Reading,

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

YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK

Mean Girls: A Novel
by Micol Ostow
Swag Only Giveaway
U.S. Only
Scholastic Inc.
Released 9/12/2017

You know the story–or do you?

Cady Heron grew up homeschooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school.

With no prior research to guide her, Cady’s forced to figure out North Shore High all on her own. Suddenly she finds herself sucked into Girl World as a new member of the social elite dubbed “The Plastics.” Cady discovers that unlike the wild, Girl World doesn’t have any rules–especially when you maybe, possibly, okay definitely, have a giant crush on their ruthless leader’s ex-boyfriend. Turns out, life in high school might be even more brutal than a showdown on the Savannah.

Based on the screenplay by Tina Fey, this retelling of the cult classic film includes tons of extra, never-before-seen bonus content.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Mean Girls: A Novel?

I loved having the chance to visit the world of MEAN GIRLS, which is one of my favorite movies, and to write such iconic scenes from different points of view than Cady’s. It was fun to imagine what, for instance, Gretchen’s perspective would be during the infamous candygram scene. I also had a lot of latitude in creating bonus content beyond what you see in the movie, and it was pretty cool becoming the tiniest part of that canon.

Specifically I enjoyed writing all the various characters’ voices — Gretchen maybe most of all (Janice was also a fun one). I LOVED creating “to-do” lists for Mrs. George! And I got to speculate a bit about some backstage details about Regina and Aaron’s breakup — juicy!

Most of all I’d say that after more than a decade, the movie still has such a wide and dedicated (and well-deserved!) fan base, I was genuinely honored to create something that would live in that MEAN GIRLS world. Scholastic also did an amazing job creating a bright, sophisticated, on-brand package that would appeal to any discerning Plastic (IMHO).

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When I Cast Your Shadow
by Sarah Porter
Signed Hardcover Giveaway
U.S. Only
Tor Teen
Released 9/12/2017

A teenage girl calls her beloved older brother back from the grave with disastrous consequences.

Dashiell Bohnacker was hell on his family while he was alive. But it’s even worse now that he’s dead….

After her troubled older brother, Dashiell, dies of an overdose, sixteen-year-old Ruby is overcome by grief and longing. What she doesn’t know is that Dashiell’s ghost is using her nightly dreams of him as a way to possess her body and to persuade her twin brother, Everett, to submit to possession as well.

Dashiell tells Everett that he’s returned from the Land of the Dead to tie up loose ends, but he’s actually on the run from forces crueler and more powerful than anything the Bohnacker twins have ever imagined….

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about When I Cast Your Shadow?

This is a difficult question, because WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW is my favorite of my published novels, the book of my heart. I felt an intense surge of inspiration while I was writing it, and I’m proud of its mythology of possession and haunting, which is unlike any other I’m familiar with. But if I have to choose one favorite aspect, then the characters. I adore Ruby’s conflicted nature: on the surface she’s a teacher’s pet, but beneath that she’s grandiose, obsessive, rebellious, and passionate. I love Mabel’s mixture of perversity, cruelty, and innocence, and Everett’s pure-hearted determination. And especially, I love Dashiell, though I’m well aware that he’s a morally dubious, problematic person who will cause trouble for anyone who loves him. If I met a real-life Dash, I’d have the sense to stay far away from him, but it’s safe to love his charm and wildness as long as he stays inside a book!

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Too Shattered for Mending
by Peter Brown Hoffmeister
Hardcover Giveaway (3 Copies)
U.S. Only
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released 9/12/2017

A gripping—and gritty—literary mystery that shines a light on rural poverty.

“Little” McCardell is doing all he can just to keep it together after the disappearance of his grandfather “Big” and the arrest of his older brother, JT. He’s looking out for his younger cousin, hunting and fishing to keep food on the table, and staying in school—barely.

When the cops turn up asking questions about Big, Little doesn’t want to get involved in the investigation. He half cooperates, but his mind is elsewhere, pining after Rowan, the girl JT was dating until he got locked up.

Soon Little finds himself drowning in secrets, beholden to the sheriff, to JT, to Rowan, and to Big’s memory, with no clear way out that doesn’t betray at least one of them. And when Little’s deepest secret is revealed, there’s no telling how it could shatter their lives.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Too Shattered for Mending?

The romance. The conflict of two brothers being in love with the same girl, a girl named Rowan. I asked myself, “What would Rowan be like? What are her struggles, what are her interests, what is she embracing, and what is she escaping?” Then – when I brought in a character named Zalie – it all became so much more complicated for me. Who do I root for and what do I want as a reader. Because even though I’m a writer, I’m a reader first. I always think like a reader.

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Water in May
by Ismée Williams
Hardcover Giveaway
Amulet Books
Released 9/12/2017

Fifteen-year-old Mari Pujols believes that the baby she’s carrying will finally mean she’ll have a family member who will love her deeply and won’t ever leave her—not like her mama, who took off when she was eight; or her papi, who’s in jail; or her abuela, who wants as little to do with her as possible. But when doctors discover a potentially fatal heart defect in the fetus, Mari faces choices she never could have imagined.

Surrounded by her loyal girl crew, her off-and-on boyfriend, and a dedicated doctor, Mari navigates a decision that could emotionally cripple the bravest of women. But both Mari and the broken-hearted baby inside her are fighters; and it doesn’t take long to discover that this sick baby has the strength to heal an entire family.

Inspired by true events, this gorgeous debut has been called “heartfelt, heartbreaking and—yes!—even a little heart-healing, too” by bestselling YA novelist Carolyn Mackler.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Water in May?

There are so many things I love about WATER IN MAY. The setting of Washington Heights that has always felt to me like a separate country within Manhattan, rich with color and culture is one of them. The strength of the friendships between Mari and her girls is another. Yaz, Teri and Heavenly don’t give up on Mari even when she pushes them away because they know Mari would never, ever give up on them if the roles were reversed.

Which gets me to Mari as a character. I love that she is so badass, that she fights for what she believes regardless of what everyone else thinks. I have three daughters and while I wouldn’t necessary want them to grow up to be as badass as Mari, I do wish for them to have the same indelible sense of self Mari possesses along with the courage to express it, no matter what.

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You Bring the Distant Near
by Mitali Perkins
Hardcover Giveaway
U.S. Only
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Released 9/12/2017

This elegant young adult novel captures the immigrant experience for one Indian-American family with humor and heart. Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture–for better or worse.

From a grandmother worried that her children are losing their Indian identity to a daughter wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair to a granddaughter social-activist fighting to preserve Bengali tigers, Perkins weaves together the threads of a family growing into an American identity.

Here is a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about You Bring the Distant Near?

I’m terrible at titles. I’d tentatively called this work-in-progress “Borderlines,” as it’s the story of one Bengali-American family crossing borders of love, faith, and cultures. The novel focuses not on huge milestones of change, but instead on smaller moments that reveal the family’s gradual transformation. What title could begin to encapsulate that balance? We brainstormed for weeks, with e-mails flying back and forth, but we kept coming up short.

Woven throughout the book is the importance of Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry in Bengali culture. As my editor, Grace Kendall, was working on the book, she started devouring Tagore. “I can’t believe I’ve never read his work,” she told me. “It’s brilliant. What do you think about calling the novel ‘You Bring the Distant Near’?”

I was flabbergasted. Of all the thousands of Tagore poems in existence, Grace had chosen the one that resonated most in my memory. Those words come from a poem that my sister recited both in Bangla and in English during my wedding ceremony. Rob, my then-fiancé, had spent a year in Kolkata getting to know my extended family, which included my dear grandfather, Dadu. At the end of the year, Dadu gave our intercultural marriage his blessing by translating this very poem — about loving the foreigner — into English.

My family, like the one in this novel, will forever be grateful that at her best, America does indeed bring the distant near. May she always continue to do so.

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Michael Vey 7: The Final Spark
by Richard Paul Evans
Hardcover Giveaway
U.S. Only
Simon Pulse/Mercury Ink
Released 9/12/2017

Michael Vey is missing and it’s up to the Electroclan to find him in this electrifying seventh installment of the New York Times bestselling series!

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YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS LAST WEEK: WINNERS

Behind the Song by K.M. Walton: Patrick W.
Feral Youth edited by Shaun David Hutchinson: Jenny M.
Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin: Nicole O.
Right Where You Left Me by Calla Devlin: Lisa A.
The Border by Steve Schafer: Courtney W.
The Long Ride Home by Tawni Waters: Amanda M, Rebecca G, Dynal R.
Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen: Lindsey K.

MORE YOUNG ADULT FICTION IN STORES NEXT WEEK WITH AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

Before She Ignites
by Jodi Meadows
Hardcover
Katherine Tegen Books
Released 9/12/2017

Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Before She Ignites?

Mira. I love that she doesn’t let her fears or insecurities stop her. Even if they do manage to hold her back for a while, she overcomes them. Ultimately, she longs to do what is right, and she puts others above herself. All that takes a lot of bravery.

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Nyxia
by Scott Reintgen
Hardcover
Crown Books for Young Readers
Released 9/12/2017

Every life has a price in this sci-fi thriller that has the nonstop action of The Maze Runner and the high-stakes space setting of Illuminae. This is the first in a new three-book series called the Nyxia Triad that will take a group of broken teens to the far reaches of the universe and force them to decide what they’re willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune.

Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden–a planet that Babel has kept hidden–where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Nyxia?

In the beginning, my answer would have been the world building. I had so much fun coming up with the in-space challenges for my contestants. Their gravity-defying races through the Rabbit Room, their combative duels in the Pit, and all the individual tests with nyxia (an alien material the contestants are learning to use). But these characters came to life and stole my heart. Bilal with his kindness, Azima with her spirit of adventure, Longwei with his relentless determination. And of course, the central figure in the novel: Emmett Atwater.

I was teaching at the time and it was easy to draw on the personalities in my classroom to create Emmett. So I think the thing I love the most about NYXIA is that every time a reader falls for him, or any of these characters, they’re falling for my brilliant students whose stories deserve to be told.

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MORE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS NEW IN STORES NEXT WEEK

All About Mia
by Lisa Williamson
Hardcover
David Fickling Books
Released 9/12/2017

Blah, blah, blah. That’s all Mia Campbell-Richardson ever hears. From her parents, her teachers, and her never-do-wrong older sister, Grace.

So what if she parties too hard and studies too little? Who cares if she tends to end up with the wrong guys or says the wrong things at the wrong times? She’s still a good friend (except when she isn’t). And she still knows the way things should go (except when they don’t).

When Grace comes home with shocking news, Mia hopes that it’s finally Grace’s turn to get into trouble. But instead it’s Mia whose life spirals out of control.

If you’ve ever said something you later regretted (likely), accidentally broken a friend’s heart (possibly), or ruined a wedding in spectacular fashion (hopefully you haven’t), All About Mia will make you laugh, cry, cry-laugh, and laugh-cry in recognition that life is sometimes most entertaining when it’s at its most unfair.

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Autoboyography
by Christina Lauren
Hardcover
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Released 9/12/2017

Fangirl meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this funny and poignant coming-of-age novel from New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren about two boys who fall in love in a writing class—one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative religious community.

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

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Neighborhood Girls
by Jessie Ann Foley
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 9/12/2017

When Wendy Boychuck’s father, a Chicago cop, was escorted from their property in handcuffs for his shady criminal practices, she knew her life would never be the same. Her father gets a years-long jail sentence, her family falls on hard times, and the whispers around town are impossible to ignore. If that wasn’t bad enough, she gets jumped walking home from a party one night. Wendy quickly realizes that in order to survive her father’s reputation, she’ll have to make one for herself.

Then Wendy meets Kenzie Quintana—a cigarette-smoking, Catholic-school-uniform-skirt-hiking alpha—and she knows that she’s met her savior. Kenzie can provide Wendy with the kind of armor a girl needs when she’s trying to outrun her father’s past. Add two more mean girls to the mix—Sapphire and Emily—and Wendy has found herself in Academy of the Sacred Heart’s most feared and revered clique. Makeover complete.

But complete is far from what Wendy feels. Instead, she faces the highs and lows of a vapid, toxic friendship, the exhaustion that comes with keeping up appearances, and the only loss that could hurt more than losing herself.

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Night of Cake & Puppets
by Laini Taylor
Hardcover
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Released 9/12/2017

In this stand-alone companion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana’s fantastical first date—as a gorgeously illustrated gift edition with bonus content included.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to make the first move, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him.

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Originally published as an ebook, this new print edition will include breathtaking black and white illustrations, plus bonus content in a gorgeous package perfect for new and current fans of the series.

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Spinning
by Tillie Walden
Hardcover
First Second
Released 9/12/2017

Poignant and captivating, Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden’s powerful graphic memoir, Spinning, captures what it’s like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know.

It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark.

Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again.

She was good. She won. And she hated it.

For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden’s life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. It was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But over time, as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the figure skating team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. It all led to one question: What was the point?The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she’d outgrown her passion–and she finally needed to find her own voice.

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The Equals
by Daniel Sweren-Becker
Hardcover
Imprint
Released 9/12/2017

What happens when your own government turns against you?

The Equality Team continues to round up and subject The Ones–the 1% of the American population who were genetically engineered in vitro–to a vaccine that will level the playing field. Desperate to save her boyfriend James from this fate, Cody flees into the wild to seek assistance from a shadowy rebel group dedicated to equal rights for the Ones at any cost.

But when she grows closer to a radical named Kai, she’s brought deeper into the fold, only to realize the group’s leader has a secret plan more dangerous than Cody could have imagined–something that could change the course of the Ones’ future.

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The Fold
by An Na
Hardcover
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Released 9/12/2017

From master storyteller and Printz Award–winning author An Na comes a thoughtful novel about American beauty standards through the eyes of a Korean-American teenager who must decide how far she’s willing to go to be seen as beautiful.

On the last day of her junior year, Joyce Park finally musters up the courage to ask her crush to sign her yearbook, but he can’t remember her name. Joyce questions whether she’ll ever be pretty or special enough to stand out, especially when her older sister, Helen, outshines her in every way. When Joyce’s plastic-surgery-crazed aunt wins the lottery and decides to help everyone in the family improve their looks, Joyce is offered the chance to have eyelid surgery to give her monolids a fold. Joyce is certain that this surgery could change her life, then she’ll look more like the typical white American beauty—the kind of girl her crush dates. But Joyce hates pain. Any pain. And while her best friend can’t believe she would give up the opportunity to change her looks, Joyce’s sister can’t believe she would even consider the surgery. Is fitting in worth going under the knife for?

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The Grave Keepers
by Elizabeth Byrne
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 9/12/2017

Lately, Athena Windham has been spending all her spare time in her grave.

Her parents—owners of a cemetery in Upstate New York—are proud of her devoutness, but her younger sister, Laurel, would rather spend her time exploring the forest that surrounds the Windham’s’ property than in her own grave.

The Windham girls lead secluded lives—their older sister died in a tragic accident and their parents’ protectiveness has made the family semi-infamous.

As the new school year begins, the outside world comes creeping in through encounters with mean girls, a new friend, and a runaway boy hiding out in the cemetery. Meanwhile, a ghost hangs around the Windham property—the only grave keeper never to cross over—plotting how to keep the sisters close to home and close to her . . . forever.

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Wait for Me
by An Na
Hardcover
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Released 9/12/2017

A teen pretends to be a perfect daughter, but her reality is far darker, in this penetrating look at identity and finding yourself amidst parents’ dreams for you, by Printz Award–winning novelist An Na.

Mina seems like the perfect daughter. Straight A student. Bound for Harvard. Helps out at her family’s dry cleaning store. Takes care of her hearing-impaired little sister. She is her parents’ pride and joy. From the outside, Mina is doing everything right. On the inside, Mina knows the truth. Her perfect-daughter life is a lie. And it isn’t until she meets someone to whom she cannot lie that she’s willing to consider what the truth might mean, and what it will cost. Because Ysrael, the young migrant worker who dreams of becoming a musician and who comes to work for her family, asks Mina the one question that scares her the most: What does she actually want?

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Warcross
by Marie Lu
Hardcover
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Released 9/12/2017

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

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