You Have Seven Messages

"But how do you really know what's true?  Is there some big book of truth?" "The book is here." She placed her hand where my heart is.

Imagine discovering what you thought was true about your family might be nothing more than a lie?

Fifteen year old Luna is still grieving the death of her super model mother when she stumbles upon her cell phone a year later and finds it's still in working order with seven new messages on it.  The rational thing to do would be to delete them but curiosity wins out and Luna decides to listen to each one in order.  All of the messages will have a lasting effect on Luna, even the mundane ones, but the rest will turn her world upside down and threaten to destroy her once happy family.

Stewart Lewis writes an endearing story about a young girl's journey to piece together the puzzle that has now become her life. What's truth and what's a lie? How can you tell the difference and is it really worth knowing?


Click here to read my full review

Amplified

Seventeen-year-old Jasmine needs to prove to herself she can make it in the music world.  After her father throws her out, she hits the streets to find an apartment and also a music gig.  Both show up in an ad.  Only catch is that it says only males need apply.  Jasmine knows she can do this and against odds applies.  What happens next will change Jasmine's world.  Amplified is an authetic story told with raw emotion and honesty.  Tara Kelly at her best.

Click here to read more

All The Earth, Thrown To The Sky

"The wind could blow down a full-grown man, but it was the dust that was the worst."

This was a pleasantly surprising story of adventure and camaraderie found in the midst of heartbreaking loss during The Great Depression.

Jack Catcher has recently lost both parents, the money's gone, the dog's gone, the food's gone and soon enough the family farm will be gone too thanks in part to the Oklahoma dust storms that have killed anything and everything edible. (Sounds like a bad country music song, doesn't it?) There's nothing left for him in the only place he's ever called home except memories and those aren't even worth sticking around for.

All he wants to do now is get out of Oklahoma but he has no idea how to accomplish that. Enter Jane Lewis and her younger brother Tony. Jane and Jack used to go to school together, until the Depression hit and Jack had to stay home and help his parents out around the farm. Jane and Tony are orphans now too with their father having had his unfortunate tractor accident and their mother running off with the Bible salesman, but they've managed to survive the storm somehow.

Click here to read more

Released This Week

Here are some of this week's Young Adult book releases. To learn more about each book, click on its cover art to be redirected to its page on Young Adult Books Central.

October 23, 2011 - October 29, 2011

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This post is brought to you by Missy's Reads & Reviews. It spotlights some of the newly released books in YA - but is not in chronological order. To see the books on the date that they are actually published, please be sure to "like" Missy's Reads & Reviews on Facebook.

Review: Binky Under Pressure

Binky is back to save his humans from the aliens!  Life has become yes, a tad bit predictable.  Then a new cat shows up that is taking over Binky's space in his human's house.  Just when Binky thinks he can get rid of this unwelcomed visitor, he finds out he's being evaluated to see if he's worthy to be a F.U.R.S.T. officer--feline of the universe ready for space travel.  What happens next is hilarious.  Binky Under Pressure is just as adorable as the other two books in this series.

Click here to read my full review.

Review: Chasing the Nightbird by Krista Russell

Newcomer Krista Russell desires to expose children and young adults to the historical realities of the slave trade and the abolitionist movement. She skillfully weaves historical truths into her story, and the result pulls the reader deep into the not-so-distant past. Click here to read my full review.

Trailer Tuesday: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Mara Dyer, and Dark Eden

I found some great trailers to share with you this week. All three are ridiculously well done.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Have you read it? Write your review here!





The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Have you read it? Write your review here!





Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Have you read it? Share your thoughts here!



I'm especially intrigued by Dark Eden. The iPhone App integration looks like pure Epic Win. Have any of you downloaded the App? Let us know what you think in the doobly-doo below.

Trailer Tuesday: The Apothecary and Variant

This trailer for The Apothecary by Maile Meloy is just as gorgeous and intriguing as the book itself.




There are several different trailers for Variant by Robison Wells. This one makes it sound kind of like Divergent with the different factions, but set in an academy environment. Intriguing nonetheless!




And for fairytale lovers like me (high five!), there is a new television series coming to ABC called Once Upon a Time. I thought I'd add this preview in our Trailer Tuesday post because it sounds to be right up a fairytale lover's alley. I'm hoping it's done well.

Review: The Scorpio Races

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. First of all, let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of ‘Shiver’ and ‘Lament’, however I loved this book even more! This is my favorite book by Maggie Stiefvater. The book was more than I was hoping for and I am so excited I can finally share it with you all!

To read more of my review, click here.

Review: The House Baba Built

In this picture book, Caldecott-winner Ed Young details his youth at the beginning of WWII in China. Memories based upon his childhood home, built by Baba (daddy), tie the book together. Photographs, family documents, collage and ink drawings create a scrapbook style.

Click here to read more.

Made by God: Forest Friends

Did you know...Moose can run up to 35 miles an hour? That porcupines are actually very talented tree climbers? Read about these and more of God's forest friends! To read more of my review, click here.

Trailer Tuesday: The Creepy Edition

Just in time for Halloween, here are two creeptastic book trailers for you to enjoy.

THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner




Did someone say zzzzzombies? Jonathan Maberry is at it again with DEAD OF NIGHT.

Made by God: Curious Creatures Down Under

Did you know....A koala's favorite food is eucalyptus leaves? That some kangaroos can jump six feet in the air? Read about these special animals and more from one of the most unique places in God's world-Australia! To read more of my review, click here.

Made by God: Barnyard Critters

Did you know....Male cows called bulls can weigh up to 3,000 pounds? That pigs really like clean pens to live in? Read some unique facts about some familiar animals God made for the farm. This book is especially great for young children also learning about God's creation and learning how to read. To read more of my review, click here.

Glow

Right now, I am all about the dystopian books. I find them fascinating. It's really intriguing to think about what the future is going to be like and what will happen to us if we continue living the way we do today. GLOW opens up a new and thought provoking view on the future of space travel and living there. Two ships are sent to live in outer space to prepare the way for the rest of the Earth. Waverly is on the second ship and finds her world turned upside down when the first ship attacks her ship one day. What happens after this is an emotional, edge of your seat ride that I did not want to get off of. To read more of my review, click here.

Exclusive Excerpt: The Radleys by Matt Haig

If you've been following along with The Radleys Blog Tour, celebrating the book's paperback release on 9/20, you know YABC is the last stop on the tour. If not, head on over to the official tour page to find out what's up and how you can win a THE RADLEYS prize pack!

At the end of each tour week, one person who commented on all participating blogs for that week will be selected as a Radleys Blog Tour winner. The winner will be announced on Helen and Rowan’s twitter accounts @Helen_Radley and @rowanradley. (If you aren't following them already, I suggest you do so. Pronto!)

The prize will be a copy of THE RADLEYS in both hardcover and paperback signed by author Matt Haig and some blood-red hot chocolate.

How awesome is that?

And to make things even more awesome-er, we have an exclusive excerpt from The Radleys, just for you! (Tip: if it's too small, click to read in full screen mode.)
The Radleys by Matt Haig

Make sure to check out the official THE RADLEYS website here: www.radleysbook.com, and take a great quiz to find out: ARE YOU A RADLEY?

I took the quiz and just so you know, I am soooo not a Radley.

Also, check out THE RADLEYS book trailer below.



Thanks, Simon&Schuster, for letting YABC be a part of THE RADLEYS Blog Tour!

If I Tell

Jasmine wishes she hadn't gone to that party because then she wouldn't have seen her mother's boyfriend making out with her best friend.  She's hurt and also very angry with this betrayal.  Then she finds out her mother is pregnant.  She struggles with keeping this secret or telling and destroying everything she's known.  If I Tell  is told with raw emotion with multi-layered characters that have you cheering them on.  This coming of age story is a must read for fans of contemporary YA.

Click here to read more

Review: Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

Kate Grable is pulling it together. No longer as nerdy as she once was, she gets to play doctor as a trainer for her high school football team, which also gives her plenty of chances to ogle her crush, Aaron. When the secret medicine that the coach injects into the players produces strange side effects—like the desire to eat brains—Kate goes from reformed science geek to full-on zombie hunter.


Click here to read my full review.

Review: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Caldecott winner Jerry Pinkney fuses a beloved childhood song with gentle woodland illustrations. The result? A soothing bedtime tale.


Click here to read my full review.

Exclusive Excerpt: The Cheshire Cheese Cat

I'm so delighted to bring you an exclusive excerpt from The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright!

I think kids of all ages (and hardcore Dickens fans like me!) will fall in love with this book. From what I've read so far, I'm certain The Cheshire Cheese Cat will be a classic in my home. I even know exactly where I'll place it on my bookshelf: Right below my Dickens collection and right beside another of my all-time favorite chapter books, the beautifully written The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Both books have a lovely old-world feel to them, with gorgeous prose begging to be read aloud by lamplight. So if you liked Edward Tulane, I think you'll love The Cheshire Cheese Cat.

Click here to sample chapters 3 and 4 of The Cheshire Cheese Cat and see for yourself!

A bit about The Cheshire Cheese Cat

In this playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship.

Skilley, an alley cat with an embarrassing secret, longs to escape his street-cat life. Tired of dodging fishwives' brooms and carriage wheels, he hopes to trade London's damp alleyways for the warmth of ye olde Cheshire Cheese Inn. He strikes a bargain with Pip, an erudite mouse: Skilley will protect the mice who live at the inn, and in turn, the mice will provide Skilley with the thing he desires most.

But when Skilley and Pip are drawn into a crisis of monumental proportions involving a tyrannical cook, an unethical barmaid, and a malevolent tomcat, their new friendship is pushed to its limits. The escalating crisis threatens the peace not only of the Cheshire Cheese Inn but also the British Monarchy!

Unbeknownst to Skilley and Pip, however, they have a secret ally: a famous author who scribbles away many an afternoon in ye olde Cheshire Cheese Inn...

Made by God: Jungle Beasts

Did you know... Anteaters can eat up to 30,000 ants in one day? That elephants are the largest land animal on Earth? Learn more about some of God's jungle creatures. My family cannot get enough of the "I can Read' books, especially the 'Made by God' series. Not only do my boys get to read simple words that help them become more confident in their reading, but we all learn amazing facts about God's creation as well. To read more of my review, click here.

Made By God: Polar Pals

Did you know...a polar bear's favorite food is seal? That the emperor penguin is the largest penguin in the world? Read more about some very chilly creatures found in the coldest parts of God's world. I absolutely love the 'I Can Read' series for my children. And this book is no exception. Not only is this a fun read, but it is informative and full of wonderful facts about arctic animals. To read more of my review, click here.

Life, After

This book was fantastic. I love how down to earth Dani is and how honest and loyal she is. I did not want to put this book down. Ms. Littman has a writing style that takes the reader into her world and makes them feel like they are actually there beside the characters. My heart ached for Dani and her family during their struggles, and my heart sang when they were able to overcome them. To read more of my review, click here.

Spellbound

Sixteen-year-old Emma Connor hasn't had an easy life.  She ends in in New York and hopes she can leave her past behind.  She attends a post Upper East Side prep school and doesn't feel she'll fit in.  Then she finds herself drawn to the hot and mysterious Brendan Salinger, who just happens to be the richest kid at school.  He seems to be attracted to her too.  But one moment he seems hot, the next cold.  Emma can't get him out of her mind even when weird things start happening when she's around him which include dreams that warn her to stay away.  Spellbound has an intriguing premise with a spunky character who refuses to let her past hold her down.

Click here to read more

Trailer Tuesday: The Iron Knight and The Scorpio Races

Our first Trailer Tuesday post features the highly anticipated fourth book in Julie Kagawa's epic Iron Fey series, The Iron Knight.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Prince Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Follow the adventures of The Iron Fey on Harlequin Teen's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/harlequinteen





And we couldn't help but add in the amazing stop motion animated trailer by Maggie Stiefvater for her latest novel, THE SCORPIO RACES, hitting stores October 18th, 2011. 

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Find out more on the website: www.maggiestiefvater.com. Or pre-order a signed copy from www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie.



Oh, and sneak preview? We think The Scorpio Races is Maggie's finest work yet. So mark October 18th on your calendar!

Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden

Every Friday, Del Rey Spectra offers a 50-page excerpt from one of their titles. Yesterday's spotlight was placed on Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden, the official novel of Naughty Dog's award-winning videogame franchise. The book will be available on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 - but you may read the excerpt for free RIGHT NOW!

At the Suvudu website, DRS editor Tricia Pasternak offered this insight into Uncharted:

“Uncharted is an Indiana Jones-style movie in video game form, a cliff-hanging, swashbuckling, pulse-pounding pulp adventure. Like the best summer blockbusters, it marries spectacular action sequences with a thrill-a-minute story, intriguing pop mythology, and memorable, endearing characters. And it’s impossible not to love hero Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter/archaeology geek in the Indy mold with a Nathan Fillion-esque roguish charm.

This makes Uncharted perfect for novelization treatment: There’s a whole world of new adventures, ancient treasures, and historical mysteries out there for Nathan Drake. And so I thought couldn’t have been more excited to line up Christopher Golden, a wildly talented writer with collaborations with the likes of Mike Mignola under his belt. But then we had our first story development meeting with the Uncharted creative team. Chris’ rapport with the game team was immediate, and they’d soon pulled together a wildly entertaining story that draws equally from history, mythology, and Doc Savage. The result is The Fourth Labyrinth - just the thing to tide you over until Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception hits stores on November 1st.”

Are you ready to walk into the Labyrinth? Here's the book's premise:

In the ancient world there was a myth about a king, a treasure, and a hellish labyrinth. Now the doors to that hell are open once again.

Nathan Drake, treasure hunter and risk taker, has been called to New York City by the man who taught him everything about the "antiquities acquisition business." Victor Sullivan needs Drake's help. Sully's old friend, a world-famous archaeologist, has just been found murdered in Manhattan. Dodging assassins, Drake, Sully, and the dead man's daughter, Jada Hzujak, race from New York to underground excavations in Egypt and Greece. Their goal: to unravel an ancient myth of alchemy, look for three long-lost labyrinths, and find the astonishing discovery that got Jada's father killed. It appears that a fourth labyrinth was built in another land and another culture-and within it lies a key to unmatched wealth and power. An army of terrifying lost warriors guards this underground maze. So does a monster. And what lies beyond - if Drake can live long enough to reach it - is both a treasure and a poison, a paradise and a hell.

Welcome to The Fourth Labyrinth.

Load the excerpt directly from the Scribd website.

Additional Details
Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden
Published October 4th, 2011
Trade Paperback
352 pages
ISBN-10: 0345522176
ISBN-13: 978-0345522177