FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Best YA Books of 2010

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  More information can be found here.

Today’s challenge asks for the five (or ten) best YA books of 2010.  For the purposes of this assignment, the books must have been published in 2010.

5. Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Regina Afton’s fall from grace was particularly hard because she had so far to fall.  Once one of the most popular girls at her high school, she’s now the at the bottom of the social hierarchy after some vicious rumors about her and her best friend’s boyfriend start spreading like wildfire.  The problem is that Regina’s innocent, and as the bullying gets worse, she wonders if she’ll get out of high school alive.  Her only confidant is Michael Hayden, a social outcast that she used to bully.  The two of them form an unlikely alliance, but their relationship won’t survive if the rest of her peers have anything to say about it.

The second novel by Summers is as compulsively readable as her first.  Although there were elements of the plot that I found problematic, there’s no denying that Summers has a gift in creating a story that is absolutely haunting.  It’s my belief that this book will go down as one of the most iconic stories about high school bullying.  (Read my review here.)

4. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

The third and final book in the Chaos Walking trilogy finds Todd and Viola at the center of a war between The Ask, The Answer, and the Spackle.  There’s also the complication of the settlers’ ships finally landing.  As each group races to win over the settlers, Todd and Viola fight to reunite before it’s too late.

Ness’s trilogy about a futuristic world in which everyone can hear the thoughts of men is absolutely gripping.  The pace is whip-fast and doesn’t let the reader go until the last page has been turned.  Recommended to fans of dystopian YA, Ness’s books have crossover appeal as well.  Their unique format and alternating perspectives make the books great for reluctant readers. (Read my review here.)

3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The third and final book in Collins’s excellent Hunger Games trilogy places Katniss Everdeen in a battle against the Capital.  She becomes the symbol of the Mockingjay, the resistance movement that takes on the dominating forces of the government.  The war comes with a cost, and there is pain, suffering, and a great deal of loss.  No one will be the same when the battle is over, and no one realizes this more than Katniss herself.

The second dystopian title to make this list is arguably one of the best conclusions to a series that I have ever read.  Although the ending to the book has been divisive for fans of Collins’s richly imagined post-apocalyptic world, it worked for this reader.  It was the ultimate pay-off to a trilogy that continued to build tension and suspense while also creating vivid characters and an absolutely compelling story around the flawed heroine of Katniss.  Seriously, guys, go read these books.

2. Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Natalie Sterling has worked really hard to be perfect.  Her senior year is supposed to be completely under control: she’s the student council president, has a great best friend, and is focused on her goals.  But things start to go awry, and as things spin further and further out of her grasp, she’s alarmed by her own behavior as well as of those around her.  Her increasing attraction to slacker pretty-boy Connor doesn’t help matters.  Her last year of high school isn’t going the way she planned it, and Natalie has to decide if letting go is worth it.

I could not stop reading Vivian’s contemporary YA novel featuring a protagonist that will divide readers.  Natalie is often self-righteous, blind, and completely bossy, but the fact that she’s a flawed heroine makes her all the more interesting.  This book was hands-down one of the best I read all year.  I’ll be reading more from Vivian’s oeuvre in the future. (Read my review here.)

 

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

When Anna’s popular-fiction-writer father decides to send her to an American school in Paris for her senior year, she’s beyond devastated.  Her life back home is just starting to get good: she’s got a great job, great best friend, and a great almost-boyfriend.  She knows nothing about Paris, or France, or French people–and she doesn’t want to learn.  But when she arrives at SOAP, she meets a cool bunch of people, including the gorgeous Etienne St. Clair, and her life takes a turn for the complicated.

To say that I devoured this book is putting it lightly.  I absolutely loved this book.  There’s a lot of hype out there about Perkins’s novel, but it’s one where I feel that it’s well-deserved.  Anna is a fun, quirky herione, and St. Clair is totally hot.  The supporting cast of characters are interesting, and readers can’t help but fall in love with Paris right along with Anna.  Go read this.  (Review to come.)

FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Great YA Bloggers

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  More information can be found here.

Today’s challenge asks for five great YA bloggers.  There are a ton of great YA bloggers out there, but here are five of my absolute favorites:

5. Persnickety Snark:

Adele is an Australian blogger who has been living abroad in Japan for the past year.  She reads a lot of YA, but tends to focus on contemporary, fantasy, and dystopian, and is partial to stories with some elements of romance.  Her reviews are honest and constructive, and if she didn’t care for a title, she’ll explain why in a manner that is fair and balanced.  Her reviews are really accessible and well-structured. In addition to her reviews, Adele will occasionally do discussion posts where she poses thought-provoking questions.

I read all of her entries because I find her writing honest, funny, and accessible.  She and I often see eye-to-eye on books, and when I read one of her reviews, I will sometimes nod along in agreement about a particular point she makes.  I have a lot of subscriptions in my google reader, and I scan a lot of them, but Adele’s blog posts always get my full attention.

 

4. Ten Cent Notes:

Jordyn’s blog focuses almost exclusively on contemporary YA, but she also reads dystopian fiction.  Jordyn’s reviews are very good, and she assigns a letter grade to the books she reviews, but my favorite posts on her blog are the discussion posts.  Jordyn is a good writer with a sharp wit, and I feel like we have a lot of similar interests.  She is one of the bloggers that I trust most when it comes to recommendations.

Recently, she did a short series called Contemporary YA Lit 101 that was so much fun to read.  Virtually all of the titles listed that I hadn’t read have gone on my to-read list.  When it comes to contemporary YA fiction, Jordyn knows what she’s talking about.

 

3. Steph Su Reads:

Steph is a blogger I just recently discovered, but I’m already loving her reviews.  She’s a great writer who presents balanced reviews, excellent discussion posts, and other little gems like posts about her life.  She’s well-respected in the blogging world, and I can see why.  Plus, her posts are often really pretty.

2. Reading In Color:

MissAttitude started her blog because she loved reading YA blogs but was frustrated with the lack of blogs that focused on books featuring people of color.  Her blog aims to review and promote YA/MG books featuring POC, and she does a lovely job of doing so.  There’s a lot of great content to be found on the blog, but the Reading, POC, & Me section is particularly worth checking out.  Her discussion posts are awesome and thought-provoking, and her coverage of POC books can’t be beat.

 

1. GreenBeanTeenQueen:

Sarah is a tween and teen librarian who maintains her blog as well as providing reviews for Teensreadtoo.com.  In addition to providing quality reviews, participating in memes, and posting about YA movie news, Sarah also shares her exploits as a librarian.  She recently posted a holiday gift guide that was totally boss.  Sarah also posts flash reviews which are quick reviews of books she’s read for the reader in a hurry.

 

These are just some of the blogs that I read on a daily basis.  I’m always looking for quality book blogs, so if you think you’ve got one I might like, let me know.

FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Great YA Authors

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  For more information, see this post.

Today’s challenge asks for FIVE great author moments.  Since I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to meet authors, here are five authors I’d love to meet:

5. Megan McCafferty: The author of the Jessica Darling series has a new novel coming out next year called Bumped.  It’s YA, dystopian, and features identical twin sisters separated at birth.  I am so there.  Meeting her would be awesome, because the character of Jessica Darling pretty much was me as a teenager (minus the running, which I didn’t start until my twenties).

4. Sarah Dessen: Dessen is the author of a slew of great YA books featuring strong, flawed female protagonists.  The girls in her books deal with real issues, and the emotional depth that Dessen explores in her books is incredible.  She’s one of my writing role models, as silly as that sounds.

3. Sarah Ockler: It’s no secret that I have an enormous book-crush on Ockler’s debut, Twenty Boy Summer.  Her newest book, Fixing Delilah, just came out, and I’m waiting for it to arrive from amazon.com.  Meeting Ockler would be a highlight, for sure.

2. Jenny Han: Han is the author of the Summer trilogy.  The final book in the series comes out next May, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad.  Jenny Han seems like a pretty rad chick.

1. Patrick Ness: I just think it would be cool to meet the man who came up with the Chaos Walking trilogy, you know?

FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Great YA Movie Deals

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  More information can be found here.

Today’s challenge asks for five great YA movie deals.  Let’s see what I can dig up.

5. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume: Is in the process of being turned into a movie.  Blume is writing the screenplay with her son, which gives me hope that she’ll have enough creative control on the project for it to be full of awesome.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This one has been making headlines since it was announced.  There’s been a ton of speculation about who will play Katniss/Peeta/Gale, but mostly I’m just excited to see the book translate to the screen.

3. Ally Condie’s Matched: Disney acquired the rights before the novel was even published.  I think the book will translate well to the big screen.

2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: The rights were acquired back in 2009, but it doesn’t look like there’s been much momentum since.  This could mean that interest in the project has fizzled out, or that there are other delays.  It would make a cool movie, though.

1. Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall: Fox 2000 acquired the rights and is adapting the book.  Excited.  So, so excited.

Did I miss any major ones?  I’m always interested to hear what’s going on in the world of movie adaptations.

FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Hopes for YA in 2011

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  For more information, see this post.

Today’s challenge asks for five hopes for YA in 2011.

This post is harder than many of the other challenges simply because it’s more abstract.  Asking for my hopes for YA means that I have to come up with some concrete ideas.  That means I have to actually think, which is really, like, hard.  However, I accept the challenge.  Here’s what I’d like to see happen in YA in 2011:

5. More POC characters in popular books. While I realize that there are YA books being written that feature people of color, I feel like most of the really popular books are about white characters.  This wish actually has two parts, and part of the responsibility lies with me: in 2011, I am going to actively search out titles that feature non-white narrators and characters.  However, I also hope that some of these titles are given the publicity they deserve from the publishers, and that we see a little more diversity in the titles that blow up in the YA universe.

4. More engaging, realistic, and flawed protagonists. Although I definitely read some books this year that featured dynamic protagonists, I still feel like a lot of books are getting published that feature completely vanilla protagonists.  This serious crime against YA seems to happen most often in paranormal books aimed at girls, but they aren’t the only culprits.  I would like to see books that feature strong protagonists who have actual personalities, interests, and character quirks.  I’d also like to see YA titles with a romance plot in them that don’t make the romance the only defining characteristic of the characters.

3. More engaging, realistic, and flawed love interests. As much as I love a bad boy who secretly has a heart of gold or a good boy who seems pretty perfect, I can’t help but notice the dearth of normal boys in the world of YA.  Every love interest is gorgeous, every love interest seems perfect, and more often than not, these boys can do no wrong.  It’s fun to read these light, frothy romances, but I also wonder about what it does to our perception of what a crush should be.  I remember high school–and I teach high school–and the boys aren’t perfect like that.  They’re often smelly, loud, and immature.  They screw up (the girls do, too).  They’re just as clueless as the girls when it comes to the opposite sex (or the same sex, as the case may be), and yet I’m not seeing that reflected in most of the YA that I’m reading.  I’d like to see some real boys, please.

2. The cessation of people referring to a book or series as “The Next _____.” This mostly refers to “the next Twilight” or “the next Hunger Games,” but it could be applied to other big YA phenomenons.  As easy as it is to categorize books like that, it ultimately does them a disservice, because it doesn’t allow them to just be their own thing.  We’re a binary species: we like things to be black or white.  However, I think it’s good to think outside of either/ors and live inside the gray area.  I’d just like to see a little more creativity when it comes to comparisons.

1. The lessening of the stigma for adults who read YA. There have been some posts about this on other blogs, and it’s something that I think about a lot.  Although YA seems to be rising in the general public’s consciousness, there’s still a bit of stigma attached to those of us adults who choose to read YA.  I read YA books in public with little embarrassment–they’re the best thing to read when I’m on the treadmill at the gym–but I’ve definitely gotten looks before from other adults.  The comments I get from people who don’t read YA or don’t get it are irritating but not crippling.  However, I’d like YA to come into its own in 2011 and overcome the stupid assumptions that are associated with it.  YA is awesome, YA is necessary, and YA is only getting better as time goes on.

What would you wish for YA in 2011?

FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Most Anticipated 2011 Releases

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  More information can be found here.

Today’s challenge asks for the five titles being release in 2011 that you’re most looking forward to.  This should be easy, and maybe a little hard, too.  Onward!

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
(February 1, 2011)

Oliver’s new book is part of a planned trilogy, and it’s about love being viewed as a disease.  Scientists have found a cure for it, and citizens are immunized upon turning 18.  Something like three months before her eighteenth birthday, Lena falls in love.

There’s been a little bit of buzz surrounding this book on the internet already, and the response has been mixed.  I’m trying to ignore both the hype and the hate and just get my hands on a copy so I can formulate an opinion for myself.

 

4. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
(May 10, 2011)

Dessen’s latest offering is about a girl whose parents are divorced and who takes on a new identity in each of the towns that she moves to.

As a huge Sarah Dessen fan, picking up this book is pretty much a given.  The fact that it comes out two days before my birthday is just icing on the cake (excuse the pun), because it gives me an excuse to buy it as a present for myself.

 

3. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
(May 3, 2011)

There isn’t a summary detail up on Goodreads yet, but we can bet that we’re going to see the conclusion of the story of Belly and Jeremiah and Conrad.  Readers are going to be anxious to see who she ultimately ends up choosing, and while I’m hoping it’s Jeremiah, I also hope that the two brothers are able to reconcile.

This might be the book that I’m looking forward to most, to be quite honest.  I loved the first two books so much that I thought about them for days after I’d finished, and to say that I’m eagerly awaiting the conclusion is an understatement.  I was excited about this year’s Mockingjay, but the closest I’ve come to this kind of excitement for a books’ release was probably back when Megan McCafferty published the third Jessica Darling novel (which was actually kind of a disappointment).

 

2. Bumped by Megan McCafferty
(April 26, 2011)

McCafferty’s foray into dystopian fiction, Bumped takes place in a world where everyone over the age of 18 is infertile, and couples pay teenage girls to bear their children.  The book focuses on 16-year-old identical twins who were separated at birth and rediscover each other.

I’ve been a fan of Megan McCafferty’s for a long time, and I’ve been waiting for her to release something not in the Jessica Darling universe for a long time now.  This book sounds really interesting, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

 

1. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
(March 22, 2011)

The third (and final?) book in Carrie Ryan’s zombie novel series, this book seems to pick up where the (somewhat disappointing) second novel left off.  Annah has been separated from Elias and runs into the mysterious Catcher again.  The two fight to survive after the Return, yadda yadda yadda.

Even though I was disappointed by the second book, I feel like I have to see how this story ends.  I’m tired of the love triangle between Annah and Catcher and Elias, but I still have to see how it ends.  Call me a masochist, but I just do.

FIVE Challenge for 2010: FIVE Great Re-Reads

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  For more information, see this post.

Today’s challenge asks for five great re-reads.  I am a big fan of re-reading a book, because it’s always fun to see what I pull from it a second (or third) time around.  Next year, I’ve set a challenge for myself regarding re-reading (but we’ll get to that later), but for the purposes of this assignment, I’m happy to talk about books that I re-read.  Because these books are those I have read more than once, I included titles that were published before 2010.

5. Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Tessa is dying of leukemia, and she doesn’t have a lot of time left.  With the help of her best friend, she makes a list of things that she wants to do.  First on the list is sex.  Drugs are on there, too, as is falling in love.  Because she’s got so little time left, she’s free to explore the items on her list, gaining a lifetime of experiences in just a few short months.  As her time runs out, Tessa’s relationships with her father and brother, her absent mother, her best friend and her new boyfriend intensify.

I first read this book a few years ago, and when I finished it, I stumbled downstairs, still sobbing, to my mom’s room and foisted it on her, telling her that she had to read it.  I’m not going to lie, Gentle Readers: it’s one of the absolute saddest stories that you’ll ever read, but it’s so, so, so worth it.  Re-reading it this time, I found myself crying just as much as I had the last time I read it, but I also found that I appreciated Downham’s gorgeous prose, keen observations about life, and characterization more than I had the first time.

Please go read it, but one last warning: Finishing it right before bed will guarantee a missed night’s sleep.

4. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Daisy is a fifteen-year-old American sent to live in the English countryside with her cousins and her aunt, even though she’s never met them.  Her father and her stepmother can’t seem to deal with Daisy’s crippling eating disorder, and although the rejection stings, Daisy’s glad to be away from her stepmother.  Shortly after she arrives, her aunt goes away on a business trip.  Soon after, some bombs go off in London and send the country into a quiet chaos.  There’s a war going on against an unnamed enemy, but Daisy and her cousins are insulated from it on their little farm.  The effects of war are wide-reaching, though, and the children can’t escape it forever.  Despite an unbelievably close bond to her cousins, the group becomes separated and fights to stay alive and reunite.

This is one of those books that won’t work for all readers.  Meg Rosoff is a great writer, but the book is told from the inside of Daisy’s mind and is full of stream-of-consciousness, run-on sentences.  Daisy is a wonderfully unreliable narrator, but it works in this story, because this is a personal story about war told from the perspective of a teenager.  On this re-read, I actually listened to the audiobook, which was a different experience but ultimately enjoyable.  It might be one of my favorite books of all time.
3. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Macy Queen’s life is all about order.  Since her father died suddenly two years ago, she and her mother have worked hard to keep their lives neat, orderly, and predictable.  With her boyfriend off at smart-kids camp for the summer, Macy’s expecting a boring summer of working in the library and studying for the SAT.  When she meets the rag-tag crew of Wish Catering, though, she gets drawn into their chaos.  A budding friendship with former bad-boy and awesome artist Wes helps her to relax and learn some things about herself and the world around her.

I’ve written about this book on the blog before, and I don’t have a lot else to say about it.  This is the only book that I’ve read twice this year.  I listened to the audiobook back in April, and I just finished reading the book again last month.  It might be my favorite of Dessen’s work; the real competition coming in the form of Just Listen.  This book is kind of like comfort food for me.  I love the story and the characters and always find something new to think about when I read it.

 

2. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is an orphan living with his aunt and uncle until he finds out that he’s a wizard and has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Over seven years, he gets a magical education, makes lifelong friends, and faces down the most evil wizard of all time.  (It feels weird to do a summary for these books, you guys.)

I re-read this series every year.  I can’t help it, and I don’t apologize for it.  These books are pure pleasure for me, and I credit them with being one of the things that got me through my first summer of teaching summer school (okay, it was my only year.  It was actually that bad.).  Every summer, starting in mid-June, I allow myself to re-read these books, and ever summer, when I finish them a few weeks later, I find myself in a reading rut, because nothing sounds as good as staying in the world of Hogwarts.

1. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen:

Remy’s mother has always been the best example of what not to do in a relationship.  Her mother is about to be married for the fifth time, and Remy considers herself an expert at relationships.  She has a routine, and it works for her.  She never gets too serious, and a relationship without an expiration date is a dangerous thing.  Remy likes control, but when she meets the sloppy, awkward Dexter, all her rules seem to go out the window.  She can’t seem to get him off her mind, no matter how hard she tries.  It’s the summer before she goes off to college, and it looks like Dexter just might teach her a few things before she moves on.

This was my first Dessen, and it holds a place near and dear to my heart.  I love the relationship between Remy and her friends.  The juxtaposition between her friends and Dexter’s friends is fun to read, and there’s this lazy feeling present in the pages that’s reminiscent of those summers back in high school, where all you did was work and hang out with your friends.  Ah, nostalgia.

 

FIVE Challenge for 2010: Five Great Series

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge.  For more information, see this post.

For a book to qualify for this list, it had to have a title in the series published in 2010.  This means that series that are already established, as well as those just starting out, can qualify.

5. The Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han: It’s Not Summer Without You

Although I didn’t love It’s Not Summer Without You as much as I loved The Summer I Turned Pretty, Jenny Han’s lovely trilogy about a girl named Belly who ultimately ends up torn between two brothers deserves to make this list.  It’s rare for me to find a book that I can literally not put down until I turn the last page, forgoing sleep just to see what happens (I love sleep more than anything on this earth, with the possible exception of my mama).  The conclusion of the series doesn’t come out until next May, and you can bet your ass I’ll be buying myself a little birthday present when it does.

4.Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness: Monsters of Men

I discovered Patrick Ness’s riveting dystopian trilogy early this year, so I was able to read all three books relatively close to one another.  The books center on Todd, a boy who lives on New World, and Viola, a girl whose family are scouts for settlers looking for an inhabitable planet.  The two of them end up taking on power-hungry adults and warring species together, all while trying to maintain their sense of humanity and love for each other.  A coming-of-age novel in the strictest sense, Ness’s unique prose and stream-of-consciousness writing make for compelling storytelling.  There’s also a short story called The New World, which I just finished, but this is only available electronically (it’s free, though, and worth checking out).

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay

The third and final book in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy was one of the most eagerly-anticipated titles of 2010.  There’s no way that this book could not make this list, you guys.  Katniss Everdeen’s world keeps getting worse as she makes the decision to rise up against the Capitol and fight for the rights of the districts and the people.  Smart, sharp, and with a pace that reels you in and won’t let you go, this is a series that is a must-read for pretty much everyone.

2. Scarlett series by Maureen Johnson: Scarlett Fever

Although I think the first book in the series, Suite Scarlett, could have worked as a standalone novel and been just excellent, I didn’t exactly mind revisiting Scarlett and her wacky family who own a crumbling hotel in Manhattan.  I’m not sure how many novels Johnson plans for her Scarlett series, but I hope it’s not too many more.  Scarlett’s story is fun and interesting, but I feel like it could be stretched too thin very quickly.  That said, it’s excellent contemporary YA fiction.

1. Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie: Matched

This book seems to be making most of my FIVE lists, and that’s okay.  Cassia’s sterile futuristic world isn’t going to resonate with every reader, and while it may not be the most original concept to hit shelves in recent years, it’s still compulsively readable.  Readers who like love triangles will like this, and while the ending leaves a lot open for the next book, it still works pretty well on its own.

FIVE Challenge for 2010: Five Great Covers

This post is part of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge for 2010.  Find more information here.

Here are my five favorite covers of 2010.

5. Matched by Ally Condie

Maybe it’s the relative simplicity of the cover of Matched that I like so much.  Partly, it’s the glittery cover.  I’m a sucker for glittery things.  I can’t help it.  But I also love the image of the girl in the green dress trapped in the bubble.  She looks like she’s just beginning her attempt to push the boundaries of her little world.  I love it, you guys.  I can’t help it.

4. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Despite my reservations about the book and the Hush, Hush series in general, you’ve got to admit that the covers are pretty awesome.  Does it really tell us much about the story?  No, but there’s not a whole lot of story to tell about.  I like the image of the girl in the rain, facing away from us and towards the ominous bolt of lightning.  The single red feather pops against the gray background.  It just looks awesome.

3. Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

There’s no denying the fact that this cover is pretty.  The girl running through the forest is not only eye-catching but relevant to the story.  Phoebe wears a dress and shoes just like that in the book, which is a neat little detail.  I love the coloring of everything surrounding the girl, but the sunlight filtering down is especially striking.  Also, the fluidity of her movement is notable.

2. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

I haven’t technically read this book, although I did start it earlier this year.  I liked the first one, with reservations, and I have every intention of eventually reading it.  The first book had a blue print on the cover and blue text, and this sequel follows in that same vein, with a green print and green text.  I love the simplicity of the cover and the use of shapes and images to convey the overall theme of the book.

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

There’s something arresting about this cover.  The face of the girl is so close that we can’t even see all of her, the grass is sort of washed-out from the sun.  Her eyes pierce through the cover and force you to look at her.  It’s a cover that sort of makes me sigh.  It’s that good.

What did I miss?  Agree?  Disagree?

FIVE Challenge 2010: FIVE Great Debuts

Adele over at Persnickety Snark is celebrating the end of 2010 with her FIVE Challenge.  This year, I’m trying to join in.  From December 21 to December 31, bloggers post daily on different elements of YA.  You can read all about the challenge here.

Today’s challenge asks for five great debuts.  In order for a book to qualify for this list, it had to have been published in 2010, and had to be the author’s first published novel (or at least the first YA novel).

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Summary:

Samantha Kingston has a pretty charmed life: she’s pretty, popular, and has a great boyfriend.  February 12th should just be another day for her to have and move on.  But instead of being able to live it and get on with life, February 12th ends up being her last day on earth.  To make matters even worse, she keeps waking up the next morning only to re-live the entire day again.  Samantha ends up re-living the same day seven times, and as she does, she realizes that even the smallest changes can forever alter the lives of others.

Why it makes the list:

Lauren Oliver’s book could fall into the trap of being a tedious, repetitive read.  Creating a plot wherein a character re-lives the same day and the (mostly) same events over and over again is a recipe for disaster, and yet Oliver pulls it off.  Her book is compelling, intriguing, and well-paced.  The repeating events serve to further the characters and their motivations, delving deeper into the lives of the people around Samantha than a reader might think possible. Oliver’s technical skill as a writer shines through, but she is also able to get into the minds of teenagers in a realistic way. (Read my review here.)

2. Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Summary:

Violet Tunis’s junior year at the prestigious Westfield School should be full of SAT prep, lit mag editing, and hanging out with her best friend, Katie.  But as junior year unfolds, nothing really goes according to plan.  Violet worries over her grades, lack of boy-flirting-skills, and her disintegrating friendship with Katie.  As Katie’s decisions and actions become more erratic, Violet wonders if they’ll be able to remain friends forever, like she’s always thought they would.

Why it makes the list:

Leila Sales’s book is one of those rare YA titles where nothing catastrophic happens.  Her debut novel chooses to focus on mostly good girls who are living mostly good lives.  They have ups and downs like the rest of us, but nothing unbelievably huge happens.  Sales writes very well, and her novel is full of humor, self-awareness, and sass.  Funny, sharp, and often witty, this is must-read for contemporary fiction fans. (Read my review here.)

3. Matched by Ally Condie

Summary:

Cassia has always trusted the Society.  When they Match her to her longtime friend Xander, Cassia doesn’t question it.  She and Xander are meant to be together, just like all the other Matches that the Society performs.  To be Matched is an honor and means that the two people will be linked forever. When Cassia’s screen shows the face of another boy named Ky Markham for an instant before going black, doubt begins to set in.  As she finds herself drawn to Ky, Cassia begins to question everything in her world, including–and especially–the Society itself.

Why it makes the list:

Ally Condie’s book has been making headlines for a while now.  The first in a trilogy(?), Matched is beautifully written and absolutely compelling.  The futuristic society that Cassia lives in is well-developed, intriguing, and not out of the realm of possibility.  The commentary about government, culture, and the power of love is spot-on, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.  Condie is an author to watch out for. (Read my review here.)

4. The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Summary:

Mia Gordon is sixteen and is spending the summer at a beach house with her cold and vain cousins.  She feels like an outsider, unable to fit in with her cousins and their friends, unable to speak up for herself.  When she meets Simon, a boy whose parents are renting a house nearby, she finds herself drawn to him despite his quirks.  The two embark on a tentative friendship that is charged with an undercurrent of attraction.  Simon challenges Mia to be brave, and Mia listens to Simon and his troubled family life.  Together, the two of them have an unforgettable summer, the kind that leaves its mark on a person forever after.

Why it makes the list:

While I didn’t love this novel the way I wanted to, I have to give Amanda Howell credit for a creative summer story about first love and first loss.  The characters may not always ring completely true, but Mia is an interesting protagonist and the characters that surround her are layered, often flawed, and complex.  Part of me is disappointed that it is part of a planned series, because the book is strongest when viewed as a standalone novel.  However, it’s still worth checking out. (Read my review here.)

5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Summary:

Anna can’t believe it when her father announces that he’s sending her to France for her last year of high school.  She doesn’t speak the language, doesn’t know anyone at her new school, and can’t imagine anything worse than spending her senior year away from her best friend Bridgette and her almost-boyfriend Toph.  But when Anna arrives in Paris, she meets a bunch of interesting people and starts falling for Etienne St. Clair.  Maybe her year abroad won’t be so bad after all.

Why it makes the list:

Perkins’s debut novel is so good that I found myself slowing down as I neared the end of it.  I wanted to prolong the experience of reading it.  Part of me was skeptical about the idea of Perkins building the relationship between St. Clair and Anna all year, but she does so with a skill that is completely admirable.  The tension builds slowly and realistically, and the pay-off at the end is totally worth it.  Seriously, if you haven’t read it yet, go do so.  (Review to come.)

What did I miss?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?