Top 13 of 2013

I discovered a few great YA series this year which populate most of my top 13. I’ve listed my favourite books of this year from 13 to 1. 
Probably a bit predictable but here it is. 

13. The Vampire Academy Series by Kristin Cast 

12. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

11.  The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (Pseudonym J.K Rowling)

 

10.  The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

9. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare 

8. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood 

7. The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series by Maggie Stiefvater

6. The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth 

5.  The Infernal Devices 

4. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

3. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Small Post Christmas YA Haul

Just a little haul thats probably going to end up being my January 2014 TBR. 

Generally I acquire my books through Kindle or Audible so that it's cheaper (books are horribly expensive in Australia) and easier to read on public transport but I was gifted a voucher for Kinokuniya (the huge book store on George Street in Sydney) so I picked up a few books I've been intending to get too. 

I've been hearing so many good things about the Penryn & the End of Days series so when I walked passed a huge stack of both book one and book two in the YA section I couldn't resist. 

Raven Cycle Bits

A few bits I've collected in my Raven Cycle fuelled perusals online. 

Source: Maggie Stiefvater's Brain Tumblr & The Raven Boys Tumblr

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

My Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy 

Publication Date: September 2012

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said.

"Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."

Short Synopsis 

Blue Sargent is the only one in her household that can’t predict the future. Surrounded by a family who's talents are sought by the townsfolk of Henrietta for various reasons, Blue has had her future read more times than she can count. Every time, from every psychic she has ever met, her future prediction is always the same. She would kill her true love.  

But this story is not just about Blue. Its just as much about the group of four boys she becomes entangled with, their brotherly relationships with one another and their quest to discover the secrets of Henrietta. 

Review 

Gah! Im in love with this series. 

Maggie Stiefvater has created a beautiful and mysterious story thats so engaging I just cant get enough. 

Similar to her Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, The Raven Cycle is set in a real world America where there is just a bit of magic bellow the surface. This series is about a quest to uncover and understand that magic.

I felt like The Wolves of Mercy Falls series focussed so much on the romantic relationship between Grace and Sam, the remainder of the world is almost secondary. The Raven Cycle is all encompassing. The environment of Henrietta is like a character itself and is just as important as any of the people in the story. Blue and where her romantic interest could be is important but for reasons that have nothing to do with the usual Paranormal Romance. 

The characters in this series have so many layers and intricacies to their personality, I haven’t been able to decide if anyone is bad or good or if everyone is supposed to be somewhere in between. I feel so attached to them all and I love the psychic women that live in Blue’s house. The exchanges between them and their relationship is so entertaining. 

This book is so well worked and developed, it feels a lot more serious than anything by Maggie Stiefvater that I’ve read thus far, so much more mature in terms of writing style. 

I started the second instalment of the Raven Cycle Series (The Dream Thieves) straight after finishing this book but I’m going to have to wait until some undefined point in 2014 for the third yet unnamed book. 

Sigh. I have developed a need for this story. 

Review: The Elite by Kiara Cass

My Rating:  ✯✯✯✯✩ 

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance 

Publication Date: April 2013

Quick Synopsis 
The second instalment of 'The Selection' series in which we get a greater insight into the inner workings of the monarchy. The rebels are closer and more thretening than ever and America is starting to see Prince Maxons true colours, but with secrets and lies concealing every move the royal family makes can she trust that what she sees is true?

The competition for the heart of the Prince and the crown is more intense than ever with only 6 girls remaining. America is running out of time to decide if this is a life she can handle living but her indecision may have created an opportunity for the other girls who know exactly what they want.


Review 
Interestingly the truth behind the rebel attacks is becoming more and more import to the plot in this series. America is becoming much more aware of the possibility that the rebels, both North and South are not necessarily unorganised and evil but politically motivated and calculating. They want to end The Selection by any means possible but she does not know why.

Americas relationship with her three maids, and the reactions she inspires in them is intriguing and I'm beginning to get the feeling we're supposed to assume America is very popular with lower castes and I'm guessing also the rebels. I hope this plays a bigger part in the next book as it will be interesting to see how a character who never wanted to be royal or even a leader ends up finding something in herself to change a nation.

Or it could go the complete opposite direction and end up all about her choice between Prince Maxon or her first love Aspen.

This book was incredibly fun and became so intense towards the end I ended up reading through most of it in one night. A great second book with decent character development but mostly just a fascinating story.


The final book in the trilogy "The One" will be released in May 2014.
SO EXCITED!

Book Blogging/ Reviewing Organisation

The Moleskine Book Journal

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

My Rating:✯✯✯✯✩

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance

Publication Date: April 2012

Quick Synopsis 

The Selection is set in the futuristic dystopian Country of  Illéa which is the nation made up of a smaller combined Canada and America, ruled by a Royal Family. Society is broken up by a cast system determined by your family's ancestry. Ones are the elite and Eights are the wondering and homeless. Everyone in between performs jobs in society determined by their cast. The Royal Family are of course Ones, when they have daughters they are paired in diplomatic marriages with royal family's of other nations but when they have sons it's a bit more dramatic.

To keep up morale and patriotism a contest is held when a prince of Illéa needs to find a bride. 35 young woman are selected across all casts to compete for the affections of the prince and become royalty. 

America is a 5, the artist and entertainer cast. She is a talented singer and excellent on the violin. After pressures from her family and the boy she is in love with to enter the contest,   she reluctantly finds herself competing in a contest she doesn't even want to win. Every day she is in the contest she is sure her family is fed and warm but everyday brings her closer to something she's not sure she wants. 

Review 

I've heard this book compared to the TV show 'The Bachelor' meets 'The Hunger Games' and I have to say that I agree, although I would argue there's a bit of 'Americas Next Top Model' thrown in as well. I enjoyed the descriptions of the other contestants and the relationships America forms with them. The mandatory love triangle is actually going to get interesting and I've already decided who I want to end up together. 

The dystopian world back story was presented in a clever way with out feeling like a mass of descriptions and I feel as though the characters in the story where as out of the loop about their country's history as I was. As America learns more about the political terrorists and history of her nation we get a clearer picture of the world as well as the competition this story centres around. 

A really fresh take on the dystopian genre. Nicely set out and a fun concept. Definitely going to read the next one and I'd recommend it if your a fan of the dystopian genre or reality TV shows.  

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Genre: YA, Coming of Age, Contemporary 

Publication Date: September 2013

Short Synopsis 

Cath and her twin sister Wren are huge Simon Snow fans, they do everything together, they even write fanfiction together. So when they're planing to go off to university naturally Cath assumes they will be sharing a dorm room together too, however Wren has other priorities. 

My Review

This is a coming of age novel about a young woman finding her feet and a way to stand on her own in a world where she's always had someone by her side. It's as much about Cather learning to trust herself as it is about her learning to let in someone who isn't her Dad or her sister. 

There are so many beautiful metaphors in this book and it's hard to talk about it without gushing. 

So many of us grew up in the Harry Potter fandom and I personally have gone through a phase of obsessively reading fanfiction. This book resonates with me so much because this phase in my life happened when I first started university. 

The book is peppered with funny nerd subculture references, some more obvious than others, as well as snippets of fake fanfiction which are themselves a bit satirical. 

It's an amazing book. It makes you feel good.  I don't know what else to say about it, except that you should read it. 

Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

My Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Vampire

Publication Date: September 2013

Quick Synopsis 

Following a explosion of the romantic Vampire image in popular culture an unexpected outbreak of real vampirism has forced Vampires into 'coming out of the coffin'. In the U.S it is illegal to be a Vampire and the government has created restricted Vampire reserves called 'Coldtowns' in an attempt  to contain the outbreak.  People who are infected with the Vampire virus are required by law to take themselves to these Coldtowns before they ‘Go Cold’ along side those who are stuck there and those who come by choice. But once you are in you can never leave. 

Review

Holly Black has taken an interesting spin on traditional Vampire law and mixed in a few features of your classic post-apocalypse zombie plot. A vampire bite carries a toxin that causes the victims body to slowly shut down and crave blood. The thing I found the most interesting about this take on Vampirism is that if the victim can fight the cravings of a long enough time they can kick the toxin and recover to be a normal human again, but if they give in and consume the smallest mount of human blood they turn. 

The possibility for recovery is what gives this story so much power. The main character Tana copes with crazy situation after crazy situation by telling herself that she can panic later. Tana doesn't set out to be a hero, she doesn't even think of herself as a strong person but we quickly learn that she is. She's fiercely loyal and doesn't expect someone else to come and save her. She knows if she wants to survive she will need to save herself. 

Holly Black does not write her female protagonists as helpless damsels in distress. She also doesn't constrain herself to gendered stereotypes. This novel was incredibly enjoyable and I recommend it to anyone who likes the vampire genre or witty fun read.