Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Why I love it:
Historical fiction with a slight flair of fantasy, and a heaping dose of romance. There is weaponry and poisons and death. There is deceit and conspiracy and more death. Historical fiction is a hard sell for me, but the pacing in this was expertly done. It is over 500 pages and felt like a breeze to read. Also, even though it is the first in a series, this novel stands on its own.
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Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
Why I love it:
True romantic comedies seem to be rare in YA. This one had me literally laughing out loud from beginning to end, and the romance was quite swoon-worthy. Two words: toe dip. If you want a good study in the art of flirting on the page, read this book. A romantic comedy that is both funny and romantic? What a novel idea.
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Life Is But a Dream by Brian James
Why I love it:
Any story that seamlessly weaves together mentally ill characters with romance is going to be on my favorites list. The viewpoint character in this novel has schizophrenia. OCD seems to be the mental illness of choice in YA novels lately, so this was refreshing. The romance was also sweet and believable, which isn't an easy accomplishment considering both characters are patients in a mental health facility. If you like contemporary fiction that pushes you outside the comfort zone and challenges stigmas, this one is for you.
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Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Why I love it:
Because it's unique. There is nothing out there that I can compare this novel to. Which is kind of ironic considering it's a retelling of a classic story, but Marissa Meyer took the term fairytale retelling to a whole new level of awesome with Cinder. Technically-inclined sci-fi that isn't horribly dry and boring is hard to find, but I ate this one right up. The romance between Cinder and Prince Kai wasn't as deep as I was hoping for, but the rest of the story elements more than made up for the lack of swoons. Definitely worth reading if you like science fiction with a twist.
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It's a short list, I know, but I am admittedly a very picky reader. I also haven't been able to keep up with all the great new releases this year! I'm sure there are more fantastic books out there that I just haven't had the chance to dive into yet.
So tell me, what am I missing? What are your favorite YA novels of 2012 so far?
Happy reading,
~Lydia
You have excellent taste! These are some of my favorites too! I just finished Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars and really enjoyed it. You may too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the rec!
DeleteDitched looks cute -- you're right, not that many books in YA are LOL funny (Beauty Queens is my top choice - so freaking funny, and some of John Green's lighter novels like An Abundance of Katherines).
ReplyDeleteI really liked Jessi Kirby's In Honor and Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore (that one came out in 2011 but I'm just catching up).
I think In Honor is already on my list, so I'll have to bump it up now. Thanks!
DeleteI don't have any recommendations but thanks for mentioning Grave Mercy. I eat up everything that's historical :P
ReplyDeleteGreat! I'd love to know what you think of it.
DeleteI'll have to put these on my list. I actually have Life Is But a Dream reserved and should be getting it soon. My favorites so far this year:
ReplyDeleteChime by Franny Billingsley
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Night Beach by Kirsty Eager
There are a few more, but I'll stop there. I'm apparently not as picky as I thought. :)
haha. Thanks!
DeleteThe List, by Siobhan Vivian, is one of my favorites so far.
ReplyDeleteThe List is on my list! ;-)
DeleteI liked HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, DAUGHTERS OF SMOKE AND BONE, CHIME and WHEREVER YOU GO, by Heather Davis.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of that last one. Thank you!
DeleteIt's not really brand new but I'd love to know what you think of Legend by Marie Lu - if you've read it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read it yet, but it's on my list!
DeleteI'm with you on Cinder. Loved that novel! (Also a Smoke and Bone fan). Fun post, Lydia. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deb!
DeleteI kept this post because I plan to check out these books, Lydia! But I had to come today and tell you that I just finished reading MATCHED by Ally Condie and immediately requested the sequel. It's a YA dystopian with romance. There are some interesting themes, and I grew not only to care about the main characters but the secondary ones as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie! I read MATCHED last year and I loved it! For the same reasons you did, actually. Great minds think alike, right? ;-)
DeleteI've already read the sequel, too (CROSSED). It was good, but I didn't fall in LOVE with it like I did with MATCHED. Hoping the third book will make up for where the second was lacking. It releases this fall. Can't wait!