The Lost Girl of Astor Street (Blink, 2017) by Stephanie Morrill was a hard to put down historical mystery with a very likable tough female main character. I enjoyed the book a lot.
Eighteen-year-old Piper Sail’s best friend disappears two weeks before graduation and Piper is determined to find out what happens to Lydia. Along the way she finds out some uncomfortable truths about her own family, is disturbed out of her complacency about young men, and puts her own life at risk. The book is set during prohibition in Chicago.
The first sentence is a good description of Piper, “If he doesn’t know it already, Jeremiah Crane is about to learn that I’m not the type of girl to be pushed around.”
Author Stephanie Morrill is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com. You can read about her here and read about her other books here.
Category: YA Novels
young adult novels (for 13+ yo)
The Black Witch
The Black Witch (Harlequin Teen, 2017) by Laurie Forest is a new fantasy by a debut author and I can hardly wait for the sequel to come out. It’s expected out in 2018. (Meanwhile I just bought the prequel Wandfasted on Kindle.)
Elloren is seventeen and lives with her uncle in an isolated small village. There no one takes notice that she looks exactly like her grandmother, The Black Witch who saved all of Gardenria during the Real War. Nor does anyone worry she doesn’t have any magical power. But when Aunt Vyvian comes to visit, she’s demanding why Elloren is not wandfasted (engaged). Aunt Vyvian wants to take Elloren under her guidance and introduce her to eligible young men. Instead, Uncle Edwin decides to send Elloren to University where she can learn the apothecary trade. But since Elloren won’t commit to being wandfasted to the young man Aunt Vyvian has chosen for her, she won’t pay for the girl’s schooling and Elloren has to earn her way by working in the kitchen–with other races. To make matters worse, her new roommates at University are dreaded Icarals.
In this magical story of prejudice, lies, and secrets, Elloren has to decide who to believe and what is right and wrong.
On her website, author Laurie Forest shares what she is reading here.
The Seventh Bride
The Seventh Bride (47North, 2015) by T. Kingfisher is one of those scary books softened by humor so as not to be too scary.
Fifteen-year-old Rhea is the miller’s daughter and she’s angry. She’s engaged–not that she minds the idea in general–in the distant future. And being engaged to a Lord is a good thing, isn’t it? But something just seems a little, off. But she has to marry him, otherwise her whole family will suffer. Peasants don’t reject nobles.
This book is written for adults, but with a teen main character, it’s very relatable to teens, too.
T. Kingfisher’s bio makes me laugh. I’ve read books from her alter ego Ursula Vernon, as well.
The PROBLEM with FOREVER
The PROBLEM with FOREVER (Harlequin TEEN, 2016) by Jennifer L. Armentrout is a wow of a book! I couldn’t stop reading. It’s compelling, sad, sweet, scary, and good. It’s also a 2017 RITA Award Winner.
Mallory Dodge is taking the scary step out of homeschooling with her adoptive family to be a senior year at a high school. Since her years in foster care conditioned her to be silent, it’s going to be very difficult for her to talk to other kids, to speak up in class, to deal with all the noise, and to prove to herself that she’s changed.
Mallory often doesn’t say a lot out loud, but as readers we get an inside look at what’s going on in her head.
Jennifer L. Armentrout is one prolific writer as well as being a NYT bestselling author. On her website I found 22 other YA novels–most are part of different series. She also writes New Adult and Adult. You might want to take a look at the bio of this amazing gal.
Red Queen
Red Queen (HarperTeen, 2015) by Victoria Aveyard takes us into an interesting and unfair world of those born with silver blood, privilege, and powers, and those with red blood who mostly have hardship.
A Red, Mare Barrows, like her older brothers did, is headed to fight in the Silver’s war when she turns eighteen. The only way she can help her family now is by pick pocketing, whereas her younger sister Gisa has a talent with sewing and even works for the Silvers. When Mare’s best friend Kilgorn only has a week until conscription, she’s determined to find a way to help him escape. Her search leads her on a path that changes her whole life.
There are surprises, death, betrayal, loyalty, romance, sorrow, and more. Mare is definitely a heroine to care for.
This book is the first in a series that includes some novellas. Read the details here. Meanwhile, I’m off to order the second book. Oh, and by the way, the series is currently being translated into 37 languages!
Victoria Aveyard is a NYT bestselling author. Read more about her here.