Top Ten Tuesday: YA Books you might have missed (but shouldn't have) last year.
1.
Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter....a very weird but delightful retelling of the Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian folktale. It is very confusing in the beginning but then the story starts to reveal itself and it is fun and imaginative.
2.
A Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty...This is the third book in the Colours of Madeleine series, a very creative and delightful series I highly recommend. The first book of this series is
A Corner of White.
3.
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore...part fairy tale, part magical realism. The story of two best friends, Miel and Samir, each with a secret, and The Bonner girls who threaten to reveal the secrets to everyone.
4.
Railhead by Philip Reeve...so many YA readers forget to explore the Sci-Fi offerings each year. This one is creative with imaginative world-building.
5.
Flannery by Lisa Moore...a YA offering from a small publisher in Canada. Flannery is a teenager who is trying to make her way through school when friends abandon her and her mother can't seem to make enough money for basic needs. Surprising upbeat.
6.
The Memory Book by Lara Avery...If you have missed this book, you'll want to look around for it. Sammie is making plans for college and her future when she discovers her memory is slipping. She decides to make a book of her memories to refer to when her memory is gone. A tear-worthy book.
7.
Unbecoming by Jenny Downham...a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter all have to find themselves to make peace with each other. The best LGBT book I've read which really isn't a LGBT book.
8.
Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley...the first book in the Alternative Detectives series. Set in a analog of South Africa. A fabulous mystery. It feels a little steam-punk. A student told me today that this is the best book she's read all year.
9.
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan...set on a cocoa plantation in the Ivory Coast where the workers are essentially slaves. When two brothers and a girl attempt to escape the plantation it turns into an exciting adventure novel.
10.
The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry...you've probably already heard me gush about this novel, my favorite of the year. It is a not-to-be-missed book about the Inquisition in France and the church's relentless quest to catch a mystic and put her to death.
I haven't read any of these, yet, but most of them are on my tbr! I own a copy of Steeplejack, and I'll be reading it pretty soon! :)
ReplyDeleteI won a copy of When the Moon was Ours on a giveaway and I'm really looking forward to it. I put Steeplejack on my blind date with a book list. I really wish Flannery had a more appealing cover. It looks like a high schooler doodled on it.
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Anne! Most of these are new to me...though I LOVED Unbecoming - definitely one of my favorites of 2016 (my best of post is finally coming this week!)
ReplyDeleteBut I missed all the rest - I better get busy! Thanks -
Sue
Book By Book
I don't read enough YA lit! When I retire, I will ask you for your top ten books I need to read in the genre. :)
ReplyDeleteI heard a lot about Vassa in the Night before its release, but I didn't hear too much afterward. I'm still really interested in reading it this year. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteHow have I only read one of the books on this list (Bitter Side of Sweet)?! Now that I'm not in the library or on a school campus I really feel "out of it" with YA and I need to fix that
ReplyDelete