CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
"A ripsnorting series opener; may the sequels arrive soon. (Fantasy. 13 & up)"
A kick-ass pirate heroine gets into and out of (mostly into) trouble in this invigorating fantasy.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012
"Devastating and heartbreaking, this will be a disappointment for readers looking for a conventional happy ending. But those willing to take the risk will--like Bitterblue--achieve something even more precious: a hopeful beginning. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
Building on the plots and themes of the award-winning
Graceling (2008) and its companion
Fire (2009), this rich and poignant fantasy grapples with the messy aftermath of destroying an evil overlord.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 12, 2012
"Rich in voice, humor and dazzling imagery, studded with edgy ideas and wildly original, this multicultural mashup--like its heroine--defies categorization. (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
Noted for her fantasy and science fiction for adults, Hopkinson jumps triumphantly to teen literature.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 25, 2011
"An involving police procedural wrapped in fantasy clothing, this novel provides both crackerjack storytelling and an endearingly complex protagonist. (Fantasy/mystery. 12 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 27, 2011
"Rarely--perhaps not since the author's own Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer (2007)--does a series kick off so deliciously. (Fantasy. 13-16)"
A love thought lost proves anything but when another world's 1,000-year war spills over into this one.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 1, 2011
"Thoughtful, scary and captivating. (Urban fantasy. 14 & up)"
In an impeccably paced and unusually profound urban-fantasy novel, 16-year-old half-demon Catholic-school student Jael Thompson comes into her powers, explores her heritage and battles a tyrannical Hell beast.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 19, 2011
"One of those rare and welcome fantasies that complicate black-and-white morality. (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
It's always nice to see fantasylands outside the usual Western Europe–inspired model, and this dulogy's faux-China is no exception (despite the white girl on the U.S. edition's cover).
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 5, 2011
"The promise of sequels seems obvious—Ash's fans will hope they hew to the tightness of craft of the former, not this companion. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
Set in the same universe as, although many centuries earlier than, Ash (2009), two 17-year-olds at the Academy of Sages find their destiny and each other.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2010
An adolescent thief threads a treacherous labyrinth of politics and sorcery in this fine series opener.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 28, 2010
"A passionately wise, spectacularly hilarious and surpassingly humane outing from a master."
Ask Tiffany Aching, and she'll tell you: It's not easy being a witch, especially when you're only almost 16 years old.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 5, 2010
"Captivating. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2009
"Deus vult! (Horror. 12 & up)"
Forget the jacket blurb's come-on to paranormal-romance fans, this is an old-fashioned high-octane horror tale, dripping with ghastly portents, eldritch violence and an embittered heroine facing down the looming Apocalypse.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 11, 2009
"The first in a series, it will be all too hard to wait for the next. (Supernatural. 12 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2009
"This fantasy heroine, who shows her spunk with quiet self-determination instead of swordfights, headlines an appealing magical adventure set in a refreshingly non-Western milieu. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
Ai Ling wants to be a dutiful daughter, but surely marrying the vile widower Master Huang is a bad idea.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2008
"Grace-full, in every sense. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2008
"Impressive world-building, breathtaking action and clear philosophical concerns make this volume, the beginning of a planned trilogy, as good as The Giver and more exciting. (Science fiction. 11 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 27, 2007
"Lush and fun. (Fantasy. YA)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 13, 2007
"Fun, but with gaps. (Fiction. YA)"
When geeky Stanley Dozer asks Maggie Quinn to the senior prom, she isn't thrilled, and things only get worse when, as she rejects him, a group of popular students dubbed the "Jocks and Jessicas" begin bullying him.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2005
"Some heavy-handedness, but the awesome ending thrills with potential. (Science fiction. YA)"
With a beginning and ending that pack hefty punches, this introduction to a dystopic future promises an exciting series.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2002
"A labyrinthine plot with Goth sensibility makes this a luscious treat for fans of urban fantasy and romantic horror. (Fiction. YA)"
