Plague Giveaway!

I have a copy of Plague by Michael Grant for one lucky person! This is the fourth book in the Gone series, a super-cool sci-fi/dystopian/urban fantasy/thriller/adventure combination that's hard to put down and makes for great summer reading. (I would know, because I read both the first and second books, Gone and Hunger, on the beach.) I'm slightly behind and haven't read Lies yet, but... yeah. One copy of Plague for you!

Synopsis:

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages.

To enter, please fill out the form below. This giveaway is open to US and Canada mailing addresses only, and ends Friday, May 27, 2011. Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday (65): BEA Edition

Really, one of the few problems with book blogging is just the sheer unreasonableness of the ratio of books read to books that one wants to read. Every week, my wishlist increases until there's no possible way I can WoW each and every one of them individually. So since BEA is--yeeeeiiiikeeesss!!!---next week (!!!), I'm going to talk about just a handful of books that I'm hoping I'll be able to find there.

Please note that this is just a sliver of the books on my BEA wishlist. I'm aware that I have a habit of always wanting to root for the underdogs, so I often try to WoW books that I haven't seen being very much publicized elsewhere before. But now, I'm going to indulge in my more mainstream desires, because these books are cool too and deserve all the attention they've gotten already. Wheeee!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
(HarperTeen / Sept. 21, 2010)

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.

This has an almost very "adult urban fantasy" premise, and Evie sounds like she will be an assertive and kickass protagonist. I can totally get behind that! And also, I'm pretty sure that the day after I saw this cover for the first time, I had a dream that inspired an idea for a possible future short story... So yeah, good karma all around. I'm definitely interested in reading this one!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
(Philomel / Oct. 19, 2010)

While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

This is another debut YA paranormal that's been getting TONS of great buzz all over. Personally, I'm a vampire girl, but the synopsis reminds me of Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, which I love a lot, and it sounds like there will be BLOOD AND GUTS. COOL. *is in bloodthirsty mode, as per WIP's requirements* I'm envious of each and every person who's been able to read this already, and would probably go to great (unharmful) lengths to read this.

The Body at the Tower (The Agency, Book 2) by Y. S. Lee
(Candlewick / Aug. 10, 2010)

This is another colourful, action-packed Victorian detective novel about the exploits of agent Mary Quinn. At a young age, Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. The school turns out to be a front for a private detective agency. At age 17, Mary takes on her first case (A Spy in the House). In this, the second book of the series, Mary Quinn sets out to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death at St. Stephen's Tower, better known as the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The accident occurred after hours in a highly public part of town and despite the presence of night watchmen. Mary, disguised as Mark Quinn, becomes a builder's assistant to find out the truth about the body at the tower.

I thought Ying's first book, A Spy in the House, was excellent (see my review here), and I can't wait to read the next in the series. Unfortunately, I can't do any raving here without giving out spoilers (the solution to this is obviously for you all to read this so I can talk about this without giving key points away), but yep, I'm super-excited. And the care that Candlewick put into making these covers appealing and accurate to the story is astounding, something that all publishers should take note of and do.

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
(Margaret K. McElderry / Aug. 31, 2010)

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Helloooo, gorgeous cover. Hellooo, super-long summary. Hello, guilty pleasure.

Matched by Allyson Condie
(Dutton Juvenile / Nov. 30, 2010)

In the novel, a 17-year-old girl, who has waited her entire life to be told by a group known as “the Society” who her soul mate is, has her world upended when she discovers she’s in love with someone other than the group’s pick.

I did tell you this was going to be the big-name WoW, didn't I? I'm really hoping this one is as good as its multi-digit book deal and early reviews indicate. Plus, the cover is genius: simple but memorable and cool.

The Magnificent Twelve: The Call by Michael Grant
(Katherine Tegen Books / Sept. 1, 2010)

I'm not sure if that's the final cover, and I haven't been able to find an official synopsis yet, but Publishers Weekly described it as a "humorous fantasy series" in their BEA Kids' Galleys to Grab article. Plus, it's by Michael Grant, whose Gone series I really enjoy and make for unputdownable vacation reads. I think this one's middle grade, too. As far as adventure goes, if the Gone series is any indication, I think this one will be really good!

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Oy, I'm EXHAUSTED and I don't know why, so I'm going to stop here for now. There are definitely a few more at BEA I'm hoping to find, especially Lauren Oliver's Delirium. You can check out the Kids' Galleys to Grab article and see if any of them are on your wishlist. Hope to see some of you in NYC next week!

Also, I'm sorry if I don't make much sense in this post. I'm trying to reread what I wrote and I can't even focus on what I just wrote. Someone get these stitches out of my mouth and put real food in me, quick!

Review: Hunger by Michael Grant

Book Two of the Gone series (Gone review here)

Publication date: May 26, 2009

Tags: YA, dystopia, horror, supernatural, thriller

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary

The FAYZ is a twenty-mile-diameter zone where all people over 15 years old have disappeared. It’s been three months since the infamous Thanksgiving Day battle in Perdido Beach that involved the townies, the prep kids at troubled Coates Academy, and some other terrifying creatures—such as talking coyotes—and superpowers—like levitation, firepower, and more. Food is running out in the FAYZ, and kids are losing their once steady resolve to stay humane.

There is a divide growing between the “freaks” (those with the superpowers) and the normals, but Sam, the town-declared mayor and overall hero/daddy type, has other worries on his overwhelmed hands as well. Caine and his Coates Academy cronies have something sinister planned…but worse than that is the developing certainty that an indescribable force of evil is behind everything, and will stop at nothing to gain a form.

Review

If you think Michael Grant couldn’t get better than GONE, the first novel in this series, think again and again and again! HUNGER completely blows the first book out of the water in terms of action, suspense, horror, and intrigue. It includes all the positives of GONE—the multicharacter points of view, the supernatural, the killer kids with superpowers—and adds more exciting components.

One of my favorite aspects of the GONE books is their ability to weave an engaging story from multiple characters’ points of view. This allows readers to understand everyone’s motivations and faults, passions and lapses in judgment, for an ultimately more believable and enjoyable reading experience. With the exception of purposely-made-evil villains, it’s easy to picture these characters as simply frightened teenagers thrown into a nightmarish life, every day trying to balance morality with survival.

Of course, the GONE series would not be such a success were it not for its elaborate and utterly fascinating plot. It is clear from every chapter that a lot of thought and preparation has gone into this series. Fans of Harry Potter and TV shows like “Lost” will be able to enjoy GONE and HUNGER’s complexity, subplots, supernatural elements, and budding romances. Basically, this series has everything, and each book’s 500+ pages will pass by in an all-too-fast flash that will leave your palms sweating, your heart racing, and your mind hungering for more from this talented author.

Similar Authors

William Golding (Lord of the Flies)
Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter)

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Cover discussion: 3.5 out of 5 - If I had to guess what the cover designers were going for, the two models would represent Caine and Diana, which wouldn't be too bad of a fit. However, I most like the orange tint of this cover. If the rest of the series continues in this manner, there'll be a plethora of rainbow-colored spines on my bookshelf!

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Hunger: a Gone Novel by Michael Grant

After the Thanksgiving weekend battle against Caine and the other snotty, rich, and troubled Coates Academy kids, the most pressing problem is... starvation. Due to a lack of supervision and authority, the kids--all 15 and under, as those over the age of 15 have disappeared mysteriously--are eating everything they want. Sam is under a lot of stress to keep it together, as he's generally looked upon as the leader. However, Caine is building up for another attack, Sam's friends are switching loyalties, and the mystery of why everyone older has disappeared continues to grow.

I really enjoyed Gone, the first novel in this purported six-part series (see my review here), and am looking forward to the sequel. Plus I think I am quite enamored of the cover. The brilliant bittersweet orange contrasts yet complements the blue tones of Gone's cover.

Hunger: a Gone Novel is being released in hardcover by HarperTeen on May 26, 2009.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

There are not enough stories out there about unicorns. And killer unicorns? Nope, don't recall there being any in the market about them. How about killer unicorns who can only be killed by the virgin descendants of Alexander the Great?

That's the premise for Diana Peterfreund's outrageous next novel, the next step in her (hopefully prolific) writing career after the Ivy League novels (which are also great; see my review of Secret Society Girl here). Astrid Llewelyn, who once laughed at her mother's silly stories about unicorns, is forced to confront her heritage and destiny when a unicorn attacks her boyfriend.

I think this book is going to be fantastic. Diana Peterfreund tackling a thoroughly original plot with her normal dose of strong and intriguing characters, wit, and creativity... what more could you ask for?

Rampant is being released in hardcover by Harper Collins on--oh, whoa!--May 26, 2009. Two good books to snatch up as soon as I can find them in the library, then..

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What books are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Tags: YA, thriller, sci-fi, dystopia, bullies

One minute life is normal at Perdido Beach for fourteen-year-old Sam and his friends. The next, everyone fifteen and older is gone in a blink, disappeared without a trace. The startled remaining kids must find some inner strength in order to survive in a world without adults.

For Sam, it isn’t just about survival, it’s also about racing against the clock. His fifteenth birthday is days away, and he needs to find out how to survive it without disappearing like the others did. Sam can’t just sit back and ponder about that particular moment, however. He and his new and old friends Quinn, Astrid, Edilio, and others must battle dim-witted local bullies such as Orc and his sidekick Howard, as well as face new challenges from the corrupt crew of Coates Academy kids—the private boarding school up the road said to house troubled rich kids—led by the power-hungry Caine.

To make matters even direr, it isn’t JUST about the bullies and the dangerous outsiders. More and more kids are discovering that they have impossible magical powers. These include the powers to heal, transport…and to destroy. The rift between the “freaks” and the “normals” widen, which Sam is afraid of, because they must all bond together in the face of a common impending doom…or else they will all perish.

Gone is a high-action, high-concept rollercoaster of a read. Don’t be daunted by its 500-plus pages; after all, Harry Potter books had more! Prepare to be excited and awed by the extent of Grant’s admittedly crazy imagination. I hugely enjoyed reading this novel and can't wait until the sequel, Hunger (a Gone Novel), comes out on May 26th!

You'll like this if you also like...
J. K. Rowling
Eoin Colfer
Suzanne Collins

Rating: 4/5

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Don't forget to check back very soon for news about my very first contest giveaway... (!)