Reviews

Buzz Books 2014: Young Adult by Publishers Lunch

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franuary's review

5.0

Buzz Books is a compiliation of 20-plus excerpts from upcoming Young Adult novels. There are well known authors in the compilation like Ellen Hopkins and Garth Nix, but there are some surprises as well. I especially enjoyed the excerpt of [b:Zac and Mia|15757486|Zac and Mia|A.J. Betts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372227353s/15757486.jpg|21455857] by [a:A.J. Betts|2894829|A.J. Betts|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1287083485p2/2894829.jpg], an Australian import that has already gained acclaim overseas. Other books I can't wait for include [b:Belzhar|20821376|Belzhar|Meg Wolitzer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395326170s/20821376.jpg|40167214] by [a:Meg Wolitzer|113936|Meg Wolitzer|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1238054194p2/113936.jpg], [b:Vivian Versus the Apocalypse|17825130|Vivian Versus the Apocalypse (Vivian Apple, #1)|Katie Coyle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1376534333s/17825130.jpg|24935012] by [a:Katie Coyle|7054607|Katie Coyle|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1366691587p2/7054607.jpg], [b:I'll Give You the Sun|7943654|I'll Give You the Sun|Jandy Nelson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392558479s/7943654.jpg|11409817] by [a:Jandy Nelson|2982266|Jandy Nelson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1271117454p2/2982266.jpg], and [b:Afterworlds|18367581|Afterworlds|Scott Westerfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396118779s/18367581.jpg|25974633] by [a:Scott Westerfeld|13957|Scott Westerfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1199748511p2/13957.jpg].

The "read/request" feature attached to most books made it easy to request advance copies through NetGalley (I wish it had been available for all the featured books, especially Afterworlds). Giving it 5 out of 5 stars in the hopes that Publishers Launch continues to produce these each season!

canadianbookaddict's review

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4.0

I like this ebook. I got to read a few chapers of books that are coming out in the next few months. Now I need to save money to get all the books that I want this summer/Fall.

sjj169's review

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4.0

booksandbark's review

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5.0

urlphantomhive's review

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3.0

READ IN ENGLISH

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I received these excerpts via Netgalley.

This was the first time I came across the Buzz Books, and I was curious as to what books I could expect next fall. I won't discuss every book, but will tell what stories really caught my attention (I've received some of them via Netgalley already!). Overall, it was nice to read these excerpts, but some where later parts in a series, or just not really my cup of tea...

Ghost House - Alexandra Adornetto

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Zac & Mia - A.J. Betts

The last person Zac expects in the room next door is a girl like Mia, angry and feisty with questionable taste in music. In the real world, he wouldn’t—couldn’t—be friends with her. In hospital different rules apply, and what begins as a knock on the wall leads to a note—then a friendship neither of them sees coming.

You need courage to be in hospital; different courage to be back in the real world. In one of these worlds Zac needs Mia. And in the other Mia needs Zac. Or maybe they both need each other, always.

Vivian Apple at the End of the World - Katie Coyle

Seventeen-year-old Vivian Apple never believed in the evangelical Church of America, unlike her recently devout parents. But when Vivian returns home the night after the supposed "Rapture," all that’s left of her parents are two holes in the roof. Suddenly, she doesn't know who or what to believe. With her best friend Harp and a mysterious ally, Peter, Vivian embarks on a desperate cross-country roadtrip through a paranoid and panic-stricken America to find answers. Because at the end of the world, Vivan Apple isn't looking for a savior. She's looking for the truth.

Talon - Julie Kagawa

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

The Accidental Highwayman - Ben Tripp

The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator, Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, goblin attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….

Afterworlds - Scott Westerfield

Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings… Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most.

arwenauthor's review

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5.0

What a fantastic idea! Now I want to buy ALL THE BOOKS! Well, not quite all of them, but it's a very successful book in terms of making you want to get things. There are a number that I'll be requesting on NetGalley and the others I'll just have to be patient... Wish I'd read this earlier in the year! It's perfect for my reading mood at the moment as well - finding it hard to settle to anything at all, so this was ideal.

wizzardofxxxx's review

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4.0

lumiio's review

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5.0

Awesome book. Thank you NetGalley for making this book available.

I think the thing that’s really nice with this book is that you get glimpses of stories that have their best chapters pre-selected for you so you don’t have to flip through the book randomly trying to get the gist of it or read through the whole book just to realize that it was a terrible waste of time. I’ve added so many books to my to-read shelf because of this.

kaycee_k's review

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4.0

Buzz Books 2014: Young Adult by Publishers Lunch. This isn't the first Buzz Books I read. This is however the first Young Adult one that I've read. I enjoyed this one as I did the other one I read. I found quite a few that I can't wait to get my hands on. There are many books in this one that I add to my Goodreader. They have many different kind of books for any reader.
Some of the sneak peeks in this book, made me want to get a copies of the books even more. There are many helpful info about where you can learn about the author and book. Its a great way to find out about new books coming out this year.

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