It’s Friday, which means we are over at Kirkus! Today Ana reviews Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. The book – a retelling of The Odyssey featuring 5 sisters travelling in Mexico, guided by the ghostly La…
Young Adult
Title: When We Wake Author: Karen Healey Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication date: March 5 2013 Hardcover: 304 pages My name is Tegan Oglietti, and on the last day of my…
When We Wake Blog Tour: A Character Interview with Abdi (& Giveaway)
Hello, everyone! Today we are thrilled to host our stop on the official When We Wake blog tour! The third novel from the thoughtful, wonderful Karen Healey, When We Wake is a future dystopian SFF novel about an Australian…
Joint Review (& Giveaway): The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
Title: The Madness Underneath Author: Maureen Johnson Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (US) / HarperCollins (UK) Publication date: February 2013 Hardcover: 290 pages After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat,…
Title: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children Author: Kirstin Cronn-Mills Genre: Contemporary, LGBQT, Young Adult Publisher: Flux Publication date: October 1st 2012 Paperback: 262 pages “This is Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, on community radio 90.3, KZUK. I’m Gabe. Welcome…
“Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspirations and Influences. The best part about I&I posts? Writers are given free rein so they can go wild…
Old School Wednesdays: Secret Scribbled Notebooks by Joanne Horniman
Welcome, everyone, to a brand new weekly Smugglerific feature: Old School Wednesdays! We came up with the idea towards the end of last year, when both of us were feeling exhausted from the never-ending inundation of new and shiny…
Title: The Runaway King Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Publisher: Scholastic Publication Date: March 2013 Hardcover: 352 Pages A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in…
What She Said: The Princess Curse & The Name of the Star
Today we bring you the latest installment in our feature, “What She Said…” in which we both review books that the other has previously read and reviewed. This feature arose because of a very serious dilemma we faced at…
A Smugglerific Cover (& Giveaway): These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Today, we are happy to be hosting the cover reveal for Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s upcoming YA science fiction novel, These Broken Stars! We loved Meagan’s debut novel, Skylark, and as science fiction fans (especially YA SF) have…
Title: The Different Girl Author: Gordon Dahlquist Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Young Adult Publisher: Dutton Juvenile Publication Date: February 2013 Hardcover: 240 Pages Four nearly identical girls on a desert island. An unexpected new arrival. A gently warped near…
2012 Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award: Thoughts on The City’s Son by Tom Pollock
The Kitschies are the UK based awards that reward the year’s most progressive, intelligent and entertaining works that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic. The Golden Tentacle is awarded annually to the debut novel that best fits the…
Title: Pantomime Author: Laura Lam Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, Young Adult Publisher: Strange Chemistry Publication date: February 2012 Hardcover: 392 pages R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of…
Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz Genre: Realistic YA, Romance, LGBT, POC Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Publication date: February 21st 2012 Hardcover: 359 pages A lyrical novel…
Welcome, everyone, to a brand new weekly Smugglerific feature: Old School Wednesdays! We came up with the idea towards the end of last year, when both of us were feeling exhausted from the never-ending inundation of new and shiny…
Title: The Lives We Lost Author: Megan Crewe Genre: Apocalyptic, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Disney Hyperion Publication Date: February 2013 Hardcover: 288 Pages First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.…
Hello, everyone! Today we are thrilled to host Megan Crewe, author of YA supernatural novel Give up the Ghost, and the apocalyptic Fallen World trilogy. We loved the first book in the trilogy, The Way We Fall, and were…
Title: Dance of Shadows Author: Yelena Black Genre: Paranormal YA Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books Publication date: February 14th 2013 Hardcover: 447pages Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you’re close enough to kiss, close…
Title: Ten Author: Gretchen McNeil Genre: Mystery, Young Adult Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Harper Teen) Publication Date: September 2012 Hardcover: 292 Pages SHHHH! Don’t spread the word! Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island. You do…
Hello everyone, and welcome once again to Mystery Appreciation Week! It wouldn’t be a *real* Appreciation Week without some kind of list, so today we bring you two: a list of current/recent television shows (Ana is addicted), AND a…
Joint Review: The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Title: The Girl is Murder Author: Kathryn Miller Haines Genre: Mystery, Historical, Young Adult Publisher: Roaring Brook Press Publication date: July 2011 Paperback: 352 pages Iris Anderson is only 15, but she’s quickly mastering the art of deception in…
Today we bring you the latest installment in our feature, “What She Said…” in which we both review books that the other has previously read and reviewed. This feature arose because of a very serious dilemma we faced at…
Old School Wednesdays: The Catalogue of the Universe by Margaret Mahy
Welcome, everyone, to a brand new weekly Smugglerific feature: Old School Wednesdays! We came up with the idea towards the end of last year, when both of us were feeling exhausted from the never-ending inundation of new and shiny…
Title: Academy 7 Author: Anne Osterlund Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Speak (Penguin) Publication Date: May 2009 Paperback: 272 Pages With a past too terrible to speak of, and a bleak, lonely future ahead of her, Aerin Renning…
Title: The Disappeared Author: C.J. Harper Genre: Dystopian, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK Publication Date: January 2013 Paperback: 384 Pages In a future where children are segregated into institutions that range from comfortable “Learning Communities”…