Best YA Book Of The Year, So Far . . .

This morning I wanted to take a quick moment to recommend a Young Adult novel, which initially caught my attention for it's oh-so-pretty cover. I mean, come on, just look at it!

 

I was delighted to have the opportunity to receive an ARC (Advance Read Copy), and this is what I had to say about the story:

4 1/2 Stars!

"Defiance is a well-paced, heart-wrenching tale of loyalty, courage, and love – set in a darkly dystopian world some readers may find reminiscent of 'Reign of Fire.' Redwine presents convincing teenaged characters with potent prose and palpable emotion, all while never underestimating her audience. 

Admittedly swayed by the gorgeous cover, I went into this book thinking I would immediately love the fiery heroine. Not so. It actually took this reader until about 1/3rd of the way through to get past the crippled grief and bullheaded impulsiveness to fully warm up to her. But that was okay, because instead, I immediately connected with Logan. Rational, studious, and noble, he was a far cry from the quazi-mysterious, angsty badboy archetype that so annoy me about many recent YA novels. 

The author captures masculine vs. feminine misunderstandings and awkward moments with with a believable and authentic candor. And in doing so, she conveys a concept that will ring true for those who've lived in close quarters with pain: that even in the middle of unfathomable stress and tragedy, humor still crops up to provide us both guilt and relief. The tunnel may be long, but there is always a light at the end of it.

My one complaint would be the Commander didn't quite feel fleshed out by the end, his brand of malevolent, ego-maniacal evil feeling just a bit one-dimensional. It was a little hard to believe someone wouldn't have assassinated him by the time the story takes place. But he's far from the only obstacle involved, and the intensity of the internal character conflicts makes him easy to set aside."

Favorite quote:

“Silent acquiescence in the face of tyranny is no better than outright agreement.”

--Logan {Defiance}

Hopefully I will be interviewing the Author, C.J. Redwine, somewhere close to her August 28th, 2012 publication date! Stay tuned, there may very well be a FREE BOOK and/or swag involved.
  
In the mean time . . . on to the next book! Tell me about the best book you've read this year, so far. :) 

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I Predict A Hit

Have you ever encountered something and immediately recognized it was destined to be a 'big deal?' Maybe you picked up something like Harry Potter or Twilight when they first came out (before the teaming, obnoxious hordes of fandom)...or perhaps you acknowledged the genius of leggings before they became an official fad (the first time around). That's how I felt after reading 'A Hint Of Frost' -- like I'd just made a privileged discovery and now had only to wait for the rest of the world to catch on...

I know I've never posted any of my book reviews here, but since my last post was centered around a few loose pointers on the how-tos of book reviewing, I figure I owe you an example. In doing so, I'm going to kill two metaphorical birds with one equally metaphorical stone. You see, it also gives me the opportunity to introduce you to the best book find I've made since I began reviewing for RT.

A Hint Of Frost - by Hailey Edwards

(Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)

4 1/2 Stars!

Review: 'The author spins an action-packed story of intrigue and betrayal, with an endearing romance at its heart. I adore a good marriage of convenience tale that turns into much more – and this one is exceptional. The dialogue is strong, the storyline compelling, and the prose artful. I nearly devoured this book in a single sitting, I was so hesitant to put it down once I'd been caught in its web.

Though a bit more physical description would have helped me initially to immerse myself and distinguish between characters, the detraction was minimal. The fantasy world setting is vaguely familiar in a brutal, medieval sort of way, but still satisfyingly foreign. I found the idea of humans with spider-like characteristics to be both original and fascinating. And the concept, along with the culture, was handled with elegance.

Lourdes is competent and relatable heroine, in spite of circumstances, counterbalanced by a keen hero I was happy to root for. I was also pleased to see the author juggle a number of children/adolescent side-characters, and volatile sibling relationships, with a deft authenticity. If this book heralds a series, I will happily be keeping an eye out for the next one.'

If you're even remotely interested, bear in mind that the release date is this coming Tuesday, April 17th, 2012. And on that day, I'll be hosting a special interview with author Hailey Edwards. She's been so kind as to offer up a FREE EBOOK for one lucky commenter! So be sure to check back.

See you Tuesday, peeps! :)

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