Top 14 YA Books of 2013

This part of the year is always so hard because each of us sisters read so many great YA books.  We always find ourselves debating which ones should end up in the top spots!  Our goal was to narrow it down to 13, but, of course, we weren't able.  So, we have the Top 14 of 2013.  So instead of actually ranking them 1-14 (which would never be possible...if you have sisters, or blogger friends, or book buddies--you understand), we are going to list the 14 (in no particular order) that we just couldn't have lived without this year!

 

I read this one very early in the year (yay for arcs), and it absolutely blew me away.  Pun intended.  I love how Shannon took something so simple (wind) and turned it into something unique and amazing. 

 

Oh Tahereh Mafi, you will always be one of my favorite authors.  This series really does break me down because the characters are so vivid--even the bad guys.  This is one of those books that I will definitely be reading again.

 

I was never a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland until A.G. Howard opened my eyes to such amazing possibilities.  This book was--Wow!!!!  Just WOW!!!  It's eerie and macabre, but at the same time, it carries a beautiful love story.  I highly recommend this debut novel (and the sequel, Unhinged, that comes out next month!)

 

This year my favorite sub-genre was YA Gothic.  I just love the eerie settings and macabre characters, and this book was by far the best of all the gothic ya out there.  The language was poetic and beautiful, and April made me fall straight into this world.  I cannot wait for the sequel.

 

This one was a complete and utter surprise to me because I had not read any Bourne-like ya books--in fact, I don't know of another one similar to this one--which makes it even better.  I loved the action and suspense that Jennifer created, and the boys---oh the boys!

 

While this one didn't get great reviews from most people, I, personally, loved it.  The idea of a New York that is almost completely under water was fascinating.  I've always been mesmerized by the depths of the ocean, and this book allowed me to see beneath the ripples into a world that was one mighty and strong.  I loved all the twists and turns, and I hope that more people will read this one.

 

 

Of course we had to put Sweet Peril in our list because, let's face it, who wouldn't?  This is such an amazing read, and I love that Wendy Higgins plays with the boundaries of YA.  This love story is heart-breaking and hot, and this is definitely one of my all-time favorite series.

 

I am not usually a high fantasy fan, but this series has completely captured my imagination.  I love the world of the Grisha, and this sequel was even better than the debut.  So many twists and turns, and The Darkling....the hottest villain out there.

 

We 3 sisters (and our mom) agree--this is one of the best series!!!  It's one of the only series where I would be okay with the girl choosing either guy!  Jessica Shirvington's writing is beautiful, and this installment will take you on a roller coaster ride full of feels!

 

If you have followed my tweets or some of my posts this year, you will know that Kresley Cole has become one of my favorite authors.  I loved Poison Princess and Endless Knight so much that I decided to check out her adult series, Immortals After Dark.  Read all 13 in less than a month.  She is an amazing writer, and her first 2 books in the ya genre are perfect!  Absolutely perfect.

 

I'm still Team Cole--even after everything that has happened.  But let me tell you, this sequel--left me speechless.  I did not see that ending coming at all, and I love that Brodi can surprise me!

 

I just started this series this year, and I adore it.  I love how Marissa has twisted the fairy tales into something new and fantastic. While I liked Cinder, I absolutely loved Scarlet.  It was full of wondrous detail and breath-taking characters.  I have Cress right now, and I can't wait to become addicted to it!

 

One of the best endings to a series yet!  I can't name one thing in which I was disappointed.  Steamy romance, crazy gods wreaking havoc, and a god killer all join together in this action packed, blow your socks off finale!

 

This is the best Lux book so far!  Prepare yourself for twist after twist in this roller coaster ride of a book.  BTW--Daemon brings all the tummy butterflies and warm fuzzies in this one.  Love that boy!

 

 

And there you have them!!!!  Let us know what some of your favorites were, and Leave us a link to your Top Books of 2013!

ARC review: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Published by: Simon Pulse, ARC received via trade

Release Date: 3-5-2012

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  A tempest of turmoil, treachery and tethered loyalties

 A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

 

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In a world full of gales, tempests, and squalls

The sylphs live in secret, within closed walls

But there’s one with the power to change their fate

Can he take back his life before it’s too late?

 

Audra’s the guardian who will stand and fight

But will she fall prey to Raiden’s dark might?

Caught in a net of betrayal and lies

How will she fight the storm in the skies?

 

It’s all up to Vane and the powers he claims

Will he save his world or will it end up in flames?

The winds whisper secrets of a past he once lost

But he will fight for his love, no matter the cost.

 

“But I feel a change in the winds.  They whip with more urgency, their songs clipped and rushed.

They know.

The Stormers are coming.”  ARC, pg 311

 

Blasted with passion and treachery, Shannon Messenger creates a world that will lift you off your feet.  Overblown with suspense, inundated with desire, and riddled with mystery, Let The Sky Fall is tempest of emotion.  So close your eyes and throw caution to the wind as it sweeps you away to a place where the air really does whisper in your ear. 

Let the Sky Fall was my most anticipated read of 2013, and it did not disappoint.  This book starts out with a boom, and from there, it’s a steady mix of suspense, action and romance.  Shannon blended her world seamlessly with ours, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in the next few books.

The writing was peaceful at just the right times and rocky and jagged when the situation called for it.  I found myself taking note of quotation after quotation for my Teaser Tuesday because Shannon is one of those authors whose words capture your attention and make you say, “Wow.”  Her words are rife with ambiguity, but even so, she never gives anything away.  I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

You know I love a book when I gush about the heroine.  Like I’ve said before, it’s easy to write a swoony guy, but a tough yet vulnerable girl who doesn’t annoy or frustrate a reader?  That is a rare feat, but Shannon met that storm head on, and the result was the powerful Audra.  Bound by oath, broken by her past, and beaten by her circumstances, Audra is a sylph on a mission; and she will complete her mission no matter the consequences.  I admired her courage and her determination—she wouldn’t give up, and she wouldn’t let her heart get in the way.  Though I found myself cheering for her to throw caution to the wind, I still admired her bravery to stand in the face of temptation and danger.

Vane was charming and funny, and his personality had me swooning.  Not to mention he’s got abs of steel!  He’s different than other guys in YA.  He’s deeply caring and at times a bit wimpy, but when the moments count, he stands up with his armor of bravery.  Usually a guy that’s doesn’t have a bad boy bone in his body would annoy me, but Shannon pulls it off with Vane.  I think it’s his charm that does it—when he makes a move, it’s deliberate and charismatic, and I couldn’t help but smile!

And then there’s Audra’s mother.  GRRRR!  She made me so angry with her nonchalant and apathetic attitude toward Audra.  She’s this super powerful sylph, but she has withered away because of the losses in her past.  There were times when I just wanted to smack her and scream, “She’s your daughter!  Care!”  I had an extreme emotional reaction to her, so Shannon definitely did her job. 

And

Then

The

Ending!

OMG…I didn’t see it coming!  I was so swept up in the romance and suspense that the ending caught me completely off guard.  It was  brilliant and compelling ending, and I really liked that Shannon didn’t end it with one of those break-your-heart cliffhangers.  It was poignant and answered many questions, but there are still many more things that are left to be revealed in the future books.  I was a huge fan of the ending, and it just made me wish the next book would come out sooner.

Let the Sky Fall is perfect for teenagers and adults alike, and I highly recommend it to fans of YA literature.  So if you’re tired of the same old same old in YA and you need a change in the winds (hehe), then check this one out!  Enthralling and chaotic—Shannon’s world is charged with love, pierced with anger, and overflowing with deceit.

“Her face looks pale as she stares into space, ignoring me.  She tosses the dove into the sky, its wings flapping in my face as it flies away..

‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ I beg.

‘We just ran out of time,’ she says, finally meeting my eyes.”  ARC, pg 299

Teaser Tuesday: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

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Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Published by Simon Pulse
Release Date:  3-5-2013

 

"I'm a tempest, battering his thoughts, trying to tear them loose."  ARC, pg 34

 

"'When the Stormer attacked it was like the world ended.  Everthing gone, destroyed, sucked up, or broken and left in splinters."  ARC, pg 96

 

"He puts his arms on either side of me, caging me between them.  My heart slams against my chest so hard it feels like it will bruise me from the inside out."  ARC, pg 116

 

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This is a MUST READ you guys!  I loved it from beginning to end.  The idea was brilliant, and Shannon's characters will sweep you away.  You know that wonderful feeling of Spring when a cool breeze washes over your face and all you smell is flowers mixed with the scent of a fresh rain?  That's this book!!!!

 

Leave me a link to your TT and I will go visit as soon as I am home (on vacay right now)!!!

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that we are anxiously awaiting is LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger.  LET THE SKY FALL releases on March 5, 2013 from Simon Pulse.

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Vane Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

Set amongst the desert airstreams of Coachella Valley in California, LET THE SKY FALL is about two teenagers broken by their pasts, divided by their futures, and bound by love.

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I have been intrigued by this book since I discovered it on Goodreads.  The cover was the first thing that caught my eye--I mean, look at it; it's gorgeous.  But then I discovered it's about sylphs--wind elementals!  How cool is that?  I live in the Dallas area, so I'm no stranger to the wind or the fierce tornadoes that rip through the area a couple of times a year.  Plus, my older sister and I used to chase storms--we were young, don't fault us.  Anywho...I'm jealous of anyone that got this at BEA, and I hate that I have to wait until next year to read it!  (Hopefully it will end up on Netgalley--sending up a prayer).  I can't wait to read about Audra and Vane--I'm betting their romance is epic!