February may be a time of broken hearts , mended relationships and wild romances, but in the bookish world, we’re stepping away from the cute contemporaries and into gritty dystopians, fantastic fantasies and addicting paranormal reads. Below are our Top Six highly anticipated titles of the month, diverse enough to give you a little of everything. As usual, Goodreads ratings, blogger reviews and hype have all contributed into the choosing.
Paranormal
“Pivot Point” by Kasie West
Whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Releases February 12th 2013 by HarperTeen.
Source: Goodreads
Bonus Tidbit: Krista, co-blogger at Nawanda Files and fellow book reviewer, has already reviewed “Pivot Point” with high remarks, saying it’s “fun, original, witty…the perfect recipe for a stellar paranormal.” In addition to Krista’s constant raving (and giddy laughter while she read), the author — Kasie West — has a YA contemporary called “The Distance Between Us” that’ll hit shelves this summer. Read the review.
“Mind Games” by Kiersten White
Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey. Releases February 19th 2013 by HarperTeen.
Bonus Tidbit: Kiersten White is the New York Times Bestselling author of “Paranormalcy” and “Supernaturally.” Besides having a powerhouse author behind the series, the book cover alone has bloggers on Goodreads freaking out with gifs. Take a peek at the cover here.
Steampunk
“Etiquette & Espionage” by Gail Carriger
It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea–and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Mademoiselle Geraldine’s trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Releases February 5th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Bonus Tidbit: Gail Carriger penned the New York Times Bestselling series Parasol Protectorate, and “Etiquette & Espionage” is the first in a four book YA series set 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate but in the same universe. So a spin-off for fans and newbies of Carriger’s world!
Fantasy
“City of a Thousand Dolls” by Miriam Forster
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die. Releases February 5th 2013 by Harper Teen.
Bonus Tidbit: “City of a Thousand Dolls” is Miriam Forster’s epic debut. As YA book reviewer Aylee puts it, Forster’s creation is an “entertaining and addicting read with lush and fascinating world building.” Plus, “Thousand Dolls” has a cover to covet, or at least stare at for a really long, long time.
Sequels
“Breaking Point” by Kristen Simmons
The sequel to “Article 5” (spoilers from book 1 ahead): Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed. Releases February 12th 2013 by Tor Teen.
Bonus Tidbit: Krista reviewed “Breaking Point” and noted that the sequel brings more action and heat and intensity, and the chemistry between Chase and Ember still burns strong amidst a gritty dystopian backdrop. Simmons ranked on CW69’s list of Best 2012 Debut Authors, and she has continued to impress with the heart-pumping sequel. Read the review.
“Scarlet” by Marissa Meyer
The sequel to “Cinder” (spoilers from book 1 ahead): Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own. Releases February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends.
Bonus Tidbit: “Cinder” was one of the few debuts to land on the New York Times Bestsellers list last year. And the blogging community has been raving about “Scarlet.” Trying to find an advance readers copy of “Scarlet” has been near impossible — so many bloggers have been keeping their little paws clutched tight on this one!
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