Friday Freebies: March 29, 2013

Click on each title to go to the Amazon Kindle edition listing. Be sure to double-check the price before you download!


The Bewitching of Alison Allbright
by Alan Davidson

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 160 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Straw Hat
Publication date: May 20, 2012
(originally published August 20, 1979)
Suggested tags: middle grade, mystery



From Amazon:

"Alison Allbright has always sought refuge in day dreams - of having a glamorous mother and a lovely home, of being an exciting person, of doing all the things that the others at high school do - and more. When Mrs Considine appears, spinning her amazing web of fantasy and making those dreams come true, Alison is completely bewitched....until she discovers the catch.

First publication in e-book of Alan Davidson's modern classic."

The Charm
by Alana Siegel

Available as: Kindle edition
Pages: 178
Publisher: unknown
Publication date: December 12, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal



First in the Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program series. (Book 2, Retreat, is also currently free!) From Amazon:

"Imagine what high school would be like if your ex-boyfriend fired lightning when he was angry, the sporty girl in your class had enough strength to lift a flatbed truck, and you could charm your way out of trouble.

When shy, sixteen year old, Olivia Hart, witnesses the actual rainstorm her ex-boyfriend, Max Smarr, creates in Pandora high school's cafeteria, she’s convinced she’s lost her mind. Nothing will prepare her, however, for the discovery of her own special Gift.

Olivia Hart has always been satisfied living in the shadows of her peers, and so high school doesn’t get any easier when her charismatic brother goes off to college and her relationship with her edgy boyfriend comes to an end. When she comes across an antique charm, she finds out that she can compel people with her mind and hiding is no longer an option. With the help of her friends in the Gifted Program and each of their special Gifts, what happens next in this young love and coming of age story will force Olivia into the spotlight, test her friendships, and cause her to question her role in a society."

Cobbogoth
by Hannah L. Clark

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 336 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: KinStone Publishing
Publication date: December 3, 2011
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, mythology



First in the Cobbogoth series. From Amazon:

"To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself. Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover-up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to stop the killing once and for all. If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for. But if she fails, not even the gods can help her."

Heirs of Prophecy
by Michael A. Rothman

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 380 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: M & S Publishing, L.L.C.
Publication date: April 3, 2012
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



First in The Prophecies series. From Amazon:

"The Riverton family had been enjoying a simple summer vacation when, through a fluke of nature, they found themselves in a strange new land.

The Riverton brothers quickly realize that in this world, they have gained unusual powers. Powers that their parents fear will attract the attention of Azazel himself - the merciless wizard who brutally controls this world.

The two brothers soon learn that an ancient prophecy has finally been initiated by their arrival in Trimoria. As the heirs of this prophecy, they are destined to lead the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and even a misfit ogre against the prophesied demon horde.

Only one thing stands in their way.

The evil wizard who has learned of their presence, and has sent assassins to wipe them from existence."

Friday Finds #35

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading. Each Friday, you share the great books you heard about or discovered over the past week: "books you were told about, books you discovered while browsing blogs/bookstores online, or books that you actually purchased."




The Reece Malcolm List
by Amy Spalding

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 352
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication date: February 5, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?"

Shrapnel
by Stephanie Lawton

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 212
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Publication date: January 18, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, ghosts



From Goodreads:

"It’s been six years since Dylanie and her family visited a Civil War site and the place came alive with cannon fire. Problem was, no one could hear it but her.

Now she’s sixteen, her dad’s moved out, her mom’s come out of the closet and Dylan’s got a spot on Paranormal Teen, a reality TV show filming at historic Oakleigh Mansion. She’ll spend a weekend with two other psychic teens—Jake and Ashley—learning how to control her abilities.

None of them realized how much their emotional baggage would put them at the mercy of Oakleigh’s resident spirits, or that they’d find themselves pawns in the 150-year-old battle for the South’s legendary Confederate gold. Each must conquer their personal ghosts to face down Jackson, a seductive spirit who will do anything to protect the gold’s current location and avenge a heinous attack that destroyed his family."

Unremembered
by Jessica Brody

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 320
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Publication date: March 5, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, science fiction, romance



First in the Unremembered series. From Goodreads:

"When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten."

What Lies Beneath
by Richard Denney

Available as: paperback
Pages: 172
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication date: March 26, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, thriller



From Goodreads:

"When Blair Lewis is left for dead in a freezing lake, she can't get over the fact that her boyfriend tried to kill her. And when she begins to receive disturbing gifts and letters from her supposed dead boyfriend, she attempts to figure out what is going on before the darkness consumes her. Nothing is as it seems and the startling truth is going to rip Blair right out of this world. Is Blair simply losing her mind? Or is something vicious and dark after her sanity and soul?"

Review: The Grey Elk by Kevis Hendrickson

"The Grey Elk"
by Kevis Hendrickson

Available as: Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 10
Publisher: unknown
Publication date: December 12, 2011
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



From Goodreads:

"A man of nature searching for wonders. A land of magic and splendour. A tale of love and hope and sorrow. The Grey Elk recounts the wondrous tale of the magical guardian of the woods."

{ The author kindly provided a Kindle edition of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. }


This is the second fairy tale/fantasy short story that I have read by Kevis Hendrickson ("The Tale of Liril" was the first - read my review here), and it won't be my last! I love Hendrickson's style - the narration is rich and detailed and the language is elegant, making you feel as if you're reading a classic fairy tale that's been told and retold for centuries.

"The Grey Elk" follows Naran Jasar, who travels through mythical lands, helping animals and people alike along the way. He finds a wife and starts a family, but he struggles to find a place to make their home. The ending is pure magic, and I mean that in the best way possible; while the story is definitely a fantasy all the way long, the ending takes on an even more beautiful and mystical feel.

The author recommends this tale for middle grade readers and up, and I would agree with that. There is nothing inappropriate in the story, but younger children may find it difficult to understand some of the more complicated vocabulary and sentence structure. Older children and adults would be able to best appreciate the lyrical style that Hendrickson uses to tell this imaginative tale.


Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

"Waiting On" Wednesdays: March 27, 2013

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each Wednesday, you share upcoming releases that you're eagerly anticipating.





How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True
by Sarah Strohmeyer

Expected release date: April 23, 2013
Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 320
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Suggested tags: young adult, romance, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl's summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World.

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they've hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she's assigned to serve "The Queen"-Fairyland's boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe's job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?"

New Release Round-Up: March 25-31, 2013

Young Adult


Going Vintage
by Lindsey Leavitt

Release date: March 26, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 320
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far."

If You Find Me
by Emily Murdoch

Release date: March 26, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Friday Finds #34

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading. Each Friday, you share the great books you heard about or discovered over the past week: "books you were told about, books you discovered while browsing blogs/bookstores online, or books that you actually purchased."



Freaks
by Kieran Larwood

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 256
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication date: April 5, 2012
Suggested tags: middle grade, paranormal, steampunk



From Goodreads:

"Weirdest. Crime Fighters. Ever.

Sheba, the fur-faced Wolfgirl, can sniff out a threat from miles away. Monkeyboy clambers up buildings in the blink of an eye -- then drops deadly stink bombs of his own making (yes, THAT kind)! Sister Moon sees in the dark, and moves at the speed of light. Born with weird abnormalities that make them misfits, these FREAKS spend their nights on public display, trapped in a traveling Victorian sideshow. But during the day, they put their strange talents to use: They solve the most sinister crimes. And in a dank, desperate world of crooks and child-snatchers, they're determined to defend London's most innocent victims: the street urchins disappearing from the city's streets."

The Gypsy Thief
by Kellie Bellamy Tayer

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 342
Publisher: Vagabond Press
Publication date: November 27, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, romance, contemporary



First in the Talisman Trilogy. From Goodreads:

"The Gypsy Thief is set in modern day Rhode Island and is the story of Laura Calder and her love for two boys: Andrew Easton, a descendant of King George the First, and Miguel Dos Santos, a mysterious gypsy who has royal ties of his own. More than 300 years previously, a dying Portuguese princess named Gabriela cast a gypsy curse on King George the First who issued a royal decree to counteract that curse. In the spring of 2012, the time has come for the decree to be fulfilled: Miguel Dos Santos must die by the hand of Tristan Easton, the eldest son of the Duke of Easton. But when a tragic accident befalls Tristan, it is up to his younger brother Andrew to carry out the decree, a situation complicated by the fact that Miguel once saved Andrew's life. Andrew's father, the Duke of Easton, aware of Miguel's act of bravery, decides to let him live, but not without cost. He forces Laura into an impossible situation in order to save Miguel and her family. She must make a life-changing, heart-breaking decision, even as she tries to understand the messages from the mysterious disk she wears as a talisman around her neck, a talisman she must protect from the duke, as it is now her only tie to Miguel. Ultimately, The Gypsy Thief is a story of family honor and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love, a story to be continued in its sequel, The Dark Prince, and concluded in The Shadow King."

Instant Preplay
by Karl Fields

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 206
Publisher: Axe Publishing
Publication date: March 13, 2013
Suggested tags: middle grade, paranormal



From Goodreads:

"What if your TV could "tune in" tomorrow?

Thirteen-year-old Logan Styles had visions of Park Avenue in his head when his show business father landed a job in New York. Instead, Logan ended up in suburban L.A. with his grandmother, where boredom and new-kid obscurity pose a hazard to his health…until he discovers the DVR attached to his television records shows before they air.

Suddenly able to “predict” the scores of ballgames, the outcome of reality shows and even the weather, Logan becomes a breakout hit among Sunset Ridge Middle School’s most popular crowd. But his digital ESP comes with a burden. As he learns the DVR’s downside, Logan will have to decide whether having all the answers all the time is everything it’s cracked up to be?"

Light as a Feather, Stiff As a Board
by Zoe Aarsen

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 389
Publisher: Lovestruck Literary
Publication date: February 5, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal



First in the Weeping Willow High series. From Goodreads:

"McKenna Brady thinks her junior year of high school is going to be the best ever when she’s welcomed into the elite group of popular girls at Weeping Willow High School led by blond, gorgeous Olivia Richmond.

Prior to junior year, McKenna was known in her small town as the girl whose twin sister died in a tragic house fire, and she’s overjoyed at the prospect of redefining her identity. She has a date to the Homecoming dance with Olivia’s handsome older brother, and a good chance of being elected to student council. For the first time since McKenna’s parents divorced, things are looking up.

But everything changes the night of Olivia’s Sweet Sixteen sleepover birthday party. Hannah, the shy, mysterious new girl in town, suggests that the girls play a scary game called Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, during which Hannah makes up elaborate stories about the future ways in which beautiful Olivia, brassy Candace, and athletic Mischa will die. The game unsettles McKenna because she’s already escaped death once in her life, but she doesn’t want to ruin her friends’ fun. It’s only a game, she reminds herself.

But it doesn’t seem like a harmless game a week later when Olivia dies unexpectedly in a violent car crash, exactly as Hannah predicted. And something begins haunting McKenna’s bedroom at night, leaving her clues that all seem to point to Hannah. McKenna enlists the help of her cute next-door neighbor Trey in finding out exactly what kind of curse Hannah has put on all of the popular girls in the junior class.

As Hannah rises to popularity and seemingly steps into the life Olivia left unfinished, McKenna and Trey know they only have a limited amount of time to bring an end to Hannah’s game before more lives are lost."

{ bon voYAge! } March 2013

The destination for February 2013 was

{ Florida, USA }

And here are the YA & MG books we found...

The destination for March 2013 is...

{ Italy }

Some examples of YA & MG books set in Italy:

Please send me links to your posts and reviews by Saturday, March 30 so I can add them to my next { bon voYAge! } post! ... Sorry that's not much time - I'm getting a late start this month! :/


Want to play? Here's how it works...

{ }  On the first day of each month, I'll post the name of a destination: a city, state, region, province, country, etc.
{ } Throughout the month, you can:
       1. look for a YA or MG book (or books) set in that destination to share.
       2. read a YA or MG book (or books) set in that destination and write a review.
{ } You can post the books you found or the reviews you wrote any time during that month. Just send me a link so I can link back to your post!
{ } On the first day of the next month, I'll share everyone's books and reviews. Then I'll post another destination and we can start again! :)

Want to check out the books we've already discovered? Browse all the locations that we've explored on the { bon voYAge! } tab above!

Have a location you'd like to explore? Let me know in the comments here or on the { bon voYAge! } tab above, or email me at pidginpea (at) yahoo (dot) com!

Want to put a { bon voYAge! } button on your blog? I'd love that! I made it using deviantART stock resources from SneakyTomato and artist00 and fonts from kevinandamanda.com.

<center><a href="http://pidginpeasbooknook.blogspot.com/p/bon-voyage.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBeF_3crrKlZsQJ-mUIBIoaLD2gXanEAZilI2XDAQJlENeGUn7w8Sn_-DWLY8X_2WfcQZxA4Ca31kKPP6NlH8ghdibCg9b4wEzV-pEyd5Fg18md4dfRiWEo0jYGw4r4CXY2maZ1b6KPc/s200/bon+voYAge+cropped+blog.jpg"/></a></center>

Review: Frozen by Mary Casanova

Frozen
by Mary Casanova

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition
Pages: 264
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
Publication date: September 7, 2012
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, mystery,
20th century



From Goodreads:

"Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose hasn’t said a word in eleven years—ever since the day she was found lying in a snowbank during a howling storm. Like her voice, her memories of her mother and what happened that night were frozen.

Set during the roaring 1920s in the beautiful, wild area on Rainy Lake where Minnesota meets Canada, Frozen tells the remarkable story of Sadie Rose, whose mother died under strange circumstances the same night that Sadie Rose was found, unable to speak, in a snowbank. Sadie Rose doesn’t know her last name and has only fleeting memories of her mother—and the conflicting knowledge that her mother had worked in a brothel. Taken in as a foster child by a corrupt senator, Sadie Rose spends every summer along the shores of Rainy Lake, where her silence is both a prison and a sanctuary.

One day, Sadie Rose stumbles on a half dozen faded, scandalous photographs—pictures, she realizes, of her mother. They release a flood of puzzling memories, and these wisps of the past send her at last into the heart of her own life’s great mystery: who was her mother, and how did she die? Why did her mother work in a brothel—did she have a choice? What really happened that night when a five-year-old girl was found shivering in a snowbank, her voice and identity abruptly shattered?

Sadie Rose’s search for her personal truth is laid against a swirling historical drama—a time of prohibition and women winning the right to vote, political corruption, and a fevered fight over the area’s wilderness between a charismatic, unyielding, powerful industrialist and a quiet man battling to save the wide, wild forests and waters of northernmost Minnesota. Frozen is a suspenseful, moving testimonial to the haves and the have-nots, to the power of family and memory, and to the extraordinary strength of a young woman who has lost her voice in nearly every way—but is utterly determined to find it again."

{ I received this as an ebook from NetGalley. }


The synopsis for Frozen really piqued my interest - a YA historical fiction/mystery that touches on prohibition, women's suffrage, and conservation? Sounds great! So much in one novel! ... But ultimately, for me, all the various aspects of the story ended up being a negative rather than a positive. There was too much going on, and too little was really explored with any substantial feeling.

In addition to all the issues mentioned in the synopsis, the novel also deals with prostitution, attempted rape, and mental illness. These are serious subjects, and along with the other issues, it should make for a pretty mature and intense book. But somehow, unfortunately, the story actually comes across a little bit juvenile. Our narrator Sadie just seems a little too removed from everything; she's at the center of the story, facing all these important issues and discoveries from her past, but it was hard for me to get into her head and share her thoughts and emotions on the same level as I usually do in a YA book. There is a good bit of devotion to the mystery of Sadie's mother's past, and I did feel Sadie's pain and frustration as she gathered and deciphered the clues. Unfortunately, the solution to the mystery turned out to be rather expected and predictable (SPOILER - highlight to read: as was the fact that Hans & Aasta are Sadie's grandparents).

One of my biggest issues with the book is the handling of Sadie's rediscovery of her ability to speak. From the synopsis, this seems like it should be one of the major moments in the plot. But it happens quite early in the book and, to be honest, I found it pretty unremarkable. I am by no means educated on mutism or speech pathology, but I expected some meaningful moment would spur her words back to her, and that she would struggle a bit at first as she began to learn to speak again. But there really isn't anything significant that happens to inspire her speech. And when she does speak, despite the fact that she hasn't spoken a word for how-many-years, all of a sudden she's back to speaking in complete, flawlessly delivered sentences. The other characters accept all this quite readily, and at times, a little too easily. "Oh, you can speak! That's great! There, I've acknowledged it. Now we can move on with our interaction."

And, Owen and Victor? There are hints of romance, which builds a bit at the end, but it kind of felt like an afterthought. Like an editor said, "Oh wait, this is a YA book, we probably need a romantic element in here. Well, there are two guys in this book around Sadie's age. Let's have her crush on one of them. Or maybe both?" And it reads kind of like it was never really determined if Sadie should be romantically interested in one or both of them - implications of Sadie's possible developing feelings for (or at least mild interest in) both Owen and Victor pop up here and there, but there's no real relationship developed (at least not to my satisfaction) with either of them. (SPOILER - highlight to read: Yes, Sadie does technically end up in a relationship with Owen, but it feels kind of half-hearted and forced, and it wraps up on a rather unsatisfying "meh - if it's meant to be, it will be" note.)

Please don't get me wrong - Frozen is not a bad book. In some aspects, it's quite good! I think its greatest strength is the setting; Casanova really brings Minnesota and Canada of the 1920's to life. I felt most drawn into the story when Sadie was boating up and down the waterways. Casanova writes these scenes spectacularly. I would certainly give another book by Casanova a try. My main problem with this book is that it feels like it deals with just too much. The juggling of so many issues simply didn't work for me as well as it could have.


Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

{ More about Frozen }

University of Minnesota Press website for Frozen

New Release Round-Up: March 18-24, 2013

Young Adult


Pretty Girl-13
by Liz Coley

Release date: March 19, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 352
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, thriller



From Goodreads:

"Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home...only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do—people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing-and ultimately empowering-page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love."

The Art of Wishing
by Lindsay Ribar

Release date: March 21, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 314
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, romance



First in The Art of Wishing series. From Goodreads:

"He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Marco Impossible
by Hannah Moskowitz

Release date: March 19, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 256
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Suggested tags: middle grade, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Best friends Stephen and Marco attempt a go-for-broke heist to break into the high school prom and get Marco onstage to confess his love for (and hopefully steal the heart of) Benji, the adorable exchange student and bass player of the prom band."

Plastic Polly
by Jenny Lundquist

Release date: March 19, 2013
Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 240
Publisher: Aladdin M!X
Suggested tags: middle grade, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Popularity has its pitfalls, and Polly is discovering them firsthand in this middle-grade M!X novel.

Polly Pierce likes being the second-most popular girl at Winston Academy, right after her BFF, Kelsy. Popularity comes with special privileges, like a seat at the best table in the cafeteria and a coveted spot on the planning committee for the school’s big talent show competition, Groove It Up! And since all Polly has to do is agree with whatever Kelsy says, being popular is easy—even if kids do call her “Plastic Polly” behind her back.

But when a freak accident takes Kelsy out of the picture, Polly is suddenly in charge of the Groove It Up! committee. She’s not prepared for her new status—and neither is anyone else. Backstabbing friends, an intimidating crush, and diva demands from an injured Kelsy all threaten to derail Polly’s plans. Can she prove to everyone—and herself—that she has a personality of her own?"

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: