{ Spotted & Sampled }: A new YA take on Lost & Lord of the Flies, a blast from the 90s past, and a sneak peek at a royal murder

Hello, fellow bookworms! Hope you all had a great summer! I spent mine with my hubby (who is a teacher and therefore can party all summer, woohoo!) and my son, who is now a toddler and has way too much energy. We spent a lot of time outside and we went on a big road trip at the end, so it was a nice break for all of us!

But now I'm back - yay! - and I bring you new blog things!!

So I keep discovering all kinds of books that I'm so excited about, and that I really want to share with people. Also, I have recently become aware of SO MANY ways to read samples of books, which is so great because I love getting a taste of the plot and an author's writing style ahead of time. And so I thought to myself, why not just make a weekly post about what I've spotted and added to my TBR list, and also what I've come across in the way of samples over the past week?

So here we are! Spotted & Sampled! LET'S DO THIS.

{ Spotted }

When We Were Lost
by Kevin Wignall

Available as: unknown
Pages: unknown
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Expected publication date: 2019
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 12-18), survival, thriller



From Goodreads:

"When a plane bound for Costa Rica crashes in deep jungle, the tail section breaks free and nineteen teenagers miraculously survive. Joel Aspinall, son of a local politician and student rep on the school’s council, is quick to take on the mantle of leadership, to organize everyone until a rescue party arrives. But the plane was crashed on purpose, no one knows where they are and no rescuers are coming. To make things worse, Joel’s decisions lead to more people dying, and he’s determined to wait it out.

Tom Calloway didn’t want to be on this trip. Tom doesn’t want to bond with his classmates – he isn’t the bonding type. He’d rather they just left him alone, and he’s always been unfriendly enough that they’ve been happy to oblige. But that was before the crash. Now he finds himself building the friendships he’s always tried to avoid. And despite his determined efforts to be left alone, he begins to see that he might be the one to challenge Joel and pull off another miracle, by getting all the survivors to safety.

When We Were Lost, featuring elements of Lost and Lord of the Flies, is a novel of survival, of teenagers thrust into a hostile environment. It’s a novel of life and death and the razor-thin dividing line between them. And it’s a novel about finding a place for yourself in a world that’s infinitely complex."

Lost + Lord of the Flies + YA = YES. Survival stories are so my thing. I'm already lining up for this one.


The Race to Chimney Rock
by Jesse Wiley

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 160
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 4, 2018
Suggested tags: chapter book (ages 7-10), historical fiction, choose your own adventure



From Goodreads:

"Go west, young pioneer—your journey begins here! In this first leg of your trek on the Oregon Trail, you need to find your way to Chimney Rock—but not without unpredictable challenges ahead. This is the first installment of four books that will take you all the way to Oregon Territory—if you make the right choices.

In book one of this exciting choose-your-own-adventure series, it's 1850 and your first goal is to get your family, covered wagon full of supplies, and oxen to Chimney Rock on time. But hurry—you'll need to make it through the rugged mountains before winter snow hits. Plus, there are wild animals, natural disasters, unpredictable weather, fast-flowing rivers, strangers, and sickness that will be sure to stand between you and your destination!

Which path will get you safely across the prairie? With twenty-two possible endings, choose wrong and you'll never make it to Chimney Rock on time. Choose right and blaze a trail that gets you closer to Oregon City!"

IT'S AN OREGON TRAIL CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK OMG THIS IS MY '90s CHILDHOOD IN BOOK FORM

Ahem. ... I'm fine. Everything's fine. ... But yeah, as soon as I saw this it was IMMEEEEEDIATELY on my to-read list. And you better believe I'm gonna read until I find all 22 possible endings.

{ Sampled }

Four Dead Queens
by Astrid Scholte

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook
Pages: 432
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Expected publication date: February 26, 2019
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), fantasy



From Goodreads:

"Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she's, in fact, one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.

An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences, Four Dead Queens heralds the arrival of an exciting new YA talent."

Sampled from: Bookish First (If you haven't heard of Bookish First, go check them out! You can read samples of upcoming books every week, and reviewing books earns you entries into weekly drawings and points towards FREE BOOKS. Yes please!! ... P.s. I'm not affiliated, just a big fan.)

Ok, so... YA fantasies are like THE THING right now. There are soooo many of them. And I'm starting to feel like they're all kind of... the same? I feel like I haven't read a new YA fantasy in a while that's really unique. So I'm a little hard to please when it comes to this type of book.

And after reading this sample, I'm kind of torn on this one. Parts of it I liked, and parts of it I didn't. I wasn't wowed by Keralie's story at the beginning - she's basically a pickpocket, working for an Oliver Twist-esque Fagin character, and the hints of her backstory (she left home apparently, after some kind of situation with her father) didn't really make me all that interested to know more, I hate to say.

Then we move over to a scene at the palace, where there are four queens of four different areas of this world called Quadara. I mean... again, I'm torn. Quad, four - clever, I get it. There are four distinct areas, but I wasn't really all that interested in any one of them. And I didn't really get into the queens' story line until (SPOILER! ... Well, not really, since it's in the title...) one of them is murdered.

Both Keralie's and the queens' story lines end in cliffhangers, and I *did* find myself wanting to read more to find out what happens from there. So I give this a solid "meh". I do want to keep reading, but I'm not going to be first in line when it comes out.



That's all for this week! Did you like it? I hope so. I liked doing it! So I'll hope to see you next week for more spottings & samples!

Review: 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

13 Minutes
by Sarah Pinborough

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 320
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication date: October 3, 2017
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, thriller



From Goodreads:

"Natasha’s sure that her friends love her. But does that mean they didn’t try to kill her?

Natasha is the most popular girl in school. So why was she pulled out of a freezing river after being dead for thirteen minutes? She doesn’t remember how she ended up in the icy water that night, but she does know this—it wasn’t an accident, and she wasn’t suicidal.

Now Natasha’s two closest friends, who are usually her loyal sidekicks, are acting strangely. Natasha turns to Becca, the best friend she dumped years before, to help her figure out the mystery.

At first Becca isn’t sure that she even wants to help Natasha. But as she is drawn back into Natasha’s orbit, Becca starts putting the pieces together. As an outsider, Becca believes she may be the only one who can uncover the truth…which is far more twisted than she ever imagined."

Wow. That was a ride. Also my first Sarah Pinborough book - where have I been?? WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING???

Summary: I'm not sure I can summarize it any better than what's above without giving something away... and this is one of those where you don't want to know too much ahead of time.

What I liked: From start to finish, I kind of had an idea about where things were going or who was involved... but then everything changed and all my ideas were proven wrong and I had to start all over. I love books that do that to me - make me feel like I know what's happening and then rip the rug out. This one was kind of like a slow build-up, rather than an abrupt rug-ripping, which I enjoyed.

I mean, come on, you have to love the Mean Girls vibe that runs through most of this. The Natasha-Becca-Hayley-Jenny thing was just so strained and uncomfortable. The barbs they throw at each other, both subtle and not, were so fierce. I mean, I don't miss that part of high school and I certainly don't want to have any drama like that in my life ever again, but I'd be lying if I said I don't love reading about it.

And I really, really loved what I felt was the tipping point... the part in the theater (SPOILER - highlight to read: where Becca's new friend (crap I already can't remember her name) is killed by the light falling on her and Natasha is like "I REMEMBER" and you're like WAIT THIS SEEMS SUSPICIOUS and it all unravels from there)... *shudder* yeah that was good.

What I didn't: It was maaaybe just a little too long? I got halfway through the book and there's like a faux-reveal where it seems like everything's resolved but you know obviously it's not because you've still got a chunk of book left in your hand... and part of me was kind of wishing I didn't have that much left. Granted, it turned out to be exciting and fast-paced, but at the time I was feeling a little "ugh" about having that much to go.

And while I don't usually mind too much about smoking or partying or tasteful sex scenes in my YA, in this one the smoking scenes are written so it's almost glorified, to the point where I as a very-much-non-smoker found myself thinking, "Is it really that great? What am I missing?" It's written in just such an incredibly alluring way... So if you or the teen you plan to recommend this to are sensitive to being influenced, that's just something to keep in mind.

TL;DR: This is my first Sarah Pinborough book, but it definitely won't be my last. I'm really getting into YA thrillers lately and this was a great one.


Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.


{ Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for providing me with a review copy. My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

{ Follow Sarah Pinborough }

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New Release Round-Up: March 9-15, 2015

Young Adult


The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
by Teresa Toten

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 304
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Deep, understated, and wise, this engaging YA novel, winner of the Governor General’s Award in Canada, is about more than the tough issue of teens dealing with obsessive-compulsive order. It also has romance, and a whodunit element that will keep readers guessing. Perfect for readers who love Eleanor & Park!

Adam Spencer Ross is almost fifteen, and he’s got his hands full confronting the problems that come with having divorced parents and new stepsiblings. Add to that his obsessive-compulsive disorder and it’s just about impossible for him to imagine ever falling in love. Adam’s life changes, however, the instant he meets Robyn Plummer: he is hopelessly, desperately drawn to her. But is it possible to have a normal relationship when your life is anything but?

Filled with moments of deep emotion and unexpected humor, The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B explores the complexities of living with OCD and offers the prospect of hope, happiness, and healing."

Vanishing Girls
by Lauren Oliver

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperCollins
Suggested tags: young adult, mystery, thriller



From Goodreads:

"New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Ms. Rapscott's Girls
by Elise Primavera

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 272
Publisher: Dial Books
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy, adventure



From Goodreads:

"Fans of Mary Poppins will love this whimsical tale of a boarding school for children of very busy parents, where an extraordinary headmistress teaches them life lessons about courage, adventure, friendship . . . and the importance of birthday cake.

Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.

Bestselling author Elise Primavera has created an irresistible, richly illustrated story about finding your way."

Nightbird
by Alice Hoffman

Release date: March 10, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 208
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



From Goodreads:

"An enchanting novel from bestselling author Alice Hoffman: a charmed New England village, a family secret, and a friendship destined to defeat a witch.

"Some things could only be found in Sidwell it seemed: pink apples, black owls, and my brother, James."

Twelve-year-old Twig's town in the Berkshires is said to hide a winged beast, the Monster of Sidwell, and the rumors draw as many tourists as the town's famed pink apple orchards. Twig lives in the orchard with her mysterious brother James and her reclusive mother, a baker of irresistible apple pies. Because of a family secret, an ancient curse,Twig has had to isolate herself from other kids. Then a family with two girls, Julia and Agate, moves into the cottage next door. They are descendants of the witch who put the spell on Twig's family. But Julia turns out to be Twig's first true friend, and her ally in trying to undo the curse and smooth the path to true love for Agate and James."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

New Release Round-Up: February 23-March 1, 2015

Young Adult


The Bunker Diary
by Kevin Brooks

Release date: March 1, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 264
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Suggested tags: young adult, horror, thriller



From Goodreads:

"Room meets Lord of the Flies, The Bunker Diary is award-winning, young adult writer Kevin Brooks's pulse-pounding exploration of what happens when your worst nightmare comes true - and how will you survive?

I can't believe I fell for it.

It was still dark when I woke up this morning.

As soon as my eyes opened I knew where I was.

A low-ceilinged rectangular building made entirely of whitewashed concrete.

There are six little rooms along the main corridor.

There are no windows. No doors. The lift is the only way in or out.

What's he going to do to me?

What am I going to do?

If I'm right, the lift will come down in five minutes.

It did. Only this time it wasn't empty . . ."

The Mermaid's Sister
by Carrie Anne Noble

Release date: March 1, 2015
Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook
Pages: 236
Publisher: Skyscape
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy, mermaids



From Goodreads:

"There is no cure for being who you truly are...

In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie’s healing potions. By night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara’s favorite story tells of three orphan infants—Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O’Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.

One day, Clara discovers shimmering scales just beneath her sister’s skin. She realizes that Maren is becoming a mermaid—and knows that no mermaid can survive on land. Desperate to save her, Clara and O’Neill place the mermaid-girl in their gypsy wagon and set out for the sea. But no road is straight, and the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and O’Neill must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening mermaid.

And always, in the back of her mind, Clara wonders, if my sister is a mermaid, then what am I?"

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Echo
by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Release date: February 24, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 592
Publisher: Scholastic
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fiction



From Goodreads:

"Music, magic, and a real-life miracle meld in this genre-defying masterpiece from storytelling maestro Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo.

Richly imagined and masterfully crafted, ECHO pushes the boundaries of genre and form, and shows us what is possible in how we tell stories. The result is an impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force that will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck."

Mark of the Thief
by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Release date: February 24, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 352
Publisher: Scholastic
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fantasy



First in the Mark of the Thief series. From Goodreads:

"When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.

Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.

In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: