The Fearless Fifteeners ARC tour is trickling down as the fall releases start to actually release, but that doesn't mean I'm done reading my fellow 2015 debuts' books! Over the past two weeks, I've read one ARC and three books that are already on shelves in my quest to catch up on everything my fabulous peers have been writing. Here's a brief rundown:
Emily Adrian's LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED is about Drama kids getting into very dramatic situations. Rebecca Rivers and her theater friends have named themselves the Essential Five. One of their rules: they can't date each other. But after Rebecca falls for handsome, overachieving Charlie, the rules start to change. Then someone at school makes an accusation about Rebecca and the Drama teacher, Mr. McFadden, and everything—friendships, relationships, Rebecca's acting dreams—starts to unravel. I loved this book's portrayal of Rebecca's passion for acting, as well as the sharp character dynamics among the Essential Five. If you like high school stories, check this one out. It's on shelves now!
I have been waiting and waiting to read the final version of my friend Kim Liggett's romantic horror debut, BLOOD AND SALT! It finally slithered into my hands in late August. Here's what I can tell you about the plot: Ash has visions of a dead girl. She always has. And now that she's a teenager, the dead girl looks exactly like her. When Ash's mom leaves New York City to return to the spiritual commune where she was raised, Ash and her twin brother, Rhys, go after her. But in magical Quivira, Kansas, surrounded by a menacing cornfield and protected by Ash's powerful immortal ancestor, Katia, they find more than they bargained for. Including Dane, a boy Ash is immediately drawn to—and not just because he's super-hot. This book has a creepy cult, plenty of unrequited love, and lots of blood. If that sounds like your thing (especially getting close to Halloween), it's out on September 22nd!
And now for something completely different! Lauren Gibaldi's THE NIGHT WE SAID YES is a dual-timeline romance about first love and second chances. One year ago, Ella met Matt. They and their two best friends spent a night saying "Yes" to every idea, with exhilarating results. Now, about to head to college, Ella sees Matt for the first time since he left and broke her heart. The story jumps back and forth between "Then" and "Now," and you gradually learn more about what brought Ella and Matt together and what tore them apart. But can they start over? Is what they felt before still there? This book made me smile so many times. Ella and Matt have such great chemistry—a must in a YA romance. But this book is also about friendship. I have to give a shout-out to Ella's BFF Meg, the other most important person in her life. THE NIGHT WE SAID YES is on shelves now!
Finally, I am smack in the middle of Maggie Hall's THE CONSPIRACY OF US, and it is every bit as swoony and jet-set-y (I can make that a word, right?) as I expected. When Avery West finds out that she's related to the most important people on the planet—the Circle, twelve powerful families that control world governments, stock markets, and more behind the scenes—she's whisked off on a race around the globe. There are people who believe she's the fulfillment to a centuries-old prophesy—and people who want her dead. There are also two hot guys: steady, British Jack and Swedish/Russian bad-boy Stellan. I'm not far enough into the story to know which way the love triangle's going to swing, or how deep the conspiracy goes, but I am definitely along for the ride. THE CONSPIRACY OF US came out in January (I know, I'm so late on this one!) and you definitely want to read it before its sequel comes out next year.
That's it for now!
~Kathryn