I was quickly browsing through NetGalley when I came across the “Buzz Books 2015 Young Adult Spring Sampler”. Intrigued, I clicked on it and learned that it provides readers with 26 excerpts from 26 new Young Adult titles soon to be released. What better way is there to learn about more new releases?!
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What’s Inside? (Excerpt from NetGalley): Excerpts include new work from established giants of the field (Michael Buckley Sarah Dessen, David Levithan, Barry Lyga, and Carrie Ryan), an author best-known for her adult books (Alice Hoffman), and newsmakers including Paige McKenzie’s The Haunting Of Sunshine Girl, based on the hit YouTube series, and An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (already sold to Paramount Pictures in a major deal). You will find a full range of YA titles previewed here —romance, fantasy, humor, literary and more — and you will find some works for tweens and middle-grade readers by award-winning authors such as Louis Sachar, Rebecca Stead, and Geoff Rodkey. As always, many Buzz Books are sure to make bestseller and “best of” lists.
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I would quickly like to thank NetGalley for providing readers and reviewers, like myself, with these samples. I think this is a perfect way to market and create buzz around new releases! In this blog post, I will be discussing each of the 26 excerpts and whether I’m intrigued, if I would purchase a full copy upon the release date and everything else related to each book! This will probably be a long post considering there are 26 excerpts to talk about so let’s get into it, shall we?!
The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Reneé Ahdieh
Publisher: Puntam Juvenlie
Release Date: May 12th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780300171611
eBook ISBN: 9780698185890
Summary: Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all. Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, this sumptuous and epically told love story heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in YA.
My Thoughts: The writing is very well done, especially for a debut novel! The opening prologue was very intriguing. The first chapter starts with a different characters point of view than that of the prologue, but it is soon revealed that the two story lines are connected.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes! I would really like to know where this story goes and I would love to learn the roots of all this hate!
A School for Unusual Girls
Author: Kathleen Baldwin
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: May 19th 2015
Print ISBN: 0765376008
eBook ISBN: 1466849274
Summary: It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don’t fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war. After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts…
My Thoughts: This story has an interesting concept about reforming a young girl who doesn’t fit everyone’s expectations of her. The writing style is pretty good and fast paced. Unfortunately, I’m not huge on historical fiction unless it is in a time period that really intrigues me and in this case it does not.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Probably not. Like I said, this time period doesn’t really grab me and unfortunately this first chapter hasn’t peaked my interest enough.
Undertow
Author: Michael Buckley
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780544348257
eBook ISBN: 9780544348622
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.
My thoughts: I will start by saying that his is not a summary that would normally grab me. The excerpt provided is actually the fourth chapter from the novel which makes me slightly curious to see what the first three chapters contained because this felt like a very solid beginning. I was unsure what to expect from this excerpt but I really did enjoy this chapter and it left off with an amazing cliff hanger that makes me beg for more.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Surprisingly, yes I will! I am definitely intrigued and I need to know what happens next!
Seriously Wicked
Author: Tina Connelly
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Print ISBN: 0765375168
eBook ISBN: 1466880740
Summary: The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one. Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch. Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school. Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance. To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch…will that mean she’s wicked too?
My thoughts: I did not enjoy the writing style unfortunately. It felt a little underdeveloped for me. It felt as though something was missing. I know it was only one chapter, but it did not grab me even a little.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Nope, unfortunately not.
99 Days
Author: Katie Cotungo
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 1st 2015
Print ISBN: 9780062216380
eBook ISBN: 9780062216403
Summary: Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done. Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.” Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.
My thoughts: This was the first excerpt so far that I was praying would never end! I wasn’t expecting to get hooked like that. It may be due to a contemporary kick I’m currently on, but this looks very promising!
Will I purchase a full copy?: Definitely! I was hooked after just one chapter!
Saint Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Penguin/Viking
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780451474704
eBook ISBN: 9780698191419
Summary: Peyton, Sydney’s charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion’s share of their parents’ attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton’s increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident? Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time. The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.
My thoughts: Well that first chapter was nothing like the synopsis. It introduced something different and creepy all together. I must say I’m intrigued…
Will I purchase a full copy?: I didn’t think I would, until I read that first chapter so, yeah I will!
Ferals
Author: Jacob Grey
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780062321039
eBook ISBN: 9780062321053
Summary: A sinister threat. A city in danger. A boy with the power to command the crows. Ferals is the first book in a dark, action-packed trilogy that’s part The Graveyard Book, part Batman, and all high-octane adventure. Blackstone was once a thriving metropolis. But that was before the Dark Summer—a wave of violence and crime that swept through the city eight years ago, orchestrated by the fearsome Spinning Man. Now the Spinning Man is on the move again, and a boy named Caw is about to be caught in his web. Caw has never questioned his ability to communicate with crows. But as the threat of a new Dark Summer looms, Caw discovers the underground world of Blackstone’s ferals—those with the power to speak to and control animals. Caw is one of them. And to save his city, he must quickly master abilities he never knew he had . . . and prepare to defeat a darkness he never could have imagined.
My thoughts: I read the first chapter that was provided in the sampler and it really didn’t grab me at all. I thought the idea was interesting but it just wasn’t for me. There was also a second chapter provided but I decided to skip it.
Will I purchase a full copy?: No. It seems like it may appeal to a younger audience and it is unfortunately not for me.
Painless
Author: S.A. Harazin
Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen
Release Date: March 1st 2015
Print ISBN: 9780807562888
eBook ISBN: 9781504002219
Summary: A first kiss. Falling in love. Going to prom. These are all normal things that most teenagers experience. Except for 17-year-old David Hart. His life is anything but normal and more difficult than most. Because of the disease that wracks his body, David is unable to feel pain. He has congenital insensitivity to pain with anhydrosis–or CIPA for short. One of only a handful of people in the world who suffer from CIPA, David can’t do the things every teenager does. He might accidentally break a limb and not know it. If he stands too close to a campfire, he could burn his skin and never feel it. He can’t tell if he has a fever and his temperature is rising. Abandoned by his parents, David now lives with his elderly grandmother who is dying. When David’s legal guardian tells him that he needs to move into an assisted living facility as he cannot live alone, David is determined to prove him wrong. He creates a bucket list, meets a girl with her own wish list, and then sets out to find his parents. All David wants to do is grow old, beat the odds, find love, travel the world, and see something spectacular. And he still wants to find his parents. While he still can.
My thoughts: A very interesting concept. I’ve heard about this disease before through medical dramas on TV (I’m pretty sure it was House) and having a story revolve around someone with that disease is something I haven’t read before. The writing style seemed a little underdeveloped but I’m willing to give it a shot!
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes! I like this idea and storyline!
Magonia
Author: Maria Dahvana Headley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780062320520
eBook ISBN: 9780062320544
Summary: Aza Ray is drowning in thin air. Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name. Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia. Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?
My thoughts: Okay so the synopsis for this book is extremely interesting in my opinion and when I found out there was a chapter from Magonia within this sampler I got really excited. Here’s my issue, just this chapter alone felt like it was dragging on and on. I got about half way through before I started skimming. HOWEVER, the cliffhanger at the end of the chapter + the description of this novel still has me wanting to read more.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes, I just hope that it picks up the pace a little bit.
Seed
Author: Lisa Heathfield
Publisher: Running Press Teens
Release Date: March 10th 2015
Print ISBN: 978062456345
eBook ISBN: 9780762456369
Summary: All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. It is the land that she sows and reaps. It is the center of her family and everything that means home. And it is all kept under the watchful eye of Papa S. At fifteen years old, Pearl is finally old enough to be chosen as Papa S’s companion. She feels excitement… and surprising trepidation that she cannot explain. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community — particularly the teenage son, Ellis — only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. Ellis is compelling, charming, and worldly, and he seems to have a lot of answers to questions Pearl has never thought to ask. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.
My thoughts: This seems like it’s going to be really messed up. It has the elements of a cult written all over it. I am really interested in seeing where this one goes.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes!
Nightbird
Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Release Date: March 10th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780385389587
eBook ISBN: 9780385389600
Summary: In her first novel for middle-grade readers , bestselling author Alice Hoffman tells a bewitching story of love and friendship that is truly magical. Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumored to hide a monster. And two hundred years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig’s family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, everything will change when the red moon rises. It’s time to break the spell.
My thoughts: To be honest, I didn’t read this excerpt. The description really didn’t grab me at all. I tried to read the first couple of paragraphs but it just wasn’t working out.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Nope.
Another Day (Every Day #2)
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 25th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780385756204
eBook ISBN: 978038576228
Summary: The eagerly anticipated companion to David Levithan’s New York Times bestseller Every Day. In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan (co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green) tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you. Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up. Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person . . . wasn’t Justin at all.
My thoughts: This is one that I’m definitely eager to read. I read the first book, Every Day, last year and I enjoyed it quite a bit. When I heard there would be a second novel, my initial thought was that it would be a sequel, not a direct retelling from another character’s point of view. After reading the first chapter, I am interested in seeing how the rest of this story will go.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes, hopefully I like this second point of view!
After the Red Rain
Author: Barry Lyga with Peter Facinelli and Robert DeFranco
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 4th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780316406031
eBook ISBN: 9780316406048
Summary: A postapocalyptic novel with a cinematic twist from New York Times bestseller Barry Lyga, actor Peter Facinelli, and producer Robert DeFranco. On the ruined planet Earth, where 50 billion people are confined to megacities and resources are scarce, Deedra has been handed a bleak and mundane existence by the Magistrate she works so hard for. But one day she comes across a beautiful boy named Rose struggling to cross the river–a boy with a secretive past and special abilities, who is somehow able to find comfort and life from their dying planet. But just as the two form a bond, it is quickly torn apart after the Magistrate’s son is murdered and Rose becomes the prime suspect. Little do Deedra and Rose know how much their relationship will affect the fate of everyone who lives on the planet.
My thoughts: This definitely seems very unique. An author working with an actor and a producer presents a lot of opportunity for this novel. It definitely stands out to me and I think it’s something that I could really enjoy.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes I will!
Nowhere But Here
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 26th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780373211425
eBook ISBN: 9781460341506
Summary: An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible. Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.
My thoughts: I am really excited for this story! It screams Sons of Anarchy which just so happened to be one of my favourite television shows and now that it’s over this book seems like the perfect way to fill the void. This first chapter is told from the point of view of Oz, the son of a man in a motorcycle club. Judging from the synopsis it seems like we may get a second point of view thrown in there which is something that I really enjoy.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Definite yes!
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
Author: Paige McKenzie
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Release Date: March 24th 2015
Print ISBN: 9781602862722
eBook ISBN: 9781602862739
Summary: Based on the wildly popular YouTube channel, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl has been described as “ Gilmore Girls meets Paranormal Activity for the new media age.” YA fans new and old will learn the secrets behind Sunshine—the adorkable girl living in a haunted house—a story that is much bigger, and runs much deeper, than even the most devoted viewer can imagine…
My thoughts: Although the writing style seemed a little to happy and cheerful, this was only the first chapter and I think it definitely needs a little more time to develop into something creepy. I hope the further you get into the book the creepier and darker it gets. Chapter one did end with a slightly creepy cliffhanger which gives me hope!
Will I purchase a full copy?: I love all things dark and creepy so yes, I will give this one a shot!
Kissing in America
Author: Margo Rabb
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 26th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780062322371
eBook ISBN: 9780062322395
Summary: Acclaimed writer Margo Rabb’s Kissing in America is “a wonderful novel about friendship, love, travel, life, hope, poetry, intelligence, and the inner lives of girls,” raves internationally bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love). In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels—118 of them, to be exact—to dull the pain of her loss that’s still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who seems to truly understand Eva’s grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head-over-heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness—and, perhaps, her shot at real love—Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the west coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Annie confront the complex truth about love. In this honest and emotional journey that National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr calls “gorgeous, funny, and joyous,” readers will experience the highs of infatuation and the lows of heartache as Eva contends with love in all of its forms.
My thoughts: At first it seemed like another cliche YA novel, but there are themes tha harsher themes that are introduced later that have peaked my interest.
Will I purchase a full copy?: I kind of want to know what happens next so yes!
The Tapper Twins Go To War
Author: Geoff Rodkey
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780316297790
eBook ISBN: 9780316297820
Summary: This brand-new series by a popular screenwriter is a pitch-perfect, contemporary comedy featuring twelve-year-old fraternal twins, Claudia and Reese, who couldn’t be more different…except in their determination to come out on top in a vicious prank war! But when the competition escalates into an all-out battle that’s fought from the cafeteria of their New York City private school all the way to the fictional universe of an online video game, the twins have to decide if their efforts to destroy each other are worth the price. Told as a colorful “oral history” by the twins and their friends, and including photos, screenshots, chat logs, online gaming digital art, and text messages between their clueless parents, The Tapper Twins is a hilariously authentic showcase of what it’s like to be in middle school in our digitally-saturated world.
My thoughts: It seems like a fun and quirky story that will do really well with younger readers. It has a very Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Captain Underpants feel so I think it will appeal to quite a large audience.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Unfortunately not, just due to my age and the target age that this book is going for in a reader.
When You Leave
Author: Monica Ropal
Publisher: Running Press Teens
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780762454556
eBook ISBN: 9780762456307
Summary: Cass is positive that the people she cares about most will eventually leave her. Her father is gone, her mother doesn’t notice Cass exists, and her best friend’s battle with cancer was too close of a call. So when she begins her year at a wealthy new private school, Cass’s plan is to suffer through it in anonymity. However, when her cute locker neighbor, Cooper, shows an undeniable attraction toward Cass, keeping him at a safe distance isn’t easy. Even though her Frogtown skater world and his do-gooder preppy one are so different, Cass and Cooper somehow mesh. And once Cass lets her guard down, Cooper is mysteriously murdered—thus proving her original theory. When Cass’s close friend is suspected as the killer, she isn’t sure who she can trust anymore. Between investigating Cooper’s murder and trying to understand what she really meant to him, will Cass even find what she is looking for? Monica Ropal’s tension-filled and emotionally-charged YA debut explores the issues of an outsider looking in, and her desperation to find the impossible answers. Why do people leave? And who will be next?
My thoughts: This chapter didn’t really get into the mystery that is presented in the synopsis. The character of Mattie has an interesting quality to him though.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes, based mostly on the synopsis and the character of Mattie.
Daughter of Deep Silence
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Print ISBN: 9780525426509
eBook ISBN: 9780698145566
Summary: In the wake of the deadly devastation of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace, rescued from the ocean after torturous days adrift with her dying friend Libby, knows that the Persephone wasn’t sunk by a rogue wave as survivors Senator Wells and his son, Grey, are claiming—it was attacked. To ensure her safety from the obviously dangerous and very powerful Wells family, Libby’s father helps newly orphaned Frances assume Libby’s identity. After years of careful plotting, she’s ready to expose the truth and set her revenge plans into motion—even if it means taking down the boy she’d once been in love with: Grey Wells himself. Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.
My thoughts: I didn’t bother reading this one. The synopsis didn’t grab me at all.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Nope.
Fuzzy Mud
Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: August 4th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780385743785
eBook ISBN: 9780385370219
Summary: “Be careful. Your next step may be your last.”
Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Wilson challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya reluctantly follows. They soon get lost, and they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined.
In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.
My thoughts: Unfortunately I was bored during the majority of this preview.
Will I purchase a full copy?: No.
The Box and the Dragonfly (The Keepers #1)
Author: Ted Sanders
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 1st 2015
Print ISBN: 9780062275820
eBook ISBN: 9780062275844
Summary: Artifacts. Miseries. Mysteries . . .From the moment Horace F. Andrews sees the sign from the bus–a sign with his own name on it–everything changes. The sighting leads him underground to the House of Answers, a hidden warehouse brimming with peculiar devices. But there he finds only questions. What is this curious place? Who are the strange, secretive people who entrust him with a rare and immensely powerful gift? And what is he to do with it? As he works to master his newfound abilities, Horace quickly discovers that nothing is ordinary anymore. From the sinister thin man lurking around every corner to his encounters with Chloe–a girl who has an astonishing talent of her own–Horace follows a path that puts him in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between two mysterious factions. Horace’s journey leads him and Chloe deep into a place where every decision they make could have disastrous consequences. Most important, it links Horace to the Box of Promises and a future he never saw coming. With an action-packed blend of fantasy and science fiction, Ted Sanders creates a world where everything is more than it seems and where friendship and loyalty have the greatest power of all.
My thoughts: I’m actually a lot more interested in this than I thought I would be. I’m not super huge on reading middle grade stories at my age, but I might just give this one a go.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Quite possibly!
Kissing Ted Callahan (And Other Guys)
Author: Amy Spalding
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: April 14th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780316371520
eBook ISBN: 9780316371513
Summary: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist meets Easy A in this hilariously realistic story of sneaking out, making out, and playing in a band. After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they’ll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook. While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone’s heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she’s been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.
My thoughts: Very cliche and campy. I’m not really feeling this one.
Will I purchase a full copy?: No thanks.
Goodbye Stranger
Author: Rebecca Stead
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Release Date: August 4th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780385743174
eBook ISBN: 9780307980854
Summary: Bridge is an accident survivor who’s wondering why she’s still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody’s games–or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl–as a friend? On Valentine’s Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?
My thoughts: I was interested by the first bit, but then things got confusing. There were a lot of characters and changes in perspective. I am still interested though.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes, I think so!
Biggie
Author: Derek E. Sullivan
Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen
Release Date: March 1st 2015
Print ISBN: 9780807507278
eBook ISBN: 9781504000789
Summary: Henry “Biggie” Abbott is the son of one of Finch, Iowa ‘s most famous athletes. His father was a baseball legend and his step-dad is a close second. At an obese 300+ pounds though, Biggie himself prefers classroom success to sports. As a perfectionist, he doesn’t understand why someone would be happy getting two hits in five trips to the plate. “Forty percent, that’s an F in any class,” he would say. As Biggie’s junior year begins, the girl of his dreams, Annabelle Rivers, starts to flirt with him. Hundreds of people have told him to follow in his dad’s footsteps and play ball, but Annabelle might be the one to actually convince him to try. What happens when a boy who has spent his life since fourth grade trying to remain invisible is suddenly thrust into the harsh glare of the high school spotlight?
My thoughts: I was thoroughly enjoying that! It seems like a pretty decent contemporary.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Yes.
An Ember In The Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Print ISBN: 9781595148032
eBook ISBN: 9780698176461
Summary: Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told. LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution. ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.
My thoughts: I’m not a big reader of fantasy, but this excerpt was definitely gripping. Maybe this will be the perfect way for me to get into the genre.
Will I purchase a full copy?: I think so!!
Ask the Dark
Author: Henry Turner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Print ISBN: 9780544308275
eBook ISBN: 9780544313453
Summary: Billy Zeets has a story to tell. About being a vandal and petty thief. About missing boys and an elusive killer. And about what happens if a boy who breaks all the rules is the only person who can piece together the truth. Gripping and powerful, this masterful debut novel comes to vivid life through the unique voice of a hero as unlikely as he is unforgettable.
My thoughts: The first half of this excerpt was pretty intriguing, but then it kind of rambled on to something else.
Will I purchase a full copy?: Maybe?
I hope you all enjoyed this little preview! It took me a little longer to read through all of these than I thought it would, but I think it was well worth it! I have found some new books to add to my growing TBR list that I may not have heard of if not for this sampler. Thanks again to NetGalley for providing this awesome compilation!
Big City Bookworm 
I also saw this on netgalley, and this really doesn’t help my TBR fund. I’m going to go broke because of these books. XD Oh, and I commend you for tagging all 26 books and authors.
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