Starters by Lissa Price

Expected publication: March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Summary from Goodreads
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. 

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .


What a journey!  A twist on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse but Lissa Price totally makes it her own.  A good dystopian novel that doesn't stray too far from the familiar.   Callie is likable and carries the story well.  I enjoyed the thriller/mystery feel that this book had.  I could see some allusions to the fairytale Cinderella - with Prime Destinations as the (evil)fairy godmother and the senator's grandson as the prince.  I mean she loses her shoe and he come looking for her with it?  But this book does not have a fairytale happily ever after in the romance department.  The ending wraps some things up but still leaves more questions for the next book in the series, Enders which will come out December 12th 2012. 

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Published February 7th 2012 by Putnam Juvenile
Summary from Goodreads
"Blessed with a gift..."cursed" with a secret." Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. 
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

This book stressed me out!  I know that sounds like a bad thing, but really it just means I got sucked into the story.  I never knew who Cate could trust or what was going to happen next -- I was expecting treachery at every turn!  The world that Jessica has created is very familiar, but it has been twisted into such an interesting form.  And I loved seeing and feeling it all from Cate's point of view.   I cannot wait for the next release in this brilliant series!

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Expected publication: February 14th 2012 by Walker & Co (J)
Summary from Goodreads
Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. 

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.


After reading the summary of this book I HAD to read it.  Will Scarlet a girl?!  I love it when authors put women back into history or legend and Scarlet is the perfect heroine for that.  It is so much fun unraveling Scarlet's history chapter by chapter.  This book is more than a retelling of a legend that happened long ago - it is a story full of emotions and situations that are still relevant today.  It is about hope, family, sacrifice, and trying to do good in a world filled with evil.  This book was a great kick-off read for 2012!

2012 Reading Challenges

I will be doing at least 3 reading challenges next year - The Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge, Chick Loves Lit's Sophomore Reading Challenge, and IceyBook's and I Like These Book's The Standalone Reading Challenge. Whew!

The Debut Author Challenge is a fun way to discover new authors through reading there first published book in 2012.  I'm not sure if there is a set amount that you have to read but I'm going to give myself the goal of at least 1 per month(12). The challenge is 12 books - I'm a pretty good guesser.


1. Everneath by Brodi Ashton (January 24)
2. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (February 7)
3. Harbringer by Sara Wilson Etienne (February 2)
4. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (January 2)
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
6. Shadow's Edge bu Maureen Lipinski
7. May B A Novel by Caroline Starr Rose
8. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
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The Sophomore Reading Challenge has you reading the second book that an author has published in 2012.  The challenge is set at reading at least 10 of these books.  Oh and the book has to be Young Adult or Middle Grade.  Here's my list.


1. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton (February 1)
2. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (January 17)
3. Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay (August)
4. Timepiece by Myra McEntire (June 12)
5. Perception by Kim Harrington (March 1)
6. Fever by Lauren Destefano (February 21)
7. Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (March 27)
8. Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs (June 5)
9. The White Glove War by Katie Crouch (July 3)
10. Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (2012)

The Standalone Reading Challenge features books coming out next year that are not a part of a series.  You must read 15 standalone books in 2012.


1. Harbringer by Sara Wilson Etienne
2. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
3. Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
4. Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (January 2)
5. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund (June 12)
6. Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy (May 1)
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