VOYA Magazine December 2017 Reviews

VOYA Magazine gave As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti a "VOYA Perfect 10," the highest rating VOYA gives in its reviews.
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The glowing review says, "The descriptions of the town, from the surrounding emptiness of the desert to the abandoned half-finished homes, creates a strong exterior atmosphere reflecting the interior isolation felt by many of the characters... Depending on the reader, this novel offers different levels of intensity, starting with the everyday sort of teen troubles, progressing to difficult family dynamics, and reaching up to the ethical dilemmas wishing can create—all while being easy to read and hard to put down."

 As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

 Sourcebooks Fire

 Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018

 Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

 If you could make one wish that was guaranteed to come true—what would you wish for?
 
Madison is a small town in the Mojave dessert on the road between nothing and nowhere. It's an unremarkable speck on the map, which is perfect for protecting the town's secret. Because in Madison, everyone can make  one wish on their eighteenth birthday—and that wish always comes true.

Most of Eldon's classmates have had their wishes picked out for months, even years. Not Eldon. He's seen how wishing has hurt the people around him. His parents' marriage is strained, his sister is a virtual ghost in their house, his ex-girlfriend is dating his ex-friend...where does he even begin?
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 One thing is for sure: Eldon has only twenty-six days to figure it out—and the rest of his life to live with the consequences.

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We are also pleased to share the following review of Plague Land by Alex Scarrow. 
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VOYA says Plague Land "will immediately engross and terrify readers with the gruesome details and hopeless plight of the main characters. Despite the bleak situation, readers will be catapulted through the story, even if they are forced to wonder at nearly every chapter how the characters will get through the next grim challenge. This book is great for readers who enjoy apocalyptic and zombie reads.”

​ Plague Land by Alex Scarrow

 Sourcebooks Fire

 Publication Date: December 5th, 2017

 Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Leon and his younger sister, Grace, have recently moved to London from New York and are struggling to settle into their new school when rumors of an unidentified plague in Africa begin to fill the news. Within a week, the virus hits London. The siblings witness people turning to liquid before their eyes, and they run for their lives.
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 A month after touching Earth’s atmosphere, the virus has wiped out most of the population. Desperate to stay alive, Leon and Grace are reluctantly taken in by a tight-knit group of survivors. But as they struggle to win their trust, the siblings realize that the virus isn’t their only enemy, and survival is just the first step…

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VOYA also reviewed Busted by Gina Ciocca, saying, "this funny, fast-paced, debut novel shines."

The review goes on to say, "Marisa is a sensitive, hormonal teenager surrounded by supportive friends and family as she finds her personal focus. Dialogue is realistic, and the convoluted plot with mystery components keeps a reader’s interest.

Busted by Gina Ciocca

Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018

Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Marisa never planned to be a snoop for hire. It wasn’t like she wanted to catch her best friend’s boyfriend making out with another girl. But as her reputation for sniffing out cheaters spreads all over school, Marisa finds herself the reluctant queen of busting two-timing boys.

And her next case? It’s for ex-frenemy Kendall. She’s convinced her boyfriend, TJ, has feelings
for someone else and persuades Marissa to start spying on him. But the more Marisa gets to know sincere and artistic TJ, the more she starts to fall for him. Worse yet, the feelings seem to be mutual. Marisa knows she needs to give up her investigation—and the spoken-for guy who may just be the love of her life. Then she uncovers new secrets about Kendall and TJ, secrets that take “cheater” to a whole new level…

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What VOYA has to say about Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp: “The short chapters and suspenseful tone model some aspects of Nijkamp’s bestseller This is Where It Ends (Sourcebooks, 2016/VOYA February 2016), while Before I Let Go tells a fresh story that strays from traditional, sometimes predictable, YA plotlines. Nijkamp presents content on sexuality and bipolar disorder, providing a diverse range of teen readers with relatable situations and characters… readers who appreciate suspense will enjoy this book.”

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018

Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller This Is Where It Ends comes another unforgettable story of loss, hope, betrayal, and the quest for truth.

Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.

 Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated—and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town's lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger.
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Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets—chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter...

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Finally, we're pleased to share VOYA's review of We Can't Be Friends by Cyndy Etler. 
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VOYA says, "some teens may hear their own doubt and lack of self-confidence in her honest voice as she tries to figure out the rules in this new world after rehabilitation. Give this to fans of gritty, realistic fiction, like Ellen Hopkins's Crank (Simon & Schuster, 2004/VOYA February 2005) or Gail Giles's Right Behind You (Little, Brown, 2007/VOYA August 2007)."

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We Can't Be Friends by Cyndy Etler

Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: October 3rd, 2017
 
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository
 
This is the story of my return to high school. This is the true story of how I didn't die.

High school sucks for a lot of people. High school extra sucks when you believe, deep in your soul, that every kid in the school is out to get you. I wasn't popular before I got locked up in Straight Inc., the notorious "tough love" program for troubled teens. So it's not like I was walking around thinking everyone liked me.

But when you're psychologically beaten for sixteen months, you start to absorb the lessons. The lessons in Straight were: You are evil. Your peers are evil. Everything is evil except Straight, Inc.
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Before long, you're a true believer.

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