Top 10 of 2010

2010 has been an amazing year of YA books, so what better way to celebrate '10 than by compiling a list of 10 top reads? Now, to be fair, I do have to add the disclaimer that the following list is comprised only of books published this past year that I've read. Doubtless there're numerous other great books out there (many of which I've been meaning to read, but haven't gotten around to yet) that aren't included. But anyway, without further ado, let's start the countdown:

Let's go in reverse order: the nineth and tenth spots go to Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken (March 23rd, 2010 EgmontUSA) and Epitaph Road by David Patneaude (March 23rd, 2010 EgmontUSA), respectively. Brightly Woven had some really cool concepts and drew me back into the realm of fantasy. Epitaph Road was a very interesting take on a possible dystopian future of gender power reversal. Both are definitely very well worth reading!

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Seventh and eighth go to Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds (November 2nd, 2010 Little Brown) and Elizabeth Scott's The Unwritten Rule (March 16th, 2010 Simon Pulse), respectively. Both of these are contemporary YA novels that were well-written with realistic characters and credible plot lines.

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For fifth and sixth we have Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (March 2nd, 2010 Harper Collins) and All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab (January 12th, 2010 Delacorte). How could I not include these two? Both are contemporaries (although Before I Fall also has paranormal facets) that deal with mortality and the aftermath. Both are beautifully written and quite thought-provoking.

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Next we have The Duff by Kody Keplinger (September 7th, 2010 Poppy/Little Brown) and Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (May 4th, 2010 Simon Pulse). The Duff by teen author Kody is a funny and endearing contemporary novel with a very real, in-your-face attitude. Basically, it's a pretty badass read. Shade explores some very interesting concepts and creates an intriguing paranormal world very much like our own, yet quite different.

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My top two picks for 2010 probably really won't come as a surprise. We have Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (March 30th, 2010 Roaring Brook Press) and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (August 24th, 2010 Scholastic). Mockingjay... well, it's Mockingjay. Enough said. Birthmarked - well, we all know I've been gushing about this one a ton lately. It's dystopian (love!) and it's got great characters, a strong female protag, a juicy love interest, and a fast-paced, action-packed, exciting plot line. It's also great that there's more of a science element (hence science fiction, right?) in this one than some of its colleagues. There's something more educated about the writing, which is also great. Plus it was a ton of fun to interview Caragh earlier this year as well.

And there we have it - a spotlight on some of the best YA books of the year. What made the cut for your list this year?

In My Mailbox [35] & Burned Goodies

This week's been pretty cool. First I got Burned by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast, which was a complete surprise - but a nice one. So thanks for that! :) What was even cooler was that the bookjacket unfolded to become a poster, actually.

Burned was released on April 27th, 2010, and is the seventh book in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast....

"Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird’s soul has
shattered. With everything she’s ever stood for falling apart, and a broken
heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey’s fading fast.
It’s seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back
together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only
living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how?
He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey
will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left… "

The New York
Times-bestselling mother-daughter writing team of P.C. and Kristin Cast again
prove why they have become a major force in teen fiction. With over 3 million
copies of their books in print, a well-publicized film option, an updated
interactive website, daily-growing fan base, the Cast duo will command your
attention with every page turn.

Check out the super-duper trailer:

But wait! That's not all - there are more ways to get in on the fun:
`Read the first chapter
`Download the song
`Visit the official website
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And guess what else showed up this week. A signed copy of The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott, which I won over at Free Book Friday, which is hosted by the lovely Jessica Brody. Thanks so much, ladies! Speaking of which, Jessica's book The Karma Club was just released on April 27th as well (and you can win a copy at FBF this week). To celebrate the release, she's also hosting a contest where you can win great prizes like Flip Video Cameras and awesome swag. Pop on by to check it out!

So there you have it - my week in books. What was in your mailbox this week?
& while you're here - don't forget to enter to win a SIGNED copy of Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale!

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren

The Unwritten Rule Review

The Unwritten Rule - Elizabeth Scott
*March 16th, 2010 Simon Pulse

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

Elizabeth Scott's The Unwritten Rule uses written words fluidly and gracefully to weave an achingly beautiful contemporary coming-of-age story.

It's like Scott has an extra sense when it comes to chronicling the tale. The little tidbits of back-story are incorporated into the present-day occurrences perfectly to maximize the effect of them. One of the great things about YA is that oftentimes, they deal with situations that affect today's youth directly, situations that they may experience. Liking your best friend's boyfriend is a tricky situation, regardless of context, but it is something that does happen. Scott tackled this issue head-on and masterfully in The Unwritten Rule, in a way that everyone can understand and relate to.

Which brings me to my next point: credibility. Sarah was brilliantly developed, and it was amazing to see her transition from someone who felt almost inferior, to someone who was willing to stand up for herself and live her life the way she deserved to. Very inspiring journey. The thing is, usually real-life doesn't have one clear protagonist. There are always reasons, and motivations, behind everything, everyone. Scott portrays that in a very real way here. Brianna really comes alive as a real person, because of the context surrounding her character.

Length-wise, The Unwritten Rule is pretty perfectly proportioned; it's a prime example of "start at the beginning, and finish when you get to the end [of the story]." I suppose that technically it could have been a little longer in order to incorporate a little more of [the characters'] lives outside of the primary plot line. At this age, things like college apps, SAT preparations, etc. could have factored in a little too, but that's fairly minor, and it didn't really detract from the story much.

One measure of a novel's success is its ability to make its audience feel, to evoke emotion, to thrust those words off the page and fling them at the readers so that they react. With The Unwritten Rule, this has been done. The emotions come alive, you can empathize with the characters, feel indignance on their behalf, have pride in their decisions. And that's a pretty cool thing, because it draws you into the story.

With realistic characters, fluid writing and a dash of panache, Elizabeth Scott's The Unwritten Rule is a touching exploration of one major unwritten rule.

Goodreads | Indiebound | Elizabeth Scott

In My Mailbox [26]

Brought to you by Alea & Kristi, Lucid Conspiracy presents In My Mailbox #26...

So this week I got the following:

`Gone by Lisa McMann
`The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
`Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick
`The Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer

And I must say, this week's haul was pretty exciting for a number of reasons. First off, I had no idea that these were coming, so it was definitely a little befuddling when the package showed up and lo' and behold, these gems were inside. And of course, the fact that it contained these books - all by such acclaimed authors with great feedback thus far - merely added icing to the cake.

Your turn now though - what was in your mailbox this week?