Tag Archives: YA sci-fi

by

Waiting On Wednesday – 72

Hello gentle reader,

today I’m waiting on WINTER (LUNAR CHRONICLES Book 4) by Marissa Meyer (expected publication: 10th November 2015 by Feiwel and Friends). As I mentioned on The Great Noveling Adventure blog, I loved the first three books in this NYT bestselling series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the last book! If you’ve never heard of these books, it’s a YA Sci-Fi/Fairy tale retelling series.

Winter

From Goodreads:

Here is the stunning conclusion to the national bestselling Lunar Chronicles, inspired by Snow White.

When Princess Winter was thirteen, the rumor around the Lunar court was that her glamour would soon be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. In a fit of jealousy, Levana disfigured Winter. Four years later, Winter has sworn off the use of her glamour altogether. Despite her scars, Winter’s natural beauty, her grace, and her gentleness are winning admiration from the Lunar people that no amount of mind-control could achieve.

Winter despises her stepmother, but has never dreamed of standing up to her. That is, until she realizes that she may be the only one with the power to confront the queen.

Can Cinder, Prince Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Princess Winter, and the palace guard Jacin find their happily ever afters? Fans will LOVE this amazing conclusion to the series.

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book bloggerBreaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we’re eagerly anticipating.

Have you heard about this book? Is it on your TBR list? What are you waiting on this week?

by

Book of the Week – Echo Boy by Matt Haig

Hello gentle reader,

ECHO BOY is a book I was really excited to read (see my Waiting On Wednesday post back in February 2014) and after its recent release in paperback, I finally got my hands on it. I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. It’s an A-MA-ZING YA Sci-Fi novel, which I recommend if you like this genre. It’s about robots, global warming and what the future could be made of, but it’s also about grief, love and what makes us human. It’s a wonderful read.

The Echo Boy

From Goodreads:

Audrey’s father taught her that to stay human in the modern world, she had to build a moat around herself; a moat of books and music, philosophy and dreams. A moat that makes Audrey different from the echoes: sophisticated, emotionless machines, built to resemble humans and to work for human masters.

Daniel is an echo – but he’s not like the others. He feels a connection with Audrey; a feeling Daniel knows he was never designed to have, and cannot explain. And when Audrey is placed in terrible danger, he’s determined to save her.

And here is my favourite quote from the book:

“A book is a map. There will be times in your life when you will feel lost and confused. The way back to yourself is through reading. There is not a problem in existence that has not been eased, somewhere and at some time, by a book. I want you to remember that.The answers have all been written. And the more you read, the more you will know how to find your way through those difficult times.”

 

What have you been reading this week? Any YA novels you’d recommend?

Feel free to leave me a comment below!

by

Book of the Week – The Shatter Me Series

Hello gentle reader,

if you’re looking for a great YA trilogy to read this summer, I recommend the SHATTER ME series by Tahereh Mafi.

ShatterMeSeries

It’s a YA Sci-Fi series which was published between 2011 and 2014 by Harper Collins. It comprises three novels (SHATTER ME, UNRAVEL ME and IGNITE ME) from the main character’s point of view (Juliette) as well as two novellas (DESTROY ME from Warner’s POV and FRACTURE ME from Adam’s POV).

Here is the blurb for SHATTER ME (from Goodreads):

I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I’m more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

What makes this series quite unique is Juliette’s voice and Tahereh Mafi’s writing (with the now well-known crossed-out words and lines). The character development of Juliette is one of the most impressive I’ve read, and Warner remains one of the most complex characters you’ll be likely to read in a YA book. Even if there’s quite a lot of action (especially in Book 3), the characters’ journey and the love story are what these books are about. These books explores themes such as the line between good and evil, as well as what makes a person a hero or a villain.

This is an amazing series and I do hope you’ll pick it up this summer (all books are available as paperbacks, both in the US and overseas).

Have you read the SHATTER ME series? What did you think?

What are you reading this summer?

by

A Writer in the Spotlight – Stephanie Diaz

A Writer In The Spotlight Logo

Hello gentle reader,

I’m delighted to share with you another interview with a YA author! This week it’s Stephanie Diaz, whom I’ve been following online for quite some time. Her debut EXTRACTION is a YA Sci-Fi which will be released on 22d July 2014!

Stephanie_Diaz

Author: Stephanie Diaz

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Website: http://steph-diaz.blogspot.fr/

Book: EXTRACTION trilogy (published by St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan, in July 2014)

Biography:

Stephanie Diaz is 21. She grew up in sunny San Diego, wishing for rain. She studied film production in college. When she isn’t lost in other worlds, she can be found singing, marveling at the night sky, or fangirling over television shows.

My interview (27th May 2014)

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to be a writer, so yes, I’ve always known.

When and where do you write?

My most common workspace is my bedroom, but I’ll write just about anywhere. The library is one of my favorite places. My favorite time to write is late at night, but that’s been impractical lately, so I have to write during the day.

What do you say to writers who want to be published one day?

To anyone who wants to be published: keep writing, keep reading, and keep living. Don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to set aside a novel, even if you used to think it was amazing. Your next novel will be better.

EXTRACTION FINAL COVER

To write “Extraction”, where did you get your inspiration from?

The inspiration for Extraction came from a random image of an enormous moon looming in the sky. I started wondering what life would be like on a planet where the moon was a big, poisonous threat instead of something beautiful. I hadn’t tried writing sci-fi before, but I’d always been mildly obsessed with space. So I was excited to give the genre a shot. 🙂

Why did you choose to write for young adults?

I was a young adult when I started writing Extraction (I mean, I still am–I’m 21), and it just made sense for me to write for my audience. Plus, I pretty much only read YA, so those are the kind of books I’m most familiar with.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the second and third books in the Extraction trilogy. And pondering some brand-new projects on the side. 🙂

What are you reading right now?

I just finished WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart. Wow, it was amazing. Highly recommended.

What are your favourite books? Any recommendations?

I’m a huge fan of YA sci-fi books. Some recent ones I’d recommend are THESE BROKEN STARS by Meghan Spooner and Amie Kaufman, and STITCHING SNOW by R.C. Lewis, which will be out later this year. I also love YA contemporary. WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard is a favorite.

Thanks for the interview, Stephanie!

You can add EXTRACTION on Goodreads here.

by

YA New Releases – September Edition

Hello gentle reader,

There are many books published this month, and I’ve highlighted below the ones I’m most looking forward to reading…

All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays (Cassandra Chronicles #1) by Cristin Terrill (YA Sci-Fi)

Expected publication: September 3rd 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Why I’m looking forward to it: time travel!

Antigoddess

Antigoddess (The Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake (YA Myth retelling)

Expected publication: September 10th 2013 by Tor Teen

Why I’m looking forward to it: a retelling of Greek mythology!

ChaosOfStars

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White (YA Paranormal)

Expected publication: September 10th 2013 by HarperTeen

Why I’m looking forward to it: Egyptian gods and family issues…

Frozen

Frozen (Heart of Dread #1) by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston (YA Dystopia)

Expected publication: September 17th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

Why I’m looking forward to it: snowed in Las Vegas!

What about you? Any books you’re eagerly waiting for this month? Let me know in the comments below!