YALSA's 2012 Teens' Top Ten books...

...have been announced (Books with blurbs I've written about, books without I haven't. Obviously?):

Divergent, by Veronica Roth:

I thought Beatrice was a great main character, imperfect and believable. I liked that while she's the main character and there's Something Special about her, she isn't a One True Savior type (I can't really go into that fully because it's way spoilery). The story had some excellent, excellent twists, and the world-building within the factions was well done.

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green:

You know what got me about The Fault in Our Stars more than anything else? What made me, on more the one occasion, laugh out loud even while I was bawling? It wasn't the witty banter or the poetry or the philosophizing or the mullings-over of mortality. It was Hazel's empathy.

Legend, by Marie Lu:

Cinematic action, romance, politics, extremely sketchy medical experiments, some possible Soylent Green-ish doings (<--that one is extremely unlikely, but sicko that I am, I can't help but hope for it), codes, cage fights, and a couple of seriously shocking-ass moments... Legend is fun stuff.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs:

But, despite the photographs—some of which are legitimately creepy—and the monsters, it was more of a mystery/adventure than anything else. Not that I’m complaining: I read the whole thing in one sitting.

What Happened to Goodbye, by Sarah Dessen:

There isn't a whole lot more to say: If you're a Sarah Dessen fan, than A) you've probably already read it, or B) you already know what you're going to get when you pick it up. If you aren't a Sarah Dessen fan—and if you love YA contemporary fiction, the only way you aren't a fan is if you haven't read her—I'd suggest that you get off your high horse and pick up a darn book.

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer:

Man, I love that sci-fi is getting huge. Cinder is loads of fun—mostly due to seeing a familiar story play out in a new setting, but Cinder herself is also a tough, smart, mouthy, resourceful heroine, so spending almost 400 pages with her is completely enjoyable—and I'm totally, totally looking forward to the next one in the series. 

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

Where She Went, by Gayle Forman 

Abandon, by Meg Cabot

For bonus fun, see all of the nominations here.