New YA: January 25-31.
New hardbacks:
A Cold Legacy (Madman's Daughter), by Megan Shepherd:
Last book in the Madman's Daughter trilogy, and for the most part, it does a nice job of bringing Juliet's story to a satisfying conclusion. Like the first two books, it's got some fantastically gruesome bits, loads of atmosphere, and plenty of romance and soul-searching and discussions about morality and whether or not the ends justify the means.
Love, Lucy, by April Lindner:
Details of plot and era aside—and setting aside the fact that Lindner’s book hardly deals with social class at all, which is a huge divergence—the change in storyline that makes the two books feel so very different is the second romance. In A Room with a View, it is the behavior of Lucy’s fiance, Cecil, that finally helps her find a way to put her discontent into words; in Love, Lucy, Lucy’s college boyfriend, Shane, is inoffensive and passionless, a 2015 version of Royal Gardner.
Woven, by Michael Jensen and David Powers King
Tear You Apart, by Sarah Cross
Geek Girl, by Holly Smale
I'm Glad I Did, by Cynthia Weil
Heartbeat (Harlequin Teen), by Elizabeth Scott
Cut Me Free, by J. R. Johansson
Chaos, by Lanie Bross
The Empty Throne (Heirs of Chrior), by Cayla Kluver
We Can Work It Out (The Lonely Hearts Club), by Elizabeth Eulberg
Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story, by Marissa Meyer
I Was Here, by Gayle Forman
Divided We Fall Book 2: Burning Nation, by Trent Reedy
Playlist for the Dead, by Michelle Falkoff
New paperbacks:
Kindness for Weakness, by Shawn Goodman:
It's a visceral read, full of details about life inside—antagonists abound, among the other inmates, the staff, as well as within James' own head and heart—as well as a close look at the idea of kindness for weakness, the belief that to be kind is to be weak.
If you are looking for hopeful, LOOK ELSEWHERE. *stabs self in heart*
Fates, by Lanie Bross:
Minus the romance/possible murder element, it’s a straightforward quest story set in a number of sometimes-nightmarish fantasy worlds. The dialogue, prose and plotting are all competent, so whether or not it’s a good fit will come down entirely to personal preference.
Previously: