KYD YA Championship

Here at the Younger Sun we are continuing the Kate O'D love*, so check this out!

Kill Your Darlings is holding a YA Championship: 

From Monday 30 July until 17 August, contributors will be championing their favourite Australian YA classic from the last 30 years. At the end of each post, you will have the chance to vote to determine the winner...

One of those contributors is our very own Kate! And she is championing the John Marsden classic Tomorrow When the War Began. 

Go Kate!

Other wonderful books to be championed (not by Kate but by other excellent folk) include: 

Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (Robin Klein)

Space Demons by Gillian Rubenstein

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

and Deadly Unna? by Phillip Gwynne

If you would like to hear more about it all, check this out. 

HOW EXCITING!

*or possibly stalking, depending on your point of view. Kate, we hope you view it as the former. 

Switched Vs Twilight

Hello Young Adult fans of the world 

It is time to cast YOUR vote! 

Is Switched by Amanda Hocking better than Stephenie Meyers Twilight?

Vote now by emailing your choice to info@sunbookshop.com 

Tell Us Why You Think What You Think in 100 Words or Less and you could WIN a copy of TORN, the second book in Amanda Hockings Trylle series 

-VS-

Why We Broke Up

Why We Broke Up, Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman (Hardy Grant)

From the genius of Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket...wow!!) teamed with exquisite illustrations by Maira Kalman comes this new Young Adult tale of first-love-heartbreak as Min writes letters to Ed about their relationship and the whole story of why they broke up. 

I am in love with the format of this novel, Maira Kalmans paintings are an added bonus to Daniel Handlers' fabulous and slyly funny story telling.  

The back cover reads 'Min and Ed's Story of Heart Break May remind you of your own'... and it does, in that first love, first heartbreak, impossible teenage romance sort of way. Perfect for teens who are experiencing their first heart ache or anyone really who has every had their heart broken or anyone else who is just a romantic at heart.

You can also find out more at this special website made just for the book, 

The Why We Broke Up Project

and tell your tale of heartbreak too

http://whywebrokeupproject.tumblr.com/

Life: An Exploded Diagram

Life: An Exploded Diagram, Mal Peet (Walker Books)

A historical love story - John van de Ruit's Spud meets the most concise and enjoyable history book you've ever read - this is a book not to be missed.

Clem is a council flat boy. Frankie is the wild(ish) daughter of a wealthy local landowner. They shouldn't be together but can't keep apart. But meanwhile the shadow of nuclear warfare and the Cold War looms and threatens. Indeed, we spend chapters with JFK as he botches the Bay of Pigs and tries to decide what the heck to do about Russian nukes in Cuba.

It might take you time to get into it, you may at times think come on come on, get back to Clem and Frankie, but by the explosive end you'll be left reeling and want to start again immediately. The aftershocks will continue for days.

back to the roaring twenties!

Beautiful Days, Anna Godbersen (Razorbill)

We've been waiting for this sequel to Bright Young Things for a while now.

It's summer in Long Island and Cordelia, Letty and Astrid have been spending their days lazing about the pool and attending lovely parties.

Cordelia is still feeling guilty and sad about the death of her new-found father and starting to get used to living the life of a high-profile bootlegger's daughter and sister. When her brother Charlie asks her to open a family speakeasy she jumps at the chance. But what about the mysterious pilot Max...who doesn't approve of her lifestyle? And why does what he think matter so much to her?

Astrid might be engaged to Charlie but without a ring can she really trust that her arrangements will go ahead as planned? Especially when her fiance is always away... Is she just chasing a pipe dream?

Letty is still trying to make her name on the stage. Cordelia is helping, but Letty still feels like she could make it on her own. There's a bit of a romance blossoming with scruffy writer Grady, but there's a chance Letty might mess it all up. Can this songbird create a glittering future for herself?

Dances, dresses, fancy drinks and dashing gentlemen - this is a really enjoyable and fun book that gives you a great taste for the flavour of 1920s New York.

Hades

Hades, Alexandra Adornetto (Harper Collins)

Even the love of her boyfriend, Xavier Woods, and her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep angel Bethany Church from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. What could happen to an angel in hell?

There in Hades, Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly her loved ones as well. Can he be trusted in this wager? And what does Jake have Xavier believing about Beth’s fate that may result in an act of betrayal that will leave Bethany – and readers – wondering if Xavier is so good after all?

Alexandra Adornetto has written yet another suspense-filled, enchanting book which will have you turning the pages with anticipation.

Review by Jessy Allison

Crow Country

Kate Constable's latest book Crow Country just arrived in stock on Wednesday and by Thursday evening I had finished it. It is beautiful.

It's the story of Sadie, who has moved to a country town (which was NOT her idea of a good move) with her mum. Her weekend are apparently going to involve watching the local footy team get beaten and her mum forcing her to make friends.

Then when Sadie is exploring the cracked, dried bed of what used to be a lake she happens upon a curious circle of boulders. Drawn to them, she can sense their importance. A crow speaks to her and sets into motion an exciting, frightening time-slip mystery. If she can correct some old wrongs she might just be able to make amends in her present.

The characters are all brilliant, it's beautifully written and has Dreaming stories woven through the narrative. With mystery, love, feuds, family and friendship and a bit of magic Crow Country is a must read for 11+.

Forever, Maggie Stiefvater

The Wolves of Mercy Falls: Forever, Maggie Steifvater (Scholastic)


Not only incredibly exciting, fast-paced and very romantic, The Wolves of Mercy Falls series have the most beautiful covers. You should own them in hardback because you will treasure them forever.

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.

In Linger, they fought to be together.

Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death closes in.

Now in stock at the Younger Sun.

Book Launch Tonight

Come on down to the Sun Bookshop tonight to help us celebrate the launch of Clara in Washington - the new hilarious YA novel by Penny Tangey.

6pm for a 6.30 start

Have a drink and some nibbles and grab a copy of the book.

See you tonight!

SCAT

Scat, Carl Hiassen, Orion

When Nick and Marta's terrifying science teacher Mrs Starch goes missing on a school excursion to the swamp, rumours about the disappearance are flying about school. Was she disposed of by angry student Duane Scrog, who has been known to eat entire pencils and once gnawed off a bit of his PE teacher's finger?

or perhaps she was eaten by a bear?

What follows is a twisty, fast paced plot complete with multilingual macaws, wonderfully eccentric characters and a setting evoked so vividly that once I finished this I spent the remaining afternoon researching Florida panthers and swamps in general.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, highly recommended.

--clare--

All I Ever Wanted

All I Ever Wanted, Vikki Wakefield : Text Publishing

Mim's got plans to get out of her dead-end suburb. She's following the rules she creates - no booze, no drugs, no tattoos, no sex, no swearing, even - all so that she doesn't end up like her mum. She has a box of Lonely Planets that'll help her on her way. But life's starting to get a little out of control. Her best friend Tahnee has a new, serious boyfriend, her brothers are both doing time and a strange young woman has moved in next door, who keeps the strangest hours.

But Mim has been sent (reluctantly) to pick up a package from Feeney Tucker and on her way home is intercepted by the love of her life (not that he'd know it) Jordan Mullen...and things take a turn for the worst.

This wonderful debut novel is gritty and hopeful and an absolute must-read.

Most highly recommended.

--Kate--

Black Painted Fingernails

Black Painted Fingernails, Steven Herrick (Allen & Unwin)

James is off in his graduation-present BMW on his first teaching rounds in the country and reluctantly gives hitchhiking Sophie a lift.

'How about we toss a coin? Heads, it's west and a lift. Tails, it's still west, but no lift.'

Sophie’s on her way home, but she also has a secret, which comes out bit by bit as the two learn more about one another. She makes him nervous and shy, but their friendship develops throughout the book. James’ secret isn’t hard to guess – he isn’t 100% sure about this teaching idea.

Told in alternating chapters, Black Painted Fingernails is a lovely, poetic prose novel about taking time to figure out what the hell to do with your life, and finding someone nice to spend that time with.

--Kate--

Clara in Washington

The new book by Younger Sun-favourite author Penny Tangey (she wrote Loving Richard Feynman) is here!

Clara in Washington is a fabulous new Young Adult novel:

Washington D.C. is meant to be all glamour, politics and great conversations but what do you do when you don't have the words to join in? Or the knowledge to ride the subway? Or you're scared someone will mug you?

Joining her mother on a trip to Washington is Clara's end-of-school adventure and a chance to be someone else other than the studious geek she's always been. Although, starting an adventure is hard to do when you won't leave the house.

But Clara didn't count on meeting Campbell and his anarchist group and she didn't count on her new discoveries threatening to unravel all her plans.

Will she still be the same after Washington?

Review coming very soon!

Beauty Queens

What's that?

A book about a plane full of teenage beauty queens crashing on a deserted* island?

Is that you I hear in the background shrieking hurraaaaaah?

Oh wait, that's me.

Hurraaaaaah!

Now, I'm sure you all remember Libba Bray from the thoroughly excellent Going Bovine? Or perhaps from the Gemma Doyle series?

Even if you don't, I'm sure you are all very eager to absorb her latest offering, Beauty Queens. Not only is the cover entirely appealing,

(does anyone else also now want a sash like that?) the story is rawther fab also. And it is worth reading just for The Peacock and General Good Times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was an easy, fun read, but also had an interesting social commentary lurking in the background. Recommended!

*Perhaps not entirely deserted. But I shall say no more here. Apart from that there are some REALLY BIG snakes. And they are a bit sparkly. AWESOME.

-clare-

Sequels

Two sequels have arrived in the shop this week. They both have really beautiful covers!

First off, Red Glove by Holly Black. The sequel to White Cat.

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Then Passion, by Lauren Kate, the third book in the Fallen series.

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way...

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime...going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel...and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames...forever.

Ever wake up in someone else's body?

Flip, Martyn Bedford (Walker Books)

Fourteen year old Alex wakes up one morning. Alex wakes up six months after he went to bed. In Manchester, when he went to bed in London. Alex wakes up in Philip’s body – in Philip’s house, with Philip’s family.

This is a very intriguing body-swap story, detailed and psychological. While he does explore the more silly and light hearted side of waking up in someone else’s body – there’s the issue of Philip (aka Flip)’s multiple girlfriends, his reputation with his teachers, his relationship with his big sister and the idea of going to the toilet in someone else’s body – Bedford really focuses on the more serious side to create a truly gripping story. Alex researches his condition on the internet to find that it’s not unheard of. He joins a community of psychic evacuees and starts to piece together the puzzle of just what has happened to him. If he is in Flip’s body, then what has happened to his old body?

Flip is an intense and moving story with excellent characters and an intriguing premise. Highly recommended.

--Kate--

Die For Me

Die For Me, Amy Plum (Atom)

16-year-old Kate is from New York. After her parents die in a car accident, she and her big sister Charlotte move to Paris to live with their grandparents (luckily they are both fluent in French!). Kate spends her days reading in cafes, going to the cinema or browsing through museums and galleries, wallowing alone in her misery, until one day she meets a dashingly beautiful stranger. He falls for her, she falls for him – but he’s no ordinary boy ... Is she strong enough to be a part of his dark world? It might have a cheesy title, but Die For Me is a reliable and enjoyable addition to the teen supernatural romance genre, with the added benefit that it’s set in Paris, complete with trendy bars and hipsters. Though Plum is a self-confessed Twilight-addict, she’s deliberately created a protagonist with a bit more integrity than dearest Bella. Much of the novel involves handsome-boy explaining all the supernatural stuff to Kate as well as introducing the characters, so it feels like there should be a sequel, but there’s no talk about that yet. Here’s hoping!

--Hannah--

DEPARTMENT 19

WILL HILL’S

DEPARTMENT 19

is an amazing futuristic fantasy novel about a kid called Jamie Carpenter whose dad gets killed (in the prologue). After a while Jamie’s mum gets taken by a vampire named Alexandru Rusmanov who wants Jamie dead because his father (Julian Carpenter) killed his wife (Ilyana) who was the only thing he loved. The plot is Jamie trying to rescue his mum from Alexandru. Jamie joins DEPARTMENT 19 so that he can save his mum.

DEPARTMENT 19 was made to kill Dracula the oldest vampire ever but he turned others, lots of others, into vampires and they turned even more, so there are heaps more vampires in the world.

I really like this book because, well, it’s a really good book - I just can’t explain it. I can’t wait for the next one to come out because DEPARTMENT 19 was the best book I have ever read.

--Ned Pearson, nearly 10

Teen Review : Where She Went

Where She Went, Gayle Forman (Doubleday)

Gayle Forman's first book If I Stay really was mind blowing. It made the reader really think about loneliness and what comes after death.

The sequel, Where She Went is set three years after Mia's accident.
’It’s been three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life. And three years he’s spent wondering why.’

The story is written in Adam's perspective as he struggles with his fame and his memories. When Adam and Mia's paths cross in New York, they have a second chance. But can one magical night be enough to answer all their questions?

I love the way Gayle Forman makes you feel like you are part of the book, not reading words off a page or looking on to a scene. It's like you are there, Mia's and Adam's closest friend, their confidant.

While reading the book (and after!) I felt sad, frustrated and anxious – sometimes all at the same time! But eventually I was jumping up and down in excitement and joy!

After reading If I Stay I never would've thought a sequel was possible but I think the way Gayle Forman did it is brilliant!
'Where She Went' is a truly memorable book: when you're not reading it, you're thinking about it, and when you're sleeping, you're dreaming about it...

All up 'Where She Went' breaks your heart, fixes it, breaks it, and fixes it again.

So uplifting! I rate it 5/5

Fantine

~~Fantine is a member of the Younger Sun Teen Bookclub~~

First Light - Rebecca Stead

First Light, Rebecca Stead (Text Publishing)

What was actually Rebecca Stead's first book, First Light has arrived to our Australian shores as the follow-up to her Newbery Medal-winning stunner When You Reach Me.

First Light is a dual-narrative novel for readers around 10 and up that explores environmentalism and politics through a cracking adventure - and slightly sci-fi/fantasy-ish - set in Greenland.

Peter has gone to Greenland with his parents, who are studying climate change. He begins to spend time with the sled dogs, exploring his new icy home. Having suffered from headaches in the past year or so, Peter also begins to have strange visions...

Thea lives at Gracehope, an underground city her ancestors built after they fled England, a people persecuted for 'gifts' and 'talents' they possessed. Gracehope is a model of sustainability, but its ruler is less than receptive to any questions or suggestions that young Thea puts forward.

Of course, these two curious, intelligent characters are destined to meet and it's when Thea and her cousin find a passage to the surface that the plot changes gear and pitches forward at an exciting pace. The themes are accessible and the language perfect. Highly recommended. 10+