It’s that time of the year again! 2013 is coming to an end and it’s time to do a recap of 2013 Young Adult titles. There were so many great books published this year, but which ones did I like best? Here are my top five picks for best YA titles of 2013:
Ink by Amanda Sun
It’s hard to say no to a book set in Japan and vividly described as this one. It also features some Japanese mythology and a protagonist who struggles to adapt to the change in the environment. Sun treats the Japanese culture with respect and gives the readers a protagonist who exerts her right to make her own choices and mistakes because she hasn’t figured out life yet. Find my review here.
Find Me by Romily Bernard
This is not your typical ‘let’s catch the killer’ thriller novel. Bernard touches on delicate subjects such as suicide, abusive relationships and adoption. They’re treated as respectfully as can be, and they’re just as important a plot point as catching the killer. Find my review here.
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
In a space opera-turned-survival story, the ship Tarver and Lilac are traveling on is pulled out of hyperspace and crashes, and the two have to find their way in a planet that is deserted and has some weird things going on. The writing in this book was luscious, and the characters were well-developed. The sci-fi elements were well done, and the romance was believable and engrossing. This is an unforgettable book. Find my review here.
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Crash Into You is a great contemporary novel about two teens trying to stay afloat in the midst of two dysfunctional families that want to dictate their lives. Beth’s mother is a drug addict and lives with a man who beats her while Ryan lives in what looks like a picture-perfect family, but who lives by appearances ever since his older brother came out. This novel deals with drug use, abuse, dysfunctional families and sexual preference, and it presents it with the rawness that they have in real life. It was wonderful to see Ryan get off his chauvinistic horse and Beth take down her walls. I highly recommend reading this one.
Indelible by Dawn Metcalf
This novel had an intriguing romance the likes of which I hadn’t seen before. Joy, the female protagonist, is teaching Ink how to be more human and how to love in the process. Joy is a human who gets thrown into a supernatural world, and instead of taking it in stride, she tries and struggles. This book features a world that seems to have several layers that still need to be explored and a concept that’s unique. Find my review here.
It was hard to choose from the many books I read this year, but these five made it to my list for many reasons. I hope you check them out. What 2013 YA titles did you like and why?
And now, GIC’s Best of 2013 YA giveaway!
The lovely Romily Bernard has agreed to mail two copies to two lucky winners of her debut title, Find Me. The lovely Amanda Sun gave us signed bookmarks of her debut title, Ink to give away as well. And one lucky winner will win a finished copy of These Broken Stars.
Don’t forget to enter to win! You can get extra entries by following Romily Bernard and Amanda Sun on Twitter and by tweeting the giveaway every day until January 4! Open US and territories only.
Find Me is fantastic. Looking forward to These Broken Stars.
They’re both wonderful reads. I really hope you enjoy These Broken Stars!
Fav things of 2013. Finished writing my 3rd novel & half through my fourth. Meeting so many wonderful authors at my first RWA convention.
That’s amazing! What genre do you write in? Good luck with all your writing. It’s great that you’re making connections; connections are important when you’re a writer. Good luck with your present and future writing!
Omg I loved INK too! Can’t wait until Rain comes out!^^
Yes! I heard the release date has been pushed back to late June of 2014. We have to wait longer! But have you read Shadow, a prequel to Ink? It’s free for all e-readers, and it’s great as well.
My favourite thing in 2013 was being able to read all the amazing books out there written be amazing authors!:)
Books are some of my favorite things of 2013 too. And there were so many wonderful titles out this year! It was very hard for me to make my best of 2013 picks. What were some of your favorites?
These Broken Stars was definitely one of my favorite books of 2013, and my favorite book cover.
It was such an amazing book. I can’t recommend it enough. And the cover is my favorite as well. I wanted to get a copy of the cover as a poster. Spooner’s local indie was selling it as a bundle with a signed copy of the book.
Did you see the tour of the cover’s dress? It traveled across the US and spent time with some wonderful YA authors!
I just got These Broken Stars for my birthday and can’t wait to start reading it!!!
Ahhh! I hope you LOVE it! I reread it again towards the middle of December and loved it even more. I can’t recommend it enough!
Yes, I couldn’t agree more! There are beautiful covers in YA, but not many elements shown in them are a part of the actual story, and sometimes they don’t even reflect what’s within the pages.
That’s amazing! Which books did you get? Which authors did you meet? Meeting authors is such an experience.
I went to the first leg tour which had S.A Bodeen, Alexandra Coutts, Marissa Meyer, and Leila Sales. I got Scarlet and This Song Will Save Your Life.
Cool! I thought Scarlet was even better than Cinder, but I stopped reading it right around the climax when I realized how much I had to wait for Cress! Did you like This Song Will Save your Life?
Oh! How wonderful that you’re introducing YA to your students! While I was in school, I wasn’t so lucky. Which were the favorite titles that you read this year? Which ones did your students like?
Which titles were your favorite this year? There were so many that I loved!
All of these are great titles. I’m glad your students liked them!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked most of these! Are you thinking of reading Indelible?
These Broken Stars is amazing. I’m still in love with that book.
Thanks! Come back to visit again! :D