New Book Releases for March 2016
March is shaping up to be an epic month for new book releases. Here are some I have already read and reviewed and a few others that have caught my eye. Click on the book covers for full reviews.
Young Adult Fiction
You Were Here – Cori McCarthy – SourcebooksFire – Published 1 March 2016
Brilliantly told, this story is beautiful and authentic, surprising and totally enjoyable. You Were Here is told in alternating chapters from each of the five main characters.
Jaycee’s brother died five years ago when he snapped his neck doing a backflip off the top of a playground swing in front of Jaycee and a dozen other kids. Jaycee’s life changed that day and five years hasn’t lessened the Jake-sized hole she has in her life. Full review.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary.
In Real Life – Jessica Love – St.Martin’s Press – Published 1 March 2016
Nick and Hannah have been best friends online for years, but when Hannah decides it’s finally time to meet she sets off to surprise Nick at his band’s performance in Las Vegas. But Nick has a few surprises of his own for Hannah, none of which Hannah is all that happy about. They have one night to sort things out and rescue their friendship. Full Review.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary.
The Leaving Season – Cat Jordan – HarperTeen – Published 1 March 2016
What happens when you lose the person who defines you? When is it okay to move on? Is it ever okay? What happens when you realise you’d like to be someone else, someone more like you, the real you, the without-that-other-person you?
I really enjoyed his book. I was intrigued to see where it would go, what its focus would be – grief, romance or self-discovery? We get a little of each, but I’m happy to say that it’s mainly the latter two. And by then, I was captivated by the story. Full review.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary.
The Serpent King – Jeff Zentner – Crown Books – Published 8 March 2016
The Serpent King is an emotional and touching novel. Three friends together experience loss, the trials of social segregation, and hope and trepidation for the future. Set in rural Tennessee, Lydia, Dill and Travis fight for their futures against the backdrop of Southern charm and prejudice. Full review.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary
The Great Hunt – Wendy Higgins – HarperTeen – Published 8 March 2016
An engaging fantasy, with swoon-worthy romance, a diverse cast of characters and plenty of action.
The kingdom of Lochlanach is plagued by a great beast that hunts at night, killing and maiming any who get in its way. Desperate to end the terror, the king of Lochlanach decrees than any man who can kill the beast will earn the hand of his eldest daughter, Princess Aerity. Full review.
Young adult fiction: Fantasy.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear – E.K Johnston – Dutton – Published 15 March 2016
In every class, there’s a star cheerleader and pariah pregnant girl. They’re never supposed to be the same person. Hermione struggles to regain the control she’s always had and faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The assault wasn’t the beginning of Hermione Winter’s story and she’s not going to let it be the end. She won’t be anyone’s cautionary tale.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary.
The Way I Used To Be – Amber Smith – Margaret K. McElderry Books – Published 22 March 2016
The Way I Used To Be is beautiful and horrible book. Beautiful because of the way it is written, the characters and the messages of resilience and strength, horrible because it is completely agonising to see Eden go through what she does. And the way these two aspects are combined, balanced perfectly is what makes this such a great book.
Told in four sections, the four years of high school, we experience the initial impact of Eden’s sexual assault and the way it slowly changes her life. Full review.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary.
Walk the Edge – Katie McGarry – Harlequin Teen – Published 29 March 2016
Second book in the Thunder Road series. Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.
Young adult fiction: Contemporary.
The Winner’s Kiss – Marie Rutkoski – Bloomsbury Children’s – Published 24 March 2016
This is the third book in the Winner’s Trilogy. Arin is in the thick of war. Kestrel is a prisoner in a work camp. As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?
Young adult fiction: Fantasy.
Christian Fiction
Burning Proof – Janice Cantore – Tyndale – Published 1 March 2016
Non-stop action, case drama, clues and twists provide the perfect suspense for this utterly addictive book. With hints of romance and a solid basis in faith, this second book in the Cold Case Justice series continues all the excitement from book one with likeable characters and heart-wrenching cases. Full review.
Adult fiction: Christian suspense.
Hearts We Mend – Kathryn Springer – Zondervan – Published 8 March 2016
Loved this book. The Hearts We Mend picks up where The Dandelion Field left off. Evie, Cody’s mother, is busy working at the church as well as organising a wedding, so she is a little worried when the church custodian suddenly takes a holiday and is replaced by a young, admittedly handsome, guy she just happened to accuse of trespassing not too long ago. But Jack’s presence in Evie’s well-ordered life is opening her to new experiences and filling the loneliness by encouraging her to take chances and reach out to others. Full review.
Adult fiction: Christian contemporary.
The Goodbye Bride – Denise Hunter – Thomas Nelson – Published 8 March 2016
We first met Zac in Falling Like Snowflakes, the first book in this Summer Harbor series, and heard of the fiancé who left him just weeks before their wedding. Now Lucy is back, after falling, becoming concussed and forgetting the last seven months, forgetting that she left Zac, moved to Portland and somehow ended up engaged to someone else. But now it’s only Zac who she remembers and feels safe with, so she begs him to help sort out who she is now and what has happened to her. Full review.
Adult fiction: Christian contemporary.
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