September 2011 Releases

Finished August 2011 Releases? Here are September 2011 Releases. To see further titles, check Reading Wishlist.

[REVIEW] Cold Kiss – Amy Garvey

Amy Garvey
Cold Kiss
HarperCollins Teen (AU: 1st September 2011; CA: 6th September 2011; US: 20th September 2011)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Relax, readers: this isn’t another YA paranormal romance that’s as emo as emo can get, though it initially seems like that. Cold Kiss actually has some humour, the kind that’s funny without trying to be, so there’s a natural ease. Yes, there’s a heroine with a “special” name (Wren), sort of a love triangle (undead Danny and somewhat-sorcerer Gabriel), and family secrets (using energy), but the author is clever enough to keep the story from falling into overdone territory.

We don’t get into the details of how Wren and Danny fell in love, but people in love can do the stupidest and selfish things – like resurrect from the grave a boyfriend and keeping him in a neighbour’s garage. As Danny clings tighter to Wren, our narrator realises she made a terrible mistake, but is dead-set on solving the problem alone. Yes, I know we’re supposed to keep adults out of YA fiction, but Wren has several opportunities to ask her mother for help, and it would be smart to. Might even be a nice mother-daughter bonding experience. Alas, she doesn’t.

And Wren’s a bit contradictory when it comes to her friends: “…even when Danny was alive, I didn’t abandon them, not completely, the way some girls do as soon as they have a boyfriend.” Yeah, but after Danny dies and is “brought back”, Wren spends all her time with him, blowing off her friends. She claims she really wants to get back in their good books, but instead she’s off with new pal and potential love interest Gabriel. But they forgive her.

Amy Garvey crafts a different kind of zombie novel with an odd shot of whimsy. Cold Kiss contains magic, family secrets, and more than just a little Weekend at Bernie‘s vibe. It’s kind of fun, and works really well as a stand-alone. And I hope it is – it doesn’t need a series. Though runaway zombies make for a rather entertaining read.

6 New Covers: Keri Arthur, Marianne de Pierres, Amy Garvey, M. J. Scott, Janni Lee Simner & Maria V. Snyder

YA Releases – 2010 & Beyond

C. A. Moulton called out for a list of 2010 & 2011 YA fantasy fiction, but my list here contains other YA subgenres, too 😉 These are only the ones with known release dates – those without are on my Reading Wishlist. Release dates can and probably will change in the lead-up to the books’ publication. Some are re-releases, international editions, etc. Of course, I don’t list every single book – only the ones that I’ve heard of and am interested in.

ANN AGUIRRE – Razorland – Dec 2010
KELLEY ARMSTRONG – The Reckoning – 27 Apr 2010/6 May 2010
JENNIFER LYNN BARNES – Raised by Wolves – 8 Jun 2010
HOLLY BLACK – White Cat – 4 May 2010/17 Jun 2010/1 May 2011
S. A. BODEEN – The Gardener – 25 May 2010
RACHEL CAINE – Kiss of Death – 3 May 2010/4 May 2010
KRISTIN CAST et al – Kisses from Hell – 8 Aug 2010
CASSANDRA CLARE – The Clockwork Angel – 1 Sep 2010/14 Sep 2010
ANDREA CREMER – Nightshade – 14 Oct 2010
HEATHER DAVIS – The Clearing – 15 Mar 2010/12 Apr 2010
KAT FALLS – Dark Life – 29 Apr 2010/1 May 2010
CATHERINE FISHER – Incarceron – 26 Jan 2010
BECCA FITZPATRICK – Crescendo – 2010
AMY GARVEY – Cold Kiss – 2011
TERI HALL – The Line – 4 Mar 2010/9 Mar 2010
STACEY JAY – Undead Much? – 21 Jan 2010/26 Jan 2010
STACEY JAY – My So-Called Death – 1 Mar 2010/1 Apr 2010
CARRIE JONES – Captivate – 5 Jan 2010/5 Apr 2010
KELLY KEATON – Darkness Becomes Her – 2011
JACKIE MORSE KESSLER – Hunger – 11 Aug 2010
JACKIE MORSE KESSLER – Rage – 2011
KAREN KINCY – Other – 1 Jul 2010
GEMMA MALLEY – The Returners – 1 Feb 2010/2 Mar 2010
RICHELLE MEAD – Spirit Bound – 18 May 2010
JACKSON PEARCE – Sisters Red – 3 Jun 2010/7 Jun 2010
SUSAN BETH PFEFFER – This World We Live In – 4 Mar 2010/1 Apr 2010/3 May 2010
CARRIE RYAN – The Dead-Tossed Waves – 9 Mar 2010/8 Apr 2010/1 Mar 2011
JERI SMITH-READY – Shade – 4 May 2010/18 May 2010
MARIA V. SNYDER – Inside Out – 1 Apr 2010
LILI ST. CROW – Jealousy – 29 Jul 2010/3 Aug 2010
MAGGIE STIEFVATER – Linger – 20 Jul 2010
JESSICA VERDAY – The Haunted – 31 Aug 2010
ROBIN WASSERMAN – Wired – 14 Sep 2010