April 2011 Releases

Done with March 2011 Releases? Here are April 2011 Releases. To see further into the future, check Reading Wishlist.

[REVIEW] Rage – Jackie Morse Kessler

Jackie Morse Kessler
Rage (Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Book 2)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (US: 4th April 2011)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

The novel’s first sentence suggests the protag may have killed her cat, which makes Melissa Miller immediately difficult to love. Plus she’s a self-injurer who could fit neatly into a certain subculture that seems to celebrate misery instead of fighting it. But enough of my prejudices…

Missy has redeeming features, mainly in that she’s the school soccer team’s keeper. Her experience protecting the net and woodwork assists her when she undertakes her biggest challenge – being War, the Red Rider of the Apocalypse. Only the apocalypse hasn’t come yet. But what does it means to be War? What must Missy do to save others, and to save herself?

The rage is evident. The reasons for it may seem clear, but one question remains unanswered: why did Missy start cutting? It seems her real problems began with Adam and escalated from there, but she was cutting even before she originally hooked up with him, before Adam was the first to discover her scars. Did Missy start self-injuring before or after Graygirl’s demise?

I don’t know. But Rage does exactly what it should: provokes reactions in readers. A lot of fiction leaves me feeling “meh”, not connecting with the characters, but this series is different. Rage is a striking story that cuts to the bone and digs deeper. Prepare to be angry and upset, and rush to hug your cat. And never forget to appreciate those awesome folk wearing the gloves on the pitch – they just might be the people who stave off the apocalypse.

13 New Covers

13 new covers behind the cut.

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