Best of 2013: Young Adult Fiction (+Giveaway)

Hello, and welcome to the last of my Best of 2013 posts. This one was almost impossible to put together; 2013 was such a fabulous year for YA fiction and there were so many reads I wanted to share with you all. Let's start, shall we?

1. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

There are days when I walk around convinced that Maggie Stiefvater isn't human. No regular human could be as imaginative and talented as she is. Consequently, there's no one quite like her in the entire universe. The Dream Thieves  is a book that consumes, that eats you alive and then dreams you back to life. Entirely unpredictable and at times terrifying, it is a book far superior to anything I've read in a very long time.  I took my time with it, savoring each page and thinking through each event so as not to miss even the smallest of details. It isn't a book that should be raced through; it has so many layers to offer and one must really pay attention to notice and appreciate them all.

2. In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In the Shadow of Blackbirds is perhaps my biggest surprise of the year. It is a story about a young girl surrounded by ghosts in October 1918, during the Spanish flu outbreak. The amount of research Winters put into it is staggering, and the many emotional moments will leave no reader indifferent. I was thrilled when it recently got nominated for the William C. Morris award, just as I predicted in my review. All the awards, critical acclaim, and every other recognition Winters might get are well deserved. Read this. 

3. Horde by Ann Aguirre

The words 'epic conclusion' have never been put to better use. Even I, a huge fan of Ann's work and a firm believer in her limitless brilliance, was surprised by the depth and strength she showed in this novel. Horde is mind-blowingly good, friends. It is bloody and dark, violent, but also gentle. Ann gives her characters a chance to shine, to show who they really are. In the never-ending nature vs. nurture debate that is the very center of this trilogy, she shows that nature can overcome just about anything, including a limited and violent upbringing. My heart still swells with the love I feel for these characters and I doubt that will ever go away.

4. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi can do no wrong it seems. Unravel Me was a complete shock to my system, so good that I'm still trying to find words worthy of describing it. Love triangles, starcrossed lovers, heroines that make unreasonable choices – those are all things that normally make me cringe, but in Unravel Me, Mafi made them all work. My heart was broken so many times, and I think I went through five stages of grief and a whole lot of (sugar-free) ice cream, and I still barely survived this book. If I could somehow quantify the emotional impact all my favorite books had on me, Unravel Me would certainly be at the very top. 

Mafi is a brilliant writer, and as such, she deserves all the hype that surrounds her. I'm desperate to learn how this trilogy ends, but I'm terrified of it at the same time. There's a month left until the release of Ignite Me. Join this party if you haven't already.

5. The Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I cried and I cried and I cried until my eyes hurt and my heart broke. I feel like I haven't stopped crying since. I started reading this with trepidation in my heart, not trusting Clare to handle it well, and while I wasn't happy with some of it, it was incredibly emotional overall.  This is a book that will leave you exhausted but unwilling to leave the world Clare has created. I think #1 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers list, #2 spot on the USA Today Bestsellers list and #1 spot on the Publisher’s Weekly Bestsellers list tell you all you need to know about this book. It is a definite proof of how many lives this hurricane touched.

6. Bruised by Sarah Skilton

If you read this blog on a semi-regular basis, you know I generally avoid contemporary YA, but making an exception for Bruised was one of the best decisions I ever made. Aside from being a brilliant author, Skilton shows an admirable understanding of human psyche. Her Imogen is incredibly realistic, and her approach brutally honest and realistic. This book is a must-read. 

7. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Set in New Orleans in the 1950's, Out of the Easy is a murder mystery first, a coming of age story second, and about twenty other things in between. It is a story of great complexity, and yet paradoxically, it is also a very simple one. Sepetys has a unique talent that allows her to pull her readers right into her story, turning them into more than willing participants. Her writing style is so clear, so completely transparent that it never gets in the way of the story. At the moment, Sepetys has two books on my all-time favorites list. I can't wait to see what she does next.

8. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Even after being slightly disappointed by Into the Still Blue, the long-awaited conclusion of this trilogy, Through the Ever Night remains one of the best middle books I've ever read. There are things in Through the Ever Night that will make you laugh, things that will make you cry, things that will make you inch up nervously in your seat, some that will make you angry enough to punch something (hopefully not someone, though), and things that will make you swoon. Now, aren’t those signs of a perfect read?


9. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Really, 2013? This is what you throw at me? Excruciating pain and heartbreak? Well, thank you very much! While I thoroughly enjoyed Ismae's story in Grave Mercy, Sybella's left me half-broken and sobbing. But aside from the very chatartic experience, another good thing came from this book: Robin LaFevers proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a love interest need not be handsome, with a crooked smile. Sybella's Beast is ... well, beast! And his physical appearance doesn't improve as the story progresses. But like Sybella herself, we learn to look past the ugliness and notice the beauty of his soul.

10. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Is Brandon Sanderson for real? Steelheart is the only one of his books I've read so far, but this dude can write! For Steelheart, he borrowed the basic idea from Marvel and DC, the only difference being that his superheroes – Epics, as he calls them – aren’t here to save anyone; they’re here to take whatever they want exactly when they want it. In Sanderson’s world, law of the jungle is the only law that still applies. 

I thought Sanderson did a wonderful job with David, his protagonist. For a teen boy, he was both observant and fairly wise, but I loved that he never stopped being a teenager with raging hormones, prone to rash decisions and careless behavior. Highly recommended.

A few more books I need to mention:
World After by Susan Ee
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Angelbound by Christina Bauer

Aaaand that's all folks!
Giveaway time!!

Enter to win one of these beauties, from The Book Depository. The giveaway is, of course, international.
Good luck!

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