Teen Tuesday - Top 10 of '13

Here are my favorite books published in 2013, listed alphabetically by author, because there's no way I could rank them in order of preference.

Don't Look Now (Persefone Trilogy #2) by Michelle Gagnon (HarperCollins hardcover, 27 August 2013).

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry (Henry Holt and Co. hardcover, 11 June 2013).

Hero (The Woodcutter Sisters #2) by Alethea Kontis (HMH Books for Young Readers hardcover,  1 October 2013).

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (HMH Books for Young Readers hardcover, 2 April 2013).

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young (Simon Pulse hardcover, 27 August 2013).

Kenning Magic by Lizzie Ross (Saguaro Books, 6 March 2013).

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Griffin hardcover, 10 September 2013).

This Song will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, 17 September 2013).

Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2) by Jessica Spotswood (Putnam Juvenile hardcover, 18 June 2013).

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (Disney-Hyperion hardcover, 10 September 2013).

Teen Tuesday

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Griffin hardcover, 10 September 2013).

Twins Cather and Wren (their mother didn't want to think of two names) have always been close, but different sides of the coin.  Wren is outgoing and eager for new experiences, while Cath is quieter and dislikes change. 

Leaving the home they've lived in all their lives to go to college is a pretty big change.  Cath is hoping to minimize the change by rooming with her sister (they've done it for eighteen years, why stop now?), but Wren disagrees.  And, as usual, she gets her way. 

Living in different buildings, they don't see each other much once term begins.  Wren and her roommate Courtney dive into college social life, especially the partying aspect.  When Cath isn't in class, she stays in her room, working on the fanfiction she's become known for (as Magicath), and studying.  Afraid to search for the dining hall, she survives on protein bars, worrying that her father isn't eating or sleeping well without his daughters (their mother left when they were very young) to take care of him.

The characters in this story are fantastic.  Even the minor players have substance.  The behavior and dialogue of teens on their own for the first time rings true.  The excerpts from The Simon Snow series (the basis of the fanfic), and Cath's slash fiction provide stories within the story and are well-written enough to make this reader wish they were real.

Whatever I was expecting when I began reading this book, it certainly wasn't to become so completely drawn into the story that I stayed up too late finishing it.  Read it!



FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin's Griffin  for the e-galley.