The 2012 DABWAHA Finalists have been announced.
The YA list is:
Slice of Cherry, by Dia Reeves:
I enjoyed dialogue, scenes, and imagery, but it never gelled for me as a whole; and although I recognized and appreciated Kit and Fancy's emotional arc, I never felt it or the romances. Like the Jasper Fforde books, I liked the ideas—the worlds and the premise—in it more than I liked the book as a whole.
The Shattering, by Karen Healey:
I’ve talked it up here as a super dark fantasy/mystery/adventure/suspense story, but it’s far more than that. It also deals with suicide, grief, homophobia and racism realistically—and without being remotely didactic—as well as exploring the drawbacks to living in a perfect world. It’s a perfect, perfect antidote for anyone still smarting from the horrid Nicolas Cage remake of The Wicker Man.
Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake:
It’s a rare thing, nowadays, for me to be left wanting more at the end of a paranormal. So to say that I was disappointed upon reaching the conclusion and realizing that it might be a stand-alone actually means something. But then I checked Blake’s blog, discovered that Anna is the first in a duology and was extremely relieved.
My waiting commences...now.
Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson:
I picked it up on Friday morning, and I lost two hours. Like, I started reading, and then, what felt like five minutes later, Josh said something, and I realized that I'd read half of the book without even noticing the passage of time.
I WAS SO INTO IT THAT I FORGOT TO EAT BREAKFAST.
Divergent, by Veronica Roth:
This isn't going to be a review-review, because I didn't even take the time to dog-ear pages, let alone take any notes: That's how enthralled I was.
Red, by Kait Nolan
Amazon | Indiebound.
Huntress, by Malinda Lo
Amazon | Indiebound.