Tuesday, September 15, 2015

BOOKLIST's Top 10 Young Adult Romance novels of 2015!


 SO. Very. Thrilled! To have Forbidden chosen for this Top 10 list of YA Romances of the year blows me away. I am in awe with the other authors I get to keep company.



Thank you to Booklist and Ilene Cooper, the Editor!



(A few months ago Booklist named Forbidden  as one of their Top 10 Historical novels of the year, too. Wowza. Top-10-Historical-Fiction-for-Youth-2015)



 



 


FEATURE. First published September 15, 2015 (Booklist).

These top 10 romances, each reviewed in Booklist from September 15, 2014, to September 1, 2015, feature all kinds of lovers in all sorts of places and time periods, including one featuring Love himself! (It turns out Love is a guy. Who knew?)

Another DayAnother Day. By David Levithan. 2015. Knopf, $17.99 (9780385756204). Gr. 9–12
This companion to Every Day (2012) looks at the wonderful, loving day spent between Rihanna and A, who, unbeknownst to her, is inhabiting the body of her boyfriend. A thoughtful, insightful novel of ideas and identities.

Forbidden. By Kimberly Griffiths Little. 2014. Harper, $17.99 (9780062194968). Gr. 9–12.
In ancient Mesopotamia, Jayden is betrothed to the cruel Horeb. When her world falls apart and a stranger appears, she tries to fight a relationship that is strictly forbidden. A breathless romance in a unique time and setting. 

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. By Isabel Quintero. 2014. Cinco Puentos, $17.95 (9781935955948). Gr. 9–12.
Presented as the diary of 17-year-old Mexican American Gabi, this joyous, funny, and thoughtful book deals with Gabi’s travails, including a new boyfriend and a first sexual encounter.

The Game of Love and Death.jpgThe Game of Love and Death. By Martha Brockenbrough. 2015. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $17.99 (9780545668314). Gr. 9–12.
Love and Death have rolled the dice with lovers’ futures through the millennia. Now they have a young mixed-race couple in their sights, and Love hopes, for once, he will win. A thoughtful exploration of courage, love, and the price we pay to live. 

Heart of Betrayal. By Mary E. Pearson. 2015. Holt, $18.99 (9780805099249). Gr. 9–12.
This compelling sequel to Kiss of Deception (2014) continues the love triangle of Lia, the runaway bride; Rafe, the prince she was to marry; and Kaden, a deadly assassin. Rich in romance, adventure, and complications.

Kissing in America. By Margo Raab. 2015. Harper, $17.99 (9780062322371). Gr. 9–12.
Here’s a smart teen’s romance. It takes just one kiss for Eva to fall for Will, but then he moves to California. What to do? How about a rollicking cross-country road trip? Poetry, humor, and authentic characters abound.

Mortal Heart. By Robin LeFevers. 2014. Harcourt, $17.99 (9780547628400). Gr. 9–12.
The sweeping conclusion to the His Fair Assassins series pairs Annith, the acolyte from the convent of St. Morain—also known as Death—with a romantic partner from the Underworld.

My True Love Gave to Me. Ed. by Stephanie Perkins. 2014. St. Martin’s/Griffin, $18.99 (9781250059307). Gr. 9–12.
Holiday canoodling stories by 12 top YA authors, including Rainbow Rowell, Gayle Forman, and Matt de la Peña? It’s a Christmas miracle!

Simon vs Homo SapiensSimon vs. Homo Sapiens. By Becky Albertalli. 2015.
 HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $17.99 (9780062348678). Gr. 8–11.
Simon would like to know the identity of Blue, the guy with whom he’s been exchanging flirty e-mails, but things get complicated when a classmate considers blackmailing him. A sensitive and incisive novel.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel. By Sara Farizan. 2014. Algonquin, $16.95 (9781616202842). Gr. 8–11.
Leila is not sure how her conservative Iranian American family will feel if she discloses that she likes girls. Farizan fashions an empowering romance featuring a lovable, awkward protagonist trying to claim a multifaceted identity.


I highly recommend checking out these titles and enjoying some gorgeous writing, dramatic storylines, and passionate romances.  

xo,
Kimberley

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