YA Superlative Blogfest Class of 2013: Day Four

I am so excited to participate in the YA Superlative Blogfest again this year!  It's hosted by some of my favorite ladies: Jessica Love,  Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and Katy Upperman.   I'm trying to bust my recent reading and blogging slumps, and I have a hunch this just might do it!  Here's the best of the best!

 



Favorite Cover: 

Well, this one is a tie--one of my favorite covers has already been changed to match more closely with the upcoming sequel, and one is for a book that hasn't been released yet but WILL (just barely) be a 2013 book.

Starglass by Phoebe North

Seriously, when we finally get around to painting/decorating our house, I think I may bring this book with me because THE COLORS.  I bought socks because they match this color scheme.  Love. (The new cover is also pretty great, though, and mayyyyybe even matches the story better.)

My other favorite cover of the year?

Control by Lydia Kang

Never mind how excited I am to read this...LOOK how pretty.  I just want to stare at it all the time.


Cutest Couple:

Ellie and Graham from This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith.  



Most Likely to Succeed (Pick a Printz Winner.)
 

Hmm...Code Name Verity didn't win last year, but it was a Printz Honor Book.  I don't know if that affects Rose Under Fire's chances one way or another, but I think that one has to be a contender.  My other favorite that seems Printz-able is The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr.  But then again, Nova Ren Suma's writing is pretty fabulous, so...maybe 17 & Gone?

Most Likely to Make You Miss Your Bedtime (Book you couldn’t put down.)

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

The drama!  The suspense!  The violence!  The romance!




Best Repeat Performance (Favorite sequel or follow-up.)

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

A surprise to exactly no one.



Favorite Finale or End of Series Novel

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

I didn't get to a lot of the series-enders I meant to this year (I am really, really hoping to get to Allegient over break!) but the few I did read were excellent.  I heard mixed things about this series so I went in kind of skeptical, but the characters and the world really took hold of me and I really enjoyed this ending.

I mean...but also:

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Breakout Novel (Your favorite book by a debut author.)

Sorry to go all broken-record on you, but:

Starglass by Phoebe North

Best Old-Timer (Your favorite read of the year published BEFORE 2013.)

These two are hardly old--in fact, one came out DURING the YA Superlative Blogfest in 2012!

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

I was convinced to read Unspoken by all the love it got during last year's YA Superlatives and I'm so glad I did!

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

And according to Goodreads, The Darkest Minds came out on Dec. 18th, 2012--too late for last year's superlatives and too early for this year's!  But man, was it an awesome read.

Favorite Outlier:

Adult: 

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Middle Grade: 

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 



My category: 

Book You're Rooting For: What book did you read in 2013 that you just can't stop pushing on your friends, nominating for awards, and sneakily turning cover-side-out on bookstore shelves? (Sorry, bookstore employees.  I promise I don't do this often.)

My answer: Starglass, by Phoebe North.  I loved it so much, and with its sequel coming out in the summer, there's plenty of time for people to get caught up!  This is the rare book for me that I loved for reasons very specific to me but I also think most all of my reader/blogger/writer friends would love it because it's such a good story.  You know?  

What 2013 book are you rooting for?