Countdown: March 2014 (2)

It's almost here...March is one of my favorite months in the whole year because of just one day! On this very special day (you know which one I'm referring to) everyone comes out and shows their Irish pride. Whether they're Irish or not, they are on this day, and somehow we all manage to have a great time. On top of all the fun and festivities that come with this month, there are also quite a few new releases that are scheduled to hit the shelves and I can't wait to check them out for myself. Here's a few I'm looking forward to reading, are there any you've come across that I missed on my list?

Countdown Pick #1:  The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams (03/04/2014)

 

For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories.

But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?

Williams is one of those writers that when I've read her previous work, it's affected me when I least expected it to.  There's a quality to her work that makes her plots feel dangerously real and with a synopsis like this one, that might make for a very tense and anxiety ridden read, but its one I look forward to experiencing.

 

Countdown Pick #2:  The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark, #1) by Bree Despain (03/11/2014)

 

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

 

I'm already practically swooning and I haven't even read page one.  I know Despain's previous The Dark Devine series was a huge hit, but I still haven't gotten around to trying to catch up with all those installments.  After reading this synopsis, I'm starting to understand why a lot of readers go crazy for her plots and characters.  I'm thinking that if this future release turns out to be as good as I'm thinking it will, I'm going to have to try to play catch up with all her other titles as well.

 

Countdown Pick #3:  NIL by Lynne Matson (03/04/2014)

 

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly.

If there's anyone that reads this synopsis and isn't already on the edge of their seat to read this future release for themselves, I'd be shocked!  I have so many questions and I'm not sure I can make it another month before I get my answers.  Matson has already impressed me and I haven't even cracked the cover yet.

 

Countdown Pick #4:  The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle (03/15/2014)

 

Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well.

 

Serle could take this in a million different directions, and no matter which way she decides to go, I'll be one of the first in line when it's finally released to find out which one she picked.  The synopsis alone has me sympathizing for the main character and super curious to see what Astor will bring into her life and where it all will finally lead.

 

Countdown Pick #5:  Panic by Lauren Oliver (03/04/2014)

 

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

 

I tried to start reading Oliver's Delirium series a while back and just couldn't get into it.  I'm not sure if it was the book itself or if I was in some kind of reading rut, or what?  But because she has such a dedicated fan base out there and I've heard such wonderful things, and almost nothing bad to be honest, I'm going to try again, with a fresh start and all that.  Here's hoping this book is the one that turns me into a fan!