1.) The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie - My Review / GoodreadsThis was one of my favorite debuts last year and definitely flew under the radar. It's an indie release so that kind of makes sense but it's so good. It's got diverse LGBT characters and is about sci-fi sea monsters and pirates.
2.) The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - My Review / GoodreadsThis is another or my favorite debuts. I feel like it's the kind of book that will appeal to a wide range of readers. It's technically historical fiction but reads like contemporary. It's a great and interesting story about people connecting in the most unlikely places.
3.) Roses and Rot by Kat Howard - My Review / GoodreadsI really enjoyed this book. I liked it more than I thought I would. It was more complex than I thought it would be too. I really don't want to give too much away though. Just suffice it to say, if you like fairy tales you must read this.
4.) Kingdom of Ash and Briar by Hannah West - My Review / GoodreadsAnother debut that I loved from an indie publisher. It was a fantastic YA fantasy that had god elements of a fairy tale retelling. The beginning wasn't super creative but it did take a unique turn and I loved it for that. Plus it was an action-packed fantasy standalone.
5.) Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine - My Review / GoodreadsThis was one of my favorite books of last year and I am super in love with this series but I don't really hear anyone talking about it. I mean besides me and the people who I recommended it to. But it's a really fantastic alternate history/sci-f/fantasy series.
6.) Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson - My Review / GoodreadsI know a few fellow bloggers read and loved this YA contemporary but I feel like more people didn't talk about this one. Or at least as many people who should be talking about. All contemporary fans should read it. It's got the perfect combination of humor and seriousness.
7.) The Skylighter by Becky Wallace - My Review / GoodreadsThis was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint. I know a few people were talking about the first book in this series when it came out but not very many were talking about this one and I feel like they should have been.
8.) The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury - My Review / GoodreadsSame as above. I love this series and I am super excited for thelast book in the series to come out this summer. I think a few people were talking about it when it first came out and I know it got mixed reviews but I loved it. I think this series is a surprisingly dark and complex YA fantasy.
9.) Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar - My Review / GoodreadsThis is one of the most unique books I read last year and is definitely a hidden gem. It's a little bit of everything: magical realism, mystery, contemporary, fantasy. It's a weird and fun book that I think more people should read.
10.) Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia - My Review / GoodreadsAnd another debut I loved that not a lot of people were talking about. I don't think it's the book for everyone but I loved the way it played with some of the tropes of YA contemporaries. It was a really unique read too.
11.) The Swan Riders by Erin Bow - My Review / GoodreadsAnd another sequel that I loved and not a lot of people were talking about. I know a handful of people loved The Scorpion Rules along with me but I feel like I was the only person talking about this book when it came out. And while this wasn't as good as the first one, it was great!
12.) When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore - My Review / GoodreadsI thought a lot of people were raving about this one along with me but it has less than 1,000 ratings on Goodreads which makes me remember that I live in a blogging bubble. In case you haven't read this amazing diverse YA Magical Realism you should.
Honorable Mention:
The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You by Lily Anderson - My Review / Goodreads
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis - My Review / Goodreads
I loved Kingdom of Ash and Briar! I've heard excellent things about When the Moon Was Ours and Anna-Marie is super sweet, I'll have to pick it up soon :D
ReplyDeleteI loved Gena/Finn (and The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You!) I really need to pick up When the Moon Was Ours. Great list! My TTT
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of obsessed with the Kingdom of Ash and Briars cover, and I've seen it on a few people's list today, so I think I'm going to take the plunge and read it. It seems amazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad to see some love for Becky Wallace's books here! I loved her Storyspinner series, and I actually had the chance to meet her last year. She's a total sweetheart, and her books definitely deserve more recognition. Great list :)
My TTT
A few of these are already on my TBR! I'm dying to read Roses and Rot, but just haven't gotten around to it. Great list :D
ReplyDeleteHere are my Top Ten!
I gotta read Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies. That sounds like a cool book-- and I love unique stuff, it's so hard to find!!
ReplyDeleteI still need to read Paper and Fire, I really liked Ink and Bone, just haven't got around to the sequel yet!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/top-ten-tuesday-92/
I'm dying to read When the Moon Was Ours. Now I find out it has so little a number of ratings, I must get my hands on it now! Great list.
ReplyDeleteEnter Title Here looks like a different kind of read.
ReplyDeletehttps://runwright.net/2017/01/18/underrated-novels/
When the Moon was Ours and The Female of the Species are both on my TBR pile, but I need to get my hands on the rest of these!
ReplyDeleteYes, Paper and Fire is awesome - I can't wait for the next book in the series! :)
ReplyDeleteLauren @ Always Me