Wednesday 3 April 2013

April 2013's New Releases!

Myself and my mum (from JeanzBookReadNReview) have decided to use this feature each month to spotlight some books, whether they be "Mainstream" or "Indie", that have caught our eye!

Zombies Don't Forgive
By Rusty Fischer

Zombies Don't Forgive will be released on the 1st of April.

Following Barracuda Bay’s homecoming come zombie Armageddon, fellow zombies Maddy, Dane, and Stamp have fled to Orlando where they work at a theme park, hiding in plain sight at their jobs in the Great Movie Monster Makeover show. The three spend most of their time together in their apartment trying to avoid curious Normals and Sentinels - humans and zombie cops. While Dane and Maddy draw closer, Stamp drifts away, falling for a mysterious blonde. But when the mysterious girl puts their existence in danger, all Maddy cares about is hunting the blonde down to separate her from her head.

Zombies Don't Forgive is the second book in Rusty Fischer's Living Dead Love Story series. I have read (and will soon be reviewing!) the first book in the series, Zombies Don't Cry, which myself and my mum, (from JeanzBookReadNReview) received for review from the author himself!

Alpha Girl
By Kate Bloomfield

Alpha Girl will be released on the 1st of April.

Seventeen year old Rose Goldman is highly unpopular in the little town of Halfway. Ever since the 'attack' when she was a little girl, people and animals have been afraid of her. She gets bullied in school, and called 'wet dog' because of the way she smells, despite being extremely hygienic. However, life takes a turn when a new teacher starts at Halfway High. Mr. Stone, the quirky and charismatic English teacher is twice Rose's age, but she feels an unexplainable pull towards him from day one. Despite her better judgement, Rose pursues a friendship with Mr. Stone, who seems unable to stay away from her. What is pulling this unlikely pair together?

I spotted this title on Goodreads, when I asked Kate Bloomfield if she would do an author interview for this site. I really liked the sound of Alpha Girl & loved the cover!

Stung
By Bethany Wiggins

Stung will be released on the 2nd of April.

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered - her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand - a black oval with five marks on either side - that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.
Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone - and on the wrong side of the wall. 

I originally came across Stung on Netgalley, where it caught my eye because of its strange & simple cover!

In The Shadow Of Blackbirds
By Cat Winters

In The Shadow Of Blackbirds will be released on the 2nd of April.

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen year old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love - a boy who died in battle - returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

In The Shadow Of Blackbirds was another title I originally spotted on Netgalley! This title caught my eye mainly because of its Mary Shelley reference.

Nameless
By Lili St Crow

Nameless will be released on the 4th of April.

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven - the powerful Families that rule magic ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.


I found Lili St Crow's Nameless via Netgalley, and had never fully read the blurb until doing this post! I loved the cover and had heard great reviews of Lili St Crow's previous books, so I didn't really need to fully read the blurb in order to add Nameless to my wishlist!

Strangelets
By Michelle Gagnon

Strangelets will be released on the 9th of April.

All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital - only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving. 
 
Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light through the eyes of Sophie, Declan, and Anat, the reader is taken on a dark and unforgettable journey into the hearts of teens who must decide what to do with a second chance at life.

I found out about Strangelets via the publisher, Soho Teen, and thought it sounded quite different & unusual.

Awakening 
By Karen Sandler

Awakening will be released on the 9th of April.

Once a GEN (genetically engineered nonhuman) girl terrified of her first Assignment, Kayla is now a member of the Kinship, a secret organization of GENs, lowborns, and trueborns. Kayla travels on Kinship business, collecting information to further the cause of GEN freedom.

Despite Kayla’s relative freedom, she is still a slave to the trueborn ruling class. She rarely sees trueborn Devak, and any relationship between them is still strictly forbidden.

Kayla longs to be truly free, but other priorities have gotten in the way. A paradoxically deadly new virus has swept through GEN sectors - a disease only GENs catch. And GEN warrens and warehouses are being bombed, with only a scrawled clue: F.H.E. Freedom, Humanity, Equality.

With the virus and the bombings decimating the GEN community, freedom and love are put on the back burner as Kayla and her friends find a way to stop the killing . . . before it’s too late.

I loved reading Tankborn, the previous book in this series - which was one of the first titles I discovered & requested on Netgalley! As soon as I heard that there was going to be a second book, I checked Goodreads & added it to my wishlist!

Taken
By Erin Bowman

Taken will be released on the 16th of April.

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys - but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate - until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot - a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken - or risk everything on the hope of the other side?


This title originally caught my eye (via Goodreads) because of its beautiful, vibrant cover! I quite like the sound of Taken, to me it seems to be a bit of a cross between The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan & The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

The After Girls
By Leah Konen

The After Girls will be released on the 18th of April.

Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls' worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this - to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn't they have seen this coming? Couldn't they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid's dark secrets. The answers to those questions - questions they never dreamed of asking - will change their lives forever.

My mum (from JeanzBookReadNReview) told me about this title that she had found on Netgalley. She thought I might like it because it reminded her of the Pretty Little Liars TV series that we had watched part of, and it also reminded her a bit of Torn by Cat Clarke that I had read & reviewed.

Hot Blooded
By Amanda Carlson

Hot Blooded will be released on the 23rd of April.

It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge - but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day's work for a girl.


Amanda Carlson's Hot Blooded caught my eye as I had read and really enjoyed the previous book, Full Blooded, and the novella / prequel, Blooded, and couldn't resist adding this one to my wishlist!

The Elite 
By Kiera Cass

The Elite will be released on the 23rd of April.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over - and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.


This title caught my eye as The Elite is the sequel to The Selection, which myself and my mum each spotted on Netgalley & Edelweiss, and each read and loved! This title also caught my eye because of the rich, vibrant colours on the cover which I love!

The Ward
By Jordana Frankel

The Ward will be releases on the 30th of April.

Sixteen year old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.


I found The Ward via Goodreads, and was drawn to it because of its dramatic cover and dystopian genre.

The Program
By Suzanne Young

The Program will be released on the 30th of April.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone - but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.


I have had The Program by Suzanne Young on my Goodreads wishlist for a while now, I initially spotted it on a fellow blogger's site, then I came across it again in the form of a countdown on Petra's site, the Safari Poet! From the blurb it reminds me a bit of Lauren Oliver's Delirium.

Have any of April 2013's New Releases caught your eye?

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