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"We are all of us, gods and mortals, made up of many pieces, some of them broken, some of them scarred, but none of them the total sum of who we are." ~ from Robin LaFevers' Mortal Heart
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New and Recently Released
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| Stranger by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood SmithScience Fiction. In ancient times, before the destruction and mutations caused by the solar storm, the city was known as Los Angeles. Now it's Las Anclas, a walled frontier town that's home to all sorts of people, including awkward engineer Mia; aspiring politician Felicité; protective Ranger Jennie; Yuki, who longs for the ocean; and Ross, a prospector whose arrival in Las Anclas sparks a violent conflict between the human "Norms" and the mutated, super-powered "Changed." If you love dystopian series like the Hunger Games or Divergent, you don't want to miss the pulse-pounding action, romantic entanglements, and diverse characters in Stranger, the first book in the Change series. |
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| The Fall by Bethany GriffinHorror. Madeline Usher is trapped inside her family's decaying, haunted mansion. As her desperation to save herself (and her beloved twin brother, Roderick) increases, so does her strange illness...could it be that the house would rather let her die than let her leave? The Fall's intensifying pace immerses readers in a "thick, murky atmosphere" (Kirkus Reviews) of dread, building toward a dramatic, disturbing finale. Based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, this twisted tale will hold special appeal for Poe fans, as well as fans of Bethany Griffin's earlier Poe adaptations, Masque of the Red Death and Dance of the Red Death. |
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| Mortal Heart by Robin LaFeversHistorical Fantasy. Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph introduced Ismae and Sybelle, trained killers from the convent of St. Mortain; this conclusion to the popular His Fair Assassin trilogy focuses on another of Death's handmaidens, Annith, who runs away from her grim destiny at the convent. Though she longs to control her own future, Annith is drawn toward a brooding lost soul named Balthazaar and caught up in the struggle between 15th-century Brittany and France. Rich with historical detail and simmering with murder, secrets, politics, and romance, Mortal Heart will captivate readers who appreciate complex, powerful heroines. |
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| Even in Paradise by Chelsey PhilpotMystery. Like everyone at St. Anne's, scholarship student Charlotte has heard of Julia Buchanan -- Julia's powerful family and wild habits are notorious. However, it's not until Charlotte forms an intensely close friendship with Julia (and falls for Julia's brother, Sebastian) that she glimpses the painful secrets hidden beneath the Buchanans' glamourous image. Inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and combining the wrenching family drama of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars with the boarding-school relationships of John Green's Looking for Alaska, this debut novel offers both "modern romance and classic tragedy" (School Library Journal). |
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| The Accidental Highwayman: Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight... by Ben TrippFantasy Adventure. Though 16-year-old Kit is certainly surprised to learn that his boss, Master Rattle, was really Whistling Jack, an infamous highway bandit, it's nothing compared to Kit's shock when he discovers that fairies are real. Rattle's dying request was for Kit to complete his final mission: to rescue the fairy Princess Morgana from an unwanted marriage. Kit manages to find the feisty princess, but he's mistaken for Whistling Jack in the process and pursued by humans and fairies alike. Sprinkled with whimsical illustrations and sly humor, this fast-paced series opener is perfect for those seeking old-fashioned, swashbuckling adventure. |
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| Burning Blue by Paul GriffinMystery. Popular, privileged Nicole Castro is one of the most beautiful girls at school -- until someone throws acid on her face in a crowded hallway and disappears. Now half of Nicole's face is permanently scarred, and the police haven't been able to determine her attacker's identity. But after Nicole and loner Jay Nazarro meet in the school psychologist's office, Jay, a talented hacker, resolves to find the culprit no matter what it takes. Told through narrative as well as through bits of evidence that Jay unearths, excerpts from Nicole's journal, and notes from her sessions with psychiatrists, this is a riveting read that, like Peter Abrahams' similarly gripping Reality Check, blends a dangerous investigation with romance. |
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| Green Witch by Alice HoffmanFiction. A year ago, the city near Green's village was destroyed -- while her parents and sister were there selling produce from the family's garden. The previous novel Green Angel tells how Green picked up the pieces and moved on with her life, thanks in part to fellow survivor Diamond, whom she came to love. But now, in Green Witch, she is alone again: Diamond has gone missing and Green must venture out from her lush garden to ask for help from four solitary women who are rumored to be witches. Hailed by critics as "trancelike and infused with magical realism" (Kirkus Reviews), this poetically written story of loss and longing is heartrending and memorable. |
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| Yellow Flag by Robert LipsyteFiction. More at home behind a music stand than behind the wheel, talented trumpet player Kyle Hildebrand has, so far, avoided being part of the family business of stock-car racing. But when Kyle's older brother, Kris, is forced to sit out a race due to an injury, Kyle has to take his place...and discovers that he likes it. Now he's torn between pursuing a NASCAR career and continuing to study music, and to make things more complicated, he's got a potential girlfriend in each of these worlds. With "heart-pounding action" (VOYA) and plenty of NASCAR details, Yellow Flag is a must-read novel for racing fans. |
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| Red Glass by Laura ResauFiction. Shy Arizona teen Sophie is afraid of almost everything, especially things that are unfamiliar or uncertain. But because she loves Pedro, the 6-year-old Mexican orphan who has been staying with her family, Sophie agrees to travel with him to Mexico so that he can see his relatives. Their journey, and the people they meet along the way -- including Guatemalan teen refugee Angel -- shakes up Sophie's perspective and ignites the courage she never realized she had. Red Glass is an unflinching yet "vibrant, large-hearted story" (Publishers Weekly) that celebrates determination, bravery, and love. |
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| White Crow by Marcus SedgwickGothic Horror. When Rebecca moves with her father from London to the tiny seaside village of Winterfold, she's bitter about leaving her home and friends behind. Then she meets Ferelith, a twisted and rebellious girl who goads Rebecca into playing increasingly spooky and dangerous "games" with her. As the present-day storyline progresses, a chilling -- and ominously related -- mystery unfolds in excerpts from a long-dead priest's diary. Building suspense and divulging tantalizing secrets bit by bit, this "wickedly macabre" (Kirkus Reviews) tale is sure to give you shivers. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact The Urbandale Public Library at 515-331-4488, 3520 86th St., Urbandale, IA 50322 |
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