Happy Monday! This week we’re featuring a few really awesome giveaways including 3 copies of THE WAY IT HURTS. Make sure to enter to win below and check out all the other awesome books being released this week!

Happy Reading,

Shelly, Sam, Jocelyn, Martina, Erin, Susan, Kelly, Laura, Emily, Anisaa, and Lori Ann

YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK

Project Pandora
by Aden Polydoros
Other Giveaway
U.S. Only
Entangled: Teen
Released 8/1/2017

Having spent most of his life passing from one foster home to another, seventeen-year-old Tyler Bennett decided the only person he could trust was himself. But he hasn’t been feeling like himself lately. When he learns his entire past is a lie, and someone on the other end of a burner phone can order him to do anything, anywhere, he’s not just powerless. He’s controlled.

But when Tyler wakes during the middle of an assignment, he’s painted a target on his back. In order to unlock his buried memories and keep the Project from killing him, he’s going to need to learn to trust in a group of teens—including a beautiful girl who’s imprisoned in her own mind but he’s desperate to save. If he doesn’t uncover the truth behind the Project before it’s too late, his life is forfeit—and he may be the one to end it.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Project Pandora?

My favorite thing about PROJECT PANDORA is Hades. I enjoy getting into the heads of all the characters, but he is the most entertaining point of view to write from. Since he isn’t limited by the same moral codes as the other characters, I can have him react to situations in creative, unexpected ways. Another thing I like about him is how his character development took me off guard. From the beginning, I wanted to offset his sexiness and charisma with his rage and wildness, but I didn’t expect him to evolve into the character he became. I hope readers will find him as interesting as I do.

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Sleeper
by MacKenzie Cadenhead
Paperback Giveaway
U.S. Only
Sourcebooks Fire
Released 8/1/2017

Sarah’s dreams are everyone else’s nightmares in this thriller that perfectly combines Inception and Heathers.

As a sufferer of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, Sarah acts out her dreams. Usually she’s only a danger to herself, but when she almost breaks her best friend’s neck at a sleepover, Sarah becomes a social pariah. Luckily (and stangely), Wes, a guy she’s only seen in her dreams, turns up at school and the two become inseparable.

An experimental drug offers a cure, but she and Wes soon realize that not only are they sharing the same dreams, they can now alter other people’s dreams. It’s clear that this new drug is offering a lot more than just sleep. Will Wes and Sarah choose responsibility…or revenge?

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Sleeper?

I loved developing my own fictional version of a real parasomnia (R.E.M. Sleep Behavior Disorder) and then using it to complicate and raise the stakes of my characters’ choices. Something I love about comic books is that the fake science or mythological backstory that gives a hero her power generally also creates the potentially tragic crisis she must confront. For example, if your mutant ability allows you to suck the life force out of anyone you touch, then you’d better believe your dating life will suffer.

When I use a fantastical, super heroic or science fiction element in a story, I’m using it to create a clear, high stakes situation that forces my characters to reveal themselves, flaws and all. They confront the same everyday questions we all grapple with, but because of their abilities the stakes are crazy high. In Sarah and Wes’s case, I wanted to know if absolute power corrupts absolutely or if with great power comes great responsibility. Using dreams and possession to figure that out kept the drama going.

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The Way It Hurts
by Patty Blount
Paperback Giveaway (3 Copies)
U.S. Only
Sourcebooks Fire
Released 8/1/2017

There may be two sides to every story, but sometimes there’s only one way to set things right…

Music is Elijah’s life. His band plays loud and hard, and he’ll do anything to get them a big break. He needs that success to help take care of his sister, who has special needs. So he’d rather be practicing when his friends drag him to a musical in the next town…until the lead starts to sing.

Kristen dreams of a career on stage like her grandmother’s. She knows she needs an edge to get into a competitive theater program―and being the star in her high school musical isn’t going to cut it. The applause and the attention only encourage her to work harder.

Elijah can’t take his eyes off of Kristen’s performance, and his swooning face is captured on camera and posted with an out-of-context comment. It goes viral. Suddenly, Elijah and Kristen are in a new spotlight as the online backlash spins out of control. And the consequences are bigger than they both could have ever imagined because these threats don’t stay online…they follow them into real life.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Way It Hurts?

I adore main character Kristen’s grandmother, “Etta”. She is a force of nature! When I first start a new project, I only have the two main characters in mind. The supporting cast develops as I get deeper into the plotting process. I like to play with opposites. So Elijah is this rock idol wannabe and I figure that giving him a love interest whose own passion lies in showtunes and stage productions could be interesting. Next, I decide just how Elijah and Kristen became interested in the things they love. A good portion of that brainstorming goes into their backstory.

While I was developing Kristen into this focused and driven future Tony winner, I wondered who’d help her along the way. I gave her a supportive family and at first, thought it was her mom who was that early influence. But somewhere along the way, I changed mom to grandma. I think it might have been an episode of Castle that took me in that direction. Castle’s mom is this over-the-top woman with a tendency toward hyperbole and a flair for the dramatic. She doesn’t simply walk into a room; she makes an entrance. That’s Etta. I figured it made more sense for Kristen’s grandmother to mentor her, than her mother, as I originally planned, because I’m finding as I get older, I’m growing bolder. Not necessarily braver, but bolder. Her mom hasn’t yet developed that boldness.

I adore Etta and hope readers will, too.

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The Wood
by Chelsea Bobulski
Hardcover Giveaway
U.S. Only
Feiwel & Friends
Released 8/1/2017

After her father goes missing in the woods that they protect, Winter tries to seek the truth in what happened, why the wood is changing, and what it all has to do with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in this thrilling YA debut.

When Winter’s dad goes missing during his nightly patrol of the wood, it falls to her to patrol the time portals and protect the travelers who slip through them. Winter can’t help but think there’s more to her dad’s disappearance than she’s being told.

She soon finds a young man traveling in the wood named Henry who knows more than he should. He believes if they can work together to find his missing parents, they could discover the truth about Winter’s dad.

The wood is poisoned, changing into something sinister—torturing travelers lost it. Winter must put her trust in Henry in order to find the truth and those they’ve lost.

Bobulski’s eerie debut is filled with friendship, family, and the responsibilities we choose and those we do not.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Wood?

My favorite thing about THE WOOD is that it is an amalgamation of everything I’ve ever loved as a reader, especially when I was a teen, reading fantasy and paranormal novels during study hall instead of actually doing my homework. I’ve always loved to escape to the woods and be surrounded by trees—there’s something about it that just cleanses me—so setting a story in a magical wood that can be, at times, both breathtaking and frightening felt so natural, like this setting was always a part of me and it was just waiting to come out. Other elements that are everything teen reader me would have wanted in a book include: a heroine who is both physically and emotionally strong, especially when it comes to handling her responsibilities; a time-travel element (because the history major in me won’t be denied); a sassy—but loyal—best friend; and a star-crossed romance that may be doomed before it even begins. All of these elements blended together into a book that is 100% me, and I hope others will enjoy it as well!

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These Things I’ve Done
by Rebecca Phillips
Hardcover Giveaway
HarperTeen
Released 8/1/2017

A contemporary YA perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Jessi Kirby, THESE THINGS I’VE DONE is the story of a seventeen-year-old girl who accidentally caused her best friend’s death and, a year later, is still grappling with the consequences.

Before:
Dara and Aubrey have been inseparable since they became best friends in sixth grade. However, as they begin their sophomore year of high school, cracks in their friendship begin to form, testing the bond they always thought was unbreakable.

After:
It’s been fifteen months since the accident that killed Aubrey, and not a day goes by that Dara isn’t racked with guilt over her role in her best friend’s death. Dara thought nothing could be worse than confronting the memories of Aubrey that relentlessly haunt her, but she soon realizes it isn’t half as difficult as seeing Ethan, Aubrey’s brother, every day. Not just because he’s a walking reminder of what she did, but because the more her feelings for him change, the more she knows she’s betraying her best friend one final time.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about These Things I’ve Done?

My favorite (and most challenging) part to write was the relationship between my main character, Dara, and Ethan, the brother of her best friend, who she accidentally killed. Dara and Ethan have known each other for years, which is a totally different dynamic from all the other romances I’ve written, in which the two main characters just meet and have to get to know each other. Dara and Ethan already know each other really well, but their years-long friendship has ended and they’ve been completely apart from each other for a year as the story begins.

When their relationship picks up again, it’s understandably fraught with challenges. She accidentally killed his sister, who he was so close to growing up. Dara feels debilitating guilt, while Ethan is caught between his romantic feelings for Dara–which he’s had for years and still feels–and dealing with her role in his sister’s death. Dara’s caught between her desire to make it up to Ethan, and her growing feelings for him that make her feel even guiltier.

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We Now Return to Regular Life
by Martin Wilson
Hardcover Giveaway
U.S. Only
Dial Books
Released 8/1/2017

A ripped-from-the-headlines novel that explores the power of being an ally—and a friend—when a kidnapped boy returns to his hometown.

Sam Walsh had been missing for three years. His older sister, Beth, thought he was dead. His childhood friend Josh thought it was all his fault. They were the last two people to see him alive.

Until now. Because Sam has been found, and he’s coming home. Beth desperately wants to understand what happened to her brother, but her family refuses to talk about it—even though Sam is clearly still affected by the abuse he faced at the hands of his captor.

And as Sam starts to confide in Josh about his past, Josh can’t admit the truths he’s hidden deep within himself: that he’s gay, and developing feelings for Sam. And, even bigger: that he never told the police everything he saw the day Sam disappeared.

As Beth and Josh struggle with their own issues, their friends and neighbors slowly turn on Sam, until one night when everything explodes. Beth can’t live in silence. Josh can’t live with his secrets. And Sam can’t continue on until the whole truth of what happened to him is out in the open.

For fans of thought-provoking stories like The Face on the Milk Carton, this is a book about learning to be an ally—even when the community around you doesn’t want you to be.

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YA BOOK GIVEAWAYS LAST WEEK: WINNERS

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas: Katrina C.
The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger: Mary H.

MORE YOUNG ADULT FICTION IN STORES NEXT WEEK WITH AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

MORE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS NEW IN STORES NEXT WEEK

Blight
by Alexandra Duncan
Hardcover
Greenwillow Books
Released 8/1/2017

When an agribusiness facility producing genetically engineered food releases a deadly toxin into the environment, seventeen-year-old Tempest Torres races to deliver the cure before time runs out.

From the author of the acclaimed American Booksellers Association’s Indies Introduce pick Salvage, which was called “Brilliant, feminist science fiction” by Stephanie Perkins, the internationally bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss. This stand-alone action-adventure story is perfect for fans of Oryx and Crake and The House of the Scorpion.

Seventeen-year-old Tempest Torres has lived on the AgraStar farm north of Atlanta, Georgia, since she was found outside its gates at the age of five. Now she’s part of the security force guarding the fence and watching for scavengers—people who would rather steal genetically engineered food from the Company than work for it. When a group of such rebels accidentally sets off an explosion in the research compound, it releases into the air a blight that kills every living thing in its path—including humans. With blight-resistant seeds in her pocket, Tempest teams up with a scavenger boy named Alder and runs for help. But when they finally arrive at AgraStar headquarters, they discover that there’s an even bigger plot behind the blight—and it’s up to them to stop it from happening again.

Inspired by current environmental issues, specifically the genetic adjustment of seeds to resist blight and the risks of not allowing natural seed diversity, this is an action-adventure story that is Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake meets Nancy Farmer’s House of the Scorpion.

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Genius: The Con
by Leopoldo Gout
Hardcover
Feiwel & Friends
Released 8/1/2017

Three teen geniuses from diverse backgrounds must work together to stop a vicious warlord, protect their families, and save the world in this fast-paced sequel to Genius: The Game.

ON THE RUN!

Tunde: This fourteen-year-old self-taught engineering genius from Nigeria is in a race against time to save his village from a ruthless warlord.

Painted Wolf: This mysterious sixteen-year-old activist blogger and strategist from China is searching for a way to rescue her father from the corruption he’s inadvertently been caught up in.

Rex: This sixteen-year-old Mexican-American has proven himself to be one of the best programmers in the world, only to be falsely accused of stealing billions of government secrets for the terrorist hacking group Terminal.

Pursued by the police, the FBI, and most dangerous of all, Kiran Biswas, visionary CEO and evil mastermind, three teen geniuses have to move fast and stay low as they race to find a missing brother, stop a vicious warlord, and save the world in Genius: The Con by Leopoldo Gout.

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Just Friends
by Tiffany Pitcock
Paperback
Swoon Reads
Released 8/1/2017

A new spin on the classic smart-girl-and-bad-boy setup, this witty contemporary romance shows how easily a friendship – even one built on an elaborate lie – can become so much more.

Jenny meets Chance for the very first time when she is assigned as his partner in their Junior Oral Communications class. But after they rescue a doomed assignment with one clever lie, the whole school is suddenly convinced that Little-Miss-Really-Likes-Having-A’s and the most scandalous heartbreaker in school have been best friends forever. It’s amazing how quickly a lie can grow―especially when you really, really want it to be the truth.

With Jenny, Chance can live the normal life he’s always kind of wanted. And with Chance, Jenny can have the exciting teen experiences that TV shows and movies have always promised. Through it all, they hold on to the fact that they are “just friends.” But that might be the biggest lie of all.

Debut author Tiffany Pitcock delivers a spot-on depiction of first love and the high school rumor mill in Just Friends, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads.

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Kissing Max Holden
by Katy Upperman
Hardcover
Swoon Reads
Released 8/1/2017

Kissing Max Holden was a terrible idea…

After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn’t himself. As his long-time friend, Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn’t know how. When Max climbs through her window one night, Jill knows that she shouldn’t let him kiss her. But she can’t resist, and when they’re caught in the act by her dad, Jill swears it’ll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea.

With a new baby sibling on the way, her parents fighting all the time, and her dream of culinary school up in the air, Jill starts spending more and more time with Max. And even though her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend, not kissing Max is easier said than done. Will Jill follow her heart and allow their friendship to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden once and for all?

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Love Is Both Wave and Particle
by Paul Cody
Hardcover
Roaring Brook Press
Released 8/1/2017

This achingly beautiful novel considers how to measure love when it has the power to both save and destroy.

Levon Grady and Samantha Vash are both students at an alternative high school for high-achieving but troubled teens. They have been chosen for a year-long project where they write their life stories and collect interviews from people who know them. The only rule is 100% confidentiality—they will share their work only with each other. What happens will transform their lives.

Told from the perspectives of Levon, Sam, and all the people who know them best, this is a love story infused with science and the exploration of identity. Love Is Both Wave and Particle looks at how love behaves in different situations, and how it can shed light on even the darkest heart.

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Miles Morales (Spider-Man)
by Jason Reynolds
Hardcover
Marvel Press
Released 8/1/2017

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man.

But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself.

As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk.

It’s time for Miles to suit up.

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Sparks of Light
by Janet B. Taylor
Hardcover
HMH Books for Young Readers
Released 8/1/2017

For the first time in her life, Hope Walton has friends . . . and a (maybe) boyfriend. She’s a Viator, a member of a long line of time-traveling ancestors. When the Viators learn of a plan to steal a dangerous device from the inventor Nikola Tesla, only a race into the past can save the natural timeline from utter destruction. Navigating the glitterati of The Gilded Age in 1895 New York City, Hope and her crew will discover that high society can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

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The Secret History of Us
by Jessi Kirby
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 8/1/2017

Gorgeously written and emotionally charged, The Secret History of Us explores the difficult journey of a teenage girl who must piece her life together after losing her memory in a near-fatal accident.

When Olivia awakes in a hospital bed following a car accident that almost took her life, she can’t remember the details about how she got there. She figures the fog is just a symptom of being in a week-long coma, but as time goes on, she realizes she’s lost more than just the last several days of her life—she’s lost her memory of the last four years. Gone is any recollection of starting or graduating high school; the prom; or her steady boyfriend Matt. Trying to figure out who she is feels impossible when everyone keeps telling her who she was.

As Liv tries to block out what her family and friends say about who she used to be, the one person she hasn’t heard enough from is Walker, the guy who saved her the night her car was knocked off that bridge into the bay below. Walker is the hardened boy who’s been keeping his distance—and the only person Olivia inexplicably feels herself with. With her feelings growing for Walker, tensions rising with Matt, and secrets she can’t help but feel are being kept from her, Olivia must find her place in a life she doesn’t remember living.

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Venturess
by Betsy Cornwell
Hardcover
Clarion Books
Released 8/1/2017

Young inventor Nicolette Lampton is living her own fairy-tale happy ending. She’s free of her horrible step-family, running a successful business, and is uninterested in marrying the handsome prince, Fin. Instead, she, Fin, and their friend Caro venture to the lush land of Faerie, where they seek to put an end to the bloody war their kingdom is waging.

Mechanical armies and dark magic await them as they uncover devastating secrets about the past and fight for a real, lasting happily-ever-after for two troubled countries—and for themselves.

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When I Am Through with You
by Stephanie Kuehn
Hardcover
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Released 8/1/2017

“This isn’t meant to be a confession. Not in any spiritual sense of the word. Yes, I’m in jail at the moment. I imagine I’ll be here for a long time, considering. But I’m not writing this down for absolution and I’m not seeking forgiveness, not even from myself. Because I’m not sorry for what I did to Rose. I’m just not. Not for any of it.”

Ben Gibson is many things, but he’s not sorry and he’s not a liar. He will tell you exactly about what happened on what started as a simple school camping trip in the mountains. About who lived and who died. About who killed and who had the best of intentions. But he’s going to tell you in his own time. Because after what happened on that mountain, time is the one thing he has plenty of.

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