Hey YA Readers: Letâs get series-ous!
âWhatâs Up in YA?â is sponsored by the late spring and summer picks of the Class of 2k19 books, 20 authors, 20 MG and YA novels debuting in 2019.
WE RULE THE NIGHT: âThe richly textured world, filled with disparate people who want to win the war, is background to a powerful story.â â Kirkus starred review
THE BEST LIES: Told in alternating timelines, Thelma and Louise meets Gone Girl in this twisted psychological thriller about the dark side of obsessive friendship.
ALL OUR BROKEN PIECES: âCrichton is a master at manipulating her readerâs emotions [âŠ] sharply written and deeply moving.â -Tamara Ireland Stone
THE GRIEF KEEPER: The Grief Keeper is a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.
Next Monday, over on Book Riot, Iâve got a mega list of completed YA book series that should be on your to-read, if you havenât already marathoned them. What I didnât include on the list were series coming to a close this year, so it seemed only right to do a small round-up of those titles here.
I struggle with series books because I need to read the series cover-to-cover. So Iâll get my hands on the first book, then Iâll be sad to have to wait for years to get the final one before starting. I am not patient and itâs too easy for me to forget key parts of a story while waiting for so long.
But completed series? Sign me up. Here are a handful coming to their conclusions in 2019. Iâve included the Goodreads descriptions for the first book, mostly because Iâve not read any of these said for above-stated reasons and to avoid potential end-of-series spoilers in using final book descriptions. Iâve included the title and publication date of the final book in clickable links.
âThe Bone Witchâ series by Rin Chupeco, ending with The Shadowglass which is available now.
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that sheâs a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.
In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstaclesâŠand make a powerful choice.
âThe Black Angel Chroniclesâ by Kristen Orlando, ending with You Wonât See Me Coming, available now.
Seventeen-year-old Reagan Elizabeth Hillis is used to changing identities overnight, lying to every friend sheâs ever had, and pushing away anyone who gets too close. Trained in mortal combat and weaponry her entire life, Reagan is expected to follow in her parentsâ footsteps and join the ranks of the most powerful top-secret agency in the world, the Black Angels. Falling in love with the boy next door was never part of the plan. Now Reagan must decide: Will she use her incredible talents and lead the dangerous life she was born into, or throw it all away to follow her heart and embrace the normal life sheâs always wanted? And does she even have a choice?
âAlex & Elizaâ by Melissa de la Cruz, ending with All for One, publishing April 16.
Their romance shaped a nation. The rest was history.
1777. Albany, New York.
As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York societyâs biggest events: the Schuylersâ grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling countryâs founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughtersâAngelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival that of both her sisters, though sheâd rather be aiding the colonistsâ cause than dressing up for some silly ball.
Still, she can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washingtonâs right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he canât believe his luckâas an orphan, and a bastard one at thatâto be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.
âThree Dark Crownsâ by Kendare Blake, ending with Five Dark Fates on September 3.
When kingdom come, there will be one.
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is bornâthree queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isnât solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And itâs not just a game of win or loseâŠitâs life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.
The last queen standing gets the crown.
âRoyal Bastardsâ by Andrew Shvarts, ending with War of the Bastards on June 4.
Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.
At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jaxâs floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her fatherâs side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar whoâs been in love with Tilla since they were children.
Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastardsâ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.
Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyrianaâs uncle, the Royal Archmagus, deadâwith Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.
The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apartâif they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey
Happy reading, yâall! Thanks for hanging and weâll see you again later this week for some YA news.
PS: If you havenât already, check out our brand new podcast all about kid lit!
â Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Donât) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.