Consider this Part 1 of a few of the favorites for young adults that have appeared on a number of Best Of lists.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
A great start to what promises to be an exciting new series. Karou is a storyteller and artist. Each day the kids at her art school beg to see the latest pictures in her sketchbook and to hear the stories that go along with the sketches. But what they don't realize is everything Karou tells them is real. Some where along the way Karou learned the best way to hide who you are is to tell everyone exactly who you are. She tried to tell them it was all real. Her tattoos even hinted at it with "true" and "story" written on her wrists. But when black handprints start appearing around town, Karou finds that even she doesn't know who she really is and that she is entangled in the middle of a war she didn't even know about.Divergent by Veronica Roth
Beatrice "Tris" Prior is sixteen. In her society that means it's time for her to decide which of the five society factions she will be a part of for the rest of her life. Will she stay an Abnegation, which was what she was raised? Or will she become part of Amity, Dauntless, Erudite or Candor. Each represents a virture, but which one represents Tris? After making a decision, Tris finds herself being pushed to the her absolute physical and mental limits. The further she makes it into her faction, the more intriguing and troublesome information is revealed. Could her secrets be uncovered and put her in mortal danger?Delirium by Lauren Oliver
What if love were a disease? One that plagued citizens but could be cured? Would you want to live in a world without love? This is the world in which Lena Holloway lives. At eighteen, everyone receives the government mandated cure for love. This is something Lena has waited her whole life for. She's never wanted to worry about being in love and the feelings that come with it. That is until a few weeks before her surgery, she falls in love.Miss. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Jacob is on a mysterious island searching for the orphanage his grandfather grew up in during World War II. Is it possible that the woman who used to run it and the other orphans are still there? Jacob has to find the secrets of his grandfather's past or he may never be able to escape the monster that has been stalking him. This is a fantastical story told with the help of eerie old photographs.Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey is about to tell you a unique story. His story. Michael Vey seems like your every day teenager. The only thing that some might say makes him different is the fact that he has Tourette's Syndrome. But Michael Vey is much more different than that. He has special powers. He has electric powers. Michael has always thought he was the only one with these special powers, but then he meets another student at his school who also has powers. Unfortunately, some very dangerous people know that Michael and his friend are special in their abilities. Can Michael figure out how he acquired his powers before he is taken and used to control the world?Stop in to the library to check out these great books or visit the www.woodwardmemoriallibrary.org and click on the catalog to put them on hold.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Best Of 2011.
(These books were taken from the Amazon.com Best Books for Young Adults 2011 list.)
