Halfway through May, and I’m just now posting my May book recommendation! Life’s been busy, people. So busy. But, here it is, GRACELING, by Kristin Cashore. It’s a lovely stand alone with other books set in the same world. If you enjoy people born with special abilities and given grace responsibility as well as lots of wonderful on-the-hunt tension, mixed with some romance, this is the YA book for you!
I initially bought this book because I was looking for something new to read, and the cover was SO lovely, but I finished reading it because it was such a lovely book. There's a lot of YA fiction out there that follows a pretty specific formula, and while I tend to enjoy that formula (very much), it's always nice to be surprised, and this book was very surprising. Fresh, original, a little dark, and very satisfying, Graceling is a must read!
"Kristin Cashore’s best-selling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable yet strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace . . . and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.
Awards: Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, winner of the SIBA Book Award/YA, Indies Choice Book Award Honor Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2008 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2008 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Amazon.com’s Best Books of 2008, 2008 Booklist Editors’ Choice, Booklist’s 2008 Top Ten First Novels for Youth, 2009 Amelia Bloomer List, BCCB 2009 Blue Ribbon List
Don’t miss the sequel Fire, also a New York Times bestseller and ALA Best Book for Young Adults, winner of the 2010 Cybil for YA Fantasy/Sci Fi and the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award."
source: Barnes and Noble