...To Be Continued in 2012!

photo by Elements of Persuasion

While browsing my "must-reads" for 2012, I realized there are quite a few books that happen to be follow ups to a new series that I started reading this year.  Below are a few of those, second in the series, must-reads that will be published in 2012.

This past year introduced me to a lot of new authors & genres in YA lit.  I found myself immersed in some of these stories and can not freaking wait to read what happens next for these characters.  Share your thoughts in the comments if you've read any of the books prior to these. Or, if you have not read any of them yet, then perhaps this post will entice you to do so.  2012 can not get here fast enough!!!!

*WARNING: some of these book descriptions may contain spoilers if you have not read the previous book.

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

January 24, 2012

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. {taken from goodreads.com}

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

March 6, 2012

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again. {taken from goodreads.com}

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

May 28, 2012

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. {taken from goodreads.com}

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

June 19, 2012

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought. {taken from goodreads.com}

More sequels to be continued in 2012:

A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young - July 2012
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer #2 by Michelle Hodkin - 2012
Shatter Me #2 by Tahereh Mafi - 2012
The Eve Trilogy #2 by Anna Carey - 2012
Shine (Shade #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready - May 1, 2012 (I know it's the 3rd in the series, but it's HIGHLY anticipated in my to-be-read pile for 2012 & I wanted to mention it!) 

A list has been created on goodreads of several more 2012 YA/MG Sequels.  Click here to view that list.

I receive a small commission from books purchased through the Amazon links provided.

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Published: June 21, 2011 by Harper Collins
Received: bought from Barnes & Noble

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences. {taken from goodreads.com}

I am usually never a fan of faces on book covers.  When I first saw this one I thought nothing much of the cover, but once it arrived in my hands I was totally taken back by it.  The colors are simply breathtaking!  The gold definitely has a strong significance to the story, so that made it much more intriguing as well.  A Need So Beautiful has been high on my list of reads for 2011.  Once the book became available to me and I sat down to read it, I was sucked in.  Suzanne Young has the ability to write words that grip you and pull you in to the story.  I kept turning the pages, eager to know what would happen next.  Only to be caught off guard and sucked back in all over again.

Charlotte can't remember her life before the age of 6, where she was placed in the foster care of a loving mother and foster brother that soon became her family.  Her teenage years were spent attending school, hanging out with her best friend Sarah, and spending as much time as possible with her hot boyfriend Harlin.  Everything appears to be normal, yet Charlotte can't help this nagging feeling festering inside her gut that's telling her everything is far beyond normal.  She seeks answers in a family friend who works as a doctor at the clinic.  After all, he was the one who helped place Charlotte in her foster family's home.  But does this doctor know more about her past than he's letting on?

The Need begins to take over Charlotte's life.  It's when her body is compelled to physically approach strangers and help them during a difficult period of their life.  Charlotte's purpose may be to help them see the wrong and make the right, or simply by guiding them in a different direction.  As soon as her work is done, the stranger forgets she helped them and life goes back to what it was.  Charlotte's pull to The Need is progressing more and more, her body is starting to change, and slowly she isn't able to hide this strange ability she's kept secret for so long.

I was intrigued by the story line immediately.  I had never read something of this sort before.  The paranormal elements were casually thrown in to every day life, which in turn makes it feel more real to the reader.  Do these occurrences actually exist?  I was also intrigued by Charlotte's boyfriend Harlin.  The chemistry between these two characters was insane.  Suzanne Young definitely knows how to bring the sexytimes!  Their moments felt so intimate to me some times, that I felt like I needed to excuse myself and let them have their privacy.  Yeah, it was that intense.  Aside from the physical attraction between these two, there was also a strong emotional connection as well.  This bond forced me to become more invested in them as well, as certain elements played out in the story.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for something of the paranormal realm, with a bit of reality thrown in.  With that cliffhanger ending, I will for sure be reading A Want So Wicked when it is released.