This was a preview of some great books that I am looking forward to reading. I did not know that some of the books were coming out, so it was great to read about them. I am especially looking forward to reading Warcross, Jane Unlimited & Things I'm Seeing Without You.

I love reading these little excerpt books because they bring my attention to books I may not have wanted to read ordinarily. I will be reading all of these books when they come out (or when I get a copy!) and a couple of them I probably wouldn't have read based on the cover/synopsis, but the excerpt hooked me and changed my mind. Excellent picks for this compilation!

I loved this extract of future titles and can't wait to read these books

This is an interesting way to get a sneak peek of several titles at once.

Brilliant teasers of upcoming books I'm looking forward to reading 4 of the 5 this Autumn!

In this young adult sampler, I found 5 samples of fiction titles.  The stories are tempting me to buy all of them so I can finish reading them.  I must admit that the first story was a little difficult for me to get into at first.  I'm not sure why.  However I do think this is one of the best ways to find new authors and books to read!  This is a great book to read.

Four out of the five books are on my list to be bought. The fifth book is on my maybe list. Because of this sampler I have already bought Warcross and Jane, Unlimited and have the other 2 books are on pre-order.

these little preview selection type books are great to try forthcoming books

I got this on a whim, because it's a series of samplers for a bunch of upcoming YA books, and I'm glad I did! It was a great preview of each of the books that's left me even more hyped -- especially for There's Something In Your House and Warcross

These little excerpt books are great, and totally can be 'game-changers'. This features five highly-anticipated Fall 2017 Release YA books, and I read this, thanks to NetGalley. I would say it was a game-changer for me, as I changed my mind about some books I'd set my sights on from reading this...

- WARCROSS (this may be the most anticipated book of them all, and of the Fall!) - to be honest, I wasn't totally engaged by the character, and I'm not usually into dystopian/gamer books, BUT there was something about the idea of the hunt, AND just having a hint of 'Back of The Future' for me (I still want to believe there will be hoverboards one day), that made me want to read more. Truth be told, I have preordered this and will be going to Marie Lu's signing next week.

- JANE, UNLIMITED - this has one of those pretty good book setups, where there's a dead relative (I did like that the Aunt was a deep sea photographer!), so there's suddenly a new environment for the protagonist to explore and for the story to be set. But right away I didn't feel hooked by the characters. I think I would have to read more, but from the amount I read, it wasn't really enough. 

- THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE - the title is the sort to grab me immediately so you had me there. As for the short excerpt I got to read here, I've worked on too many horror movies to be that gullible...I thought the opening story hook of the egg timer was a little on the obvious side but there you go. I was also then very disappointed in the teens' reaction to a schoolmate's murder; I'm getting a bit tired of this being the clichéd response for teens today. Maybe I need to read more and find out if the teens' reactions change and to find out about the other murders. Plus I DO like that cover, I have to admit.

- THINGS I'M SEEING WITHOUT YOU - the cover of this is absolutely beautiful, I have to say. Stunning. And the title made me think immediately of what I'd say to myself soon after someone close to me had died. I didn't realize when I first saw the title that the book directly is about how the main character Tess reacts to a boy's suicide. I can tell right away that this is probably an emotion-laden read, and is a book that you should probably carefully choose just the right time to hold in your hands and absorb. 

- FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS - this excerpt took me the most by surprise, as this book was the lowest on my radar. I loved the setting, the mythology, the language, the interesting characters: right away I was drawn in. I grew up in Hong Kong and particularly love the idea of the setting being in East Asia, which seems to make a change for me. This was a surprise addition to my TBR list after reading the sampler and the one I wanted to continue  on with most. 

Overall, great sampler! I'll probably end up reading them all at some point but 'Warcross', 'Forest of a Thousand Lanterns', and 'Things I'm Seeing Without You' became definites. 
**I was disappointed that two of these books have school dropouts; it seems to be too much of a trend with YA novels.

Cannot wait for each and every one of these! Jane Unlimited really intrigues me - can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

I recently had a chance read excerpts from 5 young adult novels being published by Penguin this month or next. They included: more gritty science fiction from Marie Lu (Legend) in WARCROSS; Kristin Cashore’s (Graceling - a personal favorite) new fantasy titled JANE, UNLIMITED; the start of a horror story called THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE by Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss); plus THINGS I'M SEEING WITHOUT YOU by Peter Bognanni (The House of Tomorrow) and a fractured fairy-tale debut novel, FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS by Julie C. Dao.  A variety of teen reads, but generally dark and a bit grim – the first and last titles especially are getting quite positive reviews; I will post more comments when I finish a full text.

For this book, because it is a sample, I will be splitting up my review into section. I am also posting the review on my blog. 
Warcross by Marie Lu

While I am not usually too huge of a science fiction reader, I did enjoy this premise and I liked Marie Lu's writing style. The writing style felt very relatable and never felt like it was trying to be too technical or sophisticated. Lu made sure to write the story in a way that felt realistic in a potentially unrealistic setting, as well as keep the character lively and moving. Even when the narrator stops to just look at a magazine or check her phone, there is never a dull moment. 
I think that the idea of a futuristic New York City and a virtual game is a really unique premise. I also found the bounty hunter angle interesting too because it is something I rarely ever see in YA books or at least the books I have read. Everything in this this world felt like a future that could happen, rather than something an author just made up. With so much online gaming, the angle of gambling or trading notes for actual cash (similar to people selling their game accounts on Amazon) is not too far off. I liked how the author mixed our modern day world with her futuristic world, helping again to make it more believable and relatable to the reader. I liked the main character of Emika Chen. I thought she was extremely cool and adventurous. On top of that I feel like I can relate to Emika and feel for her as she is dealing with being scared of eviction from her apartment or not having money or missing her father. Even the act of the Warcross game being used to make someone forget their troubles is something that a lot of people go through when it comes to online gaming. It is amazing how Lu was able to take a fictional futuristic world and combine it's struggles and hardships with today's reality so well. 
I honestly  really loved this sample and it definitely made me want to read this book when it comes out. 

Jane, Unlimited by Kristen Cashore 
This is a book I have had on my want to read list for a while. Sadly, when I started to read it I felt very bored. The conversations between Jane and Kiran  and others  just did not interest me and I felt myself scrolling through the pages and skimming a lot.  There is a lot of uninteresting dialouge at the beginning of this story and I kept getting confused by even where the premise was going or if we were ever going to get somewhere interesting with this story. I know someone out there will enjoy this book, but for me I just was not invested in the story at all. 

There's Someone in Your House by Stephanie Perkins
I am a fan of Stephanie Perkins and I have read many of her YA contemporary romance novels in the past and liked them. This is a new type of story and I am happy to say I feel Perkins did not disappoint when she decided to switch to a more horror/thriller type of book. Adding the backdrop of a musical about murder aka Sweeney Todd, on top of real life murders in a small town of Nebraska makes the story even creepier and more intriguing. To top it off the main character's feelings of spookiness and feeling unsettled can really resonate with the readers. I even felt like the mystery surrounding some of the characters like what happened on the beach with Makani to make her have to move to Nebraska had me extremely intrigued. I really like Perkins new book and this new genre, I am definitely going to want to read this when it comes out. 

Things I'm Seeing Without You  by: Peter Boganni
I actually did read this book before from a copy I got at Book Con. I enjoyed the book, though I felt some parts to be a little too unrealistic. For the most part though I though this story was a good in depth look about loss, grief, letting go, and moving on. There were a few things I felt I had to have more suspension of disbelief about like the friend pretending to be Tess's online boyfriend after his death and Tess forgiving him a little too quickly or being able to travel to Italy on a whim with barely any consequences. Overall, I did enjoy this book but felt it was a little unrealistic at some parts in the story. 

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao 
This story took a while to pull me in. If I am not interested in a story after a few pages I usually do not like the book. Sadly, though I tried to give this story a chance, I just did not find it very interesting or intriguing. The conversations had in the story felt dull and the exposition and descriptions of character's past and lives felt just the same. However, I did like the struggle that Xifeng felt revolving about what she wanted and her life with her aunt, Guma and Guma's opinion about Xifeng's love life and desires. I also liked the character's work as a seamstress/tailor and thought that her desire to want to be with the emperor was relatable to the fairy tale esque story that the author was going for. So as I read,  I do have to admit, the story picked up a little bit. Overall, I thought this was an okay sample, but I am not 100& sure if I will want to read this book once it is released in stores. 

I enjoyed  these chapter samples, for the most part. I feel some of these stories made me want to not read the book when it comes out or made me feel like I will only possibly want to read the stories. However, more books samples supplied in this sampler actually made me very excited for the books coming out. I was already planning on wanting to read the new Stephanie Perkin's novel, but this helped make me even more hype. I was not sure if I would like Warcross, but after reading the sample I am definitely going to want to buy the book or get it from my local library. I am very glad I read this chapter sampler and I hope that those who read this will be able to pick their next read, by viewing this sampler.

This was a great sampler of the upcoming fall titles from Penguin Teen!  Many of these titles have been getting incredible amounts of hype in the book community.  Warcross, a new science-fiction from Marie Lu, was my favorite sample.  What an incredible world Lu has created with the Warcross games.  It brings fashion, celebrities, and tech to a whole new level! I loved the little bit I read and can't wait for it to be released!  The other sample that caught my attention was Jane, Unlimited.  This title has also been receiving lots of hype.  It's a new Kristin Cashore novel! How can it not?!  I loved this type of story because it blends contemporary with those fantasy and dystopian notes.  Things aren't as they seem but intriguing none the less!  I am very excited for this new novel of hers.  Also, the cover is spectacular!  If that doesn't grab your eye at the bookstore, I don't know what will!  
      The third title, There's Someone Inside Your House, is a creepy horror!  I don't read much in the YA horror genre, but this story gripped me from the first few pages!  Fall also brings us toward Halloween and all things spooky.  What a perfect addition to the fall line up than a new Horror novel.  I think Horror is one of those genres slowly emerging into the YA scene.  It has been dominated by Fantasy and Contemporary.  The writing was great and if this is what readers have to look forward too, they won't be disappointed!  Nearing the last couple titles in the sampler is Things I'm Seeing Without You by Peter Bognanni and Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C Dao.  I hadn't seen much buzz surrounding Bognanni's new novel.  Contemporary YA isn't a genre I read often.  There is always lots of emotion and this book did not fall short on that.  Grab the tissues for this one because I could feel the tightening in my chest with only a couple chapters!   Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao is a fall release I am very excited for.  A fairy tale featuring the anti-hero.  I am fairly certain this book will be the main title in the October Fairyloot box which I have ordered because it was featuring this novel.  Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and similar to Warcross, I was sad the sample ended!  I need these books now! 
     It is no surprise Penguin Teen has created an incredible lineup of releases for the fall. Each week we will be getting a hot new title!  Book mail is going to be epic! Between pre-orders and subscription boxes featuring these titles, it looks like our fall TBR is all Booked up!

I had a love/hate relationship with this one. I loved getting to read some of the upcoming titles, especially Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Jane Unlimited but at the same time, I want them now!

Penguin Teen Releases to Watch For (note that in the actual review, book covers appear in front of each short review or line.

Penguin Teen has a number of books coming out this fall. They sent out a teaser of five of them. I have to say, the first hooked me. Note that the brief review is based only on a couple of chapters.



A young woman can't pay her rent. To raise the cash, she hunts for people with a bounty on their heads. Why the bounty? The game Warcross is a phenomenon and people are happy to place illegal bets. She rounds them up. When she inadvertently finds herself hacking into the wrong place at the wrong time, she ends up experiencing the game from a new level.





From the publisher: Boundary-breaking fantasy. I couldn't get into it, but then I'm not a huge fantasy fan.




This one reminded me a bit of the 70s/80s teen horror When a Stranger Calls mixed with Scream.



If you need what shapes up to be a really good tearjerker, here you go.



This one I just couldn't get into, yet the cover art was so gorgeous I really wanted to.

These little previews have me SO excited to read some of these titles. I'm highly anticipating reading Warcross and Jane Unlimited. The chapters that I got to read have just made the excitement for these two books that much more higher. I'm not a big fan of horror, so the sneak peak of "There's Someone Inside Your House" wasn't all that exciting nor did it make me want to read the book. I can see how horror/thriller fans would love this book, but it isn't for me. Meanwhile, contemporaries are hit or miss for me, but "Things I'm Seeing Without You" had a very intriguing beginning. I just want to learn more about Tess  and what happened to Jonah. I'm really hoping for a lovely ending but we'll see when I pick this one up. There really is nothing to compare "Forest of a Thousand Lanterns" to but I'm really interested to find out what is going to happen with Xifeng and Wei. Overall, I'm really looking forward to reading most of these books. These quick glimpses did not give enough away to tell if they will be game changers or not. However, I can see why they're being hyped so much.

Thanks Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read these sneak peeks.

These were all good! I'm most interested in There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins and Things I'm Seeing Without You by Peter Bognanni. Excited to read those!

I love getting samplers because they're a fantastic way of being able to delve into a variety of stories and seeing which ones draw you in.

"Which will you read first?" Uhm...all of them, please? I need them now.