Buzz Books for young adults showcases an interesting array of titles slated for 2018 Fall/Winter releases. These books cover topics of increasing relevance to students, such as school shootings, and topics of continued importance, including mental health and complexities involved with growing up. Holly Black, Julie Kagawa, Ellen Hopkins, Mary Downing Hahn, *and* Markus Zusak, and Avi are a but a small sample of returning favorites revealed in this smorgasbord of a sampler.

Being able to read excerpts from upcoming books really hase excited for the release of each! I can’t wait to read the full books.

This was a wonderful preview of some of the most buzz-worthy titles coming later this year. I really appreciated the mix of contemporary titles and fantasy--there's a little something for everyone here. I'm personally really looking forward to GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE and THE GILDED WOLVES--very intriguing snippets!

Gives a good idea of what is to come in YA literature in the Fall. Some books look exciting, I like to see book buzz samples. It makes it easy to amp up my patrons for novels and authors they may have never heard of!

I REALLY ENJOY GETTING A GLIMPSE OF ALL THE UPCOMING YA TITLES FROM MY FAVORITE AUTHORS. BUZZ BOOKS ARE NOT ONES TO BE MISSED!

What an array of stories! The diversity of this collection is astounding, as is the originality of every single tale. Each one of these stories felt like a breath of fresh air. They’re all extremely unique, and some are guaranteed to take YA by storm. Readers are in for a treat. My favourite excerpts are definitely Sadie, Girls of Paper and Fire, and Ignite the Stars (I’ve already read the full book and absolutely loved it).

But the excerpts vary a lot in terms of writing quality, as well. I feel like Gilded Wolves, Ignite The Stars, Sadie, and Girls of Paper and Fire are on a whole different level compared to ones like The House of One Thousand Eyes and Mammoth. They’re just better written. And that’s my only negative: while I found some of the stories downright badly written, others I can see myself rating a full 5 stars. It’s all subjective, of course, but personally I found the contrast quite glaring. The quality varies a lot.

Always great to find out about good new books. Thank you for providing this resource. Always great to find out about good new books. Thank you for providing this resource.

Buzz Books 2018: Young Adult Fall/Winter is a collection of chapter previews for soon-to-be-published books. Published by Publishers Lunch, this is the second volume of Buzz Books that I’ve read. Like the previous volume, this one offers a glimpse into an ecletic line up of stories intended for teen readers that span across the genres. There are best-selling, well known authors as well as unknown authors - with genres ranging from science fiction & fantasy to realistic fiction about school and relationships - there is something for every young reader in this collection.

My favorites included The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa, A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna, Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan, Bluecrowne by Kate Milford, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, and Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd. Each of these titles sparked my interest with strong female characters, exciting science fiction or intriguing fantasy, and a bit of the unexpected. Many of them are also diverse and written by women, which are two qualities I actively seek out when choosing books to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher’s Lunch for making this collection available in exchange for an honest review. It looks like 2018-2019 will be an exciting season for young adult books, and I look forward to reading many of the novels included in this Buzz Books collection in the future. Though all from my favorites list are going on my “to-read” list - the book I’m most intrigued by is A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna, which is a science fiction retelling of the Mahabrahata set in space that promises both creativity and adventure.

A nice breakdown of the books to-come. Very useful if you’re looking to add a bit more to your “To Be Read” Pile—really enjoyed the samples of the most buzzed about books.

Mammoth – Jill Baguchinsky
I was not a fan of this title. Natalie was not a sympathetic character and I could not see myself pulling for her in the future. I could see the banter between her and ___ turning into a romance plot, but this didn’t make the premise any more interesting to me. Paleontology, as stated in the novel, is a small community and I don’t see this one having much buzz in the library.
The House of One Thousand Eyes – Michelle Barker
This appears to be a solid start to a good historical novel for teens about a normally passed over time in Germany. The brief explanation about the time and situation is helpful to unknowing readers. There was foreshadowing as to what was to come in the novel, but I would have liked to see more to see exactly what Lena was to be up against. I like the concept, but don’t see many teens showing interest in this type of materials lately.
The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi
I found this an intriguing story that has new ideas rather than the same old tropes. I can’t wait to see the new mythologies and what the artifacts are and do. Even in this first chapter, there were intricate details, a good back story, and a thickening plot line. Chokshi is gaining a large voice in the YA community and it is not a surprise to those who have read her work.
White as Silence, Red as Song – Alessandro D’Avenia
When this title came up I was excited to read any part of it and see what all the talk was about. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. I felt that the main character was unrelatable and highly negative. He was very sporadic in his thoughts, which caused the reader to jump quickly from one mundane idea to the next with no real thought or feeling about them. It was an annoying sort of rant. He claims his love for a girl, stating that he “would change for her”, followed in the next sentence with “we can’t be together” if she doesn’t like his hair. The media and pop culture references are highly dated and would not be appreciated by teens nowadays. Simply did not see this title as a must have for the library.
When Elephants Fly – Nancy Richardson Fischer
I liked the articles that this novel started out with. They definitely pulled in the reader and gave them the same interest that the community would have towards the elephants. It also showcased the character’s writing ability to engage her readers. The story had a lot to expand on and is a new take on schizophrenia. It borders the line of real life and story plot lines, yet is appealing to readers.
The Girl in the Locked Room – Mary Downing Hahn
This is a great start to great haunting. Seeing the house from the perspectives of both girls is very interesting and shows their similarities and differences. The feel of the narrative is leading to an enticing mystery that is lead with a childlike innocence. It is very descriptive and, by using both girls thoughts to drive the novel, very in depth when it comes to character development.


Similars – Rebecca Hanover
The premise of the novel is both original and not. The idea of having clones attend a prestigious school to see how they fit in is new, yet most of the clone tropes are already present in this first chapter. The outcry against it, the “father”, the add behavior of the clones, and the blatant curiosity are all present. There was no real history given as to where, or why, these clones we created, which left the story quite lacking right off the bat. The narrative was very fluid and kept the story moving along, yet the dialogue was rather annoying and put offish. Hard to tell without much to go on, yet I didn’t feel that I cared to keep reading after this first chapter.
Shadow of the Fox – Julie Kagawa
I had never read anything by Kagawa before, but I can see now why she is so popular. The writing of this story was flowing and gripping. It can be a little hard to take in this detailed world, yet I can see it as immersing once you’re in it. This was a great action packed start that had a sense of humor and foreboding that blended perfectly.
That’s Not What Happened – Kody Keplinger
This story kind of hit a nerve for me. I’m not sure exactly how a feel about it. I felt that, with the state of the world and the amount of shootings taking place, this could be a timely novel, yet it felt forced to me. The voice was somewhat accusatory and pushed the reader away rather than bringing them into the story. This seemed to be a story of recovery and acceptance and had a good hook at the end of the preview.
A Spark of White Fire – Sangu Mandanna
This seemed to be another space fantasy in the myriad of space fantasies being published today. There is a lost princess (who could that be?), a usurped prince (will he get his throne back?), and an impossible task. It was a lot of what most fantasy readers have already seen, but that doesn’t make it any less. The writing was good and flowed well. There was drama and foreshadowing to the battle(s) to come.
Ignite the Stars – Maura Milan
This was another space fantasy, yet this one sparked my interest a little more. This was a more high tech future that was easier to picture in the mind. The technology was advanced, but understandable. This was a feisty female with revenge on her mind. There were a lot of details and great background to suck you into this one.
Bluecrowne – Kate Milford
This was a part of a series that I feel I might enjoy, yet wouldn’t rush out to get. From what I had here, there was too much terminology that was series specific that made no sense to me. This dealt with time travel, I think, and a sense of family and home. The language was a little too droning for my liking, yet the premise was enticing.
Girls of Paper and Fire – Natasha Ngan
This fantasy dealt with traditions and prophecies. There was an oral short story to give a brief history of the land/gods/caste system which was a great addition. The writing was smooth and readable. Our main character had a great personality and I can’t wait to see what happens to her next.
Pay Attention, Carter Jones – Gary Schmidt
I enjoyed this title with its hectic morning and enjoyable characters. The writing was fast paced but loaded with specific details that added personality to the characters. The jokes were timed out nicely. The dialogue was hilarious and the banter between the gentleman’s gentleman and Carter was outstanding. The language was easy to read, yet the humor would probably be lost on some younger readers. This had a great message of learning who you are and believing in yourself.
Grim Lovelies – Megan Shepherd
This title was very muddled for me. The writing felt like rambling and the fairy tale feel that is advertised wasn’t felt in this start. I could not get into the characters and felt confused about where their story was headed. I did not see a hook or catch to this story to grab readers into wanting more.
Sadie – Courtney Summers
This final excerpt was done half in podcast form and half in first person narration. I was not a huge fan of the podcast far as I thought it broke up the story and made it a chore to read. The voice was monotone, without any humor or personality to it to grab the attention of the reader. Sadie’s narration was more gripping. She is a crafty teen torn between her past and future. This was a good start to a coming of age novel for those who enjoy a different writing style.

A great tool for finding upcoming titles. I have selected several titles from the list that I will be using to prepare for upcoming book talks.

I'm sure this is a great guide but I ended up just skimming through it as I'm not a YA reader. I was looking for books for my emerging YA daughter and I feel like if it had interested me more, it's a fantastic guide for those looking to see what the new buzz books will be coming up Fall 2018. I would definitely recommend taking a look through here if you enjoy the YA reading. I am looking forward to looking through the other guide Buzz Books 2018: Fall/Winter.

This snippets and previews are really great for finding out the new titles and what books are good to recommend for customers, especially those looking for reader's advisory, or those who like the newest titles. I am particularly looking forward to the Hank Green book being published in September.

Wow, this is amazing. I wish something like this was on the receptionist's table as you walk into any library. It's a fantastic way to get to know books that you might be interested in - books that are getting more and more popular, even before they come out sometimes.

It also offers a great deal or publishing information and author bios. LOVE IT! Saves a ton of Google research for those considering a closer look at the publishing world.

I haven't even finished it yet - it's not a sort of book you just flip through and be done. It's more of a directory of your near future's literary life - but I've already bought a few of the books represented here.

Thank you NetGalley so much for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really love these buzz books excerpts. My favorite thing about NetGalley is being able to see these lists of upcoming reads and being able to read a chapter or two of selected books.

I really enjoyed the samples that were found in this book. I definitely will be requesting some of them. I think that this is a good idea for reviewers to really see if they will enjoy a book for not. I also think that it is great exposure for the books inside.

a great comprehensive preview into most highly anticipated books of 2018, featuring excerpts and covers

Oh my goodness! My TBR list has grown tremendously thanks to this "book buzz".

I am looking forward to The Wicked King, Girl in the Locked Room, The Me I Meant to Be, The Fall of Crazy House, and several nonfiction titles.

As an adult new the YA genre, this is sampler showed me what I have been missing!

Highly recommend to other adults and parents who want peruse the landscape of skillfully curated YA books!

Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky [5 stars]: A story about a fashion blogger with a summer paleontology internship, sign me up! Loved this excerpt. The MC is sassy and loves mammoths more than dinosaurs :) Added to my TBR

The House of One Thousand Eyes by Michelle Barker [3 stars]: I was interested after reading the synopsis, but what I read so far didn't really sway me either way. Not sure if I will read this or not. It follows a girl named Lena living in East Germany in the 1980s.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi [3 stars]: I don't know how to feel about this excerpt or how it read. Parts of it were interesting (and reminded me of how Flame in the Mist started), but not all of it captured my attention. It took me a bit to get through it.

White as Silence, Red as Song by Alessandro D'Avenia [1 star]: I didn't finish this one. I think a little got lost in translation and it didn't make for a cohesive read.

When Elephants Fly by Nancy Richardson Fischer [4 stars]: I am looking forward to this one and seeing how the mental health representation is done.

The Girl in the Locked Room by Mary Downing Hahn [skipped]: It's a horror book. I need to sleep LOL

The Similars by Rebecca Hoover [3 stars]: This has potential but it seemed extremely juvenile and trope-y right out of the gate.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa [5 stars]: OMG. I have an ARC of this and it's going on my TBR soon. The little bit was sooooo incredible.

That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger [5 stars]: Just enough to get me hooked and now I have to wait until August at the very least. This one wasn't even on my radar. Added to my TBR

A Spark of White by Sangu Mandanna [5 stars]: A space opera with roots in Indian stories that grabbed me from the very start and cliffhangered me hard at the end of the excerpt. Added to my TBR

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan [5 stars]: Another phenomenal scifi book to look forward to. This one is a debut novel and is very different than the space opera I just read an excerpt from. Added to my TBR

Bluecrowne by Kate Milford [skipped]: This is a sequel to a book I have not read.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan [5 stars]: The part demon/part human thing pulled me in immediay. This book was already on my TBR and I am even more excited for it now!

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt [4 stars]: Interesting middle grade excerpt. Really intrigued to find out what happens! Loved Carter's perspective. I think my kids would enjoy this one too.

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd [2 stars]: Wasn't big on this excerpt at all. Really flowery writing. Removed from TBR

Sadie by Courtney Summers [3 stars]: This was okay. A girl dies in a fire and her sister goes missing a year after her death.

I can't wait until some of these books come out. I love the samples and articles about different upcoming books.