Top 3 Authors I Can't Wait to Meet at TBF

Hi everyone! I'm Laura and this is my first time blogging. I’m so excited for TBF this year! We have so many amazing authors lined up and I can’t wait to read every single book on the list! However, because I have a lot of schoolwork and other commitments, this is highly unlikely. So here are my top three authors whose books I can’t wait to read and who I am so excited to meet:

The first author on my to read and meet list is Margaret Peterson Haddix. I was looking over the TBF author list and saw this book by her called Just Ella. I thought that that sounded interesting so I looked it up and found out that it was a Cinderella retelling. I then (of course) got insanely excited because I love fairy tale retellings. This fairy tale retelling in particular seems to take it up a notch and tells what happened after Ella fell in love with Prince Charming. Now her books are at the top of my rather lengthy to be read as soon as possible list. I can’t wait to get to meet her at TBF (which is only in seven months)!

The second author that I can’t wait to meet at TBF is Alisa Kwitney. Alisa Kwitney is writing a book called Cadaver & Queen which is coming out in late February and I am so excited! Cadaver and Queen takes place in Great Britain (how awesome is that) and seems to have a steampunk twist. The main character, Elizabeth, is the first female medical student to go to her school, Ingold. This concept sounds amazing to me and I am dying to read it (Can it be published sooner? I want to read it so badly!). I can’t wait to ask Alisa Kwitney where she got the idea for Cadaver & Queen because it sounds beyond amazing.

The third author that I am insanely excited to meet is April Henry. April Henry has written multiple thrillers and mysteries. My sister suggested that I read her books, which I have sadly yet to do ( As I mentioned, I have a to read list that feels like a mile long). However, I was looking into her backstory a little bit and she has had such an interesting life. Her backstory is fascinating (and involves Roald Dahl. Seriously though, look up her backstory. You will not regret it). I can’t wait to meet her and get to talk to her about her life. And also she knows how to pick locks which is really cool skill that I want to learn.

As you can see, I have a lot of reading to do of amazing sounding books (Yay!). And there are only seven more months until we get to meet these amazing people at TBF!

Book review- What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle

Hey guys! It is Anica here back for another year of amazing books. I am thrilled to be here and I have a great book for you guys this week; What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle.

Ari Logan is battling to win her war against depression and the dark night she hurt herself on purpose. It's not easy: her best friend is drifting away, her mom's emotionally checked out, and she spends her days playing caregiver to her handful of a half-sister, Danielle. But it's summer, and anything is possible...
That's when Camden Armstrong steps onto the beach of Ari's local swimming lake. At first, Ari quietly longs for Camden from afar, seeing in him everything she wants to be. When the two discover a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall not just for the quirky and self-assured Camden but also his friends, tumbling into their world of independence, adventure, and shared sci-fi fandom. As Ari's romantic dreams come true, she must unlock the mysteries of the very real and troubled boy behind her infatuation, while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.From the acclaimed author of The Beginning of After and You Look Different in Real Life, What Happens Now is a touching, insightful novel about learning to heal, learning to love, and what happens when fantasy becomes reality.

-Amazon 

I have to admit I am not much of a realistic fiction person, but this book pleasantly surprised me. It is a quick read, which is good seeing that I am in a reading slump. I loved all the charecters. Her little sister was so cute. They all had really unique, different personalities that I don't see too often in books. I love that they were so into their fandom. I, being a big fangirl myself loved seeing this in a book. There were so many cute little moments when they were talking or making costumes that my heart just wanted to melt. At the same time there was such a wonderful discussion of mental health and I definitely cried a few times. One of my main problems with realistic fiction is that there never seems to be any real problem expect heartbreak, and that isn't true in this novel.

This is the part where I am supposed link you to books like it but I honestly don't know what books to compare it to seeing that I pretty much never read realistic fiction. However my geuss is that anything by Jennifer Castle is amazing and if this sounded good to you at all I would definitely recommend you pick this book up.
-Anica

Top 3 Authors I Can't Wait to Meet at TBF

Hi everyone! I’m Amy, and this is my first post as part of the TBF blogging team!
Teen Book Festival is up to 23 authors as of right now, and I’m excited for each and every one of them, new or returning. Today I’ll be sharing the top 3 TBF authors I can’t wait to meet.

Margaret Peterson Haddix:

I was first introduced to Haddix’s books in elementary school, and I can still remember the hype around them. Up to that point I had mostly read realistic fiction or fantasy, and to be exposed to the unique blend of realistic, sci-fi, and historic fiction in her The Missing series definitely broadened my reading horizons. It was the first series that I can remember that made me want to research outside of the reading, so I became *a little* obsessed with missing persons cases. The plots of her stories are so captivating, and kept me engaged with all the questions they raised. Unfortunately, I never got around to finishing the series, but having the opportunity to see her in person next May is definitely a good reason to pick it up again. Haddix has also written other series, including Shadow Children, and any fan of compelling and thought-provoking stories should pick up one of her books.

Claire Legrand:

I have not read any books from this author yet, but I’m sure that will change soon! Claire Legrand seems to have a wide range of writing, from Winterspell, a loose Nutcracker retelling, to The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, which sounds delightfully sinister and disturbing. I’m also excited for her soon-to-be-published book Furyborn (May 2018). Two women fighting a cosmic war across the span of millennia? Seems like a must-read in the fantasy section. She has written several other novels, including Some Kind of Happiness, a 2017 Edgar Award nominee, and her latest book, Foxheart. I admire any fantasy writer, especially one as diverse as her, and am excited for her TBF appearance!

Bruce Coville:

Bruce Coville is one of those authors that I’ve never forgotten (and probably never will), even though it’s been about 8 years since I’ve read one of his books. From the moment I picked up his Unicorn Chronicles series back in 2nd grade, I was hooked- he had created a world that was so magical yet so terribly real at the same time. I firmly believe that Song of the Wanderer is one of the contributing factors to my love of reading. So, yes, I may be biased, but everyone should go see him at TBF. He has written over a 100 books for children and young adults alike, and is a fairly local author from Syracuse.

Well, that’s it! Stay updated on the TBF website as more authors are confirmed!

Book Review: Inside Out by Terry Trueman

Hi guys! Katie C. here with my first book review for TBF 2018!!! This week: Inside Out by Terry Trueman

You're worthless...You need to die, Wasteoid! Yeah, die, Wasteoid...

Zach Wahhsted is used to hearing these brutal words. But today he isn't the only one in danger of dying. 

A busy coffee shop, a robbery gone wrong. Two gunmen, nine hostages, flashing lights, itchy trigger fingers. And Zach, a seemingly ordinary teenager, is caught in the middle of the mayhem. 

But nobody realizes that Zach, who has no gun and no knife, has a mind more dangerous than any weapon.

Never what he seems and always on the edge, Zach is an unforgettable character in a new book by Terry Trueman that is  filled with the same shocking power and heartbreaking compassion as his Printz Honor Book, Stuck In Neutral.


This book was super short, but super super amazing! I'm really glad I picked it to review this year. Out of all the great things Inside Out had to offer, the thing that stuck out the most was the writing. The book is written from the first point of view of a kid with schizophrenia and it's done so well. From the way Zach talks, to the pattern of his thoughts, to the reaction and behavior of different people around him, everything is written in a realistic manner that doesn't come off as silly or discriminatory. A lot of research was put into this book and every word expresses just that.

In addition to fantastic writing, the plot itself was breathtaking and kept me turning pages. I read this entire book in one sitting, unable to put it down (for a very good reason)! The story starts off with a robbery and the events that follow are filled with a lot of suspense and plenty of plot twists, some that even I didn't see coming!

Finally, while this book had amazing writing and a super enjoyable plot, something that'll stick with me after reading this will be the characters. I love it when I read a book and every character just jumps off the page. This book was no exception. Every character was three dimensional and written well, but I especially loved how the two robbers were written. They could have easily been the stereotypical villains who were nothing but cruel and bad for the sake of being bad.Instead, however, Trueman wrote them with different personalities and goals and made them so much more real, showing the reader in the end how everyone has a different goals and issues to deal with and everything might not be as it seems.

This was just a great read and if you're into more serious books that explore deeper themes and real world issues, or just love any other books by Terry Trueman, I highly recommend you check this book out too!

Top 3 Authors I Want To Meet This Year

Hey everyone! I'm super excited to kick off my second year of blogging with one of our new Friday Fun Posts. If you're like me you probably have our website bookmarked so you can check our upcoming authors often and so you have seen all of the amazing authors coming to TBF this year. Without further ado, here are the top three authors I want to meet at TBF this year!

Ellen Hopkins: Ellen Hopkins writes hard-hitting, young adult books about real issues, written in free verse that will captivate you with every word. Several of her books have been on my to-read list forever and since it was announced she was coming back to Rochester again this year I knew I finally have to pick up one of her books this year which I'm very excited to do so. From reading her website I've realized that she's just as honest as her books in the best way possible, and I'm so excited to hopefully meet her and talk about her books this year at TBF!
website goodreads twitter

Justina Ireland: 
As every author was announced in these past months I would excitedly look up their books and read all about them. As I started to read about Justina Ireland and her novels I was taken and I'm planning on reading Promise of Shadows as soon as possible. Greek mythology with a strong female main character who's also an assassin? Sign me up! Based on her social media Justina Ireland sounds as cool as her books do and I hope I can meet her and talk all about her and her books in May!
website goodreads twitter

Brendan Kiely:
If you're on the internet as much as I am you probably heard all of the (well deserved) hype earlier this year surrounding All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, both who are coming to TBF this year which is very exciting! I'm reading one of Brendan's other books right now, The Last True Love Story, and I am really enjoying the story so far. His writing, reminiscent of John Greens, is a mix of humor, powerful quotes, and pop culture all wrapped up into one compelling story. Overall I am very excited to hopefully meet Brendan Kiely this year and talk about his books!
website goodreads twitter

Book Review: Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Hi TBF readers! I hope everyone's October is off to a good start. I'm excited to start the new blogging year! I can't wait to share all these amazing books and authors for this upcoming season with you all. To start us off strong I read Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce!

Young Daine’s knack with horses gets her a job helping the royal horsemistress drive a herd of ponies to Tortall. Soon it becomes clear that Daine’s talent, as much as she struggles to hide it, is downright magical. Horses and other animals not only obey, but listen to her words. Daine, though, will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers, her past, and herself.

Tamora Pierce is one of our returning authors to TBF this year and over the years she has written many fantasy novels to capture our hearts. Even so, this is my first time experiencing one of her books and it did not disappoint. The first installment in the Immortals series caught my attention and kept me interest the entire time. As we explore the world of Tortall our characters are faced with the likes of which they've never seen as mythical creatures are summoned from their imprisonment long ago. With Daine and her connection with animals along for the journey, I got sucked right into the story full of griffins, spirits, and the inner fire of everyday animals. Throughout her journey Daine is such a relatable character to any of you animal lovers out there, and even if you're not but you love a good fantasy novel, this book is for you.

I had a great time reading this book over my long weekend and I hope all of you love it as much as I did. Happy reading!

Theresa

Three Authors I'd Love to Meet at Teen Book Fest

Hi guys, Kate G. here and even though it’s still fall, I’m definitely beginning to get pumped up for TBF. If you’ve been monitoring the TBF authors page as obsessively as I have, you’ve probably noticed that there are a lot of really cool writers coming to the event next May. It’s incredibly hard to whittle down a list and choose, but if I had to pick three amazing authors that I can’t wait to meet this TBF, I’d choose:
Margaret Peterson Haddix: I started reading books by Margaret Peterson Haddix when I was still in elementary school and I can still remember the concept of Among the Hidden-- a world where any child the third to be born in a family was illegal and had to hide to survive-- being incredibly chilling to me. More recently, Just Ella and Found are on my To-Be-Read list, and I can’t wait to finish them so I can talk with their author!
Tamora Pierce: Tamora Pierce is like a legend when it comes to female-powered fantasy YA. Literally, I've been waiting to read her books since forever and now I have an excuse. If anyone asks me why I'm not working on homework (high school senior problems, guys), I can say that I am-- "TBF preparation homework." Not to mention if you read her author bio, it's easy to see that Tamora Pierce sounds like one of the coolest people out there, a suspicion I'd be all too happy to confirm at TBF.
A.S. King: Last but not least, one author I really can't wait to see at TBF is A.S. King. I first met her a couple of years ago (at TBF, big surprise!) and since then I've read as many of her books as I could get my hands on. As one reading fan to another, if you like contemporary literature with on-point exploration of current issues or just anything so surreal and mind-blowing that for about half an hour afterward, you have to lie on the floor of your bedroom asking what even is life?, her books are for you. And, in person, she's just as cool as her books are, definitely setting you at ease if you get nervous meeting authors (as I tend to do). So basically if I'm going to conclude this I'll just say that if you see someone coming about 30 minutes early to get to A. S. King's author session or carrying a bag full of books that I need her to sign, that'll be me.
Wow, somehow, (and I did not believe that this was physically possible) just trying to pick three out of all the amazing writers coming to TBF has gotten me even more excited for the event. Happy reading everyone and keep your eye out for any authors that you'd like meet at Teen Book Festival this spring!

[EDIT: A.S. King will not be joining us at TBF in 2018 as her book tour is headed Down Under instead- those lucky Australians! :) - Carly]

Book Review: The Novice by Taran Matharu

Hello TBF Readers,

Welcome back to the TBF Blog! From now until the 13th Annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival, which is May 19, 2018, expect a ton of posts from all of us here at the TBF Blog. This year is a super exciting year because TBF will be a TEEN just like you!

To start off the TBF Blog, I have for you the first TBF Book Review. I recently read THE NOVICE by Taran Matharu, the first book in The Summoner series, and I loved every bit of it. Take a look:

Fletcher is working as a blacksmith's apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

Along with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire's war against the savage Orcs. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow. With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of the Empire is in his hands. . . .

THE NOVICE is unlike anything I have ever read before. The world-building of The Summoner series is fantastic and completely original--I am super jealous of our heroes, Fletcher, Othello, and Sylva who get to live in this world, Hominum, every day. The best way to describe it is that it is a mixture of The Lord of the Rings and Pokémon (Trust me on this). The Summoner series is centered around an age-old battle between humans and orcs. One advantage to the human race is that there are special humans called summoners who can call, command, and train demons from the ether world. These summoners eventually become battlemages who then enter the hard and bloody war. Of course, these summoners try to collect the most powerful demons to battle the orcs--gotta catch 'em all! This concept is so cool--like I want a sidekick demon buddy! It screams to my love for fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, and Pikachu (Who doesn't love Pikachu?).

The other aspect I love about THE NOVICE is that it deals with real-life problems such as racial tensions and the divide between the social classes. In The Summoner series, there are humans, elves, and dwarves. Much like The Lord of the Rings, these three races do no get along until Frodo unites respective leaders (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) and they become The Fellowship of the Ring. What I love about THE NOVICE is that there is no Frodo and no one really wants to ally themselves with elves and dwarves and fight the greater good. There are only a handful of dreamers--our heroes--who do believe that they can live in a peaceful co-existence and defeat the orcs. We, the readers, experience their strained relationship (humans vs. the elves and dwarves) through character interaction and background stories--a rare factor in fantasy novels. In addition, THE NOVICE addresses the issue of inequality between social classes. The students who are training to become summoners are divided between the royals and the commoners. The royals believe they should get the best position in the army and the best demons just because their families have power, influence, and money. They hate the idea of commoners, and recently dwarves and elves, becoming summoners and taking away the royals' "rightful" place in the world. This startling parallel to our own reality makes this novel even more compelling to read.

I highly recommend THE NOVICE for fans of The Lord of the Rings and Pokémon. You will love the incredible world-building, sympathetic characters, and the fast-pace of the novel. I am definitely checking out the next two books in The Summoner series, THE INQUISITION and THE BATTLEMAGE, both out now!

Check out The Summoner series by Taran Matharu at the Monroe County Library System, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

That is all for today! Be sure to check the TBF Blog this Friday for our brand-new blog posts called "TBF Friday Fun Posts". Your TBF Bloggers will share with you all of our excitement for our TBF authors and books.

Happy reading!

Miranda