There are so many great new books releasing this fall! Problem: where to start? To make it easier, our Spark Girl readers picked their favorites and then gave them special “awards” based on their reviews. So now all you have to do is look for a genre you love and start reading!
Pssst…click on the book covers to learn more about each book!
MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIE
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
Time is running out for the peculiar children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies and face greater dangers than ever.
I was blown away by the way the haunting photographs were woven so seamlessly into the incredible plot. LIBRARY OF SOULS is simply the most perfect ending to a fantastic series. —Nikki
Oh, my birds, I love this book! I’m obsessed with Ransom Riggs’ wildly peculiar world packed with heroic, heartwarming characters, super baddies and incredible settings like Devil’s Acre and the Library of Souls. —Annalyse
FAVORITE HIDDEN ROOM
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Everyone knows Samantha and her friends as the popular group, so nobody can know the real Sam, the crazy girl with OCD. But when Sam discovers a hidden room with a secret society of student poets, speaking her truth becomes increasingly appealing.
I loved this book because I related so much to Sam when she felt trapped by people’s impressions. When she finally started to break free and be honest about showing people her true self? So inspiring! —Melinda
This book is an emotional roller coaster that twisted and turned with my heart until the surprise ending! And I love these characters; they’re flawed, authentic and feel like people I know. —Kat
MOST SWOONWORTHY HOTEL HOTTIE
Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young
When Audrey’s dad stops at the historic Hotel Ruby for the night, Audrey, her brother and her dad discover life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, so they extend their stay. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful, just like its gorgeous and mysterious guest, Elias Lange.
This book is the perfect mix of mystery, romance and horror. And Elias Lange? I still need more of his amber colored eyes, gorgeous smile and Gatsby charm. He kept me flipping pages until the jaw-dropping conclusion. —Ellen
A gorgeous, historical hotel with a tragic past is the most perfect setting for this chilling thriller, but it was the characters that brought the hotel to life. Romantic, smart, interesting – their secrets made Hotel Ruby irresistible. —Nicole
FAVORITE FEMINIST FANTASY
A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston
Lo-Melkhiin killed 300 girls before he came to her desert village looking for a wife. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next. And so she is taken in her sister’s place.
The dangerous desert setting, the quiet strength of the main character and the way faith and love battle evil made this lush fantasy one of my favorite books this year! —Kylie
This book was so beautifully descriptive, I could feel the desert heat, see the glare off the shimmering sands, and feel Lo-Melkhiin’s cold, calculating stare. And I loved reading a traditional fable turned upside down to make it feminist, powerful and unexpected. —Miranda
SCARIEST SUPERNATURAL SUBWAY
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Now that the world knows of her ability to “read” the past by touching objects, Evie O’Neill has become a media darling. When mysterious deaths from a sleeping sickness start taking over the city, the Diviners must call on their paranormal abilities and descend into the dreamworld to catch a killer.
As a big fan of The Diviners I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and it did not disappoint. The glamorous Roaring 20s setting. The tangled romances. The friendships. The occult murder mystery. The GUYS! I love everything about this series! —Kendal
The glamorous party life of 1920s NYC is the perfect backdrop for the dark terror lurking right beneath the city. I couldn’t stop reading this nail biter, and I also loved how it looked racism in the eye and didn’t blink. —Lily
MOST ADMIRED CHARACTER
When Walking Is a Challenge, But Thinking Is Not by J. A. Wall
Lynn Patton was born a quadriplegic. Her father walked out due to her disabilities, but the love of her mother, her doctors and her friends makes her feel she could walk and live a full life. When Lynn and her mother travel to Maine for a summer of rehab, Lynn finally meets a boy who accepts her for who she is, and then her dad makes a sudden reappearance.
Lynn is an awesome main character who inspired me with her humble, hard-working goodness. I would love to have a friend like her, disability or not, and maybe that’s the point. —Maria
This book opened my eyes and touched my heart. It made me see how full and normal a person’s life can be, even with a disability. It showed me how a disability no more defines someone than the color of their hair or skin. I loved that! —Janelle
BEST CEMETERY KISS
Persuasion by Martina Boone
Barrie’s beloved Watson Island has been invaded by ghost hunters hoping to glimpse the Fire Carrier spirit and by people hunting Civil War gold hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous when Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. Because more is buried there than treasure.
I love imagining myself in this book…walking through the fabulous Watson Island plantations, having Barrie’s magic, discovering all the southern history and searching for hidden treasure! But most of all, I love Barrie and Eight’s romance. —Ana
Barrie better watch her back because I’m crazy in love with Eight. Their starlit kiss in the cemetery when the rain looked like liquid moonlight clinging to Eight’s eyelashes and hair? Oh, my gosh, YES. —Ksenia
MOST TWISTED AND TERRIFYING VILLAIN
The Cellar by Natasha Preston
When 16-year-old Summer Robinson goes missing one night, her family, friends and boyfriend are devastated. She’s been snatched by Colin Brown, a disturbed lawyer, so desperate for a perfect family that he turns to drastic measures—kidnapping girls and holding them hostage in his cellar.
Eeek! This book is terrifying, twisted and you’ll have to read it with the lights on! My heart pounded with Summer’s because she’s a brave, hopeful heroine caught up in a madman’s sick fantasy. —Blair
Every time Clover (Colin) walked down those stairs and said, “Good evening, Flowers” to the girls in his cellar I would freak! He is the baddest, craziest, most loathsome villain ever and I could not put this down until the very last page. —Amanda
BEST BATTLE PARTNERS
Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
A mountain girl from a close-knit village, Joy is summoned to the capital city to join an elite teen organization that hunts monsters using their lightning reflexes, magical abilities and Battle Hounds. But upon arrival, she discovers her every move will be televised, and her fame may be part of a deeper conspiracy.
Joyeaux is a total Katniss. I love them both as smart, outsider-champions in a dangerous futuristic world; but the the hunters’ powers, the fey monster threat, and most of all Joy’s badass Hounds—mystical, morphing, intensely-loyal battle dogs—made Hunter so intensely unique. —Kacey
I fell hard for this dystopian, political fantasy world and all the amazing character relationships that made it come alive. I NEED the next book! —Patricia
