Emily’s Best Books of 2011

My top five (where I cheat and make it a top seven by including the first in certain series) Click on the title to see my review:

1.      Divergent: Dystopia set in futuristic Chicago that involves bravery, love, and self-discovery.

2.      Clockwork Prince (Clockwork Angel): Tessa, paired with two handsome and confusing demon-slayers, finds herself in a battle against evil in Victorian England.

3.      Crossed (Matched): Dystopia in which Cassia must decide between safety and freedom.

4.      Unearthly: Clara is part-angel with a mission to save a boy. But what if she likes a different boy?

5.      Epic Fail: Modern-day Pride and Prejudice mixed with your favorite CW show.   

Not actually published in 2011 but some top picks from books I read this year:

6.      Going TooFar: Jennifer Echols at her finest with this love story between a good boy and a rebellious girl.

7.      The HungerGames (Catching Fire and Mockingjay): Dystopia where kids are set against each other on live television.

There are so many great books I haven’t yet gotten a chance to read, so look for more great reviews of 2011 books in the new year. Special thanks to all my blog readers thus far- Happy New Year!

Unearthly (Cynthia Hand)

Title: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Publisher: HarperTeen

Length: 435 pages

Rating: 5/5

Clara is part-angel and has just discovered her purpose, the reason she was put on earth. She sees visions of a raging forest fire and a boy standing among the fiery trees. Her family picks up and moves to Wyoming where her visions take place so that she can prepare herself. There she discovers Christian, the boy from her visions who is perfect and conveniently gorgeous. While trying to fit in at her new school, she also tries to get to know Christian to find out how and why she is supposed to save him from the fire. Christian may be her dream boy, but there’s another boy in the picture too: Tucker, who appeals to Clara more and more, even though he’s a distraction from her purpose. By the time fires ignite in Wyoming, Clara faces a tough choice. Christian or Tucker? Destiny or love?

This book was crazy addicting. I only put it down once between pages 50 and 435. And that was for five minutes. There are so many mysteries. What isn’t Clara’s mom telling her about angels? Why is Clara’s purpose what it is? And what is her purpose exactly? As you might have guessed, this book is the first in a trilogy, so even though I was left with a ton of questions, there is still hope for answers in upcoming books. Why isn’t it January of 2012 so I can keep reading?

This book was so enjoyable because even though Clara is super-human, she’s easy to relate to. She experiences high school cliques, the jealousy of friends, first love, and my favorite theme, self-discovery. Clara’s the way cooler version of me in high school. Except that good-looking boys talk to her a lot more. She takes being gifted to a whole new level and I think YA readers will be able to connect to that, as we’re all gifted in our own ways.

Finally, this book is great because it’s easy to see it as a metaphor for any reader’s life. Aren’t we all trying to figure out our own purpose?

Now go and pick this book up- you won’t put it down!

And speaking of relate-able girls, I read a great article about female role models in YA literature. Can I just say I love all the amazing female characters mentioned?! I aspired to be certain aspects of all of them- from Anne's imagination to Alanna's bravery to the March sisters' perseverance- they all inspired me and still do today.