TTT: Top 10 Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2016

 

I can't believe that we are already halfway through 2016! The year is just flying by. There are so many great books coming out in the next six months that it's hard to narrow it down to ten...Hello new books, goodbye paycheck!

By order of release date:

1)The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone

Release Date: July 5

An apocalyptic horror novel that features a mutant race of spiders. This book sounds like it is right up my alley and early reviews have been glowing. Can't wait to devour this one!

2) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

Release Date: July 31

I am of two minds with this one: yes, I am eagerly anticipating a new Harry Potter story but I am also somewhat disappointed that Rowling decided to write it as a play instead of a novel. Reading the script won't give readers the full impact of the story because it is meant to be seen on stage. Rowling has stated that Cursed Child will go on tour...eventually. Until then, I'll have to settle for reading the script.

3) Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Release Date: August 2

Spiders seem to be having a moment in speculative fiction. This fantasy novel features giant spiders as...heroes? Anti-heroes? I can't really remember but I know that they have starring roles. 

4) Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff

Release Date: August 9

I'm anticipating this book for the cover alone. The only book I've ever read by Jay Kristoff was Illuminae which he co-authored with Amie Kaufman. It was one of my favorite books of 2015 and his other fantasy novels always intrigued me. He's definitely an author I'd like to get to know better.

5) The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Release Date: August 16

Amy Schumer is one of my favorite comedians and I have been wanting to see a book from her for years. Looks like my dream will finally come true in a couple of months!

6) Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: September 16

I still haven't started on the Throne of Glass series yet but Maas' other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses is one of my all-time favorites so I've been collecting the ToG books as they come out. Hopefully I'll get around to reading them soon...

7) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay

Release Date: October 4

The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is beautiful so I'm excited to see Jim Kay work his magic on Chamber of Secrets. 

8) Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Release Date: October 18

Illuminae blew me away last year with its unique format and compelling plot so of course I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel.

9) The Making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens by J.W. Rinzler, Mark Cotta Vaz, J.J. Abrams, and Kathleen Kennedy

(Cover not final)

Release Date: October 25

Considering The Force Awakens took me from a casual Star Wars viewer to a dedicated Star Wars nerd, I could not be more excited for this behind-the-scenes book.

10) Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 8

I am a huge Lunar Chronicles fan so Marissa Meyer has become one of my auto-buy authors. This is a standalone retelling starring the Queen of Hearts, the infamous villain from Alice in Wonderland. 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

Suicide Reviews: The Siren by Kiera Cass

  

Synopsis: Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can't resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. 

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can't talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny...and Kahlen doesn't want to. 

Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean's rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen's feelings, she'll be forced leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

Date Published: January 26, 2016

Published By: HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 336

Rating: 3/5

The Siren reads like a modern-day fairy tale that definitely has a bit of a Little Mermaid vibe. Having never read Kiera Cass's Selection series, I didn't really know what to expect reading this book. While I thought some parts were interesting and liked it for the most part, The Siren suffers from Typical YA Syndrome*. 

Kahlen is your Typical YA Heroine - she doesn't have much in the way of an actual personality except for the fact that she's obedient and knows how to dance the jitterbug. She'd much rather stay home and read than go out and party. Oh, and she yearns to fall in love and get married. Like, that's her goal in life. She looks at bridal magazines and fantasizes about what her wedding cake might look like. I'm sorry but after reading about other kickass YA heroines who can fall in love and still have other interests and motivations, the wedding-obsessed girl just doesn't do it for me. 

Then you have Akinli, your Typical YA Love Interest. He's kind, understanding, respectful, romantic, (not to mention cute!) - basically he's Manic Pixie Dream Boy 101. The moments between Kahlen and Akinli are very sweet and nice - but not very swoon-worthy. I just didn't feel like they had a lot of chemistry. And it doesn't help that they spend most of the book apart. They only spend a few days together in total and yet they are OMG SO IN LOVE! WE'RE, LIKE, SOUL MATES, GUYS. 

Here's what I liked - I liked the mythology in the book. The Ocean is this living, self-aware force that turns young girls into Sirens so they can lure people to their death so that the Ocean can survive. It's not really made clear why the Ocean needs to drown humans to sustain Herself but, still, it's a cool idea. 

I also liked the deep friendships that Kahlen formed with the other Sirens. Here, we see a group of girls that love each other and support each other through the years they are together. They don't always get along and sometimes conflict with each other but they care for each other as sisters, and it shows. So yay for Kiera Cass for portraying strong female friendships!

I felt the ending was a little rushed and it all felt too easy. There wasn't a lot of conflict and the climax was kind of 'ho-hum.' In short, it was a Typical YA Ending. 

You might enjoy The Siren if you're a fan of Kiera Cass's other books and/or like mermaid stories. If you're sick of Typical YA, skip it. 

*To me, a Typical YA Book is competently written and I might even enjoy it, but it is usually average and nothing about the story is original.