Raging Star (Dust Lands Trilogy #3) by Moira Young

Her passion kept them alive. Now it may destroy them all.

Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo…until she meets him and finds herself drawn to the man and his vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to build a stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. The young and the healthy. Under his control.

Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Presumed dead, he’s gone undercover, feeing Saba crucial information in secret meetings. Saba hides her connection with DeMalo and commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi, Saba leads a small guerilla band against the settlers and the Tonton militia. But the odds are overwhelming. Saba knows how to fight—she’s not called the Angel of Death for nothing. But what can she do when the fight cannot be won? Then DeMalo offers Saba a chance—a seductive chance she may not be able to refuse. How much will she sacrifice to save the people she loves?

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands Trilogy #2) by Moira Young

Saba thought her world would return to normal after they defeated the Tonton and rescued her kidnapped brother Lugh. The family head west for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But a formidable enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack?

And how far will Saba go to get what she wants?

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

In a lawless land, where life is cheap and survival is hard, Saba has been brought up in isolated Silverlake. She never sees the dangers of the destructive society outside. When her twin brother is snatched by mysterious black-robed riders, she sets out on an epic quest to rescue him.

Find out more about Moira – and watch the Blood Red Road trailer – here.

Sophie from So Many Books, So Little Time: Top 10 UKYA reads

The top ten UKYA faves chosen by Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time. 

Choosing just ten UKYA books as my top ten is a near impossible task, but I shall try. I can’t possibly put them in any order though… Here they are:

Nobody’s Girl, Sarra Manning

Sarra Manning is one of the UK’s best writers of contemporary YA. Her protagonists are realistic, flawed and endlessly relatable and her toxic boys work their magic on your heart. Nobody’s Girl features Bea, shy, awkward and completely ordinary on her adventures in Paris with American boy Toph. One of my favourites of hers.

Junk, Melvin Burgess

Junk is one of the greatest YA novels. Period. It pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable to write about and did it in stunningly sparse and haunting prose. A must-read for everyone who caims to love YA.

How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff’s debut blew my mind. I first read this when I was 12 and seven years later, I still count it as one of my favourites. Its narrative style is new and awkward and the subject of war and cousinly love puts a few people off. But for those who take the risk, it’ll definitely be rewarded.

Lucas, Kevin Brooks

Lucas is one of those books that will unexpectedly make you bawl your eyes out. It’s beautiful and utterly heartbreaking. Like Burgess, Kevin Brooks pushes the limits of gritty, contemporary realism and gives a stark glimpse into lives we couldn’t imagine.

The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, Louise Rennison

I can remember buying each of the first four books on a Saturday with my pocket money, and then I pre-ordered each and every one after that. Hilariously funny and completely ridiculous – do not read these in public…

Stolen, Lucy Christopher

Written as a letter to her captor, Gemma’s second person narration captures our imagination. The imager is second-to-none and the story is effortlessly engaging. This novel made Lucy Christopher an auto-buy author for me.

Forbidden, Tabitha Suzuma

One of the most shocking and controversial novels I’ve ever read, Forbidden is breath-taking. After causing a war between my brain and my emotions over what was right and what was wrong, it tore my heart out and jumped on it for good measure. Some may be put off b the subject matter, but if you are, you’re seriously missing out. MISSING OUT.

David, Mary Hoffman

I’m picky about historical fiction, I really am, but I devoured this. It tells the imagined story behind one of the greatest works of art; Michelangelo’s statue, David. The mixture of history, art, politics and romance was enough to carry me away to renaissance Florence and never want to come back.

Skin Deep, Laura Jarratt

This is the book that I’ve read most recently from this list and it took me by complete surprise. Jenna’s struggle to feel beautiful after facial scarring and Ran’s struggle with the prejudice around him being a traveller were beautifully handled alongside a swoon-worthy romance. One of my favourite reads this year.

Blood Red Road, Moira Young

Young’s debut is one of the freshest and most original novels to come out of the dystopia craze. Between a phonetic dialect and the kick-ass Saba and her quest to find her brother, you can’t really ask for more. I can’t wait for the next book, Rebel Heart.