Most Anticipated UKYA Books in 2013

Thanks, as always, to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting such a wonderful feature.  This week's Top Ten List is for the most anticipated books in 2013.  There are SO MANY books that I'm looking forward to, it was very hard to narrow this list down to just ten.  So I did what I normally do and I narrowed it down further by only choosing books in 2013 that are written by British authors.

Yes, I too am looking forward to The Indigo Spell and Clockwork Princess, but I just don't think that UKYA gets the spotlight enough.  And look! there are some incredible books coming out soon by some incredible British authors...

Dead Romantic by CJ Skuse - I adore CJ Skuse! And the cover for this one makes me happy. Look out for it in February!

Camille wants to find the perfect boy, with an athlete's body and a poet's brain. But when she's mocked at a college party, she kows there isn't a boy alive who'll ever measure up. Enter Zoe, her brilliant but strange best friend, who takes biology homework to a whole new level. She can create Camille's dream boy, Frankenstein-stylee. But can she make him love her?


Cruel Summer by James Dawson - It was only recently that I read and loved Hollow Pike! And in August, we'll be sure to have another delight from James Dawson:

One year after the suicide of one of their friends, the rest of the group decide to spend the summer together in a holiday villa in the Mediterranean. They're hoping to get over the terrible events of the previous year, but then a new guest arrives - claiming to have evidence that the suicide was actually murder. When she is found dead, it becomes clear that the killer must be one of them - but who is it? And will they strike again?

A compelling psychological thriller - with a dash of romance.

Undone by Cat Clarke - Published by Quercus in January! Cat Clarke is definitely one of my favourites and is definitely an 'auto-buy' author -  

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself. Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down. A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.

Heroic by Phil Earle - I've loved the previous two books I've read by Phil Earle, so I'm eagerly awaiting this book, published by Penguin in April -

'For the past five weeks I'd prayed that I'd never see my brother's name spelt out in poppies. In the months that followed I often wished I had.'

Jammy and Sonny McGann are brothers, but that's where the similarities end. One is calm when the other is angry; one has a plan while the other lives purely in the moment.

When Jammy returns from Afghanistan a very different man to the one who left, it's Sonny who is left to hold things together. But just how far will he go to save the brother who always put him first?
Inspired by S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and by the battles facing young soldiers all over the world, this is a devastating novel about brotherhood and sacrifice, from the award-winning author of Being Billy and Saving Daisy.



The Worst Girlfriend in the World by Sarra Manning - No cover for this one yet, but due to be published by Atom in May -  about two best friends fighting over the same boy. I do love Sarra Manning!
So much.


The Name of the Blade by Zoe Marriott - No cover for this one either, but I do so love Zoe's other books. They've frequently been on my favourite books of the year lists. This one isn't expected until July -  

When Mio steals the family's katana – a priceless ancestral sword – from her parents’ attic, she just wants to spice up a fancy-dress costume. But the katana is much more than some dusty antique and her actions unleash a terrible, ancient evil onto the streets of unsuspecting London. Soon Shinobu, a fearless warrior boy, appears to protect Mio – and threatens to steal her heart. With the gods and monsters of Japanese myth stalking her and her friends, Mio realizes that if she cannot keep the sword safe, and learn to control its legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life ... but the love of a lifetime.

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff - Look for the new Meg Rosoff from Penguin in March!

From author's blog: "it’s a heartrending future classic, soon to be a major motion picture, not to mention a thoughtful, insanely sophisticated exploration of the relationship between adults and children. It contains a gigantic easter egg, lots of French toast and a weed whacker."


Acid by Emma Pass - This book is due out in April by Random House! I'm really looking forward to it:

2113. In Jenna Strong's world, ACID - the most brutal, controlling police force in history - rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed - or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID - and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

Night School: Legacy by CJ Daugherty - Having loved the first book in this series, I was always going to be excited to read its sequel.  Set in this creepy boarding school, I can't wait to get back into this series and catch up with the characters. Luckily, I don't have long to wait as it will be published by Atom in January!

In the last year, Allie's survived three arrests, two breakups and one family breakdown. The only bright point has been her new life at Cimmeria Academy. It's the one place she's felt she belongs. And the fact that it's brought the dreamy Carter West into her life hasn't hurt. . .

But far from being a safe haven, the cloistered walls of Cimmeria are proving more dangerous than Allie could've imagined. The students, and faculty, are under threat and Allie's family - from her mysterious grandma to her runaway brother - are at the centre of the storm.

Allie is going to have to choose between protecting her family and trusting her friends. But secrets have a way of ripping even the strongest relationships apart. . .

 Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma - I've been trying desperately to get my hands on all of the books by Tabitha, especially after that emotional rollercoaster of Forbidden. I think I will always look forward to her books. Hurt has no cover just yet, but will be published (hopefully!) in August. 


And of course there are the books that I've already read by British authors that are being published in 2013 - I am especially excited for people to read Pantomime by Laura Lam and also Infiinte Sky by CJ Flod!

Which books are you most looking forward to in 2013? Are there any books by British authors that I haven't included in this list?  Will you add any of these books to your wishlists?