Books You May Have Missed in 2012

2012 was a pretty epic year, book-wise. It's easy for some really great books to get lost in the shadows of some really big titles. So this year we had Insugent and Throne of Glass or the amazing Shadow and Bone. But there were some books that blew my mind or wormed their way into my heart and I don't feel like they're talked about enough. So I just wanted to post a quick reminder, that as we move on to the new year, full of exciting new titles, not to let some greats of 2012 fall off your TBRs.

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes

I bought so many copies of this book. I passed them out like candy. I believe in this story so much. I wish everyone would pick up this one. It's gorgeous and so meaningful.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Corielle

Chloe wormed her way into my heart and won't leave. I read this one a year ago and it's still clear in my mind. I often ask myself - what would Chloe do to make this situation fun? 

The Right & The Real by Jöelle Anthony

This is such a well-written contemporary novel that deals with real issues without being overwhelming or preachy. It completely surprised me and there's a lot to gain from reading this book. 

Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

I don't read a lot of thrillers, but this one was exceptional. It was fast paced, fascinating and just such a great read. 

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samatha Van Leer

You'd think a Jodi Picoult YA book would show up everywhere. But I feel like people didn't really talk about it at all. I wasn't sure I was going to read it, but I decided to pick it up and I kind of fell in love with it. It's a love story for readers. 

Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

SUPERHEROES. This book was pretty epic for me. Bonus points for taking place in Minneapolis. I love a lot about this book - from the paranormal twist, to the boy who can teleport, the family dynamics, and so much more. 

The Peculiar by Stephen Bachman

This book was completely enchanting. I feel like a lot of steampunk books focus too much on the genre and not enough on the story. This one has the great story to go with the steampunk. Plus, it's the kind of story that you can't fit into an age category. This is a book for everyone.

Croak by Gina Damico

Dark humor and access to the famous in the afterlife. This book was so much fun and so clever. The sequel, Scorch, came out this year as well.

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

This book completely blew me away. The writing was beautiful and chilling. It was dark and completely awesome. I don't know if I missed everyone talking about it when it came out or what, but I'm actually confused by the lack of hype surrounding this book. Because it's one I am still freaking out about. 

Are there any books you feel like people missed in 2012? 

Don't Turn Around - Michelle Gagnon

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.
Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.
 (From Goodreads)

This is the kind of book that you hold your breath through without realizing you're nervous. The storytelling is so exceptional that you get caught up in it and it really doesn't let you go until you've hit the last page. It didn't take long to read, mostly because I barely put it down. This isn't the type of book I'd normally pick up, but I found myself drawn to it. I'm not a huge fan of thrillers, but I never had a chance to stop and wonder why I was reading a book in a genre I don't care for.

This book makes me want to learn how to be a hacker. Or at least how to do cool things with my computer. I've always thought I was pretty good with technology, but now I see that my skill set is laughably small. Peter and Noa are so dang impressive because they're taking on their enemies, not with special powers or super strength, but with their knowledge. They're so smart - and not just book smart - computer smart and street smart, too.

One of the reasons I don't find thrillers high on my to-read list is because I have a tendency to find the situations implausible. A super secret sect of the government that people in the government don't even know about are tracking down deceptively normal people just because a highly classified document may have fallen into their hands - yeah, I can't really get on board with that. But everything about Don't Turn Around felt believable. While the deadly disease that shows up is fictional, I feel pretty confident that if it did exist a story like this would play out somewhere. But the hacking feels incredibly current and Peter and Noa's enemies feel like they're real threats - even the reason they're after Peter and Noa seems real.

The book also does a great job at drawing attention to the treatment of orphans in our society. So many are neglected, living only to survive, and falling through the cracks. Noa is a product of this flawed system, although she's managed to find her way out of it. Still, she shows what can happen when there is such neglect. Despite everything, she's so strong and remarkably stable. She's easy to relate to and I can only hope that if I ever found myself in the same position as her that I'd have her strength and smarts to keep going. But even better, she's not just content to survive, but to ensure that everyone else survives as well.

My only small hesitation is the involvement of Amanda, Peter's girlfriend. Her only connection to everything that goes down is Peter, so I can't figure out why she has her own voice and story line. But, like I said this is a small detraction from an otherwise incredible novel. Plus, I imagine, or hope, that this sets Amanda up to be a bigger player in the next novel. I'm anxious to read the next part of Noa and Peter's story. This one went so fast, it's hard to imagine even taking the time between books in order to find out what's next.