Hello everybody! Blogmas is sadly over, but I do have one last bonus post from 2022 debut YA author Morgan Owen to share with you before we call time properly. Onto the post!
I’ve read some fantastic books this year, while so many more are still trapped in the large and structurally unsound TBR tower in my bedroom (2022 was kind of a blur). Trying to pick favourites always gives me clammy palms. I never got the hang of rating books on a scale because each one is uniquely enjoyable and an experience in itself. All of this to say: I tried to narrow it down to five and failed miserably, so here are my standout YA debuts from 2022 and which part of the soul they represent (from my debut YA fantasy, The Girl With No Soul!)
SHADOW: The Shadow is the subconscious, the part of the self we keep hidden. Sci fi stunner Mindwalker by Kate Dylan is full of dark secrets, depicting a dystopian future where advanced technology allows you to physically enter someone’s head, while The Secrets Act by Alison Weatherby is all about cracking codes and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. Both smart and compelling, they had me questioning everything.
SPIRIT: What better choice for the Spirit, which represents memory, than a book in which past and the future have blended together? The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch is a time loop story about a boy who is forced to keep reliving the same party to prevent a tragedy. A timeless classic to read again and again.
SONG: If the Song represents the personality, then The Butterfly Assassin by Finn Longman is a Rorschach Test. In a city ruled by competing guilds of assassins, a girl raised to be a weapon seeks freedom and a fresh start, maybe even a friend, but her blood-spattered past just won’t let her quit. As sharp and thrilling as a dagger to the throat.
HEART: The Heart represents emotions and I have a lot of feelings about If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So, a brilliantly bittersweet story for anyone who’s ever had a crush on an internet friend or belonged to a fandom. Big Bad Me by Aislinn O’Loughlin is similarly full of heart: a witty werewolf rom com with a sweet tooth love interest. Both made me swoon.
SPARK: The Spark represents the sense of touch, and using your hands can certainly be dangerous in the origami magic world of Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin. This is an intricate, inventive and immersive fantasy universe that is fun and funny but also packs real emotional punch. Ouch. I can’t wait to get hurt all over again by book two.
Thank you so much for reading! What were some of your favourite debuts in 2022? Have you read Morgan’s book, or are you planning to? What about the ones she’s chosen to talk about? I’d love to chat in the comments!
Speak very soon,
Amy xxx
Golden Books Girl 