Kate Spofford, author

Category: books

  • New YA Horror Roundup just in time for Halloween

    Note: I received advanced copies of all titles from Netgalley except Sanctum.  All of these titles have been released except Creed, which comes out November 8, 2014. I was quite pleased to discover so many YA horror titles coming out over the summer and fall!  YA horror is my favorite genre, but in recent years it’s…

  • Book Signing Story: Jodi Picoult and Cassandra Clare

    I picked up a copy of this after I went to a book signing for Sing You Home (still haven’t gotten around to reading that one yet…) – one of the fellow librarians I attended with recommended it and I was intrigued when she mentioned that it was partially graphic novel. This week I attended another book signing…

  • Cheerleaders in YA Horror

    Cheerleaders have been representing the “mean girl” since before the term was coined.  While during the 80s teen literature was full of the popular girls and the girls who wanted to be popular – think Sweet Valley High and the “Cheerleaders” series – once teen horror blew up in the late 80s and early 90s, cheerleaders…

  • books with soundtracks: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    I’m now reading Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and it has made me realize: I love a book with a soundtrack.  I have created soundtracks for several of my novels – those are more or less my writing soundtracks or songs that make me think of my story.  Occasionally I find an author…

  • book to real-life connection *spoilers*

    A while back I read this book by Lisa McMann, Dead to You. (You might not want to continue reading if you want to read this book and not have the end spoiled for you!) The story follows a boy named Ethan returning to a family from whom he was kidnapped years ago, and his…

  • Review: Dirty Little Secrets

    Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu Summary: Lucy has a dirty secret – her mom is a hoarder. All her life she’s had to keep friends away from her house, especially after a few kids found out and started calling her “Garbage Girl.” Finally Lucy has a chance at being friends with Kaylie, and a…

  • Review: Forbidden

    Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma Summary: With their mother either off with her boyfriend or drunk, Lochan and Maya have spent most of the last five years since their dad left caring for their three younger siblings. Lochan is cracking under the strain of making good grades at school and dealing with 13-year-old Kit, who has…

  • Review: a bunch of Awful Library Books

    Found in my box at work: 1. Make-Up Monsters by Marcia Lynn Cox (1976) So, this looks innocent enough.  That’s until you open it up. Disease Face?  Is that a kind of monster?  Never mind the fact that this kid looks like his face is covered in oatmeal, glued on with corn syrup… Oh, wait.…

  • Review: Tightrope

    Tightrope by Gillian Cross Summary: Ashley – who chooses the name “Cindy” when she tags her graffiti – discovers someone is stalking her by sending weird notes and bits of liver and sheep skulls. Ashley draws the attention of Joe, the court jester to the street king Eddie Beale, and though Ashley is the “good girl”,…

  • Review: This is Not a Test

    This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers My rating: 4 of 5 stars Summary: Sloane’s daily routine of parental abuse is interrupted by the zombie apocalypse. Six months ago, Sloane’s sister Lily ran away, and suddenly Sloane is free and after 7 days of surviving, Sloane finds herself barricaded in her high school with…