2012 Debut Author Challenge Round-Up Post

Hi!

With the review of Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris published this week I can now say that I have completed the 2012 Debut Author Challenge! I have read twelve YA/NG debuts this year. I enjoyed some immensely and am eagerly awaiting sequels and novellas, and then there are some I didn’t enjoy as much as I had hoped, and others still where I can see the author has a lot of potential and will keep an eye out for new works.

The books I have read and reviewed for the challenge are (links go to the reviews)

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (3rd Jan, Penguin Australia)
2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (1st Feb, Simon & Schuster Aust)
3. Everneath by Brodi Ashton (2nd Mar, Simon & Schuster Aust)
4. The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams (26 Apr, Simon & Schuster Australia)
5. Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris (1 June, HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
6. The Hunt by Andrew Fukoda (10 May, Simon & Schuster Australia)
7. Storm (The Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer (Allen & Unwin)
8. Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (1st June, Random House Australia)
9. The Selection by Kiera Cass (1st June, HarperCollins Publishers Aust)
10. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
11. The Shapeshifter’s Secret by Heather Ostler (12th June, Cedar Fort publishing)
12. Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (1st Aug, Simon & Schuster Australia)

I have found the 2012DAC to be interesting because it has introduced me to many new authors, but I haven’t gone out of my way to read any of the novels above. I feel I would have read them anyway, with or without participating in the challenge, and thus it hasn’t exactly been challenging to me. But I like knowing I am supporting debut authors. Some of these books got a lot of publicity before they were even published, and others have slipped under the radar so I enjoyed highlighting them on my blog.

I don’t intend to stop here though – if you were to go to the challenge page, you will see I have about eight other debut novels in my possession that I haven’t read yet. So the widget on the sidebar is going to keep counting, and I will post another round-up post at the end of the year cataloging all the books I end up reading for the challenge! Since it’s only June, I think it will be interesting to see if I can read 24 debut novels!

Keep tuned.