Below are the YA books coming out this week that I am spotlighting for my “Book Watch: Releasing This Week” post.

I am posting this a day earlier than usual as I have a couple reviews that I will be posting on Monday and also there are so many books this week to choose from that you may need an extra day to shop!

As is the case each week, these are all books I’ve either got on pre-order or plan on buying when released.

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is a debut novel by author Jana Oliver. It will be released in the U.S. on February 1, 2011 in paperback and eBook formats. It is available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble in both formats.

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin, the print edition is 368 pages. In the U.K., released on January 7, 2011, the book is titled Forsaken.

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com.

I had the good fortune to win an ARC of this book from Goodreads and read and reviewed it back in December. I gave away the ARC copy to another reviewer and immediately pre-ordered the eBook for my Kindle. I’ve also pre-ordered a copy for comparison for my Nook.

This is a such a great book. It’s gritty, edgy and very original. No sexy demons in this one, but a great heroine who is not afraid of a little demon slime.

To learn more about the book, visit the book’s website.

A short prequel story, Retro Demonology, is still available for free from Amazon in Kindle format. If you’d like to read my quickie review, click here.

Delirium is the first book in a new trilogy by Lauren Oliver. It will also be released in the U.S. on February 1, 2011 and is available for pre-order in hardcover and eBook formats from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The print edition, published by HarperTeen, is 448 pages.

This was another book that I had the opportunity to read in advance of release. I received an electronic ARC courtesy of NetGalley and HarperTeen and read and reviewed it back in December. If you’d like to check out my review, click here.

This is a dystopian novel you will not want to miss. Author Lauren Oliver is an exquisite writer. She has such a magical way of creating a world with her words. I have this book on pre-order for my Kindle so I can own the final copy and plan on re-reading this closer to the release of the second book in the series.

To read an excerpt from HarperTeen click here.

Haunted by Joy Preble is second book in the Dreaming Anastasia series. It too will be released in the U.S. on February 1, 2011. It is currently available from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble in eBook and paperback formats. Published by Sourcebooks Fire the paperback is 304 pages.

I pre-ordered this book solely based on the beautiful cover. (Although there are some similarities to the face in the background that remind me of the cover of Brightly Woven.) Only when creating this post did I realize this is the second book of the series. So, I’ve just downloaded the first book in the series, Dreaming Anastasia. The cover on that first book is just as beautiful.

But books about magic and love are subjects I’m always happy to read and with author Cynthia Leitich Smith calling it, “Spooky, sassy, sinister, and sexy!” I am sold.

If you haven’t yet read the first book in the series, click here to read an excerpt of Dreaming Anastasia from Scribd.

Here Lies Bridget is the debut novel for author Paige Harbison. It was released in paperback format on January 18, 2011 but the eBook format will be releasing this week on February 1, 2011. The print edition is available now and the eBook is available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Published by HarlequinTEEN the print edition is 224 pages.

Here Lies Bridget is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com.

This is a story of a mean girl looking for redemption before it’s too late. I received a copy of this as an electronic ARC from NetGalley and HarlequinTEEN just over a week ago and my review will post on Monday. I have purchased the eBook version for my Kindle so I can have the final copy for my collection.

The screen rights to Here Lies Bridget were acquired so we may end up seeing this made into a movie in the near (or not so near) future.

Waterfall is the debut YA novel for best-selling and award-winning author Lisa T. Bergren. It is the first book in the River of Time series. It is releasing in the U.S. on February 1, 2011 and is currently available for pre-order in paperback only from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Published by David C. Cook, the paperback edition is 384 pages.

Waterfall is one of the books that can be chosen for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at TheStorySiren.com.

I’ve decided to bite the bullet and order this one in paperback format. Time travel, lost cities, knights and castles make this one sound like a magical adventure and I don’t want to have to wait for the eBook’s release.

To read the prologue and first chapter at Scribd, click here.

For those interested in a great contest, click here for details on the author’s website.

The second book in the series, Cascade, is available for pre-order also and will be released on June 1, 2011.

Because I really liked this one, here is the trailer for Waterfall:

Retro Demonology by Jana Oliver

Retro Demonology was released today as a free download from Amazon.com. It is a prequel short story about Riley Blackthorne’s first solo trapping experience. The download also includes a sneak peek at The Demon Trapper’s Daughter which will be released in February.

Even in 2018 people in Atlanta are still into retro, and Riley’s first assignment is to catch her demon in the home of a couple who dig the ’60s. Riley is the daughter of Master Trapper Paul Blackthorne, but trapping demons never seems to go quite so easily for her as it does for her father. But, for a first assignment things go pretty smoothly, that is until she heads home.

This was another entertaining short story offered today by St. Martin’s Griffin. Retro Demonology is the perfect introduction to author Jana Oliver’s writing style and to Riley Blackthorne, apprentice Demon Trapper. Although I’ve already read The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, this short story will be just as enjoyable for those who have not yet had the chance.

If you haven’t already done so, The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is a definite add to any “to be read” list.

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver is the first book in the new Demon Trappers series and will be available in paperback format on February 1, 2011 in the U.S. It will be releasing on January 7, 2011 in the U.K. under the title Forsaken.

You would think that being a Demon Trapper would be enough to earn you a little respect. It may sound glamorous, but trapping demons is not as easy-peasy as the popular TV show Demonland might lead you to believe.

One: It’s extremely dangerous. Even a level one demon can wreak havoc. A level three demon would like nothing more than to have you as its next meal. And forget about the risk in facing a level five. It would almost be less risky to sell your soul to Lucifer than to battle one of them.

Two: It’s disgustingly messy. And the smell…ugh. You don’t want to know the number of times a Trapper gets peed on. And when you catch these guys, someone has to clean their cages. Not the world’s most pleasant task considering a demon will eat almost anything.

Three: It doesn’t pay as well as you might think. Unless of course you skip the proper channels and sell your demons to the highest bidder. But what upstanding Trapper would want to do that?

But when your father is Paul Blackthorne, a Master Demon Trapper who comes from a long line of Demon Trappers, it is only natural to want to stick with tradition, even if you are a girl. The only girl in Atlanta’s Demon Trapper’s Guild, as a matter of fact.

What could be more awesome than learning from the very best and working for a Guild whose unofficial slogan is: “Kicking Hell’s Ass One Demon at a Time”? Nothing that Riley Blackthorne can think of.

In a city more overrun with demons than ever before and money running tight, Riley wants to help out, even if it means being an apprentice and getting hassled far more than a seventeen-year-old male Trapper would.

But when her first solo job goes terribly wrong, will she be able to remain in the Guild? And even if they do allow her to stay, if she has disappointed or embarrassed her father, should she?

***

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is not your typical young adult angels and demons story. There is no devastatingly handsome demon battling an even more attractive angel for Riley Blackthorne’s affection. These demons, for the most part, are truly the vile, unpleasant creatures traditionally thought of when thinking “demon.”

And this is not a sweet, heartbreaking story of unrequited love or one involving a love triangle where the heroine is forced to choose who she loves more. This story is gritty and edgy and does not sugarcoat or pull any punches. The heroine, Riley, is not indecisive or weak. She is smart, tough, impulsive, cynical and strong-willed, but very believable, sympathetic and likable.

Author Jana Oliver has written a book that is original and gripping. There are no stories out there in this genre that take this approach to the subject and do it so well.

Throughout the story the author hints at a number of things that aren’t quite right, things that just feel wrong, keeping Riley in the dark and readers at the threshold of getting questions answered, but not allowing them beyond. At least not in this first book which makes this one of those “on-the-edge-of-your-seat” reads. (Book two in the series is eagerly awaited.)

Ms. Oliver fills out this story with such an attention to detail that it gives readers a real sense of the environment in 2018 Atlanta and a definite grasp on who her main characters are and what drives them.

This book is a “must read” in February for readers looking for a story with a lot of personality and a bit of a hard edge.

Reviewer gives this book ★★★★★

On a personal note:

I didn’t think it would be possible for me to like one more YA novel with an angels and demons theme. I was utterly wrong. The Demon Trapper’s Daughter completely blew me away.

From the very first lines of the book, I already knew I loved Riley (and Jana Oliver) and her wry sense of humor and sardonic attitude.

“Libraries and demons,” she muttered. “What is the attraction?”

Riley Blackthorne is as stubborn as they come, but she is also determined and courageous. Her priorities, right or wrong, are set and nothing will stop her. She is not sidelined by any of the tragedies thrown her way. She just picks herself up, dusts herself off and keeps on moving when even the strongest of men might cave. She is definitely a kick-a character.

I also loved the fact that this book was a lot edgier than most of the other YA books out there and that Riley did not spend any time pining over a guy – although I don’t think we yet know the full extent of the bad blood between her and Den Beck.

And lines like these (from the mind of Denver Beck) are why this author is so freakin’ fantastic:

This was a battle he had to win. If not, Hell would have the last word.

Of course it has to be mentioned: the cover art on the American edition is simply amazing. Riley perched on the edge of a building holding that sphere reminds me so much of the opening shot in the movie Underworld where Kate Beckinsale is posed in similar fashion on top of a building overlooking the city. (The most memorable – and my favorite – scene in the entire film.)

I received this ARC as a winner in a Goodreads first read contest. I would like to thank Goodreads and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.