Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Fall 2013 Catalog

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.

This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the Penguin Fall 2013 Catalog:

Atlantis Rising by T.A. Barron
Date: September 26, 2013

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In a magical land called Ellegandia, a young boy named Promi scrapes by, stealing pies, cakes and sweets to survive. But little does he know that his country is a pawn in an ages-old war between good and evil, battled both in the spirit realm and in the human world. Harboring secrets of his own, Promi teams up with a courageous girl named Atlanta and the two vow to save their land—and each other—no matter the cost. But their vow has greater repercussions than they ever could imagine—in fact, it may just bring about the creation of Atlantis, an island cut off from the rest of the world, where magic reigns supreme.

Atlantis Rising will undoubtedly draw comparisons to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as it is a Middle Grade book with mythology. It sounds like it's original enough to hold its own though!

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron
Date: October 3, 2013

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Love can be a real monster.
Sixteen-year-old Boy’s never left home. When you’re the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride, it’s tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob. And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile.
Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code. When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can’t escape his demons—both literal and figurative—until he faces his family once more.

Man Made Boy sounds like a book that is not meant to be taken too seriously. I think it has the potential to be a hilarious and fun read! I'm so curious about this one - can't wait to read some early reviews!

This Wicked Game by Michelle Zink
Date: November 14, 2013

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Claire Kincaid’s family has been in business for over fifty years.
The voodoo business.
Part of the International Guild of High Priests and Priestesses, a secret society that have practiced voodoo for generations, the Kincaid’s run an underground supply house for authentic voodoo supplies. Claire plays along, filling orders for powders, oils and other bizarre ingredients in the family store, but she has a secret.
She doesn’t believe.
Struggling to reconcile her modern sensibilities with a completely unscientific craft based on suspicion, Claire can’t wait to escape New Orleans – and voodoo – when she goes to college, a desire that creates almost constant conflict in her secret affair with Xander Toussaint, son of the Guild’s powerful founding family.
But when a mysterious customer places an order for a deadly ingredient, Claire begins to realize that there’s more to voodoo – and the families that make up the Guild – than meets the eye.
Including her own.
As she bands together with the other firstborns of the Guild, she comes face to face with a deadly enemy – and the disbelief that may very well kill her.

Ooh, I think there is so much potential when it comes to voodoo! So hopefully This Wicked Game will utilize it to its full potential. It certainly sounds like it will, with the mentions of mysteries, Guilds, and deadly ingredients.

The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell
Date: November 19, 2013

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When a mysterious parcel arrives at her family’s new home, eleven-year-old Lin Rosenquist has a curious feeling she’s meant to discover what’s inside.
Much to Lin’s surprise, the ornate key contained in the parcel unlocks a spellbinding world called Sylver, hidden behind the cellar door. Sylver is an enchanting land of eternal winter, inhabited by animals that shared a special connection with children in the real world, either as beloved pets or tamed wild animals. In death, they are delivered to Sylver, where they take on a curiously human-like form and still watch over the children they cherish. While Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with her beloved pet, Rufus, she soon learns that the magic of the Petlings and Wilders is failing, and snow trolls want to claim Sylver for themselves. Lin must discover a way to stop them and save this enchanted world.

Oh my. The Twistrose Key sounds like it was made for me! I mean, an enchanted world in which our beloved pets live on after their death to watch over us? Aww, that premise is making me ALL KINDS of sentimental. How lovely. The concept also reminds me a bit of Narnia and The Golden Compass, so that's a plus in my eyes.


How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Penguin Fall 2013 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Penguin Fall 2013 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?