Mundie Moms

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Lives We Lost Blog Tour: Guest Post with Author Megan Crewe

Happy Thursday! I'm excited to have YA author Megan Crew on the blog today. Her latest release, The Lives We Lost was recently released, and today Megan's here to talk about a few YA books/series she wish she had read as a teen. 


Four YA Books/Series I Wish I'd Read as a Teen

I've read and enjoyed a lot of YA novels since "officially" becoming an adult, and there are a few favorites I think teen-me would really have appreciated.

-The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. When I was around 14 or 15, I reached the point where I'd read so much adult high fantasy with the same basic set up (intrepid group of underdogs with oddly-spelled names faces down evil bent on destroying their pseudo-medieval world) that I burned out on the genre and still can rarely get into it. I've since discovered a whole realm of unique and exciting fantasy in YA, but it took a while--I wish I'd had this series, my favorite in the genre, to turn to right away.

-The Ruby Oliver series by E. Lockhart. The most amazing thing about reading this series for me was how much the main character reminds me of my teenage self--not so much in the things that happen to her, but in the way she thinks and reacts to the world around her, her uncertainties and insecurities. I think I'd have found it comforting to have read these as a teen, and felt a little less weird in Ruby's company.

-Cody Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Not only is this a spectacularly written book full of twists and unreliable narration and heartbreak, all of which I'd have eagerly devoured back then as much as today, but it's also a testament to the power of friendship. I had good friends in my teens, sure, but nothing close to what these two girls share. Maybe if I'd had this book to inspire me, I'd have looked harder and found something like it.

-Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn. What makes this story so powerful is that it takes you right inside the head of a messed-up guy whose relationship with his girlfriend becomes increasingly troubled, so that you can sympathize with him even as you see how important it is for her to get away from him. I don't know if having read it would have changed any of the romantic decisions I made in my youth, but I think it would have helped to get that message that you can care about something and see good in them, but still know it's not good for you to be with them.

About the Books:

Released on: 2/24/12
Written by: Megan Crewe
Published by: Hyperion Teens

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.


When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living


Released on 2/12/13
Written by: Megan Crewe
Published by: Hyperion Teens

First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.

But she can't look back—the life she once had is gone forever.


A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father's abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her friends head to the mainland, they encounter a world beyond recognition. It’s not only the “friendly flu” that’s a killer—there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine. How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race?

Megan Crewe's second volume in the Fallen World trilogy is an action-packed journey that explores the resilience of friendship, the ache of lost love, and Kaelyn’s enduring hope in the face of the sacrifices she must make to stay alive

About the Author:

Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and two cats (and does on occasion say "eh"), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and--thankfully--the worst virus she's caught so far is the garden-variety flu.

You can find a more detailed biography on her main website.

Megan welcome questions and comments from readers. Email her directly or visit her blogFacebook pageTwitterTumblr, or GoodReads profile.

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