Best YA Reads in February...

Visions, demons and fairies abound in this month’s plethora of paranormal books. Girls undercover as boys, prom dress shenanigans and chilling danger highlight the contemporary offerings. Read on to find out more.

PARANORMAL

I caught up with debut author Kristi Cook to ask her about her paranormal boarding school novel, HAVEN, which comes out on February 22 from Simon Pulse.

RCM: The description of HAVEN had me at "Gothic." Booklist called it a blend of the Gemma Doyle novels, the Twilight Saga, and Lois Duncan's thrillers. How would you describe it?

Kristi Cook:My original "pitch" was X-Men meets Twilight, and I guess that does pretty much describe it, maybe with a little Buffy thrown in there. I must say, I was especially thrilled by the comparison to Lois Duncan's thrillers, because I read those voraciously when I was a pre-teen/teen! In fact, the whole inspiration for the character Cece's psychic gift-astral projection-came from Duncan's STRANGER WITH MY FACE. Such a great book!

RCM: Tell me about your heroine. I know that she has visions that have made her an outcast among 'normal' people. How does she fare surrounded by supernaturals?

Kristi Cook:Oh, she fits right in at Winterhaven! The things that made her seem abnormal before now make her totally normal, and that's very liberating for her. I don't think Violet would be able to grow into the strong protagonist she becomes if not for coming to Winterhaven. The school and its environment definitely play a big part in her "transformation." I think that concept is what the artist was going for, when designing the cover.

RCM: Was it fun creating Winterhaven, her boarding school? (I saw that you mention the X-men on your webpage. I totally wanted to go to the Xavier Institute, long before Hogwarts was a glimmer in J.K. Rowling’s eye.)

Kristi Cook:Funnily enough, I had never read/seen anything X-Men related before writing HAVEN, and I only became aware of the similarities when my husband read my first draft and said, "You know, this is a lot like X-Men." At first I panicked, but then I decided to embrace it. Because, like you, many people were fascinated by the Xavier Institute! But it was definitely great fun creating Winterhaven! Mostly I envisioned a school that I would enjoy going to myself, if I possessed a psychic power.

RCM: (You should definitely embrace it.) Some of the female characters in HAVEN describe Aidan Gray as "the hottest guy at Winterhaven." What makes him so awesome?

Kristi Cook:Well, it's more than looks, because even Violet says he's not good-looking in the "classic" sense (he's pale, his nose is a bit crooked, his eyes a little shadowed). Don't get me wrong, he's supposed to be handsome, just not Brad Pitt handsome! I think what makes him so attractive is that he's mysterious. Something about him seems a little dangerous, even though no one can exactly put a finger on why. And he's definitely got secrets. BIG secrets. But he's also smart and kind, and he shows interest in Violet right off the bat. I guess that's a pretty irresistible package!

RCM: Handsome, smart and kind is a trifecta of hotness in my mind. So, is Haven the start of a series? Where do you see it going?

Kristi Cook:I tried to end HAVEN so that it could stand alone with a satisfactory ending, yet leave some things open for a sequel. I'm writing the second book now, and the plan is to end the series with three books. The big, overarching "question" for the series is whether or not Aidan will find his "cure"-and that will definitely be answered by the end of the third book. In fact, I can already see the big, climactic scene in my head.

Doesn't that sound like fun? HAVEN debuts on February 22.

Other Paranormal and Fantasy novels coming out this month:

THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER by Jana Oliver (Feb. 1 from St. Martin’s Griffin). In the near future, Riley Blackthorne is balancing homework, hot-guy-crushes, and following in her legendary demon hunter father’s footsteps. Business as usual, until the day a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment in a library, and she realizes she’s in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell. "Clever and unique," says P.C. Cast. (First in a series.)

THE IRON THORN by Caitlin Kittredge (Feb 22 from Delacorte) In an alternate, Victorian-esque America, Aoife Grayson goes in search of the father she’s never met, hoping to avoid the hereditary madness that strikes her family on their sixteenth birthdays. Along the way she encounters magic, fantastical clockwork machines, spooks, ghouls, and romance. (First in a series.)

CONTEMPORARY

For those who prefer a little realism with their adventure and romance, here are a few of the books coming out this month.

BABE IN BOYLAND by Jody Gehrman (Feb 17 from Dial). When a high school relationship columnist is accused of knowing nothing about guys, the only solution is to go undercover as one. She learns more about boys and girls than she ever thought, especially when she falls for her dreamy roommate. I’m a sucker for a twist on Twelfth Night, and this looks like delicious romantic fun and games.

WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS by Aimee Ferris (Feb 8 from EgmontUSA). This entry into the Prom Theme oeuvre has a cute title that sums up the premise: Quigley Johnson has reluctantly agreed to her best friend Ann’s scheme to turn them into the best- dressed, most admired girls at their senior formal. But that costs money, and Quigley’s odd jobs lead her to the oddest situations... and to two guys of whom she’s of two minds. Then there’s her BFF Ann--this whole plan was her idea. So why does it seem to be tearing their relationship apart?

TRAPPED by Michael Northrop (Feb 1 from Scholastic). "Not all of us made it," begins the narrator of this thriller. Seven kids are trapped inside their high school during the worst blizzard in U.S. history. At first things don’t seem too dire, but as the snow piles up, the pipes freeze, and the building itself threatens to collapse, this life-or-death Breakfast Club turns into a battle for survival. A short, chilling thriller with pages that “turn like wildfire.” (Booklist) A good pick for a reluctant or boy reader.