I thought we'd focus on three young adult titles this month.

"Snowmelt River" by Frank P Ryan

On the summit of the fabled mountain Slievenamon in Ireland there is a doorway to an ancient land of terrible power.  The gate of Feimhin has lain closed for centuries, the secret of its opening long lost.  But now four orphans drawn together by Fate must pass through the portal to face their destinies.  What they find beyond is the enchanted but war-ravaged world of Tir, a strange land populated by monsters.  Here death waits at every corner and they must learn to fight if they are to survive.  And they'd better learn quickly, because their enemy, the Tyrant of the Wastelands, is growing in power.

This is book one in a trilogy.

"Cabeswater Chronicles: #1 Raven Boys" by Maggie Stiefvater

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive . Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past.  Blue herself never sees them - not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.  His name is Gansey and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school.  Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys.  Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.  But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all - family money, good looks, devoted friends - but he's looking for much more than that.  He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys.

Again this is the first of a trilogy.

"What's Left of Me" by Kat Zhang

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else - two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance.  But as they grew, so did the worried whispers.  Why aren't they settling?  Why isn't one of them fading?  The doctors ran tests, the neighbours shied away, and their parents begged for more time.  Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone.  Except, she wasn't.

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life.  Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body.  Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again.  The risks are unimaginable - hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others.  And yet, for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

This is a stand alone novel.