Marie Rutkoski is off to a running start with rave reviews from all corners for The Winner''s Curse, the first book in 'The Winner's Trilogy' series. Blackmail is the name of the game in the latest thriller from longtime YA favorite Charles Benoit, called Cold Calls. Love Letters to the Dead, from Ava Dellaira, puts a new spin on a timeworn high school writing assignment. RUTKOSKI, Marie, The Winner's Curse. Bk. 1 (The Winner's Trilogy) FSG. March 2014. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780374384685. Gr 9 Up—Kestrel is a noble of the Valoria, a vast empire, who only has two choices for her future: to become a military officer or get married. What she really wants is to be a musician. Her choice for her future become more complicated when she buys a slave named Arin who is in on a plot to free his people from enslavement. I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I assumed from the summary that it was going to be a fluffy, teens-instantly-fall-in-love type of book. I do not like those types of books. My YAAC group laughed at the summary, but than again they always laugh when a mysterious boy is involved. But it ended up portraying a much more realistic romantic relationship. I was satisfied with it. The first 10 chapters were really boring though. I think its because Kestral isn't very likable as a character at first. Because she was kind of bored with aristocratic life I fell into her boredom with her. I felt the ending was really a surprise, and I am excited to read the next book to find out what happens. I really thought the imaginary world that Rutkoski created was great. It is not very often that you have any sort of empire in a young adult book. The author made the world that her characters inhabited very real and vibrant. I liked how there was a developed setting because I feel a lot of young adult books are lacking in that now a days. I don't like how there was a love triangle. Love triangles have become so common that I am sick and tired of them especially when you know that one guy obviously has no chance. Ronan seemed to only be there to be that other guy in the love triangle. For mature teen readers, as one character is almost raped, and when Krestel and Arin kiss for the second time I feel that it’s implying sex.—Rachel F., age 17 BENOIT, Charles. Cold Calls. Clarion. April 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0544239500. Gr 7-12—Fast-paced and brimming with dangerous truths and lies, Cold Calls is a gripping read from first page to last page. The book introduces three teenagers who eventually join forces to confront a blackmailer who is threatening to reveal their deepest secrets. Chapters switch from one teen's perspective to another's, but rather than being distracting, these switches sustain readers' interest and allows them to appreciate the broad consequences that actions can have. The book rushes from one catastrophic revelation to another, and readers are left devouring the pages to uncover the truth. Since the teens have only days to act until their covers are blown and all of their family members, friends, and acquaintances know their darkest secrets, the main plot line is being constantly lengthened and expounded upon while side plots and distractions are kept to a minimum. I loved the frantic urgency that was carried throughout the entire book. It kept me on the edge and I finished the book in one setting, eager to find out the characters' fates. I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a fast-paced thriller that hurtles through the secretive lives of teens until reaching a satisfying and fulfilling resolution. Fans of I Know What You Did Last Summer (and other Lois Duncan books) and mystery thrillers will enjoy reading this book.—Riya, age 14 DELLAIRA, Ava. Love Letters to the Dead. Farrar. April 2014. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0374346676. Gr 7-11—Following an English assignment to write a letter to a dead person, Laurel writes a letter to Kurt Cobain, her older sister May's favorite musician. Over the course of the year, her notebook of letters grows as she starts a new school, makes new friends, and learns how to navigate her new family life without her sister. Dellaira's novel fluctuated between neutral and positive in my opinion. While some moments are incredibly heartfelt and insightful, the characters—especially Laurel—felt a bit flat. Readers never gets to see much of Laurel's personality outside of her love for May and grief at her death. While we may sympathize with her sadness, she is not a relatable character. That being said, the novel did provide some valuable insights into life, death, grief, and the true nature of love, and I think its message about valuing and saving oneself is an important one. My favorite storyline to follow was actually Hannah's, as she seemed much more fleshed out than other characters, and I was disappointed that so little time was devoted to her story. Her search for love and acceptance, both from others and fo herself, keeps readers invested in Hannah's life to the end. It was also interesting how her romantic and home life seemed to parallel May's, and if not for the intervention of her friends, she could have gone down the same path May did. Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson and Gayle Forman will appreciate this story of love, loss, and learning to live in the face of death.—Emily L., age 16