Harper Teen Impulse is a new digital imprint of Harper Teen. Every month they’ll publish a few novellas and short stories for digital download. It kicked off this month with four stories ranging from $.99 to $1.99. I love this idea because sometimes I just need something really short to read. Also, two of the four offerings this month were bonus content to series I love. So exciting! I read bought and read all the titles for December and thought I’d highlight them for you here.
Breathless by Sophie Jordan
Sophie Jordan’s breathtaking digital original novella set in the world of Firelight.
For Az, it’s supposed to be a fun summer vacation with her family. Nothing complicated. Just a quick trip to test the waters as she prepares for a year on her own. That all changes when she rescues a drowning girl and meets Tate—the most gorgeous human boy she’s ever seen. Tate throws her heart, her plans, and her life into upheaval, but the closer she gets to him, the harder it is to hide the secret of what she is. With no hope for a future together, the last thing that can ever happen . . . is love.
This stand-alone digital original is perfect for those new to the Firelight series as well as veteran fans. (from Goodreads)
My Thoughts: This is the title I was most looking forward to. I absolutely adore the Firelight series and Sophie Jordan’s writing in general. Seeing more of Jacinda’s best friend Az was such a treat. Plus, it was a bit steamy (and Jacinda’s not in it so I don’t mean fire breathy steam!) However, I’m greedy and now I want more! This novella is totally stand alone and will not spoil any of the books if you haven’t read them. I’d recommend at least reading Firelight so you have a general understanding of the world Az is coming from. Breathless is truly a treat for Firelight fans!
Radiant by Cynthia Hand
From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.
Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn’t ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . .
For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.
Alternating between Angela and Clara’s perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever. (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts: Another novella set in a world I love! This one is not a stand alone and has MAJOR SPOILERS for Unearthly and Hallowed. Do not read it if you haven’t read both the previous books! If you have read books one and two, this one is basically 2.5. You REALLY don’t want to miss it. It alternates between Clara and Angela. We really find out more about Angela and her life. I loved that. As a bonus? There is a preview of Boundless, the finale of the Unearthly series. Is it January yet?!?!?
Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld
In this future-set novella by bestselling author Scott Westerfeld, Kieran Black lives in a “perfect” world.
Disease and starvation have been eradicated, sleep is unnecessary, and it takes no time at all to go from the Bahamas to the moon. But now Kieran has to take Scarcity, a class about how people lived in the bad old days. And as if sitting through an hour of Scarcity every day wasn’t depressing enough, it’s final projects time. Each student must choose some form of ancient hardship to experience for two whole weeks. Kieran chooses having to sleep eight hours a night, which doesn’t seem too annoying.
Maria Borsotti has never thought much of Kieran, but she decides to take pity on him and help him out with his project. Soon, Kieran is sleeping and having vivid dreams, while Maria, whose Scarcity project is to give up all teenage hormone regulation, is experiencing emotions she never knew she had. As their assignments draw them closer together, they begin to wonder if the olden days weren’t so bad. Maybe something has been missing from their perfect lives after all? (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED this story. Of course, I absolutely loved it when I first read it in Love is Hell anthology. I admit to being a little annoyed that I paid for a story I already own in an anthology. I bought all the Harper Teen Impulse titles without reading about the stories but still… after going back and reading about this one (and the next which is also from an anthology) I could find no mention of the fact that they were previously published. That doesn’t take away from how great the story is. I love the future world Westerfeld has created. I want a whole book set here! It’s very reminiscent of M.T. Anderson’s Feed.
Crusin’ by Sarah Mlynowski
From the critically acclaimed author of Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have) and the Magic in Manhattan series comes a fun short story about taking the plunge on the high seas, where not everything is what it seems.
Kristin is ready to take the next step. . . . The only problem is she hasn’t found the right guy to take it with her. That’s why she agreed to go on the ominously named Cruise to Nowhere with her best friend, Liz. There are plenty of cute guys on the ship to choose from if only Kristin can work up the nerve—and stop worrying about the reports in the tabloids that passengers on cruises have been mysteriously disappearing and that someone suspects it has to do with . . . vampires. (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts: This is another title that was previously published in an anthology (Vacations from Hell.) It’s also the cheapest title at $.99. It’s a very quick and fun read. I wasn’t surprised by any of the events but I still enjoyed it 🙂 (Sidenote: Doesn’t the cover image look familiar?!?)
Overall I was very pleased with what Harper Teen Impulse had to offer in their debut month. I will be looking out for their upcoming releases (including stories from Kiera Cass, Amy Plum, Walter Dean Myers, Courtney Allison Moulton, and more!) However, I do hope that if they re-issue previously published stories again they will let the readers know in the summaries.
If you’re a fan of quick reads or getting bonus content to the series you love be sure to check out Harper Teen Impulse!!
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