Debuts I Love: 'Poison' & 'Bruised'

I recently read two brand new 2013 debut YA books that I can't stop thinking about, so I figured I might as well gush about them here. And they really couldn't be more different from one another.

The first one is Bruised by Sarah Skilton. Bruised is a dark and complex contemporary story about a Tae Kwon Do expert named Imogen who freezes up at the moment when she needs her training the most -- during an armed robbery. How Imogen deals with this life-altering event is surprising, realistic and heart-wrenching at the same time.

There are so many nuggets of relatable truths in Imogen's story - about everything from fear to self-discipline -- as well as a fascinating look into the world of martial arts training. It's truly very different from a lot of other YA books out there and I appreciate that about it so much.

My other recent favorite read is Poison by Bridget Zinn. Also very different from a lot of other YA books I've read recently but for completely different reasons.

Although Poison has a seemingly dark premise (Kyra, a master potioner, is on the run after she unsuccessfully tries to assassinate her best friend, who also just happens to be the princess of the kingdom), joy and airiness actually radiate from every page. Poison is frothy, funny and unputdownable. I absolutely adored its mix of a spunky heroine, one dashing hero (named after Fred Weasley, no less!), and fabulously fun fairy tale world.

Any great books you've been reading lately, ones that took you by surprise with their unique takes on the world?