book recs: YA and separated siblings

[meganbmoore]

As we all know, I firmly believe a person can never have too many books waiting for her to read (I took pictures of my reading backlog.  Soon, you will all realize just how firmly I believe this.) and so, does anyone want to recommend:

1)  Books about siblings separated at a young age(A disappointment with how a major subplot in Legend played out-or rather, never actually played out-is making me want more of this...the theme has always fascinated me.  Probably because, as much as we often didn't get along growing up, there's simply no way I can imagine having not grown up with my brother.) who meet later in life and don't know who the other is at first.  Learn right away/don't learn for a long time/become allies/are enemies/etc.  are all fine, as long as something is done with the plotline.  Can be a major supporting plotline or the main plot, either one.  I can handle incest themes if reincarnation is a factor, or there's major paranormal influences on one or both.  But no "we fell in love and then realized we were related, oh teh angst!" stuff, please.

2)  YA fiction in general.  I am me, and thus fantasy and historical stuff will likely go over best with me, but please don't limit recs to that.  My general fictional preferences and hot buttons are usually worn on my sleeves.

On that note, has anyone read any of the following:

The faerie Path series by Frewin Jones
Ever by Gail Carson Levine (or her other books)
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Possibly, I keep getting distracted by their pretty covers in the bookstore.

Comments

[sora-blue.livejournal.com]

I've not read it, but try Love, Meg by C Leigh Purtill. It's about a girl who learns she has this whole other brother/family she didn't know about and moves across the country to live with them.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

For historical YA in general, one of my great childhood favorites: Mara, Daughter of the Nile (http://www.amazon.com/Mara-Daughter-Puffin-Story-Books/dp/0140319298). I fell in love with this by way of a school library copy when I was in fifth grade or so, checked it out regularly for rereading, and then literally spent DECADES hunting for a copy of my own until it came back into print. Given the book's age, it probably reads a bit "young" compared to a more modern YA, but it's still a fun read with a spunky, quick-witted heroine, lots of suspenseful political intrigue, and an appealing romance (which never gets remotely racy, since this was a YA written in the 1950s after all...)

[smartycat.livejournal.com]

I second this! I love Mara!

[ulkis.livejournal.com]

(Hi, here via friends' friends)

I just finished claudiagray's "Evernight". It's about yes, vampires and boarding school but it's very good and it's full of twists and turns. Also, no one sparkles. *g*

[bzoppa.livejournal.com]

Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lionness

1. Alanna: The First Adventure
2. In the Hand of the Goddess
3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
4. Lionness Rampant

I have a feeling you haven't read them. YA fantasy, no long-lost siblings.

She has other series that link back to this starting one. The second set Immortals is better in the early books, but the third in Protector of the Small is a perennial re-read on my list.

The first series has siblings who are separated early on, if that helps ;)

[re-weird.livejournal.com]

Try The Ear, the Eye and the Arm. The best that I can describe it is YA magical realism. It takes place in the future in Zimbabwe with lots of future technology, but the supernatural has real power. It doesn't have any long lost siblings but it's well-written.

gail carson levine

[calledinvain.livejournal.com]

is most famous for Ella Enchanted and retellings/playing with the fairytale genre. Ella is still my most favorite of her novels, but she's an enjoyable read - I'd place her with Robin McKinley.