What YA' Reading: Betrayal

"Only those you trust can betray you," said author Terry Goodkind. Check out these great books with betrayal at the heart of the story.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman

High magick is incredibly powerful and whoever controls it can greatly increase their power in the world. Every 20 years in the city of Ilvernath, seven families each choose a champion to compete in a secret tournament. The prize for the winner? Their family gets to control the city's store of high magick for the next 20 years. The price for losing? Death.

However, this year someone wrote a book exposing the tournament to the world, revealing secrets and thrusting the champions into the spotlight. When the tournament starts, the line between friend and enemy may be thinner than any of the champions realize and betrayal is inevitable.

The first in a duology, All of Us Villains felt like The Hunger Games with magic. You'll discover each champion's reason to fight or, in some cases, why they never wanted to fight. Each champion feels the weight of their families expectations or lack thereof. The ending made me want to immediately pick up the sequel All of Our Demise.

If you enjoy the All of Us Villains duology, check out Amanda Foody's series The Shadow Game, which starts with the book Ace of Shades.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Five years ago, Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who later killed himself. Or so everyone thinks, except for Pip. She can't shake the feeling that Sal is innocent. Determined to prove it, Pip looks into the case for her final senior high school project. As she unearths secrets and uncovers possible betrayals, she finds someone wants to keep everything hidden and Pip may be the next on their list.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is the first in a trilogy. With numerous twists and turns, this book kept me reading long into the night. There are so many suspects and secrets it's hard to pin down who actually did it. I felt was rooting for Pip and encouraging her to keep going, even when this book takes some dark turns. Pip's determination to find the truth and set things right pulled me in.

If you like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, check out the sequel Good Girl, Bad Blood.

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Trapped in a royal life of torment from her family and contempt from her court, Princess Alyrra dreams of a normal, happy life. When Alyrra is forced into an engagement to Prince Kestrin, she feels like she's  lost any hope for a better future. Betrayed by a former friend, Alyrra loses everything in a moment and she knows the fate of the country is at risk. She must choose to live her life as a normal girl or give that up for the sake of her country.

Thorn is the first in The Dauntless Path series. It shows how hard life can be and the dangers that are all around. This book also shows there is always hope, even in the darkest of times. Alyrra's determination to help those around her and to claim a future for herself is inspiring. I was cheering for her all along the way.

If you enjoy Thorn, continue The Dauntless Path series in the second book The Theft of Sunlight.