Belated 2012 YA Book Survey

I'm a little late with this, but this is a survey adapted from The Book Scout and YA Highway about the YA books I read in 2012. Without further ado:

1. Best book you read in 2012:

Best contemporary: The Princesses of Iowa by Molly M. Backes
Best dystopian: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Best fantasy: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Best 2013 release I read this year: Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron
Best post-apocalyptic: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigulpi
Best mystery: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Reached by Ally Condie. I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but after reading so many other dystopians in-between, this conclusion just didn't quite satisfy me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 
I read Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber on a whim, and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. It's funny, the stakes are high, and you never know what's going to happen on the next page, but it's definitely going to be awesome.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
I've been recommending books to my boyfriend, my best friend, my uncle, and my father pretty consistently. The most recommended titles would be Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
The Croak series by Gina Damico. So amazing! It's about a teenage girl who gets sent to live with her uncle after acting like a juvenile delinquent and finds out he's the mayor of a town of grim reapers, and she's one of them. Damico has created this fascinating world, and I can't wait to read the third book!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
Gina Damico (Croak), Joe Schreiber, (Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick), Carrie Harris (Bad Taste in Boys)

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral. I've never read a YA graphic novel. The story was so-so, but the book was beautiful.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg. Pretty sure when I finished reading this I cried and hugged the book.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin, as I wait impatiently for the third installment.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?
All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin. So striking.

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 
Anya Balanchine from All These Things I've Done. She's strong in the face of constant adversity, she's devoted to her family above all else, she's a survivor. I have such a vivid picture of her in my mind. Cannot wait for the third book.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler. See the quote in #15.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I cried through the last 40 pages of this book, and then spent 20 minutes in the fetal position crying when it was over.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?
Across the Universe by Beth Revis. But that had the upside of less wait time between sequels.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012? 

"It was a secret time and place, you next to me, untraceable and out of this world." - Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Shortest: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Longest: The Diviners by Libba Bray

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
Elisa/Hector, The Girl of Fire and Thorns series

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously
All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

My most anticipated YA reads for 2013:

Series conclusions:

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy)

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium trilogy)

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis (Across the Universe trilogy)

Untitled Divergent Trilogy Conclusion by Veronica Roth

Stand Alones:

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

Return to Me by Justina Chen Headley

So many good books coming out in 2013, I can't wait!