THIS IS NOT A DRILL by Beck McDowell (Nancy Paulsen Books, October 25) showed up unannounced and I slipped it into my TBR title. But I keep slipping when I say the title and calling it THIS IS NOT A TEST, like the Courtney Summers book from St. Martin's that I reviewed in June. Both are set in schools, but have little in common aside from that. Well, both also have a title referencing automated warning systems. The titles might cause some confusion for shoppers, but since the subject matter is so different a little knowledge of the synopsis should be enough to tell them apart. (This is a situation in which a good librarian or clerk is likely to be more helpful than a search engine.)
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (Dutton) is already considered a modern classic and crossover success. JEPP, WHO DEFIED THE STARS by Katherine Marsh (Hyperion, October 9) is getting some great reviews. I'll be reviewing it for the official tour on October 2nd, as well as hosting a guest blog and giveaway. Again, these are two very different books - one is contemporary; the other historical. But both books' titles reference Cassius' famous admonition "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves" from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It's a great quote that suits both books well and considering how little they overlap, it shouldn't hurt either one.
Noticed any other recent titles that share DNA?
