Book Battle: Round 1 Winners (Part 1)

Well, here we are. The moment you've been waiting for. Sorry I didn't get this up sooner, but it is Mother's Day and I had some pampering to do today. :)

Anyway, it's now time to make the announcements of who won the brackets for Round 1. But, I'm only going to announce two today. I know, I know, I'm making you wait more. The other 10 results will be spaced throughout the week while the Round 2 judges get busy on their reading.

So without further ado, let's see what we have today.

Bracket 2:
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler VS. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
Judged by Jenn from Book Crazy

This one was a tough bracket, with a favorite from last year (Twenty Boy Summer) and a new book that's gotten plenty of good press (Match Made in HS). Even our Goodreads group poll was close, with Twenty just barely edging out over Match with 53% of the vote.

So was the poll right? Here's watch Judge Jenn had to say on the subject:

"A Match Made in High School does make one laugh though, which after reading the emotionally charged 20 Boy Summer, I was almost glad for. Both of these authors, I am happy to report are now on my radar, both of them spoke volumes about what amazing work can come from them both – I felt both of them nailed teen life, though in VERY different and dramatic ways – they both “got it” and I can't WAIT to read more!"

And so the winner is.... Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler! Make sure you check out Jenn's full post for all the details. Twenty Boy Summer will now be moving on to compete in Bracket 13 during Round 2.

And moving on to another announcement we have...



Bracket 11:
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver VS. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Judged by Misty from Book Rat and Natalie from Mindful Musings

It's a good thing Misty and Natalie were teamed up for this one, as this was another hard choice to make. Both of the books here were strong fan favorites. The Goodreads group was obviously split, with each book getting exactly 50% of the vote. And what did the judges think?

Judge Misty makes this comment:

"...this book is a gem... it will make you think, and it will make you uncomfortable in the best way, and it will leave it's mark for awhile to come, and that is the sign of a talent and a classic..."

Judge Natalie adds:

"It's a book that I think will stay with me for a long time. It's a story of love, of friendship, of tragedy and redemption."

Which book are the talking about? Let's have the envelope please... the winner is Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver!

Wow! That's one I certainly didn't see coming. Check out both Misty's and Natalie's posts for the full details. Meanwhile, Before I Fall is moving on to Bracket 18 of Round 2

So the final results (in case you missed it), the winners are Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

Meanwhile, the losing books (A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker and The Iron King by Julie Kagawa) will both have a chance to earn the coveted revived slot in Round 4 to earn one final chance at the top spot.

What will be eliminated next? Stick around this week to find out!