Book Battle: Round 2 Winners (Part 1)

See, I told you that you wouldn't have to wait long to find out the winners for Round 2. The first three results will be announced today, and then the rest will be on June 6th. Meanwhile, our Round 3 judges are busy working away at their brackets, so that they'll have a decision made soon as well.

But getting back on topic, here's what we have to announce today.

Bracket 14:
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey VS. Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard
Judged by Mel at Mel's Books and Info

This bracket was an interesting match up, with two very different books meeting head to head after both won their respective previous rounds. So which one made it ahead? Here's what Judge Mel had to say:

"While I felt that both books were extremely entertaining and ones that I was happy to read, I just felt that [the winner] had more polish to it than [the other book]. The story was so much fun that I dreaded the book coming to an end, and wanted more."

Which book is she talking about? The winner of Bracket 14 is... Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Wow! That's one I certainly didn't see coming, based on the praise I've heard about both books. But that's why this is so exciting! Meanwhile, Prada and Prejudice will move on to compete in Bracket 19 of the next round. And don't forget to check out Mel's full post for all the details of her decision.


Bracket 15:
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl VS. The Season by Sarah MacLean
Judged by Courtney of Stilleto Storytime

Another more unusual match up that came out of Round 1. But our judge gladly took on the challenge, and read both books very quickly. Here's what Judge Courtney had to say about her decision:

"...I tried to look deeper and be as objective as I could about the novels and which I truly felt was a better piece of work. I also had my knowledge of the South and Regency England to guide me, meaning it could prove not to be a point for the book if the book did not exemplify “what I know” well. In the end I tried to chose not which had the most sales, was most popular on Twitter or represented my own tastes in writing but which offered a fresh, well written new voice in young adult literature."

Can you guess which one she chose? Well, let's not keep you in suspense any longer. The winner of this bracket is... The Season by Sarah MacLean!

And I think we have a bit of an upset! Many of our Goodreads Group members had pegged Beautiful Creatures as being the ultimate winner, but now it's been knocked out of the race. Interesting development... Don't forget to check out the full judging post for even more information about the decision.


Bracket 18:
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver VS. Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Judged by Sherry at Flipping Pages For All Ages and Cait from Escape Through The Pages

This is a bracket I was watching with much anticipation. As I've mentioned previously, Eyes Like Stars is one of my favorites in this battle. So I was eager to find out what the judges thought of this one. So let's hear what the judges said.

Judge Cait had this to say:

"We knew we would have our work cut out for us, both books have received immense praise across the blogosphere, and they are both quite different types of stories. We did it, though, and after much deliberation our decision for winner was unanimous!"

And Judge Sherry added this:

"I had a hard time reading [the other book]. I have heard great things about it, but knowing that I was comparing the two books, [the winning book] was a hard book to compete with. I think it may even win this whole battle."

And the final winner is... Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver!

I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed since I loved Eyes Like Stars so much. But I also haven't read Before I Fall yet, so perhaps it's time to see what all the buzz is about. So Before I Fall moves on to compete in Bracket 21 during Round 3, and I can sit here and hope that Eyes Like Stars makes it to that coveted revival position coming up in Round 4. Meanwhile, don't forget to read both Sherry's and Cait's full posts.

So that's it for today! Come back on the 6th (or thereabouts) to find out who else won for Round 2. Just to recap, Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard, The Season by Sarah MacLean, and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver are moving on to compete in Round 3, while Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev step back in the distinguished place of 4th runner up.