Hollywood Crush › Kami Garcia

The first bit of casting news for the big-screen adaptation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's "Beautiful Creatures" has finally been conjured, and it is spellbinding indeed: Oscar-nominated actress Viola Davis has signed on to play Amma, according to a statement from Alcon Entertainment.

For the uninitiated, the Southern gothic series follows teen Ethan Wate, whose nightmares have been haunted for months by an unknown beauty. When he finally comes face to face with his dream girl (the raven-haired Lena Duchannes), he discovers they have an undeniable connection that cannot be ignored... And that she's a witch (known in this mythology as a "caster").

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Tags Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Viola Davis

As we close the book on 2011, we can't help but get a little giddy about all that 2012 will bring—including an entire bookshelf (or two) full of new, unputdownable reads. So, as we're wont to do, we've compiled a list of the 12 YA novels we can't wait to devour in 2012. Here you'll find finales to well-loved series, fresh entries from debut authors and a few of the usual suspects. Peruse our list and leave your own most-anticipated tomes in the comments section!

12. "The Book of Blood and Shadow" by Robin Wasserman (April 10, 2012)
Nora's best friend Chris is dead, his girlfriend, Adriane, is catatonic, and Nora's boyfriend, Max, is missing and accused of Chris' killing. An ancient manuscript holds the key to the mysterious murder, sending Nora on a hunt through the streets of Prague. Consider "Blood and Shadow" the angsty step-daughter to "The Da Vinci Code."

11. "Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver (February 28, 2012)
Lauren left us sobbing into our pillows after the blood-soaked conclusion to her dystopian drama "Delirium." What will life be like for Lena behind the fence? We can't wait to find out.

10. "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green (January 10, 2012)
Having been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer at the age of 12, Hazel didn't imagine much of a future for herself. That is, until the tumor miraculously shrinks two years later. As Hazel looks towards an uncertain future, further complications arise when she meets gorgeous fellow cancer patient Augustus Waters in a support group. We expect plenty of tissues will be in order for this one.

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Tags Ally Condie, Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone, Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess, Insurgent, Isla and the Happily Ever After, John Green, Julie Cross, Kami Garcia, Kat Rosenfield, Lauren Oliver, Margaret Stohl, Marie Lu, Pandemonium, Richelle Mead, Robin Wasserman, Stephanie Perkins, Tempest, The Book of Blood and Shadow, The Fault in our Stars, The Golden Lily, Veronica Roth

How did a movie titled "Young Adult" fly under our literature-loving radar for so long?

Thanks to Slash Films we're getting our first look at a curiously clad Charlize Theron as YA author Mavis Gary in the dramedy penned by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman.

According to the film's official synopsis, Mavis is "a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to relive her glory days and attempt to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson). When returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who hasn’t quite gotten over high school, either."

Sounds like a promising premise to us (plus, we love us some Diablo Cody!). But this sneak peek got us wondering what real YA authors think of the film's storyline and Charlize's sad sartorial skills. Check out what they had to say after the jump!

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Tags Ally Carter, Cassandra Clare, Charlize Theron, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Melissa de la Cruz, young adult

We're still waiting for Warner Bros. to conjure up casting scoop for the big-screen adaptation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's magical "Caster Chronicles" (Lena and Ethan weren't among our top 10 most anticipated casting announcements for nothin'!), but in the meantime, we'll tide ourselves over with this tidbit: Little Brown Books for Young Readers is set to publish two new books by Ms. Garcia!

"Unbreakable" and "Unbound" are the first two installments of Kami's new "Legion" series, which will debut in fall 2013. According to Publisher's Weekly, the series "follows a girl named Kennedy Waters, who, when her mother dies, finds out she was part of a secret society that guards the world against a demon trying to escape his realm and come to Earth." Sounds pretty dark and twisty to us (i.e. awesome!).

And following in the footsteps of she and Margaret's "Beautiful Creatures," Kami scored a movie deal before the novel even hit bookstore shelves. Producer Mark Morgan, who worked on "The Twilight Saga" and "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief," is attached to the project.

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Tags Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia, Legion, Margaret Stohl, Unbound, Unbreakable

We are excited to announce YALLFEST—the first YA book festival to come to Charleston, SC! YALLFEST will hit Charleston on November 11-12, 2011, with a serious line-up of YA authors.

Founded by Jonathan Sanchez of Blue Bicycle Books, the two-day festival is open to the public and sponsored by Blue Bicycle Books, the College of Charleston, the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and a host of local businesses. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, authors of the "Beautiful Creatures" novels, are coordinating the author line-up and panels.

So who's going to be there? Follow the festival's official Tumblr to find out. Exclusive author reveals will be posted in the days to come. You can also follow festival updates on Twitter via @yallfest and Facebook.

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Tags Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, YALLFEST

Fans of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's bewitching "Caster Chronicles" will have to wait until October 18 for the third installment, "Beautiful Chaos," to hit bookstore shelves. But, thankfully, publisher Little, Brown Young Readers has conjured up a surprise to make the interim a bit more magical.

A short story prequel to "Beautiful Chaos," called "Dream Dark: A Beautiful Creatures Story," will be available as an e-book exclusive download on August 2! And it will cost you only $1.99.

The tale focuses on Ethan's best friend, wannabe rock star Link, who at the end of "Beautiful Darkness" began his own supernatural transformation.

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Tags Beautiful Chaos, Beautiful Darkness, Dream Dark: A Beautiful Creatures Story, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

If it feels like you've been waiting 17 moons for new details about the third novel in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's engrossing Southern Gothic series, "The Caster Chronicles," you're not alone. We didn't name the book one of the 11 YA novels we can't wait to read in 2011 for nothin'. Thankfully, our wait is now over!

On Tuesday, the novel's title ("Beautiful Chaos") was announced, which author Kami Garcia said aptly describes the tone and events of the third tome. "When you read the book, I think [the title] will be really obvious," she said. "Without a spoiler, for those who read 'Beautiful Darkness,' they know that there were a lot of actions at the end of the book, a lot of decisions that were made that yield serious consequences and some of those consequences are the essence of chaos to us." Interrrresting!

If the title wasn't enough scoop for your Caster-loving hearts though, rejoice, because today we have the great honor of revealing both the book's cover art and the release date! Feast your eyes on the full cover for "Beautiful Chaos" after the jump!

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Tags Beautiful Chaos, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Now that we've decided (or rather, YOU'VE decided) which 2010 YA novel was tops, it's time to turn our attention to the plethora of books that will fill our shelves, nightstands, desks, coffee tables—you get the point—in 2011. Happily, many of our favorite authors will be back with sequels and spin-offs, meaning a year of guaranteed great reads. So, without further ado, here's our countdown of the 11 YA novels we can't wait to read in 2011!

11. "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman (April 5, 2011)
We'll admit this sequel to Gayle's heart-wrenching "If I Stay" is a bit of a head-scratcher. Mia's bittersweet story seemed so perfectly wrapped-up in "If I Stay" that it's hard to see the need for a follow-up. However, the fact that this tale is narrated by Mia's ex-boyfriend Adam—three years after the events of the first novel—adds enough intrigue that we'll totally stay.

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Tags Ally Condie, Awakened, Bloodlines, Carrie Ryan, Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels, Clockwork Prince, Colleen Houck, Crossed, Forever, Gayle Forman, Kami Garcia, Kristin Cast, Lauren Kate, Maggie Stiefvater, Margaret Stohl, P.C. Cast, Passion, Richelle Mead, The Dark and Hollow Places, Tiger's Curse, Where She Went

Show of hands: Who agrees that 2010 was a pretty darn good year for YA novels? Our bookcase certainly tells the tale: Suzanne Collins set the world ablaze with the gripping finale to her "Hunger Games" saga. Stephenie Meyer surprised us with a "Twilight" novella we didn't see coming. And Hilary Duff took on a new role as author, debuting her very first novel. We were protected by the ever-vigilant eyes of the Shadowhunters and watched our backs for evil Strigoi. We went back to the beginning with our favorite fashionista and got an extra sweet dash of L.A. candy.

All in all, we hardly had time to devour all of this year's stellar reads. We certainly have our favorites, but we want to hear from you: What was your favorite YA novel released this year? Cast your vote after the jump. The poll will be open until December 14 at 12 p.m. (ET) when we'll announce the results!

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Tags Beautiful Darkness, Books, Candace Bushnell, Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel, Elixir, Hilary Duff, I Am Number Four, Kami Garcia, Last Sacrifice, Lauren Conrad, Linger, Maggie Stiefvater, Margaret Stohl, Melissa de la Cruz, Misguided Angel, Mockingjay, Pittacus Lore, Richelle Mead, Stephenie Meyer, Sugar and Spice, Suzanne Collins, The Carrie Diaries, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Twilight

So many of us who've grown up in small towns can relate to Ethan Wate, the narrator of "Beautiful Creatures." He's lived his whole life in Gatlin, South Carolina, as have generations of his family, but he's been counting the days until he can escape its Civil War-obsessed, small-minded borders. And as much as Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's debut novel, which was optioned by Warner Bros. on the week of its release, is about the new girl with magical powers, it's also about Ethan's more common struggle. That's what sets it apart from the supernatural YA novel of the week.

Ethan used to have it pretty good: He was on the basketball team in high school, dated a cheerleader, had a loyal best friend and made good grades without effort. Having two professors for parents always set him apart, but as long as he kept his collection of classic novels hidden under his bed, the other kids didn't notice how different he really was. But after his mother died in a car crash last year, his dad has locked himself in his study writing the great American novel, leaving Ethan in the care of his superstitious housekeeper, Amma. And he doesn't dare tell her or anyone else about the crazy realistic dreams he's been having about a girl slipping through his hands and falling into darkness.

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Tags Beautiful Creatures, Book Report, Books, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Young Adult Novel