This year, in an effort to blog more, to become more involved with the blogging community, and to keep up with the latest publications, I thought I’d create a monthly post about the ARCs I’ve received. These ARCs will be read and reviewed a month prior to the publishing date. The Advance Excitement at a Glance posts will feature one or two (or more, depending on what happens this year) books to look forward to, and it will motivate me to keep my to-read list on track.

Last month I read Tyringham Park (review to come soon) and The Daring Ladies of Lowell (currently reading).

Panic by Lauren Oliver
(HarperCollins, March 4)

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it.

Panic, a game played by seniors, started in the small town of Carp, where there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go. Heather is surprised she’ll be participating in it, and is even more stunned to find that she has something to fight for. Dodge thinks his secret will make him win, but he soon discovers everyone has a reason to compete to the end. Panic forges new alliances and unexpected journeys, and these two are about to realize they’ll need to face their fears in order to strengthen their resolve.

I’ll be honest, I genuinely don’t know what this is about. It looks and sounds like a dystopia, but it also sounds like my high school senior game, Assassin. Except those were with water guns and even the police force got involved. This sounds like…Hunger Games meets the Maze from Harry Potter meets psychological drama meets a whole bunch of other things. What I do know is that I love Oliver’s writing, and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for this book.

Savage Girl by Jean Zimmerman
(Viking Adult, March 6)

Bronwyn hits the highly mannered world of Edith Wharton-era Manhattan like a bomb. A series of suitors, both young and old, find her irresistible, but the willful girl’s illicit lovers begin to turn up murdered.

Rough, intelligent eighteen-year-old Bronwyn is plucked from Nevada and adopted by the Delegates, a wealthy Manhattan couple, in 1875. They train her in the art of civilization: etiquette, manners, accomplishments. As she’s introduced to society, men fall head over heels for her — but somehow, they all end up murdered. Told from Hugo Delegate’s perspective, the wealthy son, locked in a prison cell and fully prepared to defend Bronwyn.

A big thank you to Goodreads and Viking for providing this book for a First Reads ARC review! My first thought upon reading the summary: Wuthering Heights Catherine meets Edith Wharton. I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am to read this. It sounds thrilling, romantic, haunting, and mysterious. I’m getting chills.

What ARCs are you reading? What books are you looking forward to in March?