Wintergirls Book Trailer

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Stolen

by Vivian Vande Velde

Summary: Isabelle, a 12 year old with no memory of who she is or where she comes from, is taken in by an older couple on the exact same day the old witch's cottage is burned down. Most of the villagers speculate that she is the six year old who disappeared six years earlier. When the family of the missing child comes to claim her, the couples oldest child, Honey, is convinced that Isabelle is faking her identity to get her hands on a family inheritance. Who is Isabelle really, and why does Honey hate her so much?

My thoughts: This is a fast read and a great little mystery with a supernatural twist.

The Chosen One

by Carol Lynch Williams

Summary: Kyra is part of The Chosen Ones, a tightly knit religious community on the outskirts of a desert town. The community practices polygamy, the practice of one man having several wives. The community is so closed off from the rest of society that they don't feel bound by the laws that we are accustomed to. The Chosen Ones feel that young girls of twelve or thirteen are ready to be married, often to men much older than themselves. They don't allow any reading unless it's the Bible. Kyra, thirteen, is a sweet girl who has broken rules and discovered that withing walking distance from her compound, a man with a library bookmobile drives by every Wednesday. She falls in love with reading. She falls in love with a young man from her group. Then she finds out that the group's leaders want her to marry her uncle, who is in his sixties. If she tries to leave, they will kill her. If she runs, she will die in the desert. How can Kyra escape this terrible fate?

My thoughts: The Chosen One is one of my favorite books this year. Guys, this one's not just for girls, even though it has a girl on the cover. (Just trust me...) The suspense is unbelievable--and the lengths the leaders go to in order to maintain control over Kyra is horrifying. Even more horrifying is knowing that this type of thing really does happen in our world today, and that young people are actually living this existence.

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

Summary: Even a broad summary here would spoil the ending of The Hunger Games, so if you haven't read that yet, what are you waiting for???

My thoughts: Wow. Usually sequals are disappointing, but not this one! I'm not sure how Suzanne Collins keeps surprising me, but I would never have guessed the direction this novel takes. Catching Fire is drama, action, romance, adventure, and great, great writing.

The Killer's Cousin

by Nancy Werlin

Summary: Seventeen year old David has quite a past. His parents simply can't deal with the stress his mistake has caused him, and send him to live with his aunt and uncle and their daughter, Lily, in Massachusetts. His aunt is disgusted by what he has done, and doesn't want him there. This is the definition of a dysfunctional family. The aunt and uncle refuse to speak to each other, keep David separate in an upstairs room that used to belong to their eldest daughter (now tragically dead), and allow Lily to torture him. To make matters worse, David is pretty sure his room is haunted.

My thoughts: Lily is a creepy, creepy little kid. You'll definitely keep reading just to find out what is wrong with this child. Werlin also reveals what David did in his past piece by piece, and you'll want to know what happened and how, which isn't fully revealed until the end. If you're looking for a full on ghost story, this isn't it, but the hint of the supernatural will give you a chill!