Darkwater

by Catherine Fisher

Sarah's family, years ago, lost their vast estate, Darkwater, in an unfortunate gambling incident. Her father still isn't over it, and harbors hate and ill will toward Asrael, Darkwater's new master. When Sarah is offered a job there, she takes it against her father's wishes. It isn't long before Asrael's true nature is revealed, and he encourages Sarah to strike an unthinkable bargain. Fast forward 100 years, and we meet Tom. Will he suffer the same fate as Sarah?

This book has atmosphere--dark atmosphere. It's not really horror, but it gives you that feeling. You know, the sense of mounting dread for the characters that gives you chills up and down your spine.

The Raft

by S.A. Bodeen

Robie's parents are researchers on Midway Island, which is a small (think 2.4 miles!) island about 90 miles from Honolulu. It's beautiful there, but can be boring and lonely for a 15 year old, so Robie goes to visit her aunt in Honolulu for some city life. When her aunt is called out of town unexpectedly, she thinks she's got a week to herself, but soon realizes she might be a little young to be in the city alone. She jumps on the three-seater charter flight, the only way to get back to Midway, but a storm causes her plane to crash into the Pacific. She doesn't know the co-pilot, but he saves her, and is her only companion on the raft, although he drifts in and out of conciousness. This is a good old fashioned survival story. Robie has to find food, dodge sharks, and pray for rain. As the tension mounts, and you get closer to the end, a creative twist might make you see Robie differently, and will definitely break your heart.

I read this in one sitting. On an airplane... Really!

Wonder Show

by Hannah Barnaby

When Portia's mom dies, it doesn't take long for her dad to decide she's too much for him, and he leaves her with an aunt. He promises, of course, that he'll return, but never does, and her aunt eventually abandons her too, sending her to live at the McGreavy Home for Wayward Girls. The place is grim and depressing, and Mister, the evil man who runs the home, makes it unbearable. After one particularly tragic event, Portia follows a traveling circus out of town, and lands a job as a cook. She gets to know the "freaks" from the carnival, including a giant, (whose friend the midget almost always rides on his shoulders), conjoined twins, and Violet, a young girl who is the only non-albino in her family. Portia is hoping, as they travel from town to town, to someday find her father. Her journey is peppered with the stories of the carnival and circus workers and performers, and each tale provides a fascinating glimpse into this weird and mysterious world of the past.

I find circuses really interesting, and especially love stories about the 1920's traveling shows. Barnaby reveals in the book that after around the mid-1930's, the traveling show changed immensely. People started to understand that the "freaks" they were paying to see were simply normal people with unusual medical conditions. They began to feel guilty about gawking at these unfortunate individuals, so the show became something different. What a very unique time in history this novel explores! This book wraps you up--you can almost feel the Dust Bowl wind blowing around you as you read. A remarkable read, especially for a first novel.

Scrivener's Moon

By Philip Reeve

Picking up where A Web of Air left off, this third and final installment in the Fever Crumb series won't disappoint Reeve's many fans. Fever returns to London, but the city is now unrecognizable. The new, moveable London is almost ready, thanks in part to Wavey, Fever's mother and chief engineer. The nomad tribes of the north are threatened by this new moving city, and plan to attack. Meanwhile, Wavey hears of a black pyramid in the northlands that might contatin useful information about the past. The two are inevitably drawn north, where tragedy strikes, leaving Fever to make some tough decisions and choose alliances she never thought possible. She also meets Cluny Morvish, a member of one of the nomadic warrior tribes, and travels with her. Fever's friendship with Cluny changes her perspective on many things. Beautifully complex language and a fully realized, highly creative future world will draw in readers, although those unfamiliar with the other books in the series will struggle with characters and concepts. Fever's journey concludes with satisfying answers to long-standing questions about the basis for her society, and her own heritage. For true fans of steampunk and science fiction, it doesn't get much better.

Epitaph Road

by David Patneaude

In a not-so-distant future, a deadly virus strikes the entire planet. Millions die...but here's the catch. No women are affected. The virus only kills males. A small percentage, around 3%, of males are immune, but they are always greeted with suspicion. The females who now run the world see them basically as a necessary evil. They've even engineered a way to make sure that the majority of babies born are female. Fourteen year old Kellen is a male navigating this strange world. When he discovers a resurgence of the virus might be on the way, he desperately tries to warn his dad, who lives in a colony outside the city. Teaming up with two girls, the trio gets in over their heads in a political and moral dilemma that could have devastating consequences.

This story had great potential. I love the idea behind it, and the exploration of a world without men. The author explores lots of interesting ways the world might change if something like this really happened. In a world without men, how many wars do you think we would have? It's thought-provoking. Unfortunately, though, I don't feel the story really ever panned out. I lost interest about half-way through, and had to struggle to finish. Remember that every book isn't for every reader, though, so if it sounds interesting to you, give it a try!

Liar & Spy

by Rebecca Stead

When Georges' dad loses his job, his family is forced to sell their home and move into an apartment in the city. Georges is devastated, because he loved that house, and now his mom has to work double shifts to help make ends meet. He doesn't do well with making friends at school, but he meets a new guy, Safer, in his apartment complex. Safer is homeschooled, and has quite a bit of time on his hands. He and Georges start a Spy Club, and decide the man on the 4th floor they call Mr. X might be killing people and carrying them out of the complex in garbage bags.

Rebecca Stead can write. Her characters are layered and real, and there is always a bit of a mystery, or a twist, to her endings. I enjoyed this book for the writing, and I liked the story, but I don't feel like it had the flair of When You Reach Me. Perhaps it's not fair to compare this book to one of her other books, instead of judging it on its own merit, but I can't help it. The twist here wasn't as shocking, or as thought-provoking.

Ghoulfriends Forever

by Gitty Daneshvari

This series of books features three teen monsters new to Monster High. Rochelle (a gargoyle), Robecca (a robot), and Venus (a Venus Flytrap), become friends as they learn their way around their new campus. They constantly encounter obstacles, from troll hall monitors who may or may not eat them, to teachers with severe emotional problems, to cute boys who aren’t their boyfriends. Every class, every location in the school, and every character’s name is a pun. The girls check out books in the Libury, shop at the Maul, and go to Physical Deaducation. The girls are adjusting well until a new teacher begins casting a spell over the whole school, and they set out to find a way to stop her.

This book was pretty silly, and all the monster puns got really old, really fast. If you like goofy, cheesy, humore, though, maybe this is the book for you!

Stolen

by Lucy Christopher

Gemma is on vacation with her parents, en route to Bangkok, Thailand. They are at the airport, and she sees a young man who seems familiar. They talk, he buys her a cup of coffee, and for Gemma, sparks fly. But the next thing she knows, she's drugged in the trunk of his car, and she has no idea where he's taking her. She ends up in the Australian Outback, so far from any civilization that he doesn't even have to tie her up. He's been stalking Gemma for years, and wants to keep her. At first she is terrified, but soon realizes he doesn't want to hurt her any more than he already has. Can Gemma find a way to escape? Does she really want to?

This was kind of a strange book, first because the protagonist is British, and the setting is Australia, so there is some terminology that may seem unfamiliar. The suspense was pretty intense, and as a reader, your wishes and hopes for Gemma shift as you move forward in the story, which is pretty unusual. She's in a complicated situtation. It's difficult to place yourself in her shoes, but I think that's sort of the point.

Freakling

by Lana Krumwiede

Taemon lives in a city where everyone can move objects with their minds. It’s a power called psi, and his people are proud and haughty about their abilities. One day, while arguing with his brother, he hears a strange voice, and is asked to make a difficult choice. His decision costs him his psi. He attempts to fake his abilities for awhile, but it’s next to impossible. Without psi, he can’t even feed himself, since using his hands would reveal his secret. It doesn’t take long before he ends up exiled to a colony of “powerless” people. The colony isn’t as backwards as Taemon was raised to believe, though, and here he learns valuable lessons about the power he lost, and the power still inside him. Meanwhile, his cruel and heartless older brother is being groomed as the True Son, a much-revered individual who, according to prophecy, will bring on the next Great Cycle. All of this leads to a gutsy conclusion which clearly leaves room for a sequel. While the concept of psi and all of its intricacies is described well, at times it feels repetitive to constantly remind the reader that every action is accomplished through psi. However, memorable characters, a smooth plotline with building suspense, and a fascinating premise make this a worthy addition to the dystopian crowd.

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Ivan is a gorilla who lives in a "circus" housed in a shopping mall right off the highway. He's the main attraction, along with his friend Stella the elephant. The animals aren't treated well, but Ivan has only slight memories of being taken from his home, and the deaths of his parents and sister. When the owner purchases a new elephant, baby Ruby, Ivan sees the deep sadness in Stella, and makes an almost impossible promise to her that he will make sure Ruby doesn't spend her life at the circus.

Ivan's story is told from his point of view, so we see life through the eyes of a gorilla. He likes to throw "me-balls" (poop!) at the humans gawking at him through the glass, and he loves watching westerns on the small television in his cage. It's sad and uplifting at the same time as he slowly gains awareness of his predicament by caring for young Ruby. This book is based on a true story, which makes it even more interesting, and heartbreaking.

Another very cool thing about this book is the way Ivan uses art to communicate. It's an integral part of the story, and if you're an artist, you'll appreciate what this story says about the importance of art in our lives.

A Year Without Autumn

by Liz Kessler

Jenni and Autumn are the best of friends, and their moms are best friends, too. Their families even vacation together, and they each own a timeshare where they meet every year. A few days into their vacation, Autumn asks Jenni to go horseback riding, but on the way Jenni decides to take the old-fashioned elevator instead of the new one. She goes up a floor, but when she gets to Autumn's condo, it's not Autumn. An old lady answers the door, and has no idea who Autumn is. Jenni soon realizes that she's gone forward in time a year, and that during that time, something horrible has happened to Autumn's brother. Is Jenni stuck in the future, or can she get back in time and change things for her best friend's family?

The first page of this book had me hooked instantly, and I can't really explain why. I think because Jenni's voice immediately drew me in. I couldn't wait to find out what horrible thing happened to Autumn's brother, and once that was revealed, I had to find out if Jenni would be able to save the day.

The Night She Disappeared

by April Henry

Gabie, Kayla, and Drew all work together at a pizza shop. One night, Drew takes a call for delivery. The caller asks if the girl with the Mini Cooper is working. That's Gabie, but she and Kayla have switched shifts, so Kayla goes out on the call. She never returns. Gabie is terrified and wracked with guilt, feeling deep down that Kayla's fate was meant for her. Unfortunately, she's right. The kidnapper is still out there, and he's coming for Gabie.

This is a fast, fun, read, with a lot of mystery and a little romance. I didn't think it was as original and creative as Girl, Stolen, but still enjoyed it.

The Cup and the Crown

by Diane Stanley

Molly is a lady of Westria now, raised from servant to noble status by King Alaric in The Silver Bowl. Political unrest with neighboring kingdoms means Alaric must secure an alliance by marrying a princess who doesn’t want to marry him. Alaric asks Molly to find the Loving Cup, rumored to be made by her grandfather, which will cause anyone who drinks from it to fall in love. He assembles a crew, including Tobias, friend of Molly and fellow former peasant, to go on a quest to find the cup. The journey leads them to Harrowsgode, the land of Molly’s magical ancestors, but this village has a sinister secret. Richard the Ratcatcher, a particularly well-rounded and delightful character, is key to helping the Westrians with their mission.  The fast-moving adventure is wildly creative, and suspense builds on every page. Readers who already know Molly will be happy to see her again, but this story stands alone. Background information is skillfully placed, and never interrupts or bogs down the new tale. Molly and Tobias’ strong friendship, and slightly awkward unrequited feelings for one another, is sweet and feels so genuine. A story to be cherished and read over and over again.

Blood Red Road

by Moira Young

Saba and Lugh are twins, born in a bleak future. They couldn't be more different. She's dark, he's light. But they love one another fiercely. Their mother died in childbirth, but little sister Emmi survived, so for years it has been the three kids and their Papa, barely making ends meet. One day some bad men come, and take Lugh away. Saba swears to find him. The journey is grueling, and along the way Saba is captured and forced to cage fight to the death with other young women. During this time she meets a group of girl warriors, who vow to help her find Lugh.

I'm kind of on a streak of books I don't like right now. The quote on the cover says this is "better than Hunger Games," but I have to disagree. It's written in an odd sort of dialect that I found very distracting. To be fair, it was a good adventure, and Saba's cage fighting days were emotionally charged. The romance felt forced, though, and if I read one more book where the girl pushes the guy away meanly even though she's dying to have him, I might scream! If you're a fan of dystopian literature, you might like this, but I found it pretty painful.

They Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

Nine year old Bruno's father is one of Hitler's top officials. As the Holocaust heats up, they move from their lovely home in Germany to Auschwitz. We, the readers, know what that means, but Bruno, sheltered and naive, has no idea. He sees people on the other side of the fence, and can't figure out what they're doing there. One day, while out exploring, he meets a young boy exactly his age sitting by the fence. We know he's a Jew, with an awful fate awaiting him. Bruno is jealous of him because there are other boys his age there. We know that's ridiculous, but somehow Bruno doesn't. He hides this "friendship" from his family, and walks out to the fence daily, sometimes bringing food, which he mostly eats along the way.

Bruno's ignorance is appalling, but I think this was the author's point. The world during this time was blind, like Bruno, to the horrors of the Holocaust, sometimes by choice. I can't say I loved this novel--it was too uncomfortable-- but I certainly will never forget it. Be warned--the ending will haunt you.

Taken

by Edward Bloor

It's 2035, and in this world, kidnapping has become an everyday occurrence. It's a pretty simple business, really, and no one even gets all that worked up about it. If someone kidnaps your kid, you do what they say, and the kid gets returned. But when Charity Meyers gets taken, things don't go exactly as planned.

I've had several people recommend this book to me, so I had high hopes, but it just didn't do much for me. None of the characters, except for Charity, seemed to really have much depth. While there were quite a few twists and turns to the plot, I thought some of them were kind of silly and unbelievable. I didn't like Tangerine, either, so maybe this writer just isn't for me.

The Humming Room

by Ellen Potter

When Roo's parents are murdered, she is sent to live with an uncle on a mysterious island called Cough Rock. The house is creepy--it used to be a hospital for children with tuberculosis. She hears strange sounds, meets some odd children, and finds a walled-off, almost dead garden.

If you've read The Secret Garden, you might know what happens next. This is basically a modern retelling of that story. I picked this one up because I loved Ellen Potter's other book, Slob, and because it looked like it might be quite a good mystery. It was good enough for me to finish, but sadly, not quite as compelling as I hoped.

Every You, Every Me

by David Levithan

Ariel, Evan's best friend, is gone, but we, the readers, don't know why. (It's not clear if she's dead, missing, or in treatment somewhere until the very end of the story.) He begins to find photos everywhere, that seem to be taunting him. He can't figure out who is behind the mysterious images, but they're driving him crazy. This book reads like you're inside Evan's head while he's having an internal conversation with Ariel. Much of the text is crossed out, showing his self-doubt.

I was really excited to read this. The photographer sent the author one photo at a time and let him build the novel around the pictures, so it was an interesting and unique premise. However, I honestly wasn't that intrigued by the photos, and the mystery, while compelling, was kind of a let down when all was revealed.

This one is at the high schools only, so if you do want to check it out, you'll need to hit the public library.

Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery

by Peter Abrahams

Ingrid hates her name, but loves acting, soccer, and her red Pumas. After an orthodontist visit one day, her mom is a little late picking her up, and she doesn't want to miss practice. She decides to run to the soccer fields, but gets lost, ending up at the house of local crazy lady, Cracked-Up Katie. Against her better judgment, she goes into Katie's house and lets her call Ingrid a cab. Katie acts strangely when Ingrid tells her she's into acting, and Ingrid hears footsteps upstairs, even though Katie lives alone. The next day, Katie is found murdered. In an attempt to stay out of trouble, Ingrid doesn't tell anyone she's just been at Katie's house, and she begins to pile lie upon lie.

I was so stressed out for Ingrid throughout this book--you know she hasn't done anything wrong, but you're so scared the police won't believe that if she gets caught. While it's no great surprise to the reader who the killer is, it is definitely a surprise to Ingrid, and it's great fun watching her piece together the clues.

The Tension of Opposites

by Kristina McBride

When Tessa is in middle school, her best friend Noelle is abducted by a stranger. There were no clues left behind except for Noelle's red bicycle, lying in the street. Then one day, Noelle's little brother gets a phone call. It's from Noelle. She's alive, and is taking her chance to escape. Tessa can only imagine what it's going to be like to have her best friend back, but is sorely disappointed when Noelle returns. She doesn't want to speak to Tessa, much less see her. Tessa realizes she has to move on with her life, and meets a new guy, Max, in her photography class. When he shows interest, she's so hung up on renewing her friendship with Noelle that she pushes him away. Eventually she and Noelle speak, but it's not easy. Noelle has been through terrible things, and no one understands why she didn't just run away. But Noelle has her reasons.

There have been several real-life headlines about cases like Noelle's recently. The kidnapped person isn't tied up, and is allowed to walk around in the community, and sometimes even make friends. But for some reason or another, he/she doesn't tell the police that they are being held against their will. Sometimes they are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, a condition where the kidnapped person begins to sympathize with his/her captor. Others, like Noelle, are afraid that the captor will take it out on their families.

I enjoyed seeing Noelle's perspective, and it was heart-wrenching as Tessa struggled to regain what she'd lost. I think the added element of Tessa's romance with Max was sort of unnecessary to this story, but other than that, I really liked this one.

The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

Holden Caulfield has once again been kicked out of his fancy prep school. He can't go home yet, or his parents will know, and he's just not ready to deal with them. He tries to stick around school for a couple of days, but manages to irritate, or be irriated by, everyone around him, so he takes all the money he has and catches a bus out of there. He hangs out in bars, theatres, and hotels, until he misses his little sister so badly that he has to go home.

I read this book in high school, but couldn't remember much about it, other than that I had loved it then. I was almost afraid to re-read it, worried that it wouldn't live up to what I remembered. I was laughing out loud by the end of chapter one. Holden is such a strange, dorky, little dude. He's just trying to figure out his place in this world. He's got so much bottled up inside--the death of his brother, his intense love for his little sister, and the fact that he comes from a pretty good home but he's still really angry sometimes. He doesn't want to talk about it, and he doesn't, but he tells us, the reader.

This is one of the most frequently banned books of all time. I think it's because it's such an honest look into the teenage brain, and sometimes it's not pretty. We don't have this in our library, but you can find this just about anywhere. Any public library will have it, and I'm sure you could pick up a cheap used copy at Half-Price Books. Put it on your list. At some point in your life, it's a must-read.

Endure

by Carrie Jones

Zara, once human, is now a pixie queen in this fourth and final installment of the Need series. She has saved her boyfriend Nick from Valhalla, but he doesn’t remember her good deed, and is now repelled by her pixie-ness. That’s okay, though—she has Astley, her pixie king, and she sort of has feelings for him, too. Lots of pining over Nick ensues, as well as quite a bit of male posturing between Nick and Astley. As Zara deals with her personal problems, kids are disappearing by the handful in their town. The evil pixies are rising up, and the apocalypse is nigh if Zara, her friends, and the good pixies don’t intervene. This means war, and just about every supernatural creature ever dreamed up plays a role, from were-tigers to a half-zombie.

I had to read this so I could review it for a magazine, and to be fair, I haven't read the first three, so I had a hard time getting into it. It was a little much for me with all the crazy supernatural beings, but maybe it's just because I haven't read the others.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone

by Laini Taylor

Karou lives in Prague, studies art, and tries to fit in to the world as we know it. She knows she's not normal, though. Her hair is blue, she speaks 17 languages, and her family isn't human. They're chimaerae, otherworldly creatures that some might describe as demons. Brimstone, her father figure, sends her on magical errands to collect teeth, but she has no idea why--she just does as she's told. She's happy with the way things are until an encounter with Akiva, an angel, who is so handsome it almost hurts to look at him. When he tries to kill her, she begins to ask questions about her past that Brimstone wishes would remain a mystery.

You almost feel like you're in a dream when you read this book. The language is beautiful, the romance is steamy, and the story is edge-of-your-seat adventure. I want to BE Karou. Would wouldn't want blue hair?

The Paradise Trap

by Catherine Jinks

Marcus is devastated when his mom, Holly, ruins his summer plans by buying a junky old trailer and taking him to her childhood vacation spot, Diamond Beach. When they arrive, Holly runs into Coco, one of her friends from the old days, all grown up and married to a semi-famous inventor, Sterling Huckstepp. They have two kids; Newt, a sassy teen girl, and a younger boy, Edison. Their trailer is full of crazy inventions, including a bumbling robot, Prot, so it’s no big surprise to Edison when the boys find that Marcus’s trailer has a cellar. When Edison opens the cellar door, it leads to a fantastic amusement park, and he doesn’t want to leave. Marcus realizes the cellar creates the personal dream vacation of whomever opens the door, only the vacation never, ever, ends. Enlisting the help of Prot, Newt and the grown-ups takes the action up a notch as they all fight to escape the trap, rescue Holly’s missing childhood crush, and defeat the evil that is trying to destroy them.  Readers will be dying to get lost in this world of dreams, nightmares, and deception. Jinks deftly mixes mild horror with humor to give younger readers a few shivers, and make older readers chuckle. Each dream/nightmare world sheds dramatic, sometimes touching, insight into the character whose hopes and fears created it. Completely absorbing and totally fun.

The Candymakers

by Wendy Mass

Logan, Philip, Daisy, and Miles have all written essays and won a candymaking contest at the Life is Sweet candy factory, but all is not as simple as it seems. Each of the four has his/her own personal reason for competing, and you'll never guess their motivations. The same story, told from the four different points of view of each the participants, reveals more and more with each retelling.

The setting, a Willy-Wonka like factory with its own library, beehive, tropical rainforest, and cafeteria that makes chocolate pizza, is a place any kid (or grown-up!) would love to get lost in. I really enjoyed this sweet mystery!

Song of the Sparrow

by Lisa Ann Sandell

Elaine lives with her father in a world of men--King Arthur's army camp. She sews, and mends, and cooks, and cleans, but loves her life. Handsome Lancelot is her close friend, but her heart also pounds every time he is near. Is it love? Could he possibly love her back? She doesn't get a chance to tell him before he leaves for his latest mission, but vows to herself that she will let him know how she feels when he returns. But he comes back with Gwynivere, who is intended to be King Arthur's new bride. She knows she shouldn't be threatened by this lady in fine clothes, but she sees a look pass between Lancelot and Gwynivere, and realizes there is more to their relationship than meets the eye.

A story told in verse, this is a lovely retelling of Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott. It's a fast read, with a sweet and satisfying ending.

Insurgent

by Veronica Roth

Tris and Tobias have taken refuge with Amity as the war between factions continues. Saying much more might ruin Divergent for those who haven't read it yet, so I'll keep it short. Roth kicks up the energy here, with even more violence than before, and leaves us with a killer of a cliffhanger. A worthy sequel, but not quite as compelling as the first.

Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy

by Tui T. Sutherland

Five dragonets are hatched under a mountain, in the care of a group of rebel dragons, the Talons of Peace. They are key to a prophecy that will end the war raging between the dragon tribes. They clearly have a destiny, but no one is sure about Glory’s role, a beautiful Rainwing. She was not one of the original five, but a replacement for an egg that was cruelly smashed in an attempt by power-hungry dragons to thwart the fulfillment of the prophecy. When Glory’s life is threatened, the dragonets stage a daring escape from the mountain, but are captured by the Skywing queen Scarlet. She forces them to participate in gladiator-like competitions for her amusement. When she tires of watching a particular dragon, each competitor is eventually forced to fight Peril, her champion, whose very touch is made of fire. A fight with Peril is certain death, and she instills fear in all who meet her--all but the Mudwing dragonet Clay. The two develop a cautious and unlikely friendship. As the dragonets fight to survive, and Clays’ relationship with Peril deepens, thrilling secrets of their pasts are revealed. Fully fleshed-out characters have unique personalities influenced by the distinct traits of their tribes. Plot twists and turns abound, and will keep readers cheering for the dragonets to the end. 

Sword Mountain

by Nancy Yi Fan

On Sword Mountain, the social status of birds is based on where they live and the color of their feathers. Baby eaglet Dandelion is a dark-feathered valley bird, indicating low birth. Soon after hatching, she’s attacked by an archaeopteryx, a vicious soldier bird. She narrowly escapes being eaten, but her parents are killed. Fleydur, a once-exiled prince, finds the broken little bird and introduces her to palace life. Her high-born, golden-feathered classmates aren’t that nice to her, except Cloud-Wing, the most handsome and popular eaglet at the palace. But he soon he goes off to a special school to prepare him for battle and she loses her only friend. Luckily, Fleydur, who seem to be back in favor with the Council, adopts Dandelion, and suddenly, she’s a princess! But Dandelion’s not satisfied with her new station in life. It’s not fair that Cloud-Wing gets to learn to fight just because he’s a boy. She eventually gets her chance to fight alongside Cloud-Wing when a thief steals a magic stone and tries to frame Fleydur. Readers who haven’t read the first installments of this series may struggle. New plot lines appear abruptly and fizzle out, and motivations for the characters’ actions aren’t always clear. Cutesy devices, such as changing indefinite pronouns like “everyone” to “everybird” quickly wear thin. While it’s an interesting side note that the author is a freshman at Harvard, it’s not enough to overcome the flaws in this overwritten, underdeveloped tale. 

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, the city has divided itself into five factions, each representing a different human virtue. Unfortunately, they place no value on any virtue but the one they've chosen, and discord is growing. At 16, each person is given an aptitude test to determine if the faction of their birth is right for them, or if they would be better suited for another.  At Beatrice's evaluation, something unusual happens. Her outcome is inconclusive--she has traits from several different factions. The test administrator tells her she is Divergent, which is rare, and very dangerous. The choice Beatrice makes is not an easy one, and leads her into a world more corrupt and dangerous than anything she ever imagined.

I started this book on Saturday and finished on Sunday. I didn't want to like it--I feared it would be just another Hunger Games rip-off. But this book stands on its own. No rip-offs here. I absolutely loved this story, and Beatrice, who is eventually known as Tris, is smart, endearing, flawed, and unpredictable. There's non-stop action, and sizzling romance. I just found out the sequel, Insurgent, came out this week, and I can't get to the bookstore fast enough!

Ruby Red

by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth comes from a long line of time travelers, but as far as she knows, she's not one of them. Her cousin Charlotte has been prepared her whole life for the dizzy feeling that comes sometime around your 16th birthday, and means you're about to travel. But it turns out it isn't Charlotte who has the gene after all, and Gwyneth finds herself bouncing back and forth through time with no preparation. Her training must start immediately, which terrifies her, infuriates Charlotte, and concerns Gideon, the handsome young man from another time-traveling family who will accompany her on her journeys. She soon finds that time traveling isn't all fun and games, either. A chronograph, a machine vital to their experience, has been stolen. It requires a speck of blood from other time-travelers across the centuries, and Gwyneth and Gideon are tasked with getting that blood. It won't be easy, and Gwyneth's not entirely sure it's the right thing to do. 

A budding romance, a little mystery, and lots of adventure make this first in the series a must read! 

Sparrow Road

by Sheila O'Connor

Raine O'Rourke is surprised when her mother uproots her from her home in Milwaukee and makes her move into an old orphanage called Sparrow Road. The place has been turned into an artists' retreat, and her mom has taken the cook's job there. The rules are strict--no talking during the day is allowed. Raine doesn't know if she's going to survive the silence and boredom. That is, until she discovers the real reason her mother has brought her here. Then everything changes, and Raine has to make one of the most important decisions of her life.

This is a sweet, well-written story, that is more about learning to forgive than anything else.

How to Make a Golem and Terrify People

by Alette J. Willis

Edda, or Mouse to her family, loves her new home, but doesn’t love being the new girl at school. She is small and shy, and frequently bullied by Euan, a boy in her class. The night of her 13^th birthday dinner, she finds her house has been burgled, and her presents unwrapped and stolen. She suspects Euan, but can’t be sure, and timid Edda is suddenly afraid of everything. Then the mysterious Michael Scot comes into her life. He’s odd. He sounds much older than he looks, and lives in tower with a basement full of strange objects. He speaks to a dead toad he keeps in a jar. But he says he can help Edda overcome her fears. He can help her make a golem; a man out of mud that will protect her and her belongings. She agrees, but when everything goes terribly wrong, Edda discovers who her true friends are, and that she doesn’t need a golem to feel strong. Edda’s uncertainties about her own strength of character, and her journey of self-discovery, will resonate with younger teens. Powerful messages come through, such as choosing your friends wisely, and learning to stand up for yourself. Willis skillfully avoids revealing too much about the golem until the end, and readers will race through the pages to find out whether the creature is real, or only in Edda’s imagination.

Fairest of All

by Sarah Mlynowski

When 5^th grader Abby and her little brother Jonah move from Chicago to boring small-town Smithville, they think the exciting part of their lives might be over. Then Jonah discovers a hissing mirror in the basement. After he knocks on it three times, the mirror swallows them both up and spits them out in a fairy tale land called Zamel. They arrive just in time to witness Snow White’s evil stepmother attempting to poison Snow with an apple, just like in the story. They save her from that fate, but soon realize their huge mistake. If Snow doesn’t eat the poisoned apple, the Prince never gets to rescue her, and she never falls in love with him. They have actually ruined Snow White’s happily ever after. Somehow they have to get the Prince’s attention, but it won’t be easy. This is essentially Snow White retold, with enough amusing changes thrown in to keep tweens giggling. Some of the dwarves are girls, one of them is ridiculously handsome, and the magic mirror’s name is Gabrielle. While Snow White is annoyingly vapid, Abby’s conversational narration is witty and charming, and Jonah’s one-liners are snappy and cute. A sweet, light, fun adventure.

Where Things Come Back

by John Corey Whaley

Cullen Witter lives in tiny Lily, Arkansas, where there's not much for the locals to do except speculate about the possible return of an extinct woodpecker to their area. His brother Gabriel is his best friend, and together they make fun of their small town and the ridiculous people in it. Then one day, Gabriel disappears, and Cullen's world is turned upside down. Every few chapters we get a glimpse into another young man's life, Benton Sage. At first, the connection isn't clear, but as the novel goes on, the stories intertwine in surprising and amazing ways.

This is truly a book I couldn't wait to get back to. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. This is Whaley's first book, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

The Death Cure

by James Dashner

This third and final book in the Maze Runner trilogy begins where the last book left off, with Thomas and the other Gladers (those who survived the Scorch Trials) at WICKED. I hate spoilers, so I won't say more about the plot, but you will definitely get your questions answered. Full of the same excitement and tension we've come to love from Dashner, The Death Cure will not disappoint.

Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey

Charlie doesn't know Jasper Jones, the local boy with a bad reputation. But when he knocks on Charlie's window asking for help one night, Charlie feels compelled to go. When they arrive at their destination, Jasper lets Charlie in on secret, one that will change both of their lives forever.

The story is set in 1960's Australia, during the Vietnam War. I didn't realize the extent of Australia's involvement there before reading this book. Jasper Jones is beautifully written, with unforgettable characters you can believe in. The tension is almost unbearable as Charlies tries to bear the burden of his secret, help his Vietnamese best friend deal with pervasive racism in their small town, and solve the mystery that haunts Jasper Jones.

Texas Gothic

by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Amy Goodnight is a coed at UT, but she's gone home to Barnett for the summer to care for her Aunt Hiacynth's farm while her aunt is away. Her sister Phin is there to help, too, but the Goodnight Farm is no ordinary Texas ranch. Aunt Hiacynth is a kitchen witch, and her dead husband still hangs around the house in ghost form. The discovery of centuries-old bones on neighboring land brings a group of anthropology students from UT, and Amy and Phin can't resist checking out what they've found. Their interference doesn't please Ben, the hot cowboy whose family owns that land, and the sparks fly between him and Amy. Add to the tension an old legend of a ghost called Mad Monk, and the fact that Amy's being haunted, and you have quite the mystery on your hands.

The story started out slow for me, but picked up quickly. This is a light, fun, mystery with great Texas references scattered throughout. (The author is from Arlington, so she got it right!) Definitely a good choice for CSI fans, who want a little drama and a little romance with their forensics!

Shelter

by Harlan Coben

Mickey Bolitar's dad has just died in a car accident, and his mom is in rehab for drug addiction. He's moved to a new town so he can stay with his Uncle Myron while his mom gets healthy. At school, he meets Ashley, and he realizes he's quickly falling for her. Then one day, Ashley's gone. No call, no text, no goodbye. His search for her leads him on one wild goose chase after another, and he begins to uncover secrets that could cost him, and the people he loves, everything.

I tore through this, turning pages as fast as I could, and it seemed like the end of every chapter had another jaw-dropping surprise. BUT.. then I got to the ending, and it just didn't jive for me. It was way too far-fetched, and the timeline didn't make any sense. I'll still recommend it, though, since the rest of it was so good. If you read it, come talk to me about the ending--I'm dying to know what you think!

A Tale Dark & Grimm

by Adam Gidwitz

This is the story of Hansel and Gretel...like you've never heard it before. Narrated by the author in a hilarious, slightly sarcastic, and somehow also creepy voice, the famous fairy tale turns into something completely unique.

Beheadings, dragons, evil witches, and poor parenting haunt these two unfortunate siblings, leaving you guessing until the end whether or not they can overcome their bad luck.

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

by Georgia Bragg

This book is exactly what it sounds like it is--the stories of the deaths of famous people. The author recounts the morbid, weird, controversial, and fascinating deaths of 19 people, from King Tut to Albert Einstein. Warning: some of the things doctors used to do in the name of trying to cure people were pretty disgusting, and here those things are described in great detail. While the author does list an extensive bibliography, from which she researched, her qualifications as a historian are never listed, and a factual mistake in the Henry VIII chapter further places this book strictly in the entertainment category. A fun, interesting read, if you take it with a grain of salt.

Slob

by Ellen Potter

Owen is bigger than your average middle schooler, and it's all his classmates see. He's constantly mocked and bullied for being overweight, and even worse, it's not just by other students. His gym teacher has it out for him. He's the biggest bully of all, and makes Owen's life miserable.

Owen's trying to diet, but it's hard. He gets three Oreos in his lunch, and he looks forward to them every day. Until one day, they're gone. He thinks it's the new guy, Mason. Rumor is, he's a bona fide psycho and carries a switchblade in his sock.

Owen wasn't always overweight. You see, something terrible happened to Owen. He's got to figure out how to deal with it, but it won't be an easy ride. Also, he's kind of an inventor. He has a machine he's working on, and he's hoping it will let him see a moment, just a glimpse, from the past. Maybe, just maybe, he'll get the answers to help him move on.

This book is told in Owen's voice, and he's funny, and cool, and real. You've got several little mysteries here. Who stole the cookies? Will the gym teacher really get away with this? What terrible thing happened to Owen? And what does the green piece of paper with the word SLOB printed on it mean?

The Fault in our Stars

by John Green

Hazel is 16, and she has terminal cancer. Sure, she takes drugs that seem to help for awhile, and the chemo is holding off the inevitable for the time being, but her outlook is grim. Between dealing with treatments, an ever-present oxygen tank, and her already grieving parents, how could she possibly have time for a social life? Then she meets Augustus Waters at a support group meeting. Cancer took his leg, but not his sense of humor, and Augustus becomes an instant fixture in Hazel's life as he relentlessly pursues her.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot of this book, because watching the story unfold is a great pleasure. John Green is one of those rare authors for me--when his new books come out I simply drop everything. Whatever other book I might be reading, no matter how wonderful, is pushed back under the bed. John comes first, and I'm never disappointed. I can guarantee two things when you read John Green. You will always laugh until your belly aches, and you will always bawl your eyes out.

This one is only at the high schools, but there's always the bookstore!

A Monster Calls

by Patrick Ness

Conor's dad left him and his mom and now lives across the Atlantic with his new family. He and his grandma don't get along at all. And his mom is sick with cancer. There's a yew tree outside his window, and one night, it turns into a monster, but Conor's not scared. He's seen worse. The monster wants to tell him three stories. Conor listens, but he doesn't get the point of the tales, or understand why the monster is visiting him. Until it's time for him to tell his story.

This book is based on an idea by author Siobhan Dowd. Sadly, she passed away from cancer at the age of 47 before she could turn the idea into a book. Patrick Ness, out of a desire to honor this fine author, took the idea and developed it into A Monster Calls. While the monster is mildly scary, don't expect this to be a horror novel, despite its creepy title and cover. It's really a story about grief, loss, and coming to terms with your own deepest, darkest thoughts and secrets. A touching story, with black and white illustrations throughout that add to the dark atmosphere. It was so sad, though, that I don't even really feel like I can say I "liked" it. Beautiful and emotional, but gut-wrenching.

The Future of Us

by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Emma and Josh are in high school in 1996, in a world where the Internet could only be accessed after downloading the America Online CD, and it was hooked up to your landline. That's right. No one in your house could talk on the phone if you were online. But I digress...

These two WERE best friends, but when Josh tried to kiss Emma a few months ago, it ruined everything. Now they barely speak. Until Josh drops off the AOL CD for Emma's family to borrow. When they download it, something strange appears on their screen. Facebook. It's 1996. They've never heard of this. Because it hasn't been invented. Even weirder? The pages they find are their own--15 years in the future. Emma finds that her future self is married to a lazy bum, and she doesn't seem happy at all, but Josh ends up married to the hottest girl in school, who currently doesn't know he's alive. Will knowing these things about their future selves change their future? And how much stock should you really put in a status update, anyway?

I finished this book in about three hours flat. It's a fast, easy read that's really entertaining. The characters are only a few years younger than me, so it reminded me of what it was like when I was in high school. It was easy to relate to Emma. This book, while mostly just fun, does make you think. Why do we post all this stuff online for the world to see, and more importantly, how does what we write influence what others think about us?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

by Michelle Hodkin

Mara was in a horrible accident. A building collapsed and killed her best friend and her boyfriend. When she wakes up from a coma, her parents move her to a new state to try to make a fresh start. But strange things are happening to her. When she wishes horrible things on someone, they end up dead. At first she doesn't realize she's causing it, until the fact quickly becomes unmistakable. She's also met a guy, Noah, who immediately captures her attention, but he has his own set of secrets.

With such a great cover, and an exciting and kind of original premise, I had high hopes for this book. Really, though, the focal point was the romance, not the mystery, so I was disappointed. I also wasn't aware it was the beginning of a series, so was bummed at the end when a whole new plot line opened. All in all, not terrible, but I won't be rushing out for the sequel. However....if you're one of my girls who just can't get enough supernatural romance, this might tide you over until something better comes along.

Liesl & Po

by Lauren Oliver

Liesl is a little girl who has just lost her beloved father. After his death, her evil stepmother locks her in the attic, alone, barely keeping her alive with tiny bits of rotten food. But she's not alone. One day Po appears to her. Po is a ghost, but it's been a ghost so long it doesn't remember if it was a boy or a girl. Po has another being with it, named Bundle, but Bundle doesn't know if it was a dog or cat when it was alive.

The ashes of Liesl's father are at the undertaker's. A magic dust that grants all things life, created by an evil magician, are with Will, the magician's apprentice. He goes on an errand, gathering items from the undertaker for the magician's spells, but when he leaves, he is tired. He takes the wrong box. And that's when the story gets interesting...

There is no better way to describe this fairy tale than "heartwarming." If you're a fan of books by Kate Dicamillo, (Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane) you'll love Liesl & Po. It's beautiful writing, a sweet story, and characters you'll never forget. I absolutely adored this book.

The Space Between Trees

by Katie Williams

When Evie sees a body being pulled from the woods behind her home, she's already intrigued, but when she finds out her childhood friend Elizabeth (nicknamed Zabet) is the murder victim, she becomes oddly obsessed with the case. While she and Zabet were best friends as kids, she knows little about who Zabet was as a person. She attempts to contact Zabet's current best friend, Hadley, who at first blows her off as a weirdo. But Evie's obsession grows, and at the funeral, a little white lie she tells to Zabet's father gets her closer to her dead ex-friend, and to Hadley, than she ever thought possible. As she and Hadley hunt for the killer, their own frighteningly dysfunctional relationship grows, causing awkward tension up to the very end.

This is a psychological thriller. Don't expect high action, or blood and guts, or a smash-bang ending. The creep-out factor is all about what's going on in Evie's mind, and what Hadley is going to do next. While I didn't love this book, it had an odd appeal for me. Evie's clearly a nut job, but she's sympathetic. You know/hope/think maybe she means well, but you're not really sure, and that makes for a compelling read.