Ship Breaker

by Paolo Bacigalupi

It's the future, and the world is not in a good way. Nailer is a ship breaker--one of a group of people living at the poverty line, trying hard to eek out a living (and maybe strike it rich) by scavenging for oil and copper off of wrecked and abandoned ships. The people form communities called crews. They swear blood oaths to defend and protect one another. When Nailer encounters a beautiful, almost dead rich girl on a wrecked clipper, he is faced with a huge decision--finish her off and be set for life, or nurse her to health with the chance of making a completely new life with her and her people. His decision leads him on a harrowing, nail-biter of a journey.

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.

Looking for Alaska

by John Green

Summary: She's the girl that every guy wants, and upon first meeting her, every guy thinks she's out of his league. When Miles, whose hobby is memorizing famous last words, meets Alaska Young at his Alabama boarding school, he falls hopelessly in love with her. She makes it clear that she has a boyfriend, but Miles starts to get mixed signals as they grow closer. When tragedy strikes, Miles and his friends have to confront their own choices, and learn that people aren't always what they seem.

My thoughts: Warning: this is a high school book with mature content, and is not in our school library, but I did love it so much I wanted to include it. It's very rare that a book actually makes me cry, but this one had me sobbing. This book is less about plot, and more about dialogue. John Green has a awful lot to say about life in general, and he's a man worth listening to. Looking for Alaska is Gen Y's The Catcher in the Rye. An important read.