Once Was Lost

by Sara Zarr

Sam is a preacher's daughter, and she's afraid that's all anyone in her small town knows about her. It seems like all the kids in her youth group thinks she's a pillar of faith, but she's not sure what she believes about God these days. Her mom is in rehab after a drunk driving accident, but her dad can't seem to say the words from the pulpit, so everyone is just left to speculate on her whereabouts. To make matters worse, Sam's dad seems to be getting uncomfortably close to the pretty, 26 year old youth group leader. Nick, one of the cutest guys in the group, asked her to dance once last year, but otherwise doesn't seem to know she's alive. Sam's world is already falling apart, and then Jody disappears. Jody, Nick's sweet 13 year old little sister. The town unites to try to find her, and Nick inexplicably reaches out to Sam. Is Jody gone forever? Is Sam's dad lying to her? Will her mom ever come home? And then there's Nick... Does he want to be more than just her friend, or does he have something to do with Jody's disappearance?

Being a preacher's daughter myself, this book resonated with me on several levels. Zarr's writing is solid, and the questions and doubts Sam experiences feel authentic. The mysteries keep you guessing the whole way through, so I was forgiving when they all wrapped up just a little too neatly.

Okay for Now

by Gary D. Schmidt

When Doug's father loses his job, he uproots their entire family to small, seemingly boring Marysville, New York. His dad and two older brothers are borderline abusive, and Doug is miserable with the move, and life in general. But soon he finds a little comfort at the library. Not in the books, but in a display of the works of John James Audubon, a famous painter and naturalist. As he begins working with the librarian, who helps him with his art, and begins a friendship (plus a little more) with Lil Spicer, life starts to look up. But every time something good happens to Doug, something else always seems to come along to mess it up.

This is a story of a young man making something of himself under very difficult circumstances. His struggle is both original and familiar. Doug is a character you won't want to leave. The writing is almost flawless. Schmidt has Doug's voice pinpointed so well that it's hard to believe he's not a real person. I picked this up because I've heard so much about it being a contender for the Newbery Medal. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't at least win an Honor. Just read the first chapter and try to put this down. And while it's not really a sad story, you might just shed a few tears along the way.

The Son of Neptune

By Rick Riordan

***SPOILER ALERT!*** (Don't read this is you haven't read The Lost Hero yet!)

No one does cliff-hangers like Riordan. In this second installment of The Heroes of Olympus series, he jumps off the one he left at the end of The Lost Hero and hits the ground running. Percy Jackson makes a long-awaited reappearance on page one, with almost no memory of his identity, except hazy recollections of a girl named Annabeth. He's in San Francisco, home of Camp Jupiter. It's the other camp for demigods, only here, the gods appear in their Roman forms. Most of the campers are suspicious and scared of Percy, but misfits Hazel and Frank welcome him to camp. The demigod world is in an uproar. Monsters keep reappearing after they're killed, and the campers discover it's because Thanatos, better known as Death, has been chained by Gaea, goddess of the earth. They must go on a quest to free him, and the heart-pounding adventure amps up even more. Riordan's ability to create characters readers care about is extraordinary. Hazel, daughter of Pluto who leaves precious gems jumping from the ground in her path, and Frank, son of Mars, who just might be the key to everything, are some of the most endearing demigods we've met so far. The vernacular of today's teens is captured masterfully, making the writing fresh and funny. These characters practically leap off the page. The ending will make readers smile, even though the wait for the rest of the story can't come soon enough.

The Lost Hero

by Rick Riordan

In this spin-off series by Rick Riordan, we'll meet some new characters, and, thankfully, reconnect with old friends. Jason wakes up on a bus with a bunch of demigods who seem to know him, but he has no idea who or where he is. Before too long he's at Camp Half Blood, and meets Annabeth, who is searching for the missing Percy Jackson. A prophecy from Rachel Dare sends the new campers on another quest, where Jason hopes he'll save the world, and learn his identity. I won't say too much more, just in case you haven't yet finished the Percy Jackson series. The ending of this book ROCKS, and set us up for Son of Neptune beautifully. You'll never guess the twist Riordan throws at us, and I can't wait to see what happens to all of our hero friends, new and old.

Down the Mysterly River

by Bill Willingham

Max the Wolf, who is not a wolf at all but a Boy Scout who likes to solve mysteries, has suddenly found himself in the middle of a very big one. Awaking in a forest, he has no memory of how he got there. Encountering a talking badger named Banderbrock further distresses Max, for obvious reasons, but also because the badger is equally confused. As the two attempt to determine their whereabouts, they pick up a feisty barn cat named McTavish and a bumbling but lovable bear sheriff, Walden. This unlikely group soon finds themselves under attack by a band of vicious men and women called Blue Cutters. Their magical swords hack away at victims, changing their personalities until they no longer resemble the person (or animal) they once were. Max has to find out why they're all in this strange land, all the while dodging, fighting, and trying to outsmart the Cutters. Readers will cheer for this motley crew, and the crazy McTavish is good for more than a few laughs. While the ending is slightly predictable, it doesn’t diminish the enjoyment readers will feel when the mystery is solved, and they’ll race through it to get there. Mark Buckingham’s simple but effective black and white illustrations give faces to our friends at the beginning of each chapter. Willingham has skillfully created an imaginative fairy tale world, and an adventure quest with heart.

Delirium

by Lauren Oliver

Lena lives in a world where love is forbidden. In fact, it's considered a disease. Symtoms include sweating, nervousness, stomachaches, and lack of ability to make decisions. The Book of Shhh, the manual all citizens live by, even declares that, left untreated, it can cause death. Lena's mom died of the disease.

At the age of 18, everyone is given "the procedure," which renders them incapable of love. They still get married and have families, but really couldn't care less who they end up with. They just live their lives; calm and drama-free. But there are people, they say, who live in the Wilds. People who have run from the procedure and chosen to live outside of society. The very thought terrifies Lena, until she meets Alex, who turns her world on its head.

Lauren Oliver rocks! This is her second novel, and while I didn't love it like I loved Before I Fall, it was still definitely a page-turner. A few unanswered questions left me a little annoyed--it is the beginning of a series, after all, but for the most part it was a fast, intense read that I really enjoyed. I'll be in line for the sequel. If you liked Matched, by Allie Condie, you have to give Delirium a try.

Wish You Were Dead

by Todd Strasser

When Madison gives classmate Lucy a ride home one night, she never suspects she'll be the last person to see her before she goes missing. As the town panics searching for Lucy, another high schooler disappears, and then another... But this isn't your average serial killer story. Every person that disappears has been wished dead on a blog kept by a person at Madison's high school. Add this to the fact that Madison herself has a cyber-stalker, and you've got a twisted mystery that comes at you from every angle.