What Waits in the Woods

by Kieran Scott

Callie is the new girl at her school. She's surprised herself with somehow making it into the popular crowd, AND getting a cute popular boyfriend. She hates all things outdoors, but thinks she has to agree to this camping trip to maintain her popular status. At first, the trip is okay, but soon her friends tell her the story of the "Skinner," a crazy serial killer at work in those same woods in the 80's. Then weird things start to happen to her group--crazy laughing, glimpses of a white shirt between the trees, and crude voodoo dolls fashioned from twigs. Something is very wrong in these woods, and they won't all make it out alive.

While no great piece of literature, this book was really fun. It reads exactly like a teen horror movie, complete with lots of dumb teen decisions and drama.  I really was surprised by the resolution--I was totally on the wrong track, and I love that! I think you guys will really enjoy this one!

Cuckoo Song

by Frances Hardinge

When Triss wakes up from an illness, she's confused, disoriented, and has a fuzzy memory. Her little sister hates her, and since she has nothing but love for the girl, she can't figure out why. The "why" is something you'd never guess in a million years, and I love that about this wonderfully weird story. As it unfolds, it continues to be a surprise at every turn.

Frances Hardinge is a genius. This is historical fiction, a commentary on war, an exploration of grief and sibling rivalry, a twisted fairy tale, and a horror story. I absolutely loved every minute. I can't wait to use this as a read-a-like right next to The Thickety in the  library. Creepy, thought-provoking, and incredibly well-written.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by J.K. Rowling

At the end of Deathly Hallows, we get a little glimpse into the future of our beloved characters, but get to imagine ourselves how they all turn out. It was a perfect ending. I, of course, like to envision them all happily living out their lives, but in this little continuation, that fantasy is shattered. Harry is not winning any parenting awards, Hermione works too much, Ron is kind of an idiot (not in a cute, charming way), and Ginny is just a bit on the overbearing side.

The story, quickly: Harry's kid and Draco's kid are both misfits. Albus Potter bears the burden of being Harry's son, and Scorpius Malfoy is rumored to actually be the son of Voldemort. (Huh? Since when did Voldemort show any interest in having a relationship with a woman? Okay, moving on.) They become friends on the Hogwarts train, and in typical teen fashion, decide to rebel against their parents. Only in the wizarding world, the type of rebellion they are planning could have deadly consequences.

First, it's a play, so it's a bit hard to read. Second, it starts out slow. Reeeaaallll slow. Like I almost didn't finish it slow. However, once I got used to the format and got through all the boring set-up, I actually ended up kind of liking it.

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

We all know the general plot here, cause, obviously, it's Cinderella! Honestly, I've been avoiding this one for years. I hate the cover, and it just seemed like another cheeseball fairy tale retelling. I was wrong again! Yes, it's Cinderella, but it's so much more! It's Cinderella as a cyborg, and it's wonderful! I'm not sure how one introduces plot twists into this age-old story, but Meyer has done it. Mystery, suspense, a frightening dystopian future, and a stepmother even more evil than the original all team up to make this one fun read. Sure, there a few annoying plot holes every now and then, but not enough to really distract from the experience. The middle school girls love this series--I need to be better about trusting my readers. So glad I finally picked this one up!

The Lie Tree

by Frances Hardinge

This was my first Frances Hardinge book, but I'm about to go gobble up everything else she's ever written. I'm not quite sure how I missed her, this being my ninth year as a middle grade librarian, but shame on me. It's not often that I come across a completely original premise, but I can truly say this isn't like anything I've read before.

Faith (who is cleverly and ironically named) has moved to a tiny island community with her mother, father, and brother. Her father has recently been shunned from the tight-knit natural science community for allegedly faking a fossil find. When he is found dead, most on the island are convinced it's a suicide, but after finding his journals, Faith suspects foul play. Her father has been hiding a dark secret, and had in his possession a very special tree. Faith thinks she can use the tree to help her discover the truth about her father's death, but it's a dangerous game.

The mystery is utterly and completely compelling, and the writing strikes just the right balance of atmospheric mood-setting. In a book like this it's easy to go overboard with flowery historical details, but it's perfectly done here. Faith's relationship with her father is richly detailed. She wants desperately to be a scientist and follow in his footsteps, but is constantly reminded that as a girl, there is no place for her in that male-dominated world. Her mother, who is desperately trying to find a way to protect her family, is also multi-faceted in the most wonderful ways.

Suspense, action, historical drama, a peek into 19th century thoughts on science and evolution, and a feminist manifesto. Amazing.

Killing Mr. Griffin

by Lois Duncan

I read this book several times when I was in middle school. Lois Duncan was a constant for me. In fact, I blame her and Christopher Pike for my current obsession with scary movies and Dateline. Those books were total escapism for pre-teen me. This is the first of the Duncan books I've re-read as an adult. What I remembered is that a group of kids accidentally kills their English teacher. What I didn't remember were the little touches of horror that Duncan weaves in, such as Mr. Griffin's wife being pregnant. It's a fascinating glimpse into the actions of a messed up kid, a study on peer pressure, and even makes a statement on public education. Sure, it's a little dated. (Did we really talk like that in the 80's?) But overall, this is a great novel of suspense that deserves to be read by today's teens, and for many generations to come.

Noggin

by John Corey Whaley

Travis Coates, 16 and dying of cancer, is approached by a scientist who wants to use him for an experiment. The pitch? Let us remove your head, cryogenically freeze it, and try to bring you back to life at some point in the future. Ready to die, and seeing it as a way to end his suffering, he goes for it. And wakes up five years later attached to a donor body. I don't think Whaley really expects us to believe the science here. He's simply using it as a vehicle to tell his story about humanity--people's ability or inability to move on, transform, recover from trauma, and experience love. Where Things Come Back is one of my favorite books ever, and after reading Noggin, I wait impatiently for a third from this amazing author.

*Note that we don't have this book at our library. It is only at the high schools.