Miles From Ordinary

by Carol Lynch Williams

Lacey lives alone with her mother, and at 13, has far too much to deal with. Her mentally unstable mother isn't able to hold a job, or maintain a relationship, even with her own sister. Lacey's social life has suffered, and she longs for friends and a normal life. When her mom gets a job at the Winn Dixie grocery store, Lacey hopes that maybe this time things will be different. Unfortunately her mom runs away from work and disappears, leading Lacey on a frantic search. This mom is so crazy that you're terrified for Lacey the whole time you're reading. There is definitely suspense to the very end of this short, intense read.

I really like this author, and this was a great book, but I don't think it was as good as The Chosen One. If you like real-life drama, and/or sad stories, this is the book for you.

Cryer's Cross

by Lisa McMann

Nothing exciting ever happens in Kendall's small farming town, Cryer's Cross, until one of her classmates mysteriously disappears around the same time new kid Jacian moves in. The cops question angry, brooding, Jacian, but no one can prove he was involved in the girl's disappearance. Life starts to go back to normal for Kendall, but then her boyfriend, Nico, starts to act strange. When he also goes missing, the town goes on lockdown, and Kendall finds herself forced to spend more time with Jacian. Maybe he's not as bad as she thought. But then there are those voices she keeps hearing in her head. They sound like Nico. What secret is Cryer's Cross hiding?

I read this really quickly--I was dying to know what happened, but when I finally got to the end, I must say it was kind of disappointing. A quick, fun, pretty scary read, but it will leave you sort of scratching your head. I didn't quite get the answers I was looking for.

The Silver Bowl

by Diane Stanley

Adventure, magic, subtle romance, betrayal, and monstrous curses take this book far beyond the typical scullery-maid-makes-good tale. Peasant girl Molly sometimes sees things before they happen, a fine enough reason for her unloving and poverty-stricken father to get rid of her. At age seven, she is abandoned at the door of Dethemere Castle, and luckily finds work in the kitchen. After years of hard labor, “Gentleman Servant” Thomas takes her under his wing, promoting her to silver polisher, where she is tasked with shining the most beautiful, intricately designed bowl she has ever seen. The minute she touches the bowl, she is filled with intense warmth, and see visions of the demise of the royal family. The rumors of a curse are true. It’s becoming more and more powerful, and only she can stop it from destroying the royals. Stanley blends historical fiction and fantasy seamlessly, and her clear, rich language envelopes and transports. Molly’s relationships with the handsome prince and the kind-hearted stable boy are textured and layered with emotion and dutiful devotion. Her no-nonsense attitude is balanced by her big heart and a sweet, sharp sense of humor, making her a heroine readers will relate to and cheer for to the satisfying end. This book will be published in June.

Matched

by Ally Condie

In Cassia's world, the Society controls everything. Clothes are brown and plain, food is delivered in specified portions at specified times. Your spouse is chosen for you. Everyone dies at age 80. Only 100 pieces of art and 100 poems from throughout time have been deemed worthy of keeping. The Officials keep a tight reign on the people.

When Cassia's childhood friend is chosen as her match, she's elated, until a glitch in the system reveals to her that another boy, Ky, could also have been her match. This revelation, along with some contraband poetry given to her by her grandfather, make Cassia start to question. And in the Society, asking questions is the worst thing you can do.

There has been so much hype about this book that I couldn't wait to read it, and I did really enjoy it. Good story, well written, and I'll read the sequel, Crossed, which comes out in November. I have to be honest, though. I was hoping Matched might be the next series that can compare to Hunger Games, but alas, I'm still waiting...

If I Stay

by Gayle Forman

Mia is a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a cellist bound for Julliard, until a terrible car accident changes everything. Her body is comatose, lying in a bed in the ICU, but her spirit is there, watching. Listening. What if most of the people you love in life are gone? What if you'll never be the same? Would you want to leave? Or would you stay?

This is a high school title, so you'll have to go to the bookstore or public library to get it, but it's worth the trip. A total tearjerker, in the best kind of way--there's not a single cheesy moment. You'll want to curl up in a ball and cry for Mia, but you'll also feel uplifted and hopeful by the end.

The Quicksilver Faire

by Gillian Summers

Goblins, unicorns, fairies, elves, dwarves, dragons, dryads, talking cats, and evil jesters are just a few of the characters/creatures that make up the cast in this sequel to Shadows of the Redwood. Keelie, half human, half elf, is charged with helping the elves and the fairies resolve their differences in the Fairy High Court. She’s accompanied on this journey into a Canadian forest by her boyfriend, Sean, and her frenemy, Elia, a pregnant elf. Herne, the ruler of the dark fae, has just lost his love of over 500 years, and competes with Sean for Keelie’s affections. This is one of the multiple plot lines that cloud the story, but none, unfortunately, come to any real resolution. Really didn't like this one at all.

Chasing Brooklyn

by Lisa Schroeder

Brooklyn loses her boyfriend Lucca in a terrible car accident. A year later, she's still grieving. Then Gabe, the boy who was driving the car when Lucca died, committs suicide. Gabe begins haunting her, and at the same time Lucca starts haunting his brother Nico. Lucca is begging Nico to help Brooklyn, to save her, but Nico has no idea she's being haunted, and no idea what Lucca wants her to save him from. Nico's a runner, and tries to help Brooklyn the only way he knows how--by asking her to train with him for a triathlon. As they train they grow closer...and closer. But how far are either of them willing to go to lose their ghosts?

We read this in 7th grade Book Club, and everyone really enjoyed it. It's a novel in verse, so it's a short, easy read, and we all want to read everything else she's written now!