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.