Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

Chloe fell asleep in study hall.  She does this sometimes (yes, she should be doing her schoolwork, but a quick nap never hurt anybody).  Next thing she knows, she wakes up and it's dark outside.  No one is in her classroom, not even her teacher.  In fact, the building is silent and dark.  Where is everyone?  Then school bad boy Adam shows up and says that she called him.  She can't imagine that.  Why would she have done that?  Why is there snow on the ground? 

Other weird things are happening too.  She has turned into a brain- big time!  She may become valedictorian.  Her grades are excellent and good colleges are recruiting her.  She has always liked Blake- he's cute, nice and an athlete and now he's her boyfriend!!

Of course, there are lots of bad changes too.  Her best friend Maggie isn't speaking to her. They've been inseparable forever. Chloe tried to explain the loss of memory to her parents but they think she is a headcase and take her to see a psychologist.  Chloe has been a little defiant in the past so the changes in her are thrilling them.  Six months have gone by and she doesn't remember a thing.

This book is excellent!  A good mystery with plenty of twists.  Chloe, Maggie, Blake and Adam are all strong characters that I really cared about- I wanted Maggie to tell Chloe what happened to their friendship.  And what's up with the "study" group?  Something is strange about it too.  Who can Chloe trust?

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

Parker Fadley went from being the girl who wanted everything to be perfect to the girl who wanted nothing to be perfect.  If anything is going well, she makes sure she ruins it.  She alienates friends, fails classes and gets caught drinking in school.  The question is why.  Why does she have to sabotage everything? 

New student Jake asks Parker for directions to class.  She is rude to him and won't help him.  When they meet again the next day, she is still nasty.  In spite of her behavior, he is intrigued by her.  He's curious about everything, and constantly questions Parker about different aspects of her life. 

Parker is also pushing ex-boyfriend Chris away too.  Chris clearly still loves her, so Parker sets him up with her enemy Becky.  Parker probably hates Becky more than anyone else at school.  Becky has terrific grades, good behavior and she is now the captain of the Cheerleading Squad.  Yes, Parker really hates Becky.

This book has lots of tension, some sexual situations and explicit language.  The tension of the characters who are drawn to and yet pushed away from Parker creates a strong story. 

Cracked Up To Be on Amazon

Rush for the Gold by John Feinstein

Rush for the Gold by John Feinstein.  Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.

Stevie and Susan Carol are off on another adventure in this new mystery.  Fans of the teen sleuths will enjoy this newest offering, but the roles are a little different this time.  Stevie is still investigating and reporting, but Susan Carol is swimming competitively.  In fact, she is in the World Championships and she has to concentrate on her races rather than doing any detecting. 

Susan Carol loves swimming and she is even more excited to compete against the top swimmers in the world.  Unfortunately, she is quickly discovering that this level of athletic talent brings many people who want something from the athletes.  There are PR and marketing people who want to sign the athletes as clients.  There are also major companies who want the athletes to endorse products.  This all amounts serious sums of money.

Susan Carol is both excited and overwhelmed by all the attention.  She knows that her family can use the money for college for her and her siblings.  At the same time, she thinks her father is being misled about some of the proposals being presented to him.  She is angry and hurt by his unwillingness to listen to her concerns, particularly since much of the focus of the marketing is about her looks and she doesn’t want to be promoted as a sex symbol. 

Stevie is suspicious.  Is something illegal or at least shady is going on with the marketing and PR people or is this the way things are in the big leagues of professional athlete endorsements?  Even the reps for Susan Carol are unpleasant and are trying to interfere in their relationship. 

John Feinstein again delivers a book that will be popular with both athletes and teens that enjoy a good mystery.  The conflict is a little slow to develop, but it is worth the wait. 

Visit author John Feinstein’s website.

The Mermaid’s Mirror by by L. K. Madigan.  Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2011

Lena loves the ocean.  She spends hours walking up and down the beach.  An excellent swimmer, Lena longs to learn to surf.  But after her father nearly drowned several years ago, he has forbidden her to surf.

Lena is turning 16 and has decided what she wants to do- surf!  She has friends who have said they will help her and even loan her the necessary equipment.  Lena feels drawn to the water by a powerful force.  Can she believe her eyes when she sees a woman with a silver tail?

Lena’s father is behaving strangely.  Her mother disappeared (or left) years ago and she left behind a void in the lives of Lena and her father.  Lena is taking dangerous risks in her quest to surf and she knows her father will be furious with her when he finds out. 

This unusual book is a combination of realism, magic, mystery and even romance that will appeal to many teens.  Recommended for grades 8 and up.

Visit L. K. Madigan's website.  

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle. Published by Harper Teen, 2011.

Laurel is busy studying and chatting with her friend on the phone when there is a knock on the front door. She is nervous answering the door because she is home alone. Her family went out for ice cream with the neighbors. She is completely unprepared for the person in her doorway- a police officer. He tells her the devastating news that her entire family was killed in a car accident.

David lives next door and he is the son of the man at the wheel during the accident. David’s mother was killed and his father is in a coma. David and Laurel aren’t friends, but the accident draws them together as they both try to cope with changing relationships with friends, trying to figure out how to continue with their lives, survivor’s guilt and this terrible loss.

An unexpected friendship (and maybe something more) develops between Laurel and Joe, a fellow high school student who works in the family garden. He lost his father to cancer and can relate to Laurel. She is able to talk to him about her confusion and uncertainty and know he can understand. When their relationship begins to become romantic, they both have mixed feelings.

Laurel has well-meaning friends who try to help her and ask her how she is doing, but she doesn’t know what to say. She is glad her grandmother moved in with her, allowing Laurel to finish her school year, but then what? Laurel gets a job at a veterinary office and revels in the anonymity of no one knowing her or anything about her family tragedy. David is struggling even more because he has no family at all to help him. He suddenly goes off on a trip across the country, leaving Laurel to care for his dog.

Laurel and David both have to figure out how to get on with their lives in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Teens who are Sarah Dessen and Laurene McDaniels fans reading and those who are interested in reading about grief will be drawn to this book.  Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Visit Jennifer Castle's website

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin. Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2011.

New York. 2083. Crime. Food rationing. Banned foods. Power grid problems.

Anya is trying to keep her family together. Her grandmother is very ill, so Anya takes care of her. Her mother and father were killed in mob hits (making Anya the unwilling future mob boss) and her older brother suffered brain damage. He thinks he can help Anya but he doesn’t understand the ramifications of his actions and becomes involved in violent situations. She doesn’t want to be involved with the family but keeps getting pulled back into the business.

Her family has several business ventures- all illegal. Mainly, they produce, import and sell contraband- chocolate and caffeine. Her ex-boyfriend eats some of the family black market chocolate and almost dies. Anya doesn’t know if it was an accident or deliberate but she suspects a setup.

The last thing she needs or wants is romance. Anya meets the son of the district attorney and they start flirting. A crime family involved with a law and order family? Anya is determined not to fall in love. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Now, Anya and her family are being investigated by the district attorney (yes, her boyfriend’s father). She must prove her innocence and clear her family name. She also has to keep herself and her family out of trouble. Who has the time for romance? She does!

This dystopian fiction is recommended for grades 8 and up.

Visit Gabrielle Zevin's website

 

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott.  Published by Penguin Group, 2011.

Ava wakes up in a room where nothing is familiar. She panics, runs out into the street and faints. The next time she wakes up, she is in a hospital, surrounded by people she doesn’t know. One woman says she is Ava’s mother, but Ava remembers her mother- she was thinner and looked sad and died when Ava was young. The mysterious Clementine says she is there to help, but Ava’s mother seems to be afraid of her.

Ava is released by the hospital to go home with her mother. She has strange dreams of a different life. She grew up in a crèche. Survival was a struggle and she definitely didn’t have fancy clothes or live in a big house. When Ava wakes up, she is confused. Which world is true? Is the one she dreams about somehow real?

School is equally confusing. Ava’s recognizes her friends, but they are different. She senses that Sophy has a hard, power-hungry edge, but no one else seems to notice it. Ava remembers seeing Olivia die, but in this world, she is alive and well.

And who is Morgan? He seems to know Ava well (maybe even love her), but behaves furtively, as if he has something to hide. Ava’s mother calls the police on him and he disappears. Yet, Ava has memories of Morgan from another time or life. She remembers talking to him but he doesn’t belong in this world.

It seems that everyone has secrets. Clementine, Ava’s friends from schoool, Morgan, and even her mother. Every time Ava tries to remember things, she suffers crippling headaches. Through it all, she can’t deny the strong attraction she feels for Morgan. What does he want from her?

Some readers may initially be confused by the changes of scenes/characters, but for those who finish, this is an unusual and interesting book.  Recommended for grades 8 and up. 

Visit Elizabeth Scott's website

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth. Published by HarperCollins Publishers, 2011.

Beatrice has a huge decision to make. Everyone must decide at age 16 which of the five factions they want to join- Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, or Erudite. This decision determines where people live, how they will make a living, and even who they can have as friends. Part of the decision making process is testing. Beatrice is told her test results are atypical. Rather than being identified with a particular faction, the test identified her as divergent. Beatrice is told this is both unusual and dangerous and to keep her test results secret.

On choosing day, her family is stunned when Beatrice joins Dauntless instead of Abnegation, and changes her name to Triss. She thinks she made the right choice during a thrilling and scary ride to her new home- the entire group must jump from a fast moving train. This also forces her to contemplate the alternatives – death or (maybe even worse) life without a faction.

Triss finds her new life challenging. The physical training is grueling and the psychological mind games are often traumatic. The combination of initiation and the expectations of the Dauntless faction create a highly competitive and distrustful environment. No one wants to be thrown out of the faction. At the same time, Triss is learning about herself and takes pride in her new abilities. Along the way, she has made a few friends and has a romance with one of the Dauntless leaders.

Some of the threats Triss and the others face come from the initiation challenges. But then Triss discovers secrets involving people from Dauntless and other factions and even some of the societal leaders. These secrets hide more dangers than Triss could ever imagine. 

This dystopian novel is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit Veronica Roth's blog

Legacy by Molly Cochran

Legacy by Molly Cochran. Published by Simon & Schuster, 2011.

Do you believe in witches? Katy doesn’t. But she is starting to after arriving at her new boarding school.

Things are kind of strange there. People call her by the wrong name. She has numerous enemies but having just arrived, she doesn’t understand how so many people could already dislike and shun her. Katy’s father and his girlfriend seem happy to get rid of Katy by shipping her 1500 miles away. However, her father won’t answer her questions when Katy learns her mother’s family live in town.

Katy settles in to her new school and discovers that there are all sorts of things she never knew. Her father changed his name. Twice! Her mother tried to kill a little boy named Eric and then set herself on fire. People in the town are afraid of Katy and think she is bringing an evil spirit called The Darkness to town.

Katy kind of likes Peter, Eric’s older brother. Sometimes he seems to like her. Other times, he’ll tell her to stay away from him and stay away from Eric. It’s very confusing.

Hattie, the owner of Hattie’s Kitchen hires Katy to work at the restaurant. Katy enjoys it and is learning a lot about herself- she is a witch. With the support of her mother’s family and Hattie, she learns about her abilities. She can move objects. She has visions. She can sense things about people. She can see the results of The Darkness.

Katy’s father’s new wife arrives in town and announces plans to build a new Wonderland. Unfortunately, it will be built on the site of Hattie’s restaurant and a magical meadow. This plan results in even more enmity directed at Katy.

Katy is arguing with her father, working on developing her magical powers and trying to fight The Darkness, all while struggling with her feelings for Peter. She definitely needs help.

This fantasy fiction is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit Molly Cochran's website

Island's End

Island’s End by Padma Venkatraman. Published by Penguin Young Readers Group, 2011.

Living on a remote island off India, Uido has had visions several times. As a result of her abilities to enter the Otherworld, she is selected to be her tribe’s spiritual leader. This is a tremendous honor for her and she is excited but also nervous. Uido is disappointed by her older brother’s and her best friend’s reaction to the news. He is jealous and causes a rift in the family.

The visions are often intense and confusing. Strangers have visited the island and offer tempting and exotic gifts. Uido is trying to balance the needs of her tribe while keeping their values and lifestyle alive. She is even more conflicted when her younger brother becomes ill after visiting with the strangers. Uido needs the medicine of the strangers to help heal her brother. At the same time, she knows her brother will be drawn away from the tribe.

Uido must work with the strangers to heal her brother. When he awakens, he likes the technology he sees them using. Uido convinces him to return home with her. When they return to the island, she has a disturbing vision of a tsunami causing devastation of the island. She has to persuade her tribe to quickly evacuate to higher ground. At this critical time, her older brother again challenges her leadership ability.

The tribe’s safety and lifestyle all rest on Uido.  Recommended for grades 8 and up.

Visit Padma Venkatraman's website

The Future of Us

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Published by Penguin Group, 2011.

A new computer and AOL are about to change Josh and Emma’s lives and their futures. They have been neighbors and best friends since they were little. When they share a kiss, things get a little awkward between them.

It is 1996 and Josh’s new computer can go on the Internet (but it uses the same line as the telephone so he can’t go online for too long). Emma and Josh are surprised to see people with their names but it is 15 years in the future. What?? How is that possible? There are enough similarities for them to conclude that this is actually them. This is through some website called Facebook.

Josh seems to have a decent life ahead of him. He has a nice house, a good job, attractive wife, and they go on great family vacations. Emma, on the other hand, is definitely struggling. She doesn’t appear happy with her job or relationships. When Emma discovers changes she makes in her present life can produce good results on her life 15 years from now, she does it. But her changes impact Josh’s future too and he’s not happy. He doesn’t want anything to mess up his life.

Emma and Josh’s 1996 and 2010 selves will have to be reconciled so they can be happy, now and in the future.

 This (mostly) realistic fiction is recommended for all teens grades 8 and up.

Visit Jay Asher's blog

Visit Carolyn Mackler's website

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. Published by Greenwillow Books, 2011.

Elisa is the Godstone bearer, chosen by God for a life of service. Elisa doesn’t know exactly why she has been selected by God or even what she is supposed to be doing. She is the second daughter of a King, but she has never enjoyed life at court. Elisa doesn’t know exactly why she has been selected by God or even what she is supposed to be doing. She feels inferior to her pretty, confident sister.

Elisa spends her 16^th birthday getting married to a man she has never even met. It is a practical match based on the political needs of her country. Within a few days, she and her new husband have departed for his home. Before Elisa even has time to be homesick, their group is suddenly attacked, resulting in some serious injuries and the death of one of Elisa’s closest confidantes.

Arriving at court, Elisa finds herself in a strange situation. Her engagement and marriage haven’t been announced. Her Godstone is a secret. Her new husband apparently has a girlfriend. The only good thing is she meets a scholarly priest with a wonderful collection of books. When she begins reading one of her favorite military strategy books she notices that the content is different. This inconsistency leads to a huge discovery- information has been systematically and deliberately withheld from her. Her family, tutors and friends have been lying to her for her entire life. This knowledge makes Elisa more determined to learn about the Godstone and the history of the other Godstone bearers.

Elisa’s life is about to go through another change. She is kidnapped and wakes up to find herself the center of a centuries old plot involving armies and secret wars.

This fantasy fiction is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit author Rae Carson's website

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Published by Penguin Group, 2011.

Anna is eagerly anticipating her senior year in Atlanta. Her father has different plans. He is enrolling her in a boarding school in France. He believes she should have new experiences in the world, with culture and and develop more fluency in French. Anna thinks he is pretentious.

Anna loses the argument and finds herself starting her new school. She is so nervous- she doesn’t know anyone at the new school and she has never lived so far away from home. But she can’t complain too much- it is Paris after all!

Once she starts settling in, she concludes that she is completely unprepared. Her French is stilted and slow. She isn’t even sure how to get around the campus or the city. She makes some new friends including Etienne the cute guy who is also super nice, friendly and seems to like Anna. The drawback is he also has a girlfriend. The other problem- lots of complications when she goes home for Christmas vacation.

This a quick, fun read for teens looking for light-hearted teen romance with a few problems thrown in. 

This realistic romance is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit author Stephanie Perkins website

Dreamland Social Club

Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando. Published by Penguin Group, 2011.

Jane and her brother are surprised to inherit a house on Coney Island, but they quickly move there with their father (a currently unemployed amusement ride designer) and plan to live in their new home for the next year. Coney Island is a pretty famous place (especially when Jane’s mother graduated during the 1920’s), so Jane and her family expect to meet some unusual people.

Jane and her mother used to play many pretend games when Jane was little. Jane no longer remembers many of them, but when she begins to explore some of the Coney Island amusement park rides, she realizes that many of the games were based on the rides. Jane misses her mother more and more as a result of her recollections and she can’t understand why things with her mother changed so much. Jane’s father has a proposal for a new ride that will be part of an effort to revive Coney Island. However, there are many adamant opponents to the plans and Jane doesn’t want anyone to know about her father’s role in the proposal.

Jane finds adjusting to the new school challenging and, while she knows she might not fit in (being British and in high school), she is surprised by some of the unusual people at her school. There is a legless man who rides a skateboard, a tattooed boy, and a goth dwarf. Many of these students evidently belong to the Dreamland Social Club, a group started by Jane’s mother prior to her graduation.

Jane wants so much to fit in, help her father and honor her family. At the same time, she wants to see the good things about Coney Island preserved and celebrated. She just isn’t sure how to do both.

This realistic fiction is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit author Tara Altebrando's website