13 Reasons Why – Jay Asher

ISBN: 9781595141712
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 288
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Clay doesn’t want to listen to the tapes he finds on his porch, he doesn’t want to be included in this club created by Hannah. Especially now that Hannah is dead.
Summary: Hannah Baker has killed herself and Clay has received thirteen cassette tapes that Hannah made. Each cassette represents one of the reasons contributing to her suicide. When Clay gets the tapes he is shocked to find that he is one of the recepients, and to learn the truth behind his classmates, and their relationships with Hannah. This novel packs a punch and readers will be left devastated; both with Hannah’s decision to end her life and with Clay’s struggle to understand why she did. It’s not an easy read by any means, but it is addictive as you learn more about each character and how they affected Hannah. A fantastic read that will leave you thinking long after you turn the last page.

A Field Guide to High School – Marissa Walsh

ISBN: 9780385734103
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 133
Age Range: 12 to 15
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Confused as to what to expect going into high school? Have no fear, you hold in your hand’s the Field Guide to High School – everything you need to know to navigate your crucial freshman year.
Summary: This title is exactly that; a field guide to high school. Graduating senior Claire decides to impart on her leaving to college a “field guide” to her young sister Andie who will be starting high school in the fall. The entire novel is told in entries made by Claire and pasted into a Peterson’s guide book about poisonous plants and animals. So, for instance, cliques and groups are discussed under the heading of “Poisonous Animals.” Andie spends the morning that Claire leaves for college reading this guide with her best friend who will be attending a different high school come fall. While the idea of the novel is fantastic, there is no character development or storyline to speak of. Instead readers will get a play by play of the high school environment without ever caring about any of the things you learn. Despite this, the book will find many readers simply due to its title, and will certainly help younger readers form opinions about high school during the summer after 8th grade.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox – Mary Pearson

ISBN: 978-0805076684
Publisher: Henry Holt
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 272
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma knowing that something is different, but unable to tell just what. Tiny details finally add up to a truth that Jenna, and readers, will barely be able to accept.
Summary: Jenna Fox has boxes of videos of herself that her parents took: her at ballet recitals, at picnics, at every point in her life. The only problem is that she appears quite a few inches taller in these videos than she is now. See, Jenna just woke up after suffering a massive accident that left her memory in pieces, and her two best friends dead. Her parents won’t discuss the accident, and her grandmother refuses to call her Jenna. Jenna knows something is wrong, but can’t quite piece together the wreck, salvaged memories and odd dreams that keep telling her to check out her father’s office into a cohesive whole. Pearson has constructed a haunting tale about a not too distant future, and what may be possible. Readers will search alongside Jenna for a truth that makes sense and be just as shocked when Jenna discovers just how much her parents adore her.

Before I Die – Jenny Downham

ISBN: 9780385751551
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 325
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Tessa has leukemia and is going die, but she’s not going down without a fight. In her final months she compiles a “to-do” list and is determined to finish everything on it.
Summary: Tessa has terminal cancer and has decided to go home and enjoy the life she has left to her. With this in mind she creates a to-do list that includes everything from sex to doing drugs. This seems like a good plan, until her list starts to alienate her family and friends. And how exactly does one go about getting the things they want without letting everyone know they’re dying? Tessa’s story is heartbreaking and readers will be unable to finish in one sitting, even though they would like to. The struggle to stay upbeat and alive while knocking on death’s door is becoming increasingly popular in the young adult field, but Downham strikes true with this text and readers are rewarded with a powerful novel about living the life that is given to you.

Bloom – Elizabeth Scott

ISBN: 978-1416926832
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 231
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: When Evan breezes back into Lauren’s life she’s not sure how to handle the situation. One thing she does know though, nothing can ever go back to the way it was before.
Summary: Lauren lives the perfect life. She earns good grades, has good friends and her boyfriend is the uber popular Dave. The only problem is that she’s not exactly happy with the perfect life she lives. Enter Evan, the little boy that she grew up with for a short period when her father and his mother decided to move in together. Evan is no longer the sweet boy that she remembers reading C.S. Lewis with; instead he looks bruised and battered. It doesn’t take long for Lauren’s attraction to Evan to grow, and her feelings for Dave to diminish completely. High school is tough, no matter what, and Scott nails Lauren’s feelings of confusion and misdirection while she tries to decide what is truly important to her. Bloom is a love story, and readers will be interested to find out who Lauren chooses. It is also a wonderful novel about one young girl learning to stand on her own two feet and make the choices that she must make. A great read for reluctant readers and those searching for something a little deeper than chic lit this summer.

Cherry Heaven – L.J. Adlington

ISBN: 978-0061431807
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 464
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; second
Reader’s Annotation: Cherry Heaven is perfect: no fighting, no wars and all the water you can drink but when Kat starts looking into all the secrets of Cherry Heaven, she realizes that not everything is what it seems.
Summary: Set in the same world as The Diary of Pelly D, this novel picks up a generation later with new characters. Kat and Tanka move with their adopted parents to Cherry Heaven, in hopes of escaping the war ravaged 5 Cities. As Atsumisi, they are the social elite and have access to all the best that Cherry Heaven can offer. It’s too bad that Kat keeps seeing a strange man outside their window, and hearing a mysterious story about an escaped Factory worker. Told in both first person and third person voices, this novel moves at a brisk pace and keeps the reader guessing. This is a dystopian novel that offers readers a taste of how a perfect society keeps itself running perfectly; and usually at the expense of others. The conclusion also gives resolution to the story of Toni V. and Pelly D. that readers will remember from Adlington's first novel.

City of Ashes – Cassandra Clare

ISBN: 9781416914297
Publisher: M.K. McElderry Books
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 464
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; second
Reader’s Annotation: Clary’s whole world is re-arranged when she discovers her true place as a Shadowhunter and Jace’s sister. Yet, that doesn’t change how Clary feels about Jace or anything else in her world.
Summary: Clary is still wheeling from everything she now knows about the world she lives in. Her mother was a Shadowhunter in hiding never telling Clary the truth about her past. Luke, her quasi father, is a werewolf who leads his own pack. Valentine, the man responsible for destroying the Clave, is her father. And Jace, whom she unsuccessfully tried to ignore, is her long unknown older brother. Clary’s world is split apart with all this newfound knowledge as she struggles to deal with her very real feelings for Jace while keeping her best friend Simon at arm’s length. When Valentine appears, and steals the Soul-Sword, after massacring the Silent Brothers in Bone City, it is up to Clary, Jace and Simon to put aside their problems in an effort to save the world from the attacking demon hordes. This is a great follow-up which answers just enough questions to keep the readers eagerly awaiting the third and final title. Who will Clary end up with? Is Jace really her brother? Will Valentine be defeated? Readers will be lined up for the series conclusion.

City of Bones – Cassandra Clare

ISBN: 9781416914280
Publisher: M.K. McElderry Books
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 496
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Clary is all about being a normal teenager, hanging out with her best friend and hitting up the newest dance clubs. All that changes when she sees three teenagers commit a crime that no one else can see.
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray lives a normal life with her single mom and enjoys going out with her best friend, Simon. All that changes when she sees two teenagers kill another teenager one night at a night club. Even more puzzling is that Simon can’t see any of it. Then her mom disappears, and the boy she thought was a murderer shows up on her doorstep talking about the Institute, Demons and fallen angels. The first in a series of three books, Clary must learn the truth about her mother, and her own past, in order to stay alive. Along the way she meets other Shadowhunters, humans who have been charged with killing the demons that occupy our world. Readers who like Twilight will be drawn to this title, both for its swift pacing and for the obvious triangle that develops between Clary, Simon and bad boy Shadowhunter Jace. A promising and entertaining start to a new series sure to please fantasy and romance readers alike.

City of Glass – Cassandra Clare

ISBN: 9781416914303
Publisher: M.K. McElderry Books
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 560
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; third
Reader’s Annotation: The Clave is in disorder, Valentine is gaining momentum and Clary is confined to her house by Jace’s wishes. She must harness her power in order to save her mother and Idris.
Summary: In the final chapter of the Mortal Instruments series Clary is determined to follow Jace and the Lightwoods into Idris in an attempt to meet the one warlock who holds the key to her mother’s mysterious coma. Meanwhile, Valentine is on the move determined to retrieve the last of the Mortal Instruments, the Mirror, in hopes of resurrecting the Angel Raziel and destroying the Clave. Clare does a fantastic job of wrapping up all the loose threads in this final volume. Readers finally learn the truth behind the “experiments” that make Jace and Clary special and the family history that binds them together. A great conclusion to a fast paced and fun fantasy series.

Cut – Patricia McCormick

ISBN: 9780439324595
Publisher: Push
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 160
Age Range: 14 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: To ease the pain of her life Callie cuts herself. Can she learn to deal with her pain in another fashion, or is she doomed to remain hospitalized her whole life?
Summary: Callie cuts herself, and introduces herself slowly throughout this first person narrator. Readers learn that Callie is now at Sea Pines, a treatment center for young girls with all types of problems: anorexia, bulimia and more. Desperate to keep control over her life Callie is slow to discuss her growing need to cut with the treatment center’s psychologist. Her self imposed mutism allows her to observe the other girls, without them ever knowing one thing about her. Much like Halse’s Speak, Callie is an affecting character that the reader will grow to care about. The first book of it’s kind in the young adult genre, this novel pulls no punches in discussing cutting with honesty and directness.

The Declaration – Gemma Malley

ISBN: 978-1599901190
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 320
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Surplus Anna has grown up in a world where she is a leftover, unwanted by her society. When a boy shows up and presents her with the possibility of another reality, Anna must choose which story she will believe.
Summary: Surplus Anna has committed the worst sin in her world, she was born. In Anna’s world, where people stay alive due to longevity drugs, having children is outlawed. Anna lives in Grange Hall where other Surplus children are trained to become useful members of society. Anna does well until Peter, a recently captured teenager, shows up. He tells Anna stories about her parents, about her being stolen away as a child, and most importantly, that it is the older adults who have outlived their welcome. Anna is forced to choose which story to believe; the one she has been told all her life and that will lead to domestic servitude. Or, the one where her parents await her return anxiously. This is a thrilling ride through a future setting where children have become completely un-valued as adults struggle to hold onto their lives via drugs. Readers will empathize with Anna's unwillingness to believe Peter while they hold out hope that he is telling the truth.

The Diary of Pelly D – L.J. Adlington

ISBN: 978-0060766153
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 288
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Pelly D lives in a perfect world with the newest and coolest fashion and friends. All that changes when her genetic make-up marks her as the lowest social group of her world.
Summary: Set in the distant future, Toni V, a construction worker tasked with cleaning up pieces of the old society, discovers a diary. Unwilling to follow protocol and throw it away, he spends his evenings in the mind of Pelly D, a girl living on the cusp of a new world. Her diary documents her wealthy lifestyle before those in charge decide to divide society into the three genetic types; Pelly D turns out to be part of the most undesirable. Toni V. is left to decide how to live in a world that Pelly D. wasn’t allowed to live in. This title is interesting because it takes part in two different time periods: the perfect world that deteriorated and the future world trying to rebuild itself. Readers will struggle alongside Toni V. to merge these two very different worlds, and to situate themselves in a world that allows genetic holocaust.

Eternal – Cynthia Leitich Smith

ISBN: 9780763635732
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Horror
Pages: 307
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; second
Reader’s Annotation: Zachary loves Miranda; the only problem is that he is her guardian angel. Add to this issue the little fact that Miranda is a newly made vampire and then prepare yourself for a classic tale of good versus evil, high school style.
Summary: Set in the same universe at Smith’s freshman effort, Tantalize, Eternal offers a brand new cast of irresistible characters drawn into a fantasy world. Miranda is shy, dominated by her best friend and tired of her divorced parents constant bickering. Zachary is Miranda’s guardian angel. Not only has he watched and loved her from birth, but recently discovers that he is in love with her. Taunted into joining her best friend in a cemetery to meet an older guy, Miranda is bitten by Dracula himself. Fast forward one year and Miranda is Dracula’s newly minted Princess and Zachary has fallen from grace in his attempt to save her. When Miranda posts an ad for a personal assistant, Zachary is given the chance to regain grace if only he can save Miranda’s soul. This is a fast and fun read for those who enjoy the vampire genre. It is also a refreshing take on vampire mythology with the addition of Zachary’s divine character. Readers will look forward to Blessed, Smith’s upcoming third book where characters from her previous two novels will meet.

Evermore – Alyson Noel

ISBN: 978-0312532758
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Horror
Pages: 320
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Ever’s life is increasingly difficult since the death of her parents and sister have left her with clairvoyant talent. Her only respite is Damon, the new student at her school who calms the voices in her head but comes with his own set of mysterious circumstances.
Summary: Ever lives in a world of chaos created by her clairvoyant ability. Ever since the deaths of her parents and little sister, Ever is plagued by the thoughts, auras and emotions of those around her. She can tell what everyone is thinking all the time, whether she wants to or not. And she receives daily visitations from her sister, who didn’t cross over with her parents. All this changes when Damon enrolls at her high school. When he touches her, she no longer hears the chaotic thoughts of those around her. But things don’t quite add up: Damon never seems to eat, he won’t let her visit his house and her friend Haven is mysteriously taken by Damon’s friend Drina. While this book provides a welcome respite to the vampire heavy horror field, Noel’s take on The Immortals is too close to the whole vampire mythology. Also, since the revelation about Damon’s true self is so late coming readers may simply get bored and give up on the love affair between Damon and Ever. That being said, this is a fun and fast novel that many teens will enjoy.

Fade – Lisa McMann

ISBN: 978-1416953586
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 256
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; second
Reader’s Annotation: Janie accepts the Captain’s offer of a job working along side Cabel with satisfaction and not a bit of fear. All this changes when her first assignment involves entering the dreams of her high school teachers to find the one who is sexually abusing the female student body.
Summary: Janie and Cabel’s story continues in McMann’s sequel to Wake. Now that the Captain is aware of Janie’s ability to infiltrate others’ dreams, Janie has a scholarship, a paying job and an undercover role. It is her and Cabel’s job to figure out if an anonymous tip about a sexual predator at their high school is really true. Janie must open her self to her classmates dreams more than ever to try and find the guilty teacher. Meanwhile, Cabel must deal with his fear of Janie (the only thing safe in his life) getting hurt, or worse. Janie is guided by dream visits by Mrs. Stubin, who reveals more about dream catchers abilities and what the future holds for them. This is a great follow-up to McMann’s debut work and has the same page turning tension. Readers will eagerly await news about the third book in the series. For readers who want a bit more plot than just a paranormal romance.

Feathered – Laura Kasischke

ISBN: 9780060813178
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 272
Age Range: 14 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: When could go wrong when two best friends head to Cancun for the perfect Spring Break? One word: everything.
Summary: Best friends Michelle and Anna set off for Spring Break in Cancun with dreams of sun, sand and fun. They aren’t at all worried about the dangers of being girls alone during Spring Break; they’re not stupid or naïve. Yet, when Anna becomes enthralled by an older man and agrees to take a trip to the ruins with him Michelle is worried. Worse yet, Anna seems to have some type of father figure infatuation with him. Threatened and scared Michelle demands to leave, and her and Anna jump into a jeep with some other college boys from their home town. The story, told in alternating first and third person point of views, is terrifying and haunting at the same time. Unlike other tales of spring break, this one merges the current pleasure status of spring break with the otherworldly mystical qualities of ancient Cancun. This reviewer is still unable to put her finger on the pulse of the book, except to exclaim that this title must be read to be appreciated. This is one that will leave you thinking about every choice you make in your life, and the reason you make them.

Feed – M.T. Anderson

ISBN: 978-0763622596
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 320
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: In the future, everyone receives information in the same way; via feeds that launch directly into one’s brain. This is the story of what happens when that feed malfunctions.
Summary: Meet Titus, a wealthy teenager who has it all; friends, money and a great feed that delivers all of the day’s news, marketing and information into his head. When Titus meets Violet, a fellow teen who didn’t have her feed installed until she was 7, he is amazed at what she can do. Violet can read, write and spends her time “resisting the feed” by refusing to be sorted into a demographic type. Then both teens are hacked and Violet’s feed starts to seriously malfunction, leaving her mute and paralyzed at different times. Titus must face the reality that the world that he knows is not what he thinks it is. He must decide whether he will fight the feed, or continue to live the life he knows.
Warning: strong language

Fly on the Wall – E. Lockhart

ISBN: 9780385732826
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 192
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Have you ever wished that you could see what was happening in places you can’t go? Say, like the boy’s locker room?
Summary: In a nod to Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Lockhart gives us Gretchen Yee. Gretchen attends school at Ma-Ha, Manhattan School for the Arts, where she resists the uniform conformity to be non-conformist. She worries about her looks, her divorcing parents, her inability to master drawing in a style outside of Marvel comics. Most of all, she wonders why she doesn’t understand boys; and wishes, just for a moment, to be a fly on the wall in the boy’s locker room. In a piece of unexplained magic Gretchen ends up as just that. As a fly she sees the obvious, (naked boys) as well as the un-obvious: bullying, discomfort, fear and more. The novel ends with Gretchen asserting herself in a way she’s never been able to before, and being comfortable in her own skin; whether as a fly or a human. This is a very fast read for reluctant readers and gets quite a few laughs. Gretchen will find fans for her fierce individuality and Lockhart will certainly attract an audience with her blunt characterizations of a high school locker room.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth – Carrie Ryan

ISBN: 978-0385736817
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Horror
Pages: 320
Age Range: 14 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: In a post apocalytic world Mary’s whole life is bordered by the walls that keep her safe from the Forest of Hands and Teeth – where the Zombie’s from the Return wait for a human to enter the forest.
Summary: The zombie genre gains a lot with the addition of this title. For Mary, her world has always been about three things: the Sisterhood that runs her village, the Guardians who guard the fences and the walking Unconsecrated who roam just beyond the gate in the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Taught by the Sisterhood that there is nothing left of the world since the Return, Mary is instead possessed by the stories her mother told her about the ocean and buildings as tall as the sky. When her mother is turned, and her brother turns her out Mary has no other choice but to join the Sisterhood. It is here that she discovers that the Sisterhood keeps many secrets and learns that an outsider has stumbled into their village. Determined to find a way out, Mary finds comfort in her childhood friend, one of four that she flees with when the Unconsecrated finally break through the village’s defenses. Ryan has managed to turn a common trope (zombie apocalypse) into something that the reader can empathize with. Tense settings and shadowy characters create a real world in which readers can imagine themselves. For those who have graduated from the romance heavy vampire genre. This is also a title that could possibly cross-over into the adult genre, especially considering the book's realistic conclusion.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood – Ann Brashares

ISBN: 9780385729369
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 400
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes, fourth
Reader’s Annotation: Growing up is tough, and doing it without the support of your best friends is even harder. Join the Sisterhood for one final summer as they realize the truth behind their friendship
Summary: In the fourth and final chapter in the sisterhood saga, the friends realize that the purpose of the pants have changed. When they were younger, the pants acted as a way to stay together. Now, however, apart is the status quo – and the jeans come to be an easy out for the girl who have so much on their plate during their first summer as college freshmen. What this final novel does is create a sense of understanding among all the girls, who have aged so well throughout the series. It is no longer about being together, but rather, about knowing that they will always have a home to go back to amongst themselves. While lives expand and loves change, the girls realize that they will always have each other, no matter the distance. Readers will be sorry to see the conclusion to this series, but will be glad that Brashares remains true to her characters and sets them on a road that seems joyful and plausible for each.

Fragile Eternity – Melissa Marr

ISBN: 978-0061214714
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes, third
Reader’s Annotation: Seth must choose whether he will remain a mortal in Aislinn's world of Faerie, or if he is strong enough to find a way to become Faery.
Summary: In the third title in the Faerie series, Marr does not disappoint. Court alliances are more tenuous than ever; Aislinn refuses to become Keenan's true Queen because of her affection for Seth and Donia, the new Winter Queen, struggles against the needs of her court because of her love for Keenan. Meanwhile, Niall the unbidden new King of the Dark Court rages silently against being used by two Kings to the same end. Relationships flourish and whither against the backdrop of a strengthening Summer Court and new Courts come to fruition in an effort to remain pertinent. Readers will certainly need to have read book one in the series, Wicked Lovely, to follow the chain of events in this title. However, readers who are a fan of these characters, and urban fantasy in general, will find much to enjoy. Readers will also look forward to the next installment, yet unnamed, of this world where we hope relationships will finally have some sort of resolution.

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood – Ann Brashares

ISBN: 9780385729352
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 352
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; third
Reader’s Annotation: The Sisterhood grows as each girl must fight for her independence from their changing families and their changing selves.
Summary: Suddenly, the sisterhood is in their final summer of their youth; in August they will be at college, and apart for the first time. The upped stakes put a higher price on their lives this summer as each again tries to find her place in her ever-changing world. Lena must fight for independence; both from her family and her memory of Kostos. Carmen must again learn to share her parents, as her mom undergoes pregnancy with her new step-father. Bridget finally forgives herself for the impulsive teen she used to be; and learns the true price of intimacy. Tibby, again stunned by the fragile nature of life, learns to let love in, no matter the cost. As a whole, the girls learn that while they must move on, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to let go of the things that matter. Brashares once more gives readers exactly what they want with each girl expanding her world physically, mentally and emotionally. Readers will bond with each character differently and surely see parts of themselves in Tibby, Lena, Bridget and Carmen.

Gone – Michael Grant

ISBN: 978-0061448768
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 576
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Have you ever wanted all the adults in your world to disappear -no more parents, teachers and annoying older people? What would you do if this actually happened?
Summary: Imagine one minute you’re talking to your mom, and the next minute she’s disappeared. Not only your mother though, but every mother, every person over the age of 14. This is exactly the situation that 13 year old Sam finds himself in. The town falls apart as young kids are forced to find solutions to everyday problems; who will take care of the babies, run the power plant and turn off all the electricity. Sam, and his friends, are soon pitted against kids from the Coates Academy on the hill; both trying to retain authority in a new world. Like Lord of the Flies, both groups suffer casualties as they try to discover where everyone has gone and why. Add a twist of psychic power, and Grant has given the reader a rich world to explore in further sequels. Both frightening and haunting in it's plot, Gone is a title that will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. Readers just may find themselves looking at the adults in their life with appreciation and gratitude.

The Hollow People – Brian Keaney

ISBN: 978-0375843327
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 240
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: At fourteen Bea knows that she has to start taking Ichor and that will stop her dreams, but when Dante offers another option she must choose which truth to believe.
Summary: Imagine a world in which no one is allowed to dream. Instead, at the age of fourteen, everyone must take Ichor, a drug that will curb dangerous impulses and bring happiness to the most discontent. Fourteen year old Dante has never known life outside of this world. He works as a kitchen boy and must conceal the fact that Ichor has never worked for him. When Dante meets Bea, a girl who dreams of a world she’s never seen, both are convinced that they must escape from their home and venture into the unknown. The first in a trilogy, this title doesn’t break any new ground, but is great on the creep factor and atmosphere.

Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

ISBN: 978-0439023481
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 384
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Once every year each town must choose two tributes to send to the Hunger Games where they will fight until only one remains.
Summary: In a nod to Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery Collins creates a world where teens must kill each other in order to survive. Katniss has spent her life offering up her name for the banquet in order to protect her younger sister from being a participant in the Hunger Games. Yet, when her sister’s name is called, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Accompanied by one other teen from her village, Peeta, Katniss is pitted against other teen competitors in a gladiator like game where only one teen can survive. Using her intelligence, wiles and strength Katniss must finish the Hunger Games without destroying the growing trust between her and Peeta. The first in a planned trilogy, this novel packs a punch and will keep you on the edge of your seat as Katniss must choose to kill both friend and foe in order to survive.

I heart you, You haunt me – Lisa Schroder

ISBN: 978-1416955207
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 226
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: True love never dies, so when Jackson shows up at Ava’s house after his death she isn’t really surprised. Ava wonders though, what kind of relationship can she have with a dead boy?
Summary: Written in verse, this short novel tells the story of Ava and her newly dead boyfriend Jackson. Ava feels responsible for the manner in which Jackson died, and welcomes his ghostly presence. As time progresses, however, Ava feels trapped in a relationship where nothing new can ever happen. There are no surprises here, Jackson is actually dead, and Ava must come to terms with the manner in which he died before she can let go of him. This is a short novel due to being written in verse and it is filled with all the teenage angst one can imagine regarding teen love cut short. That being said, the writing is quite beautiful and you really feel for Ava as she comes to terms with loving Jackson but still needing to live her life without him. Recommend this title to fans of Lurlene McDaniels and die hard romantics.

Ink Exchange – Melissa Marr

ISBN: 978-0061214707
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 352
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; second
Reader’s Annotation: Leslie gets the tattoo as a way of regaining control over her body and her life. What she doesn’t bet on is the invisible ink that binds her to Irial, King of the Dark Court.
Summary: Marr returns readers to the world of Faerie in this new novel. While Aislinn, Seth and Keenan feature in the story, the bulk of the plot line revolves around Leslie and her drive to survive the horrible rape that her brother allowed to happen to her. Looking for a way to reclaim her body as her own Leslie gets a tattoo that binds her to Irial, King of the Dark Court. While she feels no pain from the binding she also realizes that she feels no emotions of her own at all. In an effort to regain her freedom Leslie turns to Niall, recently self exiled from the Summer Court to burn the tattoo from her body. While this title doesn't move as quickly as Wicked Lovely, it has the same allure with it's mixture of urban fantasy and romance. Readers will eagerly await the third title in the series which will continue Seth and Aislinn's story.

Jellicoe Road – Melina Marchetta

ISBN: 9780061431838
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 432
Age Range: 14 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: At seventeen Taylor is one of the oldest boarders and gets saddled with the job of Head of House. This means she must keep track of the younger students, make nice with the teachers and win back the territory lost by previous Heads to the neighboring Townies and Cadets.
Summary: Winner of this year’s Printz award, Jellicoe Road is a rich undertaking with a true reward for those who can stick with it. Seventeen year old Taylor Markham narrates from her boarding school in Australia as the newly crowned Head of House in a yearly summer battle with the Townies and the Cadets. As Head she must negotiate wars, skirmishes and kidnappings, all while trying to gain back ground lost by previous House Heads. While this story dominates the narrative, readers must also find their way through two other threads: the story written by Hannah (the closest thing to a parent Taylor has) which depicts the lives of 5 teens who previously lived on Jellicoe Road and the internal world of Taylor’s dreams. A slow start builds to a grand finish as Taylor and her friends finally piece together her past and her future on Jellicoe Road. Though the three narrations are different to sort at first, more skilled readers will appreciate Marcheta's style and her reasoning to tell the story as she does. Readers who fight their way through the first hundred pages will be glad they did.

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side – Beth Fantaskey

ISBN: 9780152063849
Publisher: Harcourt
Genre: Horror
Pages: 354
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Everything is going great for Jessica until Lucius shows up with a ridiculous story about her being a vampire princess and his betrothed. Jessica doesn’t really think much of it, until her parents tell it’s the truth.
Summary: Jessica is your average seventeen-year-old. She hangs out with her best friend Mindy, gazes adoringly at Jake and looks forward to her senior year of high school. Everything changes when Lucius Vladescu arrives at school, a foreign exchange student from Romania, with a past that Jessica does not want to face. Lucius (and her parents) reveal that she is actually the daughter of vampire royalty from Romania, that she has been betrothed to Lucius since birth, and that their marriage will secure a lasting peace between their warring families. Jessica, a practical girl, has a difficult time accepting these revelations as truth until she becomes jealous of another girl chasing Lucius. This is a refreshingly light offering in the vampire genre without all the angst that sometimes accompanies these titles. For readers awaiting the next big thing, this title will serve as fun fodder until New Moon hits theaters.

Looks – Madeleine George

ISBN: 9780670061679
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 240
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Meghan is obese and despised by everyone at her school. Aimee is anorexic, and could care less what anyone thinks. What happens when these two team up is something no one will forget.
Summary: This novel gives an insiders view on high school from the outcast perspective. Narrated by obese Meghan, the reader learns about her fallen friendship with golden girl Cara and her desire to meet the new girl, Aimee. Aimee, an anorexic poet, is taken in by Cara and eventually deceived by her seeming sweetness. The pairing of Meghan and Aimee brings about the social humiliation of Cara; using both Meghan’s knowledge of her past and Aimee’s current information. Somewhat reminiscent of Anderson’s Speak, readers get an authentic view of high school and the social cliques that operate within its’ walls. However, the story falls flat, and readers are left without feeling much for any of the characters. Cara’s use of both girls is oblivious and Meghan and Aimee’s revenge seems over the top and useless. However, the book will find readers with the disenfranchised and those who identify with either Meghan or Aimee.

Luna – Julie Anne Peters

ISBN: 978-0316011273
Publisher: Little, Brown
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 256
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Regan’s biggest secret isn’t about herself. It’s about her brother Liam, and the reality that he is really a girl named Luna.
Summary: Regan has a secret that she has never told anyone. Her brother, Liam, is really a girl, named Luna. Narrated from Regan’s point of view the reader experiences the heady cost of helping a loved one live a lie. Liam is transgendered, a girl born into a boy’s body. And she relies on Regan for moral support, clothing help and make-up tips. Yet, Regan feels like she has no life outside of Luna’s; her whole world revolves around keeping her sister a secret. The distance created by Regan’s narration allows readers the chance to question their reactions to Luna’s sexuality, and to imagine how they might cope with a similar situation. An incredibly powerful novel that deals with a subject still considered taboo by many, this title will find its audience slowly and surely.

My Most Excellent Year – Steve Kluger

ISBN: 978-0803732278
Publisher: Dial Books
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 416
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Do you think your life is confusing? Meet Augie, who loves his best friend T.C. like a brother, obsesses over the perfect Alejandra and has to somehow manage to get a deaf kid to come out of his shell by meeting Mary Poppins.
Summary: Told in three alternating voices, comically likable T.C., theatrical Augie and classic overachiever Alejandra, this tale about growing up in Boston packs a punch from the first page. T.C. and Augie, brought up more like brothers than friends, share their lives with their strange mixture of family: T.C.’s dad and Augie’s parents. Enter Alejandra, the first girl whom T.C. actually wants to impress, and who is totally unimpressed with him. Throughout their junior year, all three characters find themselves growing beyond what is expected of them. For T.C. that means taking up the care of a deaf foster child with a desperate belief in Mary Poppins. Alejandra realizes her potential on the stage, and away from her parent’s political beliefs. And Augie realizes that he is gay. Though obviously different than the Traveling Pants series by Brashares this novel shares the same hope and joy of that quartet. Readers follow the plots twists and turns with attention to the characters that they have grown to love. On a side note, it is truly refreshing to see a male gay character and his best friend depicted without any undertones that detract from the relationship.

Need – Carrie Jones

ISBN: 9781599903385
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 320
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Zara is still reeling from the death of her father when she moves in with her grandmother in Maine. When she begins being followed by a mysterious man who leaves gold dust in his wake she must turn to her new friends and family to figure out the truth about her past.
Summary: The Urban Fantasy genre expands with this new title. 17 year-old Zara White moves in with her grandmother in rural Maine after effectively shutting down after her father’s death. Bothered by the extreme cold and still traumatized Zara is amazed to find herself drawn to Nick Colt, the boy who almost hit her on the way to school her first day. Soon, she finds herself friends with Issie and Delyn and attracted to both Nick and Ian, another school hottie. Zara finds herself haunted by a mysterious man who has followed her from home, who points at her from distances, and leaves gold dust wherever he has been. Mix this with missing boys, an undercurrent of tension and rumors of Pixie Lords and you have this romantic fantasy that is strongly reminiscent of Twilight. Readers will surely notice the similarities, but they will flock to this title anyways to find out whether Zara will end up with the Pixie Lord or Nick.

Night Road – A.M. Jenkins

ISBN: 9780060546045
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Horror
Pages: 368
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: They’re not vampires, they’re hemes and Cole is one of the most structured of them all. So, it naturally falls to him to train a new, impetuous heme but can Cole handle the pressure of finally being responsible for someone other than himself?
Summary: Don’t call them vampires. Cole is not a vampire; he is a heme, a man who drinks the blood of the living in order to survive. Cole is a traveler; he makes his living on the road stopping for feeds nightly in order to stay alive. When he is called back to The Colony, a safe haven for other hemes, he is charged with teaching new-comer Gordo about life as a heme. Gordo, meanwhile, is too distracted by his new found Thirst and guilt over the near death of his girlfriend to pay much attention to what Cole is trying to teach him. The two embark on a road trip that will teach Gordo the inner workings of life as a heme, and will force Cole to face up to the reality that he’s been running from for many years. While this title has a great premise it never quite reaches its full potential. Readers are left not really caring what happens to Cole or to Gordo because neither is likable or identifiable as a teen.

Perfect Chemistry – Simone Elkeles

ISBN: 9780802798220
Publisher: Walker Books
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 368
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Alex and Brittany are both certain that they have absolutely nothing in common. When a Chemistry projects teams them up, however, they realize that being together is the only thing that makes sense.
Summary: Meet Alex, an up and coming member of the Latino Blood gang who is tough as nails. Meet Brittany, the girl who has everything and makes sure everyone knows it. Yet, not everything is what it seems. Alex was jumped into the gang to protect his family when his father was killed. Brittany keeps a perfect exterior in order to keep her family off her back, and to protect her older sister who has a severe form of muscular dystrophy. When the two are forced to work together on a Chemistry project, they discover that while they’re incredibly different, they fit each other in a way that no one else can. Elkeles creates a realistic world, filled with both violence and beauty to tell the story of two teens from opposite sides of the tracks who fall in love despite the odds.
Warning: strong language in both English and Spanish, sexual situations.

The Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot

ISBN: 9780380978489
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 228
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Mia likes her life just fine thank you very much. She certainly does not need her father showing up, telling her she is the Crown Princess of Genovia and messing with her whole life!
Summary: Mia Thermopolis is a normal 14 year old girl who spends too much time with her best friend Lilly obsessing over her crush Josh Richter. She lives with her mom in a flat in New York and regularly visits her divorced dad in Genovia every summer. All this changes when her dad reveals that he is more than a politician in Genovia, he is their crown prince – and upon learning that he can no longer sire children, that leaves Mia as the new reigning Princess of Genovia. Add to this scenario reporters, publicity, and a slew of wanna-be friends and Mia is at a loss of what to do with this new information. Thankfully, her parents are understanding, and while it takes Lilly time to come around to the idea Mia does receive full support from the people in her life. Along the way she also manages to snag the perfect boyfriend, not the guy she thought, and meet new friends. This is a fast and fun read that many will enjoy. Given its popularity as a movie, many teens will find themselves comparing the book to the film and enjoying the many differences and similarities.

Sara’s Face – Melvin Burgess

ISBN: 978-1416936176
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 272
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Sara is thrilled when Jonathan Heat offers to pay for her plastic surgery free of charge. What she doesn’t realize is just what Jonathan intends to take in return.
Summary: When rock star Jonathan Heat offers to take Sara under his wind, and pay for her much wanted plastic surgery, she thinks it must be too good to be true. Sara, already dealing with her own anorexia and delusions of grandeur, moves into Heat’s mansion. Narrated by a reporter trying to uncover the real Sara, readers move with Sara through Jonathon’s distorted world and fear for Sara’s safety along with her friends. Ultimately, when the reporter catches up with Sara years later we learn exactly what it was that Jonathan wanted all along. A true horror story that points to what the medical field can do, this novel will leave you wary of anyone who offers something for nothing. Recommend to readers of Eva by Dickinson, or fans of Stephen King.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood – Ann Brashares

ISBN: 9780385729345
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 400
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; second
Reader’s Annotation: The Sisterhood returns for a second summer in which each girl must come to terms with what they have lost, and must find a way to deal with what they have learned.
Summary: The Sisterhood returns for their second summer, this time narrated by calm and beautiful Lena. Each of the girls deal with the after-affects of their first summer: for Lena, this means facing up to her relationship with Kostos. Tibby must find a way to deal with Bailey’s death and defining what Brian means to her. Bridget, still reeling from her encounter at soccer camp, runs to the waiting arms of her grandmother, under an assumed name and Carmen again realizes that sometimes you don’t lose family, as much as you get the chance to expand what family means to you. Throughout each girl’s individual journey, the pants unite and strengthen the friendship. The summer ends with each girl losing something important to them, but more importantly, the summer ends with each girl realizing their individual strength as well. Readers will embrace this return to their favorite foursome and enjoy navigating the waters of life with such a strong group of friends.

Something, Maybe – Elizabeth Scott

ISBN: 978-1416978657
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 217
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Hannah is certain that Josh is the perfect guy for her; he’s sweet, considerate and always has something intelligent to say. But why is she always thinking about Finn?
Summary: Taking a break from the gut wrenching novel that was Living Dead Girl, Scott embarks on familiar territory with her latest offering. Hannah is the daughter of a Hugh Hefner type older man who ignores her existence and a loving mother who makes money via webchats and her former fame. Meanwhile, Hannah just tries to fly under the radar, which doesn’t help her get noticed by her current crush, the philosophical Josh. Finn (her BurgerTown co-worker) on the other hand, is annoying, ingratiating and just so-not Josh. It doesn’t take much to know that Hannah will end up with Finn, and not Josh, but the journey is fun. Characters are three dimensional and readers will find themselves sympathizing with Hannah throughout the novel. A light, fast and fun read that would be great for summer break and the beach.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – Ann Brashares

ISBN: 9780385729338
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 320
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Meet the Sisterhood, four friends who have been together since birth. All this changes during their first summer apart when a magical pair of pants form a bond that strengthens their relationship to each other.
Summary: Meet Lena, Carmen, Tibby and Bridget. Best friends since birth, thanks to an aerobics class that their prenatal moms took, the girls form bonds of friendship that weather death, divorce and siblings. This summer, however, is the first the girls will be away from each other. Carmen goes to visit her newly engaged father, unbeknownst to her. Bridget heads for soccer camp in Baja where she will learn more than soccer skills. Lena departs to Greece, where she will stay with her grandparents and fall in love for the first time. Tibby is the only one to stay home, and suffer slowly through a retail job and a new friends fatal illness. Through the summer the girls exchange a pair of pants, that magically fit them all, and document their adventures through stitches and patches on the pants. A great coming of age story that packs more you’d think possible.

The Summoning – Kelley Armstrong

ISBN: 978-0061450549
Publisher: Harper Collings
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 416
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Chloe has always seen ghosts, and she’s done her best to stay away from them. When she goes into a fit at school after seeing a ghost, though, she’s thrown into Lyle House, a place for teens with problems. Lyle House isn’t all it seems and it’s up to Chloe to find out why.
Summary: Chloe lives a relatively normal life, trying to avoid the ghosts that seek her out to solve their problems. Her world comes crashing down when she is cornered at school and has an episode that gets her sent to Lyle House, a place for teens with problems. At Lyle House she’s faced with adjusting to her new housemates and trying to understand exactly what the doctors are trying to do to her, and the others. When housemates start disappearing and dying it’s up to Chloe to find out the history of Lyle House. This is an entertaining start to a new trilogy and a welcome respite to the vampire and faerie heavy genre. Chloe is an engaging character and readers will stick around to see her relationship with Derek develop.

Thwonk – Joan Bauer

ISBN: 978-0142404294
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 215
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: A.J. knows that Peter is perfect for her, the same way she knows that she will become a photographer. When a cupid shows up and grants her one wish – Peter becomes her undying love much to A.J’s chagrin.
Summary: Seventeen-year-old A.J is certain that her life will be perfect if only she can get her heartthrob, the perfect Peter Terris, to notice her and take her to the upcoming King of Hearts dance. Despite her level headed approach to her photography, her parents and school, love totally escapes her and always eclipses her better judgement. When a cupid named Jonathan magically appears and offers her the choice of three options: better academics, better art or a better love life, A.J. leaps at the chance to get Peter “thwonked” by Jonathon’s mythological arrow. This is a fun read, especially around Valentine’s Day – which features so predominantly in the storyline. However, those readers looking for something hilarious, or something deeper than A.J.’s incessant need for love will need to look elsewhere. A,J,’s photography is her saving grace, unfortunately, Bauer doesn’t give us much to grasp onto and we finish the novel unsure of how it’s changed us at all.

Two Way Street – Lauren Barnholdt

ISBN: 9781416913184
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 288
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Courtney can’t understand why Jordan would break up with her. It isn’t until they are forced on a college road trip together that she realizes the truth.
Summary: Jordan and Courtney are the perfect high school couple. They truly love each other and even plan on attending the same college in the Fall. All this changes when Jordan abruptly breaks up with Courtney saying that he cheated on her with a girl he met online. The truth behind the break-up is much more convoluted involving Courtney’s father and Jordan’s mother. Luckily, the college road trip forces interaction, and more importantly, honesty on the parts of the adults in the novel. It’s also told in alternating voice, giving equal time to Courtney and Jordan. This is a fast read, great for the beach and for those who enjoy reading about star-crossed lovers.

Uglies – Scott Westerfeld

ISBN: 978-0439806114
Publisher: Scholastic Trade
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 425
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Tally is certain once she turns 16 and becomes Pretty that her life will be absolutely perfect. When she meets Shay, who challenges all that pretty means Tally must choose to become a Pretty and realize all her dreams or face up to what being Pretty really means.
Summary: Tally can’t wait to turn 16 and get Pretty. Once she’s pretty she’ll be able to attend all the hottest parties, have the best friends and gorgeous boyfriends. Shay, on the other hand, has other thoughts. What’s wrong with slightly crooked eyes and imperfect skin? Does everyone really have to look exactly the same? The only escape is to run away into the Wild and survive as an Ugly forever. When Shay runs away and Tally follows, she learns the truth about what it means to be a Pretty. Unknowingly tracked, Tally is forced to decide to turn Shay in and become a Pretty, or remain silent and stay Ugly. The first in a series of 4 books, Uglies creates a world where beauty is challenged for the cost it exacts.

Unwind – Neal Shusterman

ISBN: 978-1416912040
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Just imagine: if you really annoy your parents they can have you unwound, retroactively aborted without any consequences and you have absolutely no recourse.
Summary: Imagine a world where parents can get really sick of their teenagers, decide they’re not right for their family and have them unwound; essentially harvested for organs. Now imagine that this is real. In Shusterman’s Unwind parents are within their rights to have willful, angst-y and just plain annoying teens unwound without any repercussions. When three teens scheduled to be unwound meet they begin to challenge the system, and the world, that can end their lives so easily. All they have to do is stay alive until they’re 18 and they’re free. Shusterman's novels always present reality in another light, and this is certainly one that does so well. Readers will find themselves alternately entranced and disgusted by the possibilities that Shusterman presents. For science fiction fans and those searching for a different reality.

Wake – Lisa McMann

ISBN: 978-1416953579
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 224
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Ever since she was a little girl Janie has suffered from being pulled into other people’s dreams and nightmares. She’s never understood her talent, but she’s controlled it until she meets Cabel, who has the most horrifying nightmare she’s ever lived through.
Summary: Janie lives a double life. She goes to school, goes home and works at a convalescent hospital to make money for college. She also is afflicted with the ability to see what other people are dreaming. This is not a static talent; instead Janie is forced headlong into whatever dream others may be having when she is nearby making childhood sleepovers impossible and high school overnight trips incredibly dangerous; not to mention idle teens who fall asleep in study hall. Janie has never revealed her ability to anyone until she meets a Cabel; a fellow high school student with increasingly disturbing dreams. This is a fantastic novel where paranormal meets romance in perfect harmony. The first of a proposed trilogy, Janie’s story will keep readers interested and eager for the next installment.

Wicked Lovely – Melissa Marr

ISBN: 978-0061214653
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 336
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Yes; first
Reader’s Annotation: Don’t look at the faeries, don’t attract the faeries and certainly, don’t let them know you see them. Aislinn does fine living by this strict set of rules until the Summer King starts courting her to be his Queen.
Summary: Aislinn lives by a set of very strict rules; don’t talk to the faeries, don’t attract their attention and don’t stare. Yet, when she starts being followed by two fairies, court faeries at that, Aislinn has to reevaluate the rules, and why she lives by them. With the mortal and faery worlds hanging in the balance, Aislinn must decide whether to risk her mortality and her best friend Seth, in order to save the worlds she is a part of. Cast with irresistible characters, faery intrigue, and unrequited and lasting love this is a fantasy world readers will be reluctant to leave.

What I Saw and How I Lied – Judy Blundell

ISBN: 9780439903462
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 288
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Evie is super excited to live the rich life on vacation in palm Beach Florida. When her parents meet up with Peter, a mysterious man from her father’s past, and Peter turns up dead, Evie must choose what and who she is going to believe.
Summary: Winner of this year’s prestigious National Book Award What I Saw and How I Lied is a tense exploration of one’s girls discovery of her parent’s faults. Set in 1947 fifteen-year-old Evie is desperate to break away from the little girl that her parents have kept her. A surprise vacation to Palm Beach provides this chance when her father, Joe, runs into Peter, an ex-GI that he served in the war with. What happened between these two men during wartime obsesses Evie until Peter finally reveals the truth. When Peter dies under mysterious circumstances, even to Evie, it is up to her to figure out the truth – and how to reveal that truth to others. A striking cover and page-turning voice will have teens picking this one up.

Wintergirls – Laurie Halse Anderson

ISBN: 9780670011100
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 288
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: No
Reader’s Annotation: Lia doesn’t know why Cassie called her before she died. And she certainly doesn’t want to know the last haunting words that Cassie left on her voicemail.
Summary: During the summer of 8th grade best friends Lia and Cassie talked about who would be the most popular in their new high school, who would have the best clothes and the best boyfriend and who would be the skinniest. In her most haunting novel since Speak, Anderson weaves a complicated tale about the dangerous relationship between two girls and their eating disorders. When Cassie dies, after leaving Lia 33 unanswered calls, Lia must reassess what their friendship meant, and if she really wants to be like Cassie. Interspersed with crossed out text and caloric counts, this novel travels into the mind of a young girl trying to become a perfect size 0. While the novel will be praised for its subject matter and honesty, this reviewer hears Melinda Sordino (Speak) in Lia too much. Instead of a new novel, Wintergirls seems to be the same novel with a different topic.

3 Willows - Ann Brashares

ISBN: 9780385736763
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 336
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: yes: first
Readers Annotation: When three best friends start to fall apart at the start of middle school, each must make a conscious choice to fight for their friendship.
Summary: Ann Brashares is on familiar ground with this story of three young girls. Polly, Jo and Ama met in third grade, but things change when you get older. During the summer before 9th grade each girl finds herself drawn to other friends and other activities. It seems the things that held them together for so long, are no longer the things that they each find important. Don’t think that this is a repeat of the Sisterhood series. Instead, this first title in a proposed trilogy deals with younger girls navigating a friendship that has already been lost. While Tibby and Lena make brief appearances, fans will be disappointed if they expect another round with the traveling pants. Aimed at a younger market, Brashares once again does a great job of naming that un-nameable feeling that teens are often faced with.