Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

"When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate... someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself." -Amazon product description

After reading, and loving, Jennifer Brown's debut novel Hate List I was eagerly awaiting another release from this great new author. Bitter End did not disappoint. Admittedly, it took me a little while to get fully immersed in the story. At first the story plays out in a fairly cliche fashion, but slowly it builds into a situation that is all too hauntingly real. Though I have never been in Alex's situation, I found her character to be very relatable.

This book, at times heartbreaking, leaves the reader asking themselves "What if?" or "What would I do if I was in an abusive relationship?". Due to the mature content, I would recommend Bitter End to older teen readers.


-Sam

Blood Ties (Blood Coven #6) by Mari Mancusi

WARNING: This recommendation contains slight spoilers, so if you haven't read the previous books & don't want to be spoiled, please read no further. If you don't mind slight spoilers, by all means continue :)

"Officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. When darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny must make a choice: stay true to her love, or defy him in a desperate attempt to save Jayden's soul.

Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up its toughest fight yet. They are going head-to-head with a splinter group of Slayer Inc. that's regrouping in Tokyo, Japan--still determined to take over the world.

In dark blood bars and hidden temples, it'll be vampires versus slayers in a showdown that could not only cost Sunny her heart...but also her life." -Amazon product description

This latest installment in the Blood Coven series was super fun! Clocking in at 231 pages, it's a pretty fast read. I'm sad that the next book Soul Bound (coming in 2012) will be the last one, because I would probably follow these characters forever. Full of hilarious, action packed scenes, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who needs a bit of light reading, and likes their vampires with a bite!

-Sam

Oldie but Goodie!

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (pub. 2008)

This sci-fi/dystopian book is one that I randomly came across online as being highly recommended. The premise immediately sucked me in and although I have about one hundred pages left to read, this is already one of my favorite YA dystopian novels. Part of me is sad I didn't discover it sooner! A sequel titled Unwholly is set to be published in 2012.
 

Synopsis: "In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives 'unwound' and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs---and, perhaps, save their own lives."

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

When a plane carrying contestants for the Miss Teen Dream pageant crashes on a remote island, the survivors face greater challenges than just finding food, shelter, and missing cosmetics.

Unbeknownst to the girls, the island is not deserted: its volcano houses a secret U.S.-government enclave involved in illegal weapons trading, and the cast grows further after some studly reality-TV pirates arrive on the scene. Outlandish? Yes. And there are characters that veer toward stereotype: take-charge Miss Texas, incognito-journalist Miss New Hampshire, and transgender Miss Rhode Island (who has a surprise under her sash), among others. But rather than letting the plot reel out of control, Bray, author of the Printz Award-winning Going Bovine (2009), spins this hilarious romp into an examination of femininity and feminism, sex and sexuality. And while they await rescue, the girls discover moving truths about themselves.

The text is interspersed with commercial breaks, contestant fact sheets, footnotes, radio broadcasts, and spoofs of reality TV and celebrity status, all of which add to the appeal of this sure-to-be popular title.

--Dobrez, Cind. Copyright 2010 Booklist Review

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The citizens of Chicago belong to five different factions. These factions all value different things. Abnegation values selflessness and therefore make up the government. Erudite values knowledge and intellect so they are the scientists, doctors, and scholars. Dauntless values bravery and fearlessness, which makes them the protectors. Candor values honesty, so that makes them good lawyers. Amity values peace, and though it isn't explicitly stated in the novel, I pictured them as being Amish-like.

Every year, the sixteen year olds from each faction participate in aptitude tests that determine which faction they are best suited. Once given the results and time to think, there is what is called the Choosing Ceremony where each individual decides to either stay with their birth faction, or abandon their old life to join a new one.

Sixteen year old Beatrice Prior was born into Abnegation. Her life has always been good -- her mother is kind and loving, her father holds a position of power in the city, and her brother Caleb is like her best friend. However, something has always been missing. Though she tries hard, Beatrice has never mastered complete selflessness. While she should only be thinking of others, she finds she thinks of herself all too often. On the day of her aptitude test, Beatrice's results are deemed "inconclusive".

In a world where everyone has their place, this is very very bad. 'Divergent' is what her examiner calls her, along with a warning that she should never tell people what she is, less she want to end up dead. Beatrice must then decide whether she wants to abandon her family and the only home she has ever known, or stay and hope to learn to be selfless.

I wholeheartedly loved this book. It's 487 pages, but is so fast-paced that it flies by in no time. By the end I was disappointed that I have to wait so long for the sequel! Roth paints a very vivid world, and it's also nice for anyone who has ever been to Chicago, because while being dystopian, the setting feels very familiar.

The main protagonist Beatrice is a fantastic character. She is very multi-faceted, relatable, and at times super badass. The central conflict of the story is very fascinating and I'm really eager to see how it will eventually resolve itself in the next installments. I also adore Beatrice's love interest. Definitely grabbing up the next book right when it comes out!

For fans of:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Claire
Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness
Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld 


-Sam