Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

-Amazon product description

This sequel to Beautiful Creatures takes the story of Ethan and Lena, and the history of Lena's Caster family, to a whole new level. Wrought with mystery and suspense, Ethan must discover the reasons behind Lena's strange behavior before her Seventeenth Moon. Which, at that time, will mean the difference between Lena returning to him, or being lost to the Darkness forever.

I really enjoyed this book. Like it's predecessor, it's pretty lengthy, but once you're drawn into the story it's a hard one to put down. I'm really looking forward to book three.

-Sam

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Seventeen year old Haven Moore has been having visions of places she has never been, and people she has never met. These visions are always accompanied by a fainting spell. Haven lives in the small town of Snopes City, Tennessee with her mother and grandmother. Her grandmother Imogen is a very strict Christian woman who believes Haven's visions are the work of a demon. Haven and her best friend Beau, however, believe the visions to be a sign that Haven is a reincarnated soul.

All of Haven's visions come from the point of view of a woman named Constance who lived in New York City in the 1920's until her untimely death in a house fire. Constance was head over heels in love with a young man named Ethan. Haven, through these visions, discovered that Constance must have been herself in a past life, and that now her soul in this life must find Ethan to be at peace. She believes Ethan to be a nineteen year old celebrity heir named Iain Morrow.

Now, it is up to Haven, with help from Beau, to discover all the mysteries surrounding her visions and Iain. This means escaping from her grandmother's careful watch and heading to NYC. But with a secret organization called the Ouroboros Society tracking her every move, this goal becomes even riskier to accomplish.

Filled with romance and intrigue, The Eternal Ones was a very original novel about a topic rarely explored in YA fiction. I loved it from the first page. It moves a bit slowly at times, but was surprisingly never dull. It also kept me guessing. I thought I'd had the plot all figured out early on, but it turns out I was completely wrong. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a kind of sci fi novel or just a good romance story.

Hmm... wonder who I was in a past life? :)

-Sam

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

Everyone has a secret. But Lucy’s is bigger and dirtier than most. It’s one she’s been hiding for years—that her mom’s out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame.

She’s managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they’d be disgusted by the truth. So, when her mom dies suddenly in their home, Lucy hesitates to call 911 because revealing their way of life would make her future unbearable—and she begins her two-day plan to set her life right.

With details that are as fascinating as they are disturbing, C. J. Omololu weaves an hour-by-hour account of Lucy’s desperate attempt at normalcy. Her fear and isolation are palpable as readers are pulled down a path from which there is no return, and the impact of hoarding on one teen’s life will have readers completely hooked.

-Amazon product description

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

There is not much I can say about the final installment of The Hunger Games trilogy without giving away key plot points. This novel was incredibly fast paced and exciting, even more-so than the first two installments. Suzanne Collins crafted a stunning world in which a war is raging. It's the Capitol vs. the Rebels, with young Katniss Everdeen at the forefront as their Mockingjay (a symbol for the rebellion).

Just when Katniss, Peeta, and all their allies and friends thought the Hunger Games were over, they find that they have become pawns in an even bigger Game. Only this time, the Game not only means the death of innocent people... but the future of Panem itself.

I cannot stress enough how much I adore this trilogy. Some of the best writing I've encountered in YA literature are within these pages. My only problem is I wish there were more than just three books, because I'd love to hear more stories about Panem (perhaps from the perspective of someone in another District?). If anyone has not read these books, I think I'd recommend them over everything I've reviewed on this blog thus far, and then some.

-Sam

Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

With her father imprisoned, 15-year-old Meredith thinks she could live out her high-school days safely, but when he is released early for good behavior, her security is shattered.

A popular youth baseball coach, her father has abused Mer as well as other boys and girls. With strict orders that he not be left alone with his daughter, he is returned to the condo complex where she and her mother live. In contrast to Mer's terror, her mother is giddy with delight at his return, and together the reunited couple plans to conceive another child. Yet in the shadows and stillness, Mer's nightmare begins anew.

This is a gritty, terrifying novel about a father's abuse of power and trust, and the way two different teens, Meredith and her paraplegic friend, Andy, deal with that reality. Although not explicit, the novel is honest in its telling. Admittedly sensational, Wiess' story is a page-turner that ultimately sends a startling message of empowerment that, while improbable, is extremely satisfying.

-Booklist review

Just like the book Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, some discretion is advised with this pick. While, like the review above stated, the book never gets too graphic, it still explores a very serious subject matter. It's quite a short read, and I was able to finish it in just a couple days.

-Sam

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

All who have read Eclipse know about the character Bree. A blood-craving newborn created by Victoria, Bree enters the fight at the conclusion to Eclipse and immediately surrenders. The Cullens, mainly Carlisle and Esme, see this as a sign that Bree could potentially change her ways and become adopted into their clan. The Volturi, however, have a different plan for the young vamp.

In this novella you're introduced to Bree and her clan of newborns when she is only a few months old into her vampire life. This book shows a different side to the vampire culture of the Twilight Saga. Ravenous and blood-thirsty, the newborns go about terrorizing Seattle.

If you like this series, but were disappointed with the lack of "vampires acting like vampires", I definitely recommend this book!

-Sam

Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

Karen DeSonne is used to pretending to be something she’s not. All her life, she’s passed as a normal all-American teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing – this time, as alive.

Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of anti-zombie regulations that have forced nearly all of Oakvale’s undead into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: betraying her love by becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is – because the consequences would be even worse than death.

-Amazon product description

This third installment of the Generation Dead series is probably my favorite thus far. It brought forth a whole different scenario in the zombie world, and showed many different sides of characters I never thought could change their ways. While this series doesn't have to be read in order, I definitely recommend all of them.

-Sam

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Str-S-d:
I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.

As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.

Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?

The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.

-Amazon product description

Without giving anything away-- I loved this book. It was fast paced and at some points I was genuinely scared for the characters. Wish You Were Dead is like the perfect blend of Law & Order: SVU meets Silence of the Lambs meets I Know What You Did Last Summer (a comparison made on the book jacket I definitely agree with). Supposedly this is the first installment of a "thrill-ology" by Todd Strasser, but I'm not sure as to whether the next couple books will be a continuation of this one, or two separate storylines. Either way, this book has a great storyline and is a pretty good mystery novel.

-Sam

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Regina Afton seemingly has it all. Her best friend is Anna, the head of the most popular clique in school; The Fearsome Fivesome, she has a steady boyfriend named Josh, and gets invited to the best parties. However, toward the end of her senior year, Regina attends a party that changes everything.

After entrusting her secret to someone she should not have, Regina's friends begin to give her the "freeze-out". This freeze-out isn't just a simple 'we're not friends anymore' type... this kind does damage. Constantly bullied and ridiculed, Regina longs for any type of friendship just so she doesn't have to feel so alone.

Enter Michael Hayden. Having lost his mother in a terrible freak accident the year before, and having been the subject of countless cruel rumors and pranks by Regina and her friends, he is reluctant to even speak to Regina. Like everyone else, he absolutely hates her. Can Regina find a way to win over Michael's friendship? Or is she just destined to spend the rest of senior year in pain... or possibly just end it all?

Some Girls Are is a novel that basically takes the premise of Mean Girls and kicks it into overdrive. It is very intense, sad, and sickening. The worst part, however, is that no matter how the scenarios are exaggerated, it is still rings true. Every school has that one clique that no one likes, but everyone has to pretend to worship for fear of retaliation. A fantastic book that will leave the reader with a sense of "Do Something". To anyone reading this review, if you or someone you know is being bullied, please please please seek help. No one has the right to treat anyone like garbage or make them feel useless.

-Sam

Runaway by Meg Cabot

Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself. With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can't explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year's Eve to look forward to, Em's reached the end of her rope. . .what's the point of even going on?

But when she discovers the truth about Nikki's secret, she knows there's only one person she can turn to.

Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved--since if he agrees, there's every chance that Stark Enterprises will try to have them both killed--this time, permanently?

Maybe it would be better for Em to just keep on running.

-Amazon product description

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.
But normal is one thing I'm not.

For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf. Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently. Definitely not normal.

And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying. As far away from normal as it gets.

-Amazon product description

The final book in the Darkest Powers trilogy was a fun, fast-paced read. I was glued from page one, and found myself becoming really invested in all the characters. At times I was even scared! I'm sad that this was only a trilogy, but the author, Kelley, is starting a new trilogy set in the same 'world' as the Darkest Powers and promises to have some of the characters make appearances. I'm looking forward to it :)

-Sam

Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

In the seventh installment of this twelve-part series, the fledglings and vampyres of the House of Night face some of their greatest challenges yet.

***SPOILER ALERT!***

After witnessing the death of her human ex-boyfriend and consort, Heath, in book six, Zoey's soul was shattered and fled to the Otherworld. Back in Italy, Stark and Aphrodite, along with Damien, Darius, Jack, Erin, and Shaunee, are racing against the clock to find a way to heal Zoey's soul. The solution for this problem appears to lie within ancient vampyre lore the gang is hesitant to investigate.

Meanwhile, back at the House of Night, Stevie Rae's attachment to the Raven Mocker, Rephaim, is growing with every moment they spend together. When, during a ritual to summon a very old spirit to this realm things go horribly wrong, their bond is made stronger than ever. Confused about these new feelings, Stevie Rae has to deal with the task of what to do with the rogue red fledglings, once and for all.

The House of Night series is one that greatly improves as each book is released. Filled with grand mythologies from both Cherokee and Celtic legends, it is a good twist in the increasingly stale vampire YA genre. I definitely recommend this series, and this installment.

-Sam

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Get this, I'm supposed to be starting a journal about "my journey." Please. I can see it now: Dear Diary, As I'm set adrift on this crazy sea called "life" . . . I don't think so.

It's been seventy-five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her. And she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone now, and she doesn't want to talk about it. They wouldn't get it, anyway. They wouldn't understand what it feels like to have your best friend ripped away from you. They wouldn't understand what it feels like to know it's your fault. Amy's shrink thinks it would help to start a diary. Instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia.

But as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past wasn't as perfect as she thought it was—and the present deserves a chance too.

-book cover.

I really liked this book and love Elizabeth Scott's writing style. She is an author that really knows how to get a reader into the lead character's head. Amy's story is heartbreaking and very real. Definitely pick this one up if you have the time!

-Sam.

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Logan is a high school senior living in the very small town of Boyer, Missouri. One day, something almost unheard of occurred -- a new student arrived. Sage Hendricks wasn't exactly the hottest girl around, but she was unique, pretty, and being new to town, she definitely stood out. Although Logan had just suffered a pretty brutal breakup with his girlfriend of three years, Brenda, he finds himself attracted to Sage. Little did he know Sage had a very huge secret... she was biologically male.

This was a very refreshing novel. I can't pinpoint any recent YA books that deal so heavily with the topic of transgendered individuals, and it is very eye-opening. Sage's experiences are extremely realistic and at times heartbreaking. This is definitely a must-read :)

-Sam

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

-Barnes & Noble synopsis.

Written almost entirely in prose, this novel was a very fast-paced read. Although quick, however, it was also very emotional. Anyone who has ever lost someone can relate to this haunting tale. The characters of Brooklyn and Nico are fleshed out very well, and this book even ties in with Lisa Schroeder's first novel I Heart You, You Haunt Me, which I would also recommend.

-Sam

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she’s determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for “completers”— www.through-the-light .com.

While she’s on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she’s not on the Web, Daelyn’s at her private school, where she’s known as the freak who doesn’t talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she’s waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she’s made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won’t give up. And it’s too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life…isn’t it?

-Amazon product description

Bad Blood (Book #4 of the Blood Coven series) by Mari Mancusi

Just when things have begun looking up for twin sisters Sunny and Rayne, being involved with vampires takes another life threatening turn. Sunny's boyfriend, head vampire of the Blood Coven, Magnus, has been ordered to take a blood mate. Hand-picked for him is gorgeous Oxford graduate, Jane. Sunny is saddened by this, but Magnus assures her that Jane will be nothing but a second in command. Prepared to just accept this new twist in her relationship, Sunny begin to grows suspicious of Jane. Together her and her sister Rayne travel to Las Vegas to investigate Jane and stop the blood ceremony that could lead to the downfall of the Coven...

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and I loved the character development of both Sunny and Rayne. Although you don't have to have read the first three books to understand or enjoy this installment, I highly recommend the series as a whole.

-Sam

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

It has been many generations since the Return. Gabry has lived a highly protected life in a small village by the sea called Vista. Her mother, Mary, is in charge of running the lighthouse and destroying all the Mudo that wash ashore during storms (Mudo is another word for the Unconsecrated/Undead). One day, through a lot of persuasion, she decides to join her friends as they cross over the Barrier in order to play around at the long-abandoned amusement park on the other side. The Barrier is the only thing that protects Vista from the Mudo, and with one split second mistake, Gabry's world is shattered.

With the help of friends, both new and old, Gabry begins a journey of self-discovering and tries to come to terms with not how, but why one should choose to live in a world surrounded by the dead. This companion novel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth left me breathless! It was filled with action, violence, romance, and a pretty deep underlying message. Everything I've come to love about zombie culture. I'm eagerly anticipating the third and final installment of this series (due out in spring '11). Read this if you're a fan of the first book, or just like reading a well written post-zombie apocalypse story.

-Sam

If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser

"WHEN YOU GREW UP IN THE PROJECTS, THERE WERE NO CHOICES. NO GOOD ONES, AT LEAST."

In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis.

DeShawn is smart enough to know he should stay in school and keep away from the gangs. But while his friends have drug money to buy fancy sneakers and big-screen TVs, DeShawn's family can barely afford food for the month. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry?

In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, award-winning author Todd Strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the ever-present shadow of gangs.

(book cover synopsis).

I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to fans of Todd Strasser (author of Give A Boy A Gun), or just to anyone who likes reading about different ways of life mainstream America isn't always aware.

-Sam.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Lately, even though I've enjoyed the books I have been reading, none (well, save for Living Dead Girl) have been as intense as The Chosen One. Set in a polygamist community, 13-year old Kyra Carlson has been breaking the rules. Once a week she goes out of her community to see her friend Patrick who owns a bookmobile service. Reading anything other than scripture is strictly prohibited. Kyra also sneaks off in the night to meet a boy named Joshua. They fall in love. Later, when the leader of their community, Prophet Childs, decrees he received a message from God saying that Kyra must marry Brother Hyrum, a man who is not only in his sixties, but Kyra's uncle, Kyra vows to run away. But can she bear to leave her family behind?

This novel reminded me of the news story that broke a couple years ago about the Fundamentalist community where the babies were being taken away from their mothers and all of this scandalous behavior was brought to light. It's a short read, but I was hooked from the beginning and I agree wholly with the quote on the cover: "The Chosen One makes the heart race, the teeth grind, and the brow bead up in sweat."

-Sam.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The little Southern town of Gatlin has never seen much change. Every year the town holds a Civil War reenactment, someone in the Snow family is made Queen of the winter formal, and being in the D.A.R (Daughters of the American Revolution) is akin to being royalty. Sixteen year old Ethan Wate dreams of getting out of Gatlin. He hates everything about his small town and it's social hierarchy. That is, until outsider Lena Duchannes moves into Ravenwood, the oldest, and supposedly most haunted, place in Gatlin, to live with her uncle Macon. As their friendship grows, Ethan discovers a side of Gatlin no one would suspect exists, and learns of certain forces and predetermined fates not of this world.

Beautiful Creatures is a fantastic debut novel. Though a little over 500 pages in length, once I got into the story, I was completely submerged and finished it in an, almost too short, amount of time. I'd recommend this book to all fans of the Twilight Saga, although I must say I enjoyed this story a bit more.

-Sam.

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Ellie is the type of girl who only wants to be loved. Her family life, though fairly stable, is usually void of emotion (such as her mother, who tries to be the perfect housewife, all the while alienating her daughter). However, Ellie goes about trying to find love in a very misguided way - by sleeping with any boy who shows interest. One night during a party, she sleeps with a boy named Josh and that action changes her life forever. Ellie ends up pregnant and, with the help of her best friend Corinne and new friend Caleb (a boy who just so happens to have been in love with Ellie since childhood), Ellie endures the toughest time of her life.

I really enjoyed this book. Told from four different viewpoints, it definitely kept me interested. I found myself relating to all the characters in some way. It also reminded me a lot of various people I know. The final paragraph even made me tear up!

-Sam

Sleepless by Thomas Fahy

Emma Montgomery has been having gruesome nightmares. Even worse, when she wakes up, she isn't where she was when she fell asleep. And she's not the only one. One by one the students of Saint Opportuna High start having nightmares, and sleepwalking. And the next morning one of their classmates turns up dead.

Something is making them kill in their sleep. Emma and her friends need to band together, to keep themselves awake until they can figure out what's behind the murders--before anyone else dies.

-Amazon product description.

In The Woods by Robin Stevenson

"When Cameron discovers a baby abandoned in the woods, he tries to discover whether his sister is the mother."

-taken from book summary.

This book is a real quick read (only 124 pages), but it is one that I enjoyed. It's plot is in the vein of the book After by Amy Efaw that I reviewed awhile ago, but this time it's a story told by someone other than the mother of the abandoned baby. It's a glimpse into the side of the story that is usually left untold. What do siblings think when something like this happens? Is family more important than the truth?

My only qualm is I wish this book had been longer! I wouldn't have minded following the characters for a hundred more pages or so.

-Sam.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

"Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.
Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.
Once upon a time, I didn't know how lucky I was."
-excerpt from book cover.

Living Dead Girl, though a mere 170 pages in length, is by no means a light read. This novel tells the story of "Alice", a fifteen year old girl kidnapped by a pedophile five years previously. Every day for the last five years she has had to endure unimaginable abuse at the hands of her captor, Ray. Every day she wishes for death - for freedom. Although a work of fiction, this book echoes stories we hear about every so often in the news headlines, and is all too real.

I read this book in less than a day, and although I do recommend it, I want to put a small disclaimer that it does get pretty intense and is at times a bit graphic. All things considered, I feel it is a book that tells a cautionary tale that needs to be read.

-Sam.

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly.

Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one—not even Julia’s boyfriend— knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can’t mourn Julia openly, and he’s tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia’s journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he’s desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

-Amazon product description.

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Super smart, overweight teen Cat decides to be the test subject for an experiment of her creation in one of her AP science classes. The experiment? Go 207 days living like the first humans (or homo erectus) used to live. This means giving up all technology (emergency items such as cell phone, and basic hygiene routines like showers not included), and eating a diet that consists of all natural foods.

However, when Cat begins to lose weight, suddenly she goes from nerdy tomboy, to ultra hottie.

I loved this book so much I read it in a day. It's a very relatable, funny, and fast paced book. I highly recommend this one.

-Sam.

Invisible i: Book one of The Amanda Project by Melissa Kantor

Where is Amanda Valentino? This is a question high school students Callie, Hal, and Nia have to ask themselves after being questioned by their vice principal on Amanda's whereabouts. Each student had been a best friend to Amanda... but none of them knew about each other until she disappeared. Through hidden clues left by Amanda, the three teens have to embark on a journey to not only discover where she is, but ultimately discover WHO exactly is Amanda Valentino?

It took me a few chapters to fully get into this book, but once I did I was completely gone. Being as this book is only the first in a series of eight yet to come, there is only so much information and plot twists they can provide, but I must say it was enough! I loved this book and am so excited it's the start to a new series I can spend countless hours reading.

-Sam.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Each year the Capitol, head of the nation of Panem (formerly known as North America), forces each of its twelve districts to send one boy and girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to compete in the Hunger Games. Designed to horrify the districts into submission, the Games are a televised gladiatorial fight. Contestants must kill or be killed, but the winner is awarded fame, wealth, and honor for their district. When Katness Everdeen's twelve-year-old sister is chosen as District 12's tribute, Katniss steps forward to take her place.
I would recommend The Hunger Games to anyone who enjoys dystopian stories or fantasy. The author avoids the worst cliches of young adult/teen fiction (like overwrought drama) and modern science fiction (such as environmental/humanitarian messages that overwhelm the plot). Most characters are well-thought-out, especially Katness; the author managed to show several different aspects of her character, and each felt genuine. However, the book's strength also accents its worst flaw: some of the most important characters seemed one-dimensional. Without spoiling the plot, I found the most important secondary character unsympathetic, almost boring, at a time when readers should care most about him/her. All in all, though, The Hunger Games is a pretty compelling book; I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

April

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lucius and Aurora are new students at their high school. They were both uprooted from their hometowns through very different circumstances. For Lucius, it was an explosion that he had caused which resulted in him getting his hands amputated, leaving him with metal hooks for prosthesis (because they were the cheapest option). For seemingly perfect Aurora, her mother had just died of cancer and together her and her father wanted to start fresh.

Although as different as can be, one glance at each other on the bus the first day of school sparks a chemistry between the two teens. Aptly deemed a "modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast", this story had me hooked from the first page (no pun intended).

-Sam

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
I read the Da Vinci Code earlier this year and I really liked it. I've been waiting to read the Lost Symbol since it came out, and I was really excited when my mom got it for me from the library.

The Lost Symbol is another race-to-the-finish book, just like it's predecessor. Robert Langdon is back, this time in Washington, D.C. After being invited to speak at a very important conference at the capitol building by a close friend of his - Peter Solomon, a prominent Mason -, Robert rushes to the Rotunda room of the building only to find that it's a setup. There is no conference - someone has taken Peter captive in order to find out all the Masons' secrets. In order to save Peter's life, Robert must team up with Peter's sister Katharine to find the secret of a mysterious pyramid said to contain knowledge that will give man the power to become enlightened, a god.

I definitely enjoyed this book. The enemy in it is like one I've never seen. He's almost super human from his extensive use of steroids and intense training. He's also clever and cunning, and is closely connected to Peter Soloman in a way that's hard to imagine.

It's so interesting to see Robert Langdon crack every code, explain conspiracies and secret organizations, and otherwise blow your mind. That's what I love about these two books: they make me think, and I learn about things that I would otherwise never know. Dan Brown is a magnificent author, and all his books are definitely worth reading.

You'll have to read the book to find out if Peter Solomon's life is saved and if Robert and Katherine can stop the kidnapper from finding out a secret so powerful that it could reveal knowledge that America has never seen before.

The book emphasizes how much knowledge we've lost. It tells us to read back in history - the ancient civilizations were much closer to our technology and ideas than we think.

Katie

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

In the glamorous city of Los Angeles, seventeen year old Charlotte Emerson leads a rich, charmed life filled with the most expensive clothing and food. She has traveled the world many times over. How has she accomplished such a task at such a young age? Charlotte only appears seventeen, but is actually a near century old vampire. When her best and only friend Emily dies from what appears to be suicide, Charlotte is beside herself with grief. Through mourning the loss of her friend, falling in love with Emily's boyfriend, and having to deal with the vampire who made her coming back into her life, her vampirism seems to be fading...
Francesca Lia Block has been one of my favorite authors for awhile now, and I absolutely loved this book. Compared to her other works, I would call this her most mainstream to date. I recommend it to lovers of the vampire genre, fans of Block, or anyone who enjoys a good romantic horror story.

-Sam.