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