Love is....Complicated

Having just discovered that his girlfriend of three years has been cheating on him, 18 year old Logan Witherspoon is depressed. Spending his mornings waiting to glimpse his EX, exit the bus proves that things couldn’t get much worse. Pessimistic Logan thinks this is how he’ll spend his senior year of high school until he discovers the eccentric and captivating beauty that is Sage.
Entranced by her beauty and charm, they become fast friends until one fateful kiss and the discovery that Sage is really a boy. Frustrated and filled with thoughts of rage and confusion, readers will empathize with Logan as well as the alienated Sage. The two reunite as friends as Logan begins to understand and accept Sage for what she really is; a transgendered teen. As time passes romantic feelings emerge between the two and one fateful night while the two are away on a trip to explore the university both plan to attend in the fall, the two consummate their relationship. Logan is unable to deal with the budding relationship and again becomes uncomfortable. It a moment of frustration and fear he severs all ties to Sage. Sage is the victim of a brutal beating and Logan is left with feelings of guilt when she attempts to take her own life.
Readers will be able to learn from the experiences of Logan and Sage in a setting that is accessible and removed. While some situations should not be encouraged (Sage receives estrogen hormones from Mexico via the mail), much of the violence and sex is occurs off the page. Katcher creates very realistic character in both primary and secondary characters. While the nature of the story is intense, it will expose readers to the plight many transgendered individuals face in a way that is accessible.

One Summer, Two Brothers and Serial Killer

Told through multiple perspectives, this novel is intense from beginning to end.
The story opens as two brothers Jonah (16) and Simon (14) attempt to move their dead horse off the side of the road. Having left the shamble of a house for greener pastures, the two boys decide that their only future lies in Arizona. With only a few belongings and the letters of the letters from their brother Matthew serving overseas; the boys attempt to walk/hitchhike from the Texas/New Mexico border to their destination. As the boys begin their journey they are picked up by Mitch a free spirit with a murderous streak and Lilly a pregnant woman to California so that she can abort the baby. As the story progresses, the relationship between Jonah and Simon becomes further strained as Simon begins to act more and more like Mitch; until Jonah is pushed from a bridge as retribution for sleeping with Lilly. Now separated, Simon is aware of the monster he is riding with, and Jonah is determined to save his brother.
Smith deftly leads the reader through the twist and turns of the journey slowly releasing Mitch’s true intent as well as Matthew’s full story. All the primary characters are extremely well developed and while the ending is graphic and suspenseful. Reader come to discover that the true reason Simon and Jonah are headed to AZ is to meet up with their brother who is attempting to defect from the war, only to discover that Matthew committed suicide three months earlier. Smith attempts to juxtapose the mental breakdown of Matthew and the hopelessness he is experiencing in the war with the experiences of Jonah and Simon.
This novel is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, graphic scenes of violence are throughout the novel and readers are forced to unravel all the mysteries at the authors pace. This novel is excellent, but not for all people.

Victim or Hero....You Decide

The story opens as Valerie Leftman is preparing to return to school after a school shooting that left many dead and others including herself injured; perpetrated by her now dead boyfriend Nick. Readers soon discover that the list of targets was created in part by Val in the form of a Hate List; a list of all the people that have ever wronged her of Nick.
Each chapter is introduced by a newspaper-type article relaying pieces the events of the fateful day in May. As Valerie attempts to rebuild a life by returning to school she is forced to face blame and hatred over the event, loss of friendships, guilt over the shooting and loss of a first love. As the story progresses we learn that Valerie was unaware of Nick’s plan, yet feels responsible for the events that occurred. She attempts to grieve over her lost love all while learning to accept that these events were not her fault. Through the help of her caring psychologist and one of the intended victims, Valerie is able to move past the guilt and grief and become a stronger person.
Brown does not shy away from the graphic representation of school violence and creates realistic high school setting; before and after the event. Valerie and Nick are well drawn allowing them to be flawed yet in the same instance human. Brown does not vilify Nick for his actions, and allows reader to see him as Valerie had before the shootings and helps reader to understand her grief. While many of the adults are flat and underdeveloped they are not perfect either. Val’s mother has difficulty dealing with her daughter after the events, and Val discovers that her father is having an affair and still blames his daughter for the events that took place. Positive adults do exist and perhaps the most touching relationship in the novel is between Val and her therapist, an individual who understands her better than she understands herself.
At the conclusion, this novel will have readers emotionally raw, yet inspired and guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

'Roids are all the Rage...

Drug Abuse, Memory Loss and Murder....Oh MY

Love Takes a Beating.....

Rage: A Love Story

By: Julie Ann Peters










Peters has been nominated for a National Book Award previously for her stunning young adult novels, including Luna. The story of a young transgendered teen boy and his plight for freedom.



In this novel, Peters tells the story a good girl. A girl who follows the rules and does what everyone expects of her. Until she meets the rebel Reeve, a girl stuck in the closet...

Percy Jackson

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

By: Rick Riordan



Annotation:
Young boy discovers that the father he never knew is some kick-butt Greek God and that now he is in grave danger.

Summary:

In the first awesome entry into the Percy Jackson series, we are introduced to an average everyday kid who just happens to to find himself running for his life against a real life Minotaur, and this is just in the first thirty pages.

Riordan creates a realistic world in which greek Mythology in just a part of a much larger society. As society has had a cultural shift in which the United States has become more of the center of culture, Mount Olympus has
also relocated to the top of the Empire State building.

Children will appreciate the real world voice that Riordan creates with Percy along with his sense of adventure. Armed only with his trust pen/sword Riptide and a few good friends he will have to save the world before he is punished by a vindictive thunder and lightning weilding god for crimes he hasn't committed.

Speak

Speak
By Laurie Halse Anderson

224p
Puffin
ISBN-10: 0142407321
ISBN-13: 978-0142407325


Annotation:
A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.

Summary:

Perhaps one of the most compelling and haunting young adult novels ever written. Due to mysterious event that occurred near the end of summer Melinda is finding it harder and harder to speak. At times she complains that her throat hurts, or that her lips are sore, until she practically becomes mute. She has become sullen and withdrawn, her parent are always working and all of her friends have abandoned her, her only ally is the art teacher. Through his makeshift assignments Melinda slowly begins to lower her shields but will it be quick enough or will her silence be her death.

This novel as a level of depth that has withstood the test of time, told with a style that was unlike any other Anderson has created a work that will astonish teenagers, and adults alike. It is only after Melinda reveals all that had occurred at the end of summer bash can we as readers truly appreciate the depth of her revelation. Quite simply this is a novel about the abuses a teenage can suffer through and more importantly the ones they can inflict on themselves.

Heavy Metal and You

Heavy Metal and You
By Christopher Krovatin

192p
Push
ISBN-10: 0439743990
ISBN-13: 978-0439743990


Annotation:
A punk rocker falls for a girl not interested in sex or drugs and must make an effort to change.

Summary:

What happens when a guy with massive amounts of heavy metal music knowledge and a history of getting drunk and partying with his friends happens to fall head over heels for the quintessential “good girl”? That is exactly the premise in Krovatin’s novel Heavy Metal and You. How far would you go to impress the girl you "love"? Would you be willing to change your clothes and you attitude?

Sam is a good student, who knows a lot of about classical literature and is incredibly smart, he also loves heavy metal music and will often show up for class wearing a spiked collar. When he falls for the “straight-edge” girl Melissa who doesn’t drink, do drugs, or tends to like the people who do, it is up to Sam to “straighten” up.

Written by Krovatin in his late teens, this book is teeming with teenage angst. This book captures the essence of a guy’s book, perfect for the reluctant reader or the rock music fan. The characters are well developed and have a realness that is uncommon in many young adult novels. Readers will easily recognize aspects of themselves or people they know within the pages.

This novel does include sex, drugs and strong language, so readers beware.

My Sister's Keeper

My Sister’s Keeper

By: Jodi Piccoult

423p

Washington Square Press

ISBN-10: 143915726X
ISBN-13: 978-1439157268

Annotation:

Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body. .

Summary

For years Anna has had to endure countless surgeries, shots and blood transfusions, the problem is Anna is not sick. She was born with the sole purpose of providing her leukemia- ridden sister Kate with everything necessary to keep her alive. Anna has finally had enough, when her parents ask her to give a kidney to Kate, she refuses. The obstinate Anna then decides to seek the help of a lawyer to obtain rights to her body, even if that means a death sentence for Kate.

Picoult's My Sister's Keeper is a stark and emotional read. It forces readers to ask themselves what they would do for a loved one and more importantly, when is it too much. What does it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person, if you choose to do bad or selfish things does that make you a bad person? Young adult readers will delve into this situation perhaps with decisions already made and by the climax may have had a change of heart.

Soon to be a major motion picture, this novel will touch even the toughest of people.

Twilight

Twilight

By Stephenie Meyer

544p

Little, Brown Young Readers

ISBN-10: 0316015849
ISBN-13: 978-0316015844

Annotation:

When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.

Summary:

Perhaps one of the most popular young adult series in recent times, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight is single handedly bringing back the vampire novel. In this gripping romance seventeen year old Isabella Swan has just moved from sunny Phoenix, AZ to the rainy day capital of Forks, WA. Lets just say the weather is about the only thing she is fond of in Forks.

Bella quickly makes friends even though she is tragically uncoordinated and meets a mysterious student by the name of Edward Cullen. Her heartrate quickens and leaves her with one question , what is the secret about the Cullen Family. And so begins the Twilight Series.

Meyers has made a franchise of the vampire story, Twilight has now become a cultural boom, with movies and action figures in the works. This story has found an audience in the young and old, all are in awe of the relationship of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen.

Perhaps not one of the literary masterpieces, Twilight has found a comfortable home amound the fluff and will be entertaining readers for years to come.

Th1rteen R3asons Why

13 Reasons Why

By Jay Asher

320 p

Razorbill

ISBN-10: 1595141715
ISBN-13: 978-1595141712

Annotation When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

Summary

Truly one of the most gut wrenching and difficult stories to read in a long time. Clay Jenkins is a nice guy, a good guy. So why did he just recieve a box of cassette tapes from a dead classmate and more importantly why is he one of the reasons why she killed herself, and what can he do about it now?

These are but a few of the questions our protagonist must ask himself over the course of one night. As he travels around town, emersing himself in the life of Hannah Baker going places she went, listening to the experiences that caused her to take her own life is almost more that he can bare. Follow Clay as he tries to make ammends for whatever horrible deed he did and share in the torment as he tries to deal.

This novel is not for the squeamish. 13 Reasons Why shows the audience the importance of humanity is at the forefront of this novel. Hannah, Clay and all the other people on the tapes share a commonality and a bond that will never be broken. This novel illuminates the affect of small gestures and big embarrassments can have on a high school student. Sure to keep you up pondering all the subtleties for night.

Beige

Beige

By Cecil Castelucci

320 p

Candlewick

ISBN-10: 0763642320
ISBN-13: 978-0763642327

Annotation:

Katy, a quiet French Canadian teenager, reluctantly leaves Montréal to spend time with her estranged father, an aging Los Angeles punk rock legend. Dad's an aging L.A. punk rocker known as the Rat. Daughter's a buttoned-up neat freak who'd rather be anywhere else. Can this summer be saved? Now that she's exiled from Canada to sunny Los Angeles, Katy figures she'll bury her nose in a book and ignore the fact that she's spending two weeks with her father -- punk name: the Rat -- a recovered addict and drummer for the famously infamous band Suck.

Summary:

"Katy won't complain....Katy won't complain" Even though Katy doesn't want to be there, even though she feels abandoned by her mom, even though the Rat's place is a mess and he's not like anything she'd call a father,

Is she really the nice girl everyone thinks is she really "Beige" or is there a rough and rockin' punk persona underneath all that nice?

Teens will love this over the top novel about the punk scene in Los Angeles. Castelucci writes a funny and emotional novel about a girl who has to relocate and in the process may learn more about her almost always absent father and more importantly the woman she may become.

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods
By: Melissa De La Cruz


302p
Hyperion,

ISBN-10: 142310126X
ISBN-13: 978-1423101260


Annotation:
Select teenagers from some of New York City's wealthiest and most socially prominent families learn a startling secret about their bloodlines.


Summary:
A new trend of vampire novels are appearing in bookstores all across the country. Melissa De La Cruz's are perhaps one of the most interesting series on the stands. De La Cruz has melded the Gossip Girl Generation with the vampire genre, creating a combination that leaves you hungry for more.

The popular students at the New York's Duchesne School have a little secret, they are more beautiful, strong and intelligent than even they are aware of. When the students start to display their true tendencies, a power struggle is set to begin. A hipper band of vamps will be hard to find than the ones in Blue Bloods, not only sure you want to become a vampire, you are sure you want to run with Schuyler Van Alen and her posse.

Guitar Girl

Guitar Girl
By: Sarra Manning

240p
Puffin

ISBN-10: 0142403180
ISBN-13: 978-0142403181

Annotation: Molly Montgomery discovers that life as a rock and roll star is not all it is cracked up to be, and now she wants out.


Summary:

Molly Montgomery opens the novel by saying “I’m nineteen years old and being sued”. She is the lead singer of the British punk band The Hormones, a band who has sky-rocketed to success. One problem, Molly wants out! She has seen the effect of success has had on her band mates and wants no part of it. She has attempted to balance all that life has thrown at her for too long and now all she has to do is figure out how to escape. This novel walks us through the alcohol-laden celebrity parties, makeovers, and dirty backhanded deals with Molly leading the way, humorous situations and snappy banter,will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

Well written and filled with magazine type articles all about Molly, this novel will create a world its own, perfect for the teen who always wanted to be a rock star. Teen reader who are looking for a step up from the Sure to entice and entertain Guitar Girl keep you rocking out and begging for an encore.