The Truth About Forever

By: Sarah Dessen

With her sixth novel, award-winning author Sarah Dessen offers up another helping of finely crafted storytelling about real teens dealing with real life. After Macy Queen's father's death, she tells people she's "fine" when nothing could be further from the truth. Macy feels lost when her boyfriend heads to "Brain Camp" for the summer, and puts their relationship on hold. She finds herself a job with the quirky Wish Catering crew, and discovers what its like to truly live life. Grief, fear, and love set the novel's pace, and Macy's transformation from striving for perfection to accepting fallible, emotional humanity is, for the right readers, as gripping as any action adventure.

Ages 12 and up

Rating: 7.5/10

Elsewhere

By: Gabrielle Zevin

After Liz is killed by a hit-and-run driver, she wakes up on a mysterious cruise ship and discovers she has died and is bound for a place called Elsewhere. Elsewhere is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death. This new "life" does not appeal to Liz and at first resists the customs of Elsewhere and buries herself in her own grief. Will the help of new friends and newly discovered family, finally allow Liz to let go of the only life she's ever known and embrace a new one? This fresh debut novel from Zevin will certainly attract you by the end of the first chapter. 

Age 12 and up

Rating: 7.5/10

The Noah Confessions

By: Barbara Hall

Does the author's name sound familiar? For all those fans of Joan of Arcadia and other TV shows written and produced by Barbara Hall, this book is for you! After receiving a less than exciting birthday present from her dad, Lynnie Russo ditches school and spends the day surfing with one of her free-spirited classmates. After her father learns what Lynnie has done, he presents her with a manuscript. "The Noah Confessions" is a combination memoir, love letter, and confession written by Lynnie's deceased mother, that reveals the kind of person her mother really was, the significance of her birthday present, and helps develop her understanding of why her father clings to her mother's memory. The Noah Confessions is an inspirational tale about how circumstances, choices, and sacrifices can shape lives and how events that occurred long ago can reverberate into the future. 

Ages 12 and up

Rating: 7/10

Blue is for Nightmares

By: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Boarding school junior Stacey Brown has nightmares too real to ignore. Determined to discover who is out to kill Drea, her roommate, Stacey performs a series of spells taught to her by her grandmother to seek out the murderer. Although the main character does practice spells and such, taken lightly, this spellbinding debut novel will attract mystery-lovers immediately. I enjoyed this book immensely, only to find that it was the first of a four volume series! The next three books in the series are as follows: White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance. After reading the entire series (which just got better and better!) I definitely would recommend this book to young adult readers who enjoy a good mystery. 

Ages 13 and up

8/10

Scorpion Shards

By: Neal Shusterman

This is the powerful first installment of a trilogy - The Star Shards Chronicles - that truly just blew me away. A contemporary fantasy thriller, but also packed with action, mystery, even romance. This book has it ALL! This novel is about six teenagers, each tormented by what seems to be an exaggerated adolescent affliction, come together in an epic journey and together try to stop a force that threatens to destroy them and the world. Followed by Thief of Souls and Shattered Sky, together these novels make up the gripping trilogy you shouldn't pass up.

Ages 13 and up

Rating: 9/10 

The Clique Series

By: Lisi Harrison

The Clique books are great! They are a comical representation of seveth grade drama. Claire Lyons is forced to move into the guest house of the most popular girl at OCD (Octavian Country Day). Massie Block and her "clique" rule OCD. Will Claire join their group or be shunned as an LBR forever?

3.6/5
12 and older

Pulling Princes

By: Tyne O'Connell

Calypso attends an all girls boarding school in Europe; definately far away from her parents in California. Although Calypso has never been able to make friends with the poular girls, she and her friend Star learn to make it through her first few years. When Calypso is assigned to room with the most popular girl in school, things might finally start to go her way.

This is a hillarious read about Calypso struggles between friends, enemies, and of course, a prince.

4.4/5
13 and above

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

This is my latest read.

I would not say it is appropriate for anyone younger than 14. There is some (ehm ehm) content that may not be good/understandable for young eyes and minds.
Synopsis: Virginia Shereves still has not been able to cope with her larger than normal "body type". Her best and only friend has moved to Walla Walla for the year. She is just starting to cope when a call turns her family's world up side down.

(wow... that sounds serious!)