The Secrets We Keep

by Trisha Leaver

Summary:

When Ella wakes up in the hospital, she can barely remember what happened. When everyone starts calling her Maddy, her twin sister's name, she remembers everything and more. Rather than face her own guilt about the accident, Ella decides to just become Maddy-who was always the better, prettier, more popular twin anyway. As the months pass, Ella has to decide whether or not it's better to come clean about being Maddy, or whether she should give up her own dreams to live her sisters forever.

Review:

A good quick read, it's one of several of the same theme that have come out lately. This one is slightly believable, but also not on a lot of levels. Ella ultimately comes clean with few real reprecussions, which is also a little unbelievable. Overall its good for anyone who likes realistic fiction that's not too deep.

Age Level: 8th Grade

Genre: Realistic

The Carnival at Bray

by Jessie Ann Foley

Summary:
When her mother falls in love, Maggie knows the cycle. It'll be great for a bit, but then the inevitable breakup occurs and after her mother falls apart and puts herself back together, life goes on. But this time her mother has gotten married and moved them from their hometown of Chicago to Bray, Ireland, a little town outside of Dublin. Now, away from everyone she has ever loved, especially her rocker uncle Kevin, Maggie might just learn something about love and loss herself.

Review:
Set in 1993, this book is a great illustration of both teenage life then and now. It was remarkable to me how little the book felt like it was set 20 years ago, before cell phones or the internet. The author does a great job of focusing on the characters and the interplay between them. Kurt Cobain might not be on too many teenage radars these days, but the book does a great job of illustrating just how important he was to many. Maggie's uncle's drug abuse is barely talked about, and his fairly horrid death is talked about briefly. It's suitable for slightly mature teens, and will mostly likely find it's main audience in older teens or adults.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

Summary:
If Cadence could remember her 15th summer, maybe things would make more sense. If she could remember, maybe her cousins would stop acting so odd. Maybe her aunts and mother would be ok. She had hoped spending the summer with everyone on their island would make things better. But remembering might just be worse than anything she could imagine. Maybe it's better to remain a liar.

Review:
I had read a lot of really positive reviews about We Were Liars, and as a result wasn't too optimistic about it being as good as everyone said. However I found myself pleasantly surprised by the title, and unable to put it down once I started. Lockhart has created a title with a shocking twist at the end. A great read for teens who like realistic mysteries, and who don't mind a tragic tale.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

Torn Away

by Jennifer Brown

Summary:
When Jersey hears the tornado alarm go off, she's not too worried. They go off all the time, and 99.99% of the time nothing happens. But she goes down into the cellar anyway, cause she doesn't want her mom to yell at her if she found out she hadn't. This time is not a false alarm. As the tornado recedes and leaves her town devastated, Jersey has lost everything and everyone she loves. Now, sent to live with relatives she's never met, Jersey will have to discover that there are some things you keep even when you thought you'd lost everything.

Review:
Author Jennifer Brown is known for her brilliantly written and poignant books, and this title definitely fits the bill. Jersey is a very empathetic character, and her struggles as she tries to move forward are heartbreaking. The relationships between the characters are believable. I thought the storyline with her stepfather to be extremely realistic and as such very difficult to read. The lack of sex or alcohol or drugs make this a safe bet for even younger teens.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7th Grade

Ketchup Clouds

by Annabel Pitcher

Summary:
Have you ever done something truly horrible? Something that no one knows the truth of but you? Something like murder? Zoe has no one she can tell about what really happened on May 1st, so she decides to write to a man on death row, because as murderers they share a common bond. As she tells him the story of the events leading up to May 1st we learn that not everything is as simple as what it seems. And that sometimes love can be deadly.

Review:
Written as an epistolary novel, Ketchup Clouds is a captivating book that is hard to put down til the end. Zoe is a eloquent and smart girl whose letters are both entertaining yet told without bias. She starts off each letter in the present before returning to the story of the events leading up to May 1st, which can be a little confusing at first. The story is one about unintended consequences and heartbreak, and will definitely stay with the reader. Best for slightly older teens due to the prevalence of drinking throughout, but a good read for anyone who enjoys a tragic romance.

Genre: Epistolary Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

Counting by 7's

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Summary:
Willow is a genius. She's also obsessed with diagnosing medical conditions, plants and the number 7. When a freak car accident leaves her orphaned, she finds herself alone in the world. But Willow has left impressions on many people she knows, and these people might just lead her to a new life if she'll let them.

Review:
Superbly written, Counting by 7's is a book that's both heartbreaking and uplifting. Willow is a person who would be difficult to become friends with in real life, but through the book the reader is able to really understand. The relationships she forms, without even realizing it, become the backbone that helps her stand again. She's a great character who demonstrates that even the little things we do can have a big impact on those around us.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7th Grade

Not a Drop to Drink

by Mindy McGinnis

Summary:
Lynn knows she has to defend the pond at all costs. Water has become a scarce resource, and without it her mother and her will not survive. But what's the cost of that survival? Killing everyone who comes near? Never interacting with others? When tragedy strikes, events will force Lynn to reevaluate what she knows, and force her to adapt in order to survive.

Review:
While similar to many dystoptians, this story of survival does stand out. Lynn is a strong character who has to change her way of interacting with the world in order to survive. While she does this a little too easily, it still comes off as genuine. The idea of water becoming extremely limited is interesting because it's a resource that many take for granted, so if it was suddenly gone it would be absolutely devastating.  It's a more rugged take on the dystopian, more focused on survival rather than taking down the society that remains. A good read for teens who like dystopians and end of the world survival stories.

Genre: Dystopian
Age Level: 8th Grade

The Loop

by Sandy Lawson

Summary:
Ben and Maggie are destined to meet, fall in love, and die together. There's no way of avoiding it, because they've tried to countless times. Stuck in a loop which ends in their deaths, they constantly relive their last days. But they've decided this is the last time, they will break the cycle. Even if it means they have to give each other up, they'll do it for their survival. But the loop is more powerful than they are, making it seem like the impossible.

Review:
A good quick read, In the Loop is a fast paced story about trying to outwit fate. The book doesn't dwell much on the intricacies of a time loop, making it easier to understand than going into any sort of depth about the concept. Maggie and Ben must use everything they have to break the loop, though the whole falling in love at first sight aspect is a little contrived. Overall a good read for anyone who likes a thriller, I'd peg it for a slightly older teen just because the repeated death scenes are a little much for a younger one.

Genre: Adventure
Age Level: 9th Grade

In the After

by Demitria Lunetta

Summary:
When the Florae invaded, no one was prepared. Most people were killed, and the few that survived did so in silence and alone. Amy and Baby communicate via sign language, surviving thanks to skills learned fast and a compound built by her parents to be self sufficient and protected. Until the day that they are rescued and find themselves in a protected fort with other survivors. Yet this rescue protects a bigger secret, one that will shatter the few things that Amy still believes in.

Review:
In the After is a well written dystopian. While inculcating typical elements (end of the world as we know it, strong female heroine who survives against all odds, rebellion against the establishment that prevailed), it brings in a slightly different aspect with the aliens. The twist at the end you kind of see coming but that doesn't detract from the books quality. A good read for fans of dystopian novels, not quite as good as Divergent and the like but with definite promise for the series. Good for those who liked  the 5th Wave.

Genre: Dystopian
Age Level: 8th Grade

Truly Madly Deadly

by Hannah Jayne

Summary:
When Sawyer's boyfriend dies in a car crash, she's full of both grief and relief. You see, Kevin wasn't that nice of a boyfriend. He was the kind that would intimidate her constantly, manipulate her, even hit her. But no one knew that but her. To everyone else they had a great relationship. But someone knew. And that someone killed Kevin for Sawyer, and they're coming for whoever hurts her next.

Review:
Jayne's novel is full of suspenseful twists and turns. At times you think it's going to be predictable, but then she hits you with another twist. Well written, this book will keep you glued to the pages until you get to the end. Definitely a read for slightly older teens, it reads like any great thriller.

Genre: Suspense
Age Level: 9th Grade

Someone Else's Life

by Katie Dale

Summary:
Rosie watched her mother die of Huntington's disease. She was her caregiver in the months that preceded it, keeping it a secret from friends. When she decides to get tested for the disease herself, because there's a 50% chance she's inherited it, she finds out that her mother was not really her mother. When Rosie decides to track down her real birth parents she finds that the truth is not always the easiest thing to find. She must decide whether the truth is worth destroying another's life, even if it has the power to save it too.

Review:
Huntington's disease is an absolutely terrible disease. For those at risk, the decision to be tested is one of the most difficult ones of their lives. It dictates everything they do, deciding life choices, whether to have children, to go to school. Rosie's story is heartbreaking, but she's a strong character who does not just whine and complain about her problems. It's a marvelous book about family and the power of moving on.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

In Honor

by Jessica Kirby

Summary:
Just days after Honor found out her brother Finn was killed in Iraq, she gets a letter from him. Now that the funeral is over, she's going to do what the letter asked. As she sets out to drive to California to go to a concert of a superstar that they both loved, she runs into Finn's best friend Rusty who decides to come with her, against Honor's protests. What starts as a journey to fufill Finn's last wish just might turn into a way for them both to heal a bit from losing him.

Review:
This book was fantastically written. Honor's struggles to both grieve and heal, to let herself live even though he joined the Army in order for her to go to college, are heartbreaking yet so easy to identify with. The characters are all well drawn and pull you in. It's a book that is extremely apt given how many people died in the Iraq war leaving behind their families. It's a great read for anyone who likes realistic fiction, though best for the slightly older set as it does feature some drinking.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

A Matter of Days

by Amber Kizer

Summary:
What if a virus mutated so that it was immune to all known cures? What if it was engineered to wipe out most of the population? It could happen. And it's what happened. It's now 56 days since the virus known as Blue Star was unleashed, and it's killed most of the population. Nadia and her brother were protected by a shot given to them by their uncle, one of the military's top doctors, before the virus hit but now are alone and must make their way across the country to their grandfather's compound. Not knowing if he's alive, and forced to avoid the gangs of people who survived, they must try to survive and figure out who to trust.

Review:
While there is a lot of post-apocalyptic type novels out there, Kizer's does stand out. Nadia and Rabbit are resourceful, but they get a lot of their knowledge about how to survive from previous lessons from their KIA military commando father and from books, which makes it more realistic.  They are smart kids who have to use their instincts on who to trust, and while they do have a bit of luck following them, generally the book is pretty believable. It's a good read for those who like disaster fiction, and will drive more than one teen to a book on survival preparedness.

Genre: Disaster Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade

The Program

by Suzanne Young

Summary:
Teen suicide has become a national epidemic. There's been no way to stop it, until the Program started. It was a way to help teens forget why they wanted to commit suicide, to give them a clean slate to start from. But in reality it stripped them of everything that made them them. It took crucial memories and left holes in their lives. Sloane's brother committed suicide. She's lost friends. She's been pegged as at risk by the Program, and it's only a matter of time before they come.

Review:
While the book's premise is about teen suicide, the book doesn't really address it in any real way. Suicide is viewed as a disease (like the flu, etc), which makes the book slightly less dark than it might be otherwise, though it is by no means a light read.  It is a bit of a departure from your typical adults making decisions that will negatively affect youth novel, it does hold to that premise fairly firmly. There is your rebel group working to subvert the system that adults are perpetuating in the belief that it will save the kids, your teen heroine who is able to beat the Program even though it's never happened before. It's well written and sets up well for a sequel. A good one to recommend to those who like Dystopian or novels with a heroine who stands up to the system.

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade

Prisoner B-3087

by Alan Gratz

Summary:
Jack Gruener was just like any 12 year old. He went to school, had friends, looked forward to his Bar Mitzvah. But he lived in Krakow, Poland in 1939, and the day the Nazi's invaded, his life was forever changed. This story, based on the true story of Jack himself, is the story of how one boy survived. He survived the Krakow ghetto and the uprisings and shootings that occurred there, to work camps to concentration camps. His is a story of survival under the most brutal terms, but also a story of the resiliency of humanity.

Review:
The story of Jack Gruener is one that truly moves a person. He survived the most brutal conditions at an age when he should have been playing or with friends. He lost most of his family, yet learned to continue on. The book does a good job of accurately portraying the politics of the era and the reality of life in the camps from the perspective of a 12 year old, and changes his perspective well as he ages. It is a great addition to any Holocaust book list. The story will really resonate with teens of both genders.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

In the Shadow of Blackbirds

by Cat Winters

Summary:
In San Diego in 1918, the deadly Spanish flu is spreading. Coupled with the fact that World War I continues to take the lives of so many young men, it's no wonder that many are looking to seances and spiritualism to cope. Mary Shelley Black has been sent to San Diego after her father was arrested for anti-war activities. After she finds out her best friend was killed in the trenches, his spirit begins to haunt her. For a girl that doesn't believe in ghosts, she is forced to find a way to help the boy she loved find peace.

Review:
As a native San Diegan, I was excited to read a book set in my hometown. The book was pretty accurate (at least from what I know) in describing the city as it was in 1918. While I was a bit skeptical about the spiritualism angle of the book, Winters writes in a way that makes it believable. The era the book was set in was wrought with change and terror for people. Between the flu and the horrors of the war brought about by changes in weaponry it is easy to see why people were so willing to believe in spirits. A good read full of interesting characters and history.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade

When We Wake

by Karen Healey

Summary:
You never know the last day of your life will be the last day of your life. For Tegan, it was just a normal day. She said bye to her mom, met up with friends, and went to a rally. And then she was shot. Which for most people would be the end of the story. But when Tegan wakes up in a government facility 100 years in the future she finds she was the first person to be cryogenically frozen and re-awoken. Now she has to figure out how to live in a society both similar and different to her own, realizing the future that she lives in is nothing like the future she had hoped for.

Review:
Healey has created a compelling tale that is both interesting for it's characters but also for the questions it raises. The book is a bit of a warning about our hopes for the future. The world Tegan wakes up in has severe climate issues, immigration policies, and economic problems have been exacerbated.  It's a sobering glance at what might happen, told from the eyes of a girl who had big hopes for the future. Tegan has to struggle not only with realizing that everyone she knows is dead, but has to move forward with a life in this new century. It's a good book for those that like semi-dystopian tales or books about climate change.

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade

Lucid

By Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Summary:
Maggie is an up and coming actress in New York City. She takes care of her little sister while her mom is at work, but for the most part she focuses on her craft. Sloane is your typical high school student living in a small town. She's got a family that loves her, but as the one year anniversary of her friend's death approaches, is finding it hard to cope with his loss.  What ties these two together isn't simple. You see, every night Maggie goes to sleep, and in her dreams, lives Sloane's life. And every night, when Sloane goes to sleep she lives Maggie's. Neither can remember when it started, but as their waking lives start to intersect they'll have to figure out who is living the real life, and who is just the dream. The only question is, can they do it before they both go insane?

Review:
Lucid kept me guessing until the very end. Both Maggie and Sloane are girls coping with issues they refuse to deal with. The problems are different for both of them, but at the heart of it deals with loss and moving on. Sloane suffered a terrible loss and didn't share the true extent of it with anyone, Maggie lost her father and still struggles to understand what happened. I had no idea who was actually the real person, and who was the dream,  until the very end. It's a great story about loss and the struggles we all have with dealing with it. Good for slightly older teens.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

Lucid

by Adrienne Stoltz

Summary:
Every night, Maggie dreams of Sloane's day. And every night, after living her day, Sloane dreams of Maggie's.  One lives in New York, struggling to become an actress, the other lives in a small town with her tight-knit family and dreams of the day she goes to college. Each wakes up as the girl she is, after spending their nights as the other. But as time goes by the lines between where one girl ends and the other begins is blurred. Only one of them is going to be able to keep going, but which life is the one that will fade away?

Review:
Cunningly constructed, Lucid alternates between the viewpoints of Maggie and Sloane. Both girls are well developed characters, which lives that are both fulfilling and lacking. What one has the other does not, for Sloane there is a loving family, but not the independence Maggie has.  Both girls have experienced the loss of  someone close to them, and both realize that their connection is not quite normal. The book gives an interesting perspective to mental illness, as well as to the barriers we put up to deal with our own issues. The book keeps you guessing til the end about which girl's life is the real one.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

Code Name Verity

by Elizabeth Wein

Summary:

When Verity is arrested as a spy in occupied France, she knows that the only way she will escape being tortured by the Gestapo is to collaborate. She knows that regardless at the end of her usefulness to the Germans she will be executed, so she might as well live out her last few days in comfort. The story she tells them is not just about her mission, but about two friends, Maddie and Julie. Two girls from different walks of life who might never have met but for the war. Whose fate is intertwined beyond what they even know themselves. For captured Verity and her pilot friend Maddie, trapped behind enemy lines, the mission of their lives may have only just begun.

Review:
Code Name Verity is one of the best books I've read in awhile. The book is full of intrigue, leaving the reader unsure til the end of the real motives of half the characters in the book. The more Julie reveals about herself in her writings for the Gestapo the more you wonder how she could become a collaborator.  The book has tons of twists and excitement, making it great for anyone who likes spy novels or thrillers.  I won't give much away, but it's definitely worth the read. (Full disclosure the book didn't completely grab me until about 100 pages in, and then I couldn't put it down). I would be cautious recommending it to younger teens just because of the torture scenes (they aren't terribly graphic, but because these things actually happened to people it might be a little hard for less mature teens to read).  Personally, the book made me wonder if I would ever have the courage to do what girls like this did during WWII.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 8th Grade