The Lucy Variations

General YA Fiction

VG/A. Zarr, Sara. The Lucy Variations. Little, Brown and Company, 2013.  9780316205016 $17.99

Lucy was a piano prodigy until she walked off stage at a competition in Prague. Now that she has returned to a normal teenage life, she feels at a loss.She's not used to the school routine and feels like she has massively let down her parents' and grandfather by quitting piano. Then her brother's new piano teacher comes along. He's funny, cute and encourages her to start playing again, this time for herself. But when she finds out his intentions are not so pure, she must decide who to trust.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Escape Theory

General YA Fiction

F/A. Froley, Margaux. Escape Theory: A Keaton School Novel. Soho Press, 2013. 288 p. 9781616951276 $17.99

Devon feels connected to Hutch after a incident freshman year even though they rarely speak anymore so his apparent suicide is a shock. Using her new role as a peer counselor, Devon sets off to prove that Hutch was murdered. This is the first in a series.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew

The Ruining

General YA Fiction

G/A. Collomore, Anna. The Ruining. Razorbill, 2013. 313 p. 9781595144706 $17.99     

Ever since she was unable to save her younger sister from drowning, Annie has felt responsible for the death. Now she has a chance for a clean slate. She is heading to San Francisco to be a live in nanny for the well-to-do Cohen family, but all is not what it seems. A psychological mystery that takes a page from The Yellow Wallpaper and Gaslight, one can’t be sure what is real and what is hallucination.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew

The Madness Underneath

General YA Fiction

VG/A. Johnson, Maureen. The Madness Underneath. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2013. 304 p. 9780399256615 $17.99

Rory’s back after almost being killed by a ghost. As she struggles to keep up with her school work, she decides to see a therapist. She soon discovers that the school was built on top of a mental institution and the dead patients are coming back.

A compelling sequel to The Name of the Star.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew 

Not Exactly a Love Story

High School Fiction

G/A. Couloumbis, Audrey. Not Exactly a Love Story. Random House, 2012. 288 p. 9780375867835 $16.99           

Vinnie's parents are getting divorced and his mother has married his High School gym teacher. They have moved to Long Island right next door to Patsy, the hottest girl in school. Vinnie immediately develops a crush and tries to call her. What starts out as a series of awkward hang-up calls turns into an obscene phone call. The calls continue every night at midnight where Vinnie portrays himself as the smooth-talking Vincenzo. As they both open up, Vinnie realizes he needs to reveal himself but will Patsy still like him?

This book is set in the 1970s before Caller ID, cell phones and Facebook but teens still deal with the same issues of first love, bullying and abusive relationships.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children

High School Fiction

VG/A Cronn-Mills, Kirstin. Beautiful Music For Ugly Children. Flux Books, 2012. 288 p. 9780738732510 $9.99

High school senior Elizabeth is ready for a change. He has always known that he was a guy, Gabe, and with graduation behind him he can start being himself. He starts DJing a new, late night radio show on a community radio station, Beautiful Music for Ugly Children. As his fans grow and he starts appearing in public, the harassment begins.  At first it is just some guys from school talking smack but soon it turns violent and Gabe's mentor ends up in a coma.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

High School Fiction

G/M  Saenz, Benjamin Alire.  Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  Simon & Schuster, 2012.  368p.  9781442408920.  $16.99.

When Aristotle meets Dante at the public pool the summer before sophomore year they form an immediate friendship. It’s a tough summer though for the boys, first dealing with illness then a terrible accident and to top it off Dante’s family is moving to Chicago for the next year. When Dante returns home to Texas the following summer, their relationship is a little strained, especially once Dante comes out and admits he has feelings for Ari. The book deals with some heavy topics, including anger, loneliness and sexuality, which makes it more appropriate for high school students. Since there are not many realistic fiction books dealing with these topics and with an entirely Mexican-American cast, it would make a great addition to any library collection that serves that community. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Under the Mesquite

General YA Novel in Verse

VG/A. McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite. Lee & Low books, 2011. 240 p. 9781600604294. $17.95

Lupita is the oldest of eight children living in a Texas border town. As she begins her freshman year of high school, she knows something is wrong. Her mother is keeping a secret, she has cancer. While her parents travel for treatments, Lupita balances her budding interest in being a writer with running the household. Written in verse, Lupita tells her story simply and clearly.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew Library

Wolf Mark

General YA Fiction

G/A Bruchac, Joseph. Wolf Mark. Lee & Low Books, 2011. 392 p. 9781600606618. $17.95

Luke King is special but all he wants to do is blend in, be invisible. Ever since his mom died, he and his dad haven't been quite the same. His dad used to teach him all the tricks he learned in his secret special-ops jobs but now all he does is get drunk, or at least that is how it seems.

When Luke's dad calls him at school with a cryptic message, he realizes it was all for show. Luke's dad has been kidnapped and now Luke must embrace his destiny to save him.

A new take on werewolves, vampires and genetically engineered creatures.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew Library

Populazzi

High School Fiction

VG/A Allen, Elise. Populazzi. Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 400 p. 9780547481531 $16.99

Cara is starting a new high school for her junior year and her best friend Claudia is convinced that this is the perfect opportunity for her to reinvent herself. Claudia has the whole social hierarchy mapped out and a plan for Cara to climb her way to the top and dethrone the Supreme Populazzi, Trista, or at least be her best friend. There is a slight detour when Cara falls for her drama geek friend Archer but when he rejects her, it is full steam ahead. With drug use, underage drinking and sex talk, this title is for older teens.

A well written and funny look at high school social climbing.


Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew Library

I Am J

High School Fiction

VG/A Beam, Cris. I Am J. Little Brown, 2011. 339 p. 9780316053617 $16.99

J has always felt like a boy in a girl's body but no one else seemed to see. He finally decides that to truly be himself he must leave his old life behind. When the truth comes out, his friends and family decide to support him in their own ways. This gritty, urban story addresses some issues of transgender teens in a candid manner. There are many resources at the end of the text for transgender teens as well as parents and allies.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew Library

10 Miles Past Normal

High School Fiction

VG/A O'Roark Dowell, Frances. 10 Miles Past Normal. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011. 224 p. 9781411699582 $16.99

When Janie was was 9, being the "farm-girl" was totally cool but now that she's in high school it means sticking out for all the wrong reasons, like hopping on the bus with goat poop on your shoe. Things start to turn around when her longtime crush asks her to join the jam band that meets after school. Between the band and researching a local civil rights icon, Janie starts to find her voice and realizes that "normal" isn't all it's cracked up to be. Recommended for fans of Dairy Queen.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew Library

The Ghost and The Goth

YA Fiction

G/A Kade, Stacey. The Ghost and The Goth. Hyperion, 2010. 288p. 978-1-4231-2197-8. 16.99.

When Alona Dare gets hit by a school bus and dies, she doesn’t go peacefully into the afterlife. She’s stuck in the middle as a ghost where the only living person who can see and hear her is Will Killian, the weirdest loser at school. These two people who would have never been friends in real life now must rely on each other; Alona needs Will’s help to find the light and move on and Will needs Alona’s help in controlling all the ghosts that are desperate for Will’s attention and driving him crazy. Unlike most paranormal books these days, this one is a fun, light, quick read that is sure to entertain. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve