Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Darin Kennedy

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been retold and reimagined so many times. The tale of redemption reaches beyond the holiday season to remind us all to examine our own lives and ponder how we walk amongst our fellow humans. 

In this version, Carol is the 'Scrooge' of the story. She has many reasons to hate Christmas, but really no excuse for how she treats those in her life. Her parents and little sister died on Christmas day (which is also her birthday). She rarely thinks about the people who took her in, watched out for her, and gave her opportunities. She also lost her best friend just last year at Christmas time. 

Carol has lived with her aunt and uncle for teen years. They have raised her as the child they couldn't have on their own. She has not made it easy on them. No Christmas celebrating. Constant back talk and insults. Carol is aloof and bratty with them. She is completely ungrateful for everything they have given her. 

The story mostly follows the familiar pattern: visit from the ghost of an old friend followed by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. The story is updated and spread out over several days leading to the final ghost's visit on Christmas Eve. That is also the night of the big annual dance which turns out messier than anything Scrooge could have imagined. 

The author veers enough away from the traditional story's outline to keep it interesting while giving it a modern twist. The story itself will never grow old because there is always someone who is worthy of redemption. 

For more info, check out the author's site. 

 

Seton Girls by Charlene Thomas

If it's too good to be true, it probably is. And so the Seton Academy football team has had twelve consecutive undefeated seasons and trying for a thirteenth. Are the teams that good or is it something else...

Aly and her boyfriend are really outsiders in the Seton community. They are not rich and live farther away, but going to Seton is a dream. They have been readily accepted in the elite group. Part of that is J's ability on the football field and his destiny to be next year's starting quarterback.  

Cracks start to show when Aly's friend, Britt, accuses one of the football players of rape. Sides are taken. Friendships pushed to the breaking point. Besides, the football players can do no wrong. 

This book deals with a lot of issues, handling them with more subtlety and nuance than other stories. It could easily have taken the accusations of rape and made it the center of the story, but it is really just one symptom. The author never puts that issue aside, but she interweaves it with so much more that is happening with characters. For me, that is what makes this book stand out in a large field of dramatic teen books. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

After the death of her mother, Cecelia must go live in the small California town of Seaview with her grandmother Maura, a well known mystery novelist. Maura's first novel was based on a real murder in the town, and the subsequent movie was even filmed there. Since then, Maura's fame has attracted fans from all over the world to Seaview. Cecelia barely knows her grandmother and has never read any of her books. 

Cecelia is quickly befriended by the top tier people in her new school and learns much about the town's history. Being the granddaughter of the most famous resident gives her surprising notoriety. Sadly, one the girls in her new circle is murdered in a near copy cat of the first murder. In both, the high school girls were found in the school swimming pool on the night of homecoming. One had been crowned homecoming queen and the other wanted to be. 

Cecelia becomes obsessed with finding the murderer even at the risk of getting in trouble with the sheriff. She also begins to doubt if the real killer was found in the first murder. 

This small town known for murder is full of deception and secrets. Cecelia checks motives and alibis and finds almost everyone in town is a suspect including her friends.  It's a fascinating story with twists and surprises. I keep reading teen suspense books, and I really liked this one. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.