#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil

Would you watch a brutal execution online? If you knew the person being killed was a convicted murderer, would that make a difference? If the government decided to build a 24 hour reality 'show' around inmates trapped on an island (Alcatraz 2.0) where they could be killed at anytime by one of the sanctioned executioners, would you watch? If the executioners all played a character who kills in their own unique style, would you? In this story, millions do watch. In this story, Dee never watched the show but she ends up on the island fighting for her life.

Years after Dee was kidnapped and escaped, her sister was killed in their home. Dee was wrongfully convicted of the murder and finds herself waking up in the maze of Prince Slycer, one of the executioners on Alcatraz 2.0. How did this nightmare come to life?

The Postman, the mysterious unseen man who created the prison and show with the full cooperation of the Justice Department, controls everything: who is killed when and by whom. The inmates live openly but are surrounded by cameras recording their every move. The executioners and inmates have online followers. No one dies off camera.

When Dee survives her first encounter with a killer, she becomes an instant celebrity and the person on the island with a target on her back. No one is supposed to survive a face off with one of the killers. That's not how Alcatraz 2.0 works. Can Dee trust the other inmates to help her survive until she can prove she was framed for her sister's murder?

A little mystery, some graphic violence and a little romance make for a quick read. Recommended for the twisted premise if for nothing else.

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

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

Two girls, one on each coast, are counting down the days until they start college where they will be each other's roommate. They e-mail each other to get acquainted and share more than just who is bringing the microwave.

Elizabeth lives in New Jersey, and even though all her friends are staying in state she cannot wait to leave for California. She wants to escape her beach town life and her mom and, who knows, maybe she will even get to know her dad who left years ago to live in San Francisco.

Lauren lives in San Francisco with her parents and her five younger siblings. Even though she is just going across the bay, she worries that her parents will not be able to deal with all the children without her. She has never had room to herself, so she was disappointed when she learned that she had been assigned a roommate.

A complication neither girl foresaw happening over the summer was boys. Yes, they each start dating - if that's what it is. Who wants to get serious over a guy when you only have a few months until you both go away? Just one of the many discussions that happen between Lauren and Elizabeth who find that sharing some topics through e-mail are easier than facing them in person and are sometimes more difficult when you really don't know the other person.

Each girl's story is told in alternating chapters, but is not entirely told through e-mails. We know what is going on with each girl including what they are not sharing with each other.

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

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

I was reading another book when this one came into my hands. I was just going to glance at the first page, but I continued to read. I cannot read more than one fiction book at a time, so I abandoned my other book and kept on reading this one.

Eve's mother is the incredibly wealthy and successful head of Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, a medical research company. We meet Eve just as she has be struck by a streetcar and had her leg severed and her arm crushed. She arrives at the hospital and receives treatment only to be taken away by her mother to the headquarters of her company.

In all the chaos, Eve meets Solo. He is there with her in the hospital, the ambulance and her new room. Is Solo her mother's intern? He's certainly too young to be a doctor. Is he some kind of genius? Whoever he is, Eve finds him annoying.

Solo, on the other hand, finds Eve intriguing. Yes, she is the boss's daughter, but she is so different than he imagined, so different from her mother who he despises. Solo lives at Spiker headquarters. He does odd jobs here and there, but basically has no significant responsibilities. That doesn't mean he is unintelligent. Solo has spent his free time exploring the whole building - finding all the exits, empty rooms and security cameras. At the right moment, he plans to expose all the questionable activities done by the company.

To keep Eve occupied, Eve's mother gives her a project - build the perfect boy. Using a sophisticated software program, Eve sets out to design Adam. Eve's best friend, Aislin, helps out (when she is reluctantly allowed to visit - Eve's mother hates Aislin calling her a 'drunken slut'). Even though Aislin's boyfriend is a drug dealer, Eve needs her best friend and helps her when she can.

There is much to ponder as the story unfolds: Why is Solo allowed to live in the facility? What illegal research is being done by the company? What is the purpose of making a fake perfect boy?

Some intrigue, some romance and a little sci-fi thrown in. Even though I was a little disappointed in the ending, it is an interesting concept. I hope the author's collaborate more.

For more info about this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin

It seems that every book I have chosen lately tackles some serious issues. This particular book follows two young men through the 1970s leading up to the time their paths cross in the early 1980s. Doug is a punk rock neo-Nazi who sees violence as a way of life. Jason is a gay teen thrown out of his house and living on the street. Neither has an easy path or supportive family.

The thread that holds their stories together is the question of how they will meet. For each chapter all we know is how much time it is 'before.'

This is based on a true story of Timothy Zeal and Matthew Boger who now give presentations about the experiences.

Click here for more info about this book from the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.