The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

As I write this, the news is filled with stories of prominent, powerful men being exposed as sexual harassers. For all the progress women have made, many men still treat women as objects, conquests and prizes. It feels as if we are currently having a shift in attitudes. Hopefully, this story can  help.

Last year, Lucy was raped at a party by some members of the football team, but no one would believe her. The law looked the other way. The boys are still free and continue to harass other girls. Lucy was persecuted so much that her family left town.

Grace has just moved to the same town and now lives in Lucy's old house. Her family move to Oregon from Kentucky when her mom was deemed too progressive to be the minister of their church. Grace finds Lucy's pleas for help scratched into the wood work in her bedroom and wonders what happened.

Grace finds Rosina and Erin at her new school sitting all be themselves at lunch and joins them. She asks them about Lucy. Erin doesn't want talk about it, and Rosina is tired of hearing about it. Besides, they both have their own issues.

Rosina spends all of her 'free' time working in her family's restaurant and babysitting the many young children of her family members. Her mom is constantly critical of her no matter what she does. And she is a lesbian in a school that is not so accepting of such things.

Erin is autistic. She is obsessed with undersea life and Star Trek: the Next Generation. They allow her to escape from the things in life that make her anxious. For all her mom has read about autism, she still does not seem to understand what Erin really needs sometimes.

Together, the girls decide (with some reluctance) to push back against the 'boys will be boys' attitude of the school and the town. The invite other girls to a meeting to talk about Lucy and their own experiences. The gathering leads to the Nowhere Girls, a group that includes members of every clique. The group decides action is needed to stop girls from being harassed. Taking a stand is a risk and often scary, but they know they are doing the right thing.

I hope this book empowers young women and men and helps educate them in the way we all should behave. That showing respect is something we all deserve. That no one is entitled to make others uncomfortable. And that physical interaction and sexual intimacy is about consent from both people involved.

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

Some Boys by Patty Blount

Grace was raped by Zac, the school's most popular athlete. No one believes her. To everyone, she is trying to ruin Zac's life. Her own friends turn against her. To everyone, she is a slut.

Grace could run (her mother wants her to study in Europe), but she will not let her life be dictated by others. She is going to dress in her dark clothes no matter how much attention she gets (against the wishes of her dad and stepmother). Grace knows the truth and even though the police will not do anything she will not let Zac and his followers win.

Ian, Zac's best friend, liked Grace. In the world of unspoken guy rules: since Zac had Grace, she is off limits to Ian. Besides, she is accusing his best friend of rape. Grace must have wanted it - the way she was dressed at the party, the way she was drinking and dancing. She didn't fight off Zac when they were off together in the dark. She let him take off her clothes.

Over spring break, Grace and Ian find themselves together all alone in the school cleaning lockers. Ian is there after suffering a concussion that may end his athletic career and scholarship hopes. Grace is being punished - more fallout from the rape. After all, it's always her fault.

Grace and Ian's story is a powerful one. He is torn between his growing faith in Grace and loyalty to his friend. She is forever facing the verbal assault of others while trying to out Zac for who he really is. Ian is confused and reasonable. Grace is strong and vulnerable. Lots of questions with no easy answers, but a story worth reading.

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

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

Four girls out for revenge. The football team has run the school for too long. The players get special exceptions with class work. They never get into trouble no matter how heinous the crime. They are treated like gods.

Well, enough is enough. When Liv and Melanie Jane are both dumped by their football player boyfriends at the same time, the secret of the List is revealed - some underclass players are forced to break up with their girlfriends or face the consequences on and off the field.

By chance the two girls find each other (and team up with Peyton and Ana who have their own reasons for disliking the football players) to beat the team at its own game - no, not football, the annual scavenger hunt. Losers have to walk on the field at homecoming naked.

The girls enter the scavenger hunt secretly (only team members are allowed). They are driven to get the sacred Football of '76, the good luck charm of the team. If they can just get the attention of the school and knock the team down a few notches...

We follow the girls on their hunt and learn the events leading up to it in flashbacks. Each girl tells her own part of the story. Liv is the girl with an undeserved reputation. Peyton is the shy girl who tries not to draw attention to herself. Melanie Jane has relationships with expiration dates - why be too serious at her age? Ana is the girl no one talks to - her reputation was cemented the night of the party that caused the split between her and Melanie Jane.

As they progress toward their shared goal, they bond with each other and address old wounds. It is a fun story with justice being the goal, but friendship being the result.

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

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

Quincey and Biddy have just graduated high school and are heading out on their own...sort of. Both are special ed students who are not able to live on their own, so they are picked to live together (an idea Quincey is not too happy about).

Arrangements have been made for them to live in an apartment over a garage on the property of a wealthy elderly lady named Miss Lizzy. Biddy will clean house for Miss Lizzy, and Quincey will work at a bakery. Both will be earning their own money for the first time in their lives.

Up to this point, their lives have been horrific. Biddy lived with her grandmother who called her retarded and generally treated her with contempt. Quincey was a foster kid, taken from her parents after she was hit in the head (causing her to be a special ed student). To say that both girls were poor would be an understatement.

This chance for a new beginning does not come easy for either young woman. Quincey is suspicious of people and readily snaps at everyone even when they are trying to be helpful. Biddy is scared of boys and worried that people will find out her secret. They both fear that Miss Lizzy will kick them out when she realizes they are nothing special to anyone.

This is often a sad and dark story told from each girl's point of view. Even though they have their secrets and limitations (for example, Biddy cannot read or write), they have talents and worth and now have the chance to prove it.

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

Fault Line by C. Desir

Ben didn't go to the party with Ani. Her friend Kate did, but she's not completely sure what happened. It was brutal and horrific and Ani will never be the same. Was she drunk? Did someone drug her? It was not like her at all, and no one knows who is to blame.

Ben meets Ani just before the start of his senior year. She was hard to ignore as she walked through the parking lot. Fortunately for Ben, Ani noticed him, too. Besides Ani's gorgeous looks, what Ben finds most striking is her directness. There is no BS with her; none of the typical games that Ben has experienced with other girls. The tension about sex is broken with Ani's straightforward personality.

There is no question that Ani was the victim, but rape has a way of making the innocent feel guilty. Ben blames himself for not going. Kate blames herself for not intervening. Ani just blames herself.

The aftermath can only be described as excruciating for all involved. Ben wants the old Ani back. He sees hints of her, but they are fleeting. He misses the playful, sexy girlfriend who he could talk to. But that Ani is gone, replaced with someone who only wants the physical and not the emotional connection.

This is not always an easy book to read. Everything goes from good to bad in one night, and there are no easy fixes. You can't be mad at Ben for not doing the right thing, because there is no obvious right thing to help Ani. It is a refreshing reminder that rape is not a crime for just the victim; it affects everyone in that person's life.

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

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

I often wonder why I am drawn to stories with dark premises. I don't have an answer. And it's not all that I read, of course. Part of me wants to go to these dark places because I know the world has many of them and I want to see the characters find their way out.

...so Leonard Peacock is planning to kill his former best friend, Asher, and then take his own life. He has it all planned out. He has a World War II P-38 that his grandfather took from a Nazi. He will use it for both shootings on this day - his birthday, that no one remembered including his mom (who he calls Linda).

On his last day, Leonard delivers farewell gifts to the people important to him. As he makes his deliveries, he hopes not to tip them off to his plans.  He's showing to many signs of a person contemplating suicide like cutting off his long hair. His elderly neighbor, Walt, is concerned. He and Leonard have bonded watching Humphrey Bogart movies. Sometimes they quote the movies at length and other times they do not need to say anything.

Leonard's favorite teacher, Herr Silverman, is also concerned when he receives his gift. He teaches a Holocaust class and is the only teacher Leonard respects. Herr Silverman makes a deal with Leonard that he hopes will keep Leonard alive.

This journey with Leonard is a difficult one. He is so matter of fact about his plans. He sees no worth in staying alive because of the pain he has experienced. You can only hope that Leonard will learn that his life will get better.

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

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak is a solemn, yet hopeful, story of a freshman girl named Melinda withdrawing into herself. Speaking is just too difficult sometimes. Remaining silent puzzles and frustrates her parents and teachers, but it is easier for Melinda than telling the truth.

She has never told anyone what happened at the end of the summer party. All that anyone remembers is that Melinda called the police and busted up the party. Now, even her former friends hate her.

Melinda finds some companionship in a new girl who knows nothing about the summer party, but Melinda just cannot be excited about the same things. She really finds school a bore. The only thing that interests her is art class and even it is sometimes an exercise in frustration.

There are moments of terror, too - when he is around (the one she calls IT). Just the sight of him would be bad enough, but when he speaks to her and even touches her it is too much to bear.

Her grades are awful and getting worse; she starts skipping classes; her parents do not understand what is happening and she can't tell them. She could just coast through her life, but when her ex-best friend starts dating IT can she really remain silent? It is one of many tough situations for Melinda.

I'm still asking myself why it took me so long to read this book. It is one of those landmark books that I have known about for a long time, but I never picked up. I'm glad I finally did.

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