Five Survive by Holly Jackson

On their way to spring break in Florida, six friends find themselves lost on a country road in South Carolina. They are stranded with no cell service when all four tires go flat on their borrowed RV.  When a hole is shot the gas tank, they realize this was no accident. 

Red feels guilty. It's her fault they couldn't fly like everyone else. Plane tickets are too expensive for her. She lives with her dad who has checked out on life since Red's mom was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. 

They try to escape the RV, but the shooter will not let any of them leave until one of them tells their secret. Oliver, the oldest of them, is a natural leader. He always has a plan, but is not above putting his safety first. Still, no one is quick to reveal their secrets even with the morning deadline approaching. 

Imagine six young people trapped in an RV with the threat of being shot and killed if they leave. Friendships and loyalties are tested. Secrets revealed. Some will stop at nothing to protect their futures and reputations. You can almost feel the sweat in the cramped RV as anger and accusations fly. 

I realize my description does not include too many details. It would unjust for me to reveal too much of this incredibly suspenseful book where, as the title suggests, only five survive. Strap in and enjoy. 

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

The Truth About Everything by Bridget Farr

Lark wants to go to school. She feels like she is missing out by living isolated on her family's farm. Her dad doesn't trust the government. He has kept his family off the grid and stockpiled materials preparing for the end of the country as we know it. 

Lark is homeschooled (although not in any formal sense). She only knows what her dad has taught her - distorted and incomplete views of historical events and people. She can barely read (something her parents do not realize). She has been taught how to fix mechanical devices, grow food, drive a truck and motorcycle. But it is not enough.

Alex is Lark's connection to the outside world. He attends public school and exposes her to what other teens are doing. With his encouragement, she plots a way to attend the nearby Christian school. She knows her dad will be furious if he finds out. Her mother...she is mostly absent even though she lives in the same house. 

For the first time, Lark begins to question her dad's beliefs. She has real friends, learns biology, and eats forbidden processed food. Lark was ignorant of so many things - - the functioning of her own body, the tragedy of 9/11, the geography of the world. Once the door is open to her, it cannot easily be closed again. 

Well, you know not everything goes smoothly for Lark. How long can she hide the fact that she is going to school from both her parents? It's a difficult decision, but Lark takes the risk. You will be rooting for Lark and questioning her parent's decisions. I hope you take a look at this book. It is worth your time. 

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

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Alice Sun feels invisible at her school. Even though she is one of the top students, she always seems to go unnoticed. One day she literally turns invisible. The only person she feels might be able to help is her chief rival and all around golden boy, Henry Li. 

They both attend an elite private international school. Henry is one of the elite; Alice is not. Her parents have just told her that they cannot afford another semester so she will have to go somewhere else. Even though she has not always liked her school, Alice does not want to leave. 

In desperation to raise money, Alice decides to use her new power of invisibility to charge students for tasks that would otherwise be impossible. One such request is to retrieve racy photos from from an ex-boyfriend's phone. Henry helps her set up an app so others can contact her anonymously. Her roommate soon discovers her secret and offers to help out, too. 

Alice is normally a moral person, but the lure of money is too much. And that's just one of the issues weighing on her. She still considers Henry a rival who she can't quite trust. She also struggles to balance her new invisible activities with her school work. Also, she can't control when she turns invisible. 

I enjoyed this story which ultimately is about Alice finding who she really is. The fact that she turns invisible isn't really the point. She is dealing with the her choices and facing the question of how far she is willing to go just for her own desires. Very well done. I look forward to other books by this author. 

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

 

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. 
 

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Madison has kept a secret for a long time. Her father wants it that way. He makes her change her appearance and monitors her every move to make sure no one ever finds out. What would the people in their small town of Georgia think if they knew that Madison was bi-racial?

Even though everyone thinks Madison is white, she does not move through her school unnoticed. In fact, she is the target of bullying with her old clothes and quiet, loner status. After an incident that goes viral, Madison is exposed and things escalate quickly. 

Some of the popular kids blame her when they get into trouble for bullying so they amp it up. One girl wants to rectify her friends' behavior (although her motives are questionable), so she proposes that her black boyfriend (a popular member of the football team) ask Madison to the prom. 

One more thing: Madison begins to realize she has the power to move things and control fire with her mind. A skill that is dangerous and powerful (particularly when dealing with bullies). It also scares the hell out of father. 

This is an homage to Stephen King's Carrie with racism as a huge motivator. The town is so backwards that the white and black students have separate proms ("because that's the way it's always been"). The popular black football player has never bothered with racial issues not wanting it to effect his future in football, but Madison's presence starts to change that. Madison's father is so afraid people knowing the truth that he painfully straightens her hair and locks her in closet covered with pictures of beautiful white woman so she doesn't forget what she is supposed to be. 

The whole system is so messed up that no one in this town remains untouched by its racist past and present. Ultimately, they cannot escape the consequences either. 

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

All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick

Amanda and Rosalie are being threatened anonymously by the same person. The girls are not friends; they don't know each other. They go to different schools with no social connections except for one. They are both dating Carter Shaw, the golden boy of the town. 

Amanda and Carter are the couple at school. They have been dating for a long time, and will one day get married. That part of their lives has be determined. Carter's parents know it will happen, and Amanda's parents are depending on it. Amanda's family is strapped for money. They have debts, some accrued while trying to maintain their status after Amanda's dad had to change jobs. Carter's family has wealth and have influence, the kind Amanda's mom desires. 

Rosalie and Carter date in secret. Carter has cheated on Amanda before, so this is not new to him. Rosalie needs Carter as a cover to convince her parents that she is no longer attracted to girls. She knows it is not serious between her and Carter, but she just needs to convince her strict religious parents for a few more months until she and her girlfriend can go away to college and live openly as themselves. Her fear is that once she comes out, she will be shunned by her parents and never see her little sister again. The church is strict and has excommunicated gay people before. 

This book is full of people doing horrible things including the main characters. Amanda feels entitled and looks down upon some people. She assumes Rosalie is a horrible person. Rosalie is lying to Carter about her sexuality to use him as a cover. They only reason these actions seem justifiable is because both sets of parents are so toxic. Does it matter how Amanda truly feels about Carter? Her parents (particularly her mother) are more concerned about how they will be saved by the money. Rosalie's parents subject her to conversion 'therapy', and even move to a new town to 'save' from being gay. She is scrutinized constantly. 

Who is this secret blackmailer, and what do they really want? Amanda becomes suspicious of everyone including her closest friends when she is told to break up with Carter. Rosalie lives in fear of her parents finding out about her girlfriend. Are they targets or is Carter? Sometimes the answers are too complicated to piece together particularly for the young women being emotionally tortured by the blackmailer or the parents (I'm not sure which is worse).

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

 

People Like Us by Dana Mele

Another story about horrible events at a private boarding school. A death, a mystery to solve. Accusations, friendships shattered, nasty behavior, bullying. This one has at all. 

Kay is one of the 'in' crowd - that group of admired, but abusive girls who can get away with anything. She decided to reinvent herself when she came to the school as a freshman by literally making a big splash. As a senior, Kay is trying to get a soccer scholarship (her parents put so much pressure on her to perform). Things are going along fine until she and her friends find the body of a classmate floating in the lake. It gets messy from there. 

Through an email supposedly from the dead girl, Kay is blackmailed into outing the worst behavior of her friends. Kay has her secrets, too. She had done enough terrible things to others that she feels like she has no choice but to do what the email instructs. 

Kay is ostracized, accused, and betrayed. Weighing on her mind through all of this is her cheating ex-boyfriend who she still feels connected to, her total infatuation on her best friend Brie (who may feel the same), and the death of her brother and best fried. 

Nothing is straight forward in this story as Kay is pulled back and forth between her loyalties. Sometimes the people who seem the most guilty are the only ones who are nice to her and vice versa. It is an interesting and entertaining tangle for the reader. 

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

 

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe

A bank deposit should have been easy. OK, there was tension between Nora, Wes, and Iris. Relationships and lies will do that. Deposit the money in 20 minutes at the most, then sort out the other stuff later. Two bank robbers bring that all to a halt.  When the robbers don't get what the want (the bank manager here and now), it becomes a hostage situation. 

Nora is uniquely qualified for such a high stress situation. She spent her first twelve years helping her mother pull cons on unsuspecting (although often deserving) men. Nora's mother groomed her to play anyone to pull off the con to the point that Nora doesn't even know who she really is (her real name isn't even Nora). She was never allowed to just be herself. 

With the bank robbers pointing guns and making threats, Nora starts working on her plan to get all the hostages out. It's dangerous and risky, but that is how Nora has lived most of her life. If it weren't for her older sister rescuing her, she might still be pulling cons. 

A lot happens in this story. First, the interpersonal situation between the Nora, Wes, and Iris is always present and guiding what decisions they make in the bank. Second, the bank robbery and the criminals add the immediate danger and suspense. Third, the flashbacks of Nora's life with her family and friends fleshes out her motivations, knowledge, and emotions. It's a carefully written tale that surprises. 

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