Shackled by Tom Leveen

Pelly's friend Tara is gone. When they were ten, she disappeared from the mall. An innocent game of hide and seek has turned into a six year nightmare for Pelly. She barely functions from day to day. Having a stranger stare at her is enough trigger a panic attack. She never goes out at night and started smoking to help calm her nerves.

Working at the coffee shop has been a huge step in her recovery. If only she can keep her co-workers from discovering her issues (not made an easier since she stopped taking her meds and going to therapy). David, the co-worker who is nicest to her, saw her having an attack, so keeping her secret has not really worked out.

One afternoon, an older man with a teen girl comes into the coffee shop. Pelly knows the girl is Tara. The girl mouths 'help me' as they rush out the door. Not satisfied with the police response, Pelly decides to hunt down the man herself and free her best friend.

Pelly would do almost anything to find her best friend, but she cannot manage it alone so she risks bringing David along on her dangerous and suspenseful quest. It is worth the read to see if Pelly can save Tara and herself.

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

Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen

Confession time: I had crushes on girls when I was in high school. Big shock, huh? Did I ever tell them? A few times, but mostly I did not. I had no clue about talking to girls. But at least I didn't get totally obsessed with one like Tyler does in this story.

Tyler falls for a girl the first time he sees her in the cafeteria his freshman year. He is fixated on her and doesn't even know her name for a long time until another girl tells him. OK, two things - one, her name is Becky (not Becca); two, the girl who tells Tyler her name eventually becomes his girlfriend (and her name is Syd).

Now that might not be a complication if Tyler had gotten over Becky after he started dating Syd and if he had ever told Becky how he felt. He did neither and Syd knows it. Even Tyler's friends know how he feels. He goes through his whole time in high school and never tells Becky how he feels even after he becomes friends with her. And even when she doesn't live up to his imagined version of her, he still cannot stop his utter fascination with her.

It's a quick read with interesting characters - some you may even identify with.

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

Zero by Tom Leveen

Mike's eyes were the first thing she noticed. Even from his position up on stage behind the drums, his eyes were all Zero could focus on. She had never heard of Mike's band Gothic Rainbow, but they were good. Her best friend Jenn would tell Zero to speak to Mike. Jenn was the one with all the experience with guys. Zero had never really had a boyfriend. Too bad she was no longer talking to Jenn (putting an end to their plans of hanging out all summer until they left for college). 

Not that Zero's college plans had worked out. She'd been accepted to the Art Institute in Chicago, but failed to get the needed scholarship. No money meant staying in Phoenix and probably going to community college. It might also mean having to stay with her parents who did nothing but fight all the time.

Zero's summer takes a turn for the better when she decides to talk to Mike after the band's set. To her surprise, he is interested in her. He encourages her to pursue her art and go after what she wants like he is doing with the band. He wants a gold record and is working hard to get it. Gothic Rainbow is on the cusp of making it (at least in Phoenix). So if she wants to be an artist, she should go for it.

So she does. She takes a summer art class. She starts talking to Jenn again. She begins to appreciate her own curves instead of hiding behind baggy clothes. But things get messy again before it can get better.

Zero's hopes drive the story. He desire to get her life in the right direction keep things moving. She is a fascinating character that I cheered for and I hope you do, too.

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