Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Rarely have I been so frustrated with the main character of a book. There were times I just wanted to take Alex aside and ask her what she was doing. I know she is in over her head and is truly a victim, butI just wanted her to realize it. But I am getting ahead of myself...

Alex lost her mom when she was young and her dad will not talk about her. She's knows her mom was heading to Colorado when she died, so that is where Alex has always wanted to go. She and her best friends, Bethany and Zack, have been planning the trip since they were young. Nothing will keep them from making the trip until Cole comes along.

Cole is the charming and handsome new student that Alex starts to tutor at school. He seems interested in Alex right away and before long they are dating. Cole is kind and gentle to Alex and their time together is wonderful, so she cannot understand why her friends do not like him. Overtime, Cole reveals he is verbally abusive and violent. Alex cannot reconcile the boyfriend she loves and the one who hurts her. "...I didn't understand how he could be punching my face one minute and telling me he loved me the next." Make no mistake, some of the scenes are brutal and hard to read.

What I really like about this book and author's other book the Hate List is how she takes us into the mind of someone in a difficult situation and shows the internal conflicts. There were times I was mad at Alex for denying the truth, but I was hoping desperately for her to open her eyes and find a way out.

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

Famous by Todd Strasser

Jamie wants to be a 'celebrity photographer' not just one of the paparazzi. She first gets attention after taking a candid photo of a former model in a coffee shop. She gains some fame herself when she appears in a New York magazine article. Her mother does not understand Jamie's 'hobby' even after one of her photos ends up on a national magazine cover.

Through her agent, Jamie is sent to LA to spend a week with a young star just out of rehab. Jamie will have exclusive access to the star's daily life, but is also restricted in what she can shoot. So what is Jamie to do when she finds pictures on her camera that she did not take and could damage the star's reputation. Should she sell the photo or keep her word to the people who are only using her anyway?

At a time when people are thrust into the spotlight (or seek it out), this story is a peek into the ups and downs of fame and celebrity. I personally do not know why anyone would want to be famous. This story did not make me change my mind, nor is it supposed to.

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

Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia lives in a dystopian society where everyone is watched and monitored. No one is allowed to make a decision for him or herself all in the name of providing everyone with a long, quality life. Cassia is perfectly happy with that. It is the only life she has ever known, and she has the potential to do well with the jobs and life she will be assigned to her.

Cassia is truly excited about attending her Match Banquet where she will find out the person who has been scientifically chosen to be the best partner for her. She will spend the rest of her life and have a family with this unknown guy. She has little doubt that it will work out because her parents are so in love and were well matched. It is only after the banquet that she begins to question her society and the officials. Events begin to reveal cracks in the seemingly serene existence.

On one level this is a dystopian romance, but it is also a science fiction drama. The setting is intriguing from the standpoint that you would hope you never have to live in such a place. There is also hope that one day these likable characters will be able to make their own choices.

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

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Asha and her best friend Carey are secretly planning a trip after they graduate. The problem is that any money they make working goes into their college funds. They come up with a scheme to sell t-shirts online promoting the 'Latte Rebellion' to raise awareness of mixed-race students. Before they know it, the rebellion takes on a life of its own. Students in their school and across the country are wearing their shirts and starting their own chapters based on the website's manifesto.

For Asha, the Latte Rebellion is a chance to do something important; for Carey is a distraction from her school work and other activities that will get her accepted by the college of her choice.

I picked this book because I was intrigue by the idea of students creating such a group. I was mostly pleased with the story, but the one thing that bothered me was that no adults took Asha seriously. She never tells her parents about the rebellion, but they do not seem to trust her on any level anyway. They also constantly push her academically. Maybe that is just how many teens feel, but it would have been nice to have one adult actively support her.

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

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Samantha is one of the popular girls at her school. She has all the privileges that go with it - looks, fashion, a group of friends, a cute boyfriend (that she hopes to get much closer to). On the night of the big party, Sam is in a car accident that ends her life...sort of. She relives her last day over and over again from the time she wakes up in the morning to the moment of the screeching tires.

She does not know how many times she will relive her last day. Will it go on forever or until she makes amends for something? She tries to do things differently each time.

Even though this book sounds like a ripoff of the movie Groundhog Day, it shares a similar premise and that is all. Sam knows she has been spared from death (at least temporarily, she thinks), but she does not know where it will lead. This is one of the best teen books I have read in the last few years. It is almost impossible to not wonder what will ultimately happen to Sam and how it will affect those around her.

Click here for more info about this book from 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.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

This is not a book I would normally read (fantasy is not my thing), but it was chosen for a book discussion group I was leading a few years back. I really did like this one and have recommended it often.

What I liked most is the main character, Princess Cimerone. She refuses to do all the princess things she is supposed to. She would rather learn magic and how to fight than marry some prince. She does not even get to choose her future husband. So...she runs away. She offers to be servant to a dragon who lives in a cave. All the other princess's who are serving dragons have done so involuntarily. It turns out the the princess is quite helpful to the dragon and the other creatures in her new home.

If you like this one, there are three more.

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

Hothouse by Chris Lynch

I was recently going on long weekend trip and was looking for books to take with me. It was unusual for me not to have any young adult books to read. I had thought about reading this one before, so I grabbed it off the shelf and took it. I didn't actually end up reading it until I was back home. That's good in a way because it is definitely not a light subject.

The main character, Russ, is dealing with the death of his father, a fireman who lost his life in the line of duty. His friend (more like used to be friends when they were kids) also lost his father in the same fire. Their dads were best friends to the point that they named their sons after each other.

Everyone in town is honoring the two firemen. Russ is getting free drinks and bus rides. His dad is celebrated at memorials and fundraisers. But for Russ it is almost too much to deal with. He just misses the guy he looked up to who worked odd shifts and made breakfast when he came home.

This story is not quite as sad as you may think, but there is a sense of foreboding. It's as if something else is going to happen.

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

You by Charles Benoit

Kyle is not who he used to be. He used to get better grades; now he thinks school is a joke. He used to have different friends; now he hangs out with the 'hoodies.' His parents used to treat him like they do his little sister; now they just criticize him all the time. Things are not all bad - at least he has Ashley and someday he will tell her how he feels so they might actually be a couple.

So where did it all go wrong? Kyle needs to know before time runs out. And how come there's so much blood?

I must confess that I wasn't sure about this book when I started it. The narrator's perspective took me a few chapters to get used to. Like Kyle, I wanted to know what was going on. We are also introduced to another character that made the book interesting enough for me to recommend it.

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

Kick by Walter Dean Myers & Ross Workman

Kevin has never been in trouble in his life, but one night he is arrested after driving a car into a pole. There are many unanswered questions about what really happened, but two things are certain - Kevin is thirteen and has no license. Fortunately for Kevin, Sergeant Brown steps in to see if he can help. He likes Kevin, but he is not sure Kevin is totally innocent particularly since he saw him lose his temper during an important soccer game. Ultimately, Kevin must tell the truth or go to juvie.

Walter Dean Myers' characters live in troubled worlds. He has written some incredible books. Fallen Angels is one of my favorites and tells the story of young soldiers in Vietnam. Monster is the story of a sixteen year old on trial for murder.

For this book, Myers teamed up with a teenager who wrote him an e-mail. They alternate chapters to tell the story of Kevin and Sergeant Brown. It's not as dark as some of his other books, but is a promising start for new author Ross Workman.

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