I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Jazz's dad is a notorious serial killer who got caught because he started killing people in the small town where he grew up.

Jazz was raised by a man who shared the gory details of his killings. He taught Jazz how to be a killer and now Jazz struggles with those urges in every aspect of his life. For the past four years, Jazz's dad has been in prison and Jazz has lived with his grandmother, the woman who raised his father. She is no longer mentally stable (if she ever was).

When a body is found in a field, Jazz and the town must relive the killings of his father that brought them world wide attention. Jazz tries to help the sheriff (the one who caught his father) because Jazz knows how serial killers think. He knows this murder is not isolated. He knows that the killer is copying his dad's first murders. Jazz knows he can help catch this new murderer. But can he convince the sheriff?

Jazz is a victim of his circumstances. He is a tortured soul. He seriously doubts his own ability to control his urges to kill. He knows how to do it and get away with it. Jazz wants to catch the killer even at great risk to himself and those around him - maybe to prove to himself and others that he is not like his father.

Barry Lyga is one of my favorite authors, and he has created another memorable book that tackles tough subject matter.

For more information about this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the Barry Lyga's website.

Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Lucas and Tessa have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Now as seniors, Lucas is ready to profess his feelings for Tessa and ask her to the prom with a grand gesture that the whole town will see. Imagine his shock when Tessa confesses that she actually likes girls. It's bad enough that she embarrassed him but how could she keep this secret from him when they always shared everything.

It doesn't take long for everyone in town to know Tessa turned Lucas down AND that she recently bought a man's tux for the prom (she is hoping to go with her co-worker, Josie). People protest in front of her family's small store that is struggling to survive against the massive new store that came to town. Her locker is vandalized at school. She is taunted and pelted with food. Tessa can't even talk to her best friend Lucas because he is not speaking to her anymore.

The school tells Tessa she cannot go to the dance with another girl or dressed in boy's clothes. What will the school board decide when Tessa's family files an official protest? What can they do since Tessa states that she will go to prom?

Ultimately, this is not just about whether Tessa can attend prom; it is about being accepted by friends, family and society as a whole. Having grown up in a small Indiana town similar to the one in this story (although mine was urban and not rural), I can only wonder what the reaction would have been if two teens of the same sex had wanted to go to prom. It was a different time for sure. No one was openly gay in my school, but I have no doubt there was someone who dreamed of going to the prom with a member of the same sex.

Although this book has a lighter tone that it could have, this is a serious real issue for many. With all the talk of bullying among young people, there are too many adults bullying young people and encouraging others to do the same. I hope this book continues to raise awareness that people are more the same than they are different and that acceptance of others is a great gift.

For more info about this book visit the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Emily Franklin's and Brendan Halpin's website.

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

I really like Jordan Sonnenblick's books. This one was no exception. He writes about regular teens dealing with interesting problems. In this case, it is Peter who has more time on his hands now that he is no longer an athlete.

Going into his freshman year, Peter was planning on trying out for the baseball team with his best friend AJ. They switch back and forth as pitcher and catcher and together they were unstoppable. That is until Peter seriously injured his pitching arm during a game. He had been feeling the pain long before but ignored it and now he will never pitch a ball again (something he cannot bring himself to tell AJ).

Also, something is wrong with Peter's grandfather, but Peter promises not to tell his parents. Peter's grandfather, a professional photographer, has taught him all about cameras and taking pictures. One day when they are attempting to capture the image of an eagle in flight, Peter's grandfather blanks out and misses the eagle. Shortly there after, he gives Peter all his photography equipment. These blanking out episodes and memory loss are only getting worse.

The upside in Peter's life is Angelika who he meets in photography class. She volunteers them to be the sports photographers for the school paper, so they spend a lot of time together. They discover more about each other than the portraits they must take for a class assignment.

I'll admit that this is not my favorite book by this author, but I still like the story of a teen dealing with struggles with good people around him to help.

For more info about this book visit the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Jordan Sonnenblick's website.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

How do I describe this book? Let me start off by saying that I really liked it. I read it in less than a day which is kind of unusual for me. It is funny and quirky.

The narrator is Greg who is obviously writing the book (more than once he questions whether the reader will make it to the end of 'this stupid book'). Throughout the story, Greg is self deprecating to the reader and the other people in his life.

His goal throughout his school life it so go unrecognized. He has been successful at this by carefully navigating the different cliques. He makes himself acquainted with each one without becoming involved with them. This fragile network he has created is imperil when a girl he dated a long time ago (and treated badly during the break up) is diagnosed with cancer. Only the unrelenting urging of his mother could make him contact the girl, Rachel, to be her friend in her time of need. His senior year is turning out much differently than he planned.

And then there's Earl. Greg and Earl seemingly have little in common except for the movies they make together. They have been making them for years and admit they are not very good. Bad acting, terribly lighting, cheap costumes, homemade props all lead to a series of films no one else would want to see, and that is just fine because Earl and Greg both agree to never share them with anyone.

In addition to the typical format for a book, Greg often uses lists and a script format (to recreate dialogue). He deals with his own self esteem issues with humor that sometime works and sometimes gets him into trouble. Although Greg might not agree, he has an interesting life filled with intriguing characters.

For more info about this book visit the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Jesse Andrews' website.

Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk

Guy Langman's dad is dead, and he realizes he doesn't know much about him. His mother (much younger than his dad) doesn't talk about her late husband and knows little about his younger days. Guy does know that his dad made his money by inventing a valve for scuba diving equipment and finding a sunken treasure. His dad also said many interesting things, so Guy is going to write a book of his dad's quotes.

Writing a book would be very ambitious for Guy who generally doesn't do much of anything. He is interested in video games and girls, but that won't get him very far in life. His friend, Anoop, talks him into joining the after school forensics club. It doesn't hurt that Raquel is in the club.

How is this all tied together? Well, someone breaks into Guy's house and steals coins from the sunken treasure. He and his friends decide to put their newly acquired forensics knowledge to the test since the police seem uninterested in the case. Guy knows whoever stole the coins must be connected to his dad.

The 'mystery' is not the main part of the story. It is ultimately about a young man discovering more about his father and coming to terms with his death.

For more info about this book visit the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Josh Berk's website.

What Boys Really Want by Pete Hautman

This is the kind of book I really like - interesting high schoolers dealing with issues in a humorous way. I've been reading a lot of darker teen books lately particularly ones with dystopian settings. I needed a book like this to provide a break.

Adam and Lita have been friends for a long time, but a rift forms when Adam gets the idea to write a book. Being an author has long been Lita's dream, but she has recently gotten distracted giving out relationship advice anonymously on her blog instead of working on her novel. Adam has only ever been interested in money making schemes, so Lita is annoyed when Adam decides selling a book on what boys really want could make money.

The conflict and hope of teen relationships are dealt with throughout the story. Lita has been known to sabotage Adam's relationships because she knows that those girls are not really Adam's type. She tries to help her best friend Emily get the attention of Dennis (who is only interested in Blair). Lita meets grease monkey Brett who may be dating Blair even though she is showing interest in Adam. Don't worry, it all gets sorted out in the end.

Told in the alternating voices of Adam and Lita, both boy and girl perspectives are represented. It's a quick, fun read.

For more info about this book from the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Pete Hautman's website.

Tempest by Julie Cross

I like time travel stories, but it is often too easy to get lost in the potential paradoxes. That's why I think it is best not too give it too much thought as long as the author stays true to the story. This author avoids some of that by not allowing visitors to the past to change anything that affects the future (for the most part). The classic example of this is A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury where the smallest thing (like stepping on a butterfly) can have catastrophic consequences.

Jackson can jump into the past just by using his mind. At first he can only go back a few hours, a couple days at the most. As stated before, he cannot change anything, so if he were to kiss a girl in the past she would not remember it in his own time (or home base). If he injures himself, he does not return injured. In fact while he is gone, his home base self remains in a catatonic state. He tells no one about his ability except his friend Adam whose analytical thinking leads them to conduct experiments to test Jackson's ability.

It is the moment when something tragic happens to Jackson's girlfriend Holly that he jumps back farther than he has ever gone - two years in the past to 2007 and finds he cannot return to his own time. He can jump to the past but never beyond 2007. His many trips to his past lead him to suspect his father of living a secret life possibly as a government agent. He also takes the opportunity to visit his twin sister who died of cancer. Time travel is a physical strain for Jackson. It is also mentally taxing to discover so many things about the people around him and not be able to return home to rescue Holly.

I almost gave up on this book. I kept reading when Jackson decided to find Holly in the time before he had even met her. I was intrigued by the idea of Jackson meeting her and interacting with her when she was a younger and a less mature version of the Holly he knows. He also knows so much about her while she is just meeting him for the first time. The old saying is "If I knew then what I know now." That is what kept me reading - that Jackson can approach his relationship with Holly in a different way knowing everything he has learned.

The story has action and lots of twists and never gets to bogged down in some of the more confusing aspects of time travel.

For more info about this book from the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Julie Cross's website.

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Imagine waking up after 62 years no older than the day you went to sleep. The world has changed. The people you knew are dead. In Rose's case, she was put into a stasis tube when she was 16 and forgotten. She was lost to the world until her tube was discovered and accidentally opened.

Rose is the only living heir to a vast global company. Her existence will upset the balance of the company and displace some who may otherwise have been in charge. This notoriety only complicates her life.

Rose attends school, but doesn't know how to operate the technology. The classes are too overwhelming, particularly history class where she learns about the Dark Times that devastated the population and probably killed the people she knew. She has not close friends and would rather be drawing in her sketch book than attend class. Worst of all, she misses her best friend and true love, Xavier.

I felt this book started slow, but I recommend sticking with it. There are questions to be answered, like who sent the humanoid to kidnap Rose and why did her parents put her in stasis in the first place.

For more information about this book from the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Anna Sheehan's website.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I thought about reading this long before now. A movie adaptation is scheduled to be released in 2012, so I had been thinking about it again when someone donated a copy to the library. I read it over a weekend, staying up later than usual just to finish it.

Charlie tells the story of his freshman year in letters. At times, he has a worldly view of the things and people around him, but is also very naive when it comes to relationships. Fortunately, Charlie makes friends with two seniors who help him navigate the world of high school. He has experiences beyond anything he could have imagined.

The problem is there is something going on with Charlie - something in his family or past that may explain why he acts the way he does.

I did not lead a life anything like Charlie's, but the book did remind me of the times when I was in high school and the older kids were moving on with their lives at the end of the year. It was always a bitter sweet time even when it was my time to leave.

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

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

I don't recall ever reading a book quite like this. It is mostly realistic but has a touch of surreal bits thrown in. These bits come in the form of Lucky's dreams where he 'travels' to Vietnam to rescue the grandfather that never came home from the war. Lucky's dad never seemed to recover from growing up without his father and puts the MIA/POW emblem on everything. He also spends so much time at his restaurant that Lucky feels like his father is missing, too.

Lucky and his mom leave to spend time with her brother and his wife in Arizona after Lucky is attacked again by Nader, the bully that has been terrorizing him for years. Lucky has tried being friends with Nader and ignoring him, but nothing helps...except escaping with his missing grandfather.

Lucky's grandmother never accepted that her husband died in Vietnam and she asked Lucky on her deathbed to rescue him. So Lucky drifts off and visits his grandfather who lives in a constant state of being a prisoner of war. It could be just elaborate dreams, but Lucky always 'returns' with something physical on him like a makeshift headband or dirt.

Away from the bully and his dad, Luck and his mom try to sort things out in Arizona - a nasy face wound, a strange aunt, a sympathetic uncle and a beautiful rebellious girl are all part of the journey...and what about those ants that Lucky sees everywhere...

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