March/April 2018: Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist, c2017
Love and First Sight
modern teen romance
born blind but chance to see now
sorting out secrets
great background research makes for
a true-to-life, witting tale
MM
February 2018: Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen, c2017
Wild Bird
by Wendelin Van Draanen
c2017
she’s hit rock bottom:
drastic measures will force her
to reach for her strength
desert survival story
of second chances and more
MM
January 2018: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, c2017
Words in Deep Blue
by Cath Crowley
c2017
unique bookshop home
there’s oceans of sorrow laced
with layers of hope
importance of love … and words …
marvelously underlined
MM
February/March/April 2017: Caraval by Stephanie Garber, c2017
Caraval
dangerous intrigue
a nighttime, magical game
loyalties tested
richly descriptive treasures
hidden in this fantasy
MM
January 2017: Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke, c2016
Wink Poppy Midnight
hiding in the woods
with three separate voices
twisting & turning
blurred lines of their obsessions
immersed in beautiful dread
MM
December 2016: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys, c2016
Dead Girls Society
deadly game of dares
someone knows their dark secrets
no choice but to play
psychological fiction
for fans of fast-paced action
MM
October/November 2016: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, c2015
Bone Gap
evil abducts her
bullied by unknown faces
beyond surfaces
a dreamlike reality
powerful & beautiful
MM
September 2016: Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung, c2016
Lucy and Linh
rich girls’ private school
keeping her true self apart
piecing together
deceiving appearances
needing to be acknowledged
MM
August 2016: The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore, c2015
The Weight of Feathers
escalating feud
mermaid scales & black feathers
slow, forbidden love
magical bloodlines mixed in
poetic, lush imagery
MM
July 2016: Defender by Graham McNamee, c2016
Defender
body found in wall
her dad may be the killer
when truth brings danger
down-to-the-bones mystery
realistic and chilling
MM
June 2016: One by Sarah Crossan, c2015
One
dreams of being teens
conjoined sisters facing one
impossible choice
prepare yourself for the tears
a sensitive portrayal
MM
May 2016: The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee, c2013
The Midnight Dress
small Australian town
morose Rose, outgoing Pearl
frail threads of friendship
mystical, eerie, lyric
mystery of missing girl
MM
April 2016: Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse, c2016
Girl in the Blue Coat
World War Amsterdam
girl looking for missing girl
web of Resistance
reluctant heroism
with realistic suspense
MM
March 2016: Swagger by Carl Deuker, c2013
Swagger
high school basketball
trapped between conscience, goals, &
a predator coach
Detailed play-by-play action
surrounds hard-hitting choices.
MM
February 2016: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, c2016
Salt to the Sea
haunted by their pasts
hurtling toward disaster
in hopes of escape
breath-taking, lyrical prose
of heart-wrenching tragedy
MM
January 2016: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, c2015
The Nest
wanting to help while
wicked, wicked wasps watch him
in worries' shadow
multi-layered tension builds
skin-crawling, sinister sting
MM
December 2015: Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly, c2015
Blackbird Fly
middle school meanness
misfit abandoned by friends
trying to fit in
learning to go your own way
remarkably authentic
MM
November 2013: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters, c2013
In the Shadow of Blackbirds
blue smoke & whispers
her first true love cannot rest
devil-designed year
ghosts amidst war, the flu, and
a spiritualism craze
MM
September/October 2015: Torn Away by Jennifer Brown, c2014
Torn Away
tornado-ripped town
redefining everything
rebuilding a life
love, loss, hope, & survival
deeply emotional, raw
MM
August 2015: Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey, c2014
Buzz Kill
small town USA
her dad's accused of murder
Can she solve the case?
fun, fun, fun mystery rolled
up in wit, sass, and spunk
MM
July 2015: The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson, c2014
The Prince of Venice Beach
noir surf, sand, & sun
street-smart teen turns private eye
dangerous choices
great characterizations
and unexpected endings
MM
June 2015: Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
Devoted
Quiverfull church; she's
courageously questioning
her one precious life
sympathetic characters;
honest, balanced, respectful
MM
May 2015: The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos, c2014
The Scar Boys
punk rock & guitars
burned, left feeling like a freak
self-confidence tour
a gritty coming-of-age
filled with music and teen angst
MM
April 2015: Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge, c2013
Coaltown Jesus
death in modern day
teen sees witty, wise Jesus
triumph of healing
sparse free verse novel with depth
fresh meditations on life
MM
March 2015: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt, c2013
Going Vintage
cyber-cheating ex
she swears off technology
to make life simpler
a cute, sassy heroine
learning to stand on her own
MM
February 2015: The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider, c2013
The Beginning of Everything
high school seniors mix
playing the expected part
remaking one's self
Great Gatsby implications
bookended by tragedies
MM
January 2015: Beneath a Meth Moon: An Elegy by Jacqueline Woodson, c2012
Beneath a Meth Moon: An Elegy
post-Katrina life
she slipped away so quickly
snagged in addiction
beautifully sorrowful
stunningly realistic
MM
December 2014: The Language Inside by Holly Thompson, c2013
The Language Inside
far from her known home
stressed, desperately homesick
challenging choices
wonderful mesh of cultures
told in perfect, precise verse
MM
November 2014: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund, c2012
For Darkness Shows the Stars
our past world shattered
misunderstanding secrets
Austen's Persuasion
in dystopian future
with a whisper of romance
MM
October 2014: She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick, c2013
She Is Not Invisible
fears for dad obsessed
blind teen searches foreign streets
making connections
coincidence history
bound in thrilling mystery
MM
September 2014: Dark Water Rising by Marian Hale, c2006
Dark Water Rising
Galveston, Texas
deadly 1900 storm
teen must face his dad
great historical details
based on survivors' journal
MM
August 2014: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, c2011
Between Shades of Gray
Lithuania
ripped from home without warning
veiled hope in her art
fluid, gentle prose tells of
Stalin's inhumanity
MM
July 2014: Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt, c2011
Okay For Now
late 1960s
faces many challenges
struggling to be more
tears and laugh-out-loud moments
you will cheer for this young man
MM
June 2014: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, c2014
We Were Liars
a summer idyll
slowly gives herself away
desperate measures
writing worthy of prizes
Splendid. Powerful. Tragic.
MM
May 2014: Orchards by Holly Thompson, c2011
Orchards
bullies' aftermath
depression and suicide
blame, grief, regret, hope
repercussions resonate
Japanese culture entwined
MM
April 2014: The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson, c2014
The Tyrant's Daughter
suspicion and fear
a girl half Here & half There
pits of betrayal
all too real, too close to home
a spot-on story. Awesome.
MM
March 2014: The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan, c2012
The Weight of Water
-- a foreign country
-- a Polish teen immigrant
-- tough bullies to face
powerful story told with
sparse, precise verse. Poetic.
MM
February 2014: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan, c2013
Counting By 7s
unbearable loss
cast of lovable oddballs
life's connectedness
heartbreaking & heartwarming
a story to rejoice in
MM
January 2014: The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable, c2013
The Wolf Princess
far Russian corner
dreams of cold mint diamond snow
discovering home
mysteries and adventures
modern, nostalgic, and wise
MM
December 2013: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz, c2011
Bluefish
real-life teen troubles
finding ways to be themselves
connecting secrets
tall, quiet, new-kid Travis
and sassy Velveeta star
MM
November 2013: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, c2012
Seraphina
an uneasy truce
humans, dragons, a half-breed
peace destroyer lurks
rich language weaves a perfect
Renaissance fantasy world
MM
October 2013: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick, c2013
Midwinterblood
future, past, return
say his name, his horns appear
from bloody to blessed
gothic vignettes of orchids,
sacrifice, eternal love
MM
September 2013: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, c2011
The Name of the Star
London boarding school
Louisiana teen sees
secret ghost police
romantic and sinister
Ripper mania thriller
MM
August 2013: Summer and Bird by Katherine Catmull, c2012
Summer and Bird
Up world and Down world
two sisters of the swan each
finding their own way
heart strings manipulated
through a wondrous fantasy
MM
July 2013: Incantation by Alice Hoffman, c2006
Incantation
Spain, Fifteen-Hundred
cocooned in secrets, betrayed
a million sorrows
breathtakingly beautiful,
painful, and dappled with hope
MM
June 2013: Bunheads by Sophie Flack, c2011
Bunheads
behind the glamour
intensely competitive
Passion or Romance?
insider details cast light
upon elite ballet world
MM
May 2013: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, c2012
Code Name Verity
Gestapo and spies
bravery torture truth ties
switch of perspective
amazing intensity
expertly crafted fiction
MM
April 2013: Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, c2010
Bruiser
words bruises and cuts
he's not what he seems to be
secret's costly price
hard-to-describe uniqueness;
a story that stays with you
MM
March 2013: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan, c2012
The Brides of Rollrock Island
seal-shaped land oft feared
misery and desire fetched
sea-hearts to ensnare
seductively strange folktale
of an awful loveliness
MM
February 2013: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, c2012
Shadow and Bone
the Fold, an unsea
unfolds her dormant powers
deception abounds
mesmerizing fantasy
where the Darkling's elite lead
MM