Suspense. What's creepier than getting a letter from a dead girl? Getting a package of audio tapes onto which that now-dead girl recorded her reasons for committing suicide--and learning that if you received the tapes, you're one of those 13 reasons. High school senior Clay Jensen, who had a major crush on Hannah Baker, is shocked when he hears her voice on the tapes he found leaning against his front door and can't imagine how he might have hurt her. Set aside enough time to finish this fast-paced read in one sitting because, like Clay, once you've begun Hannah's story, you won't be able to stop.

Fantasy. Manhattan private school freshman Kyle Kingsbury is the perfect guy with the perfect life--until he humiliates goth girl Kendra Hilferty. Kendra happens to be a witch, and she tells Kyle she's going to teach him a huge lesson...right before transforming him into a hideous-looking monster with fangs, claws, and fur! Kyle's only hope of breaking the spell is to find true love. This modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" is funny (Kyle commiserates with other victims of magical transformations in the "Unexpected Changes" chatroom), heartwrenching, and romantic. Fans of both fairy tales and realistic fiction will be bewitched.

Dark Urban Fantasy. When artistic, strong-willed Ondine, her new friend Morgan, and homeless drifter Nix are all invited to a secret rave in the woods outside of Portland, Oregon, they think it's just the party of the century. But after a cryptic ritual called the Ring of Fire, they learn that they were brought together there for a reason, and that each of them has a paranormal gift--and must choose between the human world and that of "the incandescent" fay, changelings from the fairy world. With its intriguing characters, gripping plot, and mingling of the supernatural and modern life, Betwixt will enchant fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels.

Fiction. Thirteen-year-old John Milton's crazy first year at an elite, all-boys boarding school in South Africa is captured prank by prank and fart by fart in this novel, written in the form of John's diary entries. At school, John gets a nickname (Spud, due to the smallness of a certain bit of his anatomy), realizes just how dysfunctional his parents are, becomes surprisingly popular with girls, and even falls in love. Spud is chock-full of quirky characters and laugh-out-loud moments and was a huge hit in South Africa, where it was originally published in 2005.

Fiction. Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas! After winning a small fortune from professional gambler Artie Kingston in No Limit (previously published as Stone Cold), 17-year-old Denn Doyle has moved to the Entertainment Capital of the World, where he's become a professional poker player. But since Denn fell in love with jaded dealer Cattie, he's been on a losing streak. Down from $100,000 to $97, Denn has to raise a $10,000 stake to play in a million-dollar, winner-take-all game hosted by none other than Kingston, his nemesis. For a pulse-pounding look into the down-and-dirty world of professional poker, bet on All-in.

Psychological Thriller. When the skateboarder who narrates this story (he never reveals his name) went to skate at "dangerous, sketchy" Paranoid Park for the first time, he was nervous--but psyched because he'd have something impressive to tell people. But now his whole life is a torment because he can't talk about what happened at Paranoid Park. It was an accident--self-defense, really; he didn't mean to kill the security guard. And since no one saw it happen, he can just keep his horrible, guilty secret...or can he? If you like getting inside a character's head, tortured though it may be, pick up this edgy, riveting read.

Fiction. Mackey and J. R. have been like brothers since fifth grade, and they're a formidable duo on the basketball court. Their ultimate goal is to play in a tournament at Harlem's Rucker Park, but just when they get their chance, J. R. is murdered--right on the court--and Mackey may be to blame. The tournament goes on and Mackey plays hard, wrestling with rage and guilt and trying to decide how to set things right. This book's intense, high-speed street ball action will keep sports fans glued to the pages, and its memorable characters and crackling suspense will score with mystery fans. Can't get enough hoop action? Try Walter Dean Myers' Slam! or David Klass' Danger Zone.

Fiction. On the morning of his high school graduation--after a disastrous prom night--Korean American Nick Park looks back over the past ten years of his life and tries to figure out what he's done wrong. Nick is a social outcast and has spent his entire life trying to be popular and obsessing over girls. He's the sole "Asian kid" in his Renfield, Connecticut hometown but only plays up his heritage if he thinks it will make him cool...like in third grade when he pretended to be a Kung Fu master. This hilarious story is set in the 1980s and is sprinkled with music and fashion references that will be fun for fans of the era of glam rock, new wave, and Swatches.

Nonfiction. Quick, don't think, just answer: what makes a woman beautiful? Have you ever wondered where your ideas of beauty may have come from? Does your definition of "beauty" make you feel good or bad about yourself? If you are interested in pondering questions like these, check this book out--it's by Audrey Brashich, who has written for magazines like Teen People, Lucky, and Cosmo Girl and is a former model, so she has seen the image factory up close and personal. She also has a Back Talk Blog where people who have read All Made Up can comment on and discuss it.

Nonfiction. Teen Voices magazine calls this collection of articles, essays, and interviews--all written and edited by young women--"absolutely fabulous!" The writings originally appeared in the (no longer published) magazine Blue Jean and cover topics such as volunteering and activism, speaking out, feminism, body image, ethnicity and race, and creating a 'zine or a film. Aspiring writers, politically inclined teens, and girls who want to read beyond the standard fare that most teen magazines cover will find a feast of food for thought in these pages.

Nonfiction. When Iris Jacob, the editor of this collection, read Reviving Ophelia and Ophelia Speaks (books about teenage girls' lives and struggles), she didn't see herself reflected in them. So, she wrote letters to friends, English teachers, and organizations nationwide to gather the poems and essays by teenage girls that make up this book. Written by young women who are African American, Native American, Hispanic, Asian American, or from multi-ethnic backgrounds, these short pieces tackle identity, love, family, friendship, sex, poverty, loss, beauty, and oppression. Don't miss this moving and powerful chorus of voices.

Nonfiction. Sex: whether you're thinking about doing it, have already done it, or just think about it, this fun book is filled with accurate and important information about sex for young women. From ways to keep from being pressured into having sex to sound advice on keeping yourself healthy and safe to factual information about anatomy, pregnancy, and...oh yeah, guys, Hooking Up covers a lot of ground in a tone that's more like talking to a sister or friend than being lectured to in health class. Endorsed by a team of medical professionals, this "funny, raw and incredibly honest" book can help you make wise choices about intimate relationships--and might make you laugh in the process.