“I’m done with those; regrets are an excuse for people who have failed."
—Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
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| Lair of Dreams by Libba BrayHistorical Paranormal. A veiled, blood-soaked figure stalks the dreams of 1920s New Yorkers, spreading a deadly sleeping sickness across the city. Yet flapper psychic Evie O'Neill (the "Sweetheart Seer") is only worried about keeping her name in the papers and partying hard enough to forget her past. But even as she tries to ignore the signs, Evie and her friends -- especially dream walkers Henry and Ling -- are drawn into a chilling paranormal conspiracy that extends farther than they'd ever imagined. To really get a feel for the intricate plot, historical slang, and diverse cast of characters in this 2nd book in the Diviners series, newcomers should start at the beginning with The Diviners. |
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| Legacy of Kings by Eleanor HermanHistorical Fantasy. Years before he becomes known as "Great," Alexander of Macedon is a 16-year-old guy with a loyal best friend, a malicious mother, and a desire to prove himself. With the vicious Blood Tournament approaching, Alex isn't the only one hoping to take control of his fate: several others -- including supernaturally talented Katerina and dogged competitor Jacob -- are drawn to the palace, motivated by ambition, revenge, or love. Inspired by real-life history but steeped in fantasy, Legacy of Kings (which kicks off the Blood of Gods and Royals series) offers intense drama, steamy romance, and lots of page-turning action. |
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100 Sideways Miles
by Andrew Smith
Fiction. Finn is used to people thinking he's a freak. First, his mother was killed in a bizarre accident involving a dead horse. Then his dad turned Finn into a character in his novel, which became a cult favorite. At least Finn's best friend Cade (a foul-mouthed, sex-crazed prankster) treats him like a real person. So does Julia, the fascinating new girl who's able to see beyond Finn's epileptic seizures and unusual habit of measuring time in miles. Even though 100 Sideways Miles features ghosts, a flash flood, and a wild road trip, it's the complex and satisfyingly weird characters that really make it a memorable read. If you're an outside-the-box reader looking for more edgy, absurd stories, try Libba Bray's Going Bovine.
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| Honor Girl by Maggie ThrashGraphic Memoir. Fifteen-year-old Maggie is totally unprepared when the usual lazy rhythm of a summer at Camp Bellflower for Girls is replaced with passion and turmoil. Unexpectedly falling head-over-heels for Erin, a 19-year-old counselor, Maggie feels the thrill of first love -- as well as the bitter frustration of hiding who she is from the deeply traditional camp community. Author Maggie Trash (who now works for Rookie magazine) shares her story with raw, tender honesty which, paired with her sketchy, informal artwork, gives Honor Girl the intimate feeling of reading a friend's journal. For another intense, captivating read about a life-changing summer, try Mariko and Jillian Tamaki's This One Summer. |
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| Everything, Everything by Nicola YoonFiction. Being "allergic to the world" makes it challenging for Madeline to have much of a social life. Since her severely compromised immune system prevents her from leaving her sealed home, Madeline spends most of her time with her mom, her nurse, and Tumblr. Then Olly -- funny, cute, persistent Olly -- moves in next door. As Olly and Madeleine get to know each other online, Madeline is smitten, bewildered, and ultimately determined to find room for love in her claustrophobic life, or lose everything trying. Short chapters peppered with drawings, instant message transcripts, and handwritten notes make the pages of this unusual and poignant romance fly by. |
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| The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn BarnesThriller. Cassie's unusual ability to get inside other people's heads has always made her feel like an outsider. So when the FBI invites her to join a secret team of "Naturals" -- teens whose special talents are ideal for criminal profiling -- Cassie can't resist…especially not after the Naturals investigate a series of murders with some terrifyingly familiar details. With a creepy mystery and a touch of romance, this gruesome crime thriller is a "stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book" (Publishers Weekly) that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next volume in the series. In the meantime, check out the more supernatural (but equally bloody) Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson. |
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| Nearly Gone by Elle CosimanoMystery. At first, the cryptic messages in the newspaper's Missed Connections column just seem weird. But math genius Nearly Boswell quickly is convinced that the messages are coded clues to the recent string of murders at her high school -- murders for which she's being framed. To prove her innocence, Nearly will have to use not only her math and science knowledge to decipher the killer's puzzling clues, but also her unusual ability to sense people's emotions through touch. Smart, edgy, and darkly gripping, Nearly Gone is a great pick for fans of supernatural thrillers like Lisa McMann's Crash or Olivia Samms' Sketchy. |
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| Dear Killer by Katherine EwellSuspense. The police call her the "Perfect Killer" because she never leaves evidence. Since London high-schooler Kit believes that "nothing is right, and nothing is wrong," she has no problem accepting murder requests from anonymous letters and carrying out her kills with flawless efficiency. She's so confident in her skills that she even flirts with the young detective who's assigned to the Perfect Killer case. And through it all, she has zero qualms...until she gets a letter asking her to murder a classmate. Suspenseful, blood-spattered, and full of creeping moral uncertainty, Dear Killer is sure to grab fans of Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers. |
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| Slice of Cherry by Dia ReevesFantasy. As the daughters of the notorious Bonesaw Killer, Fancy and Kit Cordelle have a taste for violence. Unlike their father (who's now in jail), the sisters know how to cover their tracks. In Portero, Texas, they've found a portal to another world, a magical place where they can creatively torture and kill their victims -- chosen from the town's most despicable residents -- without consequences. This shared slaughter bonds the sisters together until Kit's newfound romance with Gabriel, the son of one of their father's victims, threatens to tear them apart. Mature readers looking for grisly, fantastical horror will relish this "memorable and utterly twisted coming-of-age story" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan WellsThriller. Fifteen-year-old sociopath John Wayne Cleaver does everything he can NOT to live up to his potential. He assists his mother, a mortician, with the preparation of corpses -- and he lives by a hard-and-fast set of rules that keep him from adding to their number. But when a series of bizarre murders leads John to believe that a serial killer is preying on the people of his small town, he decides to put his own grim tendencies to work and track the culprit down himself. Similar to S.E. Green's Killer Instinct, this tense, gruesome thriller (written for adults) is hard to put down…and hard to forget. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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