“No matter how big my attempts to hide from my true nature, it still existed.
I was a machine, and a powerful one.”
~ from Debra Driza's Mila 2.0 |
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. CarlesonFiction. Once a princess living in a palace, 15-year-old Laila has become a refugee living in a cramped apartment. After her father -- the ruler of an unnamed Middle Eastern country -- was assassinated and his government overthrown, Laila and her family fled to Washington, D.C., under CIA protection. Laila is shocked not only by the cultural differences between the U.S. and her homeland, but also by the realization that her beloved father was actually a brutal dictator…and that her mother may secretly be working with his murderer. Written by a former CIA officer, this authentic, poignant, and suspenseful debut novel is sure to keep thoughtful readers riveted. |
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| Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan KuklinNonfiction. What are your PGPs? That stands for Preferred Gender Pronouns, by the way, and whether or not you know what yours are, Beyond Magenta will inspire you to think about gender in new ways. In this thought-provoking book, Susan Kuklin (author of No Choirboy) profiles six young people who identify as transgender or otherwise different from "male" or "female" labels. These candid, photo-illustrated interviews allow readers to get to know each teen through their own words. Diverse, funny, painful, and powerful, Beyond Magenta will appeal to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of gender identity and expression.
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| Cress by Marissa MeyerScience Fiction. Cress, a talented hacker with a long tangle of Rapunzel-esque hair, is a prisoner of the Lunar Queen Lavana. Trapped alone on a satellite for seven years, Cress is supposed to use her skills to track the fugitive cyborg mechanic Cinder. But instead of reporting on Cinder and her band of rebels, Cress helps them…and winds up joining their mission to prevent Lavana from marrying Emperor Kai and taking over Earth. This romantic, action-packed 3rd installment in the fairy-tale inspired Lunar Chronicles will leave you anxiously awaiting the next book, Winter, which is due out in 2015.
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| Panic by Lauren OliverSuspense. The high school seniors in impoverished Carp, New York, have an unusual graduation ritual: Panic, a survival competition designed to push each player to their physical and psychological breaking point. The winner takes home a huge cash prize, which motivates Heather to participate -- it'll take money to get her and her sister out of Carp. Her classmate Dodge, however, is playing purely for revenge. Blending bleak, white-knuckle suspense with strong characters and moments of hope, Panic is a "compulsively readable tale of friendship, loyalty, survival, and courage" (Booklist). For another gripping story of competitive risk-taking, try NERVE by Jeanne Ryan.
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| Faking Normal by Courtney C. StevensRealistic Fiction. From the outside, 16-year-old Alexi seems okay, but it's a carefully constructed act. Secretly, she's sinking deeper into silence and self-injury, terrified to tell anyone the truth about how she was coerced and raped last summer. Only Bodee, the awkward guy with the Kool Aid-dyed hair, notices that something's wrong. Bodee's father murdered his mother, so he understands a thing or two about what pain looks like. Can their hesitant friendship provide Alexi and Bodee with the honesty and support they desperately need? Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson will find it hard to put down this intense, moving, and realistically raw novel. |
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Mutants, Cyborgs, and Clones
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| Mila 2.0 by Debra DrizaScience Fiction. When Mila and her mother move to a new town, Mila just wants to make friends and fit in. But those hopes are shattered when an accident reveals the shocking truth: she's actually a military android with an invented past. Her mother, one of the scientists who created her, stole Mila when she developed human emotions. With ruthless forces already on their trail, Mila will need her human abilities as well as her combat programming to protect herself and her mother. Want even more of Mila 2.0's relentless, high-tech action? You're in luck -- it's the 1st in a trilogy, and a TV show is already in the works. |
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| The Lab by Jack HeathScience Fiction. Far into the future, the world is devastated by pollution, and the single walled city that remains is controlled entirely by the corrupt ChaoSonic corporation. The only hope for the downtrodden populace is the Deck, a secret organization that's sworn to take down ChaoSonic -- and whose best operative is Agent Six of Hearts, a clone created in ChaoSonic's lab. But Agent Six has just been captured. Readers fond of the high-octane action and suspense in James Patterson's Maximum Ride books or Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series will be glued to this "rock-'em, sock-'em thrill ride" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Origin by Jessica KhouryScience Fiction/Romance. Raised in a secret laboratory hidden in the Amazon rain forest, 16-year-old Pia was genetically engineered to be perfect, and she's being trained to lead a new immortal race. But Pia is curious, and since the scientists refuse to indulge her questions about the outside world, she escapes from the only home she's ever known. Wandering through the jungle, Pia meets a boy from a nearby village and begins to learn some startling truths about her captors...and about love. With a dystopian edge and lots of action, Origin is a good pick for fans of other blends of romance and SF, such as Gennifer Albin's Crewel. |
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| Altered by Jennifer RushScience Fiction. There are four teenage boys locked up in the lab beneath Anna's house, and none of them remember how they got there. As test subjects of the mysterious Branch organization, Sam, Trev, Cas, and Nick had their genes modified and their memories erased. While Anna's scientist dad has been studying them, Anna has become friends with them -- especially Sam. So after the arrival of Branch agents prompts the boys' violent escape, Anna feels compelled to join them in their search for answers about their past. If you're into fast-moving science fiction with plenty of surprising twists and romantic tension, you don't want to miss Altered and its sequel, Erased.
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| Partials by Dan WellsDystopian SF. Partials were engineered by humans to fight on their behalf, but instead the Partials unleashed a viral weapon that killed most of humanity. Now, even with mandatory pregnancy for surviving human females, no babies have been born who can resist the virus. Sixteen-year-old medic Kira is convinced that the key to immunity lies with Partials themselves, and her rogue mission to capture a Partial for study kicks off an adventure filled with medical intrigue, dirty politics, and paramilitary battles. Those who prefer dark, post-apocalyptic thrillers like Lauren De Stefano's Wither or Paolo Bacigalupi's The Drowned Cities will be fascinated by this gritty trilogy-starter. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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