Publisher: Kimani Tru
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780373831968
ISBN-10: 037383196X

Paranormal Mystery. African-American teen Krystal Bentley, rattled by her parents' divorce, is preoccupied with her unhappiness about moving from New York City to her mother's hometown of Lincoln, Connecticut until she meets Ricky. He's attractive and has a winning personality...but he was killed nearly a year ago. Floored by her newfound ability to communicate with the dead, Krystal soon meets others at her school who have supernatural powers, and together the new friends attempt to solve the mystery of Ricky's murder. This smart, romantic 1st volume in the Mystyx series will keep you turning the pages and have you eager for the next volume, Mystify.

First Chapter  

Scientific advances can be extremely beneficial...or, depending on how they are put into practice, truly frightening. Similar to Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go (and the current movie based upon it), all of the books below explore scientific breakthroughs that have been taken a few steps too far.

Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/05/2007
ISBN-13: 9780670061792
ISBN-10: 0670061794

Science Fiction. On New Earth, violence has been banned for generations and people live simple, near-technology-free lives--with one exception. Everyone settles quarrels (and tries to improve his or her real-life status and wealth) in a violent online role-playing game called Epic. Erik's father has been wrongly exiled by Central Allocations, the ruling power both online and in the real world. Determined to save his family, Erik creates a new character for himself in Epic--a female he names Cindella, who breaks all the rules...and thrives. Has Erik stumbled on the key to winning the game? If you enjoy this suspenseful, action-packed story that blurs the lines between science fiction and fantasy, be sure to check out its sequel, Saga.

Table of Contents  

Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A.
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/02/2007
ISBN-13: 9781599901190
ISBN-10: 1599901196

Science Fiction. In this fast-paced and thought-provoking story, the development of a wonder drug called Longevity, which makes humans effectively immortal, results in strict population controls: those who want the drug must sign a declaration saying that they will never produce children. If Longevity recipients break this vow, their sons and daughters, called Surpluses, are taken by the government and trained to be "Valuable Assets"--essentially, slaves. Anna, 14, is a Surplus who has been conditioned to believe that she shouldn't exist...but a defiant, newly captured Surplus named Peter is determined to change her mind.

Publisher: Henry Holt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 4/29/2008
ISBN-13: 9780805076684
ISBN-10: 0805076689

Science Fiction. Jenna Fox woke from a coma two weeks ago, but she doesn't remember the accident that nearly killed her. In fact, she doesn't remember being Jenna Fox, nor does she understand why her family suddenly moved to California and her parents dodge all her questions. Watching the many videos of her childhood, Jenna can't remember the moments they capture--yet she can recite information from her high school curriculum perfectly. She starts snooping, trying to figure out who she is and what happened to her...and eventually discovers her family's horrible secret. Now the question isn't "who am I," but "am I human?" This gripping exploration of identity and biomedical ethics is a must-read for fans of Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion or Peter Dickinson's Eva.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/6/2007
ISBN-13: 9781416912040
ISBN-10: 1416912045

Dystopian SF. Now that the Second Civil War (waged over abortion) has ended, the government has decreed human life inviolable. But the law allows parents to have their children "unwound" between the ages of 13 and 18--their bodies will be kept technically alive, but all of their organs will be harvested and "recycled." Troublemaker Connor has discovered his parents' irrevocable order to have him unwound and runs away from home. His story entwines with those of two other Unwinds who are desperate to escape: Risa, an orphan, and Lev, whose zealot parents conceived him as a tithe. Booklist lauds this pulse-pounding, horrific story for having an "ingeniously developed cast and premise," and Kirkus Reviews compares it to both 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Speak
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/16/2009
ISBN-13: 9780142412985
ISBN-10: 0142412988

Fiction. In this snarkily funny romance, a big chipmunk falls in love with a fairy-tale princess, even though each of them is already involved with someone else. No, this isn't some too-weird-to-be-true fantasy--it's set in the Magic Kingdom, and the characters are teens who, during an actors' strike, are hired to play the roles of such characters as Cinderella, Prince Charming, Mickey Mouse, and Chip & Dale. Narrated in alternating chapters by both Luke (aka Chip) and Ella (aka Cinderella) and offering a behind-the-scenes view of life as a Disney character, this novel just might make you believe that dreams really can come true.

Publisher: Razorbill
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/10/2008
ISBN-13: 9781595141910
ISBN-10: 159514191X

Fiction. Audrey Cuttler had no idea that dumping her boyfriend would make her famous. But when her erstwhile beau, Evan, poured his heartbreak into a song, it catapulted his band to the big-time--and, being that the song was written about Audrey, it dragged her along for the ride. How will she ever get a second chance at love now? Music lovers will appreciate the (actual) song lyrics that open each chapter, and readers who like great characters, snappy dialogue, and romance will adore this breezy and hilarious novel.

Publisher: Dial Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/13/2008
ISBN-13: 9780803732278
ISBN-10: 0803732279

Fiction. Best friends and high-school juniors T.C., Augie, and Alejandra all have the same English assignment: an essay titled "My Most Excellent Year." Each of them chooses to write about ninth grade, when--among other monumental happenings--Alejandra moved to Brookline, Massachusetts (where T.C. and Augie grew up practically like brothers), T.C. fell in love, and musical-theatre-obsessed Augie finally realized that he's gay. This quirky, emotional, and often quite funny novel--written in the form of instant messages, emails, diary entries, letters, and more--is "pure fun" (Kirkus Reviews).