Fantasy. With her one blue eye and one green eye, young Lady Katsa is easy for citizens of the Seven Kingdoms to recognize as a Graceling--a person born with an extraordinary magical gift. Katsa's gift is supreme fighting ability, and her uncle, tyrannical King Randa, has enlisted her to torture (and sometimes kill) those who cross him. But she despises doing her uncle's dirty work and has formed a council that works for justice in secret. Then she meets Po, a prince with a Grace equal to her own, who may convince Katsa that she can--and must--openly defy the King. This stirring tale of adventure and romance is a great choice for fans of the Twilight novels.

Nonfiction. In this powerful and eye-opening book, three death-row inmates who were sentenced as teenagers tell their stories--about how they ended up in prison and what their lives have been like there--in their own words. In addition to talking with these prisoners, author Susan Kuklin interviewed their families and the families of their victims (some of whom are opposed to the death penalty). Their thoughts are included along with those of anti-death penalty attorney Bryan Stevenson. For another perspective on life behind bars, check out novelist Jack Gantos' autobiographical Hole in My Life.

Fantasy. Six years after the events of Wildwood Dancing, scholarly 18-year-old Paula and her merchant father journey from Transylvania to Istanbul to obtain a mysterious ancient pagan artifact known as Cybele's Gift. But they aren't the only ones who want the relic, and their competition in the race to find it includes some dangerous people indeed. In the end it will be up to Paula, with her keen intellect and her connection to the Other Kingdom, to find the relic...all while managing the attentions of both her bodyguard and a flirtatious pirate. Cybele's Secret will leave fans of romantic fantasy breathless for more!

Fiction. Twin sisters Sydney and Lauren Duke live a privileged life in Atlanta's swankiest neighborhood and attend an exclusive, predominantly African-American private school. They're very different--prim and proper Sydney thinks that Lauren is a "superficial, scandalous drama queen"--but as much as they may bicker, the sisters really need each other now. Details of an unsolved murder from Hotlanta (the 1st book in this series) are coming out, and the Duke twins realize that they are connected to not only the victim, but possibly the murderer as well. With boyfriend troubles, scandals, and fashion obsessions as its backdrop, this lightning-fast read should appeal to fans of Gossip Girl or Honey Blonde Chica.

Graphic Novel. Dave works the night shift at 24/7 convenience store the Last Stop in L.A. But he's no ordinary minimum-wage slave--his boss, vampire Lord Radu Arisztidescu, turned him into a vampire to make him a better employee. So, Dave goes about his now-eternal drudgework (rotating the hot dogs, counting out the register), drinks pilfered plasma from the blood bank (he was a vegetarian before he was undead and refuses to kill humans), and longs for the love of Goth-girl Rosa from afar. But when sleazy, psycho surfer-vamp Wes sets his sights on Rosa, Dave realizes that he'll do anything to protect her. This fresh and wickedly funny take on vampire lit is sure to hold readers in its thrall.

Fiction. "At the funeral for Oliver's father I daydreamed about killing my own." So begins this story about 17-year-old Marcus and his younger brother Enrique. Their father beat Enrique mercilessly for years--and then took off. Floundering in the wake of anger that their dad left behind, ladies' man Enrique picks fights and dumps one girl after another, while shy, artistic Marcus heads quickly toward being a full-time stoner. When the brothers learn that their father wants to come back home, they take a road trip to find him and let him know that he's far less than welcome. Suckerpunch is a "hard-hitting and profane" (Kirkus Reviews) novel that addresses the realities of abuse honestly--and memorably.

Short Stories. In these gripping tales, well-known authors (such as Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, and Kelly Link) imagine a wide variety of possible future worlds and situations. Covering everything from the dangers of virtual-reality gaming to space pirates, possession by aliens, interspecies love, and more, these stories also run the gamut in tone--from action-oriented to thoughtful to merely mind-blowing. If you aren't sure whether you even like science fiction, checking out a short story collection like this one is a great way to test the waters; if you're a diehard SF fan, don't miss The Starry Rift.