Books to Get Your Book Club Started

When you are trying to get new members to build your book club you want to choose books that appeal to a wide variety of people.  You might also choose books that are about to become movies.  These high profile books are already popular and will attract a larger group. Here are a few of the books that I used when I was just starting my teen book club at the library where I work:

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld 

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Warriors Series by Erin Hunter

This is just a short list and there are a lot of other titles to choose from.  Just make sure you are choosing good books with a wide appeal.  

Start You Own Teen Book Club

Do you love to read and wish you had someone to talk to about what you’ve read?  Book clubs are great because you might read something that you never would have picked for yourself.  Book clubs are also great because you have someone to talk about all of the details.  Maybe you can work out what the book was trying to say or just trash a book that you all hated.  If you want to start a book club with just your friends it’s easy.  If you want to start a book club at your school or your library it might take a little more work, but it’s worth it. 

To Start Your Own Book Club:

1. Call your friends and ask them if they want to do it. 
2. Gather 5-15 people and figure out when you can all meet.  (Less than five is not really a club and more than 15 makes it hard for everyone to get a chance to talk.)

To Start a Book Club At Your School:

1. Find out if your school has a policy or procedure to start a club.
2. Find a teacher or librarian willing to be the club advisor.
3. Figure our when the group will meet.
4. Advertise with posters and by word of mouth to get members.
5. Choose the first couple of books that you think will attract a lot of members.

Choosing Books:

1. If you have a group of friends then you might all want to bring a book that you would like the group to read and discuss.  The group can vote and choose the book that you are all interested in doing first.

2.  If you are trying to attract new members to your group you will want to choose high 

profile books that lots of people have read.  If many people have already read the book and really want to talk about it, then you will have a good turnout for your first meeting.  If you get a lot of people to the first few meetings there is a good chance they will stay for other books.  

3. Once your book club is established and you have members your group can decide how it wants to run.  Your faculty advisor or a librarian can help you to choose books.

Running A Book Club:  Running a book club takes work and you must be prepared.  Some things to consider are:

1. Where will you get the discussion questions?  (Many books have guides online.)
2. Where will your club meet?
3. Who will provide the snacks?
4. What kind of games will you play?  (Teen groups work best if you have a icebreaker or other fun game to get everyone comfortable in the group.  Not everyone is outgoing and they need to feel safe in the group before they will talk.)
5. Work out before the first meeting starts how the group will run and who will start the discussion / keep it going with discussion questions. (Be ready to change your plan and be flexible if the group goes in a different direction than you planned for.)

Here is a link to a great website called Teens Read.  They have a lot more information about starting a book club.  

Teen Reads

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Violet and Kate are best friends and this is the story of their junior year at an exclusive all-girls school. Violet comes from a family of academics who work hard to pay for her to go to private school. Kate comes from a wealthy family who don’t work hard for much. When Kate starts acting out, Violet is not really sure how to help or if she can be a part of Kate’s new life.


This is a very realistic look at high school. The voice of the teens reads true and the story is filled with humor. It’s a book for anyone who has had a best friend grow apart from them. It’s well written and humorous. All of that said this book was not for me. It was a little too realistic for my taste, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t like it. If you like real stories that could be about someone you know this book might be right up your alley.

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

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Years after the plague...years after all of the dead stood up and started eating humans, there are a few small towns rebuilding.  Benny and his brother Tom made it out of their house on First Night.  They ran from their parents and the zombies.  Now, years later, they live in Mountainside.  Benny has turned fifteen and that means he must apprentice to learn a trade or lose his food rations.  Soon he learns the truth about the town, about his brother, and his so called heroes.  When Benny is forced to enter the Rot and Ruin of the zombie infested world outside the Mountainside fences, he must do things he never thought possible to survive and save the ones he loves.

Fans of Hunger Games will like this story of teen survival in the face of the adult agenda.  It is well written in the true voice of a teen guy.  There are amazingly resilient female characters and a world that is frightening real.  As with all zombie stories this book reflects back the worst and the best in humans.  Sadly the zombies are not the worst monsters in the story.  I recommend this to fans of Hunger Games, zombie stories, and survival stories.

Click here to watch an interview with the author.

iDrakula by Bekka Black

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The original Dracula story gets a facelift in this modern retelling. The original was told in letters, journal entries, and telegraphs. This retelling uses up to date technology to tell the story. As an added bonus you can download an app that gives you the story in real time as it happens.




This updated version of the story is interesting and fast paced. (I read it in about an hour). I like the re-imagining, with its strong female characters and innovative use of technology. The app is kind of cool, and if you have the technology to make it work you might like to be fed the story in real time. It offers the bonus feature of voice mails from the various characters that you can listen to.



I liked the book, but that said; DON'T read this if you have an assignment to read the real Dracula by Bram Stoker. This story leaves out many characters and events. It is not a Cliffs notes retelling of the story. You will fail the test if the only thing you know about Dracula is iDrakula. I liked the technology, but other novels that use voicemail features allow people to listen to the features online. Making it an app leaves many people out of the tech loop for the bonus features. (Take a look at Kathy's Book for a good example of a book / tech combo.) As a stand-alone title I enjoyed the book. It is not a substitute for the original, but it is fun!

Crave by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

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Shay is the Sick Girl. She can’t do anything that her friends can do. She can barely make it through a whole week of school before she needs another blood transfusion. She was born sick and it continues to get worse. When her stepfather adds something to her transfusion, she starts feeling stronger and more willful. She loves the new transfusions because she is stronger, but also because she starts having visions of Gabriel. She sees his life and she wants more. What is in the new blood transfusions and who is Gabriel? When Shay starts looking for answers she never expects what she finds.


This was a fun read. I knocked it out in one day and I liked it. There is a little romance, some teen angst, and a very interesting take on an old story. Twilight fans will like this book. (It’s better written than Twilight but just as readable.) This first book has set up a squeal that I’m sure we will be seeing soon. I recommend this to anyone who liked Twilight and to anyone who likes supernatural romances. There is some drug use, drinking, and sex so it’s not for everyone, but it’s a good and compelling read that kept me up past my bedtime to get to the end of the story.

Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

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Shayne goes to the police station to confess to a murder. He sits with the officer and tells about the bully drug dealer, his wimpy but sarcastic friend, and the girl. Shayne sees the story one way, the cop sees it another way, and Mikey (the sarcastic friend) sees it his way.


Told in alternating chapters from the different characters point of view this is a rough, gritty, heartfelt story about real life. These characters are in every high school, and we all know or know of these guys. The book is a fast and short read, full of interesting characters, none of them stock teen characters. There are a lot of drug references, and some domestic violence. The topics covered are tough, but the language used is accessible to every reader. I recommend this to guys and girls who like realistic fiction.

SIlverFin by Charlie Higson

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It’s the 1930’s and James Bond is an English school boy arriving at Eaton for the first time. While at school he meets and quickly becomes the enemy of a popular and wealthy boy. Nothing sinister happens, but there is a tension on campus. Imagine James’s surprise to learn that the boy’s father owns a castle in Scotland very near where James will be staying for vacation with his family. When a village boy and a Pinkerton investigator go missing, James gets sucked into action, adventure and a little spying.


I thought this book would be a little bit of fluff; an easy action read. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The story is well written and incredibly readable. The pacing is dead on and it keeps the reader interested. The descriptions and imagery put you in the place and time of the story. Overall I was impressed with how well the book was written, the historical accuracy, and the route the author took to get the reader to the end. I recommend this book to guys 12-18. It’s a clean read without cursing or sex. (You might think “How can there be Bond without sex?” I can assure you there is a Jr. Bond girl in the story, but James is only 13 so the book keeps it G rated.)

Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

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Three “It” girls befriend a lowly 10th grader. They bring Kerry into their circle of friends and allow her share a little of their fame and notoriety. When an accident happens to the girls, Kerry is left reeling from the tragedy and all alone, until she gets a text from one of the girls. Now a dangerous adventure is in front of Kerry, and she has everything to lose.


This is a supernatural story, but it doesn’t become one until the middle of the book. It starts out as a story about a girl who is so desperate to be popular she sits close to the most popular people hoping some of their coolness will rub off on her. I read the book in one sitting and when it was done it’s hard to say how I felt. The book is interesting, and a quick read. It deals with realistic things like peer pressure and popularity. I’m glad I read it, but I’m not sure what to compare it to or who I would recommend it to. Read it yourself and post a comment. Let me know what you think.

Torment by Lauren Kate

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This is the 2nd book in the Fallen series.  Both books are good.  Daniel and Luce are star-crossed lovers who have been together over many generations.  Neither is completely human and they are both trying to do what is good and right in a war that neither has control of.  This story delves deeper into their past and delivers hard core on romance and the torment of not knowing where you stand with the one you love. 

I like this series.  Luce continues to be a kick ass heroin who doesn’t sit around waiting to be rescued.  The new school was a little blah for me, but I liked the new characters and Luce’s growing abilities.  I can’t wait to see what happens next.  I just hope that there is an end to this story before it gets stale.  I think I can hold on for 2 or 3 more books.  The series is fun, no bad language, and keeps the romance to some serious making out.  It’s a must read for Twilight fans.  (The writing and plot are way better than Twilight.)

Click here to read my review of the Fallen.

The Limit by Kristen Landon

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In the not too distant future the government monitors our spending habits.  Families have a credit limit each month and if they go over it, their children are sent to workhouses to until the families can get under their limit.  As long as you pay attention and don’t spend too much your kids are safe. Matt’s family likes to buy stuff.  They never pay attention to their spending and when he ends up in the workhouse he finds out that the workhouse is not what it seems.

The idea for the book is innovative and original.  The ending was realistic without being hopeless, and I think a lot of teens would like to read the book.  I didn’t feel a connection to the characters and I’m not in live with the book, but I think it’s a matter of taste.  This is a good, easy read with a social conscience.  

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

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Did you read Hush, Hush?  If not read it now.  I can wait.  Ok, now read Crescendo.  This is the sequel to Hush, Hush.  Nora and Patch are back.  Will undying, inhuman love survival the wrath of Archangels and Nephilim?  Read it and find out.

I loved Hush, Hush because Nora was such a strong female character and she went with her gut when she thought things where not right with Patch.  The sequel has Nora acting a little crazy, and Patch is off doing things he should not be.  The amount of action in the story is great but some of the twists seemed a little soap opera-esk. The ending is amazing and had me squealing out loud.  Overall I liked the story and I want to know what happens next.  I hope the next book come out soon, and wraps up the story.  Now that we know Patch’s real name all we need to do is figure out who Nora really is and how she will be able to decide the fate of Heaven and Hell.  

You by Charles Benoit

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Kyle is a regular guy.  He used to get good grades and have good friends.  Now he goes to a different school, has harder friends, and he can’t seem to explain all of the blood.  As he thinks back over the things he had no control over and the bad choices he made he tries to piece together where it all went wrong.

The story is good, and the way it’s told (starting with the end and working backwards) is interesting.  This is a realistic look at the way things can go wrong for “good” kids with just a few bad choices.  The book was good, but I found myself comparing it to another recently published book that is much better.  The Knife That Killed Me by Anthony McGowan takes the story just a little further.  It goes a little deeper and has a character that the reader can identify with a little more readily.  Both stories are good, but if you only have time to read one read The Knife That Killed Me.

Click here to find this book at your library.

The Walking Dead Survival Test

I have to admit to being caught up in the new Zombie TV Show on AMC.  It's based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman.  The show is great even if you not a zombie fan.  Here is an also zombie survival test.  Enjoy.

http://www.amctv.com/originals/The-Walking-Dead/survival-test

Z by Michael Thomas Ford

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Josh is a just a regular kid living in the U.S. after the Zombie virus.  There was no apocalypse.  People got the virus, it was bad, the world moved on.  Zombies are all gone and the world he lives in is pretty much like ours now.  The games are a little cooler and the technology is a little more advanced, but it’s not like everyone has hovercrafts.  Josh is a gamer and his favorite is an online zombie killing game.   When Charlie invites Josh to play a different kind of zombie game his whole world is changed forever. 

I liked the story and the fact that the zombie plague was kind of like most viruses.  Many people were killed but in the end society goes on.  The way Josh reacts to making new friends and doing things he never thought he would is something that most teens can relate to.  I would recommend this book to gamers, guys, and people who like a twist on the zombie genre. 

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

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Lisabeth is anorexic but she won’t admit it even to herself. One night after a bad fight with her boyfriend she tries to kill herself. Death appears before her with the Scales of Office. She will be the Black Rider; One of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. She, a suburban teen with an eating disorder, will be Famine. As her supernatural powers grow, so does her control over her own body. She meets the other Horsemen and learns that there are no easy ways out.


When I heard eating disorder I almost put the book down because I hate reading those books. Those stories are too serious and too sad. I’m glad I read it. The story was powerful and the author really captured what it’s like to have an eating disorder. The writing is realistic and heartfelt, but without sacrificing humor. The book is well written and powerful. My only complaint is that she revealed the inside joke about death. I liked that only someone in their thirties would recognize the description of death for who he was. As the book goes on the author gives away the secret with big hints. I like knowing something that the teens in my book club don’t know about the book. I wish she would have kept the secret a little better. I recommend this book to guys and girls who have had or know someone who has had an eating disorder, and to those who like reading about the four Horsemen.

There is a new book in the series.  It will be published on 4/4/2011.  I can't wait to read it.

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

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._.

Kid is a player in The Game.  Her school is an old mall that the corporate sponsors have modified.  Teens are the players in The Game.  Their grades depend on how well they do, and if they can get branded by a sponsor.  When a prank catches Kid’s interest she finds herself in the middle of something bigger than she ever expected.

This dystopian story is set in the not too distant future.  Teenagers are only allowed to gather in The Game.  The idea of the story is great: A future world where corporations have a captive audience in the teens that they claim to be educating.  The amount of made up slang took away from the story.  It messed with the flow and was distracting.  Other than that the story is great.  I felt empathy for the characters, and I recognized a lot of the teens who make high school fun and those who make it hell.  The truth behind the mystery is revealed on page 267 and it’s like a slap in the face.  I read it in a one sitting and enjoyed it.  I recommend this book to people who liked the Scott Westerfeld Uglies series.  

_ _ 

As Easy A Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

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Ry is a regular teen on his way to summer camp.  He gets off the train to make a phone call, but the train leaves the station.  Granpa is watching the dogs, but takes a bad fall and looses some short term memory.  Mom and Dad are on a romantic vacation, when they loose their cell phone and encounter their own challenges.  The whole family is in different locations around the world, and out of communication with each other.  Ry meets a stranger who helps him.  This is the story of a family trying to get back together and the individual journeys that each member must make.  

The story was ok.  I liked the idea, but the way that each disaster and mistake compounded got old after a while.  the lack of frustration and the over all feeling of hope in the face of disaster got a little trying.  I kept waiting for at least on e of the characters to give in just a little to despair.  It would have made them seem a little more human and realistic.  I didn’t like the book, but someone else might.  It’s well written and has a unique point of view.  

Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels

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The boy spends his life taking care of his manic depressive mom.  He can’t tell anyone about it, because they might take him away from her and she can’t live without him.  She has always told him that his father is a Nobel prize winner, but when new facts are revealed he starts to question who he is and everything that he knows.  

The boy, who’s name we never learn, narrates the story.  We learn about his mothers "episodes", and how hard it is to live up to Nobel genes.  The story is intense and heartfelt.  I recommend this book to readers who like to take a look into the human condition.  Michaels is also the author of Genesis Alpha; a must read for fans of thrillers. 

Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks

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Cadel and company are back.  Cadel is trying to live a normal wife with his adoptive parents Saul and Fiona.  Things are going great until Prosper English shows up again.  When something happens to Sonja and everyone he knows is in danger, Cadel feels like he has no choice but to do whatever it takes to fight Prosper.  

This is the third book in the series.  I love Cadel and I worry about him.  In this new book he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and he feels like he has no control over what’s happening to the people he cares about.  This is a great series featuring a main character that the reader cares about and want to protect to spite his bad behavior.   The first book in the series is Evil Genius.  The second book is Genius Squad.  I recommend the whole series.  

Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

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Some vampires are good.

Some Vampires are evil.

Some are faking it to get girls.

Finbar Frame is a twin, but no one would ever mistake him for his athletic and charismatic brother. Finbar never gets the girls, can’t climb the rope in gum class, and is always the object of jokes at school. When his family moves it’s the perfect opportunity for him to start over and reinvent himself. Who will he be: a Goth, a jock, a bloodsucker?

This book is great! It’s funny and exciting and Finbar reads true as a regular teen guy. If you love vampires or are tired of the vampire craze this is the book for you. If you think librarians are sexy and books can be better than most people this book is for you. Filled with humor and sincerity this is the book that “Fat Vampire” by Adam Rex was trying to be. Read this book you won’t be disappointed.

Fear : 13 stories of suspense and horror edited by R.L. Stine

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Fear : 13 stories of suspense and horror edited by R.L. Stine

Are you the kind of person who likes to be scared?  Do you love that moment when you turn out your bedroom light and have to walk, in the dark, to your bed.  Do you get a little thrill when you hear a noise in the night?  If you enjoy a little fear this book is for you.  Each story is crafted to instill the maximum amount of fear in the reader.  Some stories feature the supernatural, while others remind us that the most scary things we can read are those stories that could be true.  Read the book and then try to get some sleep; in the night; with all the lights out; Mwha!

Skeleton Creek: The Crossbones by Patrick Carman

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Skeleton Creek is back and better than ever.  In this third installment of the series we find that Sarah has moved and Ryan is working at his dad’s new fishing store.  Old Joe Bush has left Ryan a clue that he and Sarah must follow to solve the true mystery of The Crossbones.  Told in a series of journal entries written in the book and videos that you watch online, this is a true horror / mystery story.

I loved this book.  The 1st Skeleton Creek was fantastic.  The journal entries suck you in and the videos scare the heck out of you.  The 2nd book wrapped up one mystery but the ending left me feeling flat.  This 3rd book has redeemed the series.  Ryan’s journal is compelling and Sarah’s videos are so frightening that I thought Old Joe Bush might be outside my window.  There is no blood and guts, but the shadows and glimpses of possible ghosts give the videos and erie and frightening quality that you don’t get from seeing gore.  This book is a must read for anyone who likes ghost stories and mysteries.  

Zombie Penpal by Ken McMurtry

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This is a Choose Your Own Adventure book.  You control the story by choosing different paths through out.  Your old penpal Sam has moved to town several years after you last heard from her.  You and your friends follow her into a cemetery near your house and that’s where the adventure begins.  You have to navigate your way around crazy teachers with a Dr. Frankenstein complex, gerbils with out back legs, and zombies.  

This book is meant for 5 and 6th graders, but when I saw it on the shelf I had to get it.  If you like zombie stories, and you read choose your own adventure books when you where a kid you will like this story.  Just watch out you don’t become a zombie.

Notes From a Totally Lame Vampire by Tim Collins

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Nigel is a perpetual teen aged loser who happens to be a vampire.  He has no  vampire strength, no ability to hypnotize people with his eyes, and no Robert Pattinson big haired alure.  He lives with his parents (the vampire who turned him) and his little sister (a girl they also turned into a vampire).  Because of the age that he appears to be, he is required to attend school for all eternity.  When a new girl starts at school, Nigel finds true love and sets out to make her his.  

The story is told in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” diary style complete with drawings in the margins.  The story was okay and geared toward guys 12-14.  The presentation, a book in diary style with drawings, made it seem like it was for younger guys.  “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” was a fun book for elementary kids, but the translation to teen fiction is not really there.  I love the idea of a lame vampire who is weak and unattractive, but I thought Catherine Jinks did it better in “The Reformed Vampire Support Group”.  I want to think the unrelenting teen angst in this book is meant to be a spoof of the Wimpy Kid books and the Vampire genre in general, but if it is I missed the joke.  

This book isn’t for me but maybe you loved it.  Send out a comment if I just trashed you favorite book.  Not every book is for every person so I won’t tell you not to read it, but I wish I skipped it.

Zombies Vs Unicorns Edited by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black

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Team Zombie Led by Justine Larbalestier:         Team Unicorn Led by Holly Black:

Alydia Dawn Johnson                                             Garth Nix

Carrie Ryan                                                               Naomi Novik

Maureen Johnson                                                    Margo Lanagan

Scott Westerfeld                                                       Diana Peterfreund

Cassandra Calre                                                     Meg Cabot

Libba Bray                                                                Kathleen Duey

Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black have an ongoing feud about which creature (unicorn or zombie) reins supreme.  Something that started as friendly banter on Justine’s blog has now become a battle royal to answer once and for all the question of what creature is better. The overall merit of zombies and unicorns are being judged based on social commentary, usefulness as a plot devise in stories, mythology throughout history and the all important total coolness factor.   The two authors gathered supporters for their respective causes and enlisted them to write stories featuring zombies and unicorns.  This anthology resolves the question once and for all.  

I highly recommend this book.  I’m a member of Team Zombie; I’m even thinking of getting a t-shirt made.  Putting aside that unicorns haven’t been cool since a bedeviled Tim Curry tried to kill one in The Last Unicorn (If you haven’t seen the movie you should go to Blockbuster and get it.  This is Tom Cruise before he was crazy.)  the idea for the book is a great one.  In spite of the fact that I’m not a fan of rainbows or horned beasts I love the book.  Even the unicorn stories where good.  Of course the Zombie stories are better, but that’s to be expected.  

This is a great book for older teens, and for zombie or unicorn lovers everywhere.  

Fat Vampire by Adam Rex

Click here to find a copy of this book at your library.

Doug is fifteen, fat, and a newly turned vampire.  The book starts with a pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con.  The nerd mecca of all comic conventions.  Doug and his best friend Jay head to the con to find about about the latest comics, stare at the hot trekkie chics, and of course score some blood.  Once they head back to their home town their friendship gets tested as Doug gains better control of his vampire powers and they both have a shot at romance. 

The story goes back and forth between Doug’s story, the story the Vampire Hunters T.V. show, and the story of an Indian foreign exchange student.  I love the book cover, the dialog, and the humor.  What I didn’t love was everything else.  There are several story lines going all at once, but none of the stories are fully developed.  Some of the characters, like Victor and the other vampires are not at all fleshed out.  They are so one demential it’s hard to understand why they do the things they do.  The idea of “The Google” being a psychological disorder is brilliant, but underdeveloped.  It could have been it’s own book but instead it’s a side story without resolution.  I loath the ending.  I understand that not every story can have a Disney ending, but if the end has to be sad there needs to be a reason for the sadness.  I want a reason things had to be this way.  In my mind Doug should get to be a regular, acne covered, slightly chunky comic book geek who learns a valuable lesson then gets the girl.  I’m mad at this book and Adam Rex for writing the ending this way.  

Even though the ending is upsetting and there are too many stories going on all at once, I liked the idea behind everything.  The whole book was not for me, but teen guys might like it.  There is a strong male perspective and the friendship between Jay and Doug reads true to the way guys relate to each other.

Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble by Sarah Webb

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Set in Ireland this is the story of how Amy is dealing with her parents divorce, her changing friendships, and her own crazy lack of love life.  When her sixteen year old aunt becomes the advise columnist for a popular teen magazine she get Amy to help her get revenge on heartbreaking boys and mean girls.  All of the fun and excitement make for an interesting read and an good backdrop to the real story; the family drama of dealing with a divorce and step parents.  

The book was a fun read.  I liked the clever way that the Amy and her Aunt Clover deal with the crazy situations they find themselves in and how they help people through the advise column.   My only complaint about the book is the enormous amount of Irish slang.  It was a little distracting, but there is a glossary of slang in the back of the book.  Once I got used to the new slang the book was incredibly readable.  I recommend this book to girls who like realistic fiction and romance.  The main character is thirteen and the content is appropriate for teens 12 and up.  

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia Margaret Stohl

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Finally a supernatural romance from the guys point of view.  Ethan is the smart son of two professors,  He lives in the same small town that his family has live in since before the Civil War.  (Also known as the War of Northern Aggression if you are from some places in the south.)  Lena is “The New Girl”.  She has moved into the haunted plantation house of her recluse uncle.  When the two meet and start to form a friendship, things go from weird to worse.  They both discover things that neither thought were possible.

The book grabs you with the idea of a town that no one leaves and holds onto you with the story of why.  Not everything is as it seems in a small town and not everyone is who they appear to be.  The story held my interest the whole way through and the romance was not too overwhelmingly mushy.  A good read!  I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good gothic, supernatural mystery or romance.

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

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Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead. -Benjamin Franklin 

In the perfect town, full of perfect houses, perfect jobs, perfect schools and perfectly pretty people; secrets are worth killing for.  The summer before 9th grade five friends get together to have a sleepover.  One friend goes missing and the town is thrown into turmoil.  While the search for Ali goes on, so does life.  Two years pass, Ali is still missing, and the remaining four friends have drifted apart.  The story starts just as their junior year is about to start.  All four friends are back in town, when Ali’s body is discovered.  Soon someone is  sending the girls threatening emails and texts.  Each note is signed “A”.  The emails and texts are all about things only Ali knew.  Could “A” be Ali?  Who else knows their secrets?  Will they tell?

This is a deliciously twisted story.  Who would think that eighth grade secrets could ruin your life?  I loved the melodrama and the excitement.  I was never this scandalous in high school, but it’s fun to read about.  Although the descriptions of the fashion go on more than I care for the story is worth reading.  There are several more books in the series and I can’t wait to read the rest.  All of the characters are well formed and unique from each other.  There is something for every girl.  

If you like the book you can watch the T.V. show on ABC family.  

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

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How many friends do you have on Facebook?  50?  100?  1000?  Can they sit with you at lunch? Can they give you a literal shoulder to cry on?  Are online friends as real as in the flesh friends?  This book gives a little glimpse into a very near future world.  The teens are dealing with the reality of a life lived mostly online.  

David and Charlie live in a nice town in nice houses.  They have parents and go to the same school.  David is super cool, has online friends, and in school friends.  Charlie likes to be alone all of the time.  According to the school shrink they both have the same problem, “dissociative disorder”.  The shrink prescribes a "Companion".  A realistic girl doll to help them learn to make human connections.  When Davids doll gets separated from him craziness ensues.  She meets Charlie who declined a Companion.  

I liked the book.  It is funny, insightful about the way that boys and girls misunderstand each other, and it gives guy readers a glimpse into the mind of girls.  (Here’s a hint; Even robot girls have feelings.)  I would recommend this to teen guys and girls.  There is some cursing, sexuality, and drinking.  So if that’s not for you don’t read it.  If you are mature enough to handle those things, read the book.  You will love it and you will laugh out loud. 

Check out this book trailer featuring the Author:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3vFUuHvvok

Dear Anjali by Melissa Glenn Haber

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"Anjali I really hate it that you're dead."

This is a great opening line for a book.  It caught my interest right away.  When Anjali dies suddenly a fast illness she leaves behind her best friend Meredith.  Meredith is a plain girl that no one notices, and Anjali was a beautiful star.  Meredith knows that she was not good enough to be best friends with Anjali but she feels special that Anjali choose her.  Now that she is gone Meredith is not sure what to do .  She starts to write to Anjali’s ghost in order to keep her close.  Though the school year she starts to make other friends, and learn the truth about who Anjali really was.  Finding out about the other friends that Anjali had and the things that she did, help Meredith to move on with her life.

I liked the book.  At first I thought it would be a ghost story, but now I know the truth.  It’s a realistic look at what it’s like to lose a friends, find out that friend is not exactly who you thought she was, and then finding a way to get on with your life.  This is a great book for someone who has had a friend or family member die.  It shows one girls journey through grief without being overly serious or condescending at all.  

This is a clean read with no cursing or sex.  Content is appropriate for teens age 12 and up.