The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

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Ruby is seeing a shrink to deal with the panic attacks that she has been having.  (Five in one week is really too many.)  After Ruby starts explaining that she lost her boyfriend and all of her friends and became a social leper her doctor suggests that she make a list of all of her boyfriends, even if she thinks they don’t count.  She uses the list to tell the story.

This book is fantastic!  It really nails the pettiness and randomness of friendships in middle and high school.  It shows how one mistake, even something small, can change your whole world.  The characters are realistic, not over the top, and the situations are believable for the age group. There is no one “mean girl” that ruins the main character’s life.  She makes bad choices, and some other characters make bad choices.  That does not make them “bad people”.  (I would recommend this book to high school age girls that like realistic fiction.)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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After the death of his grandfather, Jacob, starts seeing odd things and is convinced that he needs to travel to the island where his grandfather grew up in order to reconcile the things his grandfather told him and what everyone else tells him. He finds adventure and a reality that he was not expecting.

It seemed that everyone was reading this book so I resisted for a long time.  A book club that I’m a member of picked this book and I read it.  The book started out strong with an interesting premise and a realistic main character.  As the story went on I found myself predicting what would happen and being disappointed with the way the story was being told.  That said, it is a book for teens so maybe they would not see the ending coming from a mile away.  The pictures are very cool and it’s nice to have an mystery/adventure to give to teen guys. 

Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk

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Guy (16) and his best friend Anoop join the forensics club at school soon after Guy’s father’s death.  It is a way to keep his mind off of his dad.  Right from the start Guy makes jokes, slacks off, and is generally a pain in the butt.  To spite his behavior he genuinely likes learning the science, so when a real body turns up Guy and Anoop are determined to solve the crime.

I liked the story but I think it would have been better without the real crime.  There is enough going on with Guy, his mom, the cute girl in forensics, and Anoop that solving the mystery of the body was not really necessary.  The book is funny and sweet.  I would recommend this for guys who like to read humorous realistic stories. 

The Dead Winter by Chris Priestley

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Set in the Victorian England we meet Michael on the worst day of his life; his mother’s funeral. After the service he is told that he has a benefactor and he must move far into the country for Christmas at his benefactor’s county estate. As soon as he arrives he starts to hear and see strange and unusual things. The house and those in it are hiding some great secret that threatens to destroy them all.

This is a horror story with an ending that I saw coming about half way through. I found it predictable, but I really like the characters and the pace of the story. I also liked the ending, which takes place many years in the future. I think a lot of teen guys would like the story. Overall it is a good ghost story without too much gore.

Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

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Alyss is a princess in Wonderland. Her mother is the queen and ruler of the land. When her evil Aunt Redd wants to take over Alyss and Hatter find themselves out of Wonderland and into the mortal realm. Alyss makes friends with a writer who tells her story, but he messes the whole thing up. Alyss told him the truth and he made a book about a girl named Alice who uses her imagination to go on an adventure. She is furious. As she grows up and finally makes her way back to Wonderland she must face many challenges to take her place as the rightful queen of Wonderland.

I liked the retelling of the story from a different point of view. This book is intended for audiences 10 and up. My older teens liked it, but they thought the story might be better for middle school than high school. They didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters. Overall it was an ok book, but I wasn’t blown away by the story.

All these Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

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In about 70 years the world’s resources are going to be spread very thin. Chocolate and caffeine are illegal, and paper is hard to come by. Because resources are so scarce water and food are rationed, new clothes are no longer produced, and people who were once inside the law are now on the outside. Annie’s family make chocolate. They have been making it for over 100 years. They still make it and sell it legally in places around the world where it’s not outlawed, but in the U.S. where Annie lives, she is part of an infamous crime family. When she is implicated in an attempted poisoning she must do everything she can to survive and protect her family.


Annie is a very likable character and the story has a lot going on; romance, friendship, and crime. A lot of event stake place in the book, but the ending was kind of a letdown. There is no big dramatic ending. The story just stops and we are left wondering what will happen in the future. The story is wrapped up, but since it’s about this girl’s life, we see that she will have to keep making hard decisions. I liked it, but at the same time I wanted a little more. I would recommend this to girls who like complicated plots and well thought out characters.

The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses by Ty Drago

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Whatever you do, don’t call them zombies. They are invaders, wearing the bodies of the dead as a disguise. Everyone just sees a regular person, with the exception of a few kids. When Will first sees them he thinks he’s going crazy, but soon he learns that he’s not the only one. He is rescued from his school and taken to a secret place filled with other kids like him who can see the undead for what they really are. Now he is a part of the Undertakers and he has to help fight these hidden monsters before they take over everything.


I liked the book. It’s written for a younger teen audience (ages 11-13). It’s an easy read and boys will really get into the story. There are a lot of fights to keep everyone interested, and no one has any special powers, except the ability to see through the disguise to the rotting corpse underneath. You know typical teenage stuff. It’s a different take on zombies and it’s not a survival story. It’s definitely set up for some sequels and the writing makes me care enough about the characters to want to see what happens next.

The Anti Prom by Abby McDonald

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The cool girl, the outcast, and the wall flower. What do they all have in common? Prom of course. All three girls show up expecting different things and none of them get exactly what they thought they were going to out of their prom night.


Told in alternating chapters we see from each girl’s point of view. I like the way the story is told, and the way it’s all wrapped up. Each girl is incredibly believable and I think a lot of teen girls will see themselves or someone they know in the book. I would recommend for 9th grade and up because of some mild language and implied sexual content. (Nothing explicit in the book and no F bombs.) This is a good girlie teen book.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

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Andi is devastated by the death of her little brother and the end of her parent’s marriage. She blames herself for a lot of what happens and she tries to save her mom from a deep depression while attempting to hide from her own dark feelings of desperation and sorrow. Andi is a wealthy girl who goes to an elite school. When situations start to get out of control at home her father takes her on a business trip to Paris. He thinks she will work on her senior paper and get away from the things that are troubling her. What she finds in Paris is the diary of a girl her own age. The girl lived during the French revolution and was nanny to the last heir to the throne. In alternating stories we hear the events of both girls’ lives as they deal with two separate but oddly similar tragedies.


I usually don’t read said or realistic fiction. I like zombies and ninjas thank you very much, but this book blew me away. The pain is so realistic and not at all gratuitous. Donnelly tells the story so well that you can smell the gun powder from the fireworks, and feel the chill of a New York City night. I recommend this for anyone who likes realistic fiction, historical fiction, or stories about the intricacies of families. If you’ve never read YA fiction this book would be a good place to start. I also recommend Donnelly’s other book, A Northern Light.

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Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

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Sophie Blue is a goth teen, who starts noticing weird things in her small town.  After her father disappears under suspicious circumstances and a strange Popsicle truck starts following her she delves into the mystery.

I didn't enjoy this story.  I didn't like it from the start, but I thought the characters were interesting so I kept reading.  It is a science fiction story with a graphic novel flare.  There is a lot of virtual reality (it's hard to keep track of what's real and what's not) and the characters who start out interesting, don't end up that way.  I read some other reviews that this books was good, but I feel bamboozled.  I guess if you really like pulp science fiction this book might be for you, but I don't recommend it.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

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Mia is a beautiful and talented girl. She has a great family, wonderful friends, and a boyfriend who she loves. Everything is going great until an accident puts her somewhere between life and death. Now the only thing left for her to do is decide if she will stay or die.


I usually don't like sad stories, but I loved this. Even with all of the tragedy and drama the book is full of hope. The characters all read true, and the story is believable. There's no white light or flashes of what like might be after death. You get to see what Mia sees and hears while she’s in the hospital bed. You get to live her memories and you get to understand the decision she makes. It’s an amazing story I would recommend to readers 14 and up. Mia is a character who is almost eighteen and she is dealing with life decisions that I think might be hard for younger readers to understand. The romance is not explicit but is more mature than younger readers might be ready for. An excellent book!

A Kiss In Time by Alex Flinn

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This is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale.  Sleeping Beauty is a brat because her parents keep her in the lap of luxury in the palace.  They are so afraid of the curse she can't leave the palace, and has no friends.  So it's no surprise that she ignores the rules, wanders where she is not supposed to be and pricks her finger on a spindle.  Fast forward 300 years and she is found not by a handsome prince, but by a regular guy doing a summer tour of Europe.  She goes to live in his house and the story unfolds.

I was expecting a lot more because I liked Beastly so much, so I was a little underwhelmed.  I didn't really like or feel a connection with any of the characters and the reaction of the parents in the story did not read true at all.  The book was not for me, but it is well written and if you like fairy tale retellings you might enjoy it.

Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

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Nick is a street wise teen, who goes to a a fancy private school his single mom can't afford.  When he gets involved in a mugging, and a mysterious stranger rescues him, Nick is caught up i a strange adventure.  He has to save himself, friends, his future, his mom, and all this while battling an angry swarm of zombies.

This is the first in a series called the Chronicles of Nick.  We find out about who he is and a little about his future.  I liked the story and the idea that future Nick is trying to help past Nick.  Percy Jackson fans will like the story because it features a greek goddess, and because it is a multilayered story featuring a regular kid forced into a series of unusual and dangerous events.  I would recommend this to teen guys who enjoy adventure and zombie stories.

Peak by Roland Smith

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Peak is a fourteen old climber.  Both of his parents are famous mountain climbers.  He lives with his remarried mom is New York city, but when he runs into some legal troubles he soon finds himself out of the city and at the base camp of mount Everest.

This is the thrilling adventure of Peak's climb to the top of Everest. I loved the book and I wasn't expecting to.  I'm not a fan of realistic fiction but this story is so well told and exciting.  The story is told from Peak's perspective and his voice reads true as a teen boy.  All of the supporting characters are fully formed and add something to the story.  It's a clean read and I recommend this book to guys and girls who like adventure.  If you know of someone who doesn't want to read, this would be a good book to give to them.  The action starts on the first page and doesn't let up.  My Teen Book Club loved this book.

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

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Dalton is a private dick. He's a teenaged detective for hire. The case; find out who in Salt River High killed Wesley Payne. Dalton works for the Wesley's sister to try and find out who killed her brother. Also at stake is a missing hundred thousand dollars. To solve the crime, and get paid, he has to outsmart an evil principal, dirty cops, and try not to get killed by one of the power hungry cliques trying to find the money.


Dalton is a funny and slick Sam Spade character. The book is great and really pulls you in. It reads like an old fashioned pulp fiction novel. Dalton tries to be a hardboiled detective and take care of his family while solving the crime. He faces bad guys, cliques, and slang that makes me thank god and the author for the glossary in the back. There are some mild curse words, most of them made up, some violence, and a little romance. Nothing that made me blush. I would recommend this for older readers who like a lot of action, and a good mystery.

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

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Kit and Fancy are sisters living in a strange town.  They are outcasts because their father is the Bonesaw Killer.  He is a serial killer who is on death row, while the girls and their mother live in the same small town they have always been in.  The sisters are their father's daughter, and soon they give into the same dark desires that their father indulged in.  Are they bad people because they love blood?  As the sisters discover who they are, they face dangers like bad guys, good boys, and the truth about what they do.

This book is Dexter meets Sweet Valley High.  Sisters ,who on top of dealing with being teenagers and discovering what boys are all about, are also facing a father on death row and their own dark desires for revenge and blood.  What's a burgeoning serial killer to do?  The town that they live in, although in the regular world, is strange and filled with mysterious monsters.  The blood and guts are a little overwhelming, especially in the beginning of the book.  After a while I got used to the gore and really started to enjoy the story.  It feels wrong to cheer for the killers, but in this crazy town they are the lesser of the evils.   I love the book cover and I would recommend the book to more mature teen readers who don't mind a little cursing, romance, blood and guts.

Hero by Mike Lupica

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Zach is a regular 8th grader living in New York City. He has to face pop quizzes, basketball practice, and the school bully. His dad is a save the day, work for the government, secret assignment, real life hero. Together with his mom and dad, Zach is happy. But when his dad is on a special assignment for the president, his plane crashes and changes Zach’s world forever. Now that his father is gone, Zach starts to develop certain special skills, and people all around him want to use those skills. Will Zach be able to tell the good guys from the bad? Who should he trust when everything is changing and it seems that everyone wants something from him?


This book is well written; Lupica puts the reader in the mind of a fourteen year old guy. He includes sports references that many male readers will enjoy. There are also strong and intelligent female characters for the girls who read the book. I liked the way the ending answers some, but not all of the questions and it leaves the story open for sequels without making the reader feel cheated of an ending. I would recommend this book to teen guys and girls. It’s a clean read with no bad language, romance, and only limited violence. It’s a look at the making of a hero (superhero maybe even). Most superheroes start out as adults. We read about their adult lives, with just bare glimpses of how they became who they are. This is the story of a hero from the ground up. A must read!

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.

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.