The Knockout Queen

A knockout. Literally. This unique coming of age story has many layers and complexities but the enduring friendship of two oddballs is perfectly captured on the page. Michael is a loner. His mom got out of jail and only reclaimed custody of his sister so he's living in his aunt's tiny house. He has no friends and is the loneliest gay kid in the world. Until his six foot three, intimidatingly awkward neighbor, Bunny takes a shine to him. They soon become thick as thieves. He finally has a friend in high school and he can go next door to Bunny's mansion anytime he likes. Things are looking up. Until the fight that is. The fight will transform their friendship and their futures and there is no telling if they'll be able to survive the consequences. Heartfelt, moving, hilarious, and deeply insightful. This coming of age story is one for the books.

We Ride Upon Sticks

Phenomenal! This book is a mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Now and Then. I adored every second of it! A bunch of high school seniors sign their name to the devil's book (i.e. an Emilio Estevez spiral notebook) in return for having the best field hockey season of their lives. They are going to the state championships come hell or high water! It's 1989 and this motley crew of teenage girls (and Boy Cory) is living high on life. Now that they're toying around with "witchcraft" their game and their friendship has never been better. They're really meshing as a team and they have their black book of Emilio to thank for it. Told back and forth between the characters this story of identity, friendship, sexuality, school smarts, witchcraft, and field hockey is hilarious and unforgettable. Descriptions don't do it justice. I adored every character and their idiosyncrasies. From Jen and her claw (bangs aquanetted to high heaven) to Sue Yoon and her kool aid hair to Little Smitty's beloved rabbit - this story is one for the ages. Read it already!

The Library of Lost Things

Darcy isn't your average high school student, she's a literary genius who can virtually memorize any text she wants. She lives in her books and is never found without a book in her hands or in her purse. Her best friend Marisol has worked on getting her out of her shell a little more, but for Darcy, the plot line of her life isn't nearly as exciting about the ones she's reading about. Her home life is non-existent and she spends more time worrying about her mother than any other 17 year old on the planet. Her mom is a hoarder and Darcy's biggest fear is that the new building manager will find out, kick them out of their home, and CPS will take her away. Marisol and her books provide the only comfort in her life. That is until, she meets Asher. Cute, sincere, and quirky; this book is better than most other "teenage bibliophile" ones I've read. The characters are real, flawed, and great fun. A wonderful story!

Heroine

Heavy doesn't even begin to describe this book. There is a trigger warning at the start of this book and that ain't no joke! I'm not an addict (recovering or otherwise) but this book made me anxious as sin. I know an addict or two and this was so spot on to their behavior and justifications. Heroine follows Mickey Catalan, a high school softball star, as she tries to recover from a life changing injury that threatens to take away the one thing she really cares about, sports. She and her best friend were in a horrific car accident that popped Mickey's leg out of its socket, and the therapy and emotional toll its taking on her, is crippling. She soon starts relying on the Oxy she's prescribed to take the pain away so she can focus on physical therapy. Her only goal is getting healed before spring training so she can start on the varsity team her senior year. But she's not an addict, she's using a prescription from her doctor for the pain. She's not like those losers that overdose and live on the streets. The real question is, what will happen when she runs out of her pills? How badly does she need them to "recover?" A haunting story that shows just how easy it is for ANYONE to get addicted to opiates. It's a slippery slope fraught with good intentions, the end result is just so horrifying. A powerful book that will stay with the reader long after finishing. 

Made You Up

There aren't many teen novels that deal with mental illness in a positive, educational way which makes this book even more important. The book centers around Alex, a high school senior suffering from schizophrenia. Having been kicked out of her last school for defacing the gym she is sent to a new high school and as part of her punishment she has to join an after school athletic club. Alex finds herself making friends but more often than not she's not always sure what is real and what is a figment of her imagination. Are these friendships real or are they fake? Miles, the head of the club soon becomes one of her fixations. Does he really have a German accent? Why do people call him a Nazi? Can she trust him? A hopeful, honest read about mental illness and the power of friendship.

Palefire

The cover grabbed me and I was excited that it was illustrated by Farel Dalrumple (Wretches), beyond that though, this graphic novel wasn't much to write home about. Palefire is basically a glimpse into a night of a high school girl's night as she grapples with the fact that no one likes Darren, a firebug, teenage arsonist that no one cares for. She thinks there is more than meets the eye so she blows off all the advice and bails on her best friend's party so she can hang out with this misunderstood boy that's holding a candle for her. However, the night doesn't go as planned and both will have to face some hard truths. Not terribly exciting, but not awful either.

Some Girls Are

This is essentially, "Mean Girls" on steroids. No exaggeration. One of the girls is even named Regina and they wear matching clothes on certain days, plus... they're evil. Regina is almost raped by her best friend's boyfriend, and no one believes her. She goes from being the best friend of the most popular girl to the most hated girl in high school. She is a social pariah. She seeks solace in Michael, one of the boys she used to mercilessly bully and torment but that doesn't seem to be enough. She's angry and she wants revenge. Now that she knows how awful it feels to be bullies, beat up, and laughed at she suddenly has sympathy for all those she used to torture. Rather than lying low and dealing with the bullies (like she deserves!) she keeps trying to get even. Michael tries to get her to stop but she's convinced that it's not fair and she needs to take down others with her. Ugh. Soo much ugh! Thank goodness high school was nothing like this. Super violent, bullying is the norm, and no one seems to learn their lesson. I couldn't stop reading it though, it was a train wreck and I wanted Regina to grow up. I would have even taken a cheesy ending but instead... ugh!!

Carter Finally Gets It

This book really captures horny teenage boys. It's super relatable and doesn't feel as if it was written by an older author, teens will definitely get a kick out of it! The story follows Carter as he enters his freshman year of high school. He's trying to fit in, lose his virginity, be good at sports, understand girls, and understand what the allure of drinking is. It's brutally honest and teenagers will absolutely relate with it. There is lewd and illicit behavior, cursing, cops, underage drinking and sex so some conservative teens and parents might not buy into this book, but I didn't think it detracted from the story, it just made it more believable. Laugh out loud funny and will bring back painful memories of high school for all who read it.

Satan's Prep

For most people high school was hell on earth, unfortunately for Trevor Loomis he attends Satan's Prep IN HELL! After an untimely death and a cataloging error he finds himself in the bowels of hell attending a school where the jocks are really demons, torture is an everyday occurrence, and there is no hope. As bad as it sounds, Trevor finds it fairly easy to adapt since in his mind it wasn't all that different from high school on earth. He passes what seems like an eternity going through the motions, attending class, and putting up with abuse until he sees the girl of his dreams. Is she a mirage or will she turn out to be nothing more than a succubus or a mirage? All Trevor knows is that school just got a hell of a lot more interesting. High school students will eat this up!

Quarantine: The Loners

Imagine you're trapped in your high school with a lethal disease and no communication with the outside world. It's "Lord of the Flies" meets "The Hunger Games." McKinley High School was your typical high school. That is until it became a haven for a highly contagious and lethal virus that kills off all adults. Over one thousand students are trapped in the high school with no adults to reign them in. Quickly everyone splits into cliques. There are the varsitys, the pretty ones, the nerds, the freaks, the geeks, and the nerds. Everyone belongs, well almost everyone. David and his epileptic brother are left to fend for themselves. Will they survive? Will they be able to join forces with other misfits like themselves? This is high school like you've never seen it. Where murder and thieving are accepted in order to survive. Read at your own risk!

Period. 8

This was a fast read, and I had it knocked out in about three hours. Chris Crutcher does a great job keeping you at the edge of your seat, guessing as to what is about to happen next. And it's no use, because you won't figure out what in the hell is going on until the end.

Period 8 is an hour long hang out/lunch time/open discussion that students at Heller High can participate in. The only only rules are that you have to keep it real (no lying and be honest) and what gets discussed in Period 8, STAYS in Period 8.

The truth isn't always simple though, when Paulie tells his girlfriend Hannah that he cheated on her, shit hits the fan and it seems to start a chain of events that no one could have foreseen. Mr. Logs, their trusty teacher, tries to hold the glue together, but easier said than done. When Mary goes missing, everyone in Period 8 realize that someone is lying. Can Paulie and Hannah pull through and settle their differences and work together to help find Mary? Why did Mary run away? All these questions and more build up until the fiery conclusion.

Great page turner!

Ask the Passengers

I really, really enjoyed this book. I started reading it without looking at the summary of it, so I literally had no idea what I was getting into. Boy was I in for a treat.

This story follows Astrid, a teenager that doesn't quite fit in with the town or her family or even her friends. Her mom is an uber-bitch that wants nothing to do with Astrid, her sister is an insanely unempathetic human being and her dad is just a big stoner. Her best friend Kristina is a closet gay and Astrid keeps her secret for over two years. The only thing is Astrid has a secret of her own, something so secret she doesn't know if she can admit it to herself. She is gay as well.

Throughout the book she keeps questioning it, and she really doesn't know if she's gay or not til the end. She enjoys kissing Dee but does it make her gay? With the help of her imaginary friend Frank Socrates (the Greek philosopher who has been graciously given a first name by Astrid) she starts to think about everything in a new light and really begins to question everything. She so used to just passing her love along to others (she lays on the picnic bench and sends love up to all the airplanes that fly overhead, resulting in surprising side stories from airline passangers. It's really an interesting storytelling technique) that she has hardly saved any for herself.

This is really a great read. Like for real. It's my first GLBT teen novel and I thought it was fantastic. For everyone out there who has stereotypes, this book isn't just for gays. It's must read for everyone who has ever questioned anything in their life. It's a very insightful read and you'll be the better for it.

Boy Toy

Barry Lyga did it again. Simply marvelous! I've never seen an author capture young adult literature nearly so well as Lyga does (I read "I Hunt Killers" a month back, look for my review, it's equally amazing!). One of my professors told me that I absolutely, positively, HAD to read this book. I am soo glad I did.

This young adult novel follows eighteen year old Josh as he tries to come to terms with his shameful past. As a twelve year old he had a relationship with his middle school teacher, the fall out that followed Josh still has him confused. His teacher Eve was arrested and Josh became a social pariah, thankfully his best friend Zik never left his side. He wants to get close to his old friend Rachel again, but he is too ashamed of his past to try and attempt. Josh is so sure that everyone is silently judging him and he is counting down the days til he can get out of town and go to college. He has Zik, baseball (he's kind of amazing at it), and numbers (literal math whiz) to try and take his mind off matters but he can't stop thinking back to the "affair" he had with Eve. How long can he blame himself?

Trust me you will want to read this novel. The concept sounds grim but it is utterly fantastic to watch Josh learn and grow from his unfortunate past. It  is super compelling and nearly impossible to put down. Truly one of the best young adult books on the market. Read it!!!! I dare you!!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Books like this make me want to get back into reading young adult novels. This was utterly fantastic. I thoroghly enjoyed learning about Charlie's struggles though his "anonymous" letters. It was a unique format and Charlie bared his soul to a stranger in hopes that an outsider  might understand and refrain from judging him.

While quite humourous at times, this novel also managed to be poignant and heartbreaking as Charlie tries to overcome his emotions and become accepted amongst his peers and within his own family. High school is tough for everyone, but for someone without friends it's even worse. How does one fill the time? Thankfully, Charlie encounters Sam and Patrick. The brother and sister duo take it upon themselves to take Charlie under their wing and help him enjoy his first year of high school. They're not the only ones however. Charlie's english teacher gives him extra readings and assignments, something which Charlie enjoys. The books Bill gives him help him better understand his life and those around him. As the year progresses he starts to become one of the group but he still goes through emotional trials. From trying drugs, to covering the fact that his best friend is gay, and being secretly in love with Sam Charlie learns how important it is to be honest with those around you, but more importantly how to be honest with oneself.

All in all this was a FANTASTIC read and I cannot wait to see the movie staring Emma Watson next month, I really hope it follows the book closely!