Little Bee

Impossible to put down, this story of love, betrayal, hope, and family will leave readers wiping their eyes and wishing for more. Two women on opposite sides of the world find their lives entangled by one horrific moment in time that neither of them will ever be able to forget. Little Bee, a Nigerian asylum seeker and Sarah an editor in London will find their paths crossing nearly two years after their first horrible encounter and both will be powerless to stop the chain of events that will unfold. Uplifting, captivating, and unique; the characters leap right off the pages and into your heart and you're powerless to turn away. A real triumph in storytelling.

Rebound

A wonderful prequel to the award winning young adult novel, The Crossover. Written entirely in verse, Rebound follows Chuck Bell, the summer after his father's unexpected death when he is sent to stay with his grandparents. Angry and disinterested in everything except comics he is resigned to hate the whole summer but he soon discovers that he loves hanging with his father's family and to his surprise he's actually really good at basketball, a sport he always kind of avoided. The summer is filled with the Harlem Globetrotters, The Boys and Girls Club, comics, lawn mowing, and family. Chuck Bell has no idea how impactful this summer will be on the rest of his life. A slam dunk.

The Haunting of Hill House

An extremely chilling, unique, and unsettling horror novel; that remains relevant even to this day. I've read other books by Shirley Jackson, but this might be my favorite. It's simple yet so very deep and nuanced and everything ties in together; weaving a tapestry of evil and doubt. Three strangers are united by a scholar of the occult promising a summer of free lodging, modest pay, and amiable company. The four find themselves taking up residence in Hill House, a massive manor that has spent decades empty and has dozens of rumors surrounding it. Everyone is unsettled by the house which gives off an air of darkness and chill, but they band together to see if anything is truly off about the house. Dr. Montague is the primary note taker and scholar, Theodora is a beautiful and engaging participant, Luke is the future inheritor of the estate, and Eleanor is poor, friendless and determined to make the best of the situation. Small horrors begin to creep in and by the time they think to do something it's too late. A great horror novel!

David: Savakerrva

What happens when a fourteen year old orphan from Detroit finds out he's the son of an alien king?! Adventure of the highest order; a space odyssey for all ages! "David: Savakerrva" takes readers on a journey through space; exploring rich new frontiers and fantastic species and cultures.

Disbelief, anger, annoyance, and righteous indignation flow through David when he learns the life changing truth about his past and his future. How can he help save a planet when he's used to being bullied, he can barely stand up for himself let alone a bunch of aliens! Against his wishes he's taken from Earth and given only the barest of explanations on what he's expected to do. David knows that the prophecy has foretold his coming and that without his help, his father's home planet will be destroyed. No small feat, considering he was just chilling out in his room reading comic books days before, it's not like he's been training his whole life for this. David must look inward to see if he's even an inkling of the man that these strange aliens think he is. The classic battle of good versus evil will play out on the pages and readers will enjoy every minute of the ride.  Brimming with exhilarating sights and sounds, witty banter, impossible tests, malicious bad guys, and an occasionally whiny teenager; this science fiction novel is an excellent start to what I hope is a nice long series.

Damsel

Wow, what a blistering take on the age old tale of rescuing a damsel. This dark, thematic young adult book is really NC 17 - there is a lot of sexual abuse, self-harm, and harassment in this book - spoiler alert. The book opens with Prince Emory traveling to a far off land to slay a dragon and rescue a damsel. He must successfully bring a damsel back to his kingdom to be wed or he will never be king. For as far back as anyone can remember, the cycle has always remained the same; slay a dragon, rescue a damsel, wed her, impregnate her with one son, who will then turn around and repeat the process when it is his turn to be king. For Ama, this is all new. She has no memories before being rescued by Prince Emory; she has to take his word for everything and trust that he knows best. As she tries to adjust to her new place in the castle with her pet lynx; Ama realizes that she is unhappy, why shouldn't she get a say in her? She is constantly talked down to, bossed around, taken advantage of, and demeaned; Prince Emory doesn't seem so heroic anymore. Ama wishes she could just remember what life was like before he "rescued" her. Dark, twisted, and wonderful; the ending alone is worth reading this book for!

The World on Either Side

What a STUNNING young adult novel about grief, compassion, and letting go. When sixteen year old, Valentine Joy's boyfriend tragically dies, her life falls apart. For months she can't bear to leave her bed or face the world, and even suffers an "accidental" overdose. Her mother has had enough, and in order to save her daughter, Valentine's mother decides to jolt her away from her thoughts and environment by going overseas to trek across Thailand and take in the sights. Anything to get her mind off her dead boyfriend. Despite herself Valentine starts to enjoy herself, just a little; being far away from home is helping her process her thoughts and feelings. She's intrigued by a young elephant keeper in their group, trying to tease out the secrets of his past; when suddenly tragedy strikes. The group discover a heard of murdered elephants, the only survivor being a baby they name Mohawk. Valentine and her mysterious friend decide to try and save the baby from poachers and soon find themselves fleeing through the forest trying to stay one step ahead of the angry men with guns. Filled with sorrow, heartache, and love - this book is about what it takes to give forgiveness and seek compassion. Readers will also learn about the struggles of Burmese refugees and the struggle on the Myanmar/Thailand border, something that many people around the world remain unaware of. Educational, thought provoking, and brilliant - this young adult book will find many adult fans as well. A voice to watch!

Hidden Scales

Tightly woven and thoroughly engaging; this middle grade fantasy novel will win over boys and girls of all ages. Thought to extinct for decades, merrows have only lived in the imagination. Merrows were water breathing humans able to live on land and under water and were thought to be quite magical and strong although no one is sure why or when they disappeared. When eleven year old Mira is abducted from her cozy little coastal town along with her best friend Peter, they have no idea what kind of adventure they are about to embark on. Everything they knew about their kingdom and their lives is about to be flipped upside down as they try to keep one step ahead of the shadowveils who are hunting them and their new companions. Mira and Peter as well as a flying horse, a mischievous young boy, a sly gnome, and a saucy woman must race against the clock to discover the secrets of the merrows, rescue their kidnapped friends, and evade the shadowveils. Accompanying each chapter is a gorgeous illustration to really help paint the scene. Wonderfully paced and imagined; this fantasy novel is unique and readers will be eagerly waiting for the rest of this series.