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From bestselling YA author Darren Shan (Demonata, Cirque du Freak) comes Procession of the Dead, his adult fiction debut. Previously released in the UK as Ayumarca, Procession is the first book in Shan’s The City series. I have two notes right up front: 1) this book deals with more mature themes including sex, murder, crime and “sweet, sinister sin,” and it contains strong language, and 2) (more of a disclaimer) I have never read anything else by Shan, so when I picked up this book I had no expectations – regarding style, content, etc. and cannot tell you if it is similar to or completelyRead More →

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I’ll be the first to admit that when I picked up this book I immediately assumed that it would be yet another girl falls in love with mysterious boy who ends up being supernatural in some way (in this case, a werewolf.) I am happy to say that I was very wrong. Kristen Chandler’s debut novel is the story of KJ — a little-bit nerdy, little-bit of a tomboy, 16-year-old girl who lives in the small town of West End, Montana-right on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Her dad is a fishing guide and works in the local fly shop, and KJ spends herRead More →

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The Sky is Everywhere is Jandy Nelson’s wonderfully sad (and at times hilariously funny) debut novel. In it, you meet Lennie, a 17 year old girl who has lived her life in the shadow of her vivacious older sister Bailey. Then one day, Bailey dies unexpectedly, and Lennie is forced to figure out who she is apart from her sister. As Lennie wades through her grief- life completely throws her for a loop when she falls for not one, but two completely different guys. One who connects with her grief over losing her sister (because he lost her sister too) and one who pulls herRead More →

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In this open and sincere book, Lauren Strasnick weaves grief, growing up, and getting comfortable in your own skin into one moving story. Six months after Holly’s mom died, she has withdrawn from the world. Numb to her feelings, she has one true friend in the world. So when popular (and already attached) Paul notices her, she welcomes the diversion his embrace brings. But when their one-night stand turns into something else, Holly enters a whole new world–especially when Paul’s girlfriend Saskia starts to become her friend. This is not just another teen-angst&love-triangle book. While it does have a triangle (or two) propelling the plot,Read More →

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Dweeb: Burgers Beasts and Brainwashed Bullies by Aaron Starmer follows the tale of five boys- Denton, Wendell, Eddie, Elijah and Bijay-who are thrown together after Vice Principal Snodgrass frames them for stealing the Bake Sale money. Snodgrass’ punishment is extreme-he locks the boys in a secret room beneath the school and forces them to study for the upcoming Idaho tests- if the boys ace them, their crime will be forgiven. But there is something more going on at the school and the 5 misfits, now collectively called DWEEB, must use all of their skills to unravel the mysterious happenings at Ho-Ho-Kus Junior High. This isRead More →

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When Beatrice, aka Robot Girl, moves to a new town and meets Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, they form an unexpected friendship. Jonah is a loner who hasn’t made a new friend (or much of an impression on anyone) since the third grade–but he might make the exception for Bea. Bea describes herself as Robot Girl (except for the made-out-of-metal part). As this quirky tale unfolds,  Bea and Jonah bond through honest conversations, shared escapades, and late night calls into an “old-timer radio show.” As their friendship grows, Bea learns about Jonah’s history and their relationship becomes more meaningful than either of them ever expected. ThisRead More →

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Cecilia Galante’s Patron Saint of Butterflies  follows the story of two young girls, Agnes and Honey, as they realize that the religious commune that they’ve spent their entire lives on is not like the rest of the world–and when all is not as it seems on the commune with its charismatic leader, the changes are for the better. Told in alternating narratives between the two girls, Galante weaves the two (very different) perspectives into an inspirational tale about friendship, faith, healing, and family.  The book, while it contains some heavier themes, handles delicate situations and broaches some serious topics with grace. The two-perspective approach allowsRead More →

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At the start of their junior year at Georgia O’Keefe School for the Arts (aka Fashion High), Chloe, Mackenzie, Isabel and Erika are best friends. But over the couse of the year their friendship is seriously tested as each girl faces a variety of personal challenges and has to make hard choices about who she is, what she wants, and what’s important to her.    The story is told through Chloe’s illustrated journal as she looks back over a year that has altered the rules of their friendships and their social standing at school. Trying to make sense of everything that’s happened, the story chronicles the trust,Read More →

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What’s the toughest part about Hunger Games? After finishing it, the next book that I read just doesn’t have as much grab for me. I wonder if that’s a problem for Suzanne Collins. As I talked with students and staff about what to expect with Catching Fire, we had no clue how the author would follow up such a great story. Now I can’t figure which one’s my favorite. We knew that there would be rebellion. There’s no way that Capitol officials would let Katniss’ act of defiance go unnoticed. In the first book it is made very clear that Panem resembles Ancient Rome, hostingRead More →