Pinned presents a refreshing twist on the girl meets boy theme – overcoming disabilities.  Autumn is the only female on the wrestling team.  Autumn has no confidence in her academic ability and is working below grade level.  Autumn’s parents take her off of the wrestling team because her grades. She can pin an opponent in a wrestling match but she faces opposition from Adonis, the team’s manager and an honor student who is wheel chair bound, when she tries to pin him down for tutoring, friendship and romance.   In addition to this dynamic, Sharon Flake brings in other realities, such as the wealthy, well educated parents of a friend of Autumn’s expecting so much of their child that she cheats her way to good grades vs. Autumn’s parents who try to show her that her education can allow her to achieve more than the hard life they have been living.  Autumn is a strong female character trying to do the right thing throughout the story.  Flake’s award winning realistic narrative writing style thrusts this plot line even further.  Many students will enjoy Pinned.  It is highly recommended!

Piper knows she’s cynical.  Falling in love is not something she aspires to do. In fact, she usually walks away before she can every really get to know a guy.  Enter her two best girlfriends with a love potion plan to find boyfriends by Feburary 14th.  The fact that her single mother of three owns a floral shop and that Piper works for a candy shop owner only makes the weeks leading up to Valentine’s day a stressful combination of angst.  But the character Heather Hepler develops in Piper is surprisingly insightful, respectful, and not as melodramatic as the chic lit cover filled with candy “consternation” hearts might lead one on to believe.  Piper gets her man, but does she really want him?  Her soul mate might just be closer than she imagined.  The predictability of the ending is one small flaw. Another is the “thrown in” conflict of Piper’s real father coming into the picture.   This read is more about realizing that repressed feelings can put all relationships at risk until the eventual implosion or explosion that is necessary to move on.

The cover, featuring a handsome shirtless lifeguard, gives the reader the impression that The Lifeguard will be a romantic beach read. But the reader may be disappointed. The characters are poorly defined; for instance the reader learns next to nothing about the lifeguard, Pilot, other than that he is handsome and has supernatural healing powers. Sirena, the main character, doesn’t articulate what it is about Pilot, other than his good looks, that has her so obsessed with him.  It may just be the supernatural “presence” that read people can’t understand.  And everything about her is extreme — the high to low roller coaster of her emotions makes for a bumpy ride.  The best character is Pilot’s grandfather, from whom Sirena learns the most about life.  The plot defies believability but the novel likely will appeal to the most die hard romance fans.

Shift is the sequel to Shade and is the second book in the Shade Trilogy. Shift takes up two months after Shade ends and continues the story of Aura, her dead boyfriend Logan, and a new love interest Zachary. This paranormal love triangle romance is full of action, dangerous and sexy entanglements with twists and turns. An intriguing, steamy romance that will have the readers turning the pages with anticipation.  Note: This is a very mature Young Adult novel with erotic images.

The final book in the Avatar Chronicles trilogy, Edda‘s story follows immediately upon the previous books, Epic and Sage. As very little back story is presented in Edda, it is best read after the first two books. The main character, Penelope has known no world beside the video game universe of Edda her entire life. She is the only human avatar in a land of electronic beings, and has been virtually abandoned by the humans of her planet. The main plot of Edda concerns the threat of war emerging between Edda and Saga. Secrets come out about Penelope’s past, and loyalties are tested.

This fantasy contains the same main characters as the first two books and makes it easy to keep track of the characters over the course of the series.

The sequel to Trickster’s Girl, Traitor’s Son continues an intriguing adventure story, full of non-stop action and interesting characters, including a likable teenaged hero. Blending magic and science with Pacific Northwest Native mythology, this fantasy novel will appeal to teenage readers.

The introduction explains Democracy and it’s various elements, with an well done chronology of the evolution of democracy. Readability is good and the book is divided into components explaining various aspects of democracy with solid examples provided. There are interesting historical references to the development of the Bill of Rights, Amendments, and the Athenian Model. The illustrations are good and various graphics provide additional information, as does the timeline and easy to use large print index.  One improvement would have been to include a glossary of terms. There is additional information provided in sections on the electoral college, poll tax and election spending.

Hook, line and sinker, this reader went for Monarchy because of the cover.  The young Elisabeth with her coronation garb made me want to read about her.  No wonder my double take after the 1st chapter when I realized that the rest of the book would be about the history of monarchies, as the title so simply states.  Silly me.  Rebecca Stefoff’s history lesson is a well-written account of the various types of monarchies around the world and the splinter off shoots, including king-priests, pharaohs, emperors, sultans, as well as the mix of religious leadership positions that play a role in control of a people.  Full color, glossy pages throughout, this is a great selection to see how monarchies are dependent on the area in which they “govern”.  The history lesson clips along — not too dry, but not necessarily pleasure reading.  VOYA said in 2009 that “Each of the series’ six volumes includes a helpful chart that compares the six forms of government, which also include dictatorship, theocracy, communism, and monarchy. This series for older teens is an excellent and well-researched collection addition.”

How brilliant to connect socially motivated young people with adult leaders, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, who have actually achieved recognition for making change happen.  Peace Jam is an inspiring look at the work of the Nobel Laureates and how that work can also be accomplished by young people all over the world.  Motivated individuals can tackle the toughest issues facing our planet, regardless of their gender, color, social position or country of origin.  The stories are of individuals who have organized at the grass-roots level to address issues of gender inequality, climate change, health care reform, gun violence or water quality.  It is truly inspiring to learn what can be accomplished by people who  are dedicated, caring and know how to organize.  For young people or anyone, at any age, who wants to make their world a better place, this book is realistic and encouraging.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for your main event.”  So begins Patrick Jones’s 60 page chronological tour of the “sports entertainment” genre known as professional wrestling.  The first 16 pages offer up an interesting historical timeline of the key match ups over the 100+ years of “entertainment” wrestling.  The second chapter basically gives more detail about most of these bouts.  Overall the focus is on the evolution of the sport, though in 2011 Wrestling boss Vince McMahon even changed the name of his World Wresting Entertainment group to WWE because he “no longer wanted the word wrestling associated with his company, claiming there was no future for wrestling, only for “sports entertainment”. Readers will see that characters, personalities and back story play a lot into the full picture of professional wrestling.  As well as the action, of course.  No question, these men and women are athletes, but Jones freely admits that the bouts are scripted and staged.

What this is lacking is any critical commentary of the sport.  Nothing on in the way of early deaths of the wrestlers from drug use and physical abuse to the body.  Nothing about the violence and trash talk that goes on in the sport.  The future of wrestling is called into question, with more interest going to mixed martial arts fights that have back story and characters mixed with real competition.  One small error even the publisher let slide is the mention of the Kingdome, which would have been replaced with Century Link Field by the 2003 bout discussed.

Overall, the writing is fast paced and the voice is excited.  Every two-page spread has a picture to bring the entertainment value.  Definitely an additional purchase if for middle and high school audiences.

The last year of Rose Hathaway’s life wraps up her typical dramatic flare in Last Sacrifice, the final installment of the Vampire Academy novels.  Rose is on her way to becoming her best friend Lissa’s guardian when the unimaginable happens – she is accused of murdering the queen, which is also her boyfriend’s aunt.   Well connected, she manages to escape with others help and will be a fugitive, traveling up and down the east coast until she figures out who really killed Titania and why she was framed.  Of course, Rose’s romantic life cannot be left to dwindle while she’s gone.  Though her boyfriend is still back at the court, her true arua-ly connect soul mate Dimitri will put up his guard while traveling with her.  Both will come to conclusions that the physical fighting is easy, but it’s why they fight that matters.   Once again, Richelle Mead’s fast-paced narrative that includes Rose being able to connect to others with through dreams and channeling gives a reader 24 hours of vampire action per day.  The scene of passion between Rose and Dimitri is tame but true.  Rose will never give up and is heck of a role-model for vampire fans to unite around.

Shelley Coriell, noted romance writer, has entered new territory with Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe, her debut novel. Strong in voice, characters, plot, topics, and emotion, Coriell takes readers into the engaging world of Chloe Camden, junior at Del Ray High School in Southern California, as major changes are shaking her life.  Chloe loves vintage shoes, her friends, her family of loving brothers, parents and aging grandmother, and her job at a popular Mexican restaurant. She’s not prepared when her best friends turn on her, her mother and grandmother implode into arguments, and the entire school seems intent upon shunning her. Forced to become part of the struggling high school radio station, KDSR 88.8 FM, in order to satisfy requirements for her Junior Project under the guidance of a new school counselor, she finds herself challenged to leave the past and her expectations behind. Using skills her job has helped her hone, she finds success, acceptance, and newfound talents doing a call-in radio show that blossoms into greater funding for the station, hard-won new friendships, and even love. The book has the reader rooting for Chloe all the way as she navigates quirky colleagues, broken friendships, new romance, and creative ways to be in the world – learning to listen, acting with heart, and stepping into the unknown bravely as she also speaks her mind.  Coriell’s book is a terrific read from start to finish, well written, perfect for teen audiences.

Curtis Jackson III, aka 50 cent, surprises music fans and readers alike with Playground, a one-of-a-kind story about fitting in and the paths people take.  In 13 year old “Butterball’s” world, every day is a new battle: dodging the glares of his classmates, eating lunch alone in the bathroom stall, wishing his weight would stop increasing, longing for the bustling streets of the city where his dad lives, wishing he didn’t have to talk to his therapist Liz, and most of all, wanting to forget what really happened that day on the playground. Butterball retells the events that landed him talking to a shrink, and by the end, tears will be shed, painful words spoken, and more than just Butterball will come away ready to start anew.  Topped off with detailed sketches, Playground is an inspirational book which many will enjoy.  Incorporating events from his own childhood, 50 Cent tells the mostly true story of how Butterball became a bully.

Thomas Fleming freely admits that there will be confusion as he tries to explain the philosophical shifts in the theory of socialism in his book of the same title from Marshall Cavendish’s Political Systems of the World series.  Classical definitions of socialism, communism and liberalism will are used, which means that a liberal believes that everything can and will be done to achieve liberty, or independence from the government.  What is currently described as being a “democrat” in the United States is really more of a socialist – society ensuring fairness among all people.  Fleming begins his history lesson with Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s dissection of Plato’s ideas as unmanageable, Christianity’s influence, and the rise of Utopias.  When the US colonists declared independence and the French Revolution put the world’s elite classes on notice, the hope for new mindsets by which to inspire rose again.  This ebb and flow continues through the historical timeline of this book reaching a crescendo of sorts in the late 19th and early 20th century.  The United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden are 3 focal countries for discussion purposes in the text. The constant question of political vs economic means justifying the ends is raised again and again.  The comparison table of socialism and other governments in the back is particularly helpful.  Students will need to ignore their “Americanized” concepts of liberal vs. conservative and instead go back to history to learn how these concepts came about.  Not many pictures or sidebars to glamorize the topic, this book is good for advanced students at the high school level and above.

The factual, informative style of “Inside the Industry:Entertainment” by Marcia Lusted is a useful resource to determine the practicality of a career in entertainment.  Many of the kinds of employment  available  in this industry are behind the scenes and are as creative and dynamic as the “star” roles.  By investigating  the  requirements of each job, the talents needed for that job are discussed. This industry is attractive to creative, expressive, musical types of individuals, as well as engineers, electricians, computer geeks and technicians.   Questions about how to get a job, which jobs are most in demand or what  are  the  educational  requirements are addressed.    Careers from music teacher, screen writer, film director, orchestra conductor or television actor are analyzed. This book could be very helpful in guiding  a student from the dreams of a career in the creative world of entertainment to the practical reality of actually working in that field.

Tyger, Tyger is the exciting first book in the Goblin War series by Kerstan Hamilton. High school teenage angst of the 21st century is entwined with primordial struggles between goblins and humankind  of Irish/Celtic mythology.   Danger and excitement build as Teagan learns about her mother’s true identity and the role she is thrown into in order to protect her younger brother and rescue her father.  The tension between Teagan and Finn, the handsome McCumhaill of the Irish Travellers, makes for page turning interest in this fast-moving, imaginative sprint through Mag Mell, the world between worlds. The fierce, dark power of unknown forces of evil and the persistence of ancient curses that survive through time make this life and death struggle more vital than which college Teagan may choose to attend or expectations of her employer. Fantasy readers will love it and those who normally don’t choose fantasy will be happily surprised with how the story carries you away.

Book #5 in the Vampire Academy novel series, Spirit Bound, takes Rose Hathaway on a quest to free her imprisoned true love, Dimitri Belikov, who also happens to currently be a Strigoi, an evil undead vampire.  Strigoi are always hunting Moroi. but Rose has discovered a way to change Dimitri back into the Moroi he once was.  She is hopeful that their passion will ignite again, despite the fact that she has a boyfriend already.  Richelle Mead give just enough of the back story that a reader can pick up this book and read it as a stand alone, until the end of course, where the cliff hanger will make a reader want to find out Rose’s fate that is literally on the chopping block.  There is nothing that should offend anyone in high school or above.  The pace is clean and crisp and a surprisingly good read for another vampire story.  Movie rights have been sold and Rose’s female heroine is worthy of a chance at the big screen.  Book #6 is the end of the series, though there is a spin off series set for 6 books as well.  At 500 pages, these will take up shelf space and will attract a mainly female audience.

Azael Arevalo is a gangster who loves to do his tagging artwork.  He is loyal to his MS13 homies, a Mexican gang in Houston, Texas, because his own family life is so tragic.  So it’s no surprise to the reader as they learn that the alternating then and now chapter subtitles refer to Az’s life before and after landing himself in prison.  But he doesn’t know why he’s there specifically.  In the then chapters, we find out that his mother died shortly after his little sister was born, turning his life upside down.  After his father gives up custody of his sister to an aunt and because of his alcoholism, Az and his brother are pretty much on their own.  In the now, Az is tortured by having to watch therapy sessions of Lexi, a white girl who is also incarcerated.  He quickly figures out that there is a connection between why they are both in jail, but he can’t remember anything.  Az’s language is gritty and authentic, with sex on his mind as much as why he is where his is.  The redeeming qualities in this story come not only from Az as from Lexi as both will be true to themselves, even if it’s a truth the mainstream society rejects.  Ashley Hope Perez catches both the male and female voice of these characters with the spite and tension that teens in prison would hold.  This is an additional selection to add to collections.

With Brother/Sister, Sean Olin takes readers into the minds of two teenagers for whom the world is unraveling fast. Sparely written, deep but easy to read, Olin’s book lets us into the minds of siblings Will and Asheley Baird through their own words as they explain to interrogators how they came to be in the nightmarish fix they’re in: Will is a murderer and Asheley has abetted his crimes, all for what each thinks of as love.

As the plot unfolds, Olin gives us reasons for these two to be almost powerless in the face of their undoing…a disappeared, abandoning father; a drunken, hopeless mother who abrogated her duties, placing impossible burdens on the shoulders of her then-6 year-old son; Asheley’s boyfriend, abused himself, who makes things worse; an ineffectual stoned “step-dad”; and a cast of teenaged characters for whom the world is drinking, party-crashing, crushes, and sports.

Struggling to belong, hoping for happiness, Asheley wants friends but finds only she can control her brother’s increasing anger and violence. Will, desperately alone and torn with self-doubt, fixates on Asheley as the one he must protect at all costs, to whom he must dedicate his life as he inexorably becomes divorced from reality.  Sadly, it is the day of each one’s greatest triumphs that marks the beginning of their undoing.

Many themes make this a worthwhile book for readers, showing that without real parenting, lives can go woefully, tragically astray.

Highly Recommended

With Irises, award-winning author Francisco X. Stork paints the lives of two young women at a crossroads in consciousness and beliefs, faced with decisions that will either allow or destroy their most cherished dreams. Stork’s sensitive handling of an uncommon subject is a valuable journey that will help readers understand the choices we often must make as we weigh the costs of loving against the obligations we have to ourselves of living our own authentic lives.

Kate and Mary Romero have spent two years since the accident that left their mother in a vegetative state, living under the stern, restrictive, limited but loving influence of their father, Church of God Pastor Manuel Romero. His certainty that removing life-supports from his comatose wife would be a sin against God has left the family in service to the all-but-lifeless mother in the parish house provided by the congregation.

The sudden death of their father begins a process of awakening in older sister Kate, who burns to attend Stanford University and become a doctor, and in 16 year-old Mary, a gifted artist whose ability to ‘see the light’ and put it on canvas has vanished since her mother’s tragedy. Mary’s unsuccessful attempt to re-render the famous Van Gogh painting, Irises, has shown her how lifeless and dull her painting has become since her mother’s accident.

Both girls’ dreams, fostered and encouraged by their lively mother, crushed and denied by their father, bring each to the edge of despair at the contemplation of accepting endless servitude to their lifeless mother.

Vivid characters emerge to help the sisters decide whether to sacrifice their hopes to keep their mother “alive”, or to make the leap of faith called for in ending what their mother herself would call no life at all. As the faults of the father emerge, the sisters seek help from distant Aunt Julia, who has health problems of her own.

Having removed life supports from my own dying mother, I connected with the story. Soul and spirit combine in the painful process of letting go, giving this book its own luminous quality.

Highly recommended.

The opening of the story with the anxieties of typical high school student such as making the team or worrying about getting into college gives The Combination by Elias Carr an immediate connection to the reader. But the school is anything but ordinary as  bats swoop through the hallways and the doors are locked for the student’s safety. Perched over an ancient sinkhole, St. Philomena High was designed by a brilliant yet mad architect.  With the right combination, it becomes a doomsday machine.  The plot is a bit far-fetched.  Stilted, disjointed dialogue and the stereotypical characters hinder the suspense of the story.  Short chapters with fast moving action in simple vocabulary keeps interest  in solving the mystery and saving the students.  This book could be a good read for an emerging middle school reader.

A witty, self-questioning, authentic teen voice is presented in that of Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells by Cameron Tuttle.  In this second book of the series, Paisley’s alter ego, Miss UnPleasant, wins as a write in candidate for sophomore class president.  But the dimwit vice-principal won’t let that become official and gives the race to the popular Peter “Hutch” Hutchison.  This is just one storyline that weaves in with three other valid storylines Tuttle creates to bring out issues in high schools today, including bullying, cyberbullying and sexting, and emotional angst when a girl likes two boys and can’t decide.  Overarching it all is the main theme that still continues from the 1st book in the series, that popularity isn’t everything.  No drugs but references to drinking and partying, sidebras instead of sidebars, and somewhat over the top antics lend this story to a Disney or Nickelodeon screenplay, but until then, 9th – 11th grade girls who like the “popularity theme” that encompasses every high school will probably enjoy this read as they see that every character is just as human as the next.  Unfortunately the publisher made such a big change in the cover art between the 1st and 2nd books that I’m inclined to only carry the 2nd one and wait to read reviews of the 3rd that is supposed to be in the works before I would order the 1st.

Nobel Genes, as in being conceived from a Nobel price winner sperm bank donor, is what this teenaged boy believes he has. When his scholastic abilities don’t match expectations, he beings to question the story that his single mom has told him throughout his life. The unnamed boy in this 1st person narrative has unanswered questions which he is afraid to ask out loud: who is father is, why he has no known relatives, and why aren’t the Nobel genes kicking in to make him the brilliant student his mother expects him to be. He also has the daunting responsibility of caring for his mother who suffers from mental illness, alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, and suicidal tendencies.

This is a disturbing and emotionally dark story, poignant and wrenching, but with  hopefulness that the boy will learn to control his own destiny, regardless of his genetic make up.

Spoiler Alert: a scene of incest; implied not graphically shown.

Susan Shaw’s Tunnel Vision can catch a reader in the first three pages.  Liza’s mom is dead and Liza is the next target.  But why?  Immediately rushed into the U.S. Marshall’s protective services, Liza and her dad are on the run from being on a hit list.  Moving from the east coast to the mid-west and back again, Liza must hide her bright red hair and her fear as she feels everyone knows who she is.  It doesn’t help that the mainstream media caught their “story” and made it national news, broadcasting their picture over and over.  While the story is a little far fetched, the “what if” scenario makes a reader keep going.  The minor characters aren’t given much time to develop and be an integral part of the story.  Only one comes back into the picture.  Overall it has an interesting premise but would be a good additional selection for high school and public libraries.

Morris, Rudi, Beck, and Ivan have just graduated from high school.  They are the best of buds and they make pacts with each other.  But the Vietnam War is raging.  So when one is drafted, they all join up.  This is great news for Ivan, the son of a retired Marine Corp Captain.  What begins as a story about four boys who need to stay best friends even though they are now officially adults quickly turns into Ivan’s reality check as he sees the brutality of war first hand.  By the end, Ivan learns how hard he can push himself as well as how soldiers of Vietnam can get through the experience: by just continuing to move, even if the movement is just for the sake of moving itself, by realizing how “close to you are to horror every single day”, and by just snapping.  This is book #2 in a series of 4, with the 1st book focusing on the story of Morris in the Navy.  With a little gore because it is the Vietnam War, this is a worthwhile addition to Chris Lynch’s collection, though not with the depth and literary insight as Tim O’Brien’s novels. Recommended for all high school and public libraries.