Welcome to the Hotel Ruby, a suspenseful story laden with foreshadowing and figurative symbolism that mystery fans will enjoy.  Audrey and Daniel Cassella have recently lost their mother.  Their father was never really into parenting them and made plans for them to live at their maternal grandmother’s for the summer after Audrey had a party at her house.  On the drive from Phoenix to Elko in northern Nevada, they stop into the Hotel Ruby, which is a splurge.  Visually stunning, Audrey’s room is separated from her brother and fathers– hers being on the 13th floor which is under renovations.  Immediately, each person in the family is swept up, and away from each other, by the hotel’s oddities.  But when Audrey begins visually seeing people with blood on them when they are perfectly fine, she knows there isn’t quite right. Drama and tension build to a point where Audrey even tries to leave the hotel, but “the door only leads into the Ruby.”  Each character is questionable in their motivations, leading the reader, like Audrey, unable to know who to trust.  And while one might think they know how the story will wrap up, they too should not trust the oddities of the Hotel Ruby.  This page turner from Suzanne Young is recommended for high school audiences.

Over the course of a sophomore year, everything can change.  This is the experience of Lima.  Attending a private school where students call their instructors by first names, Lima’s life has always been simple.  She was the only child.  She had the best of best friends since grade in grade school in Hailey.  She didn’t get herself caught up in the drama around boys.  And she did well in her classes.  But the realities of high school life begin to creep into her world starting with Hailey’s 1st sexual encounter.  Hailey’s lack of desire to discuss it with Lima began the mixed messages she would receive, send and feel throughout the year.  Lima watches Hailey start to hang with a crowd who parties and pull even further away because of a new girl friend, Skyler.  Hailey toys with Lima’s emotions, coming back into her life over the course of the year whenever things get too out of control with her new scene.  Lima’s frustration bends to confusion when Hailey’s long time crush, Nate, shows interest in Lima instead.  But this is so much more than a battle for the boy book.  Lima meets an edgier group of students in seniors Meredith, Walker, Henry and Lily who will allow her to test out who she is and establish who she is not.  And slowly, the path to Nate will open with all of the physical and emotional connections going full boar.  Juliana Romano takes an honest look at a year in the life of Lima as she truly comes of age.  Lima even says “We had all played our parts in the things that happened over the course of the year.  No one person was to blame.  Maybe growing up was about being able to live with the fact that things weren’t ever totally black or white.”  Romano handles the most personal of choices with raw emotion and delicacy, just as it probably is for most teen girls who are deciding how to keep friendships alive and whether to have sex.  First There Was Forever is definitely for high school libraries, but can be a justifiable addition to a collection as Lima stays true to herself throughout the book.

Lock and Mori, written by Heather W. Petty, is a young adult CSI read that both genders will enjoy.  James “Mori” Moriarty is a teen who has lost her mother to cancer and is basically in charge of protecting her brothers from their violent father.  Their father, who is a London cop, drinks too heavily because of the loss of his wife and takes his frustration with life out on his kids, especially Mori.  Mori has that oldest sibling stamina to handle her horrible home life while being a start student.  When she meets Sherlock Holmes, there is something about his aura that both provokes her and attracts her.  Circumstances put them together at Regent’s Park on an evening after the brutal murder of a schoolmate’s father.  Both Lock and Holmes discuss how botched the crime scene investigation seems to be going.  Intrigued, Lock challenges Mori to a game to figure out who committed the murder.  The only rule is that both people have to share their information with each other.  Lock is mysterious because of his brilliance and because he is not the narrator.  With the story coming from Mori’s point-of-view, this reader kept wondering if Petty would have Lock would upstage the protagonist by the end, because, after all, he is Sherlock Holmes.  But Mori will go all the way to the end to maintain her control and fight her own battles.  Readers on either side who want one to out-maneuver the other will not be disappointed with the finale.  The only criticism involves the short scenes of passion between the two.  One character is about to go into the scariest situation of her life yet body groping kisses must happen first.  It doesn’t ring true for these super smart kids.  Their attraction to each other would have had enough tension without them having to get into bed together, especially with all of the other mysterious plotting and violent nature of the storyline. Still, the mystical London setting keeps the hints of the original Sherlock Holmes novels around and introduces this next generation to their past success.  Recommended for high school libraries.

Lyric Walker lives a normal teenage life until she is forced into the unlikely situation of an invasion by the Alpha in Undertow. Then her world is shattered as she takes on the problems of living with a secret that would tear her world apart. Her friends are kept in the dark and she lives with the fear that others will know. Soon she is forced into becoming a friend to Fathom, an Alpha prince, but soon begins to be attracted to his unlikely charms. The plot beautifully unfolds as Lyric discovers both a hostile and magical world.

The author creates the realistic world of a teenager who lives in a terrifying world. Things go from bad to worse as Lyric, a strong female character, battles for her friends and family. The book is fast paced and moves from one situation to another. It ended too soon and readers will be ready for a sequel.

Media 1 is in charge of your life.  You’ve signed a contract that you’ll have your life watched 24/7 as you’re a cast member of Blissful Days, the ultimate reality TV show, where reality is really scripted after all.  So is the life of Nettie Starling.  Navigating life on and off the mic, with missives from the producers on what products to promote or work into conversations, living via Blissful Days had been a good life.  Until Nettie starts to question the “Big Brother” control of Media 1 and how their “Initiative” may bring her more harm than good. In questioning their control, she discovers disturbing and possibly deadly aspects to the blissful life.  Slightly reminiscent of the movie The Truman Show, Nettie resembles in Mockingjay. Other characters are carefully crafted by Maya Rock to keep readers wondering who to trust, as one person’s “initiative” might lead to another character’s downfall.  This was a young adult novel that was looked forward to every night, ironically much like one’s favorite TV program.  Highly recommended.

Reading through Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings is a search for substance and story-line. Set in a huge Hawaiian high school, Lea is the perpetual new girl at school. While maneuvering the highs and lows of teen girl dramas and the “cool guys” romantic come-on games, Lea searches for friendship and a sense of belonging . She has a loving, healthy relationship with her mother and a deep friendship with a guy friend from childhood that are her guides for what is genuine and true. The descriptive language about Hawaii and the hanging-out surf/ sun culture is a delightful addition to often redundant situations of excited nervousness and soul crushing rejection. The weak action of the story is counter point to the internal dialogue that Lea expresses as she tries to figure out what she REALLY thinks and feels. Juniors shows how the younger, next-generation mirrors the superficial qualities of an older moneyed generation. Teenagers, especially young women, will probably identify with Lea and her teenage angst.

What We Become, a companion novel to Those That Wake, could stand alone but it’s not going to win any awards.  Main characters Mal and Laura, along with their foils Rose and Aaron respectively, are fighting against the “Old Man” who plans to harness the ability to control all human beings’ minds.  There is a lot of violent action in this story set in a futuristic New York city.  There’s also the romantic emotional pulls of trying to get Mal and Laura to reunite.  This is where this reviewer is left wondering which young adults will be attracted to the story and why?  The dystopian plot or the romance, girls or boys?  It’s a story.  It’s ok.  It was given to our book review group in 2015 though it was published in 2013.  Clearly the publisher is just getting rid of spare copies.  Explicit language advisory to those that need it.

We Forgot Brock! is a very exciting, adventure filled children’s picture book that will keep readers engaged.  Phillip sets out on a journey of a lifetime to find Brock when the family accidentally left him at the fair.  What puts a twist on this conflict is that Brock is Phillip’s imaginary friend.  But what reader’s are pleasantly surprised to find is that Phillip’s journey will give him a friend beyond imagination.  Younger readers will surely be absorbed into the story while adult readers will love the special heart-warming effect.  Recommended for preschool – 1st grade.

I Love You More Than Moldy Ham is an intricately illustrated picture book that is sure to keep kiddos intrigued.  The young monster sets out to make a little feast at his house for his mom as a surprise.  The rhythmic sequencing of the text creates a tune as one reads along.  Well placed rhymes make one want to turn the page.  Surprisingly, there are no names for the characters but they are still easy to keep track of and allow the idea that this story could be about anyone.  The colorful illustrations really add to the excitement and keep it just silly enough to truly enjoy.  Could be used to prepare for Mother’s Day.  Recommended.

When their tour guide dies in a tragic accident that happens while Emma and her small group of strangers are hiking during a huge wind storm, they now have no choice but to make it to Lake Superior on their own.  But not everyone in the group believes in the “All for one, and one for all” mentality.  In fact, when it comes to surviving mother nature and all of the creatures that come with her, one hiker has no qualms with a survival of the fittest mentality.  This is an exciting, attention grabbing book for adventure loving types who love adrenaline rushes. Survival is definitely the name of the game and with all of these types of shows on TV in the last couple of years, Stranded by Melinda Braun could be a go-to book for that kid who can’t find anything to read roaming your shelves…