The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

2016, Random House

Tessa and Callie were nine years old when Lori was murdered, and it was these two that put the Ohio River Monster behind bars.  Everyone in Fayette, Pennsylvania was relieved this horrible chapter in their lives was over.

Almost ten years have passed and Tessa and Callie are completely different girls.  Callie's life was full of scholarships, friends and a stable family that has continued to live in Fayette despite their family loss.  Tessa, on the other hand, lost her father to the prison system, her sister to her fierce independence, and her mother to who knows where.  She moved to Florida to live with her grandmother and expects to attend university in the fall after working as a waitress to make it happen.

Then the phone call comes...

Tessa once more finds herself in Fayette, but under very different circumstances.  Her father is dying and her once best friend Callie won't talk to her (even though she's staying at her house at the insistence of Callie's mom).  When Tessa goes to the prison to see her father one last time, she is told he died but her sister was there.  Tessa, who hasn't seen her family in ten years, is frantic to find her sister, but the path to her is becoming more difficult than Tessa imagined.

But Fayette hasn't shaken the Ohio River Monster yet.  Everyone thought he was in prison for the rest of his life, but a new trial is slated once again, where new evidence is to be released.  More terrifying is the fact that another girl has been found murdered in the same style as the other victims.  Callie and Tessa are once again confronted with personal tragedy because the victim was a friend of theirs, someone who was in Callie's inner circle.  Coincidence or copycat?

Callie and Tessa decide it's time to confront the past and begin to find answers to the present.  When they begin to pursue this, they have no idea one of them may be the next victim....

Kara Thomas is not only a storyteller, she's a story weaver.  Although this is the main plot of the novel, there are other threads of mystery woven into the lives of the main characters that will catch the reader's attention.  There are no lull moments in this book.  When the unraveling begins, hang on, because it will be a fast and furious ride.  Recommended 9-12th grades

Made for You by Melissa Marr

2014, HarperCollins

Eva Tilling is the girl who has it all…popularity, a good-looking boyfriend, and a family who is considered the top of the social echelon in the small southern town she was born and raised in.  Like most of her friends whose families are connected, she follows traditional Southern etiquette, including who she can date or be friends with. 

Nate used to belong, but something changed…now he’s a loner and a social paraiah, known more for his drinking and partying.  His family has slowly crumbled, reflecting his reputation.  He’s known Eva Tilling since they were kids and played together, but now as upperclassmen in high school, their relationship has changed.  It’s non-existent, with only furtive glances and cold shoulders.

But this changes the day of the accident.  Eva is now in the hospital recovering from a hit and run, trying to understand who or why it happened.  She also suffers from severe brain injury and can’t remember details afterward.  Her best friend has come by often to check on her, and unexpectedly Nate shows up, spending time with her.  Eva couldn’t be happier about this.

But something else is bothering and scaring her.  When she touches people, she can see their deaths.  She’s seen her best friend in danger as well as Nate’s, but can’t see the face of the person who is behind the shadow.  Then dead bodies begin to turn up, and all of them have one thing in common:  Eva Tilling.

The Judge is in control, knowing who and when to attack and kill to get Eva’s attention.  He knows she was made just for him and no one is going to get in the way of their love, even if it may seem maniacal and twisted.  He’s leaving her breadcrumbs, waiting for her to notice and understand them.  She needs to hurry or he’ll have to find another victim with another clue…

Melissa Marr has once again delved into the dark side and written a wonderful novel that will have readers asking  who the murderer is  until the end of the book.  And that is the one perfect reason that makes any mystery book an excellent one.  Marr builds suspense by making the readers continue to question if a particular character is the one, even as innocent as they seem.  Not only are the characters in question, but also family dynamics and expectations these teens are required to follow.  Excellent YA murder mystery and recommended for high school readers. 

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Razorbill, 2013

Hannah can't seem to get away from the tragedy of losing her best friend, Lillian.  Friends since they were little, Hannah saw what was slowly happening to Lillian, but never tried to help her.  Six months ago she died, and everyday since then, Hannah has to live with the ghost of what was her best friend...literally.At first, it was shocking, but both of them seem to have a symbiotic relationship with their newfound "friendship." 

Now, it's summer and a deathly hot one in the city of Ludlow where Hannah lives with her mother, step-father and sister.  She spends her time working for her aunt Kelly and trying to keep up with her twelve year old sister Ariel.  But it's a strange kind of summer....especially with the chokehold of a horribly hot season ahead of her.

Hannah prefers to spend time alone more than with the group of friends she and Lillian hung around with.  As the alpha in the group, Lillian took control, but with her gone, they've all changed, but not Hannah.  She doesn't take part of the corporate teen look and basicallydoesn't let anything get to her.  It takes a sensational story in the news; a glimpse of hidden photos at work, and a strange boy to change Hannah's summer into one she wasn't ready to have.

A murdered girl is found in Muncy Park, surrounded my cheap plastic toys everywhere.  In her hand is a clumsily made Valentine.  Although this frightens most people in town, it's nothing when compared to their reaction of a second victim, staged the same way.  Then a third....

Hannah is drawn deeper into the murder through coincidence and circumstance, and the more she knows, the closer the killer gets to....

Part supernatural, party mystery, Brenna Yovanoff spins a tale of intrigue set on a foundation of friendships and relationships.  Hannah is definitely the central character, but she wears so many hats (from sister, to daughter; friend to enemy; stranger to family) that what could be a flat plot turns into one with many different paths that will ultimately lead to the unexpected inevitable.  Good girl gone wrong or wrong girl looking for good?  The reader innately knows the outcome, but it will come as a surprise nonetheless.  Great book for readers who enjoy both genres. 

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Walker Books, 2013

Mallory knows the definition of isolation because she’s living it right now.  Her mother avoids her; Colleen, her best friend, is forbidden to see her; and Brian…..well, he’s dead.  

Mallory was the one that killed him, but she was never charged with murder.  Although she’s technically free, it doesn’t seem like it.  Brian’s mother is constantly parked in front of their house waiting and watching.  She can’t help but bump into Dylan, Brian’s younger brother and knowing he sees a murderer.  The whole town looks at her differently, whispering behind her back.  The best thing her parents can do is remove her from the situation.

On the day Mallory enters Monroe Prep, she knows her past has followed her, thanks to the dean’s son, Jason.  For her, it was dislike at first sight.  For him, it was a new target.  Then comes the dorm debacle, with her roommate moving out as soon as she hears about Mallory’s past.  No matter where she goes, the isolation follows.  Krista and Taryn, part of the Monroe student elite, snubs her and makes sure everyone else follow suit.  Herd mentality at its best.

But at night, Mallory knows she’s not alone.  Something or someone has followed her, getting into her room at night, whispering to her.  She sees a car near campus, waiting just outside the gates…too much like home.  So, she copes with all of this through sleeping meds, but she still hears the Boom Boom Boom of Brian’s heart, still hears his voice, and sees his searing handprint on her shoulder.  No one can help, not even Reid, the person Mallory allows closest into her private life.  

And then the unthinkable happens and Mallory is once again center stage….

Megan Miranda has written a provocative psychological mystery that interweaves stories both known and unknown.  In traditional format, the reader gets to see the viewpoints of all the major characters in the book, but it’s the main character and her battle with the trauma she went through that will carry the readers into wanting to know what will ultimately happen to her and who exactly is involved.  The reader will question which character they can trust, and which ones they find culpable.  The cover is equally dynamic, also hinting at the mystery hidden within the pages.  Is someone getting framed?  If so, who and why? 

Those looking for a thrilling read will be sure to enjoy this one. 

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

published by Feiwel and Friends, 2012

Eve has lived a life of privilege and loss. She has no boyfriend, hardly any friends, and her focus is on school.  Her father died in a tragic accident, leaving her only with her mother.  Her only friend, Aislin, couldn't be more opposite of her and needs Eve to rescue her.  The two are ying and yang, but in a very good way.  The only thing that has ever come between them is the cold and untouchable Terra Spiker....Eve's mother. 

Terra is a brilliant scientist and the brains and power behind Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, a cutting edge medical industry melded with technology.  And it's there that Eve is sent after she is in a fatal accident that crushes her leg and leaves her comatose. 

When Eve finally wakes up bandaged but functioning, she is told by her mother that she is to stay at the Spiker complex for a few weeks to recover.  Eve is cut off from her best friend and has no one to interact with...until she meets Solo...

Solo lives at Spiker Pharmaceuticals and has only known the complex.  He knows the reasons he's here - more a charity case than a legal guardianship to Terra Spiker.  He's never really known the outside world, and when Eve comes to the complex, his life takes on a decidedly different turn.  He's curious about her....in fact, she's the only person his age he's ever really come into physical contact with.  Solo has secrets, but more than that, he knows secrets....

In order to ease the boredom of recovery, Eve's mother introduces her to an advanced genetics video game that is under consideration for marketing.  The game allows the user to create their own human from the ground up, selecting DNA and genetics to create perfection.  Eve sets to work, and Solo silently watches the progress.  Little do they know what's truly being put into Eve's hands or the mastermind behind what Spiker Pharmaceuticals is hiding.

Set in today's time in San Francisco, this book is a science thriller from start to finish.  The two dominant voices written by two distict authors creates a layer of intrigue for the reader because that is the only one who knows the thoughts and actions of Eve and Solo.  This type of book is rare to come by...not quite dystopia but with the elements for the possibility of that kind of society...a pre-cursor, if you will.  The other characters in the book create a rich backdrop for the action and relationships that soon start to form and each character begins to unpeel the layers surrounding Eve and Solo as well as their involvement in the entire plot.  Although I'm not a huge reader of science-based fiction, I devoured this one.  Loved it!  If you like books such as Werlin's Double Helix. Bodeen's The Gardener or Brooks's Being, this is one to pick.  Recommended for high school. 

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha.  Penguin, 2012.

All of his life, Carver Young has only known the orphanage he lives in.  It’s there that he met Delia, his closest friend, and Finn, his worst enemy.  It’s also the place he learned skills like picking locks and not being seen or heard, perfect skills for detecting.

Carver’s life has always been a mystery, and it’s one he’d like to solve.  Who was his father?  When hacking into his file, all he stole was a piece of paper dated July 18, 1889 with words like “boss,” and “knife,” and a description of Carver as an eight year old boy, including a unique mole he has. 

But now, it’s the year 1895 and the orphanage is closing down. Fourteen-year-old Carver has two options:  become adopted immediately by the wealthy clamoring to this “Prospective Parents Day” (mostly because the young police commissioner of New York City, Theodore Roosevelt, is there) become a street rat, selling papers or cleaning offal.   And this night is where Carver meets his fate – a Pinkteron Detective by the name of Hawking….

Carver isn’t sure what to make of this mysterious and surly man who has adopted him, but the more time he spends around Hawking, the more intriguing his situation becomes and the closer Carver gets to the mystery surrounding his father.  The New Pinkertons headquarters, carved deep under bustling New York City, has all the tools and people Carver needs to find out more about his father, and when he realizes who his father is, the more horror and bloodshed arrive at his doorstep.  Jack the Ripper is looking for his long-lost son….

Petrucha knows the Gilded Age and New York City well.  Not only his is novel a compelling and interesting mystery, but the scenery he writes about as well as the characters and inventions will take the reader back to that most interesting era of the late 1800’s.  Jack the Ripper has left the foggy streets of London to go head-to-head with Theodore Roosevelt, but will macabre cunning or intelligent bravado win?  Petrucha takes the reader to the very of the novel for it all to play out.  Readers may think they’re reading steampunk, but the author bases most everything on reality, including the New Pinkertons headquarters, on fact.  Of course there are a few exaggerations, but they work well in the book.  The end of the novel has a character and gadget glossary, which gives historical accuracy on everything Petrucha refers to.  This is an excellent book that will fascinate readers of both historical fiction and mystery fiction.  Highly recommended.

Common Core/Non Fiction Pair:  Secret Subway: the fascinating tale of an amazing feat of engineering.  Martin Sandler, author.  An illustrated overview of the history of New York's first subway that discusses why it was necessary to build, Alfred Beach's vision for the system and efforts to see it through, resistance to its construction, and other related topics.

Book trailer: Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser

I love his YA mystery!!!!

Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser

A cell phone picture…it’s all that’s needed to put Callie on the run. She was holding the bloody knife, and standing over Katherine’s dead body. With her family’s past, everyone is going to believe she did it. But did she?


One year ago, Katherine Remington-Day asked Callie to sit with her and Dakota at lunch and it changed Callie’s life. Her best friend had moved away, and her boyfriend, Slade, joined the national guard. Callie’s only connection to safety were the few phone calls and instant messages she and Slade shared, a long cry from the two years they’d been dating. But now, in the small town of Soundview, Callie had a chance at a social life, and she took it.

What she didn’t expect were the nuances and dance friends played when they became Katherine’s friend. It came with a price – sometimes something trivial, sometimes something serious, but Callie knew if she bent to Katherine’s rules, there would be a next time. She didn’t know if she wanted to give more that she already had, and Katherine made her choose between Slade and her friends. Callie thought she chose wisely, but now, on the run for murder, the only person she can rely on is Slade.

With his help, Callie is able to elude the police, but she knows time is running short. And with flashback memories, she is able to piece together enough personal information to figure out who the killer is. But will she be believed? And is it enough?

Strasser comes back with another YA thriller, following on his Wish You Were Dead book. Fast paced, the reader is allowed into the present and past lives of Callie and her friends and is able to see just who her friends really are and the various motives they’d all have for murder. Not only that, but the situations Callie goes through are believable instead of far-fetched, the plot is tightly written, and the ending will surprise. The reader feels for Callie, and believes her story, but continues to look for clues as to whom it would be. It’s one of those books where you want to flip to the end to find out who the killer is, but decide to wait to see the story unfold. For those readers who enjoy mystery fiction, this is one to put in their hands.

Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

Mikey knows he has a smart mouth, but he makes up for it with style.  He wears a suit everyday and it doesn't matter is people think he doesn't fit in or that he's short...his suave style gets him through the day.  And a good day is one where he doesn't have to meet up with his sister Marie's boyfriend, Jon.  Everyone in school knows that Jon's the major pusher, whatever your drug is.  He's got the looks, the money, and whatever he wants.

But one day, when the cops come in with a drug dog, Jon forces a bag onto Mikey for "safekeeping."  And when Mikey ditches it, Jon Brandt makes his presence in Mikey's life more known, and he and his gang, Trey and Kyle, will make sure Mikey repays.

In perfect timing, Shayne arrives.  Driving a beat up BMW motorcyle and sporting dark clothes, Shayne doesn't shed a ruffled feather as the new guy.  He sees what's going on between Mikey and Jon, and decides to do something to help Mikey.  Through a series of events, it seems that everything Shayne does to help makes matters worse for Mikey.  When you get two alpha guys against each other, something is going to snap....

Detective Rawls has seen them come and go.  When it comes to teens, he can pretty well read them since he's spent his life in that department.  It's at the opening of this book that the reader sees Shayne sitting in the police station, wanting to make a blank confession of murder.

Pete Hautman's books are short but powerful, and this is another fine example of a quick read with high impact.  What exactly happened between the first showdown between Shayne and Jon to the present, where Shayne is at the police station?  Told in flashback, Hautman draws his characters out, allowing the reader to take small glimpses of who they are while maintaining the pace of the story until the climactic denoument at the end of this novel.  The reader is drawn into the personas as much as the storyline, and that is what gives this book excellent qualities of a great YA read.  Compelling, intense, mystifying....all wrapped up in a perfect package Hautman delivers to his audience.  Highly recommended

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Violet knew she had an unusual gift the day she found the dead body when she was nine years old....Flash foward...

Vi is now a junior in high school.  She has a pretty good life, her circle of friends are there for her, her best friend since third grade, Jay, is still her best friend.  She has parents and an uncle who love her.  Life couldn't be better.  Except for the imprints...

What are they?  They're what's left of animals or people the moment they die.  They linger, following and finding Vi through sound or color.  Vi can see which people have imprints, from war veterans to policemen and firefighters.  She can also see the imprints left on the dead...

HE is looking for his next victim.  He can't help himself.  The hunt is extravagant...making him feel so good.  He looks for those that are alone, the beautiful helpless one, and takes her.  But his hunting grounds have to change.  Restrictions are now making him hunt in a more confined area.  But he's careful, because he's been doing this for years...

Vi's friendships, especially with Jay are slowly changing.  She can't shake the feeling that she wants to be more with her best friend, but at the same time is afraid of losing him as a friend if he doesn't feel the same way.  What is a girl to do?  And then she finds another body, this time at a party at the lake, and the imprint is calling out to her louder than ever before....

HE can't believe the body was found so quickly?  What does the sheriff's niece know and how?  He thought he was being smart, hunting quickly and quietly.  He's decided this girl who keeps finding his body may have to be next....

What an excellent mystery novel!  Not only does Derting use murder mystery as a backdrop, but she is able to deftly weave in a story about friendship, love and connections at the same time.  The two even each other out, while not losing the reading to either storyline.  The reader gets to know all the characters involved with each other, and will think they know who the elusive "HE" is but like all good mysteries, not until the last part of the book.  And yes...there is a twist!  Sensual, supernatural, suspenseful all wrapped up in a great YA novel!  Highly recommended.

The Less- Dead by April Lurie

Noah may not be famous, but his dad is. It seems everyone wants to meet the "Bible Answer Guy," one of the top-rated radio broadcasts on Christian radio in Austin, Texas. That is an oxymoron unto itself, but Noah can't run from his upbringing, although he tries.

Which is why he and his best friend Carson (who's dad is a DPCP - Demon Possessed Capitalist Pig) ended up at an alternative school for breaking school policy. And it's there that Noah's life takes a decidedly interesting, and perhaps deadly course. Because its at alternative school that Noah meets Will...

Will looks to be a typical, average Austinite teen, but there's more to him than Noah first realized. He meets Will on the Drag, while doing double duty at trying to win back his girlfriend Aubrey. The two form a friendship, tentative at first, but then slowly growing. Noah's buddy Carson sees what's happening and is the first to clue Noah in on the fact that Will is gay.

Noah has always seen himself as open, honest...not "uptight" like his Dad. But when he thinks about his reactions to Will, he knows what he thought isn't who he thinks he is. And Will will be one to test him on his levels of beliefs and bibilical teaching, as well as his emotions.

But their friendship doesn't last long...Will has been murdered. And his death is just another of many from a serial killer stalking the city. Noah has a clue the killer left behind, but who can he trust? With so many around him saying one thing and becoming another, who is telling the truth and who is lying?

April Lurie writes a YA fiction that combines prejudice against gay teens with the biblical teaching against homosexuality in one well-written and balanced book. The title suggests that while gay teens are considered less human, thus less-dead, the Bible and its scriptures say something else. The interpretation is what Lurie compiles on both sides very nicely. It's a book that not overtly heavy-handed one way or the other, but delivers a great mystery that will keep YA readers guessing, always the best quality of a well-written suspense novel.
There is an author's note where Lurie seems to state her opinion, pointing to scriptures about homosexuality, but that is the reader's option and doesn't impede on the actual novel itself. Recommended.

Booktrailer: Sleepless by Thomas Fahy

I had fun making this one!! Gave me the shivers when I watched it- not really, but it is kinda spooky : ) NO SCHOOL TODAY!! Yippee!!!! We have ice on the roads, so I get to stay in and read some more and then play some Farkle with my daughter and host daughter. So I'll try to upload this trailer, crossing my fingers... enjoy!

Sleepless by Thomas Fahy

Something is happening to the students at Saint Opportuna High in the small town of Sea Cliff. But they don't know it yet....

Emma has just moved to the small town of Sea Cliff after her mother died. After ten months, she has adjusted to life there, tutoring a cheerleader, crushing on the local mechanic guy, Jake, living next door to spooky Mrs. Dupre, a fortuneteller, and trying hard to understand why she sleepwalks. She and Jake also hold a terrible secret with Lily, Duncan, Caitlin and their teacher, Dr. Beecher. It happened when they went to New Orleans for a Habitat service project, and it's a secret they've sworn to keep. Each week they meet at Dr. Beecher's house to discuss art and its messages, but everyone still has their own personal nightmares they harbor.

Their nightmares soon take second seat to what is happening in front of them to the students at their high school. One dies in a fatal car wreck, then not long afterward, two more die...and a lot of students confess they can't sleep as well. But when one of their friends in Emma and Jake's inner circle dies, the feeling of horror and nightmare come full force right in front of them. Questions they keep asking are what is causing this? Did something from New Orleans follow them home? Can any of what's happening be fully and rationally explained? But the closer they come to those questions, the more dangerous they put their lives on the line...and for one, it may be too late.

Thomas Fahy has easily transitioned himself from adult to young adult author without "dummying down" his work. Like his first YA novel, Unspoken, Fahy's style never loses its suspense, but keeps the reader turning the pages until the finale. What readers may see when they open an adult horror suspense is still found within the pages of Fahy's YA novels, but not as openly graphic as an adult novel. But the essence is still there.... Teens who enjoy reading horror and losing themselves to the gripping nature of suspense will find this novel perfect for them.

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams

Cody’s in his junior year in high school in Colorado. He’s looking at a full-time scholarship to college, and dating the most perfect girl in town. Clea and Cody may come from different backgrounds, but they both know they were meant to be together. That is, until Clea’s very wealthy father decides to intervene.
To keep them apart, Clea is shipped first to Hong Kong, and then to a private boarding school in Vermont. Cody sees his world slowly shifting, especially after a severe knee injury that takes him off the scouting and recruiting list. With an alcoholic father at home, life takes and downward spiral, and Cody drops out of school to take on a full-time job with the local lumber yard.
But it takes a new report about the disappearance of Clea to push Cody out of his spiral. He immediately makes plans to drive to Vermont to find Clea, dead or alive, and his mission takes him into a mysterious cover-up and some very dangerous people.
Abrahams delivers a powerful YA mystery that unfolds itself slowly at first, but gains momentum with each page turned. In an area of genres for teens that is lacking, this book belongs on the top shelf of YA mystery. Teens can see the real-life situation of the main character as he charges head first into a dangerous arena that is all too real in teens’ lives as well. Recommended.

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

I wanted to do something other than moviemaker...here I used Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9. It was a learning curve, but I liked it! There is a 30 day free trial before you buy...

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Madison lives in a well-to do town, drives a nice car, knows the right people…and her life is becoming a nightmare. What starts off as a blog of one student nickednamed Str-S-d, who writes about her hatred of the popular people and wishing they were dead turns into murder. Coincidence or not?

One by one, the most popular people start disappearing, and Madison isn’t sure how or why, but there are things that bothers her.First, who is PBleeker and why does he or she keep sending cryptic texts to her phone? Why is her best friend Courtney acting so strangely? And the new student in school Madison is attracted to – is it a fatal attraction? Maddison needs to find answers quickly before she becomes the next victim or someone close to her is killed…Strasser writes an excellent mystery book with a twist that YA readers will eat up. I’ve read almost all of

Strasser’s YA novels, and this one is a departure from his past ones. Not based on reali-life statistics, this book brings together the finesse that takes YA mystery to the top. Fast-paced, this book grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the very end when you finally found out what happens to the victims. In a genre that is hard to find, this book will be one checked out by those who love murder mysteries. Companion books to Strasser’s newest novel would include Gail Giles’s What Happened to Cass McBride or John Halliday’s Shooting Monarchs.

Dirty Laundry by Daniel Ehrenhaft

Winchester School of the Arts, in the beautiful and pampered East Coast, is home to students whose parents want the most for them academically and socially. It caters specifically to them in the arts, academics and extra-curricular activities. Oh…and it has the nickname “The Laudromat” because it’s the last place students, aka dirty laundry, have left when they get kicked out of the most prestigious schools. The headmaster’s speeches can be quoted verbatim by most seniors, the drama teacher lets his small kids run rampant while he breathes his garlic breath into a stale room, and you never know what they’ll serve in the cafeteria.
But this year is different – Darcy Novak, budding theatrical star and senior dorm supervisor has been missing. No one knows what happened to her, why she was taken or she’s still alive. There are some suspects, but nothing definitive.
And then school starts, and so do the students. There’s Fun (aka Fellini Udall Newport, also the resident tagger), his roommate Hilton James (aka Nails, who’s worn the same James Brown Sex Machine t-shirt for the past two or three weeks), Kirk Bishop (who has Headmaster Stanton on a leash, thanks to his dad’s cash, despite his acne-ridden face), and newcomers Carli Gemz (pronounced “games” and was made famous for her child acting in commercials) and her roommate Miranda (who’s never met the mysterious Darcy, but feels like she knows her through one phone conversation).
Carli is there on assignment to get in character for an upcoming television series, as well as being Fun’s one-way ticket back into a private school. It should be all Fun and Gemz (get it?) but things aren’t adding up…and both of them want to get down with what really happened to Darcy and who can they trust?
Part mystery, part hilarity, Ehrenhaft comes to the forefront with another comedic look at oddballs and loafers, wannabes, and lovers. He has the perfect combination of mystery and laugh out loud moments that make this another great book for any teen reader. Ehrenhaft’s stylistic writing continues to shine in this one as it has his others (including 10 Things to Do Before I Die and Drawing a Blank) and should be paired with other sharp and witty books, like Spanking Shakespeare and Son of the Mob. Just when you think there’s too much supernaturalism and gritty realism in YA lit, along comes Ehrenhaft!! THANK YOU!!!!

My Father's Son by Terri Fields

Kevin’s having an excellent day at school. An honors student, he does well in academics, has his best friend Jason who he hangs out and plays pick-up basketball with, and today, of all days….he’s got his first date with Emily….finally!!

It’s Friday night, and he’s ready to go out. Since his parents are divorced, this is his weekend to spend with his dad. Kevin gets in his Jeep his dad bought him and takes off to the party without a care in the world. The next day he wakes up and hangs with his dad, eating take-out food and playing video games. Not at all like living with his mom, who struggles to make ends meet and never ever talks about the divorce or what happened. Kevin loves his mom, but feels at home with his dad.

Then Sunday comes, and it destroys everything Kevin thought was safe and real. As he’s staring at the television screen, he sees the police have finally captured the notorious DB25 serial killer. And the person whose face is staring back at him is his father’s….

Kevin’s life becomes a living hell. He can’t stand to be at school because of the whispers behind his back. Emily has dumped him, claiming her parents don’t want her around him. Even his best friend quits talking to Kevin. But Kevin is a fighter, and he decides that if the police won’t find the evidence to find his father innocent, then he will. And a memory comes to the surface….where did his dad hide that small, portable laptop he’s never seen before? What happened to it?

Kevin wants answers, and the only he knows how is if his father will talk to him and tell him where his car is, where the laptop is…why they caught him trying to escape out the latest victim’s house. But the only thing his dad tells him is that he doesn’t want to see him ever again, and yes….he’s guilty. Kevin’s world is spinning out of control, and the only avenue left is for him to start looking into the past for answers, if he can find a past.

This is a gripping mystery thriller from beginning to end. Fast-paced, the plot races without letting up, going from one end of Kevin’s life to the other without slowing down. Readers will wonder if Kevin’s dad is innocent or guilty to the very end. Although parents take a back seat in most YA fiction, Kevin’s parents are full-court center, creating the backbone to the main character’s persona. Terri Fields has created a well-written mystery for teens that’s rated high in this YA genre. A definite read for anyone who loved Walter Sorrell’s First Shot.

The Unspoken by Thomas Fahy

Although I love to read YA, sometimes I have to take a step back and read some good, unadulturated, pure adult novels...Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson are two of my favorites. But since booktalking is around the corner, I picked up another YA book to add to my list and boy was I in for a shocking, wonderful suprise!

Six teens....all former religious cult members...have to live with the fact they killed Jacob the leader of the cult. Not only did he kill their parents, but he left scars on the kids, both emotional and physical. On the eve of his last day alive, he preachers that only six will remain, but in five years, they will meet their worst fears...Five years later, five of the teens are back in the small town of Meridian for the funeral of their friend Harold, who drowned mysteriously. Allison continues to have visions of their deaths and one by one her visions are coming true. But are they just a synapse of her brain due to epilepsy or truly visions? Can she find the killer or is it one of them or the townspeople bringing death and misery to their lives?

Adult thriller mystery meets YA! This is Fahy's first book for YA, but there are many elements that seem more in keeping with adult thrillers. You'll just have to read it to understand. I can definitely see older YA's who read adult authors enjoying this book.

Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci

c. 2008 Harcourt

This is the nightmare that people have been thinking will happen after 9/11, and it occurs first in a small town….

Cora Holman’s mother is dead of an aneurysm, probably caused by the self-prescribed medication she has been taking for years. Now Cora is alone, and although she wishes her grandmother was still there, she feels she can take care of herself. If only she can shake this virus that has caught up with her.

Down the street, Scott Eberman is trying hard to keep his mother well and his brother, Owen, involved. He’s just come back from taking away Cora’s mother and feels something is wrong…Scott and Owen also have to contend with Rain, their next door neighbor and her chattiness – except she isn’t feeling too well either. It doesn’t help that her father, a suit for a branch of the FBI, is constantly busy and never around.

Shahzad sits in his uncle’s coffee shop hacking away at computers and working hard as a v-spy…tracking down terrorists and reporting back to the USIC on their activities. He lives in Karachi and doesn’t know what’s going on in Trinity Falls New Jersey. He only knows that “Red Vinegar” a viral mutation that kills, is polluting the water and will kill thousands somewhere in the world.

Tyler Ping, whose mother works for the South Korean government, doesn’t know he’s involved right now, but his jealousy of Shahzad’s hacking skills and rise in the FBI will cause secrets and knowledge to become public.

And what started it all was a small puddle of water outside of Cora’s house, on the same street as Rain, Owen and Scott…

Plum-Ucci knows how to write mysteries. What most people think about biological terror, she has put into a gripping YA novel that reveals what could happen. The characters are believable and the situation they find themselves in could be all too real. Adult characters abound in this book, and they take a secondary role to the teens, but they round out the novel as a whole. While most books about terrorism could become dry, this one stays juicy till the very end. Highly recommended.