Dangerous Girls

By: Abigail Haas

I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up Dangerous Girls, but needless to say I was blown away. If you're looking for a thriller that will mess with your head, make you feel all the feels and leave you in a traumatized state wondering what just happened - look no further.

This is a story of a group of friends who have planned a luxurious, unsupervised and scandalous Spring Break trip to Aruba. Anna and her best friend Elise are especially excited for the trip. A couple of days in and everyone is having a blast, engrossed in non-stop fun and debachery fueled partying.

However, the trip is cut short when Elise is found brutally murdered in their rental condo. Best friend Anna, along with her boyfriend Tate, are the only friends in the group without an alibi and are subsequently accused of murder. Following the arrest, Anna must try to fight the charges and prove her innocence in a country far from home. 

I can't say much more about this; it's just too good. Be warned, this is a mature read with some disturbing elements, and not for the faint of heart. If you like murder mysteries full of suspense, anguish and mind-bending twists, check this one out.

Abigail Haas is a pseudonym for Abby McDonald, author of some other teen books that are much more light hearted.

A Taste for Monsters

A Taste for Monsters

By Matthew J. Kirby

"I woke up next to a dead woman. A black fly rested on her open left eye, straddling her lashes ..." With an opening like that how could I resist? I am a fan of history, strong female leads and horror; A Taste for Monsters has it all.

Set in 1888 London our lead, Evelyn, is out of work and on the streets after becoming disfigured in a fire at the matchstick factory where she worked. Looking for a place to hide from the cruel streets she gets a job working at a hospital as the caregiver for Joseph Merrick, otherwise known as the Elephant man. While most people turn from her disfigurement in disgust, Evelyn finds a kindred spirit in Mr. Merrick. 

A combination of historical fiction, horror and mystery this tale of a young woman in the late 1800's intertwines historical facts with spirits and haunting that bring the unlikely pair into the folds of the Jack the Ripper murders.

This story does not shy away from the harsh realities of London's White Chapel district in the late 1800's; prostitution, desperation and death are all on display in the streets. Kirby describes the plight of a woman without position and the cruel treatment of a man with a life threatening disfigurement. As these themes lend themselves to a dark and layered story, this book is not for the faint at heart.

Author Matthew J. Kirby is the winner of the PEN Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature and the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.

Book of the Month: January -- Saving Red

by Sonya Sones

Fourteen-year-old Molly has to finish her volunteer community service hours.  Now.  Really.  The assignment is due tomorrow morning.  Which is how she finds herself in the company of Feather and Eden, doing Santa Monica's annual count of homeless people.  When Molly finds a teenage girl in the grip of a nightmare sleeping on a park bench, she can't forget the girl with the blazing red hair.  After a couple of chance encounters with Red, Molly vows to reunite Red with her family for Christmas.

It turns out to be a lot more difficult than Molly imagines.

Molly's dealing with her own problems at home.  Something tragic happened, but Molly won't say it aloud, and neither will her parents.  So her mother copes by smoking pot and buying one of everything from the Home Shopping Network, and her father deals with it all by working so much he's hardly ever home.  Molly's so traumatized by this event, that she's prone to panic attacks, and has a preternaturally wise service dog named Pixel.  

And Red?

Red hears voices.  Sometimes they tell her to do helpful things.  Other times, their instructions are destructive to both Red and her family.  Plus, Red isn't the slightest bit interested in getting help.

Throw in Cristo, the boy she meets on the Ferris wheel at the Pacific Park pier, and Molly has quite the jam-packed winter break from school.

Technically, this is a "verse novel," or a novel written entirely in poetry.  But this isn't you're grandmother's poetry, or even your mother's poetry.  Sones writes stunning, moving inner monologues, where the placement of a single word can pack more of a visceral emotional punch than pages of text.  You also still get the experience of reading a novel, but without the edge-to-edge text of a traditional novel.  Don't let the size of the book intimidate you!  It's a quick read.  I found myself eagerly turning the page to find out what happened next.  Sones also doesn't trivialize mental illness.  She delves into the impact it can have on the person struggling with an illness and their families.  Even though Sones manages to neatly wrap up the novel at the end, it's obvious that there are still lots of unanswered questions.

Sones also wrote What My Mother Doesn't Know and What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know.  Other verse novels you might want to try are Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhai Lai or the Crank series by Ellen Hopkins.

There are several novels that also deal with mental illness, but you might want to read Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork or Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman.  

The Truth Commision

The Truth Commission 

by Susan Juby

There is a saying that the truth will set you free, but sometimes that truth comes with a price. Normandy, Neil and Dusk (who's real name is Dawn) are art students at the Green Pastures Academy in Nanaimo, BC and they decide to ask their classmates some truth seeking questions. 

As they probe their peers, they uncover truths that they may not have been expecting, not only about their targets, but also about themselves. All of this truth seeking starts a domino effect throughout the school and  the student body comes clean in different ways with both positive and negative results. 

The hardest truth to uncover is about what happened to Normandy's famous sister, Keira. Keira, a published graphic novelist has mysteriously returned from college and has shut herself away from everyone. It doesn't help that Normandy's parents are in denial about any issues that Keira's novels have wrought upon the family - the graphic novel characters bear a striking, yet unflattering resemblance to Normandy and her parents. In trying to uncover what has happened to Keira, Normandy is forced to face some unpleasant truths of her own, but with the support of Neil, Dusk, and some unlikely allies, she develops the strength needed to carry on.

The writing style is engaging, written in Normandy's voice, in the format of her final project for class. The tales of the truth commission are dotted with Normandy's own wit and observations, often in the form of amusing footnotes to her teacher. Juby pulls you right into the story and you find yourself caring for and rooting for the characters as they find out truths about themselves and each other.

Going Bovine

by Libba Bray

Cameron, a lazy, underachieving, high school pot head is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease. The disease is terminal, there is no cure, he's done. However, at the hospital, he is visited by a pink-haired punk rock angel named Dulcie who tells him his only chance of survival is to find Dr. X.  Thus begins the craziest road trip every conceived. 

Along with Gonzo, Cameron’s hypochondriac hospital roommate, and a garden gnome who is actually the Norse god Balder, Cameron sets off across America looking for the mysterious Dr. X. Although Cameron is initially not particularly likeable, his character grows throughout the book until you eventually find yourself rooting for this unsuspecting hero. A series of seemingly random, hilarious mishaps later, the story comes to an amazing ending, tying all these random events into a truly unforgettable climax. 

Libba Bray’s humour and wild imagination make for an amazing read filled with churches of perpetual happiness, snow globes, and countless laugh out loud moments. This social satire is well worth the read, carrying with it a clear message to live life to the fullest.  

Warning: Strong Language used. Intended for older teen audience.

Book of the Month: December - Three Dark Crowns

by Kendare Blake

In every generation on the island Fennbirn, a set of triplet queens are born. Each child has the same claim to the throne, but only one can rule. The sisters must fight to the death, until only one queen remains. 

Torn apart from each other at a young age, the queen sisters are raised by different families and have no memories of their each other. Queen Katherine lives with the Poisoners where she is being taught to withstand the effects of the deadliest poisons. Queen Mirabella lives with the Elementalists who can control the five elements at the blink of an eye. Queen Arsinoe lives with the Naturalists who have the ability to control a pack of wild lions. Each queen should be equal in strength and ability, but only Queen Mirabella appears to have any powers. The Islanders think they have found their new queen and the long reign of poisoner queens is coming to an end. But the Poisoners are ruthless people and they will do whatever it takes to maintain their hold on the island. And although the Naturalists are peaceful people, one cannot discount their wisdom and hunger for change.

The queens are coming up on their sixteenth birthday and the bloody battle for the throne is about to begin... and will not end until only one queen remains....

I first fell in love with Kendare Blake while reading Anna Dressed in Blood, and was eager to read her newest book.Three Dark Crowns did not disappoint. It is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It is filled with likable characters and a unique story line, not to mention a cliff-hanger that will leave you desperate to find out what happens next. A highly recommended read!

The Safest Lies

by Megan Miranda

Kelsey has lived most of her life in the shadow of fear.  17 years ago Kelsey's mom escaped from kidnappers, with no memory of the year she was held in captivity. Now, terrified that the kidnappers might come back, Kelsey and her mom live in a fortress-like house - complete with electric fence and finger-print locks.  Kelsey attends public high school (in part so that the authorities aren't tipped off about the strange living situation she and her mom have) and volunteers as a tutor after school. 

Although a bit out of the ordinary, Kelsey's life is fairly quiet.  All of this changes one night when Kelsey is in a car accident and she`s rescued by the local volunteer fire department.  All of a sudden, her name and face are in the papers, and then her mom disappears.  Kelsey knows she wouldn't have just gone anywhere willingly-  her mom hasn't left the house in 17 years.  Has her mom`s worst fear come true? Have the kidnappers come back?  As the truth comes out, Kelsey learns that there's more to her mom's story than meets the eye.