In Ancient Transylvania, 16 year old Jena is left in charge of her four sisters while her father is away for the winter. To escape the drudgery of everyday life, Jena and her sisters use a portal in the bedroom to travel to a magical world, the Wildwood. However, as the winter wears on, the hidden dangers of the Wildwood begin seeping into the real lives of the girls. With rumors of Vampires, a haunted forest and small-minded town folk against her, Jena must use all her courage to make the household survive the winter. Eleanor G.
Like his previous book, Last Days of Summer, Kluger uses epistolary fiction - a novel told through emails, diary entries and instant messages - to tell the story of an incredible Boston family that proves that love and friendship can be as strong a link as blood. First loves, baseball, musical theater and sign language are all mixed into this story which covers a year in the life of 3 high school students. If you're looking for a story full of hope and change, don't let this one pass you by. Claudia O.
Ink Exchange is the sequel to Wicked Lovely. It is based in the same world of faerie but focuses on Leslie as its main character. This is the very dark, troubled story of Leslie’s life as she deals with her current issues at home while slowly being sucked into the equally nightmarish world of faerie. With a drug addicted brother and a drunken father she is used to flying under the radar. Suddenly, with the addition of a new tattoo, she finds herself being the object of two very important faeries’ attention. This is a great book with a dark twist on the world of faerie. Janelle G.
Three distinct stories are interwoven in this colorfully illustrated graphic novel: the retelling of a Chinese fable, the tale of a middle schooler moving from Chinatown to a white suburb, and the story of an American teenager ashamed of his Chinese cousin. The Chinese fable, "The Monkey King," begins the novel with an action-themed narrative about an ambitious monkey who wants to be accepted by the ruling gods. The next story centers on Jin Yang's shock as he realizes his new classmates in an all white suburb consider him an outsider. Finally there is the tale of American teenager Danny, whose Chinese cousin embarrasses him at every opportunity. Yang skillfully weaves these three stories together into an astonishing conclusion. Both graphic novel fans and non-graphic novel fans will find themselves turning the pages to discover the fate of these well-drawn characters. Eleanor G.
Depressed, lonely, and obsessed with love, 16-year-old Lopi is also desperate to get away from her mother, which is why she has figured out a way to graduate high school early. Her next goal - to have sex with someone she loves - is the challenge she now faces. Lopi soon realizes that she and her mother will need to accept the horrible tragedy in their past if they are to move forward with their lives. Claudia O.
