15-year-old Joy is living with her aunt and uncle after being removed from her mother’s care by child protective services. After suffering years of severe abuse by her mother and her mother’s boyfriends, Joy is sure she is broken. With the help of her therapist, aunt and uncle, and new friends, Joy slowly begins to come to terms with her past and learn how to live a “normal” life. But it isn’t easy – she has frequent panic attacks when she has to talk, and especially when she’s interacting with anyone male.

This book tells the story of a strong, beautiful girl who is anything but broken. Joy is brave and incredibly resilient. This book also shows how a family’s love can help someone heal from trauma, even (especially) when it’s difficult. If you like books about teens overcoming terrible things, if you like books that make you cry, check out Stronger Than You Know.

This is the beautifully written story of twins Jude and Noah. At thirteen, although their personalities are polar opposites, they are inseparable. Artist Noah is quiet, introspective, and may be falling in love with the boy next door. Impulsive Jude is wild and outgoing, figuring life out through experimentation. Then tragedy strikes their family and the twins are ripped apart. Now, at 16, they barely speak. Noah has turned his back on art (maybe) and Jude has transformed her personality, becoming cautious to the point of paralysis.

As their stories unfold, questions about love, grief, family, sexuality, and artistic talent are raised. And we are left with the most important question of all: are second chances possible? How do you come back from the worst thing you’ve ever done to someone?

Read I’ll Give You the Sun to find out if Jude and Noah can build a new relationship – one that acknowledges the past, but looks forward to the future.

In Hannah Moscowitz’s Not Otherwise Specified, Etta doesn’t fit neatly into any category. And in her small Nebraska hometown, everyone is supposed to fit into the perfect little box assigned to them. But Etta is too loud and boisterous, too confused, too hard to categorize. She hung out with the self-proclaimed Dykes early in high school, but now that she identifies as bisexual, they want nothing to do with her. She’s a talented dancer, but not small or white enough to be a prima ballerina. She struggles with an eating disorder, but no one believes her because she weighs more than 90 pounds.

Etta is convinced that the way out is to get into Brentwood, a theater academy in New York. But the auditions are incredibly competitive. Can Etta and her new friend Bianca, also competing for a spot, make it into Brentwood? And if they do, will their escape be everything they’d hoped for? Etta is a brave and captivating character who you can’t help but applaud in Not Otherwise Specified.

In Emery Lord’s book The Start of Me and You, Paige Hancock is known as the girl whose boyfriend drowned. It’s been a year, and although Paige is still sad sometimes, she is determined to begin living life again. No more hiding at home. She sets goals for herself, like going to parties, joining a club, dating, and even swimming. The first two seem pretty doable, with her best friends by her side and her parents supporting her at home. But dating and swimming? They’re another story.

When Paige joins the QuizBowl team, she meets sweet, slightly nerdy Max, cousin of her old crush Ryan Chase. Paige and Max become closer and closer friends, while Paige continues to like Ryan from afar. But then things with Max get confusing – could it be Max who likes her, not Ryan? How can she figure out who she likes, with all these confusing new feelings and experiences whirling around in her brain?

The Start of Me and You is a sweet, positive story about friendship and romance.

Susan Juby has written several really funny novels, and her newest book, The Truth Commission, doesn’t disappoint. Normandy Pale, a junior at Green Pastures Academy of Art and Applied Design, has a famous older sister. Unfortunately. Her sister Keira writes a bestselling graphic novel series that tends to include humiliating episodes from their family life thinly disguised as fiction. When Normandy’s best friends start the Truth Commission, asking their classmates to answer really personal questions, their truth-seeking hits close to home. What are the things that no one wants to talk about? In Normandy’s family, that’s pretty much everything. So what will happen if Normandy starts telling her family the truth? With the help of her friends Dusk and Neil, she dives in to honesty headfirst.

The Truth Commission is a funny and really lovely story of friendship, family, and the value of being honest with yourself even when it’s the last thing you want to do.

From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like 16-year-old Sydney should want for nothing. She and her brother Peyton have led a privileged existence. But as her brother starts getting in more and more trouble, Sydney feels herself disappearing. Then her brother is sent to jail for driving drunk and hitting a teenager, paralyzing him. Her parents’ total focus remains on Peyton, and despite trying to do everything right, be the perfect child, Sydney feels invisible. She is also guilt-stricken about her brother’s victim.

After switching schools, Sydney makes friends with a girl named Layla and Layla’s whole family embraces her. Even though Layla’s family isn’t perfect either, Sydney finally feels seen and valued for who she is. Then she starts falling for Layla’s brother Mac, and things get complicated.

Saint Anything is classic Sarah Dessen – a story about complicated families, messy friendships, and a character struggling to discover and stand up for her own truth.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where faeries were real? In Holly Black’s latest book, The Darkest Part of the Forest, Hazel and her brother Ben have grown up in Fairfold, a magical place. Tourists often visit to see the horned boy who sleeps in a glass coffin, and other evidence of the faerie world meeting the human. Sometimes those tourists don't make it home because as everyone knows, faeries are dangerous. But Hazel and Ben have been taught how to safely coexist with the faeries. When they were younger, everything was an exhilarating game – Hazel was a knight, rescuing people from the faeries’ evil clutches. But now they’re older and a promise Hazel made as a child has come back to haunt her. The horned boy has awakened, and Fairfold is in serious danger, including Ben’s best friend Jack, a changeling who has grown up next door, and for whom Hazel has fallen hard. Can brother and sister team up again to rescue their town, and themselves from what lurks in The Darkest Part of the Forest?

Razorhurst by Australian author Justine Larbalestier is set in the Sydney neighborhood of Razorhurst in 1932, where mobsters wielding razors rule. Main character Kelpie, always hungry, always filthy, struggles to survive on the dangerous streets. She is helped (sometimes) by the ghosts that only she can see and hear. Then she meets the beautiful Dymphna Campbell, top-earning prostitute of the whole neighborhood. Dymphna’s latest boyfriend has just been viciously murdered and Kelpie stumbles onto the scene. The two are thrown together in a race for their lives as they try to outwit both the mob bosses and the corrupt cops who terrorize Razorhurst. Complicating their efforts are the ghosts that Kelpie learns Dymphna can also see and hear. Can Kelpie, who has been on her own for so long, learn to rely on another person? Can the two find a way to a better life in spite of the terrors and traumas of Razorhurst?

Rook by Sharon Cameron is a creatively reimagined version of the classic novel The Scarlet Pimpernel. Sophia Bellamy is being forced into an arranged marriage to save her family’s rocky financial status. But Sophia has a secret – she is the Red Rook, rescuer of dozens of men, women, and children imprisoned by the new revolution in the Sunken City. Sophia is an ace swordfighter and ferocious protector of both her loved ones and her moral convictions. This unwanted engagement to the wealthy and seemingly clueless René Hasard puts her clandestine activities in jeopardy, until Sophia learns that Rene has secrets also. Are there actually on the same side? Can he be trusted? And most importantly, can she trust her own feelings, because she just might be falling in love. Read Rook for a fast-paced, original, sometimes frustrating, and utterly romantic adventure.

Finn O’Sullivan, who lives in a tiny Midwestern town, has been left once, by his mother. But for the most part, he and his brother survived that loss. Then a mysterious and lovely woman named Roza arrives in town. She appears in the O’Sullivan barn, dreadfully injured. Finn and his brother help her back to health, and Roza, with her fun, lively spirit, brings new life and happiness into their home. Then Roza is kidnapped and Finn, the only witness, is unable to describe her abductor. It seems that no one believes him, or trusts his account of the story. Gossip and rumors circulate, and Finn has no one to turn to. Even his brother seems to be against him. Finn sets out to rescue Roza, with the support of his best friend and a new friend (and possible love interest).

Bone Gap combines elements of mystery and magical realism to tell a lovely story that you won’t soon forget.

If you've read a book by Andrew Smith before, you won’t be surprised to hear that his latest book, The Alex Crow, is weird. There is an historic Arctic exploration that goes terribly wrong. There is a boy who is the only survivor of an attack that wipes out his entire African village. There is a schizophrenic man on a dangerous mission, trying to overcome the demons in his mind. And there is a group of boys at Camp Merrie-Seymour, “where boys rediscover the fun of boyhood.” Sounds a little creepy, right? Yeah, it is. It takes the guys a while to figure it out, but there’s some kind of experimentation going on, and that’s not even half of the weirdness that is this book.

All of these story lines, that at first seem completely disconnected, end up being woven together in a very compelling story. If you’ve never read a book by Andrew Smith, you should. His books are always crazy, but always really interesting. This is The Alex Crow.

In Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver, Dara and Nick used to be as close as two sisters could possibly be. They were different, sure, but always the best of friends. Then there is a terrible car accident and Dara is left with terrible scarring. Nick is deeply shaken too, and suddenly the sisters can’t even talk to each other. Their whole family seems to be in ruins, so when Dara disappears right before her birthday dinner, at first Nick is just angry. Why does Dara have to ruin things when they’re all trying to rebuild their previously happy family life?

But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has also disappeared, and Nick begins to wonder if there is a connection. Soon she is convinced that something terrible has happened to Dara, but no one will help her. She is on her own as she tries to rescue her sister, and figure out what happened to Madeline as well.

This book has quite the twist for an ending. Check out Vanishing Girls if you want to be surprised, and moved, by characters you will grow to love like family.

In There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake, Shelby Jane Cooper and her mother have always been close. Shelby, who is deaf, sometimes feels stifled by her mom, who would definitely be considered overprotective. But mostly Shelby feels pretty content with her life. Then she is hit by a car and even though she’s not badly injured, her mother completely freaks out. Suddenly they have to leave their home, everything they’ve known, and go on the run. Shelby is definitely afraid, but mostly confused. What is her mother so terrified of? Slowly, she begins to see her mother in a different light. Is her mother actually the dangerous one? Who can Shelby trust?

This is an amazing book. It’s beautifully written, which won’t surprise you if you’ve ever read anything by Nick Lake. But it’s also fascinating and fast-paced. You will not want to put this book down as you journey along with Shelby, experiencing the shocks of her new reality along with her. You definitely don’t want to miss There Will Be Lies.

Teenager Linus ran away from home and has been living on the streets for several months. One day, when he tries to help a man he thinks is disabled, he ends up getting kidnapped and wakes up alone in an underground bunker. There is no escape. There is no food or water.

Slowly other people, including a nine-year-old girl, join him in the bunker. They figure out how to ask their captor for food and water – sometimes. But there is no escape. Are they part of some sick experiment to find out what will happen if you trap six people underground and torture them? Linus doesn’t know. All he knows is that he is hungry, alone, and looking at death right in the face.

This book is dark and frankly, very depressing. But if you like books that make you think and say “what if”, The Bunker Diary is definitely a book to pick up.

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon is like reading a Law & Order episode. 16-year-old Tariq, who is black, is shot and killed by a white man. Everyone who witnessed the shooting has a story to tell, and every person’s story is different. Who is telling the truth? How do you determine the truth when everyone is sure their story is the right one?

This book is compelling and timely, and a very quick read. You will be drawn in by the characters – their emotions and actions. If you like to consider tough questions about race, violence, and justice, check out How It Went Down and see what you think. What exactly happened on the day Tariq died? Who knows the truth? Will the truth ever be revealed?

Violet Markey and Theodore Finch meet at the top of their school’s bell tower. Both are thinking about suicide. But Finch helps Violet back from the edge, and their unexpected connection makes them both reconsider. They are an unlikely pair – Violet has always been poised and popular, and Finch is the school freak. But as they work together on a school project, they become friends and then, possibly, something more. Their growing relationship gives new meaning to both of their lives.

But Finch suffers from depression and it soon rears its ugly head again. How far will he be dragged under this time? Will it cost him his life? And what impact will his depression have on Violet, who has already lost a sister?

Violet and Finch will captivate you just as Eleanor and Park did, as you follow them in their search for All the Bright Places.

In Gayle Forman’s latest book I Was Here, Meg and Cody were best friends and shared absolutely everything. Or at least that’s what Cody thought, until Meg went away to college and a few months later, killed herself. Meg’s death has Cody in a state of total shock and grief. And when Cody starts digging a little deeper, her suspicions grow. Why did Meg, who seemed so happy, so invested in her own future, kill herself? Cody finds out that Meg had joined an online support group for suicide, and that someone in the group may have even encouraged her to die. Cody sets out to track the person down. She wants someone to pay for what happened to Meg. But is that the best choice? In order to move on with her own life, might she have to find a way to let Meg go?

Gayle Forman’s latest book is intensely moving, and raises more questions than it answers. If you enjoyed books like Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher or You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn, definitely check out I Was Here.

The first in a new series by Elly Griffiths, The Zig Zag Girl introduces Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens. Set in the years following World War II, DI Stephens is drawn back in time as a killer brings together members of a subterfuge group, of which Stephens was a member. Edgar teams up with his fellow "Magic Men" partner, Max Mephisto, and together they work to unravel the mystery of who is killing members of the team and their loved ones.  

I didn't feel drawn into the story the way I do with Griffiths' Ruth Galloway mysteries, and none of the characters are quite as engaging as those in the Galloway mysteries. All in all, I was a bit disappointed by this debut mystery in Griffiths' new series.

     “Blogs ... are the most trusted source of information to many consumers.” According to the author Nina Amir blogging a book is a task that requires not only daily writing practice but also a commitment to build a reading community of followers; the purpose is not only to open a market of product consumption for the published book, but also to create an atmosphere of open conversation and closeness with the online readers. The author states that blogging requires the creation of an informal conversation with a subject or topic that interests the public. Amir highlights that creating “content with a purpose” enables the online readers to share the blog within their own network, making the dissemination process fast and easy. The use of the social media tools available in the market aids with the promotion of the blog-post and the future publishing book. The author Amir has some advice for you (the reader): “Blog a book in a year or less … I challenge you to begin writing a blog post a day and set a goal to finish blogging ... and … to get discovered.” This book is divided in 11 chapters, in which the reader can find helpful information about the need to write a business plan, how to outline a topic, and the use of social media as a powerful tool for promotion and for bragging the success stories of bloggers who published a book. It also offers some guidelines and tips for publishing a book in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Happy writing!

     Happiness does not come with a traditional manual instruction to follow; life is very unpredictable and with many challenges to overcome. The question is how do you take these challenges and turned them into opportunities in order to grow and to rediscover yourself? “Pockets of Joy: Deciding to Be Happy, Choosing to Be Free,” written by Roxane Battle reflects on her personal life story and the difficulties that she had to affront in order to survive. Battle’s son, Jarod, was the person who motivated her to find happiness during the most difficult time in her life; in addition to maneuver the challenges of a demanding career. What success meant for her? What sacrifices Battle had to make in order to achieve the inner peace that she needed to continue enjoying her life? As the author states: “Joy and happiness come from knowing who you are, what you stand for, and what you value most. Only you can define that. Be strong through every bumpy road and difficult decision. Stay true to what makes heart sing and soon you will discover your own pockets of joy.” According with the author, finding “a balance life” requires sacrifice and courage to achieve what seems unattainable. This book is divided in nine chapters.