TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Bella Swan has moved to the rainy town of Forks, Washington to live with her father. She is fascinated by handsome Edward Cullen and his family. As Bella begins to develop romantic feelings for Edward, his hot and cold response often confuses and troubles her. Then on a weekend excursion to the forest, Bella meets Jacob, a Native American boy who tells her about the stories his grandfather tells, about the Cullen family being a group of vampires. As Bella reveals what she knows to Edward, the two become even closer. Although Edward is a “good” vampire, feeding only on animal blood, eventually Bella’s life is endangered when another vampire decides he wants to kill her. It is up to Edward to save Bella’s life.

I had been hoping to be able to read this series for a couple of years, and with the movie coming out in November, I finally had to see what all the fuss was about. For a 500-page book, I was amazed by what a quick read this is. I never thought I would be a fan of a vampire book, but after all, it is primarily a love story. I am looking forward to tackling the rest of the series.

PROM by Laurie Halse Anderson

Ashley is not your typical prom-obsessed high school student. She is more concerned with how she will manage to make up all of her assigned detentions before graduation. Her next door neighbor and best friend Nat, on the other hand, is completely obsessed with prom planning. When the prom sponsor steals the funds, Ashley finds herself in the unlikely spot of helping her friends plan the prom in a matter of days. Eventually everything comes together, and Ashley attends the prom and has a much better time than expected.

My favorite thing about this book is Ashley’s relationship with her family. Since the story is written in first person and Ashley is known to exaggerate, I first thought that her family was going to be rather dysfunctional. As I read about her interactions with her parents and brothers, I realized that they were just a regular working class family. Laurie Halse Anderson does an excellent job of demonstrating their love for one another through their actions rather than just their words. Although I did not enjoy it as much as Speak, Prom was a funny and entertaining read.

BEASTLY by Alex Flinn

Kyle Kingsbury is a handsome, spoiled, and pompous young teenager who always gets what he wants. He is concerned only with the superficial, never giving a thought to what lies beneath the surface. This all changes when he meets Kendra, a rather unattractive girl who criticizes Kyle’s inconsiderate behavior. It turns out that Kendra is a witch, and she casts a spell to turn Kyle into a beast. The only way the spell can be broken is for Kyle to fall in love and receive a kiss from his beloved. When nothing can be done to reverse the spell, Kyle’s father moves him to a large, secluded house, leaving only the housekeeper and a tutor to keep him company. Kyle begins to care for the rosebushes that surround his home, and when a man breaks in and tries to steal them, Kyle (now calling himself Adrian) becomes so enraged that he spares the man’s life on the condition that he bring his daughter Lindy to live with Adrian. Lindy arrives, and after some time and a dramatic rescue scene at the end of the book, Adrian and Lindy live happily ever after.

This is a twist on the familiar Beauty and the Beast tale. Set in New York City, this modern adaptation opens in a chat room, with BeastNYC conversing with a group of other creatures that have undergone or are considering transformation. Throughout the book, BeastNYC returns to the chat room, where he converses with the Frog Prince, the Little Mermaid and the Bear from the fairy tale “Snow White and Rose Red.” I would recommend this book to students who are fans of fractured and adapted fairy tales.

THE MURDER OF BINDY MACKENZIE by Jaclyn Moriarty

Bindy Mackenzie is the smartest girl at Ashbury High. Just ask her. She makes the highest marks in all of her courses, is active in the debate program, and even facilitates meetings with troubled teens. A new course called F.A.D. is the bane of Bindy’s existence. She does not get along well with the other group members, and she is convinced that they do not like her and are out to get her. As the year progresses, Bindy begins to feel sick and unable to stay focused. Little does she know that someone is indeed out to get her, but it is not the people she suspects, It is now up to the F.A.D. group to save Bindy Mackenzie’s life!

I loved this book! Many young readers will be intrigued by the Australian setting. It is also important to note that the entire story is told through Bindy’s diary entries, memos, transcripts, and other correspondence. Although the “murder” storyline which comes in at the end was a little bizarre, I really appreciated the overarching message of the entire book, about honesty, being true to oneself, and being willing to open up to others. Having recently gone through a divorce, I have been grappling with many of these issues myself. The book really resonated with me. I want to read more by Jaclyn Moriarty!

THE MURDER OF BINDY MACKENZIE by Jaclyn Moriarty

Bindy Mackenzie is the smartest girl at Ashbury High. Just ask her. She makes the highest marks in all of her courses, is active in the debate program, and even facilitates meetings with troubled teens. A new course called F.A.D. is the bane of Bindy’s existence. She does not get along well with the other group members, and she is convinced that they do not like her and are out to get her. As the year progresses, Bindy begins to feel sick and unable to stay focused. Little does she know that someone is indeed out to get her, but it is not the people she suspects, It is now up to the F.A.D. group to save Bindy Mackenzie’s life!

I loved this book! Many young readers will be intrigued by the Australian setting. It is also important to note that the entire story is told through Bindy’s diary entries, memos, transcripts, and other correspondence. Although the “murder” storyline which comes in at the end was a little bizarre, I really appreciated the overarching message of the entire book, about honesty, being true to oneself, and being willing to open up to others. Having recently grappled with many of these issues myself, the book really resonated with me. I want to read more by Jaclyn Moriarty!

DARK WATER RISING by Marian Hale

Seventeen-year-old Seth and his family have just moved to Galveston, and Seth is generally frustrated with life and his parents’ expectations for him. He is tired of looking after his little sister and has no interest in his father’s plans for him to attend college. Things begin looking up when he finds a job he really enjoys, working as a carpenter’s helper. When the famous 1900 hurricane hits, Seth must be strong as his world is turned upside down and he grapples with feelings of loss, surrounded by death and destruction in the aftermath of the storm. By the end of the story, having developed a stronger sense of self, Seth is finally able to tell his father his true feelings about what he wants to do with his life.

Since Hurricane Katrina, there has been an increased interest in hurricanes and the havoc they wreak. The small community where I work has been impacted by hurricane twice in the past three years. While talking to community members about the storms, there always seems to be a fascination with what it would be like to stay behind and witness the storm firsthand. Marian Hale provides a glimpse of what that might be like, and it will likely make anyone think twice about staying behind.

KETURAH AND LORD DEATH by Martine Leavitt

Keturah is the storyteller of her village, entertaining her friends with her fantastical tales. One day she follows the fabled hart into the forest and loses her way. After going in circles for several days, Keturah accepts that death is near. When she meets Lord Death, she tries to buy some more time by telling him a story of true love. He agrees to let her return to her village, on the condition that she find true love by the end of the day. When this does not happen, she returns to Lord Death, who is enchanted by her beauty and storytelling ability, and continues to allow her to return to the village to help her friends. Finally Keturah realizes that Death has been with her since she was a small child, and she returns to the forest to be his bride.

When I first picked up this book and began to read, I did not think I would like it, since fantasy is not usually my thing. However, Keturah’s love for her village and her unfolding discovery of her love for Lord Death are what really make this a powerful tale. As we follow Keturah’s progress, we find ourselves rooting for her, but for Lord Death as well, as we see his softer, more humane side emerge when Keturah is near. This is a very unique book, and I highly recommend it.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE? by Gail Giles

Cass McBride is one of those "perfect" popular girls who has everything going for her, until one day she makes the mistake of picking on the wrong guy. When David Kirby asks Cass out, she turns him down politely enough, but turns around and writes a note to a friend making fun of him. When David hangs himself, and his brother Kyle reads the note Cass wrote, he blames Cass for David's death. Kyle drugs and kidnaps Cass, burying her alive and torturing her for days. As the story unfolds, we learn more about why Kyle and Cass each behave the way they do, as well as the real reason for David's suicide.

This book is suspenseful from beginning to end, told from alternating points of view including tht of Cass, Kyle, and Ben, the detective investigating the kidnapping case. Particularly impressive is the way that Cass attempts to manipulate Kyle as he continues to come back and "confess" to her. At times, the captive seems more powerful than her captor. Although the content is disturbing, the fast pace and psychological drama will keep reluctant readers interested.