A Monster Calls by Patrick NessConor wakes in the middle of the night to find an ancient monster outside his window. This creature demands something that Conor finds extremely difficult to give: the truth. Based on an idea by award winning author Siobhan Dowd, Ness wrote this book after Dowd died at a young age of cancer.
North of Beautiful by Justine Chen Headley
The traditional idea of beauty is challenged in this moving novel about Terra, a high school senior who was born with a port wine stain that covers half of her face.
The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix
Begin this wonderful fantasy series with Sabriel. Then go on to Lireal and finally Abhorsen. Originally a trilogy which ended over ten years ago, Nix recently wrote and published a fourth book to continue the story: Clariel. Devour these one right after the other.
Why We Broke Up by Daniel HandlerMin and Ed are breaking up, so Min writes a letter to Ed and gives him a box containing, among other things, two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, and a pair of ugly earrings. There is a story behind each item that tells why the breakup happens. Handler (Lemony Snickett to younger readers) tell a wry tale of a doomed relationship.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruth SepetysA very personal story for the writer as it is based on the history of her own family, this is a historical fiction book about a little known occurrence in the late 1930s when Lithuanian citizens were forcibly relocated to work camps in Siberia after being invaded by Russia. The author estimates that a full one third of the population of the Baltic states was lost during this genocide.
This psychological stunner by Kevin Brooks (Being, Lucas) won the Carnegie Medal in 2014 for teen literature. Linus Weems is a teenage runaway who was living on the streets before he is kidnapped and wakes up in a strange underground bunker. At first he is alone, but not for long. Soon he is joined by 9 year old Jenny, 20 something Anja (beautiful, wealthy, very spoiled), middle aged Bird, the overweight businessman, Fred the heroin addict and finally Russell, a 70 year old physicist with a terminal illness. Six people who have nothing in common, but who have to try to survive and hopefully escape. Linus tells the story through a diary he keeps while in the bunker. Their captor is unknown, there is no communication at all. Every room has a camera and a microphone so they know they are being watched, but have no idea why. An elevator comes down each morning sometimes delivering food and necessities, sometimes nothing and every once in a while something very bad. This story is powerfully disturbing, and if you are looking for a light happy ending, look elsewhere. I would recommend this book for older teens who love Daniel Krauss and Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers series.
