A small town with a mystical past and a magical present

Utopia, Iowa by Brian Yansky

Brian Yansky (Alien Invasions and Other Inconveniences, and Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments) has created a unique town in Utopia along with some very unique residents. Jack Bell can see and communicate with ghosts, his grandmother is a powerful witch, an elderly neighbor spends his time rocking on his front porch but seems to have some special insights that he shares once in a while with Jack, and his little sister is just beginning to exhibit some rather special gifts (or curses, depending on your point of view). Jack is an aspiring script writer for the movie world, and he sees his world through the lens of past favorite movies. But lately all is not well in Utopia. Two young girls have been apparently murdered and both have come to Jack for help.  There are actually two worlds existing simultaneously in Utopia, and they will very soon collide.  

This is not just fantasy, or romance, or murder mystery, but a combination of all three with a bit of humor thrown in for good measure. It is a story of a boy about to graduate high school finding his way in both worlds and learning that sometimes you have to leave to get where you want to be.  I would recommend this book to both boys and girls who like strange quirky stories.  

For horror fans!

Amity by Micol Ostow
If you love quietly building horror, then this is one you should read!  Told in two voices, this is the story of two families who have lived in Amity on the Concord River in Massachussetts. Connor has been diagnosed by psychiatrists as a sociopath after several disturbing incidents at school. His family has moved into the secluded house to escape a troubling past that includes violent behavior and an obsession with his twin sister Julianne.  Nightmares begin for Connor almost immediately, and he spirals downward quickly. 
Ten years later Gwen and her family buy Amity and move there in the hopes that the quiet country will be therapeutic and restorative for Gwen, who has recently been hospitalized for mental illness. The nightmares begin soon after for both Gwen and her previously gentle and supportive brother Luke, who becomes obsessed with the mysterious boathouse on the shore of the river. 
It turns out that Amity has a dark and violent history, and perhaps a sentient existence of her own that is reaching out to the teens. 
The book jacket states that this story is based on a true crime story, but does not elaborate. I recommend this book to lovers of horror stories who appreciate quiet tension and buildup and have rather strong stomachs!  I read this one in one sitting!  

It's been a busy summer, but I'm back with a great book for you!

Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
There seems to be a new trend in teen literature: teens living in repressive fundamentalist families yearning to escape and find new lives for themselves.  A few current examples are Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle, No Parking at the End Times by Brian Bliss and Rapture Practice, a memoir of growing up in a fundamentalist family by Aaron Harztler.  When I picked up Devoted (Mathieu's second novel for teens) I expected more of the same, but this one surprised me. It is a gentle book about Rachel, a seventeen year old girl growing up in a very large fundamentalist Christian family, taking care of her younger brothers and sisters and her depressed mother, who dreams of the world outside her closed little life and yearns to be able to read books and learn about the world around her. The confusion and guilt is palpable and throughout the book. She never looses her faith, it just changes gradually when she contacts an older girl, Lauren, who escaped from her repressive home life and eventually earned her GED and returned to her home town for a job opportunity. Lauren sends her a poem by Mary Oliver, the last line of which serves as the theme for this story: "What is it you will do with your one wild and precious life?" Rachel leaves her home and moves in with Lauren, whose family attended the same church Rachel's family attends. Rachel's growth is slow and steady throughout the book, her relationships with new found friends believable. This book is full of hope, as you will surely cheer Rachel on in her journey towards self discovery.  It's not an easy journey, and it is not one that Rachel undertakes in anger or bitterness. She truly misses her family and grieves when she realizes she will never be allowed to visit her home again. She continues to have faith and begins attending another church with her new friends and develops a new understanding of her own precious gifts and how to use them. I would recommend this book for high school students who like Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.