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Mexican Whiteboy by Matt del la Pena

Grades 9-12. Biracial Danny Lopez doesn’t think he fits anywhere. He feels like an outsider with his Mexican father’s family, with whom he is staying for the summer, and at his mostly white school, and he wonders if his confusion drove his father away. He also struggles with his obsession for baseball; a gifted player with a blazing fastball, he lacks control of his game. With the support of a new friend and his caring cousins, Danny begins to deal with the multitude of problems in his life, which include his tendency to cut himself, an unusual characteristic in a male YA protagonist. The author juggles his many plotlines well, and the portrayal of Danny’s friends and neighborhood is rich and lively. Where the story really lights up is in the baseball scenes, which sizzle like Danny’s fastball. A violent scene, left somewhat unresolved, is the catalyst for him to confront the truth about his father. Danny’s struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens but especially to those of mixed race. (Booklist, August 2008, Vol. 104, No. 22)

Buried

Seventeen-year-old Claudine, the super-efficient daughter of an alcoholic single mother, awakens to a mess in her trailer home one morning and plunges into cleaning, her habitual mode of escaping unpleasant realities. She realizes her mother has gone, probably with a new boyfriend. Claudine, however, tells everyone that her mother finally has gone into rehab. Meanwhile, she struggles to impose order in the house with frenzied cleaning. As the days pass, she descends into ever-deeper compulsive behavior, neglecting her schoolwork, her chance for a scholarship and even her cat. At last, she makes a discovery from which she can't hide. Not a thriller as described, but an absorbing psychological study, first-time author MacCready's spare style holds the reader's interest as she peels away the defenses that Claudine has built up over her lifetime. The climactic scene packs a punch. Well-done and recommended for both reluctant and serious young readers. (Kirkus)

Queer Eye?

Getting It by Alex Sanchez

To get the attention of the girl he likes, Carlos enlists Sal, the only known gay student in his high school, to help him with a makeover, just like they do on the popular TV show "Queer Eye." Carlos gets more than he bargained for, as the business arrangement turns into friendship. Suddenly, Carlos sees people a lot more clearly. Is Roxy really worth it? Are his long-time friends really people he wants to hang out with? Award-winning author Alex Sanchez churns out another tale with a gay character and gay issues in the forefront. While the short chapters and fast clipped pace of the novel will likely appeal to reluctant readers, it's hard to miss the not-so-subtle messages in the book. Still, humor prevails as readers follow Carlos along from dweeb to stud, and from a shallow teen to someone with depth and compassion. Recommended. (Library Media Connection)

Have you read this one yet?

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

When social services discovers that her neglectful mother has left altogether, seventeen-year-old Ruby is placed in the care of her married sister Cora, whom she hasn't seen in years. Warily acclimating to a new world of privilege, loner Ruby strikes up a tentative friendship with neighbor Nate, a personable, thoughtful golden boy whose life is not what it appears. When Ruby realizes that Nate's father is abusive, she struggles with how best to help someone who, much like herself, doesn't want to be helped. The intricacy of relationships that is Dessen's signature shines here, not just in the almost-romance with Nate but in the sisters' rebuilt relationship, Ruby's memories of her mother, and even Cora's loving but un-idealized marriage. The narrative's tendency to skate past key events, detailing the buildup and aftermath but skipping the thing itself, may frustrate those who want every juicy detail. Still, the in-depth exploration of issues of family, trust, and responsibility gives readers plenty to chew on, and the complex, deeply sympathetic characters are pure pleasure to spend time with. (Horn)

By the end you will realize how invested you have become.

This is All: the pillow book of Cordelia Kenn
By Aiden Chambers

Nineteen-year-old Cordelia Kenn, weeks away from giving birth, gathers up her journals, poems, letters, stories, and thoughts in a collection to share with her daughter on the occasion of the unborn child's sixteenth birthday.

Jodi does it again...

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Picoult has carved an impressive niche in the topical family drama genre, tackling medical ethics, faith, and the law in her sixteenth novel. Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe are the parents of Willow, six, who has brittle-bone disease, suffering 68 broken bones in her short lifetime, including 7 before she was born. Charlotte gave up her job as a successful pastry chef to care for Willow full time, doing whatever she can to prevent the inevitable breaks and trying to lessen Willow’s discomfort when they occur. After a lawyer broaches the possibility of a wrongful-birth lawsuit, which would find Charlotte’s ob-gyn (also her best friend) guilty of failing to diagnose Willow’s illness early enough for a possible abortion, the family unravels. Charlotte becomes increasingly aggressive in her new attack mode; Sean disagrees with the lawsuit and files for divorce; and Amelia, Willow’s teenage half sister, seeks attention by becoming bulimic and cutting herself. In her customary fashion, Picoult probes these sensitive issues with empathy and compassion. (Follett)

By Popular Demand...

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. (Booklist)